Last weekend my granddaughters were over and we spent one of the days at a local outdoor rink and the sledding hill. It was great to see them enjoying the fresh air as much as I did. We had the rink to ourselves!

With the milder temperatures this week, the birds have been more active. The pine grosbeaks visited each day; providing a pop of red color at the feeders. This morning I noticed an evening grosbeak with them. It's bright yellow feathers stood out in the crowd.

A pileated woodpecker tried to feed at the tray feeder. The attempt was unsuccessful as it couldn't hold on long enough to reach the seeds and suet. It was very entertaining to watch as it would swing back and forth. 

The little birds have been visiting as well. The nuthatches, redpolls, juncos and chickadees took turns at the feeders when the grosbeaks were not there. They tended to feed on the deck surface on all the seeds that the large birds knocked out of the trays.

It wasn't just in the yard that the birds were busy. I got to the trails for a hike each day this week. I heard the chickadees singing their 'cheeseburger' songs. I saw a pileated woodpecker and a black backed woodpecker. The bluejays and crows squawked overhead. The grosbeaks sang from the top of the spruce trees. It appeared as if the birds were celebrating the warmer temperatures just as much as I was.

Redpoll

Black capped chickadee

Pileated woodpecker

Pine grosbeak