Well, the Rosies were not an entire month late; they made it back on the morning of December 31st. Last year they were here on Dec. 4th. I was a bit late to work that morning, as I could hardly pull myself away from watching the pretty 'pink-butts', as I like to call them. As for the past several years, every species was present...including Hepburn's. And as usual, the numbers were low and will grow as the season progresses. This morning, January 01, 2011, there were a few hundred Rosy-Finches at my feeders...and likely at Tom's and at Jerry's, too. Apparently I have a good yard for them and they rather like it here, but I don't kid myself that they're not also at other feeders in La Veta. When the snow piles up too high to find food later in the winter, and if things progress as they have, I should have close to 1000 Rosy-Finches visiting daily. I'll just have to wait and see. You're welcome to come visit; just call first. Sometimes the Rosies even come up to a feeder that hangs against my kitchen window. Actually, that's how I saw my first: from the bottom-side up and how they got the nick-name: Pink-butts.
The strong, little snow-storm that blew through here yesterday also brought even more Dark-eyed Juncos; Oregon, Slate-colored, Pink-sided and, I think, some Cassiar Juncos (the established hybrid). While I've had White-winged in the past, I've yet to see them today. There are probably some 60-75 or more Juncos out there; Snowbirds, they're called. The weather also brought in a young White-crowned Sparrow (FOS) and the White-throated Sparrow we got in my yard for the CBC is still here. Still no Towhees for me...not in my yard (yet?) Do you know what a nemesis is? This morning, in addition to the hundreds of Rosies, I have about 75 Evening Grosbeaks, but still can't see bands on them; several many dozens of strippy House Finch with males alll decked out in red; three or four male, pale-breasted, Cassin's Finch, whose red crests seem on- fire in the sun. My my numbers are probably off...as I only really notice the males. And there are dozens each of Am. Goldfinch and Pine Siskens, maybe 50 or 60 each. And a single Am. Robin came to drink from my waterfall. I knew this pond idea was gonna work; the birds love to drink and bath in the little falls. But, I also heard the pump struggling with so much water being frozen...so I turned the falls off and filled a bird-bath instead. Of course, as with every morning lately, 8-10 B-b Magpies and 6-8 Blue Jays came for the raw peanuts (in the shell) and kibble I put out for them. Thankfully, I have a large dog; the kibble is really too big for doves and black-birds. Soon, I'll have to start with the 'fat- worms'; long strips of fat I buy from the butcher. They love fat- worms! Sometimes I roll them in corn-meal so they don't all stick together. Also, amongst the far-too-many Eur.Collared Doves was a single Mourning Dove that had a problem with one foot...it seemed to have lost toes and the single one left looks very dark. Perhaps frostbite? The bird limped and rested on the snow a lot and actually seemed happier with the less-pushy Grosbeaks and Rosy-finches. A White-winged Dove still drops in every day or so, too. And there are, of course, nearly as many Red-winged Blackbirds with the dozen or so Starlings, too. Oh, and a dozen or more House Sparrows that seldom come, are here today. With all the rest are also six or eight each Black-capped and Mtn. Chickadees, two White-breasted Nuthatches and a few Woodpeckers; both Downy and Hairy. There seems to be more Flickers than ever this year; three were in my yard at once this morning. Also, perhaps six or eight Common Ravens and maybe 18 American Crows were over or around my yard. They often come; I think a neighbor feeds them...but what? Only once did one come down to feed on the ground here...they don't even go after the kibble or fat worms. I can't imagine what they're interested in; unless an owl or raptor is hiding, though I can't find one. Hey, it's busy out there! I'd best get out and re-fill feeders and scatter more seed... Addendum: I picked a 'quiet' time to go re-feed and startled up a pretty Cooper's Hawk...young. Yes, they like my yard, too. And now it's still quiet, but they'll all be back! Beverly Jensen, 719-989-1398 La Veta, Huerfano Co., CO RuralChatter.blogspot.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.
