~~~ chickadeedeedee ~~~

Everett and I, being the only two people who are around the house most of the day, take great delight from the birds that visit our little window feeder.

It took them a month to discover it, but the chickadees now take turns helping themselves to sunflower seeds. The three-toed woodpeckers were the next to get up the nerve, and these two species have provided almost all the action outside the kitchen window. Until this week.

~~ three-toed woodpecker ~~

Birds resembling colourful small pigeons sit in the trees and look for seeds on the ground beneath the feeder, but only once has one landed on the feeder itself, and that didn’t last long. It flew away when it saw me move, several feet away from the window. Saskatchewan Birds identifies these as pine grosbeaks. I have been unable to get a decent photo so far, but not for lack of trying. They don’t come too close, and my camera doesn’t do the zoom-in thing well enough.

~~~ common redpoll ~~~

Yesterday the feeder was discovered by a tiny flock of common redpolls. They were not cowed by the territorial chickadees and brazenly insisted on snacking from the feeder too. They even perch on the outer windowsill and peek in at us, as if they find us curious beasties. Cheeky little monkeys. The pictures I managed to get do not display the bright red on their heads and breasts very well, unfortunately.

~~~ cheeky monkey ~~~

We have lots of sparrows around and I was sure they’d be using the feeder by now, but no, not a one has been to it.

When he came in with an armful of wood yesterday, Everett reported a spruce grouse (or maybe it was a ruffed grouse; there appeared to be a little feather crest on its head) sitting in a tree just off the deck, so I hurriedly tramped out in Scott’s boots and no coat. I got four pictures before it flew off, but they weren’t any good.

What is next? What is next? I say.