Feed the birds!

While we feed and watch the birds all year long, it takes on special significance in winter, especially if you live in the north. From the birds' perspective, they're grateful for the eats and from ours, it's a chance to watch them and appreciate their beauty and interesting behavior.

For example, when the blue jays come around, the feeder clears of the finches and sparrows and they return only after the blue jays have finished hogging it all.

The equally beautiful cardinals don't have that effect on the other birds. They share.

We don't feed ours anything special, just a general mix of seeds. That way we get a variety of birds. We do have a separate feeder for the goldfinches, who don't look very gold this time of year, with their duller winter colors.

What kinds of birds are you seeing at your feeders right now?