Welcome Back Tabby Face

Just when one needs a lift of spirits in the depths of a cold and dark winter, a familiar face appears and fills the bill. I'm talking about the tabby patterned face of an Eastern Screech Owl. One is using the replacement roosting box I made last fall. I absolutely love these little guys!!!

Some days ago I watched a Cooper's hawk kill, decapitate and fly off with a Mourning Dove. No wonder small owls need a safe place to hide during the day!

My first sighting of a screech owl this January.

Getting a sunshine face wash through squinty eyes.

They seem to have a philosophical expression.

A Cooper's hawk scanning about for the unwary.

 

January has tossed a variety of weather at us. Snow, high winds, freezing rain and occasional sunshine, but overall just overcast.

As for wild creatures, I've not spotted anything out of the ordinary. Just the usual cast of very welcome backyard friends in fur coats and in feather coats.

 

A cardinal adding colour to the buffet scene.

A wind swept chickadee building fat reserves.

Mourning doves like to just lounge on the tray.

A goldfinch fluffed and cosy on a snowy day.

This bunny looks too full for even one more seed.

 

 

Over the years, I've bought and made many bird feeders. I like to have a good assortment in place all winter. One I made that has proven very popular is a simple trough feeder made from wood scraps.

  

A junco with red leggings and black boots.

A tree sparrow ponders at the buffet.

Daintily holding a kernel of corn between his feet.

One of the two red squirrels residing here.

 

 

January has tossed a variety of weather at us. Snow, high winds, ice rain, regular rain and occasional sunshine, but mostly just plain gloominess.

 

Looking north from my kitchen window.

Looking south from my living room window.

Fortunately, I have plenty of hobbies and projects to make winters indoors a pleasure. For one, I've taken a renewed interest in needle work. I'm having fun with putting decorative patches over one of the lighter materials that have frayed on a quilt. It was made decades ago by my sister and has kept me warm most nights since.

 

Five new patches on this quilt block.

Simple designs seem to work the best.

I enjoy making these lazy daisies.

I've organized my embroidery floss using these handy little packets.

 

I'm also knitting my fourth pair of wool blend socks. The yarn for this one came from Turkey. It's colour is called "Sidewalk Chalk Stripes". It really does remind me of chalk pastels.

 

The cuff for my fourth pair of hand knit socks.

 

 

Ellie Mae is showing signs of cabin fever. She asks out but turns back when her whiskers feel the cold. Evening time usual brings on a request for me to toss little balls of paper for her to bat and chase about. A half hour of this generally satisfies her friskitude before she calms down and resumes window sentry or just more napping.