Birds in the Snow

Design - "Be Mine"

Chart - "Little Cuties"

Designer - Val's Stuff

Fabric - 30 count WDW Guacamole

Fibers - WDW - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 5 February 2013

Completed - 6 February 2013

I do admire the flair for color - as avocado green, deep purple, and lilac are unusual Valentine colors.  

Tuesday morning the Juncos showed up in numbers despite the snow.

When you really look at one, there's a lot of color variation going on with browns, tans, creams, and black.

I also had several Steller's Jay.

And a rather disgruntled Mourning Dove popped in.

Fall Stitch Fall Leaves

Design - "Whoo Gives a Hoot?" (full moon)

Designer - Val's Stuff

Fabric - 28 count Haunted Picture This Plus Cashel

Fibers - WDW & DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 10 October 2016

Completed - 16 October 2016

Sharing some fall color today.

The Big Leaf Maples are doing us proud!

Anna's Hummingbirds are among the earliest to show up in the morning. 

There were easily six birds zooming around.

Pink

Design - "Be Mine"

Chart - "Little Cuties"

Designer - Val's Stuff

Fabric - 30 count WDW Guacamole

Fibers - WDW - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 5 February 2013

Completed - 6 February 2013

Pink cross stitch and pink bird.

Male Anna's Hummingbird - sleek

...and puffy.

Beneath the outer eyelids lies an extra eyelid, called the nictitating membrane. Nictitating, for all its alliterative syllables, simply means “blinking”.

Woodpecker Wednesday on Tuesday

 Design - "Whoo Gives a Hoot?" (full moon)

Designer - Val's Stuff

Fabric - 28 count Hauted Picture This plus Cashel

Fibers - WDW & DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 10 October 2016

Completed - 16 October 2016

Female Downy 

Crouching Tiger!

Male Downy

Male Downy

Look alert!

Male and female Acorn Woodpecker

Lots of peanuts to 'harvest'.

Discussing strategies

Back to work

Snap and grab...

...and off.

Female Flicker

Quiet  beauty

Little Ones

Design - "Old Man Winter"

Chart - "Little Cuties" Volume One CS125

Designer - Val's Stuff

Fabric - 30 count WDW Putty linen

Fibers - WDW - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 23 January 2013

Completed - 24 January 2013

The little birds are getting louder.

Look closely at the bright spots in the brush - lots of Lesser Goldfinches.

Here's a closer look.

And the Bushtits swarmed in too.

Monday

Design - "I'll Keep You Warm All Winter Long"

Designer - Val's Stuff

Fabric - 30 count WDW Woosteria linen

Floss - Crescent Colours, DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads and Kreinik braid 1 strand over 2 threads

Started - 7 February 2013

Completed - 13 February 2013

I haven't had time to take photos with working more and nasty weather when I am home.

I did have a male Hairy Woodpecker hard at work.

The window is very dirty thus the streaks and smears.

He's a handsome bird and fun to watch.

Friday's Framed Finish

Design - "Whoo Gives a Hoot?" (full moon)

Designer - Val's Stuff

Fabric - 28 count Haunted Picture This Plus Cashel

Fibers - WDW & DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 10 October 2016

Completed - 16 October 2016

Framed - September 2018

I thought this was a perfect Framed Finish to feature as October has morphed into November.  The Great Horned Owls are most talkative in the fall and winter when they court, incubate their eggs, and spend the long winter nights feeding their youngsters. 

Quiet Birds

Design - "Whoo Gives a Hoot?" (full moon)

Designer - Val's Stuff

Fabric - 28 count Hauted Picture This plus Cashel

Fibers - WDW & DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 10 October 2016

Completed - 16 October 2016

Goodness, it took me 1/2 the month to get my first finish. I think this one was worth the wait.  The fabric is wonderful as is the WDW color used for the full moon.  And as we had a Super Moon Saturday night, this is a fitting finish.

The Great Horned Owls are beginning to converse at night.  They are courting and will soon begin nesting.  They raise their young in the winter and young owls do not begin to learn to hunt until late spring / early summer when there are lots of critters to practice upon. 

Most of my feeder birds are Quiet Birds heading into winter.

They don't talk much, and have for the most part lost their vibrant courting colors.

The American Goldfinches are a case in point.

Here's another Quiet Bird.  The Fox Sparrows have returned and they have a recognizable 'click' sound that they make.  No songs this time of year.  

For several years I confused these guys with Song Sparrows, but now I can tell them apart.

I have a couple of White-crowned Sparrows that show up most days.

I think they are pretty easy for a newbie birder to learn to ID.

The Oregon Juncos are slowly returning too.

They are feisty birds, so I rarely see more than two or three at a time.