Waiting for the weather to warm up. It was warmer yesterday, the HIGH all day was –2F or -18C but the wind was so very cold. It has not been fit for man or beast. The birds are busy at the feeders.
The little Red Polls are eating us out of house and home. A ten pound bag of Niger thistle seed disappears every week. Oh well..once you start feeding it is unfair to stop.
How many can fit on the thistle feeder?
Sometimes there are so many feeding at once that it is impossible to count them.
One day I sat out on the bench. Just like that I could feel the air currents as hundreds of wings took flight, in a few seconds the air was filled with birds and the whoosh whoosh of their wings flapping away, then it was quiet. Very quiet. Out of nowhere a Hawk appeared high up in a tree. He surveyed the area, saw I was way to large to eat and flew off, just as I raised my camera ..darn. That day the Redpolls didn’t return for a long time.
We usually have a few “slow birds” you know the ones. The ones left behind when everyone else flies away..and they have the feeder all to themselves. One day we worried about one for a long time..then he finally flew away.
Someone along the river in town has a Cardinal..I am very jealous..and if the guy wasn’t a pain in the butt I would ask if I could get some photos.
We are just hanging out..this is day five at home..I am going to see if a vehicle will start and go to town and buy some more birdseed.
Our HIGH today is supposed to be +2 F or –16C ..woohoo…almost summerlike compared to the last week:)
We are fortunate to have three "married" pairs of Northern Cardinals that come to our feeders. Sadly, in extremely cold weather as much of the Midwest is now experiencing, the feeders can be dangerous. If a bird's eye comes in contact with a piece of metal on the feeder, the eye can instantly freeze to the metal - just like a kid sticking his tongue on an icy-cold flag pole. So non-metal feeders are best. And, come warmer weather, seed left in moist conditions on the ground molds quickly that can then sicken the birds. Also, suet that hangs outside in the sunshine gets rancid quickly, even in very cold weather. No matter how much suet is left in our feeders, we discard it and replace it weekly.
ReplyDeleteOh Lucky You for warmer temps, still in the deep freeze here.......Enjoy seeing the birds at your feeder... wow, many Redpoles, this is the first year I have them in the Winter, love having them........Enjoy the day, Francine.
ReplyDeleteThose look like pine siskins to me in the last picture. I stopped feeding the birds last summer and you're right: it's wrong to stop in the middle of winter, but in August when everything is in bloom is when I stopped. I don't miss the mess, and the birds are still around, just not on my front porch. :-)
ReplyDeleteYour feeder looks a lot like mine. I'll have so many birds on it I can't see the feeder. And when a hawk flies by they really scatter. I have mostly house finches, sparrows and pine siskins at mine with an occasional cardinal - when the other birds let them in.
ReplyDeleteFantastic photos ! Our birdies here are in a feeding frenzy ever day lol I have 12 feeders in all and fill them every two days we practically remortgage the house to feed the birds here lol but I love them they bring me great joy and lots of photos to hehe ! I have counted about 11 different breeds that visit my feeders.
ReplyDeleteIt is to warm up in the pluses here as well and rain strange topsy turby weather this year that's for sure ! Have a good day !
That last shot is fabulous! Birds need our help in the winter.
ReplyDeleteI've just come in and actually took off my hat and gloves in the sun at - 15C as it felt so warm compared to this morning's -23C.
I love our feeders and the heated bird bath. Probably too cold for you, but the birds here LOVE splashing around on even cold days here.
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ReplyDeleteThat's still too cold, but what can you do...keep warm, plug the car in, and feed the birds.
Cardinals? I don't care if they made me stand on my head, I would be there...we don't have them here.
Jen
I hear you about hungry birds. So far we have used 55 pounds of bird seeds and I believe they have told their friends since more are showing up everyday. PS We have one cardinal that decided to winter over near our home this year in Arizona. Ha! Love those birds and can't wait for the Orioles to come back.
ReplyDeleteGet out the summer crocks -heat wave!!! Those Red Poles sure get hungry in the cold weather.
ReplyDeleteSo nice to see the photos of the redpolls. We have to search to find redpolls in Ohio. I can't remember if I have ever seen one. But we do have lots of Cardinals. The Cardinal is our state bird.
ReplyDeleteGlad the feathered friends are being well fed at your place. Great photos.
ReplyDeleteIt is so cold here I thought my fingers were going to freeze through 2 pairs of gloves. I hope it warms up soon for us all.
ReplyDelete-2F yesterday? Brrr...
ReplyDeleteI am glad I don't live where you live. We came home yesterday to discover our heater's fan is broken. No heat for us until Friday. At least our lows will only be in the 30s this week...a springtime thaw, in your neighborhood, after all you've gone through this week!
Keep warm--and safe on those icy roads while you are out grocery shopping for your birds! :)
I have never seen a red poll before now. I did think that they reminded me of a finch and the wikipedia said the same thing. The are a neat bird with the red topnotch. I could see how they would eat a lot of food in the continuous cold. We will see spring sometime.
ReplyDeleteYAY above zero that's a plus! :) haha The little birds are cleaning me out too but still am fighting with the jays!
ReplyDeleteGreat bird pictures. They know where the best take-out restaurant is:)
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures, Connie!
ReplyDeleteWell you win some and lose some. Great to have so many birds to watch. Bummer with the cold weather.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen those birds before...they're darling and so pretty. I get cold just hearing your temps and I had to go bump up the thermostat. It is colder here though too. Yesterday was almost 60 and today didn't get above 30 and tonight freezing precip...oh joy! Just so everyone's power stays on and they are warm! Be careful if you go out!
ReplyDeleteI am just completely baffled by your weather. Well, baffled is not the word. Stunned would be better. I can't fathom cold THAT COLD! Even thinking back to sitting on a chair lift in a snow storm with the wind blowing while the chair was stuck in one position was never as cold as this.
ReplyDeleteDoes it count if I say my feral female peacock was strutting around on my deck today hoping I'd feed her? I had to go out and open the gate, convince her to come down off the deck, and follow me out front to where I normally feed her and the male peacock. He poses and dances for her. She eats sunflower seeds and ignores him. Winter in California.
Your cold makes ours seem like a heat wave. It's almost February...THANK HEAVENS!
ReplyDeleteLinda
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