Every year we look forward to an influx of colorful birds in our yard. The numbers generally pick up in January, and usually coincide with colder temperatures. While birds are here at any given time throughout the year, there is more obvious activity at the feeders during the winter months:

What do we do to attract the birds?  One thing we do is provide a variety of seeds, nuts and berries in several different bird feeders.  Black oil sunflower seed, hulled sunflower nuts, peanut pieces, safflower seed, nijer seed, and suet is available and enjoyed by many different birds.  Here are some birds on the suet feeders:

Here are others on the seed feeders:

  Nijer (Thistle Seed) feeder:

Despite the food offerings, probably the most important thing we do is offer water. Birds love bird seed, but they need water. We started out with a heated birdbath which the birds really love because it prevents the water from freezing over:

Last summer we also installed a meandering stream. It has proven to be an attractive addition and/or alternative to the birdbath and I've immensely enjoyed watching the birds get to know it:

Something else that helps to make the birds feel safe is having some shelter, such as evergreens or bushes/shrubs that don't lose their leaves in the winter. We planted Leyland Cypress on either side of the house, and birds can frequently be seen resting on the bows of the trees, seemingly hidden from sight (except for mine!):

We also have holly trees in the front yard, and on either side of the house. This morning I spotted this colorful guy up in the icy-covered branches:

Many birds don't even go to the feeders, but enjoy the food that drops to the ground:

Even when birds aren't eating, they are simply fun to watch, as they hop on railings, bird feeder poles or tree branches:

I hope you've enjoyed these photos--I have captured them all within the past couple of weeks. Our weather has finally gotten cold and we've had a little snow a couple of times and even a minor 'icing'. I've said it before, but I do believe it: Winter is for the birds!

What do you do to attract birds?

Last Thursday found the edges and still sections of our stream glazed over with ice crystals. It was a pretty sight to view up close:

The next day, I awoke extra-early and glanced outside to see an unusually fiery, spectacular sunrise:

There's an old saying that goes, 'Red sky in the morning, sailor's take warning'...but that did not end up applying. As it turned out, last Friday was a pretty day and no 'warnings' were necessary.

The dogs spent more time than usual romping around in the back yard. It was not at all cold--quite mild, as I remember--although I don't recall the exact temperature:

Later that afternoon, I remembered the boxes that had been sitting in the garage since mid-November. Their contents were not 'inexpensive' yet I had lazily set them aside, seemingly willing to forget them. The two shipments of spring bulbs had arrived in the mail well into the fall planting season and I had promptly placed them in the garage, where they sat, as one excuse led to another and I (almost) made peace with the fact that they would rot and I'd just throw them all out. Thanksgiving, Christmas and even New Years Day passed by until, finally, this uncommonly beautiful Friday in January jump-started me into taking a look at them. Out of 433 bulbs, only the Erythronium 'Pagoda' had gotten soft and begun to rot. Suddenly I was excited that the remaining bulbs (all 428 of them!) were fine.

When I proclaimed that I would tackle the bulbs on Saturday, I had no idea that I would wake up to what could have passed as spring--maybe even summer in some climates--but that's exactly what happened! It turned out to be a 70 degree day! So in jeans and just a t-shirt, I planted about half of them in the backyard gardens and along the fence in the side yard:

Sunday turned out to be slightly cooler, but 50 degrees was still great bulb-planting weather and jeans and a light jacket were all that were needed. The ground was still workable, so I got everything else in except for 40 Narcissi, the 3 Allium and a few Crocus and Anemone--which I saved for the following day.

What I didn't foresee was that Monday would bring 30 degree temps and snow--and with it, my ski-jacket and wool hat! Nonetheless, I finished the job, planting the remaining bulbs in pots on the deck:

It felt good to have planted hope! I am looking forward to the color they will bring in mid to late winter and early to mid spring!

Additional views of Muscari plantings:

...Iris reticulata plantings along stream edges:

Since our brief snow on Monday, the weather has remained moderately temperate. Last night we had a long, soaking rain. Today was up into the 60's. I am wondering if all of the bulbs I planted are going to rot in the ground. When will winter arrive? Here in northern Virginia, it's keeping us guessing. Has it arrived where you live?

*List of Bulbs planted include: 10 Fritillaria meleagris; 3 Allium 'Globemaster'; 30 Anemone blanda 'White Splendour'; 90 Iris reticulata; 30 Scilla siberica; 30 Muscari 'Valerie Finnis'; 30 Dutch Crocus (Blue/White Striped); 100 Species Crocus--50 'Ruby Giant' and 50 'Romance'; and 105 Narcissus--25 'Jetfire', 20 Dutch Master, 20 'Orangery', 20 'Professor Einstein' and 20 'Tahiti'.

Today I'm thankful for the flowers that continue to bloom in my mid-November garden:

                                                                                                                                                                   (*click on photos to enlarge)

...and in the containers, a few colorful blooms also remain:

Yesterday was Garden Bloggers Bloom Day at May Dreams Gardens. Despite a yard full of leaves covering just about every inch of garden space, I wanted to share the few colorful blooms that managed to survive our recent bizarre temperature fluctuations and unusual precipitation in the form of frost, snow and rain, interspersed with temps between the 30's and 70's on any given day.

Now, here is what my gardens REALLY look like right now:

It isn't much to look at, is it?! The leaves continue to fall--and the trees are still mostly full(!) The oaks won't lose their leaves much later...so I will probably not clean up the yard until mid-to-late winter.  The leaves serve as a protective cover for the perennials and I like the way the landscape looks when the snow falls on my perennials, so I probably won't cut them back until later, as well. There are a few winter bloomers, such as Hellebore, that I will uncover a bit later, to be sure not to miss those pretty blooms. Everything else can just wait.

Oops, this turned out to be a more 'Wordy' Wednesday than I'd planned...oh well...

Here's wishing you a wonderful week!