Spicy Cardinals, Hungry Squirrels, and Soaring Hawks: Life at the Feeder in Freezing Michigan

Photo of Hawk Flying above Trees

I'm not sure where you live, but in Michigan, it's been cold and we've gotten a lot of snow the past couple of days. But on Saturday, January 17, there were two hawks flying in front of our house.

Gray and Black Squirrel Eating Peanuts on a Stump

 

It was kind of cool watching them play in the wind, but I was also worried because I had seven squirrels in my backyard eating peanuts. So, I was keeping a close eye on the hawks just to make sure the squirrels were safe. And they just, the hawks stayed out front.

 

Photo of Hawk Flying on a Sunny Blue Day

They were up pretty high, swirling and playing in the wind. They did not come down. But I could see them. There were two of them and I'm not sure what kind of hawks they were, but I could tell they were hawks.

 

And then today we got maybe four more inches of snow, but it's so cold. You just open the door and get hit with that cold wind and you just want to close the door really quick.

 

Today, January 21, the birds came back. They ate what was left in the feeders from yesterday. Even just going out to the feeders to put more seed in, my hands hurt so bad. And I wasn’t even out there very long, but I had to do it because I enjoy watching the birds and I enjoy photographing them.

I'll go out tomorrow and fill the feeders back up because I like making sure the birds and animals have enough food. And then we had repeat visitors come back.

So, we had the red-breasted nuthatch come back to the feeder. I always love watching him with his nice rust color belly. We had the white-breasted nuthatch as well. We call him Clarence because he looks so proper. And we have the chickadees. The chickadee is funny because that little tiny bird will sit in the tree and do his little chip chips and wait for me to fill the feeders every morning.

Red-Bellied Woodpecker sitting on a tree branch

And then in the distance, you can hear the red-bellied woodpecker do his little burr calls in the trees because he's waiting for me to fill up the peanuts. And then he'll wait for the blue jays to come and then he'll come and get his peanuts with the blue jays. But it's been cold, so there's been a lot more activity at the feeders this week.

Two Black Squirrels Eating Peanuts on a Stump

 

And it's not just at the bird feeders. The squirrels have been really active too. So, I buy bags of peanuts and I make sure to clear a spot in the snow so it's easy for them to get to the peanuts. And then I feed them because they can't find food right now in Michigan unless they want to eat sticks. And I don't think they want to eat sticks. But I was looking out my back window the other day and I counted at least four squirrel houses up in the trees surrounding my yard so they know where to get the food.

Male and Female Northern Cardinal During a Snow Storm

 

But my favorite birds from this week have been the northern cardinals, both male and female. Not because their colors just pop in the snow, but they have been really, really spicy this week. And by spicy, I mean attitude galore, especially with the sparrows.

 

The house sparrows are ravenous little heathens. I love them, but I hate them at the same time. They will sit at the feeders all day and think that those feeders belong to them.

 

Well, one of the sparrows made a mistake and went after the female cardinal. And Mr. Man was not having it. He said, nope, you are not touching my lady, and went after that sparrow and they had a little beak fight.

 

Female Cardinal Looks to the Male Northern Cardinal

But everything calmed down, the sparrow flew away, the female and the male northern cardinal got to get their seeds and everything went back to happy land. But it’s fun watching them. Do you have any favorite birds that you like seeing at your feeder? If so, I want to hear about it.

 

Let me know on our social media accounts. You can find us under the same name, Homestead in the Mitten. We'd love to hear from you. I think that's going to be it for today. Stay warm.