I filled all the bird feeders, and I didn't skimp on the good stuff: black nyjer thistle for the finches, two kinds of suet for the woodpeckers, whole peanuts for the crows and the blue jays.
According to birding tradition, the first bird you see on New Year's morning is your theme bird for the year. It can be instructive to ponder what that first bird's traits might teach us about the world or ourselves.
On the very coldest mornings, birds tend to be both still and quiet, conserving energy to keep warm. Last year I looked for an hour before I saw my first bird.
This New Year's Day dawned very cold, too, and the wind... was bitter. I saw no birds when I opened the bedroom curtains, but... Two northern cardinals were sheltering in a dead sapling.
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