Hurray! A pair visited the water garden underneath my backyard fir tree. I 
first was startled when I saw the yellow underside of the female, since 
Pine Siskins are frequent visitors. I never saw a WWCrossbill, but the beak 
was a dead giveaway. Very skittish bird. She flew away when our cat (ALWAYS 
kept indoors) looked out the sliding glass door. About 15 minutes later the 
male returned with her. She was busy hopping around the dead limbs that 
fell into the water garden over the winter, gathering small globs of 
leftover duckweed and dead vegetation. Our neighbor has 8 large conifers in 
her backyard and they fly over to her yard. Here's today's report from my 
backyard feeding station:

2 White-wing Crossbill(male & female)
4 Pine Siskins
WB Nuthatches
Robins
Starlings
House Sparrows
House Finches(pair)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Dark-eyed Juncos
Tufted Titmouse(2)
Cardinals(pair)
Carolina Wren
Crows(nearby trees)
Bluejays
Bald Eagle(soaring overhead)
Canada Geese(flying overhead)
Goldfinch

Visit the "CREATE WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY YARDS" SITE AND VIEW "HOT OFF THE 
PRESS: SONGBIRDS RETURNING TO OHIO" IN RIGHT MARGIN. ROBERT

http://wildlifefriendlylawn.blogspot.com/

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