I know that I've made a point that I don't "feed" the birds because my backyard is filled with natural food. In winter, the goldfinches hang onto the sweet gum balls and pull out the seeds--it's a wonderful balancing act. Those "helicopters" that fall from trees also are filled with a "seed" in the part that hurts your foot when you walk on them. In the spring and summer, my apple tree provides fruit as do my autumn olive bush and mimosa tree (both pest plants, but I keep them trimmed to avoid neighboring harm). So today, my entire back yard had every type of bird going for seed from my trees and worms in the wet ground. I have neighbors on either side feeding them with bird feeders, so I know they are probably getting enough, but it's days like these I feel grateful for keeping my back yard more wild than groomed. :) After this Cardinal cracked his helicopter nut in his mouth, he found a delicious bug (worm maybe) to slurp up as a chaser.
Taken through the window, so not as sharp as I would have liked, but used "P" to let the camera do its work in low light and a dirty window.
I like that seed pod in his mouth. Great capture. What happened to that nifty lantern bird feeder you used to have? Several of my feeders have been dismantled by squirrels I suspect. Some have even vanished.
@catwoman2 I gave it away. I ended up spending $50 to buy feeders for a gift of 40 lbs. of feed someone gave me for my birthday last year (she assumed I had feeders). Once the feed was gone, I found a nice home for both feeders. :)
Congratulations on the second-place too! that is amazing but not surprising!