Is that a chickadee in your pocket?

One of my new favorite past times is bird watching. I'm trying my hand at photography, too, with some success. Unfortunately the birds flee if I'm outdoors, so everything is through a window. My camera doesn't have the greatest zoom, either, so bear with me. Still, here is a small sample of some of the birds I enjoy observing. Click on the pictures for full sized versions.

This fellow on the left is a Ringneck Dove. I think he might be a juvenile because his feathering doesn't seem as sharp or developed as some of the other birds... or maybe he's just slow? He's pretty friendly though and fun to watch.

This is a familiar scene - those small doves with the "scale" like feathers are called Inca Doves. They're not really supposed to be this far north, but there you go. They're about as big as a Robin and quite cheeky little fellows.

Here are some close ups of the Inca doves. Aren't they just charming?


Last but not least is my favorite bird, the Junco. These little folks have a black back and a bright white belly. They're cheerful and make lovely sounds. All of the aforementioned birds, including the Junco, eat mostly the corn scattered around the bird bath. Tomorrow we shall take a look at a few of the feeder frequenters.

New Years Recap

I haven't posted in a few days; been busy around here. Where's here? Still in Oklahoma chilling with my aunt and uncle (pictured on the left). We have a low key Christmas with tons of great food and a very merry New Years. My uncle bought us all little tiaras just to celebrate, and a few bottles of champagne that we had no trouble working through.

Dogs, bird and fish are all swell. We had two fish casualties on the road down, but that's not too bad. All of the loaches are still around though. The bird started out being a shriek monster but now has settled in quite well. He's very pleased to ding his bell and talk to my aunt, who whistles to him.

Sirius and Niko have, for the first time, a fenced in yard in which to romp all by themselves. They are having a dandy of a time rolling in cat poop and barking at birds. Sirius isn't quite as happy as Niko - he'll go out and wander for a time, but inevitably goes to the window and starts crying and pawing to come in. He's not allowed to leave the mud room during his stay here and he's having to adjust to not being with us all the time. Niko seems rather pleased to lay out in the sun all day.

They are having a little bit of trouble with the weather. If you look closely in the picture of Sirius (the brown one), you'll note that the temperature is close to 80 degrees. It's a far cry from the blizzard we left back in MN! I think we'll manage. ;)

Now, my aunt and uncle have a BEAUTIFUL house. They completely gutted the inside and have created an absolutely lovely living space, with a gorgeous kitchen and cathedral ceilings. Not everyone in this small OK town has done such a nice job. We usually take a daily walk through the neighborhood around dusk, and I have observed all manner of unusual hillbilliness. I have captured some of these images (that haunt my dreams) to share with you today. There are others I would have liked to photograph, but I was afraid the inhabitants might lynch me.

This house has a never ending roof. It's about one city block long and is composed of such interesting materials as duct tape and tin foil. Apparently the lady who lived there wanted no one else to occupy the house after she was gone, so she added this roof to ensure that goal. Mission accomplished.

Oddly, next to is a lovely brick house with a barn and horse pasture. I wondered why anyone would ever want to live there, until I realized that it's a perfect theft deterrent. After all, who's going to look twice at the brick house with the never ending roof next door?

Well kids, that's it for this time. Tomorrow I'll show you some of the interesting birds I've observed at the feeder outside. Now doesn't THAT sound exciting? I think so.