I agree, Ginger. I'm wary of barbed wire in general, though. It's cut me open countless times when I've gone walking through weeds.

gingin said: Wow...sure wouldn't think of barbed wire being used as nesting material

Yes, very surprising!

Fabulous photo Dirt!

I like to gather old bird nests and I'm always surprised at what they are made of. Wrens nests contain a lot of our garbage; the ones I've had in my carport contained a lot of cellophane like what cigarette packs are covered with, in addition to a lot of string. Of all the different nests I've gathered the ones that didn't include human detritus were mourning dove and cardinals. The doves nest is loose and messy big twigs and the cardinal uses very small twigs tightly woven, with leaves or moss for the inner lining.

Wonderful picture Dirt, maybe that Owl has a reason for the barbed wire, they are pretty smart.

When cleaning out our bird houses I noticed my dogs hair in a couple nest. I trim her outside, she's a Goldendoodle, curly white hair. I used to sweep it up, but now I toss it into the garden.

I don't put out birdseed anymore, but when I did, the Cardinals would zip by my head when the feeder was empty.

Tundra Swans have arrived!
thought this arrangement was kinda neato

Your pics are always neato, Dirt!

Strange year...usually I have yellow rumped warblers AKA butter butts, all winter. Not this year...they are here now😍😍

Sunday was wet and dreary to start. So lots of wet, hungry birds.
Yellow-rumped warbler

Pine warbler

Tufted titmouse

Ruby-crowned kinglet

Eastern bluebird

Oh! So pretty! I love ruby crown kinglets, we've actually seen the head open up over and over again.

Dirt what a nice reflection photo of the swans.

Ginger, glad the warlbers there now, maybe FL was too cold for them this year. LOL
I've seen a lot of Pine warblers here when hiking mostly, they like tall dry grasses.

Becky, great pictures, I've never seen or heard of a Ruby-crowned kinglet, says they're in FL in the winter. Always nice to capture a bluebird.

Dirt, Wow! Those swans! There is a pond somewhere here in Ar where the swans overwinter every year now. The ponds on private property, but the owners let folks come see them.
The kinglet is awesome! We have them here but I've never seen one.
My son has a job now in the neighboring town across the river, and so I look at all the birds on the river when I drive him to work. I almost drive off the bridge rubbernecking! This morning there was a huge flock of gulls swooping over the surface.

@beclu727 Becky, your photos are lovely in spite of the gloomy weather. Gives them a moody atmosphere

Catching up — a few visitors from the last couple of months

Dark-eyed Oregon Junco with rusty/salmon sides



A Northern flicker that wouldn't come down where I could get a good head view, but such a cute spotted tummy!



Never get tired of watching these sweet, silly Ladderbacks



And the day isn't complete without a couple of these goofballs showing up

Great photos, Zoe!

Thanks, Abigail!

Like your new avatar

Those are the Sandia Mountains, along the eastern edge of Albuquerque. Sandía is the Spanish word for watermelon, and that is the color the range becomes for a few seconds every day right when the sun sets when the sky is mostly clear. Many days if I'm out driving I will pull over at sunset just to watch it. The peak intensity happens and fades in less than a minute. It's magical, and I never get tired of watching for it.

A couple of random captures:



Here's how they look the rest of the day:

It appears to me to be right on the "Edge Of Heaven"!!!
Very beautiful!!

Gorgeous!!

That's amazing!! Wow, just beautiful