A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....01-12 to 14-07...T.G.I.F. at the Finest

January 12, 2007 | billie

[Mama_Bear]

[Lady Jag]

Cheers from Massachusets!!

[Mama_Bear]

LOL! Don't tell me you have beach weather back there!? Something is wrong with this picture.

Our fountain is the local watering hole for the neighborhood birds. The poor little finches are in a panic. They can't find any water to drink. How do the birds survive back east where all the water sources are frozen for weeks at a time?

[Mama_Bear]

Oh, does that ever look pretty....like spring, warm. I am so ready for spring.

[MEG33]

BRRRrrrrr..Great picture!

[MEG33]

;)My daughter does have a few roses blooming. I know our warm weather is in for a change, though. I am always ready for spring!!

[La Enchiladita]

Lori, Good Morning Hugs....What kind of bird is that sitting atop the frozen fountain? Hope it didn't get frozen stuck on there...!!

Hah, great photo. Since I don't have an outdoor thermometer, I checked often at weather underground last night and this morning. 'Round midnight, 'twas 35F in my neighborhood, 38F @ 9:00 a.m. today. The forecast is more of the same cold temps for the coming week plus, but DRY, dry, dry.

That's a pretty fountain, by the way...

[Lady Jag]

Of course I'm ragging you. It's 40 out here and only the polar bears are swimming today.

There's almost always water if the sun comes out. Otherwise I don't know what the birds water requirements are.

I wouldn't want to be a bird.

[Mama_Bear]

That's a "Carduelis psaltria" (a little Latin lingo for ya', LOL). Commonly known as a "Lesser Goldfinch". They love to paddle around in the icy water. They are the most playful birds I've ever seen and they have such fun in our fountain. I never see them during the summer, just during December and January. Not much larger than a hummingbird, but tough little things!

Wikipedia - Lesser Goldfinch

[Mama_Bear]

It's 40 out here

Well, you are about 15 degrees warmer than we are! So much for temperate California. LOL

I wouldn't want to be a bird.

Nor would I - especially a California bird not used to this kind of cold.

[Lady Jag]

So much for temperate California.

Surely it's just a case of temporary insanity and you will get warmer while we get colder.

[Mama_Bear]

Surely it's just a case of temporary insanity and you will get warmer while we get colder.

Well, that's what I'm hoping. We could use a little global warming about now. LOL

[La Enchiladita]

Thanks for the "Latin lingo"... hehe.

I'm not a true birder, but I like to try to identify the ones that I see. Their funny ways are delightful to watch. I like wild critters in general, as long as they're not bigger than I am... LoL.

If Lesser Goldfinch only appears there in December and January, it must live further north for the rest of the year... Interesting.

[Lady Jag]

It's 73 in Mississippi...

[MEG33]

It's 72 here...My daughter lives just N of Houston.

[La Enchiladita]

Ooh, I would like to grow that rose!!

Hey, GeeBee, are you in the market for some bare-roots?

;^)

[La Enchiladita]

HAHAHA.... Here I am 5 miles from the beach, bundled up, furnace blasting and it's nearly Noon!!!

Be sure to use sun block, LJ!!

[NicknamedBob]

"How do the birds survive back east where all the water sources are frozen for weeks at a time?"

Standing water freezes, but water sources do not. We see seagulls here all the time. They're drawn to our asphalt parking lots, which warm up nicely.

On any sunny day, what was frozen will melt somewhere, at least a little bit, and especially so if it is near a dark, absorptive color.

On cold dark days, most birds use their secret stash, or even their fat reserves, but the ones who winter here typically have a moist diet anyway, finding insects under leaves and such. Also, you'd be surprised how many water sources there are in say a quarter mile radius. Even the dew or frost in the morning is enough to sustain a small bird.

It's about sixty here, and I just went out to chop some wood. Boy! Did it warm up quickly! First the sweater came off, and I was tempted to remove my flannel shirt, but prudence prevailed, and I came back inside to cool off.

[Mama_Bear]

Thanks for information about the survival skills of your cold weather birds. Very interesting. I knew they had to find water somewhere. Our birds aren't used to having to search for water, so the finches were panicking around the frozen fountain. I went out and broke up the ice and added some warm water for them.

It's about sixty here

SIXTY?? Well, that's about thirty degrees warmer than it is here. Not fair, hogging all the global warming back there. :-(

[Mama_Bear]

It's 73 in Mississippi...

It's 72 here...

Awwwww......man! I would LOVE a 70 degree day!