This spritely White-throated Sparrow has been welcomed back to Connecticut for the winter by the enticing sight of a heated birdbath filled with fresh, clean water. Especially thirsty after its recent migratory flight, it shows its excitement by enthusiastically hopping right up for a drink!
This determined Downy Woodpecker female is delighted by the squirrel-shaped delicacy she has found. Comprised mostly of hot pepper infused sunflower chips, this adorable seed character is blazing hot… this hot pepper doesn’t bother the birds, but it sure helps keep the squirrels and other critters at bay! Also adorning this squirrely snack are millet, fruit and safflower.
A White-breasted Nuthatch and some American Goldfinches share the smorgasbord laid out in front of them in this multi-offering tray feeder which is styled after a charcuterie board. With dried mealworms, spicy squirrel-deterring suet nuggets, and an impressive seed blend filled with safflower, black oil sunflower, sunflower chips, suet nuggets, peanuts, dried mealworms, and striped sunflower, this feeder contains a veritable birdie buffet which is sure to turn (feathered) heads!
A male Downy Woodpecker and a Blue Jay are taking turns selecting their favorites from the delightful buffet provided by this adorable hanging birdie charcuterie board. The Downy grabs a hot pepper infused, bite-sized suet nugget, and then flies off with his prize. Next a Blue Jay gobbles up some dried mealworms, and then absconds with some particular in-shell peanuts that have caught its eye. With so many options, the birds are sure to keep flocking to this feeder to see what delicacies it might be offering next!
Seen here is a male Downy Woodpecker (top) and a female Hairy Woodpecker (bottom). They are enjoying seeds from a seed cylinder shaped as an American Goldfinch! This Goldfinch seed cylinder contains sunflower chips, millet, Nyjer®, and blueberries. The feeder this Goldfinch seed cylinder is in offers easy access for many different birds eating styles, including a flat bottom tray, and side posts to which they can cling.
This video perfectly depicts the daily struggles of our beloved backyard songbirds when the outdoor temperatures drop below freezing. In the top half of the screen we see an American Goldfinch (in its winter plumage) attempting to drink water but to no avail, as the bath has frozen over. In the bottom portion of the screen, again we see an American Goldfinch, now the heated birdbath is plugged in… and this time the Goldfinch gets its desired results! Accessible unfrozen water is vital for birds year-round. Heated birdbaths are a fantastic (and cost effective) way to provide it, as they allow you to use the same bath regardless of the season: simply unplug it after the last freeze in the spring, and now you have a regular warm weather bath… plug it back in when the first freezing night is coming, and now your summer bath is a perfect winter vessel for all your birds’ hydration needs!