Henny Penny Farmette

The finches add brilliant flashes of yellow color to the garden–which is drab this time of year

Our farmette has been experiencing traffic congestion from the wild birds flying in to dine at the feeders that I’ve recently filled.

I’ve also hung seeded suet cakes (especially favored by the Nuttal’s Woodpecker who knows exactly where the snack is hanging on the back fence).

The Nuttall’s Woodpecker appears as a dash of brilliant red with black-and-white stripes wherever it perches

There are hawks doing fly-overs and blue jays flitting from the bushes to the trees.

But I especially love the little wild bird we call Crew Cut, a black phoebe that is building a nest in one of my apricot trees. And today, I spotted a Western bluebird on the fence at the front of our property.

This time of year when there is little for birds to forage on, I believe in providing bird seed, suet cakes, sunflower seeds, and peanuts for our feathered friends. I love to see them at the feeders and hope they’ll stay around to build nests in the spring.

Tags: black phoebe, blue jays, finches, hawks, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Western bluebird