New heated bird bath!
It took some time, but Cleon finally found a new heated bird bath – most stores were sold out. Our 18 year old one had stopped working. It has been so cold that we felt it was necessary to get a new one although we do watch the Juncos eat snow right off our deck. In a day or two, we will add a few rocks for our Zen-gardening crows. (Click on Videos on the website menu on the home page. The video is 11/24 – American Crows Rearranging Rocks.) So the birdy hot tub is back up and running!
Nanook of the North – aka Cleon! – is filling the feeders at least once a day. It is thought by many that most birds – if they can consume enough calories – will make it through frigid nights. And our nights have certainly been frigid. And it is not just that we are now below 0, we also have winds anywhere from 10-20mph. It is bitterly cold after dark. The bird we are most concerned about is the Carolina Wren. We have at least 2 that live with us year round and we are at the northern edge of their range. Carolina Wrens have been pushing their range northwards for some time but this comes at a cost. Even though these are chubby birds, they do not always survive cold nights, so this weather is a challenge for them. They normally do not come to feeders as they are not seed eaters. But they will come to the suet feeders. They did come to ours last year, but we have not seen them this year – although we do occasionally hear them singing. Carolina Wrens sing all year round. The suet is there for them – if they can get the woodpeckers and starlings to move over and share – and we certainly wish them well!