Strange bird and odd weather

[altivo]

For any bird fans out here, two fuzzy pictures of a mystery bird that was outside our dining room window this morning. My best guess is that it was a Carolina wren. See discussion in photo captions.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=157367&id=1577055232&l=6960f5e969

We might have a white Christmas or we might be rained out. A major storm is apparently headed this way, but just like the one two weeks ago, the NWS seems to have no idea exactly where it's going or what it's going to do. The forecast for the next 48 hours or so reads like a catalog of possible precipitation, starting with snow, moving into sleet, freezing drizzle, freezing rain, heavy rain, and then backward through all of those to snow by Christmas morning. We are under heavy obligation to drive to Chicago and back on the 24th, and are hoping and praying that it will either be rain or snow at that time and not an ice storm.

We're already half-expecting to close the library early tomorrow. If it's as dead as it was this afternoon, no one is going to complain. I am relieved of having to work the evening shift, in any case, because of the weather. I'll go in at 8:30 and work until 5 unless we close earlier than that. Judging by the conditions of roads coming and going today, that will be a good thing.

I just thought I had wrapped all my gifts, then put all the paper and tags away, came back in here and found another box under the desk that I'd forgotten. Must be getting old. Wait, no, this happens just about every year.

The kitchen and dining room are awash with cookies at the moment, as Gary cranks them out for gift boxes to his family and nearby friends. Frankly, I'm tired of it all now and wish it was Friday when we get to just be home with the critters and relax.

Comments

[delphinios.livejournal.com]

From the white feathers above the eye and the brown chest feathers, I'd say you hit it right on the money with "Carolina Wren":

http://www.sialis.org/images/nesteggsphotoalbum/images/28CarolinaWren.jpg

[altivo.livejournal.com]

That seems to be the general consensus. The coloration was more orange than your photo, but I doubt they are cross-breeding with the orioles. ;p

[songdogmi.livejournal.com]

I think I concur with the Carolina wren identification, as near as I can tell from bird guides. (I've never seen one. I ask myself how this could be, but... well, one misses things sometimes.)

Good luck with the weather. Maybe they'll figure out the forecast sometime in the next 36 hours.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

They are trending more toward rain now, with flood warnings. I'd rather have snow but as long as it isn't ice I can't complain too much.

I'm pretty sure Carolina wren is correct. We checked the sounds and Gary says he's been hearing something like that lately. Though they are supposedly resident here all through the year, neither of us has seen one before.

[songdogmi.livejournal.com]

They're saying frozen precip for us Christmas Eve night, rain for Christmas Day. But the national maps are all a jumble of different outcomes that sequentially don't make much sense, so I can't tell, myself, what's going to happen.

I'm with you on ice. My sister has to come from Flint so rain is much better than ice.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I'd much rather get a foot of snow than ice. So of course we're getting the ice. Now they're almost down to no snow at all, even on Christmas. This probably means flooding with the amount of rain expected, and we'll be out chipping ice to drain the water before it all freezes.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Awww lookit the lil fuzzy fellow :) I can't say I've seen one of them before. The size is kind of hard to tell, how big would he be in terms of say a swallow or a sparrow?

Everyone at work has been bringing in festive eats, there are some very talented cooks I must say.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

He's fuzzy because I was snapping the camera in a hurry, looking through plate glass. ;p Size is slightly smaller than our house sparrows here. Check the photo delphinios provided above for a better look.

We've been buried in cookies at work. And chocolate fudge and brownies, but I'm not a chocolate horsie so that doesn't tempt me so much.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

No no more "White Christmas" portions, no more rumballs I'll be a good kitty I swear!!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

*sneaks you some fudge and mixed nuts*

[mondhasen.livejournal.com]

We're already half-expecting to close the library early tomorrow. If it's as dead as it was this afternoon, no one is going to complain.

I stopped by work to drop off gifts for my comrades, and it was so quiet! I should really work during Christmastime and take off the beginning of January instead when it picks up again. :o)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

It seems a bit busier this morning, but I think that's because the weather forecast is bad (freezing rain) for the afternoon and evening, and people are rushing to pick up books or videos before we close for the two day holiday.