Wednesday, December 17, 2025
A chilly start but the day has warmed up considerably and it feels nice in the sun. All the leftover snow on the balcony has melted and the cats, who have been refusing to go outside, are happily sunning themselves. I can hear Chickadees down by the bird feeder. They swoop so playfully through the air, it is a joy to watch.
Image from Unsplash.com; Photo Credit: Nick Godfrey
They are my favorite bird and I just adore them, although these are likely Carolina Chickadees (Poecile carolinensis) and not the Black-capped Chickadees I grew up with1. It matters not, they are adorable regardless (and also nearly impossible to tell apart). They are fond of black-oil sunflower seeds, shelled peanuts, and suet2. Come to think of it, my Grandmother always hung suet for the birds in the wintertime. Perhaps she liked Chickadees too!
Thursday, December 18, 2025
Rain. Beads of water hang off the powerline outside my window. It’s a sleepy day and I am struggling to shake off the drowsiness hanging over me. The weather is not as warm as I was expecting it to be. In hindsight, I wish I has spent more time outside yesterday while the sun was shining. A cat came to demand that I open the balcony door but ran away as soon as she sensed the small droplets falling.
A pair of Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis)3 can be seen amongst the Chickadees flying up to the neighbor’s back deck. I love that they visit the bird feeder together as a couple. It turns out that they mate for life and that the male bird will bring food to the female, often seen as a courtship or nesting behavior. It’s heartwarming to see! It would seem that Lovebirds aren’t the only lovebirds in town (They are also the state bird of Ohio)!
Friday, December 19, 2025
Somewhat blurry images taken with my crappy phone while standing out in the storm. Photo Credit: Amy Earls
The wind is howling through the trees, causing their branches to sway wildly. The unseasonably warm (57°F) rain from yesterday has been replaced overnight by below freezing temperatures (26°F) and harsh winds. A smattering of ice pellets has been sprinkled all over. I braved the cold and the wind to try to take a few photographs… I’m not sure it was worth it (What do you think? Referring to the three photos above). The little wind chimes are being thrown about, their rough tune seems to say, “Bring me inside! This wind is too strong for me!”.
- Audubon – https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/carolina-chickadee
All About Birds – https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Carolina_Chickadee ↩︎ - Duncraft – https://duncraft.com/blogs/birding-tips/attract-chickadees/ ↩︎
- Audubon – https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/northern-cardinal
All About Birds – https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal ↩︎