No defrosting/thawing required. Toss the chicken into the pot with however much water you use to make your stock, and away you go!

You took the words right out of my mouth! Me, too! I think a little birdbath would ideal for such, though it's my understanding birds are more attracted to running, trickling, or moving water.

How about maintenance of the Hummingbird feeder, Krissi? We've never owned a Hummingbird feeder, but from everything I have read about them, one has to be extra careful about boiling the sugar mix before filling the feeder, and being dedicated in the proper disinfecting of the feeder.

Great to hear from you! I didn't HS, but back in the 80's the HS movement was yet to be born, at least there wasn't a strong following Re:.

Here, too... though ours seem to forever be screeching. LOL! First bird spotted for the New Year is my little Song Sparrow friend.

Thanks for the insight, LC! I cherish the thought of having a few nest boxes or actual birdhouses out for our little guys.

TIA!

Sparrows and Finches are so fun to watch!

Do the birds regularly use the safe boxes you have? How about seasonal changes in the way the birds use them, or the frequency they use them, as in do you notice any changes as to them vacating the safe boxes at certain times of the year or during certain months?

My sentiment exactly!

This is our next step, building a few houses for the little ones. It's still dark here so nothing to note as far as the first bird of the year goes, but my guess is either a Mountain Chickadee or Red-Breasted Nuthatch will be the first. We also have what looks to be a Song Sparrow that visits daily.

Though I've never witnessed an attack, we have friends who have, and they said it was utterly amazing how adept Blue Jays are at avoiding capture. Due to the Hawks size, they don't have the maneuverability as smaller birds do, so in the case of the Blue Jays, our friends mentioned how the Jays stayed safely in the tree, staying completely calm, and hopped from lower branch to higher branch, lib to limb, again and again, until the Hawk moved on. I would have loved to witness such an event.

That sounds lovely, Patty! Thanks for that. What a credit to your friend Re: Cornell using pictures of his!

LOL! I remember as a kid thinking the name, Yellow Warbler, was funny!

I've never before witnessed a Hawk migration. We do see a Hawk or two on occasion, but typically they hunt away from our home and that suits me just fine, though one did startle me one day by flying right over-head in pursuit of prey. I often refer to organized groups as gatherings.

Pileated Woodpeckers can be quite destructive if they hit upon a tree they are determined to mine with that big powerful beak of theirs. Neighbours of ours had to selectively prune severely damaged limbs on two of their trees, because the limbs had been destroyed to the point of being a concern over disease. Thank you for the Pinterest link!

How lovely is that. Thank you, MM.

Krissi and MM. Sometimes I wish I had unlimited time to loose myself in the wilderness doing trail-walks, etc. I always arrive back home again revitalized and full of wonder, not to mention relaxed and free of pent-up stress. Even so, there are times I arrive home from shopping and contending with lineups, etc, yet within a few seconds after sitting quiet and watching the birds play and sing, my troubles and stress melt away. There's something so meditative about watching wildlife.

Great post, MM! Not far from where we live, in a river valley, Osprey's can be found again, but for the longest time the Geese had taken up residence in their nests that had been so long ago vacated. It's nice to see the Osprey's back again.

I can't wait! I wish I had the talent you do when it comes to taking pictures. Absolutely magnificent! Keep up the great work, Patty!

Having a set of binoculars to ones name definitely makes for easier bird-spotting and identification. There is so many times I see a bird in a distance but without binoculars, I'm at a loss as to identifying it. I can't wait to get a pair, and after seeing your post as to ordering a pair, you've given me inspiration to start looking for a pair for myself!

Patty. I just checked out your pictures and wow... professional quality or what! Super awesome job! The sweet little ducklings are my favourite! I've always had a weakness for cute adorable ducklings. When DH and I go out in the Spring to watch all the duck babies, I never want to leave.

All I can say is, right on! You are absolutely going to LOVE the Birders Guide! So comprehensive it is and you'll have it as a reference manual for forever. Money well spent and so totally well worth it! So excited for you I am, because when you get the Guide you won't believe how simple it is to identify and learn about whatever species it is you are wanting to know about, and the pictures are great, too! And so jealous of you I am Re: your binocular purchase! Binoculars are the one thing I still need but haven't gotten around to buying yet. I should make 2015 my year for binoculars!

LOL! Now that you mention it I have to say that it does sound rather technical! Funny how one tends to never think of certain things regarding practices and ways, yet when someone brings light to the matter, suddenly, it's right there in front of you in full-colour!

So lovely! You mention something interesting Re: range. In our area, Blue Jays shouldn't (by all accounts) reside here, and in fact, up till about 12 years ago we had no Blue Jays in our area whatsoever, however, through evolution and climate change, Blue jays now abound plentifully in our range, and even more interesting... some even winter in our area, which for the species is totally unorthodox.