This morning, redwing blackbirds, a couple of birdsongs so raucous we think it was a mockingbird, and while there's no sign of a cedar waxwing nest in the locust the pair was playing in, we did see one waxwing taking a bath in the pine tree where the early morning sprinkler hit the branches.

And our irreplaceable friend Bob sent the traditional box of books (thank you!) with goodies for all, including the new Smithsonian bird guide. This book comes with a CD with hundreds of downloadable birdsongs. So not only might I yet learn to distinguish these guys aurally as well as visually, I can have this porch, in a sense, back home in the middle of winter!