Many of you may never have seen these guys. They breed in the arctic and winter through the northern US. Although we see them quite often in the fields around here in the winter, this is the first time in 20 odd years that we've ever had any visit the feeders. Not the greatest photos, taken through the kitchen window with a telephoto in yesterdays snow storm, and then cropped as well, but good enough to get an idea of what they look like. Pretty little things.

wow cute, I wonder what they get to eat in all that snow.

So sweet! Did you throw out some seed?

In the winter they're primarily seed eaters. I think they came to the feeders because the snow is so deep, and the snowbanks have narrowed the roads so much. We usually see them in good size flocks, often along the roadsides (where the snow usually melts off first), or flying low over the fields, where the wind sometimes makes bare spots. There just hasn't been any melting to speak of and I suspect they're getting hard up.
Oh yeah, there's always sunflower seeds out there for the birds, we go through about 100 pounds a month during the winter. I don't think these guys ever got any though. They just sat on the top of the snowbank and looked for a while, then flew off. The seeds on the ground (snow) were getting covered up too quickly by snow, and I don't know that they knew how to use the feeders. As I said, we've never seen them at a feeder before.

neat so cute

Great shot. Hope you get more.

They are cute.Thanks for sharing.

Nice... We don't get those down our way

Those are great pics Nate. I think they're adorable. But that snow is making me shiver! It's time for spring!