On cold winter days, I often think about our feathered wildlife neighbors. They have inborn abilities to find shelter and survive, but some days can be brutal with frigid temperatures and fierce wind.

Last weekend was the coldest spell we have experienced all winter. Temperatures were barely above freezing. The strong northwest wind pushed the chill factor well below the 20-degree mark.

Life and death abounds during these extreme weather conditions. On a walk around the pond last Monday afternoon, there were three dead birds, a robin, a chickadee and a female cardinal.

The rest of the yard was alive with bird activity. They came to the feeders in droves, taking their turns
according to species and dominance. They seem to appreciate the little bit of help during this very lean time of year.

We keep the feeders full of a southern song bird mixture that includes sunflower and thistle seeds, as well as finely cracked corn. It is not unusual to see 20 or so different species of birds in the early mornings or late in the afternoon.

My neighbor called last weekend and asked me to look out the window across the lawn between our houses. There were 22 cardinals, both male and female, concentrated in a small area under the dogwood tree. Amazingly, no other species was present in this group.

Robins are also flocking to the neighborhood in the late afternoon. They will have nothing to do with the feeders, but are content to pluck earthworms from the lawn. Most afternoons, several dozen robins form this interesting group.

The mourning doves already are paired for the upcoming mating season. They do not eat from the feeders but are content to wait patiently on the ground below. The tiny chickadees scratch the cracked corn from the feeders, and the doves have their easy meal.

Other visitors to the bird feeders include junkos, bluebirds, towhees, blue jays, blackbirds and many different sparrows. Occasionally, a rare visitor will show up that we have to research.

Kenn Kaufman wrote the book “Birds of North America” many years ago. This is an illustrated publication that includes subspecies of birds found in all regions of the continent. This book makes positive bird identification fast, easy and fun.

If you have not started feeding the birds this winter, it is certainly not too late. We have another month and a half when the weather can turn brutal and nasty in an instant.

Once you start feeding, it is important to keep feeding on a very regular basis. The birds get used to this alternative food source. They will stay in the area, once established, as long as the feeders stay full.

This time of year we fill the feeders once a day. It is important to scatter a few seeds and cracked corn on the ground beneath the feeders for species like the doves.

We have been feeding the birds in the neighborhood north of Elm City for 15 winters now. We are rewarded by return visitors and a multitude of many different colorful species.

As the seasons change, and migrations begin, more unusual species visit the feeders during their lengthy travels.

If you watch very closely, you might see a bird that you have never seen before.

That is a part of bird watching all of us
really enjoy.

King