SkyWatch Friday.....

It's SkyWatch Friday and everyone is looking at the sky. What's was in your sky this week?My week started with some heavy clouds....unfortunately they held no rain.
They looked so heavy I thought they fall from the sky :-)

Later in the week, I saw this one morning. Did every plane in the city fly over our house??

I'm not the only "sky watcher" at our house....that Robin was either watching the sky or enjoying the sunshine.

A closer shot. The Robins have been raiding my ornamental pear tree all week. The tree hasn't lost its leaves yet, so it is hard to get a photo of them eating the pears. Up high on this ash tree it was easy to see!

That's my sky for this week!

For more skies around the world click on the icon on my sidebar. Thanks SkyWatch team for all of your hard work keeping this site going.

The winter ground feeding birds part 2.....

Fox Sparrows and Song Sparrows.....which is which?

I don't see many Fox Sparrows, but usually have a Song Sparrow or two around. This photo is dark....sorry. I think this is a Fox Sparrow. They are suppose to be more "rufous" in color and this one was pretty red.
The grey marks on its face look more like Fox Sparrow, too.

Here the head shows pretty clearly.

The rest of these I think are the Song Sparrow....maybe.
The colors in the head seemed more like the Song Sparrow, but not sure.

Not as reddish over all, but the tail was pretty red.

I'm really not sure

They are pretty little sparrows, which ever one they are!

The winter ground feeding birds part 1.....

With the cooler temperatures arriving, I suddenly have dozens of ground feeding birds joining my Cardinals and House Sparrows.When you see a pile of dead leaves, look closely.....there may be a sparrow or two lurking in the leaves. They blend in so well, that only their movement gives them away at times. Can you see the two White Throated Sparrows and the tail of another bird above?
They show up a little better here.....4 White Throated Sparrows. I seem to have a rather large flock of them! Their stripes vary from tan to white, but always with the yellow lores next to the bill and the white throat.

I tried to separate out a few for closer inspection. here we have 2 of them plus a Junco in the foreground.

Alone at last!

Peek a boo!

They are like little friendly chickens when they start scratching in the leaves for food.

This one decided to check out the corn feeder, but mostly they stay on the ground in the leaves. I have forsythia bushes at the end of the driveway by this tree and the leaves gather there and so do all the sparrows and ground feeding birds, so I always toss a bunch of seeds in the leaves for them.

Now wait a minute.....that one sparrow looks different! It took me a while to figure this one out, but I think that it is a first winter White Crowned Sparrow, surrounded by three of the White Throated Sparrows. It doesn't have the obvious white stripes on the head yet of the adult, but it matches the picture in the Sibley book for the first year White Crowned. I saw one of the white striped adults a couple days ago but didn't get a photo. Maybe it is still hanging around with this one.

A better look at this young White Crowned Sparrow.

You can see where the white stripes will be in this photo....those grey stripes on the head, one in the middle and one on each side.

Here we have a line up of ground feeders....the Junco, the White Throated Sparrow, and the first year White Crowned Sparrow.

They were so busy out there that I tried a video to show all the action! They hop out of that bush and just keep showing up one after another doing their "chicken scratch".

Some other winter ground feeders to come in the next couple of posts.

Meet me at the "Frog's Head" part 2.....

More of the Frog's Head regulars. "He said meet me at noon in the bar....where is he?"
"I told her to meet me at noon on the lower level....where is she?"

"mmmmmmmmmmm"

"I hate sitting here by myself....I hope she gets here soon."
"Sing it, girlfriend!"

"I'm new here....what do you have on tap?"

"10 minutes....I'll give him exactly 10 more minutes to show up and then I'm leaving!"

"Oh, oh.....I think I was late again."

"You know there's a reason why I usually drink at the Green Cup instead of here."
(This poor chickadee could barely reach the water....time to fill the fountain!)

"Ha! That's sooooo funny!"

"I didn't think it was very funny....did you?"

OK....enough silliness from the Frog's Head.

I think it's time to leave now.

(NOTE: Caption contest in part 1 below in case you missed it yesterday. Open until late Wednesday night.)

Meet me at the "Frog's Head" part 1......

Every town has its favorite "watering hole"...........Their very own "Cheers" where "everyone knows your name".

(I've decided mine will be known as the "Frog's Head"....for obvious reasons.)
It comes complete with its own "Norm", who never seems to leave the place.
"What happened to Larry? He was here a minute ago?"

"I think I've had enough....I'm going home."

"Now I know you just turned 21, but don't over do it."

"Did you hear about......."
"No!! What else happened?"

"I sure wish those guys would pipe down."

"OK....It's karaoke night! Who wants to go first?"

"I know we always meet here after work to 'unwind'.....

...."but the wife wanted to come along tonight and she's waiting downstairs."

Dorothy's winning caption: "Must you watch me and count my drinks? I know when I have had enough!"

(Caption Contest closed)

I've decided to make this photo a caption contest.

(you may have to click on this to see his expression better)

Give me your best caption by Wednesday and I'll pick a winner. The usual prize....one or more of my quilted mug mats for my favorite caption.

Tomorrow in part 2 I'll post more of the "regulars" that hang out at the Frog's Head.