american gold finch

A great beauty and cool demeanor is my description of this american gold finch. He sat regally on top of the metal bird post. He scanned his surroundings with cool eyes. He was satisfied and plumb after his afternoon feedings. My offerings of thistle was to his delight. This beautiful male also has a song. Tsee-tsi-tsi-tsit is a common call to keep in contact with each other. These songbirds like open woodlands, weedy fields and shrubs, and also gardens. Song wording from Bird Songs 250 North American Birds in Song book.

CR: The last week had some challenges i.e. the whooper; but not to be too hard on myself but I did loose this week about half a pound. I have monitored my activities with the Bodymedia arm band. I have succeeded to be more active 4 out of 7 days in the last week. This is due to jogging. I do enjoy my jogs through the park and neighborhood as the cats smile back at me on their window sills. I did wonder why a particular home's kitty was not at the window. To my surprise there is another new comer instead to add to my counts as I gaze around on my trips.

Home front: I took a relaxing drive up north 28 miles to view my in pending home. I am anxiously happy to be in the mitts of buying this home. I hope all goes well in the process. In the backyard in a particular area there are strawberries growing and a few other items such as mint and parsley, etc. in planter bowls. mmmm it sounds like I will have fruit and gourmet bunch of herbs at hand.

the polite cardinal

The cardinals were feeding quickly to avoid sharing the bird feeder with the red wing black birds. I side with the cardinals due to the black birds flap overly excited when they feed. If you can imagine politeness among creatures. The cardinals fly in pick out their seeds and fly off to the side to the lilac bush and finish eating. While taking polite turns with the other birds they share the tray with.




My flowery plantings of snapdragons along with the daffodils are gaining height. It may snow in the next two days on Sunday. Hopefully, the daffodils will not stunt growth due to the snap of cold weather.

CR: Have been watching my bp and hb per minute. Lately, hb or heartbeat is a little too fast. I need to cut back on potassium and foods that start fast heart rate. Discussed this with the Dr at last visit. Dr ran a specific test on potassium and vitamins on my request. Next visit tentative in 2 weeks.

chipping sparrow and red headed sparrow

We have a lot of sparrows. Though, this shot did not come out so well. I found a chipping sparrow and a red headed sparrow looking back at me.

The chipping sparrow is a widely distributed songbird from Canada to Texas and the Atlantic to Pacific coast. They mostly live anywhere there are wooded habitats, orchards and parks. They feed on seeds, small fruits and insects. The males solely have songs that repeat, tssip that sound like trills or dry rattle. Frequent calls are a short tsip, to communicate to each other. Also, a sharp chip, for an alarm song. Song wordings from Bird Songs, 250 North American Birds in Song.

white-breasted nuthatch

Out the window I spied a white-breasted nuthatch. A frequent visitor to the hidden bird feeder under the dogwood tree. The tree with drummed holes in it. The birds peck the seeds open in these holes. I have watched this particular bird drum seeds open frequently. We have black oil sunflower seeds in the feeder. We get our seeds at the birder store. I took this quick shot thinking he would move on but he stayed for a few minutes at this pose in a contemplative state. I think he's happy... he looks full and happy.

The nuthatch is a woodland bird that likes hopping up and down or walking with their strong feet up and down the tree bark. They hoard their food during the fall and winter for latter use. Songs by males are in series of repeated notes, hah-hah-hah and what-what-what. But both sexes calls are hit and tuck. The call quank which is used in mild excitement. Song wordings from Bird Songs, 250 North American Birds in Song.

CR: Had a busy day and there was 8 hrs break between eating. Still on CR but will need to be mindful and eat more regularly on time.

cooper's hawk arrives

This morning to my curiosity and wonder, a Cooper's Hawk appeared again sitting on the branch of my bird feeder. It was a female with beautiful white feathers with tipped dark brown rows on her breast and under wings with bright large yellow legs. This free image does not show her beauty. My camera flashed when it should not have. This medium large visitor had a deafening quiet to our surrounding area. The birds were dismayed by her stature and presence. I'm sure my happy small bird regulars will return tomorrow when she is done with her route today. She was lovely to see fly off with her wings full giving her height. I will try again sometime to get her picture sitting or opening up her wings for flight.

The most common call vocalized is cak-cak-cak as an alarm. The male frequent call is kik used for presence and location for his female mate. The last call noted is whaaa, for females flying toward males and flying back to their nest with food. Song call wordings by Bird Songs, 250 North American Birds in Song. She has been visiting every third week and I think she must have a route that takes her a while to come back to my area. Beauty and danger in one.

CR: On another subject, I'm keeping up with my CR and have done well this week. Even tonight we went out on a Friday evening tired but I took time to select a healthy dinner, good for me.

tufted titmouse bird

Happily frolicking with our visitors at the bird feeders is our usual guest the tufted titmouse bird. It's a nice song bird with a series of clear whistle calls peter-peter-peter. Their territory, our neighborhood, have a specific songs differentiates from others. They hear and recognize each other solely by voice or song. There is also a distress call to warn others. Song call wording by Bird Songs, 250 North American Birds in Song. It's a delicate bird and very subtle in manner as I watch them.

gold finch

I spied our usual bird feeder guest, the gold finch. The females have a muted golden brown coloring and the males the bright golden yellow. Finches are abundant in open woodlands, brushy, weedy fields, farms, roadsides and every one's garden out here in Maryland. They flock to our feeder in the morning and feed themselves full but like to be in group feeding. They dance up and down each feeder post and on to the other side of the yard to the other feeder. They are nice to watch. We feed them thistle seeds from the birder store. Their call sounds like tsee-tsi-tsi-tsit , song wording from the book Bird Songs, 250 birds in song.

downy woodpecker

This morning in my quiet room outside the side window we have another bird feeder secluded under a tree, I spied a Downy Woodpecker. This is a image of a male. You would think woodpeckers feed only on trees by pecking them. These birds visiting snatch seeds from the feeder. Bird seeds such as black oil sunflower seeds I have been filling them up with. He takes the sunflower seed then finds a hallow indentation in the dogwood tree and drums on the seed shell till it opens and eats the seed inside of it. There are several drummed areas in the tree now since several woodpeckers are visiting this particular feeder. These are small birds and they are happy in urban woodlands and wilderness forests. They eat insects they find on trees, shrubs and woody weeds. The males and females look somewhat alike. Their songs are simple notes which are often repeated. Sounds like check, check, check or queek, queek, queek called the pik call. The other call is the sputter call that sound like chick, chick, chick, chrr-rr-r, which express dominance. The other call sounds like chirp, chrr, and pshir. I found the wording of these calls in the book, Bird Songs (250 North American Birds in Song) that has the bird picture, description and a button for the actual bird singing. It's a great book to identify a bird and listen to their call.

cardinal's day off

Today is a great day to stay home. I have enjoyed watching the cardinals feed in the backyard. It had snowed early 5 am and expected latter around 5 pm about 5 inches today, they say.

I have taken great interest, more so since the cold weather hit to keep up with the cardinals. They have fatten up on bird premium black oil sunflower seeds and peanuts. I get them from a birder store. I have a visiting blue jay and a rather large red headed woodpecker who also like the peanuts. Matter of fact, the large blue jay seems to like to hoard them, funny... they are such characters.