Getting back to normal

   The sparrows have returned. A couple of Chipping Sparrows showed up about a week ago, and a couple of days later a beautiful White-throated Sparrow was at the platform feeder on my deck.
   As luck would have it, my computer was down with a virus and I couldn't relay this stuff to you right away. My little baby was whisked away to CPU ICU UFN. But now she's back and humming away as usual.
    It's like the end of the world around here when the computer goes down. I only use one unit, so I'm lost without it. I can't get to my work, my bank account, my email, my porn sites ... it's a downright disaster. I was doing stuff like house-cleaning last week! And TV. A mall shooting a day on CNN. I bet I put in four hours of CSPAN - now THAT'S depressing. Oh yes, and I started into "Call me Ishmael ..." I can't wait to get to the whaling chapters. Well, yes I can ... and will.

"I really could put it down!"

                     -  Webster Lupton
                       Birds In The Yard

    Anyhow, the presence of the sparrows and the absence of any hawk sightings tell me I may have sparrows back as regulars for the first time in weeks. White-throated Sparrows are winter visitors in the South. They are one of the few backyard birds that sing in the winter; you'll know the song when you hear it. The Dark-eyed Juncos have appeared here also, and together they indicate that the fall migration is nearly complete.
    If the Song Sparrows and Field Sparrows show, I may have a normal winter. I'm also going to put out a fruitier version of suet to see if I can get more woodpeckers.
    Here are the species that visited while my computer was down:
Northern Cardinal
House Finch
Carolina Chickadee
Dark-eyed Junco
Chipping Sparrow
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Mockingbird
White-throated Sparrow
Mourning Dove
Carolina Wren
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Tufted Titmouse