Today I saw:

[linrose]

Not a bird but just now I saw a red fox running across the field, over the lane into the woods and then back over the lane again with a friend, the two disappearing into the tall grass next to the sycamore grove. In the ten plus years we've been here we've never seen a fox, they are so fast!!!

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by EllenW

My bluebird houses are all cleaned out so the birds can huddle in them at night to stay warm.

Mine are cleaned out as well...I've been wanting to open them during the day to see if there are any signs they are using them...but I don't think there would be anything that would allow me to be certain.

Congrats on your towhee and sparrow.

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by dapjwy

Congrats on your towhee...

Originally Posted by recurve

That's funny I just looked out at my feeders and I have an Eastern Towhee as well!

Yours too, recurve.

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by linrose

Not a bird but just now I saw a red fox running across the field, over the lane into the woods and then back over the lane again with a friend, the two disappearing into the tall grass next to the sycamore grove. In the ten plus years we've been here we've never seen a fox, they are so fast!!!

Congrats, linrose. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I would really love to see a fox here...or a family of them!

[linrose]

I threw some sunflower seed out on the deck yesterday morning when it was 2 degrees out so the birds would have some energy against the cold. The feeders were mobbed so I gave them extra to go all around. We've had the usual goldfinch, titmouse, downy and red-bellied woodpeckers, white-breasted nuthatch and cardinals and added white-throated sparrow, junco and towhee to the winter mix. I just saw the first towhee yesterday and I usually miss seeing the juncos until I scatter seed on the ground.

I watched them out the window for awhile and snapped a few photos. turttle, I noticed how they fluffed up their feathers and kind of squatted down to keep their legs and feet warm, you could barely see their feet at all! The sparrows especially were cute little puff balls.

It's minus 1 degree out there now, we are colder than Massachusetts right now.

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by linrose

...and added white-throated sparrow...

So they are *white-throated* sparrows I've been seeing around here. Thanks.

(Funny, I realize there is a field guide for birds on the desk right by my monitor, and I've not cracked it open to find out what I've been seeing...the only reason it is out is because I showed it to the son of our friends who were visiting the other day.)

Originally Posted by linrose

It's minus 1 degree out there now, we are colder than Massachusetts right now.

Brr...you are out of practice. Hope you are handling the temps okay.

[Rebek56]

I think we've had white-throated sparrows here as well; I'll have to look more closely.

[linrose]

The give-away for me are the yellow lores on either side of the bill. They seem to be the most common winter sparrow we have although they summer in Canada.

White-throated Sparrow, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

[EllenW]

I always have lots of white throated sparrows in the winter. They have a distinctive whistle call. They are ground feeders and will come to platform feeders. They are one of the benefits of winter.

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by linrose

The give-away for me are the yellow lores on either side of the bill. They seem to be the most common winter sparrow we have although they summer in Canada.

White-throated Sparrow, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Funny no mention of the yellow in the name --where they focus on the white throat. (The red-bellied woodpecker is a better example of focusing on a less prominent feature--their red *head* in this case.)