Backyard feeders attract the usual mix of songbirds on most days. Chickadees, cardinals, house finches, house sparrows, titmice, downy woodpeckers, goldfinches, blue jays, nuthatches and mourning doves are among the more common visitors. During the colder months, they are joined by juncos, white-throated sparrows, hairy woodpeckers and purple finches.
When snow or ice cover the fields and coat the trees, the number of visitors at backyard feeders can swell dramatically. In addition, more reclusive species are often enticed to join them. Today, a fox sparrow turned up at our feeder; though a fairly common winter resident in Missouri, this handsome sparrow prefers dense thickets, where he usually feeds alone or in small groups. Noticeably larger than the other sparrows and juncos beneath the feeder, he has a gray face, heavily-streaked breast and rust-colored tail. While it often takes a winter storm to send him by, the fox sparrow is always a welcome visitor.
