Snowbirds.......................

All these birds and more visited the cottage yesterday. All appeared ravenous, the snow covering their usual breakfast, lunch, and even dinner as not much melted in the day long below freezing temperatures.  

I went to my bird book and found that wrens, when their usual little insect delicacies are unavailable, love peanut butter, as do many other birds.  I mixed some with shortbread (Walker's of course - only the best for my feathered friends!) crumbs and scattered them about. 

My porch rail, and the old fountain, were soon a favorite place, not only for our pair of 'live-in' Carolina wrens, but for many of the smaller birds.

This morning I've just repeated the feast as they are already out there hunting around for food - it's such a great feeling knowing one can help these precious little creatures when the weather is harsh.

Carolina wren - one of the pair who sleep on the porch 

nightly in the hanging basket.

Male red-bellied woodpecker cleaning out the feeder.....Bob 

is out there refilling daily.

Sweet tiny chickadee.......year round they bring much joy 

to our garden.

The visiting pine siskin nibbling a sunflower seed -

very like a sparrow with touches of yellow.

The tufted titmouse, one of many who frequent the garden. 

Again, my sweet wren who, with its mate, will hopefully 

share a new family with us come Spring as they have 

for many years.....eat and be healthy little bird!

'Mr. Cardinal' as we always refer to the always cheery 

bright red male - there are about a dozen who bring 

their ladies to enjoy the feeder.

Another pic of my wren nibbling the peanut butter 

coated crumbs.

All these photos were taken through the dining room window....a lot of time spent standing very still as birds seem to see every move you make! No special lens used - and only my point and shoot cameras (the Olympus and Nikon) set on auto, I didn't even take time to get the DSLR out!

Next time...........the snowy visitors to the back garden!