Greetings All,

Had several delightful bird encounters this past week due in part with the coming of winter . I thought I'd share some of the highlights.  Many apologies for the delay in reporting!  I'll start with the most recent:

January 31st: - Delorme 50D1
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER VS RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER.  It was like something out of WWE.  I was trying to get my 3 year ready to leave for the sitters when I happened to glance out our large picture window where I have 2 feeders and 3 suet feeders up.  I noticed a "blob" of "something" wrestling on the ground in the snow.  It looked to be a YB sapsucker, but I wasn't sure at first what was going on.  I grabbed my binos and lo and behold this YB had pinned a red-bellied (which was belly up by the way!) and it looked as if it was going in for the kill.  The YB sapsucker looked as if he meant business.  After a few more moments of "wrestling" on the ground, the red-bellied freed himself and flew off.  I declared the sapsucker the winner as he was feasting on the last of the suet I had in one feeder.  I guess I need to get to the store pronto for refills!  By the way, I had observed an altercation between a red-bellied and the sapsucker back in Dec.  The sapsucker has always been m
 ore aggressive in these encounters.  Is this normal behavior for sapsuckers?

Also at my feeders today were the following:
Downy woodpecker
White-crowned sparrow
Song Sparrow
Juncos - lots!
Cardinals - lots
Black capped chickadee
White-breasted nuthatch
Yellow-bellied sapsucker
Red-bellied woodpecker

KESTREL SNACK - Delorne 50C3 Hardy Twp.
A Kestrel has been hanging out at the corners of Township Roads 349 & 348 for that past few weeks.  I had just turned onto TR 348 and was watching the lines for sign of the Kestrel when I noticed something small on the wire and figured it to be a song bird.  As I drove closer, it wasn't a bird at all, but a mouse hanging on the line.  The feet and tail were evident and there was no question as to what it was.  The kestrel was not in sight.  Maybe this was a snack for later on?

BALD EAGLE IN MILLERSBURG??  - Delorne 50D3
 I work at the library in Millersburg and at about 3:15 one of the ladies working the circulation desk came back to Children's (my dept.) to tell me that a patron said he had spotted a bald eagle sitting in the wooded area located next to the library.  As he approached the building it flew off over Rodhe's IGA Supercenter, located "behind" the library and flew west.  I don't know who this was to say that it was a legitimate sighting but I thought I'd post it for any locals on the list to keep a look-out

The following is a list of what showed up at my feeders (or in my yard) on Sun. January 28th:
American crow
American goldfinch (they've been non-existent for the past 2 months and I occasionally get 1 at the feeder now)
American Tree Sparrow  (1st sighting for the winter year and 1st sighting for 07)
Black capped chickadee
Blue jay
Downy woodpecker
House Finch (1st and only sighting for the last 2 months or so - last year at this time I had 1 doz. or more for quite some time)
Junco
Mourning dove
Cardinal
Red-bellied woodpecker
Song sparrow
Tufted titmouse
White breasted nuthatch
White crown sparrow - (1st for the winter and for 07)

January 29th brought the above birds plus
White throated sparrow (1st for the winter season and for 07)
Yellow-bellied sapsucker

Earlier in the month (January 4th & 7th).  My humble apologies for posting this very late!  I decided to walk our property (about 10 acres, 6 which is a steep hill!) and came across a lone GOLDEN CROWN KINGLET.  What a pleasant find!  It was worth the trek up the "mountain!"  On the 7th it ventured down to the house and made a brief appearance in some nearby shrubbery.

My apologies if some of the above belonged on the forum.

Happy birding to all!
Michele Skolmutch
Nashville/Glenmont
Holmes CO. OH  Delorme 50D1, Knox. Twp.


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