By this point if February many of us who are not on the slopes on the weekend are pretty tired of winter. The many grey days can feel a little gloomy for some, but a look at these beautiful gifts of nature can certainly help lift that foggy feeling and put a smile on our faces as we watch them flying about as they feed on the seeds we happily provide them in our backyards.

Pictured above: Top left, a white throated sparrow flies in to perch next to a house sparrow. Top right, male northern cardinal alongside a house sparrow. Bottom left A European starling in winter plumage alongside a house sparrow. This non-native species does something that no other bird species does. They gather in group and fly in what is called murmurations, after the sound their wings make as they fly. While 10,000 starlings in a murmuration might seem like a lot, it is dwarfed by a spectacular sight seen in Rome where gathered starlings can number TEN MILLION!

This is a sight worth viewing: BBC Earth Starling Murmuration not just for the sight but for the effect it has on the city.

At right, a male house sparrow flies by a female northern cardinal.

Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.

From left to right, northern cardinal, male and female, tufted titmouse, house finch.

Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.

Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.