Evening Visitors

Outside, waiting to close the chickens in for the night, and quietly observing the evening rituals of the critters that live on our property.   We hadn't seen Rocky for a few days and suddenly, footsteps on the roof.   I turned to the right and Rocky jumped from the roof to the ground.   Wow, pretty impressive.   He ran up the pine and stayed up there for a while, then decided it was safe to come down as I was being quiet and he could trust a little.   He got a drink from the chicken water bowls, then beat feet over to the crabapple, jumped over to his pine, and made his way up to his nest for the night.   

The sparrows had their turn at the water.   I had seen a different sparrow earlier in the day and he showed up.   I went online and ID'd him as a Golden Sparrow that spends winters in our area and then goes up north.   I'd never seen one here.   After I put the chickens to bed, I was taking a few photos of the resident dove couple, turned and stopped in my tracks, spotting a bright yellow bird at the water.   It's not easy to take a photo when you're turned halfway around and your feet are not positioned for standing still.   But I got a few of him before he took off.   I think it may be a Lesser Goldfinch?

We had a few of the usual hummers, our ever present Towhees,  the Starlings that I NEVER photograph (ick).   It was a nice evening hanging around watching the wildlife do what they do.

And evening ends.   All the critters have food and water and tomorrow it begins again.