Here is the little Carolina Wren from yesterday.
I hadn't seen any for a while and I thought they had moved on, until this little one turned up.

The male Cardinal was also a surprise visitor. I have seen him a few times, but he stays only long enough to check things out, and then he's gone. Usually a mate comes with him to do the ground work, but I haven't seen her yet. I read a while ago that she is the scout, the one who flies down first. He follows when he knows all is well.
Here he is again on the fence with one of the Dark-eyed juncos.
I find the Juncos very amusing. They scratch away at the snow with their feet to get at the seed.
The first indication they were there was when I observed snow flying upwards.
Another Mourning Dove was taking a rest in the tree on one of the higher branches.
The Black-capped Chickadee was next but it's a flitterer. It flits in, picks up a seed and immediately flits away, taking their prize into the cover of the trees. Survival instincts are strong in this one.
The next photo was taken on the day of the first snow (last Wednesday), and this another of the many Dark-eyed Juncos who visit every day at this time of the year. He and his fellow Juncos first appeared several weeks ago and they stay with us all winter.
Here you can see a bird's line of footprints. This was at the end of that first day of snow and is right underneath the door where we step outside.
The neighbor's chimney caught my attention for a minute or two. I saw the sun glinting off the icicles earlier. This doesn't quite pick up that incredible sparkle.
Here is the birdbath I turned into a piece of art the other day. We woke up again to more snow on 1-18-24. It snowed for most of the day.
We had one of the prettiest sunsets, with a deep red sky. It was a more vibrant color than I had seen in a long time.

I always seem to have more to share but I'll wait until next Tuesday where I will share another bird, with more to follow. I will be posting my usual recipe tomorrow.