My quarterly issue (Winter 2025) of Cornell Lab’s Living Bird arrived today. My husband and I each view every page to see if we can identify the birds shown in photograph or drawing. The Cornell Lab offers many amazing resources to members and the public. The magazine for members is just splendid.

I am not able to take Living Bird worthy photographs of birds in our yard (the iPhone is not up to the task), but we can watch them from our windows with the naked eye or assisted by binoculars. These are our birds. They are not always eye-catching, but they have behaviors, and feather patterns, and features that engage and entertain.

Today, two white-throated sparrows returned to feed among our perennials and shrubs outside our front windows. We hadn’t seen them for a few days.  Twenty species for the year.

After dark, around 5:30, as we were preparing dinner, we glanced at the night sky. There, to the southwest, the crescent moon and Venus shown brightly. We appreciate these natural gifts offered day and night.

20. White-throated sparrow