Thursday, November 13, 2014

Cross Stitch Helper

Do you have a Cross Stitch Helper?
I have a couple of furry, floofy ones.
Here Padma Patel is helping me select a project or two!  

I know, I said my Lesser Goldfinches had left the area.

Turns out I was wrong.

This past weekend a couple of birds were active in the backyard feeders.

And look who else has shown up.
Fifteen Pine Siskens! 

No, no, make that 26 Pine Siskens!

In this photo the Pine Siskens and a couple of Goldfinches are feasting in harmony. The top bird is a Goldfinch as is the far right bird, and the bottom left bird, the others are all Pine Siskens.

How to tell them apart this time of year?
Well the Goldfinches are a bit larger and fatter.  They have black and white wings, a cream chest, and a bit of yellow on the throat.

The Pine Siskens have yellow bars on their wings and mottled brown and white patterned heads, chests and backs.

I was SO pleased to see them as they are very erratic. Some years they never come to the feeders.  

Other years sizable groups swarm the feeders.
The center cone of seeds had been left untouched most of the late summer and fall - look at the short work the Pine Siskens are making of it in less than a week's time.

They converse with one another constantly and continually. 

I wonder how long they'll stay.

15 comments:

  1. haha! I have my most valuable cross stitch accessory...Henry. He is on my lap 90% of the time I stitch. If I am quilting, which involves laying things out on the front room floor, Mabel and Henry quickly lie down in the middle of things. ;)

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  2. We've had pine siskins at our feeders once before. I know, because I had to look them up in the bird book to see what they were... Yes, I have a cross stitch assistant, in fact a couple of them. Annie thinks I spend too much time stitching and should just hold her.... That's why so many of my pieces are interwoven with cat hair....

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  3. What a sweet helper! :-) The few cats I know usually sabotage me, by planting themselves on my stitching bag.

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  4. I love your bird photos. You show birds that I haven't seen here in the east. Thank you.

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  5. Aww...what a sweet helper. Yep, I have one too. Miss Shelby likes to sit in my lap when she's not curled up in the crook of my lets...all 55 pounds of her. LOL!

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  6. You have the best helper! I'm sure she gives excellent advice and has a keen eye, not to mention providing warmth in winter

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  7. Gorgeous pictures . The one of the 26 Siskens would make such a lovely Christmas card .

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  8. What a sweet helper and I bet he makes you smile too. Beautiful photos and my favorite one is the 26 Pine Siskens on the pine tree - talk about perfect Christmas ornaments -LOL.
    love Annette

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  9. Lovely little birds Beth. I thought of you today as I drove into Edinburgh and a flock of geese were gathering above the motorway. They were getting themselves into formation, it was a lovely sight.

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  10. Oh, they are pretty! Fun to see new birds. lol about your helper too. Yes, Mia helps me all the time! :D

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  11. Lots of birds to watch! Yep, I have a helper too and her curious nose always has to check out what I'm doing.

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  12. What a cute helper you have. You really have some wonderful birds at your feeder. When we lived in NY we had lots of Pine Sisken.

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  13. I am sure Padma is an able assistant. Love your bird photos, I have never heard of half the birds, it's a real eye-opener. :)

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  14. Wow--26 at one time!! I am still waiting to see birds in my yard. Might have missed the boat!

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  15. Livvy HAS to have the zip up bag I put my projects in when I bring them out. HAS TO have. I've given up trying to defeat her. I just take the stuff out that I need and then hand the bag over for her to dig in. lol (She loves digging in general.)

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Thank you all. I appreciate that you've read my blog and are taking the time to comment.