The birds seemed to be extra chipper once the sun came out this afternoon, even if the temperature was below freezing. The chickadees and finches were making lots of trips to the feeder in the sunshine and singing in the trees in between trips.
This weekend is the Great Backyard Bird Count, which started yesterday and goes through Monday, where people from around the world count birds and submit their data for research. But counting my finches and redpolls seems like an impossible task with them coming and going so quickly to the feeders and back to the trees.
The temperature overnight was colder than predicted so the birds have been busy coming to the feeders this morning to get some food to burn to stay warm. Feathers, specialized scales on legs and feet, and fat reserves help birds survive the cold temperatures. They will also fluff feathers to create air pockets, catch some sun on clear days, huddle together while roosting and even shiver to generate more body heat. But even with all these adaptations to stay warm, some birds will still succumb to frigid temperatures during severe winters.
The bird feeder this morning looked like a busy airport and it may need air traffic controllers to route the birds in. With a very cold start of the day at -18ºF, the birds (and squirrels) are trying to fill up on seed.