New thread Lin, please close the November one.

We have had some pretty cold weather with several inches of snow over the past couple of weeks. I keep the birds well fed and they sit all fluffed up to stay warm.

This Starling had an injured leg so I let him stay.... Clark's Nutcracker...... Northern Flicker


Steller's Jay........ Mountain Chickadee.... Downy Woodpecker


Flicker flew to the suet just as I pushed the button

Cat started a new thread for December too so maybe Margaret can repost her photos there so we don't have two threads going at the same time?

Here's the link to December Backyard Birds: The thread "December 2014 Backyard Birds" in Gardening for Butterflies, Birds and Bees forum Come on over and join us and share your pictures!

I got a couple of pics of this guy coming to check out who or what was at the bird feeder today. Good thing is was only a couple of squirrels who took off with a flash! I could only get pics of him on this utility pole. Anyone know which Hawk this is? Someone on another list said maybe a juvenile Red Shouldered Hawk but I was not sure if that was right. Seems awfully big for a juvenile!

Cat was it very cold there when you saw this guy, he looks like he is fluffed up and that would make him appear a lot bigger.

Yes it was cold but not real cold as it has been for the past few days. That may be, he was still HUGE!

Yeah, take a look at my birds, the Nutcracker is especially fluffed, he looked so funny!

Lol, he looks like a ball of dryer lint.

All Great Shots, by the way Margaret!

Margaret: Awesome shots! I know the Starlings can be a nuisance but oh how pretty it is and I really love that Clark's Nutcracker and the Stellar's Jay. I truly enjoy seeing birds that don't visit this far south ... love the Flicker shots too!

Cat: Nice catch on that Hawk! I don't see the rusty colored shoulder patch which would definitely denote it as an adult Red-shouldered and I think the juveniles also show the rusty shoulder patch. I'm thinking it may be a juvenile Broad-shouldered Hawk: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/g...

I think it looks more like the Red-Tailed Hawk.

Although it does look like a juvenile Red Shoulder pictured on the link you posted. Ugh, I need more info....

Thanks Cat and Lin. Bird identification can be so confusing at times especially with the juvies.

But, does the Red-tailed Hawk have the narrow white bands on the tail?

No it doesn't and the Broad Winged Hawk does not look like it is here in IN except during the Summer if I am reading that map right.

I vote for juvie Red Shouldered. that's what our juvies here look like & yes, they can appear quite large. If I recall correctly, it takes them 2 years to get adult plumage so they can get pretty big in size before they get to looking (plumage wise) like adults. The other tell tale is the Red Tailed don't have white bands across the tail -- neither the adults or the juvies.

@flaflwrgrl I agree. It looks just like several pics of Juvenile Red Shouldered that I have found doing a search. I could see how they could get pretty large but still have the juvenile markings. It is a lot more difficult trying to identify juveniles as Margaret said. It drives me nuts trying to figure some of them out juvenile or not. Always have to know what they are once I get a pic of them....

And the Red Tailed have SUCH color morphs that it's astounding! EVEN as adults. I always check multiple sites cause it IS hard to ID birds.

So is the the right thread?

Yep, this is the right thread for December!

I was just out in the yard with the dog and noticed a Wood Stork way down in a neighbors backyard. My camera broke again so I'm using the old Canon SX20IS and it doesn't have a powerful zoom but I was able to crop it on the laptop ...

My new camera came a little while ago and I've been playing; it's going to take me a while to get used to it. It's very windy out this afternoon but I went back outside to get some more shots:

Mourning Dove ......................................... Grackle ................................................ Warbler


Northern Mockingbird


Wood Stork again