More from the Week

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While we're away in Galveston, here are some more bird photos and notes from this week.

Our Yards

We continue to have several Orange-crowned Warblers frequenting our suet feeders. The least colorful of all our winter visitors, they are nonetheless attractive little birds. 

Dee and I both enjoy watching this Ruby-crowned Kinglet as it fusses around our feeders. It has loads of personality and is totally unafraid of us.

The most common winter warbler in our area is undoubtedly the Yellow-rumped Warbler. This one demonstrates nicely how the species gets its name.

Katy Prairie

I normally see only a handful of Field Sparrows each year but this winter they are really plentiful.
 

Harris's Sparrows, too, are present in larger numbers than I've ever seen here.

Last month the prairie had Green-tailed, Spotted and Eastern Towhees. This month I've seen only one, this female Eastern Towhee that hangs out at the Cypress Creek bridge on Sharp Road.

I get so used to seeing Northern Cardinals in our yards that I tend to forget that they are wild birds. However, I never overlook the fact that the male Cardinal is one of the most beautifully colored of all North American birds!

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