For the birds...

This time of year, when winter drags on and the weather isn't friendly, I am especially cheered by the wild birds I feed.  When I set up my grooming studio, I made a point to hang feeders very close to the window. The birds caught on fast, and I have a steady stream of them coming and going all day. It's bit like an international airport, with no need for traffic control and far less offensive pollutants.

My customers are often amazed to see the birds so closely. I get a lot of comments like, "You have a much wider variety of birds here than I do at my feeders." I'm not sure if that is true, or if they just notice the different birds more because they can see them so clearly.

This handsome pair of Evening Grosbeaks popped in last week. We don't have these here often, so they are a welcome sight when they come by.

The Red Bellied woodpecker is another one I only catch a glimpse of from time to time. The feather patterns are amazing.

A flock of wild turkeys sometimes walk over from the field across the street to clean up under the feeders. They can be quite timid and difficult to photograph.

I feed the crows and ravens, too, and this handsome raven is a frequent guest. They favor bits of leftover meat, and I save any I have just for them. A pair live nearby and have stayed all winter. Last week one was checking out the back yard in search of a treat, when one of my laying hens puffed herself up took off after him. He beat a hasty retreat.

There is only one Cardinal dining here this winter. He is always a treat to see, especially if there is a snowy backdrop. Maine winters can lack color, so a flash of rainbow red is a real eye catcher.

I have a fondness for the cheeky Tufted titmice, zooming in and out, always seeming in a rush.

The Blue Jay's come and eat as much as they can hold in their crop, then stack seeds or nuts neatly the entire length of their bill before taking off to stash them somewhere. Piggy, but pretty.

The common chickadee is well represented here, with countless numbers of them deedeling down from the trees to feast. They are what inspired this post in the first place. When I first moved to Maine, one cold late winter day,  friend Liz said, "I heard the chickadee sing his springtime song!" I didn't know what she meant, so she went on to explain that chickadees call, "chick a dee" throughout the year, but in late winter to early spring you will hear a "fee-bee" song. I later learned this is mostly the males, staking out territory and trying to attract a mate for the upcoming season.  Now I wait eagerly in January and February to hear the happy sound of "fee-bee." One more sign that winter is losing its grip. One more way the birds cheer me.