February 5, 2010 - 1
The nights are getting shorter and the days are growing longer. Sunrise occurred in the backyard this morning at 7:06. Sunset will arrive at 5:23 this evening. Having gained sixteen minutes this week, we're up to 10 hours and 17 minutes of beautiful, bright sunlight each day! Well, each day that you can see it anyway. We're just 43 days away from Spring!Meanwhile, there's a short and wide forsythia bush planted beneath a hanging feeder in the yard. The bush is shaped the way it is probably as a result of it's proximity to the feeder above it. The branches are thin enough to keep any squirrels from climbing to the feeder, but are still strong enough to support the smaller birds. Providing a much needed service, this week's snowfall found the squat forsythia bush virtually alive with backyard birds. Sparrows, finches, juncos and cardinals converged on the bush and were seen on, under or around it as they fed on fallen seed or ventured up to the hanging feeder for a sunflower seed before finding a branch of the bush to eat from. There's even a tall sprig of the forsythia bush that shoots straight up very high so that it sits just next to the feeder which makes it quite convenient for the chickadees and other birds to easily access the feeder.
Backyard Tip of the week:
Do you have bird feeders in your yard? See if you notice any interesting behavior as the birds visit your shrubs and trees. Winter is a good time to see such activities and to learn more about how the birds are using your yard, thereby adding greatly to your seasonal festivities and overall enjoyment. Try it, you're sure to love it!
Backyard sightings for last week:
Including northern cardinals, dark-eyed juncos, blue-jays, brown creepers, song sparrows, tree sparrows, white-throated sparrows. Carolina wrens, Carolina chickadees, catbirds, mockingbirds, house finches, goldfinches, purple finches. Red-bellied and downy woodpeckers, yellow-bellied sapsuckers. Northern flickers, white-breasted nuthatches, tufted titmice, European starlings, mourning doves, crows, skunks, bunnies, squirrels, a small flock of cowbirds during Wednesday's snow and even a few common grackles with their bright and shiny purple heads.
Continued on next page...
February 5, 2010 Part 2 - Cool Sightings
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