It's been a little over a month since my last blog post. Early darkness and dark, wet weather doesn't only keep people indoors, it keeps wildlife snug in their little protective areas too.  Over the month, I was able to capture some wildlife images to share.

The Tufted Titmouse is always a fun bird to watch.  In the winter, they are one of the first birds visiting the feeder.

Tufted Titmouse

Another common bird at the feeder is the Black-capped Chickadee.  This chickadee was sitting on a stump with some cracked corn.  I don't recall what kind of leaves, etc.. was behind the stump but I like the background color.

Black-capped Chickadee

The White-breasted Nuthatch is a forager you usually find downward spiraling on tree trunks. They also visit our feeders, especially if you introduce suet cakes to their diet. White-breasted Nuthatch

Here is another Tufted Titmouse.  This was too cute to not share.

Tufted Titmouse

The Downy Woodpecker is a year round resident of Pennsylvania.  But, I tend to see more of them in the waning months of the year.  This Downy Woodpecker is a male, indicative by small red patch on the back of its head.

Downy WoodpeckerMale

The Gray Squirrel is a common visitor to bird feeders that many people don't like.  If you give them their own feeder with food they prefer, you will spend less time complaining about them and more time enjoying them.

Eastern Gray Squirrel

This Gray Squirrel, using its tail as a halo, munches on dried cranberries. 

Eastern Gray Squirrel

While visiting Lake Wilhelm one day, a nervous Red-tailed Hawk kept leaving its perch to soar even further from me.  This is the best photo it let me have.

Red-tailed Hawk

The water in our lakes has not frozen over yet so the Ring-billed Gulls are still seen around the larger lakes.

Ring-billed Gull

I look forward to spring waterfowl migration but the fall migration brings in some repeat visitors.  This female Ruddy Duck, one among at least fifty, was photographed between dives.

Ruddy DuckFemale

This Great Blue Heron, one of the few remaining in my area, was fishing in the unfrozen lake shore of Lake Arthur in Moraine State Park.

Great Blue Heron

It is always a pleasure when you get to watch some of the uncommon visitors.  We were lucky to have about six Trumpeter Swans on Lake Arthur this year.  The Trumpeter Swan is a tipping waterfowl meaning they feed in shallow waters and tip over to feed from the lake bottom.  Like a Mallard Duck and Canada Goose, for example, you can see their butts in the air while they forage underwater.  This immature Trumpeter Swan has plant life draped over itself.  By the way, the immature Trumpeter Swan has the light brown feathers.  Adults are mostly white.

Trumpeter Swan

Here is an adult and an immature trumpeter Swan swimming side-by-side.

Trumpeter Swan

Well, the White-tailed Deer my not be little but they are still one of nature's little wonders.

White-tailed Deer

This 8-point buck survived the grunt of the whitetail hunting season.  It still has some work to do but the hardest part is over.

White-tailed Deer

Thanks for looking,

Dan