Mister 36

Back on 8 October, I blipped yard bird #36, a female Purple Finch.  I wanted to add the male to my record because he looks so different than the female, and because he is so very handsome.  And, to be perfectly honest, it was an easy blip today.  The fall irruption of winter finches (purple finch and pine siskin) is continuing, to my delight.  

And today, I also had a banded pine siskin!  I think it is only the second or third banded bird I've seen in the thousands of birds who've visited our feeders over the years.  Unfortunately, the band is very tiny and I wasn't able to get sufficient pictures to be able to identify it - at least I don't think so.  I'll send the images along to a friend who does banding and see what she thinks.

Thanks for the kind comments yesterday.  This year is definitely taking a toll - on me, and on many of you.  I hope that the upcoming election will, eventually, decrease some of the stress although I expect that it won't go smoothly or without a lot of vitriol.  

I was disappointed, although not surprised, that Amy Coney-Barrett was confirmed as a member of the US Supreme Court.  I feel uncomfortable having the highest court in the land so lopsided as I believe it will not serve the best interests of the American people.  Frankly, I'd feel the same if it were heavily weighted liberal.  I think "we the people" would be served best by having a balanced court who could debate legal issues on their merits.  But it's done and now we will live with it for longer than I will probably be alive.

I'm off to meet up with a couple of my birder friends to walk tomorrow which will be good for me.  It's going to be chilly but I am going to just bundle up.  

I'll put a shot of the banded pine siskin in Extra if anyone is interested.  

Stay the course, people.  We are not out of the woods yet and winter is coming...

xo
Debbi