An Arctic blast has created a frigid air mass over much of the country after a major snow storm dumped up to two feet of snow in some places. While many insect-eating birds flew south for the winter, many seed eating birds stay. Black-capped chickadees strip out seeds deep within pine cones and gold finches find dried up wild thistle plants where they eat the seeds produced in the summer.

Many people install bird feeders in their yards to help birds survive the winter and to enjoy their beauty. We have many birds at our feeders – Carolina Chickadees, Chipping Sparrows, Cardinals, Tufted Titmice, Mourning Doves and others. I installed a remote camera on the patio in our small back yard to see doves and sparrows that prefer to eat seeds on the ground.

With all the challenges birds face due to environmental issues and human impacts to birds’ habitats, it is good to help them by providing food, water and shelter, something that all species need to survive.