• Wednesday-What'sUP February 2 - 04:47 am

It always fascinates me that tiny little birds such as these caught on camera by Frederic Koski, can survive the harshest days of our U.P. winters. Both the Pine Siskin and the Goldfinch are about the same size and sometimes can be found together in flocks during the winter months UP North here. Their coloring is similar, with both species sporting yellow amongst their plumage, but the Goldfinch changes to a brighter yellow in the spring and summer. Between the two of them, the bird feeder is a flurry of activity, with the need to replenish the supply of seeds quite often.

The month of February is a busy one here in the Copper Country. Winter Carnival kicks off a week from today, and the ice-sculpture activity has already started on campus at MTU. Don't forget the potentially historic event scheduled at Sherman Field on Friday, February 10, as Tech sponsors a community attempt to break 3 world's records in one afternoon...

Cute birds and great close up shots!!
I think Spring is just around the corner as I have already been hearing some non year round resident birds here already singing in the early morning hours. I wonder if the ground hog tomorrow will agree??
Best wishes,
Renee in AL

Good morning from Mishawaka, IN. Great pictures of the birds. I'm with you Mary, Gods little featherd creatures are amazing. I have 3 or 4 layers of cloths on and go outside and I'm cold, but these little guys survive in the coldest weather. Truly amazing.

Love the pictures!

I love the birds. Keep us posted on the ice sculptures.

Well I hope those are just there winter coats because I have never seen a goldfinch look that big before. Looks like it ate a mouse. Have a great day everyone. Morning Debra

Nice pictures! We have so many birds in our backyard, but it's so hard to get great pictures like that. I love the little creatures. I shoot at the squirrels with my BB gun to keep them away from the bird food. It scares them away for a time anyway. Good morning everyone! January is over and it felt more like April for much of the month. It may as well continue and let's have an early spring and a beautiful summer and hope for snow next year.

most winters i feed about 30 goldfinches - this year there's one lonely finch among the feeder group

Hello FRED! Fines pictures!!!I also look Your albums.. .

you can see the snow sculptures develping on Mi Tech's web cams.

Maija- do you have the website for the MI TECH web cams? I would love to see the sculptures! Those birds are beautiful!

Great Photos Fred! I had a couple of Pine Siskins at my feeder in December. First time in years I have seen them. I wish they would have stayed around a few days longer for the Christmas bird count! Always have a nice flock of Goldfinches though as well as the other winter resident birds of Illinois.

MTU Webcams:

http://
www.admin.mtu.edu/urel/cams/

I can't believe the talented photographers on this site. Those photos are simply awesome.

Many thanks for the fine bird photos! I have (or thought I had) pine siskins also but mine have a reddish tint on their breasts. I have noticed the finches getting brighter in the spring also.

I agree that the photos here are wonderful. This is a wonderful site.

Once again I am amazed and awed at the awesome photographer who can capture a bird! Mr. Frederic Koski your patience and talents show! Congrats on the great shots!! My mother's (June) maiden name is Koski, perhaps we are distant cousins?

These shots are awesome!!! It takes a lot of patience to get birds on camera!!! I love the shots!!!

Love the birdie pics. One thing about this section of Indiana, is that we don't have that many interesting birds...at least not like in Michigan.
What I wouldn't give to be present and participate in the World Records on February 10th. Sigh.

Thanks for the kind comments.
Sometimes I wish the birds would just sit still.

Fred I just viewed your photo gallery and they are awesome!!! I can only dream of taking photo's like these. I try every year and maybe get one as nice as yours. GREAT JOB!!

Dotti - your reddish bird is likely a House Finch. For Yooper bird feeders, I've noted on the upbirds.org list serve that there seems to be an outbreak of salmonellis (sp?) among Pine Siskins this winter. If you observe sick siskins or finches or find dead ones, contact the local MDNR office, they'd want to know. And if you suspect you have sick birds at your feeders, take them all down, wash them out with a bleach solution, and don't put them back up for two weeks.

and those are GREAT photos, btw!

Andrew, thanks for the info on my reddish birds. I have always had tons of them here in West Virgina. I have noticed over the years that we occasionally have some of them that seem to go blind. Eyes are red/swollen shut and you can get very close to them. They struggle to get to feeder. Any ideas? Thanks! Dotti

Dotti, check here, but it sounds like conjunctivitis to me. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/hofi/