Protection Farm Journal: 1-11-11

What a Neat Bird Day!

Most of these photos were taken today at Protection Farm. The first picture, the close-up of the White-breasted Nuthatch and the Red-breasted Nuthatch photos are from a few weeks back.

For the past week the weather has been cold and it has snowed almost continuously. It always snows here at Protection Farm. We are in a microclimate just above a large wetland marsh area and the prevailing wind blows in from Lake Erie 40 miles away. The wind often warmer than the ground temperature crosses over the marsh, creating marsh-effect precipitation.

We keep the bird feeders pretty well stocked and are rewarded daily, hourly with a wide variety of beautiful winter birds. todays include:

Nuthatches

-White-breasted Nuthatch:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-breasted_Nuthatch/id

-Red-breasted Nuthatch:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-breasted_Nuthatch/id

Jajean refers to the Nuthatches as "Squeak-toys. Listen here to find out why:

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-breasted_Nuthatch/sounds

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-breasted_Nuthatch/sounds

White-breasted Nuthatch

WB Nuthatch with an attitude

Red-breasted Nuthatch

White-throated Sparrow

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/white-throated_sparrow/id

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-throated_Sparrow/sounds

Cardinal

Red-bellied Woodpecker

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-bellied_Woodpecker/id

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-bellied_Woodpecker/sounds

Red-bellied Woodpecker

You can see here the rarely seen "red belly"

Black-capped Chickadee

hese little cold weather machine are constant companions whenever i walk outside or visit the feeders. they gather around me and go on and on and on about one thing or another