Mountain living in winter is usually not the time to see a lot of wildlife, so imagine my surprise in the middle of winter to see this sight in our lower meadow! A sizable flock of robins was stopping by for a visit. Get ready for a picture heavy post with lots of wildlife.
Usually a harbinger of spring, I have never seen this many in winter.
They refused to line up and smile for the camera, but there were at least 16 – 20 of them.
One even pulled a worm out of the ground while I was getting the focus on the camera!
These were taken at the end of January, when there was still a bit of snow yet to melt. They were back on Saturday and Sunday too, looking for seeds and bugs to eat.
They poked around for quite a while. Most found something to eat while they visited.
Since the groundhog (also known as a woodchuck) didn’t see his shadow on Groundhog Day, we have been wondering if that with the robins meant truly an early spring. A couple of days after the official day, I caught our own local groundhog as he scampered across the lower meadow.
Just before the snow, the deer came by. There were three adults and a juvenile.
I love my new camera, the zoom lens really gets some good, close shots.
As skittish as these deer are, these are the best shots I have ever been able to take of them. They were at least 50 yards away from me.
Just this past week, a few Northern Flickers stopped by to get a nibble of seed.
There were four of them visiting this day.
They like to peck in the ground to find food.
They are really pretty to see, spots and stripes, a bit of red and a bit of black.
On the gardening front, the amaryllis is making progress. The leaves came up, then just a hint of a flower bud.
About 10 days later, and the flower is making good progress. I hope it will bloom in March. It is exciting as this will be the third year that the bulb has produced a bloom. The flowers are deep red.
How about you, ready for spring to arrive, or happy with winter a bit longer?
From My Carolina Home 
We are getting a bit of a warming😢 false Spring I say, which usually means out fruit trees will bud and then we get another round of cold, our fruit trees will freeze, no fruit😭. On the other hand I’m enjoying going out and getting my raised beds cleaned out😱
We’re having a false spring, all the grass is trying to green up, big snow 2 weeks ago, now days in the 50’s, but we all know it’s only February! Confuses the fruit trees especially! No crocuses that I’ve seen yet, but if this keeps up (forecast says yes, through this week at least) those will show up soon.
Love seeing the flickers. We have loads of finches and woodpeckers, I used to see flickers in Oregon, and only once or twice here, but we are in suburban area, so mourning doves and robins and finches and sparrows, and those d***** starlings! This year TONS of Canada geese, sitting around eating our lawns. I’ve sent the little dog after them several times, she’ll chase them a yard away, and they stand in the street and wait for her to go back in the house. Lots of people put up the metal coyote silhouettes, I told my son maybe we need to get one or two! The geese are protected, and they go in swarms of up to 20 in a bunch, and more around the local ponds. Nothing like stepping in goose poop all the time on our sidewalks, and sadly, dogs think that is delicious, ick. Another reason not to let a dog lick our faces, they eat everything! shudder….
big hug, sharon in colorado
Well we haven’t had any Robins show up here yet but the Flickers are hanging around 🙂 I never manage to get any shots of the deer here. The bound away almost as soon as I see them. This morning we are getting freezing rain AGAIN 😦 But it is suppose to warm up to 40° this afternoon so it shouldn’t be here long!
Here in west Michigan we’ve had a very mild winter, but I am definitely ready for spring. Winter on the west side of the mitten is always very gray and overcast…for weeks on end. I love the sun, so winters here sometimes get on my nerves, especially since they often last until May! We’ve had a ton of Robins in the last couple of weeks, so I am hopeful! This morning the weatherman said that we are looking at possibly hitting 50 next weekend!
Cool!! Love the pictures
Good Morning Carole! You and your new camera are taking spectacular clear and beautiful pictures! I can not get hubbies newer camera to take clear and perfect shots like the ones that you do and neither can he. LOL. The Robins have been active here for quite awhile now, along with several other species of birds (we love to bird watch but neither one of us are very good at identifying). We sat outside last night for quite some time, listening to two or possibly three Owls “carrying on a conversation”. It truly is amazing how if you can focus on only them, each of the Owls have their own tones and the length and pitch can all be so different. We also enjoy our visits from the foxes that den below closer to the river. I am surely ready for Spring.
Gorgeous, gorgeous photos, Carole. My that new camera is a beauty, isn’t it. Beautiful and clear close up shots! My you have lovely wildlife in your neck of the woods. I love the photo of the three Robins lined up; amazing really. May you have a week of fun with that camera of yours and snap some more glorious shots!
Lovely photos! I have enjoyed the snow but am ready for Spring!🌷💐
Your photos are fantastic. We’ve had robins, too, and I’ve been enjoying the song birds at the feeder outside my window. Today we saw something a bit larger near Bryson City — a wild turkey scurrying across the road. There was no time to aim a camera. As to spring, I’d like to put it off as long as possible. There isn’t anything wrong with spring, but it means the hated heat and humidity of summer will shortly follow.
Well, it snowed in Tasmania yesterday! So it sounds only reasonable that you should have an early spring.
Thank you for sharing your outside adventure with us:) I too enjoy watching the birds peck around in the grass after the snow melts.
good morning, I have joined you and group for the Scrap Dance tango 2016 and looking forward to getting step two started. I also have completed a rag quilt following your instruction for the disappearing 9 patch with a brick. I sewed the stripes and than the stripes together lengthen wise in a rag fashion. Love the look. will try and send pictures, but I sure have a lot to learn on posting pictures. thanks for a great pattern and now to Tango.
Cheers from British Columbia, Canada (also looking forward to the Robin arriving)
Myrna
All lovely shots especially of those beautiful flickers!