of course his name is Woody...

ever wake up feeling like someone lit the fuse on an ACME bomb, and your skull is containing all of the explosion? my sinuses do not do well in Winter... which makes it near impossible to sleep most nights (or days)... which tends to result in the most dangerous pastime of all... overthinking!

i do that a lot, apparently. at least, that is what the animator always says, and mom is quick to agree, so i guess it must be a thing.

the one positive to this recent attack of sleeplessness is that it gave me a chance to catch up with a friend who is more of a morning... uhm... person? so, there i was, lost in ponderance against the backdrop of sunrise, when my overthinking was interrupted by a quick flash of movement. 

i am developing an appreciation for the the noble art of birdwatching, especially when it is like subscribing to a delivery service. i sit here, sipping hot beverages, and the birds come to me. Uber Tweets? InstaOrnithology? DoorTwitch? HelloBird? somebody needs to make this happen!!!

most of the birds fly South for the season, but there are a few hardy varieties that hang around for Winter. i recently found myself in a staring contest, from like two meters away, with a blue jay. it went on for nearly five minutes, and it seriously felt like he had been given the assignment to study me and report back to headquarters. i was afraid to even reach for a camera... so we just sat there, exchanging looks, until he blinked and flew away. 

i even see the occasional bird of prey soaring by, especially when the snowy landscape makes it easy to spot their next meal. this time around, however, my morning visitor was a male Eastern Downy Woodpecker. it is nice to finally put a face to all the noise. 

i guess no one explained the concept of a still life to Woody, because he just really wanted to hop around. and, yes... of course his name is Woody!

if you squint a bit, you might spot a few black dots on his outer, white tail feather(s). that is how you distinguish between Hairy and Downy woodpeckers (according to the folks at Cornell, so blame them if that is incorrect). 

i was looking up, while he was upside down, tapping away at an old branch. is 'bottom-up top-view' a thing?

so far, i am resisting falling further down the birding rabbit hole. i mainly try to appreciate those moments when they happen.

best of all, my cat (Cordy) does not seem to get that she is supposed to be some sort of mighty predator. so, she just snuggles under the blanket with me, and watches the birds... or the bats... or the squirrels. her other hobbies include laying claim to my stuff, and being told that she is the 'Sweetest Cupcake in the World'. seriously... can you think of a better birding buddy?