Birdfeeder Revisited

The Goldfinches are very dull-coloured this time of year

I have been putting extra emphasis on keping my birdfeeders filled this season. With all of the trees free of their leaves and the tall grasses and flowers dry and brown, it's refreshing to see life in the barren outdoors. Having the benefit of large south-facing passive solar windows, the birds almost seem as though they are part of the family. The newest arrivals to the feeder have been the goldfinches and housefinches (joining the purple finches). We have also have welcomed the entertaining, acrobatic nuthatches. The White-breasted and smaller red-breasted nuthatch are a delight to watch because they move down trees backwards. Sometimes they even hang upside down on the birdfeeder before the hop down to snatch a seed. The White-breasted Nuthatch Upside-down
The Red-breasted Nuthatch Grabbing Some Sunflower Seeds

The hairy woodpecker has still been a regular visitor, to the delight of my border collie who enjoys watching him from inside. I have been stuffing suet in the holes of the birch log that I use as a pole for my feeder.
The Hairy Woodpecker on the Birch Pole