These are some of our song birds wintering here in the frigid cold (temps have been near zero degrees Fahrenheit for a couple of weeks). We have finches, sparrows, nuthatch, grosbeak, woodpecker, chickadees, titmice, an occasional cardinal couple and even a few grown blue jays.

Obviously, they like the feeder, especially because they get to eat all they want, when they want. We previously had an open feeder which allowed not only birds, but other creatures to climb the deck and eat much of the bird seeds. This feeder is critter proof.

This gray squirrel is the main culprit. He can climb just about anywhere and eats just about any nut, seed or berry he comes across. However, when he steps on any of the feeder’s perches the feeder drops down due to his weight which then covers the openings to the seeds. Pretty clever device. Too bad for the squirrel, as he has to settle for crumbs. Don’t feel too sorry for these guys which outnumber the human population in our geographic area. They must have thousands of nuts buried throughout our yard and neighborhood so they won’t go hungry.

Happy New Year !