The Usual Suspects (Visitors at my feeder!)

Every morning just before the sun rises, I go out and load my feeders up with a handful of peanuts, chickadee mix, and finch mix, toss corn out on the grass area across the way to distract the squirrels, and put a little more seed on the floor for the doves.  Some days we have dozens of birds, all of which ignore the grey squirrels sniffing and nomming corn bits.  Then the red squirrels come along and mass chaos ensues in the squirrel drama department...

Birds that stay for winter:
Titmice - we get as many as 8
Blue Jays - we get as many as 10 x.x
Cardinals - 2 mated pairs plus a baby or two
Assorted Sparrows (European, American Tree, White-crowned, Chipping, House) - 10-25
Mourning Doves - we get 6-8, they like to sit in my platform style feeder now so they're not on the ground LOL
House Finches - 2-4
Chickadees!!!! 4-12, they're insanely adorable...
White and/or Red-breasted Nuthatches - there's dozens all up and down the pine trees and the ROOF of all places, all morning.
Goldfinches - 1-6 on the thistle feeders.  Some have taken to sitting in the platform feeder, too!
Sharp-shinned Hawk! - Only one so far...went after the sparrows.
Downy Woodpeckers - 1-2
Golden-fronted Woodpecker or a Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Northern Flicker 1

Only show up during winter:
Dark-eyed Junco - we get as many as 8, kinda territorial
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1-2

Braddock Bay Raptor Research's Holiday for Hawks

 Braddock Bay Raptor Research held a great event this past November 14th, 2010!  

Holiday For Hawks!

Ron Walker of Friends with Feathers, and Anne and Paul Schnell of Institute for Environmental Learning working in conjunction with Daena Ford and the volunteers of BBRR made it all possible!

A special surprise guest to the show: a Rough-legged Hawk!  After being recorded and banded, he was brought over to the show, then was adopted by a wonderful family with two young boys!

It was called Holiday for Hawks, and featured twelve stunning raptors for photographers to shoot in exchange for a small monetary donation.

We had opportunities to get right up close to Liberty as she fed!  It was an amazing experience, and I hope BBRR does it again in the future on a sunnier day!

Peregrine Falcon

Broad-winged Hawk

Golden Eagle, Bron-yr-aur

Bald Eagle, Liberty

 Harris Hawk, Bronson, the Socialite and life of the party!

 Adorable little Kestrel

Super mega adorable little Saw-whet Owl!

 Big, fluffy Barred Owl

 Adorable Barn Owl, I didn't get many good pictures of her...

 Red-tailed hawk

 Eastern Screech Owl

 Red-shouldered Hawk

Peaches organized the craft vendor section, and it gave the public fun things to look through while trying to avoid the chilly, drizzly weather!

Amanda made conversation with her neighbour :D Pottery!  Potterypotterypottery....

Peaches and Peaches' mommy threaten to give me the eggs!

The crocheted ribbon necklaces were really neat!

It was a long day for photographers, but it was gorgeous and full of amazing photographs to the very end!  Even the sunsetting over the fall foliage didn't disappoint us!  Please don't use any of these photographs without my consent, thank you! (The exception is BBRR!)