Harbinger of Winter

Every winter, we have two sparrow species that call our yard home until it is time for them to head north again to breed - the white-throated sparrow and this sweet Dark eyed Junco (slate colored).  The white-throats have been back for nearly a month but today is the first time I've seen a junco this fall season.  You'll be seeing quite a few of these little fluff balls during the winter as there will often be 20 or more feeding around the garden/feeders, more when it snows.

Sunday mornings I usually talk to my parents, but they are both under the weather so we've postponed until they are feeling better.  Wishing so much that I lived closer so I could whip up some chicken soup and take it to them.  

Hubs and I ran some errands and had lunch.  I then did some work in the garden.  Frosts the last two nights have killed most of the annuals so I was pulling stuff out and getting pots ready for winter.  

Big news on the critter cam last night...turns out that the scat-culprit/s were opossums after all.  On 5 different occasions during the overnight hours, possums visited the feeders.  In one instance it was a mother and juvenile.  Could have been the same or different ones on the other occasions.  They are actually great animals to have around as they eat upwards of 4,000 ticks a week - one of the only mammals who actively seek out ticks as a food source.  So tonight I'll leave some dried corn and seeds out for them.  They don't hibernate so sometimes in winter they will come out in daylight when its warmer to forage.  I would love to get a photo of one this winter... (Oh, Hubs will not be happy when he reads this...)

Last year at this exact time I was with five blip-mates in Costa Rica on the most incredible trip.  I thought I'd provide a link to my blip from  last year on this day.  featuring an eyelash viper.  Do have a look if you have a moment.  And while you are there, go back one day to see the incredible Toucan that I posted the day before - day 1 in the rain forest.  I can't wait to get back there.

xo
Debbi