This morning the temperature hovered around 4-5 degrees (F), finally getting up to 19 degrees by mid-afternoon. Although I did have to leave the house for non-birding things, I didn’t do any birding except in our back yard. It was very busy in the yard, with Pine Grosbeaks being the most evident. Usually there was at least on at one of the feeders and every now and then there were 7-8 in the yard.
Of course, the Steller’s Jays made their usual regular trips to pick up peanuts, sometimes from my hand, and then leave with their beaks full, probably mostly hiding the nuts and not eating them. They seemed to be particularly puffed up to stay warm, especially Beaky. Other birds in the yard were Black-billed Magpies, Black-capped and Boreal Chickadees, a Red-breasted Nuthatch and a single Dark-eyed Junco (first that I’ve seen in the yard since summertime), and Common Ravens as usual periodically flew over the yard.
304 species so far
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