Good morning to all of you on this another very cold morning! It’s clear with the sun just beginning to shine on the tops of the trees and a temperature of -33F (-36C), but no wind this morning which is nice. Not that it seemed to make a difference out there. When I went out to feed the birds it was…well, it was…cold, very cold to be exact. Lately I have been using one of these masks we need to wear now whenever I go outside. It makes a big difference, I don’t get that burning cold suddenly hitting my lungs, something that is really bothering me a lot this winter. Never did other years and I’m sure it’s a result of having Covid last year. I hope you have all helped yourself to some of that nice hot coffee already, it’s a necessary thing in this weather.

Now to missing birds. Since this cold weather has hit my bird population at the feeders has been cut back to about one third of what I had. That’s a big drop. I hope that doesn’t mean the birds have been dying. That doesn’t seem likely. Perhaps they just don’t want to travel far from their home territories when it’s so cold. Some of them do come from a long distance. Then, there is also that shrike. They will eat a small bird each day in cold weather like this. That adds up. He could be catching them as they come and go each day. When it warms up again I will find out. I’m looking out the window this morning and I notice something I have seen before, but I have not figured out why this happens. I have 3 hanging feeders out there, one is kind of heavy, they other two about the same weight. Plus two hanging suet feeders. All attached to two poles on the deck.

As I watch the one feeder begins to swing back and forth. From not moving to swinging, a lot. Then it slows down to a stop once more. Then it begins swinging again, a lot. None of the other hanging feeders are moving, not even a tiny bit. Something must cause this, and it’s not the cold weather since I have since this on milder winter days and even in the summer. The only thing in common is the fact it normally happens in the evening, but before it gets dark, or in the morning just after it gets light, but before the sun shines. Maybe it happens at night too but I’m not there looking at night. There must be a reason for this, but I just can’t figure it out. Do you have any idea? Please let me know! It has nothing to do with movement either. While I was out putting seeds out for the birds this morning walking on the deck had no effect on the feeder movement, not even when I tried to make some movement. It’s a mystery, one which doesn’t make sense, yet there has to be some reason why it happens. I would love to know. Oh well. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday and God bless!

Steve and Muffin.

©2021 Steve McLeod.