I was standing in the Backyard Garden, when a chickadee landed in the phlox and began rattling the dry stems and plucking things from them. Then another chickadee landed on these cut stems, reached in and pulled out a tiny insect cocoon.

It was a cold,blustery day with both snow flurries and sun. Birds were not abundant, except for chickadees, but I did see a small flock of juncos, a couple of cardinals, a mourning dove, crows, house finches, american goldfinches, a white-breasted nuthatch, and best of all, a beautiful big fox sparrow.