It always amazes me how some birds thrive in the cold Montana winters. I feed them year-round at our bird habitat at Moss Mountain Inn on the edge of the Apgar Mountains, and I have been recording their migration patterns in and out of the Glacier area for five years.

While I love the colorful goldfinches and hummingbirds of summer, the hardy winter birds are special visitors. Daily we see all three species of Chickadee, Steller's Jays, White and Red-breasted Nuthatches, Evening Grosbeaks, Gray Jays, Northern Flickers, Pine Siskins, and several species of woodpecker. If all goes according to plan, the dark-eyed Juncos will be arriving soon.

Of all the birds, my favorite is the cheerful Chestnut-backed Chickadee who, no matter how bad the weather, always looks like she's sunning on a beach in the Caribbean. They keep my winter spirits soaring.