This winter we’ve had the usual cast of characters hanging out at the feeding stations. My wife and I both have feeders set up outside the windows of our respective caves…I mean, offices. With snow covering the ground the last few days it seems that the number of visitors is up.
The house finches and titmouses love this small bird feeder outside my wife’s window. It’s small enough that the bigger birds like starlings can’t get in, though they try.
who's that looking at me?
Outside my window the suet feeder is popular with downy woodpeckers, Carolina Wrens and chickadees. The mockingbirds like it too, perhaps because I put a few raisins in the suet when I make it. I also put a few peanuts and shelled sunflower seeds in there too.
downy woodpecker
Inside it’s the usual cast of characters too, doing the usual activities, like sleeping.
sleeping Puddin'
Come to think of it, Puddin might be on the right track. An afternoon nap on a snowy day sounds like a pretty good idea!
“The Italian” and Puddin have the same idea this afternoon!
Due to the “City Squirrels” (that’s not what I really call them), the only feeder I can have here is a finch (thistle) feeder. The squirrels even took the suet feeder apart! The feeder is right outside the kitchen window and it’s always a busy place.
We used to have a suet feeder but it because a starling attractor and noone else got any. I’d just as soon the starlings went elsewhere, so we don’t fill it any more.
We had terrible problems with squirrels for a while until we finally achieved the combination of a high pole with a metal baffle (which actually DOES work) and braided steel wire to suspend the feeders. Now the squirrels have learned that they have to stay on the ground.
I agree, Puddin’ absolutely has the right idea! I so miss feeding the birds. In the woods here it just attracts all the wrong creatures of the four footed variety. I used to feed birds in our last two gardens. Our first garden, the suet feeders were wildly popular with our Acorn Woodpeckers, and alas…the squirrels, who always managed to unhook them and drop the cages on the ground so the suet cake would fall out. I swear sometimes squirrels are smarter than me 😉
I love watching the birds and we have lots of activity at our feeder station. I think my favorites have got to be the Pileateds, esp when there are 2 or 3 clinging half upside-down to the suet cages.
Yesterday we spotted 2 Eastern Bluebirds sitting on the horizontal poles! I was surprised — the past 2 Winters the family has migrated, coming back in early Spring. Why they’re here now, I can’t imagine — it’s colder than cold here! Sure was a beautiful sight, though.