I spend 30 minutes each morning on the treadmill that overlooks the birdfeeders in the backyard just up the hill from Johnson Creek. From my window I can watch the birds fly up from the cover of the creek to sit in my neighbors tree to scope out the area for predators. As soon as they feel comfortable they will swoop down to the feeders.

January brings the usual suspects of Chickadees and Juncos

The Black-capped Chickadee (above) is far more timid than his Chestnut-backed Chickadee cousin. They are the most difficult to catch as they usually only spend enough time to grab one seed then fly off.

The Townsend Warbler is an occasional visitor bringing a splash of color to our often drab January days.

The Juncos are the hams of the lot. They seem to pose for their portraits

The Chest-backed Chickadee (above) is a bit more aggressive than his cousin and will sit in the feeder and ward off any bird that expects to share.

The warblers are fairly timid. They will stop eating and fly to the top of the feeder or to a nearby bush to look for where the flash is coming from.

The Bushtits blow through so quickly that their easy to miss unless you're listening.

I have a colony of sparrows living in the bayberry bramble by the street. They're beginning to venture further afield.

The Nuthatch is another infrequent visitor.

House Finches add another bit of color

Flocks of Robins came flying over on January 12th