Searching for Rainbows

It is winter here, and the landscape has gone to whites, grays, and a more muted palette. I stand at the windows and watch the movement of birds… watching, waiting, watching… for that flash of color that brings a zing to my heart.

In spring and summer, I search for BLUE… I am a bluebird fanatic, and nothing lifts my spirits as much as a bluebird sighting. There is something in my brain that registers… that brings my attention to the color, shape, flight pattern of bluebirds. When I capture such a sight with my eyes, my spirit soars!! It is really so.

eastern bluebird

Who knows where they go in winter? I assume they are out there, and we have seen them in small flocks when snow has covered the ground in sufficient depths for some cross country skiing. But out my window right now, there is another set of rainbow movement as birds flutter around the feeders on this cold snowy day.

Winter Blues

For blues, I need only to look for the blue jays who are greedily gobbling up the sunflower seeds left in the mammoth flower heads out in the veggie garden. We grow the variety that exceeds 10 feet in height and 12 inches in flower diameter. The heads hang suspended, and the blue jays cluster along the fences waiting in turn to pull luscious plump sunflower seeds from them. They also attempt to use the feeders we have filled with black oil sunflower seed. They look like B-52's compared to the other birds. Surprisingly, they also seem to like the suet that has been set out.

bluejay

Winter Reds

Finally, finally, the cardinals have returned. For the past few months I have been searching and searching for them. This last snow storm finally pulled them in. In a flash, yesterday, three couples suddenly appeared (where have they been until now???). Red, like ripe apple-sized cherries, like lovely Christmas tree ornaments,… there they were. Their female mates, a more subtle shade of reddish gray, are there, too. Always, there, too. My eyes scan the whites/grays/dark greens of our wintry landscape and delight to see that red sparkle.

cardinal couple

House finches and purple finches flash lovely shade of red, too. I must be forgiven if I do not take as much delight in their presence…. always, they are here at the feeders. Constant and dependable companions.

house finch

purple finch

Downy and hairy woodpeckers have a flash of red on their heads which is another sight my eyes hunt for at this time of year. In photos, they are hard to tell apart. Hairy woodpeckers are bigger, so they are easier to ID in three dimensions. Both love the suet that I hang out for them.

hairy woodpecker (larger body, longer beak)

downy woodpecker (smaller body, shorter beak)

A special treat that greets my eyes from time to time is the sight of a red bellied woodpecker or, even more rarely, a pileated woodpecker.

red bellied woodpecker

pileated woodpecker

The red bellies occasionally visit the suet feeder…the pileated woodpecker, never. Just the other day, I got a rare sighting of one flying through. Mr. Wonderful has been gifted with the sight of one actually perching on one of our deck posts!

Winter Red Surprises!
Last year, I noticed a BRAND NEW bird to the feeder. With its bright red cap and red breast, I knew I had never seen anything like it before. Turns out it was a common red poll which usually winters further north, but because of climate change, it is having unusual migrations. A nice surprise…

common redpoll

Winter Muted Yellows, Oranges, and Grays

These birds are our winter standbys. They are plentiful and omnipresent from dawn til dusk. Their subtle coloring is a good match for the grayish skies and landscapes of winter. Their perky behavior is a joy to watch.

male goldfinch 

red breasted nuthatch

chickadee

junco

white breasted nuthatch

titmouse

mourning doves