2/2/22 - AMDI - American Dipper
I'll always associate this little bird with Kyle and Ann's wedding out in the Methow Valley in Washington state. There were a bunch of these little gray birds dunking down into the winter streams, searching for prey, then popping up again. I always thought they were called dippers because they dipped down in the water, but online sources say that it's because they dip their tail feathers in display. Either way, they're cute little birds. Also, they have white feathers on their eyelids, which makes them look interesting when they blink.
2/3/22 - ANHU - Anna's Hummingbird
I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for this little hummingbird. I have not convincingly seen one, but they are pretty widespread in the West. Story behind the name is a little curious -- presumably named after Anna Massena, Duchess of Rivoli in the 1800s. She was married to an amateur ornithologist, and had the bird named after her by a French naturalist who discovered a specimen in someone's collection while visiting Italy.
2/3/22 - NOCA - Northern Cardinal
People know the cardinal. Pretty striking bird, particularly when standing out against the bright white winter snow. What I didn't know, is that the male cardinals often will feed the females. And I never really recognized their little metallic chip note. For that, I have to thank an app called BirdNet which has allowed me to record birds in real time, and figure out what is hiding in the brush. About a week before this post, I heard the note coming from my front yard, used BirdNet to determine it was a cardinal, and looked out again to spot the cardinal just past the treeline. Love these birds.
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