I Spied with my Little Eye

.... a robin.

Yes, they're all over the States and Europe.  But I had never seen the European species before.  When I was at Kensington Palace in London, I didn't recognize the bird at first.  It was so charming and tiny.  

I didn't know it's a whole different animal.  The Robin is a perching bird / flycatcher, whereas the American Robin is actually a thrush.  European robins' eggs are white or cream.  Only American Robins lay blue eggs.  Robins sing throughout the night, sometimes being confused with Nightingales.  American Robins announce the dawn, and it's a song I look forward to, especially as we sit through another Nor'Easter.   

Please come soon, Spring.  I'm not sure my poppies, with their lush foliage, can take much more.