Northern Shrike
I'm going to pass this along to all my blog friends on my blog roll. Yvonne, yours was the first blog I'd ever laid eyes on, your gardens are my inspiration. Danni, you know I just love you, thank you for making so many people roll on the floor. Roy, my friend, I am just tickled by your view on the world. Jenny Wren, you make me laugh and smile everyday, I'm so glad we're friends. Adgi, I miss seeing you on here but think of you often. John, your work is stunning. Helen...greetings, thank you for the wonderful thoughts. Bird Girl...wow what can I say, you get some amazing shots. Denise...you are just full of wonder. Steve. your passion for photography and your world shows through. Mary, I love your spirit is so many ways. Lynne, through your struggles you found your home in Hasty Brook. You both will bring such joy there. Shelley, you are a ray of sunshine! Tammy, I love your world and those guineas just add that special touch for me. Stacey, thank you for bringing us your majestic world. Kathryn and Ari...you are quite the bunch!! Tina, I'm so glad you took up birding...you're quite good at it.
I resisted saving the Mourning Dove. This Merlin worked hard for her meal and I wasn't about to take it away from her.
Then it snowed....
Fa la la la la...la la la Buckwheat!!!
A very resourceful Morgan. 
I was so surprised to look out back and see she made her own Inukshuk!
Overnight the temps warmed and strange things happened! 
Truely a work of art. 
This brazen immature Northern Goshawk came out of the tree (the one you've seen in so many of my sunrise shots), flew right past their door, and up into a small juniper still near the coop.
Now, I'm learning guineas don't like to be harassed, they flocked out of their coop straight toward the culprit making quite the noise. You can see the hawk in the tree to the left and the guineas heading right for him. 
Maybe crows are related to guinea fowl because they too were having a fit and letting everyone know what was going on in the neighborhood. 
I tried to get close to the hawk, he left with the crows on his tail, but it wasn't very long before the guineas were squawking at the front of the yard. I guess there is no way those kids are going to give that hawk the element a distant hit. 
I tried again to get a close-up shot but these are still cropped quite a bit. He shuffled through the branches to get a better evil-eye on them
and with the light behind me I was able to get a pretty good shot.
They are extremely tame and I found my daughter spending a lot of time under the feeder coaxing them with treats.
I was so excited to have a Red-bellied Woodpecker even if it was just for a day. 
Today the weather is miserable to say the least. Our area is getting hammered by lake effect snow. I am a bit closer to the lake, and with the warmer temperatures from the water, we are getting a rain snow mix.
I will keep you up to date on our adventure in the weeks possibly months to come.
