Winter Wear

The little ground feeding birds sporting their winter wear.


The male House Finch "red" is much more muted compared with a few months ago.

The squirrels now have their glossy thick winter fur. Their tails are fuller--and so are their backsides. Their bodies have stockpiled fat necessary for those inclement winter days when the squirrels hold up in their nests waiting for the sun.

This little guy sits with the setting sun shining on the side of his head that is damaged. It isn't clear if the swelling on the side of his head is an infected ear or an injury. He's been frequenting the feeder for some weeks and he seems to be holding his own. I'd been taking him as a yearling Chipping Sparrow marking the blackish streak through his eye and the lighter stripe above the eye but then I noticed the more pronounced white ring and somewhat pinkish beak similar to that of a Field Sparrow. The cap of winter is much less rust colored than during breeding whichever he is.

Donegal Browne