Last Weekend for 2008 - 12/30/08

Normally I would be up north for New Years Eve but this time we went up early. We hadn't been up since Thanksgiving Weekend so we didn't know we would find 19" of snow in the driveway. The weather was a mixture of everything from rain to snow to high winds but unusually comfortable as far as temperatures go. Every weekend that I'm up north I get the usual visitors to photograph and this weekend was no different but early Sunday morning
I had a new visitor just strolling through the woods coming towards my blind - a Ruffed Grouse. As he approached I began snapping away (not sure if I was even getting him or if the lighting was okay) then suddenly he flew up into a tree, I tried to snap a few while he was up the tree and then decided to wait for him to come down, I snapped a few more when he came down and then he flew off. I would have tried to follow but the depth of the snow made it difficult to really track. The rest of the morningI just watched and snapped until 12:30 and then we decided to go get something to eat.

When we got back from eating I noticed that my finch feeder was finally getting some use - there were at least 10 Gold Finches on the feeder and another 6 in the tree behind the house. There were male and female and even though their colors a dull in the winter they are still very pretty. There was one other visitor that I had this weekend thast I haven't seen before or if I have never really noticed - a Pine Siskin. Very defined markings with the yellow streaking in his wings.

Monday morning would bring better lighting and my chance to get my photo of the Brown Creeper. While waiting for my chance he finally landed on the tree in front of my blind, he was kind of stunned by the commotion that was going on at the blind, not sure myself what happened I was so engrossed by getting this little guys photo that I didn't realize that a Black-capped Chickadee flew right into my blind and then out - only to perch himself on a branch just outside the blind. I heard the wings flapping and a lot of chirping but I never took my eye off the creeper - I was afraid I'd miss my chance.

This was my last weekend for the year 2008 - can't wait to see what the New Year brings. Til my next post have a Safe and Happy New Year.