A fox sparrow stands out with a snowy backdrop.

Who would have guessed that the Long Beach Peninsula would get so much snow? A dusting perhaps, but not this much. It did not phase the birds. They came out in droves. Snow covered much of their natural food, so our feeders were inundated. They were busy all day.

Fifteen species appeared in the yard.

Bird-feeding tips

If you choose to feed birds, please keep the following in mind:

• Use tube feeders for birds to reduce accumulations of droppings that can spread disease; if you use platform feeders, provide only a day’s worth of seed at a time.

• Clean and disinfect feeders at least once a month with a solution of one part bleach to nine parts warm water; rinse and dry disinfected feeders thoroughly before re-filling.

• Pick up spilled food or waste from the ground at least once a week.

• Discard feed that is wet, looks or smells moldy, has fungus on it or has been contaminated by rodents.

• Locate feeders where there is no immediate cover for cats to wait in ambush, but close enough to cover to allow birds to escape natural predators like hawks.

—Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Raptors and two Anna’s hummingbirds were among the visitors.

A dozen or more dark-eyed juncos fed for nearly every minute of the day.

Four fox sparrows, two song sparrows and four spotted towhees came by to scratch in the leaves to see what was hiding beneath the mulch. They also gobbled up the millet that I threw on the snow for the ground feeders. By the end of the day even European starlings were drawn to the feeders. A dozen of them showed up.

There was an increase in the number of chestnut-backed chickadees today too, and one lone black-capped chickadee took advantage of the feeder filled with black oil seed. The suet was demolished by the end of the day.

Snowy flakes falling along with a bit of sleet and what looked like snow pellets gave us all a beautiful 2021 white Christmas, including the birds.