Backyard Friends

 Lately, it has been sunny and cold.❄️🥶

Oregon Junco:  "I like the cold weather."🤗

Yellow-rumped Warbler:  "When I can not find a bug 

in the field, I always show up here for the suet."☺️

Chestnut-backed Chickadee :  "Me, too.  I like your suet."👍

A New Mirrorless Camera

 After many rainy days, the sky is clear and blue.

After many years, I wanted to try a mirrorless camera (very light weight and good for old folks).  The zoom is less than my old 300mm, but in reality it is better and focus easily.  😮😊🎀

"You can see me BETTER."😊🪽🪿🦆🦅

"Wow,  I can see you good, too, on a clear day."😁👍🎁🎄

Snow Day

Last two days we had snow and ice.  Many offices were closed and I had to cancel my medical appointment.  The bird bath had 1 inch of snow in the backyard.

Birds are busy trying to find something to eat when snowing.

Yellow-rumped Warbler:  "I am hungry."

Ruby-crowned Kinglet:  "I waited for snow to stop."

Anna's Hummingbird:  "I am avoiding  the wind."  

Sunrise

 The bright sunrise in winter

Anna's Hummingbird likes to perch in the bush.

"I need to hide in the bush."

"I am hungry for suet this bright morning."

New Year's Greeting

 Soon it will be 2025.  Time flies very fast (faster when retired).

"Happy New Year to you!" 😊🎍

"Happy New Year to all my friends."🌞

"I am soaring higher to bring peace for the coming year."🦅👍

Next year's zodiac will be 🐍.

My Backyard

You can see many yellow leaves now.  Between the rainy days, the fall sky is high. 👀😉

Black-capped Chickadee:  "I am a regular here."😊

Yellow-rumped Warbler:  "I am a winter visitor."👍🤩

Temperature Changes

My old computer crashed during the ice storm.  So I lost the photo editor and I am learning a new photo editor now.  It takes a while to get used to it.

"The ice is slippery.  I do not like it. ❄️☃️😨"

10 degrees F

"I am glad the ice is gone.  Just rain now.☔"

50 degrees F

"I see no snow from the top of this tall tree.😊😎👀"

 

Snow Storm

 For last 3 days, the icy storm hit our area.  The temperature on the patio was around 10 degrees F.

On the 2nd day of the storm, it warmed up only  to 20 degrees F during the day.  On the 3rd, we had another 10 degrees F in the morning and later became sunny with 20 degrees F.   It just stayed cold and below freezing all the time.

"This is the first storm this year😁."

😆

"We'd better nibble quickly before another chilly wind blast."

"I am back as usual.  I don't mind the snowy day.😎🤩"

Back to Rain

The rain returned after a couple of weeks' cold spell.  Now that it is warmer, the snow in the mountains is melting and can cause flooding.

 

"I like the rain, but not the flooding. "

"I definitely do not want flooding."

"Rain is ok, but not too much, please."

Ready for Winter

The blueberry leaves are changing colors to red.

 

A winter bird, Yellow-rumped  Warbler, is back for winter.

"I am back in the backyard😊."

Also at the wetland, I saw several Yellow-rumped Warblers.

"I am back at the wetland🤩."

From Hail to Rain

 I though March weather is unstable. But this year April, too, is as much as or worse than March.  One day, it hailed a lot.

Golden-crowned Sparrows have been around here for a few weeks before moving into the woods in summer.

"I am tough.  I don't mind the cold weather at all."

After a couple of weeks of  the cold spell, it finally changed to rain.

Guess what.  All of a sudden, right when the warm rainy days came.  So did many Yellow-rumped Warblers come into my backyard (it used to be only 2-4 at max here ; now I counted close to a dozen).

Yellow-rumped #1:  "It's been cold this spring, so I didn't make it into the woods yet."

Yellow-rumped #2:  "Yeah, that's why we all  come here to nibble the suet."

I hope that's the reason.

Cold Spring

April is here, but the weather changes so much this spring.  This weekend is very cold with the northern wind blowing our way.  But around the corner in my backyard, the bleeding hearts are in bloom.

 

American Crows sometimes visit here to eat the left-over suets.

"It is delicious.  I saw little birdies coming here all the times."

Chestnut-backed Chickadee:  "Yeah, it is very cold today."

Yellow-rumped Warbler:  "It is windy today."

Meeting at the Feeders

In the spring, birds are busy.  They often meet each other at the feeder.

Bewick's Wren to Downy Woodpecker:  "Good to see you.  You are my suet friend."

Black-capped Chickadee to Bewick's Wren:  "I am first.  Just wait a minute."

Yellow-rumped Warbler (left):  "When are you leaving for the woods?"

Townsend's Warbler:  "Not yet.  I love the suet here."

Waiting for Spring Weather

Still cold.  Often just above the freezing point.  The blue sky peeks out once in a while.  

On a rainy day, a Downy Woodpecker stopped over for the suet.

Yellow-rumped Warblers are aggressive, always chasing out other smaller birds.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet is one of those often being kicked out.

"I have to nibble quickly before I'm found."

Unexpected Snow

One day I saw yellow crocuses in bloom; next day I saw snow.  Last several days have been cold with many snow flurries.  Birds are tough despite of the freezing temperature.

"I have lots of down feathers."

"On a snowy day, I come straight here to eat the suet."

"We fly around in a big flock in winter and 

roost together to preserve the heat at night."

Snow tonight?

It has been cold, back to the winter again.  Sensing the cold pressure with wind and rain, birdies know it might snow.  That is why they are busy all day eating as much when they can.

Chickadees are busy with sunflower seeds.  They come in twos or threes sometimes.

This morning the water in the birdbath was frozen; Pine Siskins can only lick the ice or walk on it.

Later in the afternoon, the two brothers are shouting,"You need to have our permission to join!"  (See the blurry one just flying in.)

On the wet lawn, a pair of Lesser Goldfinches were trying to eat new and tender dandelion leaves.

In the sun which comes out once in a while, a Yellow-rumped Warbler looks like a prince.  He just finished eating the suet.

A male Lesser Goldfinch deserves much attention to that bright color.  He likes to eat thistle seeds together with Pine Siskins and American Goldfinches.

I hope everyone got enough to eat today before the cold front comes in tonight.