Winter Feeding Frenzy

[yourlibrarian]

We were supposed to get 2-4 inches of snow today but instead it wasn't much more than what you see here. For about an hour we did get some steady snow but this mostly just made the birds ravenous. We filled these food plates twice today and they were cleaned out within an hour. The second time I had barely closed the door when the first birds popped up. Soon after there were about twice the number you see here -- the balcony looked like a dark mass of bouncing bodies. I never could get a big group again though because getting close enough to the door for a photo meant they flew off.

You can see more birds in the bush below our balcony (through the bottom of the railing). They tend to hang out there whenever we come out or when they're hiding out until the next flutter up to the dish.



In past years we've noticed that either there are two muskrat couples in our lake or just one (and the extra two we saw might have been adolescent children). But we don't often see them together. In the past week we've seen both, sometimes side by side at the ice opening, diving for algae.





Although we've sometimes seen them gathering grass in the summer, this is the first time we've seen them with piles of greens from the lake. They are busy all day long eating, which I guess isn't surprising since this likely isn't the most nutritious of diets.

Comments

[full_metal_ox]

Muskrats anticipated Clarence Birdseye!

[yourlibrarian]

Ha! It reminds me of this story I saw recently: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/while-a-czech-region-plans-its-hydroproject-beavers-do-it-for-them-saving-millions/

[pauraque]

Mr. Cardinal looking extra fancy among all the sparrows and juncos. :)

[yourlibrarian]

Indeed! We always keep an eye out for him.

[full_metal_ox]

Cardinal: “We thank Thee for Thy gifts that we are about to receive.”

[weofodthignen]

Aww, look at the hungry little things ...

Yopur muskrat pics make me feel a bit bad for taking their species name in vain for a certain non-elected bully. Good for them tidying the lake.

[yourlibrarian]

I'll be honest, I find muskrats rather repulsive. They are not on the cute end of the rodent scale. But they have been good neighbors.

[cmcmck]

Great pics

Our bird feeders are mobbed atm!

[yourlibrarian]

I can believe it!

[shirebound]

I'm always surprised to see the huge number of birds around the backyard feeders after a snow. Now if I could just get my new dog to stop nibbling at the spilled seeds...

[yourlibrarian]

Yes, that really seems to bring them out.

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

Mine swarm like that too. They'll hide in terrible weather, but light to moderate snow really brings them to the easy food source.

Re: Yes ...

[full_metal_ox]

One of my LJ correspondents used to set almonds out for the squirrels, and observed that the resulting tracks in the snow looked like Arthur Murray footprints for a mosh pit.

[pameladean]

The muskrat pictures are so great.

I've seen mixed flocks like the ones you're feeding many times in the winter, but never in my back yard. They like some of the local parks.

P.

[yourlibrarian]

Probably has to do with the regularity of the feedings. We stop food plates over Christmas due to the decorations, and also during the summer when the plants are out on the balcony. Whenever we restart it can take a few days before some scouts discover the food is back.

One time it was particularly odd that the sparrows didn't show up for a good month yet the finches were there in numbers every day.

[turlough]

So many birds enjoying your food!

The muskrats are awesome! I love their fluffy fur and their so cute holding their food like that.

[yourlibrarian]

Yes, the way rodents eat is a particularly cute aspect.

[adafrog]

:)

[yourlibrarian]

:)

[adore]

HOW CUTE!

[yourlibrarian]

Definitely a sight!

[shadowkat]

The muskrats are quite cute, thanks for sharing. We've had a similar weather situation here - it drifts between snow and rain and we never really have that much snow, but since it keeps freezing afterwards - the small bit we have? Hangs around forever. Even if it is 2 inches.

[yourlibrarian]

Yes, the weather report for yesterday concerned enough people that our bowling group didn't meet and I wonder at the restaurants that may have lost business on one of their biggest nights of the year. Yet it was a nothingburger.

[ribirdnerd]

Wow nice pictures!

[yourlibrarian]

Thanks!