• Tuesday-What'sUP December 14 - 10:25 pm

Brenda Leigh was busy as these birds that she captured to share with us here today. She says that the chickadee is her favorite bird and this one has picked out just the right seed for her meal... a nice fat and good one. As soon as Brenda snapped the picture, I bet this little bird flitted right away so she could eat her prize in private. Then the woodpecker showed up. From the back like this, I couldn't tell if it was a Downy or a Hairy, as they are both so similar in coloring and it's hard to judge the size of the bird in this shot. Maybe one of our birders out there can identify which one this is for sure.

The last photo was snapped by Ken Scheibach as he caught this nuthatch in a similar pose to Brenda's chickadee, only it looks like the nuthatch is enjoying a meal of corn, while the snowflakes fall all around him. Yes indeed, these are some pretty hardy birds, braving the cold and snow, living here UP North.

Yesterday Edie and I walked down through the woods to the dunes here in Eagle River. The wind was howling and it was brutally cold, but Edie stopped me and said, "Listen!"... The birds were chirping so loudly, I was surprised I hadn't noticed. Even on the planet of winter here in the Keweenaw, birds still "fill the air with their joy all day long." (Celtic Thunder)

I moved. I set up my bird feeders, and they found me! I love watching our little fine feathered friends...and yes Charlie...they are singing loud...no matter what the season!

And those little chickadees are darling, indeed...but messy. The last place I lived, there was a tree in the yard that they'd eat their seed at. But they crack the seed, and spit the shell out....by Spring there was a layer of sunflower seed hulls under that tree! Every year. lol

And on Saturday, right before that storm hit, the American Goldfinches were hammering the feeders...that's when you know there is a storm coming...when there's so many finches, it looks like they are gonna fly off with the feeders, and the hooks holding them!

Got lots of woodpeckers coming in too...Hairy, Downy and Pileated. Way cool.

I enjoy watching the Blue Jays and Cardinals at my Bird Buffets.

We had a robin at our suet feeder yesterday,would have thought he/she would have been in Flordia by now.

JT...who won? "If you build it, they will come" :)

Oh My Gosh Alex, only you would be the one to read my post that way!! Too, too funny! You just made my day! The Jays seem to have the most wins! LOL!!

I love the birds at my feeders, but I could do without the pileated woodpecker pounding holes into my siding. There will be a lot of repair needed next spring. I shoo him away whenever I hear him and hope he will get the message. He can attack my larval-y aspens anytime as long as he drops them away from the house.

Therese----Had the same problem. The cure is to nail a finishing nail through the head of a dime store rubber snake to the side of your house. Pull the snake toward you away from the siding so it moves with the wind. Have had snakes on my siding for years.

One thing I really miss about being here in SE TX is the variety of birds at the feeder. Here, pretty much all we get are doves, sparrows, and the occasional goldfinch or woodpecker. When we lived in Red Jacket Loc., we used to get a multitude of different birds including our favourites, the Redpolls from the Arctic.

Ahhh, to be back UP north again.....

We have several squadrons of Chickadees and Juncos who over winter here in Central Ill. At least for 3 or 4 months the backyard sounds like the Keweenaw.

Have a numerous amount of bird feeders here. Everyone enjoys their food. The Pileated woodpecker is the king. Most majestic bird UP here next to the Eagle.

Just received this in my Inbox, from Nick Karjala, along with the following note:
"The pictures in today's Pasty Cam reminded me of the picture I took of a chickadee eating from my hand at my Dad's farm in Houghton County years ago. The chickadees there were quite tame and ate from a person's hand readily."

Nice photo Mary!