Red-Breasted Nuthatch.....

The Red-Breasted Nuthatch is smaller than the White-Breasted Nuthatch....4 1/2" vs. 5 3/4".I don't get a lot of opportunities to photograph this adorable bird, so when one showed up this morning, I stood there for a long time shooting lots of photos of empty dishes and "bird gone" shots before he finally decided to pose for a couple of minutes....right below a food dish that I had to try to crop out of the photos.
Such a perky little bird and so fast.

Nuthatches are so much fun to watch on the trees.

Upside down is their favorite position, I believe.

That peanut looks almost too big for him.

Today was a good day for shots of the back of birds....some days are like that.

He did get that peanut off the ground, but I didn't capture it well, unfortunately!

Cold and damp....

We actually got almost an inch of rain yesterday! Doesn't sound like much, but it is the first inch we have had in months.I can tell cold weather is arriving when "Shadow" the mystery cat starts showing up on my doorstep every morning. Don't know it's real name. Don't know who it belongs to. It wants to sleep in my garage and get a free handout of food. I would welcome it to my garage, but not unless the skunks go away for the winter. I don't dare leave the door up at the moment.
My happy little Titmouse eating another peanut.

The Goldfinches can't seem to decide the correct approach for the seeds in this feeder. This is one method.

"I think if I lean over just a little bit more, I can reach one".

This Goldfinch tries this every day for a seed or two.......

.......but finally decides this is easier. Duh!

My female Cardinal

The Chickadee sneaking in very quickly for a seed.

The Carolina Wren gives me so much trouble! It always sticks its head behind something or turns......

.....the other way just when I want a photo! But they are so cute, I forgive him.

I know this is pretty boring....same old birds every day...but I haven't been out any where lately and these are the birds that show up each day at my feeders to keep me entertained.

Squirrel Sunday.....

This little squirrel was at my in-law's house. A very friendly gray squirrel. At my house, I only get the Fox Squirrels which have the orange bellies. "God is great!

God is good!

Now we thank him for our food

.....especially sunflower seeds!"

I was surprised that it let me walk outside and stand about 10 feet away taking photos!

Mike's dad likes to make his own feeders and this Christmas can seems to be working just fine!

I can see clearly now.....

Yesterday we got new glass put in the sliding glass doors. After 30 years, there was water between the panes of the old glass and it always looked streaky and spoiled my view of the birds and my photo taking. Putting a new pane of glass in one of the doors.
A new pane of glass on the left and no glass on the right.....looks pretty clear!

After they left, I had to shoot a few bird shots to test it :-)

This is how you eat when you have no hands!

The Chickadee thinks this is much easier on the back and neck.

"Me too!"

"Oh, boy...a full feeder to choose from......hmmmmm."

I was photographing the leaves hanging down while waiting for the birds to show.

So, I'm all set for winter and lots of bird photos!

More odds and ends.....

A few more busy critters from my house....

I put up a new suet cage on this shepherd's crook and the Downy was having trouble hanging onto the pole. I am going to get Mike to wrap some black tape on the pole to make it less slippery. When she gets on the suet, she is just fine :-)

A Goldfinch on the rim of the fountain. Those red leaves are my new little Dogwood tree that I hope will eventually replace the dead one that I have covered with a vine. I was happy that it survived our drought of this summer.

A White-Breasted Nuthatch guarding the ash tree and the suet cage that hangs on it.

However, that doesn't stop the Red-Bellied Woodpecker from helping herself to the suet.

Several of the birds really like this large feeder and its tree location. I'm trying to figure out where to put another one.

First Mourning Dove that I have seen since the hawk started hanging around.

This House Sparrow had those odd white feathers in her wing and she is also darker in color than most of them.

"Found a peanut, found a peanut...."

A row of pigeons spotted while sitting at a stop light.

A couple of Pine Siskins showed up the other day.

Three of the feathers I have found in my yard since the hawk showed up. The one on the far left looks very much like the colors of a White-Breasted Nuthatch. The photo doesn't show the colors very well....it is that special grey with black right before the white. I was very upset about that until I saw two of the Nuthatches a few days later. The other two I don't know what they are. Maybe from the hawk, itself.

And then we have the night time visitors. I can count on at least one of my skunks showing up every night shortly after it gets dark. The cats usually alert me to their presence by wanting to go outside and chase them away. Sorry, kitties.......you can't play with the skunks! This is the beautiful almost all white one.

The other night two of them showed up together. A normal black one with white stripes and the white one.

The black one. I'm pretty sure that there is a third one that has less white than this one. I've seen one with just a couple tiny white marks on the head and a bit on the tip of its tail. That one seems to be more "shy" and I haven't gotten a good photo of it. Of course I would prefer that they would go eat somewhere else, just because of the "odor" worry. I sure hope no other cat or dog comes along and upsets them while they are in my yard!