Before I start, I need to apologize for my lack of posts recently. A combination of two art shows in a row and a respiratory virus that has wanted to linger have had me feeling very tired and not at all creative. I’m happy to finally be feeling like myself, though, and ready to get back to writing and creating art.

Tonight I decided to feature the grey catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) one of my winter visitors that I know will be leaving soon. These guys show up in central Florida in the late fall just as the beautyberries and poke berries are ripening. While berries are available, I see catbirds almost every day, but after the berries are gone, the birds tend to disappear into the scrub and underbrush. It’s not uncommon to hear them calling or to see them flying deep in the woods, but it’s rare to see them out in the open until spring comes around. For a month or so before they leave they will start coming to the feeding stations to fatten up for the long flight. Some of them will go as far as the northern US and southern Canada. They really like the fruit that I put out, but will also eat mealworms and sometimes suet. Recently multiple birds have been out almost every day, so I know they will be leaving soon. I am glad that they haven’t left yet since much of the northern Midwest and East Coast is currently being covered in snow from the latest winter storm.