Puffed up against the cold

"The sound of birds stops the noise in my mind."
- Carly Simon

"To me, the garden is a doorway to other worlds; one of them, of course, is the world of birds. The garden is their dinner table, bursting with bugs and worms and succulent berries."
- Anne Raver

Listening to and watching the birds in my garden is one of my favorites ways to relax - 

watching them and listening to their song does stop the noise in my mind.  

The birds were busy outside the window all day yesterday.  They were at the feeders, in the leaves and grass, on the fence, in the trees - and all puffed up to keep themselves warm against the cold wind. 

American Robin

Male Cardinal

The Cardinal and Robin keep watch on the fence.

The female Cardinal perches on the birdhouse.

A Dark-eyed Junco in the grass.

Digging for insects under the leaves.

White throated Song sparrow

Dove

Downy Woodpecker

These are just a few of the birds that I see in my garden. The Tufted Titmouse, Blackcapped Chickadee, Carolina Wren, and a variety of Finches are frequent visitors to the feeder, along with several other woodpeckers.  For an earlier post on birds and more photos, go here:
http://www.ginnysgarden.blogspot.com/2010/04/what-wondrous-beings-these.html

You might also be interested in Debra's post at Gardens Inspired and Karin's post at Southern Meadows. Debra give tips on how and why to attract birds to your garden and Karin provides a link to a checklist for the upcoming Great Backyard Bird Count.

Are you counting birds in your garden?

What wondrous beings these

Do you ne'er think what wondrous beings these? Do you ne'er think who made them, and who taught The dialect they speak, where melodies Alone are the interpreters of thought? Whose household words are songs in many keys, Sweeter than instrument of man e'er caught! - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The view from the sun room window this morning. I am home with a cough and a cold. Watching these birds was as good as any other medicine.