The birds that I see the most at the feeders and can actually id are gold finches, nuthatches, chickadees, downy wood peckers, and red bellied wood peckers. Occasionally in the yard but not really at the feeders, I see cardinals, blue jays, robins, mourning doves, rose breasted grosbeaks, and purple finches. In the woods, but never at the feeders I've seen bluebirds, scarlet tanagers, pileated wood peckers, and hawks. Oh, and ruby throated hummingbirds are always flitting about too. I know there are probably many more but so far I haven't been very observant. There is a little grey pointy headed bird that taps at my bedroom windows sometimes and another little bird that makes nests on the outdoor flood lights. Some kind of little brown wren also makes nests in the shrubs really close to the house and sometimes in the garage. One year, we had left the panel off the dog door that is in the garage door and the little brown wren was flying in and out of it. Not sure what kind of wrens they are - maybe Carolina? I need to learn to id better. My sister in law Bonnie can id a lot of birds by their bird song, so cool to be able to do that.

Lisa, do you mean this article about the horticulturalist who passed away recently? I actually haven't read this one yet.
https://www.washingtonpost.com...

Also check out this really cool article about bird migration with a really neat animation of the migration. And all thanks to amateur bird watchers like us!

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01...

Blurry photo of a visiting river otter. I had my little camera zoomed all the way out and shot quickly knowing the otter would soon dive under and disappear (which it did).

You can see him very well, Deb--great shot!

River Otters are so fun to see, we see them on occasion when kayaking on the creek near us. Not often but they are always a exciting experience.

What a great picture, Deb! I've never seen an otter in the wild.

We get them every so often, usually in pairs or a family group, although this one was alone. It seems we usually see them when it is freezing, but my guess is that is when they are most visible because they get up on the ice. It's fun to watch them scamper around.

Ooohhh, I love otters. They are my favorite!

aspenhill said: There is a little grey pointy headed bird that taps at my bedroom windows sometimes and another little bird that makes nests on the outdoor flood lights. Some kind of little brown wren also makes nests in the shrubs really close to the house and sometimes in the garage. One year, we had left the panel off the dog door that is in the garage door and the little brown wren was flying in and out of it. Not sure what kind of wrens they are - maybe Carolina?

Aspenhill, the pointy-headed bird most likely was a nuthatch. You probably heard tapping noise because it had wedged a seed into the top of the window frame to make it easier to crack.
The brown wren probably was a Carolina wren, like you thought. They're pretty common around here, and I don't think I've seen any other kind of wrens.

Grey pointy head had me guessing Titmouse. Somebody called them DIsney birds for their large dark Walt Disney style eyes
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/...

I have house wrens in summer and Carolina wrens in winter, it seems.

And a barred owl or two hooting right now!!

Muddy, I have nuthatches about - they are one of the birds that I know. I love the way they go down the tree trunks head first. Sally, that bird that I was referring to IS a titmouse! Good guess from my very scientific description "little grey pointy headed bird" LOL. Now there is one more bird I can id when I see it Muddy, that is probably a good explanation for why it is tapping at my window, I was halfway thinking that it could see me and was wanting to say hello

NOVA folks, watch out for a possible rabid fox!

https://www.washingtonpost.com...

I was picturing a titmouse and wrote nuthatch; of course that's what your pointy-headed bird was, CatMint! Titmice are so cute; they're one of my favorites because they're so brave.

Thanks for the warning about the fox, ssg. That poor woman will be spending lots of time in the ER getting rabies shots.

Followed a link there, and read that a 75 year old woman strangled a raccoon with her bare hands after it tried to attack her. Whoa!

It's tempting to try and get close to wild animals if they are seen, but a reminder that they can be dangerous, so keep your distance. I read an awful account of a deer attack once.

sallyg said:Followed a link there, and read that a 75 year old woman strangled a raccoon with her bare hands after it tried to attack her. Whoa!

It's tempting to try and get close to wild animals if they are seen, but a reminder that they can be dangerous, so keep your distance. I read an awful account of a deer attack once.

Double whoa!

I surprised a deer on the walkway into the house. Never saw a deer so close up before...it pawed the ground and then reared up. It was menacing.

ooh, M Rosie, scary. I spare you the gory details of what I read. Watch those hooves.
We had a cabin in WV one year with the kids, deer came around the cabins looking for handouts but we stayed on the elevated porch with the railing for extra care.

Gees, not only do you have to worry about rabid foxes, you have to watch out for dangerous dogs on the loose in DC.
https://www.washingtonpost.com...

A Secret Service agent walking his large, gentle dog was mauled by a loose dog and now has to get 2 weeks of rabies shots. And a cat was viciously killed by a loose dog. It's one of many reasons my elderly kitty isn't allowed to go outside by herself.

We have no leash law in the country.
Today, I got an email (all neighbors on this road did) from a neighbor asking us to stop the car and get out and yell at her dog when she chases the car on the shared road. The trainer is trying to get her to stop that. There is another that appears in fron of my truck waaaay before I hear its bark. If I hit it, I would just be sick. I have no idea where it belongs or if it is mean.

Here in orange county rabid raccoons are a real problem in some years.
it is a dilemma...loose creatures..

We lost a pup to the road in the midst of trying to teach him not to chase cars. It was a difficult task as the neighbor at the time had 4 car-chasing dogs and his house is sited quite close to our road (we are set back about 200 feet). Herd mentality plus a vehicle won. That was the only dog we've had who chased cars - usually they just hang with us around the farm.

I lost a dog to a collision with a pickup. It was completely my fault. New construction had her all hyped up anyway..all the comings and goings...I opened the front door and out she leapt...ran right into the road. My early days at the hospital. No calling out with no coverage. I wept on every back staircase that hospital had that night. Terrible time..