Everyday's a Hilladay: Golden Boy

In the winter, I get to see far more birds than I do in the summer. The leaves are gone from the trees, exposing the feathered inhabitants. I put out seeds in a squirrel proof (so far at least) feeder where I can see it from my desk. When the birds start flying to and from the feeder, I see them from the corner of my eye. If you're a lover of squirrels, you'll be happy to know that they aren't starving. They wait on the ground under the feeder for whatever the birds drop down to them. We also have non-squirrel proof bird feeders, which I like to call, squirrel feeders. After I fill them with seed, the squirrels quickly discover it and park themselves on there all day.

We also have a suet feeder. Suet attracts insect eating birds. We get to see our most colorful birds at the suet feeder. Suet is beef kidney fat and can be purchased at the meat counter at the grocery store, or you can buy processed cakes with seeds embedded within them. I use the processed kind with seeds. It fits inside a little cage and I find the seeds attract even more birds. The ground feeders will also hang out under it and wait for some to be dropped. It's a bird party.

Today I thought I'd share some photos from my seed feeder. Most days, I see Tufted Titmice and Chickadees, with Junco's (and squirrels, of course) down below on the ground. Lately, I've been seeing Goldfinches as well. A few weeks ago, I saw my first real up close Goldfinch while I was filling the suet feeder. It was quite the snow white moment (although I think she had bluebird friends). A Goldfinch flew up and landed on a branch inches away from my face, right at eye level. I guess he wanted to see what I was up to. Then he took off.

Since then, they have started to visit my seed feeder. I set up a camera aimed at the feeder and eventually, I got some shots.