Bird News

After a relatively quiet December, things are back to normal around our bird feeders. We have (roughly) 20 each of the chipping sparrows (seen at right,) & goldfinches. Although the cardinals had seemed to decrease in number for a while, their numbers are also back up (particularly at dusk.) Although we've typically spotted titmice, chickadees and white throated sparrows as individual birds over the years, it's becoming more normal to see 2 or 3 of them at a time.
On the unusual side of things, we had 3 crows yesterday. We don't typically see them in the yard before late February & they're only "regulars" when they bring fledglings in the Spring. They're the only birds that will stand up to (& scare off,) the squirrels, so they're always welcome. I also spotted a brown-headed nuthatch pecking at a dead pine near our shed the other day. They've nested out here before (& were "regulars" before Hurricane Gustav,) but they seem to have moved on, looking for another spot. We've also had red-headed woodpeckers from time to time. Like the crows, they're usually not here until they have chicks. I wonder if our recent cold snap might have killed off some of their regular food options.