And now for the weather report

Checking the menu.

Apologies for several days of political rants.  Back, now, to Alaska.  For a couple of weeks it's been clear and pretty cold, some nights into the single digits. Monday night we had a dusting of snow, enough to cover the ground and cold enough to stick.  That meant, late Tuesday afternoon the bird feeders went out.  By midday one looked half full and this morning it had been emptied.  Fortunately yesterday I made a stop at the feed store and picked up $50 worth of black sunflower seeds and sunflower chips.  Most likely that won't last the winter.

Excuse me, dining here!

Bunches of chickadees and nuthatches have shown up at the feeders and today the first Pine grosbeak (female) arrived.  Then later a new species came in and poked around for several minutes.  I had heard some rapping on the house walls earlier and it was not as sharp or as loud as the hairy woodpeckers make.  Then a downy woodpecker perched at the feeder and I am guessing this was the one testing the T-111.  This was the first confirmed downy I have seen although I know they have been around.  Maybe it is time to start a picture window life list.   My son and I had this one years ago.

All right then. I'm outta here.

So, with the birds back and snow on the ground, be prepared for more bird updates on here and fewer political rants.  Also practicing with the new pellet rifle in case the squirrels come back or one more Republican shows up at my door and tries to get me to vote for that liar. At least after next Tuesday, no more rants for a while, or maybe not.  I do like birds better than politicians.  But birds are calming, it takes a politician to get the blood boiling.