Gone for Christmas week, I filled all of our feeders the day of depature, hoping that the birds would not eat them empty well before we returned home, which was Sunday. Nine days we were gone. The feeders on the deck, which I've filled on an every-other-day basis at times, are not empty. The six-feeder assembly in the yard is down maybe a third. So, what happened to the birds? House Finches and American Goldfinches are our stalwarts. I saw two House Finches today, one goldfinch. Yet, I received an email a few days ago from a man who counted over 120 goldfinches at his feeders, plus birds of other species also present in impressive numbers. Is it the cold weather? I'd think the birds would eat more as the temperature drops. We do have the usual assemblage of cardinals at dusk, at least five today.

Snowy Owls continue to be seen in counties west of Hennepin, from Wright outward, with some seen south of Bloomington as well. And at least one has made a suburban appearance, in Maple Grove. I suspect there are more to come. I'm waiting for warmer weather before making my search. I want photos. Taking a camera (think glass) from a warm car into single-digit temps does not work.

This blog has been untended during our travels. It should see new posts on a regular basis now.