Webber Pond, Bremen

[Ann Nesslage]

hi all-- a couple of weeks in review--

on the 25th, I splurged and put out a large mealworm cake on the platform feeder (still had a regular one hanging in a suet feeder).  Before I got into the house there were five bluebirds there.  The adult male clung mainly to the smaller feeder, but the other four (including three adolescents I think) were on the larger cake squabbling and eating.  Since then, the group has been in and out regularly--this afternoon all settling on another large cake.

the cardinal pair has been fairly regular as well as the usual chickadees, juncos, tufted titmice, and wb nuthatches.

On the 30th around 2AM, a great horned owl started calling from the oak trees between the house and the pond.  It sounded very close indeed--called for about 50 minutes.

After freezing and opening  twice the pond is finally really closed though the mallards still fly in from the ocean.

On Jan. 3rd while I was sitting at my desk facing a nearby oak which has a squirrel's nest  where two branches meet, I was treated to a wonderful close view of a red bellied woodpecker and two flickers ( a pair).  They would each work their ways up the tree then plunge their heads in under the leaves and twigs of the nest--remaining that way briefly before moving off.  They never came in conflict but seemed to take enough time each stop.  The sight of them plunging their heads in and pausing and then lingering on the tree was a delight.