Tuesday, January 11, 2011

For the love of birds . . .

School was cancelled at 5:30 this morning because we got about 2 inches of snow.  It's not unusual for school to be cancelled for this amount.  A lot of this area is rural and I imagine some of the school routes are likely still gravel roads.

I got out this morning and filled all the bird feeders.  I was glad I had some of my homemade suet, as the my cage feeders were empty too.  As soon as I stepped out, I saw a flutter of cardinals, juncos, finches, and blue jays.  I was hoping if I gave them a few minutes they'd come back.  I stood the cold as long as I could and managed to snap a few. 

Bluejay

Finch

Snowy dill

Snowy Rupert (Yes, that's his name!)

Finch??

Finch??

If you can identify the last two, let me know.  I think they are house finches, but not sure.

Thanks!


11 comments:

Nancy said...

I believe you are right about the house finches.

You did a great job photographing those little guys. Love 'em!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Yes---the reddish ones are male House Finches.. The females are mostly brown....

Beautiful pictures of your birds, Cathy. Glad you got a snow day.. We have had more snow here ALL day long--about an inch or two (on top of the 4+ inches we had)... It's really treacherous up here now.

Hugs,
Betsy

floweringmama said...

It stopped snowing here for a while, then started again, but I think it's stopped for good. The roads are pretty clear so I imagine the boys will be back to school tomorrow.

Alicia@ eco friendly homemaking said...

The pictures are great.They look like finches to me. They are so pretty . I really like your blog.

Jules said...

That's what I would call them. I loved the snowy Rupert :) I love my bird feeder.
Jules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow

Out on the prairie said...

The statues are fun in the snow, I left a few out, but they don't all stay up.We had school off here with a meager 6 1/2 inches. I was surprised since the plows got through early.I stayed in until a neighbor helped me plow out.You got some fun bird shots, look for a state bird book for your area, it is a fun family hobby.

Jen said...

Nice Bird shots... Love Birdfeedin and watchin.

Mary L. Briggs said...

Beautiful pictures! Birds are fun to watch year round, but especially in the winter.

KrippledWarrior said...

The only things I know about finches is: They're too small to eat. And Darwin couldn't tell one from another, either.

Corner Gardener Sue said...

I can't help with the bird ID, but I enjoyed your photos. We ended up with 2 days off of school due to the snow.

Janet, said...

Yes, those are finches. I like your bird pictures. We have 8 feeders of different sizes that we try to keep filled when the snow is on the ground. I love taking pictures of all the different birds all gathering to eat. It is hard to pick a favorite. I love the cardinals, blue jays, juncos and the pretty little chickadees.