More birds at the feeders in my yard this morning than I have seen all winter: starlings, goldfinches, huge flock of sparrows, grosbeaks, the usual chickadees, a couple of nuthatches & my regular woodpeckers, a downy & a hairy. We’ve had a lot of rain, freezing rain, snow & sleet, which has left a packed layer of ice over much of the landscape; but at the same time the weather has been warmer than usual for early February, so the birds have been hanging around at our altitude but probably finding less to eat. The feeders, then, are a real attraction. I’ve also been scattering sunflower & thistle seeds on the crusty snow for the ground feeders. It was delightful to go out this morning & hear not just a few thin chickadee calls but a whole chorus of birdsong, a veritable parliament of birds discoursing.