The backyard birds have been trying desperately to keep warm. Sunflower seed minis appear to be their favorite food. When the little birds are not hiding in the spruce boughs they are fluffed up and waiting for a turn at the feeder.
The redpolls have been really greedy. They share with no other bird. In fact, there are times when they don't share with their own kind. I've been witness to some aggressive behavior in the feeder just outside my window. Beaks were snapping at each other.
If something happens to scare the redpolls off, the mild mannered
little chickadees and nuthatches fly in to take their turn.
I had a good laugh this morning. A chickadee was not going to let the redpoll bully him at the feeder. It flew down to the snow and then up to the underside of the feeder. The sunflower minis were small enough and the holes in the bottom of the feeder were large enough for the chickadee to feed from below. The redpoll was outsmarted!
The larger birds have been visiting as well. The hairy and downy woodpeckers came for the suet. The bluejays came for suet and seed. The pileated woodpecker made its presence known by pecking at the power pole in front of my house. The sound resonated through the entire neighborhood. It was louder than usual because of the cold. I don't know what it was going after but it was really trying to get at it.
If there happens to be seed left in the feeders at the end of the day, the deer have it finished off by morning. They have a well worn path through my yard from the woods to the feeder.
It was too cold this morning to be outside so I looked back at my archived photos to see what was happening during the first week of March in years prior. I found a lot of photos with a lot of snow but much warmer temperatures.
I sure hope it warms up to a bearable temperature soon. I'm outside when it's -25C if there is no wind but the wind has created temps near -41C when windchill is factored in so I've had more days of hibernation than I would like.
I had a good laugh this morning. A chickadee was not going to let the redpoll bully him at the feeder. It flew down to the snow and then up to the underside of the feeder. The sunflower minis were small enough and the holes in the bottom of the feeder were large enough for the chickadee to feed from below. The redpoll was outsmarted!
The larger birds have been visiting as well. The hairy and downy woodpeckers came for the suet. The bluejays came for suet and seed. The pileated woodpecker made its presence known by pecking at the power pole in front of my house. The sound resonated through the entire neighborhood. It was louder than usual because of the cold. I don't know what it was going after but it was really trying to get at it.
If there happens to be seed left in the feeders at the end of the day, the deer have it finished off by morning. They have a well worn path through my yard from the woods to the feeder.
It was too cold this morning to be outside so I looked back at my archived photos to see what was happening during the first week of March in years prior. I found a lot of photos with a lot of snow but much warmer temperatures.
I sure hope it warms up to a bearable temperature soon. I'm outside when it's -25C if there is no wind but the wind has created temps near -41C when windchill is factored in so I've had more days of hibernation than I would like.
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