Looking out the window

Looking through the glass doors that open onto the garden, at pottery.

Yesterday I saw a cardinal at my feeder early in the morning. I was late getting to my camera and so never captured a photograph.

I know that cardinals are more plentiful in towns and villages so I hoped/wished that I would see them when I went to my pottery class yesterday afternoon. I took my camera with the idea that I might get at least one interesting photograph since my pottery teacher loves birds as much as I do. She has feeders set up in her back yard on a wonderful arbour that grows grapes in the spring, as well as in other places close to the arbour.

The first thing I noticed was one of my favourite birds trying to get a peanut out of the feeder - the upside down abilities of nuthatches white and red breasted - is to my mind one of the most endearing. Their clown-like activities up and down trees, feeders the sides of houses and barns is definitely smile and happy-making.

And then we saw one bright red splash - crimson - glowing in the pale sunlight. A male cardinal came close to the glass doors.

It suddenly seemed as if this bird sent out the call - "Seeds here - lots of seeds here." One more male cardinal and a female arrived.

Can you see missus, cleverly hiding in the tree just below the male?

And more - we counted up to a dozen at one point. And I spent more time with my camera than I did with pottery for a while. But I've promised to paint cardinals for my teacher... I will love doing that. Enjoy these photos - some a bit blurry from being taken through glass... and then enlarged but lovely I think, just the same. And think about this - once again I wished to see a cardinal to photograph... hmmm?

Missus C and a mourning dove in a tray feeder made from an orange crate - clever this!

How many can you see? Wasn't this a treat? And boy oh boy did I ever get what I wished for. Makes me feel very blessed. May you be blessed with receiving something you wish for today.

The morning was filled with birds

Because I had to take these images through my window, they are sort of blurry and cloudy, but in this photograph  if you look really closely there is a cardinal in the tray of the feeder in the foreground. This is an occasional visitor I believe... and frankly with cardinals being a family favourite - I'm really pleased that he has risked the long flight from a nearby valley to come for a visit.
Yesterday was very cold - with the threat of snow, and so all my feeders right round the house were full of birds. The minute I went outside, they flew away, so I settled for trying to capture some of them through the window. It was a complete delight to see them fluttering and when I opened a window or walked around later the sound of wings flitting from one branch to another, one tree to another seemed like miniature drumming.
So here and below is a small sample of a few of the visitors...

Two woodpeckers hop up my scotch pine towards a deep tray  feeder where a cardinal eats sunflower seeds inside. There were at least two pairs of hairy woodpeckers and three of downies throughout the day. The cardinal is a rare sight, and hardly visible here.

A hairy woodpecker sorts through the seeds to select its favourite on the small cage feeder . Watching the woodpeckers fling seeds from this feeder, hanging on, tail tucked under for balance is such a treat. They make me laugh as they select a seed, then head for a tree branch and either tuck it into a hole for a later meal or can't wait and crack it open against the bark.

American goldfinches grab breakfast at the tube feeder and the small cage feeder in the background (lower left). There were at least 100 small birds yesterday including English sparrows, American tree sparrows, juncos, nuthatches that were joined by about a dozen mourning doves, a selection of blue jays - (I have to get some peanuts for them), many woodpeckers and a couple of dozen chickadees who are all residents of this property or the nearby hedgerows. Such a welcome sight on a cold and snowy day.