The Purpose of Winter

I've given much thought to the purpose of seasons these past few days. In fact, I've been doing nothing but thinking and reading this past week, since it's far too cold outside to do much of anything else.

First there's spring. My favorite season of the year. Spring gives me promise and hope. It's the season for birth and renewal. The birds are singing and the first sign of flowers pop out of the ground for all the world to see if they look for it.

Then there's summer. Summer to me represents growth. I see it in my garden (especially the weeds). The birds are taking care of their babies who are growing by the day.

Fall is harvest. It's time to harvest the bounty that has grown upon us all summer. This includes the leaves that fall from the trees, as their season of growth is over and it's time to shed that growth to be ready for next year.

The season I have the most difficult time pondering is winter. What exactly is the purpose of winter. I think about this as I'm pressing my face against the window eagerly searching for the birds. It is 7:30 am and there is not one bird out there. I start to worry because it was so cold last night. I think of frozen bodies of birds out in my yard who didn't make it through the night. I search the sky for starlings in hopes for a glimpse of even them. Winter is harsh and unforgiving, especially for the birds. Is winter the season for survival of the fittest in the animal world? A season to rid nature of the weak and suffering? That is probably an extreme feeling to associate with winter, but I can't help to feel this way with the cold temperatures we have been having.

I finally see some of my regulars at the feeder. This tufted titmouse has discovered the shelled peanuts I put out for him in a feeder and he flys off to get it. A cardinal sees the feeder too and waits for the tufted titmouse to be done so he can grab one too.

And then I see the bird I've been waiting for. The Carolina Wren. My neighbors and I call him Stubby because he seems to have lost his tail feathers this winter and all that is left is a little stub. He's been in my brush pile and decides to peek his head out to see what's for breakfast. I grab my camera and curse the lack of sun which makes getting a decent photo impossible (plus the fact that the brush pile is far from my window). I have often read that Carolina Wrens die in weather this extreme. This one has survived another day and I find myself happy because of it.

I walk away from the window with a better perspective on winter. Winter is a time for rest. The trees are resting, the bears are resting, and I am resting on the couch with a good book and my favorite blanket with a hot cup of tea. I hope the birds find a warm place to rest tonight and stay safe so they can be ready for spring. I think we are all ready for spring.

Just came in here to add this photo. His mate came and found the peanuts. I have to thank Sharon for the thumbs up on the peanut feeder. All the birds love them. I am going to have to get the smaller ones at the pet store though because I actually shelled these ones myself and they are too big. The wren gets to them just fine though!

Bird Study-Winter

The bird feeders were in full swing on Sunday. It gave me the opportunity to really watch the birds and their behaviour. I think this is the one thing I like most about birding. Yes I enjoy taking pictures and checking them off my list, but the number one reason why I chose to bird is to learn more about them.

I have been birding since summer and I have learned so much in this short time frame than I could have ever imagined. Winter has been especially revealing and wanted to share some of my findings.

1. Starlings are at their most obnoxious when it snows out. Yes they are always a pain in my rear, but ten times worse with snow. They dominate all feeding stations and fight with each other over the suet and the bird bath. They also like to poop in my bird bath when it snows. They don't do that when it's sunny.

2. The red bellied wood pecker is another regular when it snows out. He spends most of his time watching the birds from my tree and flies in for his turn when there are no other birds around.

3. The song sparrow is a true free spirit. He behaves as if he owns my yard. One of his favorite things to do is watch the feeding station from the brush pile. If he sees a bunch of house sparrows taking over his favorite bird feeder, he will get in the middle of them and eat. He loves to scatter the seed with his feet and the juncos are right below him on the ground eating what he spills out.

4. Speaking of juncos, they are at my feeders every morning at approx. 6:15 am. They seem to arrive even earlier than the cardinals. They are also the last ones to leave.

5. I have reason to believe that many of the weeds that have gone to seed are now eaten. The reason I think this is because I am now inundated with sparrows. I have 3 song sparrows now and 4 white throated sparrows. The white throated sparrows have not been in my yard since mid November.

6. Downy woodpeckers are sitting ducks for hawks. When the other birds scatter, they continue to eat. I watch nervously at him while he is eating his suet and then I finally yell at him because I can't take the suspense much longer and I don't want to witness his death.

There are a bunch of other things I have learned in my journey and can't wait to learn more. Birds are such amazing creatures.

Snowy Sunday-Robins and a Mockingbird

I had robins in my yard this morning and I could tell they were coming from across the street, so I decided to brave it out and search for them. I didn't have to go too far and found about 20 of them in the field. There is tons of oriental bittersweet in this field and the robins are taking full advantage of it.

There is also a small brook nearby that has fresh, running water for them to drink out of.

I saw my first mockingbird since fall. Interestingly enough, she is in with the flock of robins. I didn't see any other mockers besides her, so I am assuming she has decided to join the robin flock for the winter.

I am glad I decided to go across the street. I had forgotten how much wild life there is over there. The coopers that frequents my yard was over there as well along with 6 crows who were stalking him.

A great way to start the week, even if we did get 10 inches of new snow!

The Song Sparrow is Singing the Winter Blues

When will winter be over with? We have so much ice here in Massachusetts that has yet to melt that is making going outside a game of Russian Roulette. When I go to fill up my stations each morning, I slip and slide and have to hold onto the house for dear life. It is funny how man can control many things in our life but not the weather. The ice has made me a hermit for it is much too dangerous right now to go searching for birds.

This was my first morning since last Sunday where I could hang around my house and watch the backyard birds. The song sparrow has discovered my Christmas tree that I put outside for him and has made it his own. He was chirping away this morning, grateful for the sun and getting prepared for an additional 10 inches of snow we are forecasted to get this evening.

The blue jay waited patiently for me to put out her peanuts this morning. I could see her watching me as I put them on her favorite tree stump. She finally got her breakfast and decided to eat it on a branch near the warm sunshine.

The song sparrows favorite feeder. He goes in search of the little white seeds that are in the blend which I think is millet.

The song sparrow again sitting by himself singing the winter time blues. I am singing them with him from my icy kitchen window.

How do non birders react to your birding enthusiasm?

This is my first year birding. My family members know about it and think it's cute but odd. When my relatives come over to my yard and see my stations and the hoards of birds at the house they look impressed but not nearly as excited as I am. They would rather talk about the weather, the latest book they are reading or politics. I enjoy that type of conversation as well, but could spend an entire day talking about birds.

This was the first year I could tell everyone what I wanted for Christmas. My mother wanted to get me a dishwasher and I told her I would rather have a heated bird bath. She looked at me as if I had three heads and shook her head. I explained to her that I didn't mind washing dishes and I would rather give the birds fresh water year round anyways.

I guess they are finally catching on. My mother dropped off some clothes that didn't fit her anymore at my doorstep and inside of the box was a Christmas ornament with a cardinal on it that was on her tree. She decided to give it to me because she thought I would appreciate it more. My sister called me last night out of the blue to tell me she was thinking of me after seeing a commercial with birds in it.

Am I the only one with family and friends who think of me as a little strange for liking birds or are there others out there?

Where are all the Cardinals?

I don't get many cardinals which is unusual considering I had quite a few of them this summer when my mulberry tree was full of fruit. I used to watch the male cardinal feed the female cardinal berries and my heart would melt.

Now that it is winter I get 2 or 3 of them at a time max and that is rare. I took this photo on Saturday and am thrilled that it came out all right. This is my first picture of a female cardinal so am happy I was able to get it.

I guess I will just have to wait until May to see them all come back again.

How long Before Raw Suet Goes Rancid?

Yes I am on a posting roll here. I put out some raw suet in a suet cage for the birds and froze the rest. The temperatures here in Massachusetts are expected to go slightly above freezing for the next couple of days.

How long should I wait to refill the suet (and wash the cage), before I put new raw suet in the feeder. I don't want to make the birds sick.

Also, does anyone in the blogging world do this and if so, what kind of birds does it attract. Does it attract other mammals I may not want in my yard? HA! I should have asked all of these questions prior to buying it I guess.

Thanks in advance.