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My husband gave me a gift that I first thought very unromantic, even dull: a birdbath warmer. I realize now that this floppy, horseshoe-shaped device has softened my dread of winter.

The winter songbirds are a spirited bunch, and watching them from the breakfast counter as they drink and bathe is almost as stimulating as that first strong cup of coffee.

There are the little juncos that look like golden- beaked eggs dipped in chocolate, the fearless tiny bush tits, the mountain chickadee with his little bike-racer cap, and the dapper northern flicker with his black bib. An occasional nuthatch is a special guest.

If you don't watch birds from your window, you might never notice them. They're even trickier to observe outside. But from behind the glass, you can enrich your world exponentially.

Seeing a new bird at your birdbath is like sampling a complex chocolate elixir--when you take in the beauty of its markings, the behavior of its mate and the peculiarity of its movements. And, if you step outside to hear its unique song, you receive an even greater reward.

Updated 1/28/11; originally posted 2/7/09.

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