Different, but good.

Today has been a different kind of day for me.  Different but in a good way.  I live in upstate NY where for the first time all winter we are getting a significant snow storm.  I personally love the snow and do not have much problem dealing with it.  However, I have a one hour commute each way to and from work.  So I decided that it was not worth the risk to make that drive in the bad weather.  At first I felt guilty.  But I decided to make the best of it.

I got my gear together and I went outside and photographed the birds in my backyard in the snow.  I was quite fortunate.  There were many birds around today.  I wasn't sure if there would be a lot out or if they would be taking shelter from the storm.  I was able to photograph black capped chickadees, tufted titmice, dark eyed juncos, white breasted nuthatches, and what are quickly becoming one of my favorite little buffers red breasted nuthatches.  I have become fond of the red breasted nuthatch because I had already been fond of the white breasted nuthatches and the red breasted variety seldom showed up in my yard.  This winter however I have been seeing them on a fairly regular basis and got my first photograph of one this year.  I was able to get quite a few shots that I think are quite nice today.

Today as I was watching the birds and waiting for a good shot I thought to myself I don't think I have ever seen more than one red breasted nuthatch in my yard at a time.  I didn't really believe that there was only one that came to my feeders, but it lingered in my mind as a remote possibility.  Shortly after that train of thought had run its course through my mind lo and behold there were two red breasted nut hatches in the very tree I was standing in front of.  I certainly don't know why there were two on this day and not on others.  Perhaps it was due to the snow storm and one that was farther away was attracted to my feeder instead of foraging.  I will never know, but I was very excited and fortunate.  I love to see the birds interact with each other especially same species birds.  This was my first opportunity to see interactions between two red breasted nuthatches.  I hope to continue to be so lucky.