January 30, 2009
The sun has begun slowly melting the seeming Arctic glacier which Mother Nature created this winter in and around the backyard. In fact, with all of the melting and re-freezing that has taken place, I'm happy to report the BackyardTV.com Ice Skating Rink is officially open for business! Not really, but you might think so if you were to stop by. Either way, sunrise occurred in the backyard this morning at 7:12AM. Sunset will arrive at 5:16PM. Having gained 15 minutes this week, we're up to 10 hours, 04 minutes of spectacular sunlight each day. Keep your chin up!Backyard tip of the week:
One final reminder about your cut Christmas tree. Do you still have to get it out of the house? Try saving it for your feathered friends if possible. By setting it outside in a good spot, you'll provide a good source of cover for the birds. By adding a bit of sunflower seed or a few pine cone treats, you'll invite the birds to stay even longer, thereby greatly adding to your own enjoyment. Try it, you're sure to love it!
Backyard sightings for last week:
Including northern cardinals, dark-eyed juncos, white-throated sparrows, and Carolina wrens. House finches, purple finches, eastern goldfinches. Red-bellied and downy woodpeckers, white-breasted nuthatches, the tufted titmice, black-capped chickadees, blue-jays, mourning doves, American crows, European starlings, the neighborhood red-tailed hawk, A couple of deer, a few grey squirrels, and, a very cool first time ever sighting of at least two pairs of pine siskins!
Cool sightings of the week:
As briefly mentioned, the small, but sweet pine siskin was found in the backyard for the first time this week. Seen feeding with goldfinches and house finches at the thistle feeder, the pine siskin was a little tough to identify with its muted winter coat. About five inches long, brown above, light below, with overall brown streaks the pine siskin has a long pointed bill and yellow on the wings and base of the tail which is not always immediately visible in perched birds. Either way, a few photos were taken and just last night I put them in a new photo gallery titled Birds 2009 on the website for everyone to see. Catching a first time ever glimpse of the pine siskin in the backyard this week was very cool!
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