The Little Foxes

Last night when Bo and I left for our walk, Boots the cat came outside with us. He usually does and many times he will come with Bo and me on our walk. Last night he choose to stay by the garage and when we got back home he decided to stay out. Normally I try to get him to come in as I know there are coyotes and foxes that come around at night, but I thought he could stay out a bit longer last night. I have not heard the coyotes since last fall, it's still cold out at night, but things are heating up around here.
An hour later it was dark out and I decided it was time for Boots to come in. I opened the side door and Boots came running to me from the garage. Just as he got to the door he stopped and looked down the driveway, I looked too, but there was nothing there.

Finches drinking water

This morning we have snow on the ground, it snowed small flakes last night, in fact it sort of looked like a fog outside from my windows. This morning, Francis was plowing my driveway for the second time this winter. A cause for celebration, the celebration seemed to be taking place at my bird feeders. The robins are hanging out with the starlings in the juniper tree (Juniperus virginiana)  eating the berries, the starlings are hanging off the suet feeder gorging themselves. Meanwhile, the American Goldfinches are swarming the nyjer & platform feeders. While Boots was watching them I was able to get a shot of him trying to be bad, but he is trapped in the house and the window is his television! It was then I saw a small Goldfinch drinking drops of water from the branch of the Salix out front. He just worked his way along the branch drinking all the drops hanging in a neat row!

Great Backyard Bird Count !!

The Great Backyard Bird Count is on for February 12, 13, 14 & 15th, so stock up your feeders and get your pencil & paper in hand to count the birds that you see. You can count for as long as you like, anywhere that is convenient to you, such as your window feeder or just out your window. This information you will post on the Great Backyard Bird Count web site and you can follow the counts coming in from across United States and Canada. All of this information is used to look at winter birds and their numbers, where they are and watch for declines. All good, easy to do and fun! Boots my cat is already practicing, he sits on my desk and counts the birds at the front feeder....

Boots counting finches