It's been a very long time since I've made a post on this site. So long that winter has come again. Minnesota has long winters with lots of cold and snow, and this winter is no exception to the general rule. There are plenty of wintertime activities and sports that can be enjoyed outside, but for those really cold days when going outside isn't an option, why not bring nature to you? Putting up a bird feeder outside your window can help the birds when food is hard to find and will give you many pleasant hours watching the different kinds of birds that visit your feeder. Have your bird book on hand so you can identify them all.
We have a simple platform feeder outside our picture window. It is nothing fancy, just an elevated platform to hold the seeds with tree branches stuck into the snow by the platform to give the birds a place to land before hopping down to the platform. You can see from the picture below that it's not only birds who are attracted to sunflower seeds. This pesky red squirrel is a constant guest at our table and seems to think the seed is put out for himself alone!
We get a variety of birds at our feeder. Below is a male Pine Grosbeak who has just landed on one of the branches by the bird feeder. Notice his heavy beak, which is what he is named for.
We also get a cousin of the Pine Grosbeak at our feeder. Below (forground) is a male Evening Grosbeak. Notice his heavy beak and vivid markings.
The other birds in the photo with the Evening Grosbeak are Pine Grosbeaks. To the left of the Evening Grosbeak (furthest back) is a female Pine Grosbeak, and to the right is an immature male. A mixed group of grosbeaks makes for a colorful photo (see below).
Also coming to our feeder these days are Redpolls (little fellow in the picture below)...
...Pine Siskins (below...pesky thing hid his head right when I took the picture)...
...Chickadees, and an occasional Purple Finch. There is always a tremendous rush of wings when something spooks the birds off the feeder. That something is usually the red squirrel and when he has chased the birds away from the feeder and made them perch on the shrubs and trees to watch him eat (see below)
he will sometimes decide that he has to chase them from even the shrubs! Today we watched him race up a maple tree and out onto its branches to chase the birds out of the tree. That done, he raced down to the shrubs nearest the feeder and chased the birds out of them as well. He seemed quite pleased with himself (see below) when he had regained sole possession of the area.
Winter would be pretty long and boring without the birds and critters. It's always worth putting up a feeder and then watching the action!
