Once again, a new year calls me to bravely begin my #YearInReview, namely a pilgrimage through my past year’s photographs to pull out one image a month that helps me tell the story of my photographic year. It takes bravery because I don’t always like what I see and I don’t always have much to choose from! Nevertheless, it has been a valuable exercise, so hear goes.

I begin by breaking a rule. For January 2024, I will post multiple photos because I love the diversity of birds I sometimes have in my backyard. January is prime time–especially if there’s a little snowfall like we had last year. I begin every year resolving to do more backyard bird counts, but… I get busy and sometimes I can’t even get my feeders filled for weeks at a time. Mea culpa, dear birds! I do love your companionship, even though I neglect you.

And isn’t that breast on that Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) beautifully pinkish! I love the more subtle coloration of female Norther Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis), and “Chippies” (Spizella passerina) are perhaps my faves of the delightful sparrow family.

Everybody knows Dark-eye Juncos (Junco hyemalis). Although usually seen on the ground, this pretty little one was perched on the edge of my pergola. The White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) on the left is one of the easier to ID sparrows, because look at that bright white bib! It positively pops you in the eye.

On the other hand, I always must check my ID of the Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca), but ultimately, those strong but blurry reddish brown stripes on the breast along with charcoal gray on the head and back give it away. Love these little birds! They usually fly over Louisiana in migrating, but when it snows, they might well come down to rest and feed for a few days. So guess who’s hoping for snow in January?

I always especially enjoy the appearance of the American Goldfinches (Spinus tristis) this time of year. They are a bird of my childhood because they spend summers in Iowa raising the next generation and feeding on the plentiful thistle seeds that abound in the fence rows of the agricultural heartland.

Many people think the House Finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) are a nuisance. They are not natives to Louisiana, but I can’t find it in my heart to discourage them. This one is a plain-Jane female, but the males have a pretty redish-purplish head–not as colorful as a Purple Finch, but pretty.

Finally, of course. Watching backyard birds is always accompanied by these rascals. I have way too many Eastern Fox Squirrels (Sciurus niger) in my backyard and must constantly scheme to keep them from eating all the bird food. Nevertheless, aren’t we all God’s critters and hungry? Adorable rascals they are!

All of these photos were made January 16, 2024.