On this crisp winter morning down in a minus degree temperature, the birds are definitely vying for something to eat. The ground and the trees are laden with ice and snow so are not offering much in the way of sustenance to those who rely on such locations as sources for their own individual supplies of food. The smaller birds such as the Chickadees and Gold Finches along with the Woodpeckers head for our hanging feeders, whilst our big flock of Pigeons descend from their overhead wire in search of the ground food that I have scattered or the seed in our other feeders. Considering that I cannot provide too much on a daily basis, for them all, they all seem to remain remarkably affable with their fellow birds competing alongside them for the same food. Very few squabbles occur, despite the small confines that they find themselves in at times and such a pleasant sight to behold. Even our one, vastly different coloured, very brown Rock Pigeon feeds quite freely with the rest of the flock without any animosity being shown towards it. A lesson, indeed, for all of us!
As I am writing this, I am watching a Male Cardinal sharing a feeder with a lone Chipping Sparrow and, close by, a female Cardinal is feeding in another spot and a Blue-jay is doing the same. Of course the colours of these two types of birds show up beautifully in the snow, as I hope you too are able to enjoy, but please do it safely. Stay safe and well.
Cheers,
John Baldwin
