A Little Feathered Visitor

Shortly after we got the tree all decorated last month I walked into the living room and heard tapping at the window and noticed this little guy.  He's not much bigger than a hummingbird and in fact, at first I thought he was a hummer because of the size, the red on the head, and that he was hovering like a hummer.  But I quickly realized that that was impossible.  The hummers have been gone since September/October - it's much too cold now for them here.  

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So of course you know I had to grab my camera - my phone - and start trying to capture him there.

 

It was after I took about 30 shots that I looked up what kind of bird he is.

A Ruby-Crowned Kinglet.   They typically live in the tops of the trees during the warmer months and survive on insects.  In the winter they can be found closer to the ground in bushes and will occasionally eat berries.  This is the male and it said that they show their ruby crown when they are upset/angry.  As you can see, he seems to be very angry.  

Even from the back he is so pretty.  

We do have a lot of bird ornaments on the tree and perhaps he thought that since they were allowed there he should also be allowed.  He did this, the tapping on the window, for several days and then we didn't see him anymore.  I only hope that he didn't make himself a target for a predator and that he just gave up and moved on.

In any case - I need to add this to my list of new-to-me birds in our yard.  He was a sweet little gift.