I like keeping an eye on Mom's bird feeders. And one thing we noticed right away was: once the mercury got under 10 degrees, the birds lost their feet! They became feathery puffs sitting on the ground, or railing, or twig, using their down to cover their otherwise exposed feet and legs.
Look, all these birds, and no legs! A White-Breasted Nuthatch, which is usually seen creeping up and down tree trunks, making like a marshmallow peep on the deck rail.
And an American Tree Sparrow puffing it up on a small branch.
Believe it or not, not every picture I take is glamorous, as this American Goldfinch caught mid-munch can tell you.
Saving the best for last, a Blue Jay showing us only its toes. What was really interesting was that most of the birds seemed to relax the puff rule right about 10-12 degrees. Which is way too cold for me to think about letting my toes hang out!
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