Winter is a great time to bird. Leaves are off the trees and shrubs, so it is a heck of a lot easier to see birds that are hidden in foliage in spring and summer. Fruiting trees and shrubs such as crabapple, Korean mountain ash, dogwood, winterberry, and others simply glow red against the snow with what appears to be an abundant year of fruits. The fruits of our Korean mountain ash are already attracting flocks of cedar waxwings (up to 30 at a sitting), cardinals, and bluebirds.
The grasses and other plants Pam has planted provide plenty of seeds for seedeaters like juncos, goldfinches, house finches, and sparrows. Nuthatches, chickadees, and tufted titmice prefer the sunflower hearts we put in our feeders. Downy, hairy, and red-bellied woodpeckers enjoy the suet we put out, while also eating the sunflower hearts.
Blue jays at the feeder.. (Photo by David Durrant)
David built a separate platform feeder for ground feeders and blue jays. We can have up to a dozen blue jays squabbling on the feeder for the black oil sunflower seeds. Blue jays are usually in pairs in the summer breeding season. As winter approaches, they congregate in large groups that provide more eyes for spotting predators and also help in locating food that is harder to find in the winter. Screeching flocks of blue jays harass raptors and owls. Following the raucous calls of blue jays is often a good way to detect owls or raptors that would otherwise remain unnoticed and hidden in foliage.
One does not necessarily have to be outside to enjoy the birds. It is a good time to settle down in a comfortable chair with your bird guide and take the time to study the birds that come to your feeder. The other day after the snowstorm we did just that and in the course of 30 minutes saw four species of sparrows. Sparrows are easy to ignore, as they are all similar small brown birds, or “LBJs” (little brown jobs) in birding lingo. They typically forage around the base of feeders looking for seed on the ground. Taking the time to sort out the LBJs, we immediately saw the ever-present English house sparrow—easy to identify because it is always around and all too familiar. Another small brown bird got our attention with its long tail, stripy body, and dark chest spot—a song sparrow. A white-throated sparrow then flew in, probably the easiest to identify with its white throat and yellow lores. A real surprise was the presence of a chipping sparrow, notable for its rufous cap. We have those around all summer, but I was surprised to see this single bird out of its typical winter range—maybe this species is another that is moving north as a result of our warming planet.
Birds of prey
Our grandson George loves to sit at the window watching the action at the feeders and can already, at 2½ years old, identify several species. A recent program at the library on North American birds of prey caught our attention, as George loves owls and hawks. David thought it would be great to take George. Unfortunately the minimum age was 6 (anybody under that may be considered prey and therefore a distraction to the live raptors in the show) so David went on his own. Jim Parks, a bird rehabilitator from Wingmasters, brought a male and female peregrine falcon, a red-tailed hawk, and barred, great-horned, and screech owls. He described the differences in plumage and size of each one and how and what they hunt. Every one of the 50 or so attendees (around three-quarters were children) was able to get close and observe the birds. It was gratifying to see so many children in attendance and to hear that many of them had good knowledge of bird behavior. Jim acknowledged that owls are particularly hard to find because they are nocturnal and when roosting during the day are so well camouflaged that they blend in with the trees on which they are perched. As mentioned earlier, blue jays are especially good at finding these birds.
Irruptive species
As winter progresses, be on the lookout for irruptive species that may come down from Maine and farther north in search of food. Birch and cone crops are reportedly poor in Ontario and in northeastern North America, so we can expect an irruption of winter finches. First to come, if not already here, are common redpolls. Pine siskins and purple finches are also a possibility, as are crossbills. Evening and pine grosbeaks are expected to stage a moderate flight this year. Mountain ash berries to the north of us are scarce so we will be hoping to see grosbeaks at our Korean mountain ashes that are loaded with fruit this year—stay tuned!
David and Pamela Durrant live on East Bare Hill Road at Micheldever Farm, where they have observed and recorded over 80 species of birds on the farm and adjacent conservation lands.
