On Wednesday, December 1, 2022, we had temperatures at or just above freezing (with frozen bird baths) and substantial winds all day. I saw very few birds in the yard. 

The next day, December 2, the temperatures were slightly warmer and the winds had abated somewhat. We had a plumber scheduled to reconnect a radiator so I was somewhat occupied with his activities, but from my expanded office where the work was beng done I had an excellent view of the yard. 

It was difficult to remain inside as I could see a large number of birds in the yard, some of which were interesting and I would have loved to photograph. I finally broke from the work project and went outside to try to photograph some of the birds.  Once I was outside the activity subsided somewhat, so I didn’t get that many great photos. 

I made a list of the birds I observed… 24 species!  

Here are a few of my better photographs… 

On November 24, 2022, I spent a relatively short time in the yard observing and photographing birds.  Despite an accipiter clearing the yard of birds when I first exited the house, I had a productive photographic period after waiting for about half an hour for the birds to return.  The period was noteworthy from my point of view in that I obtained an unusual number of higher quality photographs for my efforts.  

My first visitor of note was a Ruby-crowned kinglet, much rarer in at least our yard than its cousin the Golden-crowned kinglet.  

Not to be outdone, we also had several Golden-crowned kinglets show up in the yard and access the watercourse.  Both species of birds are very active and can be difficult to photograph, so I felt fortunate to be able to get good photos of both species in one afternoon!  

While I’m on the subject of smaller birds, this Chestnut-sided chickadee was good enough to visit the watercourse and provide several opportunities for quality photographs.  

We also had at least three American Goldfinches visit the yard.  Although quite common spring and summer visitors to the yard, they are rare visitors to our yard in the winter.  The birds are migratory and most fly south for the winter but there are some that overwinter in the greater area.  

This male House finch was another visitor to the watercourse.  

We had several American robins enter the yard but their cousins, the Varied thrushes that we have been seeing for several days, were strangely absent.  The two species often seem to hang together and usually the arrival of a few robins heralds the arrival of some Varied thrushes.  

And just before it became too dark to photograph, this male Anna’s hummingbird perched in a location where I was a able to obtain several photographs.  

I had a brief time outdoors with the yard full of birds on the afternoon of November 15, 2022.  Unfortunately the sun was shining so I had rather poor photographic conditions, but I haven’t yet mastered the art of controlling bird behavior and the weather.  

As is often my habit, I woke before 1am and by about 2am I was out of bed and on my computer writing.  I resolved to create a post documenting the NINE species of sparrows we have had in the yard this year and did most of the writing for the post in the wee hours of the morning.  

By the middle of the afternoon I decided to go outside and explore opportunities for birding photography.  As I settled into my chair my attention was drawn to a sparrow whose behavior didn’t match either the House sparrows or the Golden-crowned sparrows that were the main occupants of the yard.  I was attempting to obtain a photo of the bird when it abruptly flew past me in a manner that told me it was leaving the yard.  Just before it flew I glimpsed, and managed a single partial photograph of the bird, and realized it was a White-throated sparrow, perhaps our second rarest sparrow visitor.  What a coincidence!  So here is the only photo of the bird I obtained… 

During my time in the yard I had multiple visits from Golden-crowned kinglets…

Multiple visits from a pair of Northern flickers…this one a male…

Two visits from a large group of Bushtits (another male)… 

A rather rare photographic session with a Red-breasted nuthatch… 

A couple of visits from Ruby-crowned kinglets… 

And a visit from a female Varied thrush… 

Finally, I’ll leave you with this photo of a male Golden-crowned kinglet bathing in the watercourse… 

On November 12 , 2022, I decided to spend a little camera time in the yard when I spied a male Varied thrush drinking at the base of the watercourse. After organizing my camera and clothing I checked again before going outside. A female Varied thrush was now in the exact spot where the male had been. I tried to unobtrusively slip outside but the female flushed and left the yard. Over the next couple of hours I had four more return visits from thrushes, but they were very shy and, although expressing interest, wouldn’t descend to the watercourse. The sun was shining brightly but the yard was in shadow so I was unable to obtain quality photos. (Birding photography is better on overcast days for a variety of reasons.) 

As soon as I settled outside I saw three Golden-crowned kinglets in the vicinity, including the watercourse. By the time I got organized the three kinglets had left, but later I had a visit from two and still later I had a visit from one. 

Other noteworthy birds in the yard… a Song sparrow, a male Downy woodpecker, several Golden-crowned sparrows, approximately 17-18 California quail and just after I left the yard, a flock of Bushtits. 

A male House finch…

An adorable Chestnut-backed chickadee which provided me with several poses!

On the evening of November 7, 2022, we found out from neighbors that they had a light dusting of snow on the ground. At our house, closer to the 49-degree water around Fidalgo Island, the temperature hovered just above freezing until after daylight the next morning. Our birdbaths finally froze but not the watercourse. We had hoards of visiting American robins which arrived for our running water. And they weren’t just drinking the water… many were bathing in it!

Among the robins was this leucistic American robin, which showed up at least twice. On its first visit I was photographing it through a window but I was desperate enough for a good photo that I finally went outside and sat in the cold wind for about an hour to obtain good photos. (Somebody owes me one!)

Along with the robins were two Varied thrushes (a male and male and female), only our second visit to the yard by this species this year. We also had two Golden-crowned kinglets visit.  

Just to round out this post, a female House sparrow…

and FREE for the asking, an Eastern Gray squirrel.