There is so much pushing and shoving on the platform that a lot of the feed ends up on the ground!

lovely pic Lori, are these bluebirds, similar to our blue tits,

Great to see them...

The floor under my feeders is filthy with seed left-overs, but I can't complain because there have been up to about 50 little goldfinches and chaffinches every morning on the ground picking it all up!

Hi Sandra: They are Blue Jays. I see the resemblance with their crest but they are a much larger bird than the bluetit.
Hi Janey: There are 8 of them...and they are very noisy.
They're like a three ring circus...they move so fast that getting decently focussed pictures of them is a bit of a challenge.
Sounds like the same problem here, Karen! The 'jays can be quite assertive...they take over the platform and it's king-of-the-castle. I have so many pictures of them with their beak open, feathers ruffled and crest extended in an aggressive pose,..with each other! (not perfectly focussed though) But I don't complain because they happily hop to ground to consume what they've scattered...(Maybe it's a tactic) lol. strangely I've only seen a few sparrows and one nuthatch...and no goldfinches or grosbeaks.

Great photo - thanks for showing us, Lori. But what a lot of snow . . . no wonder you're fed up with winter. Bet you have a big log fire indoors every day?!

Its lovely to see them Lori.....

I found a dead goldfinch today Lori...:(( Cats :((

Aww... It's instinct for them to hunt...I had an old cat who was a killing machine when it came to birds...but he wouldn't touch a mouse! Winter is a reaper too...it takes the weaker ones.
Sheila: you will think I'm totally strange..with all the lovely wood around..but I have an allergic reaction to wood smoke. The stove we have is very modern and "air tight"...so fumes don't escape into the room..(only heated air circulated by a special fan on the back of the stove..). Regardless of the wood stove's efficiency hubby and I prefer to use the oil heated furnace. (not very green of us I know and maybe next winter will be different, but we're just getting used to this house.)
It's so great to see the flashes of blue and white near our back door, Milky. I'm still trying to get a photo (a good one) of the Pileated Woodpeckers, so I can complete my blog trilogy about the bush lot.

Oh no! What a bummer of an allergy, Lori! I love the smell of burning wood, and it's a treat on a winter Sunday afternoon to light the fire and sit down with a cuppa and jumbo crossword. :)

Oh...I could succumb to that temptation, Sheila! (without the smoke, though) it sounds like heaven. Enjoy.

how nice to be visited by so many birds

Hello Jackie... There is a birdwatchers forum in the local paper and people near me are seeing a family of Bald Eagles, Cedar Waxwings...and Cardinals. I'm hoping they come my way soon!