You know it is a boring week when a Starling is the highlight

Chaos ruled most of the week, but Monday the 13th did allow for some extended viewing time of the feeders.  The male and female cismontanus Dark-eyed Juncos continue to be here.  Adult Bald Eagle made a flyover also.  The rest of Tuesday-Friday involved late evening sightings of the typical end of the day feeder birds; Northern Cardinal, Junco or Canada geese flying in to Beadle Lake.

Friday morning I spooked a Cooper's Hawk off the branches over the feeders when I was trying to check out the sunrise.  I did manage also in the afternoon to catch the Cackling Geese flying in.  I even managed to hear them call as they flew directly over, flying inside the "V" of the larger Canada Geese.  

The Cooper's hawk returned on Saturday with a few weak passes at the feeders, inbetween snow showers.  It gave me some excellent views and I took this 2:24 video of it searching for more prey.  

The "highlight" of the week was bird #30 for the yard this year.  A European Starling showed up on the suet feeder.  I had this as a likely bird, even though apart from 2016 I don't get them on a regular basis.  There is usually a small flock I've seen within .5 mile of here.  I'll not complain unless it gets too many more to show up.  The snow and cold kept me from doing too much outside time this week.  I also had a very strange Raccoon show up.  Very lethargic, didn't react to me walking outside towards it.  It spent from 10:40 to at least now walking a mere 100 feet from one side of the valley to the other.  I have a feeling it may be rabid.  A couple of the symptoms fit; lethargic, walking in circles, out in the daytime, tipsy, falling over a couple of times or just laying down where it was.  I took a video of it, but not sure about uploading a Raccoon just slowly wandering around in circles.