Tuesday, February 16th

This morning's icy weather ...

I took these pictures quite early (roughly 7:30 a.m.) as I tended to the birdfeeders - dumping out the snow that had fallen overnight, adding extra mealworms and scattered mixed seed. Above is the bank of trees on the east side of our property ... I love watching the sun rise behind these evergreens, and look how pale and frosty everything looks!

I know you can barely see it, but at the very top of the tree beyond the roof is a cardinal. He was singing his dear little heart out this morning! Oddly enough, despite all the snow and ice around me, the temperatures were on the rise and there was a feeling of Spring off in the distance ...

And yet ...

Everything was glazed with ice!

Happily, the mealworms we put out yesterday seem to be a hit with the bluebirds! Below is one on top of the table (where I scattered some mixed seed and "bluebird nuggets") and in the foreground are two lovely goldfinches.

This is also attracting the blue jays! And squirrels and juncos, too ...

And here's my dear little red squirrel, scavenging beneath the rhododendron.

Now, crazily enough, we are in for a very rainy afternoon ... heavy rain is on the way as well as temps in the 50s! It won't wash away all the snow, but will leave behind some black ice tonight and tomorrow morning so I hope everyone is safe on the roads.

Monday, February 15th

Another terribly blurry picture I'm afraid, but I am just so excited about our bluebirds, I had to share! :)

The pair of them keep visiting ... and I say pair because there is only ever two of them in the yard BUT ... today there were two bright blue birds and previously there was a bright blue bird and a drab blue bird (a mated pair I assume), but the presence of two bright blue birds tells me there may be more about!

Anyway, I keep noticing them hovering around the feeders but not really doing much eating. I know they don't like seeds and though they do seem interested in the suet cage, they only pick at what the woodpeckers messily drop on the ground. So today we headed over to the local agricultural co-op where we stocked up on all kinds f seed AND a bag of mealworms ... which - are kind of gross, yes but - are apparently the preferred food of bluebirds. 

So here is another terrible picture but it shows the tray feeder which is now full of mealworms ...

Note the blurry red-breasted blob sitting just above the feeders! They seem a bit wary of the tray (it being a new feature and all) but it definitely piqued their interest ...

I am just so pleased to think we might be able to not only sustain these beautiful birds, during this incredibly cold weather, but also, perhaps, encourage them to make our property their year-round home. (Apparently not all bluebirds migrate.)

Other birds at the feeders this week: juncos, chickadees, titmice, woodpeckers, nuthatches, goldfinches.

Weather: Super frigid (single digits, wind chills -30)! But tomorrow comes rain and wind and temps around 50! Got to love a New England winter ... !