Backyard carnage

I found this debris field of feathers in the back yard today. Looks like something - maybe a Mourning Dove? - bought the farm. Hopefully the neighboorhood Cooper's Hawk ate it for lunch.
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Pine Siskin

Pine Siskin
Originally uploaded by sjdavies1969

6-7 Pine Siskins visited our feeders in Silver Spring, MD on both Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th. I photographed this one in the yard on 27th.

Red-headed Woodpecker

Red-headed Woodpecker
Originally uploaded by sjdavies1969

A "seven woodpecker day" made for a good Christmas Day. The only Red-headed Woodpecker we found was this juvenile. No red head, but with blacking barring on the upperparts and black streaks on the flanks. The other six species were Northern Flicker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and Downy, Hairy, Red-bellied and Pileated Woodpeckers.

Cedar Waxwing

Cedar Waxwing
Originally uploaded by sjdavies1969

Hughes Hollow on Christmas Day. A flock of Cedar Waxwings were feeding on berries near the parking lot.

Purple Finch

Purple Finch
Originally uploaded by sjdavies1969

Here's a female in the same berry bush.

Purple Finch

Purple Finch
Originally uploaded by sjdavies1969

A walk around the Hughes Hollow area in Montgomery County, Maryland on Christmas Day produced some nice birds. Purple Finches were enjoying berries at the edge of the parking lot.

Cooper's Hawk

Cooper's Hawk
Originally uploaded by sjdavies1969

A chilly 16 °F this morning and the feeders were eerily quiet. Then I realized why. This juvenile Cooper’s Hawk had come looking for breakfast. At least one of these birds seems to hang around the neighborhood every winter.

Pine Siskin

Pine Siskin
Originally uploaded by sjdavies1969

A Pine Siskin put in a brief appearance on our thistle feeder this morning, in Silver Spring, Maryland. It looks like it will be a good winter for these and the other winter finches. Apologies for the poor quality - photo taken through panes of glass and a mesh screen.

Brown Pelican

Brown Pelican
Originally uploaded by sjdavies1969

On the Mississippi in New Orleans.

Bronzed Cowbird

Bronzed Cowbird
Originally uploaded by sjdavies1969

Another photo of the same bird.

Bronzed Cowbird

Bronzed Cowbird
Originally uploaded by sjdavies1969

Nick Komar mentioned he'd seen what he thought was up to four Bronzed Cowbirds near the Mississippi end of Canal Street in New Orleans, on the evening of December 6th. The birds were in a large flock of European Starlings that were coming to roost in trees along the street. Nick wasn't sure of the identification, due to the fading light and lack of binoculars, so we went back last night (7th), to see if we could get some photos. I was able to get these two shots of a single bird. We were surprised to find these in New Orleans, but from a brief search of the internet, it seems this species now breeds locally.