I guess it's the cold snap, but our resident-for-the-last-two-years Red-breasted Sapsucker has returned and is busily banging on the pine in the backyard. I wondered if he would use the same holes as last year, but apparently not: he's drilling a new lattice. He's also completely uninterested in us down on the ground, only 15 or 20 feet down. Just keeps working while we work in the yard.


Not the most newsworthy bird, but a sign of the season for sure. Our resident front-yard song sparrow has been singing his little heart out for a week or two, for some reason. Fall is here, but he's not taking any chances.


Josh in the gloaming of Licton Springs