A new family theme today, the Paridae, tits, titmice, chickadees - they're found throughout the world. Today's sketch features the Bridled Titmouse which we observed on Mount Lemmon near Tucson in April 2024 and the Tufted Titmouse and Black-capped Chickadee which are year-round visitors to our feeders in Connecticut.

Bridled Titmouse, Baeolophus wollweberi
Tufted Titmouse, Baeolophus bicolor
Black-capped Chickadee, Poecile atricapillus

Jorge's pick for today is a Common Merganser. This is the female, up from a successful hunting trip.

Common Merganser, Mergus merganser

AiA Challenge hits a rainy day

January 18th - it poured rain all day today, turning every surface to a sheet of ice once the temperature dropped.  Our yard birds kept up their steady activity at the feeders, though, with titmice in good numbers.

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor). Colored pencil and sharpie marker.
January 18, 2015. Willington, Connecticut, USA.

Jorge has often seen this mockingbird near where he works - but recently it had been elusive until today!

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
January 18, 2015, Storrs, Connecticut, USA.