I took this Carolina Wren photo over the weekend in my backyard. Yep, that's snow in the background.

My latest column for The Record and Herald-News is about that the loud little dynamo, the Carolina Wren.

Here's the opening:

"Before I realized I had become a bird-watcher, I used to chuckle when I'd take a walk and come across folks with binoculars scanning the underbrush for a crazy reclusive bird calling "Cheeseburger, cheeseburger!" at the top of its lungs.

"If someone actually located the little russet-and-caramel bird — a Carolina Wren, as it turned out — a few high-fives were sure to follow."

One of the burning questions of the day: Does the male really call "Cheeseburger, cheeseburger?" "Or is Teakettle, teakettle," or "Germany, Germany"? (It may depend on your nationality.)

Here's the link.

Not bad for an old place.

Birdy 30 Starts now, if you like.

Feel free to count totals from this afternoon if you are so inclined.

Some of us had an impromptu Birdy 30 on Saturday, and the winner was Stiles and family.

Second place went to Lisa Ann and Rob Fanning.

Third place went to Seymour Drakes and his cat Pook (who spotted a House Sparrow and Carolina Wren).

Again, please keep your feeders inflated to 12.5 psi.

Who can ID the bird above?  (A nice feeder visitor on Saturday....)

With a big snowstorm likely, thought we'd have a little Birdy 30 contest tomorrow to see who can count the most species from their window in 30 contiguous minutes.

(You can try as often as you like.)

E-mail me if you are interested, and just hope a Cooper's Hawk like this guy doesn't show up at your feeder.

Susan McTigue writes:

The snow begins, ... so fill those bellies, red, white or otherwise!

(Thanks, Susan!)