Did you see that supermoon? I missed the early morning eclipse/blood moon, could not see it from my vantage point. Well Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. That means six more weeks of winter. Ole Phil is wrong! Yes, "officially" spring will still start on 21 March but winter weather is ending early! The Birds of the Broward told me that weeks before ole Phil made a prognostication. There is still plenty of winter left to deal with but at least we have assurance of warmer and brighter days coming now.

I usually don’t venture out to the front yard area for my bird photography unless I spot a particular bird like one of the local hawks or woodpeckers. However, recently I have begun to keep an eye out my new office window which now faces the front yard. With the leaves gone from most of the trees, the front yard or "Shirley" birds are easy to spot. The Northern Cardinals in particular really stand out with their bright color. A flash of red caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. But it wasn’t a Cardinal. It was a pair of American Robins. It has been a while since I have seen these red- breasted beauties. This pair must have known spring was coming early and are heading North. The early bird gets the worm as they say and they must plan to be the first to arrive back in Ohio I bet. A pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers are also frequenting the hickory trees in the front. A flash of yellow is a tell tale sign of the “butter butts” or Yellow Rumped Warblers. House Finches and Chipping Sparrows are also regular visitors to the neighbor’s bird feeders.

As I was photographing the House Finches another bright flash of color filled my lens. It was a Painted Bunting, a member of the Cardinal family. It is one of the most colorful birds found in North America (and a first time capture for me)! I warily approached the bird feeders and this stunning male Painted Bunting hopped from the feeder to a nearby branch. I then captured a photo of this colorful bird on a natural perch. If you look carefully I think this bird is giving me "the bird".

Think warm thoughts of an early spring. The Official Florida Palm Tree saw it's shadow too but that means six more weeks of Florida! The former rains are coming and will be followed by the latter ones in due time. Blessings. Harry

Reflections on Broward is now "Mountain Musings"

Early Spring..