Thought I would share the birds that gather around my home with you on these eleven (11) days before Christmas. The perky eyed chap below is hands down my favorite winter visitor. He will appear out of the understory of our salvia bushes to glean juicy insects, or jump up on the fence to stare authoritatively. If another bird dares try to share space with him in this endeavor, he quickly jaunts off. Yes, jaunts. A very deliberate bird is he. With a slight wing flick, he hops quickly, definitively out of the area. But I know what he likes to keep him happy. Mealworms! Mealworms filled twice daily from a chipped clay bowl. Nearby we have a fresh dish of water available too, which he enjoys shortly before and after his mealworm snack. It’s not all about candy canes and cookies at our house:)