My feeders and waterer were thronged as soon as I got the feed out. At the suet feeder both the male and female downy woodpecker, followed by the redbreasted male woodpecker and then a nut hatch and crested titmouse. At the sunflower seed feeder there were both purple and goldfinches, juncos, sparrows, more titmice and a male and female cardinal. And a bluebird came to the waterer. I haven't seen a bluebird for a long time. Being insectivorus, they seldom visit the feeder, but warm water on a frigid day is another matter. Haven't seen the yellowbellied sapsucker this year yet or the ladderbacked woodpecker. Didn't see blackcapped chickadees either. They're usually part of the winter crowd.

Let us know if you identify the bird with the reddish breast.

I think it was a purple finch with fluffed up feathers because of the cold. My book may not have all the birds, but it probably was a purple finch. When I saw them later they were red on their heads too. This morning I didn't see the red on their heads. I got birdfeed last Friday. I am so glad I did because they are going through the feed.

helen, I am betting on the finch identification.

We think the birds are the best predictors of cold weather. They flock, literally, to the feeders. They emptied the mixed seed feeder that holds a large coffee can of seeds in less than a day!

We aren't having nearly as many Titmouse and Black Capped Chickadees this year as last.

We finally have a Downy woodpecker back.

It was slick here too and down to 13°. We made our last trip to the Mall to finish up Christmas shopping and didn't
have any problems with the roads once we got off our little county roads.

I can't tell purple finches and house finches apart but it must be one or the other.

I'm going to have to move my feeders out of the back yard. Our puppy is still so active and she's been flipping out over the birds. She chases them but has never caught one. It's fun to watch her try. She pops up in the air when she runs. It's the same puppy that has a heart defect so we're supposed to limit her exercise.

I threw some seed and some old cheerios out on our balcony that's out of sight from where the dogs are. A mockingbird landed on the rail while I was still out there and was watching me toss the seed. I went back in and got an apple for him. I know they like fruit but I can't remember seeing them eat bird seed and he looked hungry.

I can't see them that well. House finch is supposed to have a squared tail and purple a notched tail. I will have to watch them closer. One has a thicker bill also.

Here is a link that might be useful: house finch