Spring is peeking over the horizon. The time for winter feeding is coming to an end and a fragrant new season is beginning to unfold. In the December issue I promised to share recipes and less-expensive alternatives for feeding our feathered friends. What to feed depends on the birds you want to attract. The labels on prepackaged bird food will list the birds that are attracted to each particular mix. Wild West has 14 varieties to choose from. Experimenting with different mixes gives the opportunity to find what works best before attempting to create your own beak-watering recipes.

It seems strangely odd to utter the words "songbird" and "predator" in the same sentence. Yet those words perfectly describe the shrike, a bird species unlike any other. The two species of shrikes found in North America are the Northern Shrike and the Loggerhead Shrike. The two are found in Washington at different times of year although they do overlap in some places. I have only seen the Loggerhead once while living in Wenatchee. This winter I met the Northern for the first time. What a thrill!