White Throats, Red Feathers, Mourning Doves

A heavy wet snowfall has led to the usual crowd of feathered folk on and under the feeders. Counted 15 Mourning Doves, 4 pairs of Cardinals (I don't always see both the male and the female, but if I see four females I usually assume the same number of males are present or at least close by), 10 or 11 Juncos, the pair of Red-bellies, a Downy or two, several White-breasted Nuthatches, White-throated (pictured), Song and House (not really a sparrow- they're a weaver finch and an import) Sparrows, up to ten Blue Jays and a few Carolina Chickadees. There's also a Carolina Wren- the Red-bellied's sloppy eating habits benefit it as the wren scavenges up the little bits of suet the woodpeckers and Starlings drop. The doves and the Song and White-throated sparrows as well as the Juncos feed on what the House Sparrows drop out of the seed feeder. The Blue Jays get the sunflower seed on the deck- it appears that they eat them whole, which implies they've got a pretty good digestive system.