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Seeing red

This past winter I saw red.

Mixed in among all the finches and pine siskins on the nyger feeders throughout the winter, I noticed birds with little red caps.

No, they weren't toques for warmth but these little guys are built for winter weather.

Apparently, if they can eat constantly they will withstand bitter cold and can endure colder temperatures than any other songbird.

If they run out of fuel though, they can die of hypothermia.

So you know me.

I kept them well fed all through the long cold winter.

These little guys are called Redpolls and if they've been here other winters I can't say I noticed them. Apparently, they are temperamental and will show up when they feel like it, obviously if there's a good food supply.

This past week, they disappeared.

Unlike robins, they've gone to a colder climate which they prefer.

And that, my friends, is why I could never be a Redpoll.

(My apologies for the 'gaps' - Blogger can be frustrating for photo placement!!)

Bill and Myrtle sittin' in a tree....

Tell me again how much you love me??

Guess who woke up?

A sleepy someone decided to emerge from his slumber today. That's a sure sign of spring around the corner and a sign that the birdseed is going to disappear 5 times as fast.

I will admit I have missed my little friends as they slept serenely beneath the ground and the snow, on the mounds of birdseed and peanuts I supplied them with last year.

Squirrels have provided plenty of entertainment through the winter, but they're just not as lovable as chipmunks.

My hard drive is full of chipmunk pictures. Everytime I think I must not take one more picture of them, one of these critters will look in my eyes and I just have to get one more shot. But then, I guess I'm the same way with bird pictures.

I know I shouldn't love them. They're rodents who can cause a heap of trouble. (Two years ago we had one tearing around inside our house - if you missed it, you can read about it here.)

But who can resist watching their decision making skills when faced with so many peanuts, so little time? How many can I shove in my pockets? Maybe I can squeeze in just one more...maybe switch up the sizes to cram more in there....oooh I hate to leave that one behind....I'll be back in a flash for it!

Here's some poor quality video snippets taken last year when I hadn't learned the settings on my camera. You'll easily see why the birds have very little chance of snatching sunflower seeds when chipmunks are around.

You'll also notice the chipmunk on the same perch the hawk was sitting on a few blog posts ago.

Oh dear.

I guess we'll see who's fastest and wisest....but I don't think I want a video of their encounter!

Hot 'n Steamy

Back in February when we had been in a deep freeze for far too long, my husband randomly suggested that we just drop everything and leave for a warm, tropical vacation. It didn't take much to convince me, so we just went.

What a wonderful relief from the bitter cold! Warm...steamy....refreshing waterfalls...tropical plants....colorful birds.....beautiful butterflies.

Yah....... me, birds, butterflies, warmth, water and plants.....that's heaven right there.

It was absolutely wonderful. I let every moment sink in as my bones drank in the warmth they so craved.

Then after about 3 hours we came home.

Actually, the vacation was less than an hour's drive and cost under 25 bucks for the two of us. You guessed it. A butterfly conservatory. I highly recommend this mini vacation when you just need some warmth and beauty.

Mind you, when we walked back outside into the -25C temperatures, my husband remarked that we'd probably get a cold because of the drastic shock to our systems. I assured him that was all an old wive's tale because colds come from viruses. Three days later....I was flat out in bed for the next three days with a miserable cold.

But as I shut out the world and cocooned under the blankets to recover, (can't say I emerged as something beautiful), I still felt it was totally worth it to have gone on our mini vacation!

Remember what the birds know....warm weather is coming.

Make yourself a hot cup of tea, wrap yourself up in a nice warm blanket, and enjoy the show....

(Click on it for a closer view)