Finally, some snow - Yesterday we received about six inches of snow. While outside shoveling and feeding the birds, I heard two Northern Cardinals singing, and I heard an American Robin making noises at the back of the yard. The two Northern Flickers are still among the most active bird visitors, feeding on the suet and the oilers in the hopper. A Blue Jay showed up yesterday at the feeder. The Blue Jays have not been frequent visitors. I've not seen a Chickadee nor a Titmouse since last summer. No crows are around our hood either. This winter is much colder and snowier than last year's, which was one of the warmest on record. So that may have something to do with the abscence of some birds. West Nile, of course, will be a possible reason given by some. Besides some of the undesirable birds, the most numerous birds at our feeders this winter have been Northern Cardinals, Juncos, and woodpeckers. The woodpeckers include the Flickers, Red-bellied, Hairy, and Downey. A pair of White-breasted Nuthatches are common visitors also. Last Tuesday evening around 6:00 P.M., there were 10 Cardinals in the yard. That's the most I've seen for that bird.

We did have a new visitor to the feeder today, or at least a bird I've not seen in a couple of months: a Carolina Wren. He was on the sunflower hopper. Since we didn't have any Goldfinches last winter and none this past November, I removed the thistle feeder in December.