A recent round of beach therapy…in-between Arctic Vortex blasts…resulted in a first sighting of 3 black skimmers at Flagler Beach, since moving to the area. I'd seen a couple at Fort Lauderdale Beach a couple years ago, but didn't have my camera then (gasp!)
The larger birds shared the shoreline with the usual sanderlings, ruddy turnstones, and this lone willet…
Meanwhile, back at the "ranch"...
The titmice are showing up a bit more, flitting in and out as rapidly as ever...
…And the pine warblers are back, equally good at flitting about…although, this fellow allowed me to get within 8 feet to take photos...
…Along with the pine warblers there is an occasional Carolina Chickadee, scarce really…
and still about impossible to photograph...
The fairly abundant pine warblers and No. cardinals chow down daily…
…The feeders can be so busy that there is literally a queue in nearby trees…the chipping sparrows are back in abundance this winter as well…
…The red-bellied woodpecker couple is back…they're suet lovers...
…And the squawky, pushy blue jays…have been seeing a pair together at the feeders more often than I did last year…but they still don't seem to like to share with one another...
…I know we're getting more than one type of mottled brown sparrow at the feeders but can never seem to get a clear shot…is this a song sparrow? Or…? Probably just a "vague" chipping sparrow…
…Hubby likes the olive-colored female cardinals...
…Like last year, a downy woodpecker has made a few scarce appearances, not
at the feeders, but pecking at our small trees...
…Not to be left out, the brown-headed cowbirds are back, sporadically as usual...
…The Carolina wrens are also scarce and flitty, seen in the background mainly but also they take a peek at the feeders, not sure they actually eat anything (don't think so)...
…The yellow-rumped warblers arrive at dusk, mobbing the maple and small trees in our front yard...
