Odds and ends.....

Well, the Australian Open tennis is almost over....I've been watching tennis the last two weeks more than birds....so I figured I'd better find something to post so you wouldn't think I had died.  These are some odds and ends that I snapped between tennis matches :-)

 One of the very cold male Cardinals.  We have had some really cold weather.  Much nicer to stay indoors and not do anything.

 A Red-tail hawk we saw out at Blue Grass one day.  We have been going there to look for owls and harriers.  Have seen some of both, but haven't gotten good photos, so I won't bother posting them.  We went on an "owl crawl" one day with a naturalist (and 50 other people!)  and found out where to look for the owls.  But in the late afternoon and with my dependence on autofocus, I really can't get good shots.

A Red-bellied Woodpecker all fluffed up against the cold.  Makes him look very well fed :-) 

.....speaking of "well-fed" 

I looked out on the deck one morning and had three squirrels busy eating all the food in sight.

 Sunset at Blue Grass while we were owl hunting.

One of my titmice.  This one has a slight wing problem, but it doesn't seem to slow it down.  It has been around for a couple years and that loose feather and slight droop of the wing must not be anything major, but I can always recognize that particular titmouse when it comes to the feeder. 

 My greedy Blue jays looking for their morning peanuts.

A very fat miserable looking Robin.  It was trying to fly up and get the crab apples, but they are at the ends of the small branches where it couldn't land.  So it just sat there all fluffed up.  I finally went out and pulled some off and dropped them on the ground for it.  My birds are so spoiled! 

Mrs. Cardinal 

 White-throated Sparrow

 Goldfinch.  I can see a tiny black spot on the forehead.  A male ready to change to its summer colors?  That's a hopeful sign!

 Another Goldfinch

 Female Cowbird that has been hanging around.  All the birds are so fluffed up trying to keep warm.

 Mrs. House Finch

The "front yard" squirrel defending the feeding box from an intruder that tried to come down and join it.  Squirrels don't share well :-)