Last night I met Garrison Keillor and told him how much I appreciated that his bird references were always accurate on his radio show. He looked at me strangely. I don't think he got how huge a compliment that is from a birder and how hungry we are for more accurate birds in movies and radio. Ah well.

The birding has been just too easy. I don't need to go for a walk, but just sit at the kitchen table and watch. I've been sipping coffee and digi scoping images with my camera and Vortex binoculars.

Can you stand it? Right outside the window a male indigo bunting and a male goldfinch eating side by side. A feast for the eyes! This is just too weird, birding is not supposed to be this easy.

Here are two male rose-breasted grosbeaks. At one point five males and one female all came down on the whole feeding station. It must have been a migratory flock, because they were fairly tolerant of each other.

Here is a male Baltimore oriole and a female downy woodpecker. The weather is so chilly and damp that orioles are heading to suet feeders for extra protein. There was an amply filled grape jelly and orange feeder nearby, but this guy wanted the suet. By the way, if you are curious as to what the best suet is, it's this stuff called No Melt Peanut Butter Suet Plug. It was originally made to go into suet logs but the company recently started making it in tub form. It won't melt even if it's 100 degrees out and the birds absolutely love it.

Okay, she may not be the prettiest bird on the planet, but she sure is cute. This is a female rose-breasted grosbeak. I was surprised to see one feeding off of this clinging style feeder, but after migrating thousands of miles you perch anywhere for a good bite to eat.