It is thick fog here this morning and white over with frost. Went out to feed the birds and they were desperate for food, robin was at my feet and I didn't even have to whistle. The rest were on the food before I got back inside. It's proving impossible to defrost the water for them it's so cold.
Yes, I would have thought the fat balls would be wolfed down too Dirty Harry. Are you putting them in a place where the birds feel safe, not exposed and where there is shelter with trees or hedges close by. Do you have a cat - that would deter the birds from the feeders too. Perhaps you could take some pictures of your feeder area to post here. I have some popular feeders and others not so, birds can be fussy eaters can't they.
The seed feeder is busy enough, just nothing like as busy as spring.
Obviously raising young has a huge part to play there but I'd have thought not having to deal with that over winter would be somewhat counteracted again by food being scarcer.
We have tits and goldfinches galore at our feeders, being fed fats, sunflower hearts, crushed peanuts, on the paved ground mixed seed, squirrels not keen on the grease rubbed on the feeder poles so we don't see them, sparrow hawk comes through a few times a week, it is usually goldfinches he gets if anything, which isn't often, as there are spiny shrubs close at hand for birds to shelter.
It was -26C when I went down to the Bow river to feed birds yesterday. Poor things were excited that I showed up. I would think they would make their way into the urban area to get seed from the bird feeders in backyards, anyways I hope they do. More snow on the way so I'll be shoveling my mornings and early afternoons away up on my hill. The birds I feed in my yard are sure going through a lot of seed during this Arctic blast.
Brrrrr! That is cold Johnny and I am pleased that you are well rewarded for your bird feeding efforts - the pictures you post here always fascinate me - they are so tame and thankful for their seed. Do you feed them only with seed or do you give them fat balls or other stodgy food? We tried giving ours grated cheese last week but instead of the little garden birds eating it, a herring gull swooped down and gobbled up the lot in a couple of minutes, even though I had grated the cheese finely.
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Beautiful photo as well.
Obviously raising young has a huge part to play there but I'd have thought not having to deal with that over winter would be somewhat counteracted again by food being scarcer.