My friend Andrée from Quebec sent me a bunch of photos from her yard this winter. The siskin and redpoll numbers are staggering. The photos speak for themselves … Thanks Andrée.
Redpolls and siskins north of the border
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For the Birds: More of what readers are seeing
The reports keep coming in, so why not dedicate another column to what our neighbors are seeing in their yards?
Eric from Surry wrote to say he can’t keep up with the goldfinches and pine siskins and their appetites for thistle (Nyjer) seed. He said it’s been a while since goldfinches have visited his yard in large numbers, but this winter has been different.
Eric also has a few Carolina wrens that have been around all winter, while juncos have been around in large numbers. The juncos, as well as a handful of cardinals visit early, so Eric has to make sure the feeders are filled before dawn. Now that’s dedication to the birds and this great hobby. He also gets the usual woodpeckers in addition to red-bellied woodpeckers and yellow-bellied sapsuckers.
Continue readingA few shots from a recent trip to Florida
I ventured out of New England last week to visit my brother in southwestern Florida. Here are a few shots I got in my travels. Two of my brothers and I went to Marco Island to see burrowing owls, but came up empty. We arrived in the middle of the afternoon and they were all hunkered in their burrows. By chance, two days later I was in Cape Coral, which is the other hotspot for these beautiful birds. I got up early and found my target.
Thanks for looking and indulging me. Back to New England for my next post.
In honor of goldfinches
I often receive photos of birds from readers, but it’s not often that I get poems about our New England birds. Cyndy Martell from Peterborough, N.H., sent in this tribute to American goldfinches, which have been plentiful in her yard this winter.
Winter Goldfinches Galore
(A Phenomenon One Cannot Ignore)
By Cyndy Martell
So many Goldfinches
Clutching the feeders
Is frustrating at best
To accurately calculate.
So many Goldfinches
Bouncing on branches
Of bushy trampolines
Ever ready to evacuate.
So many Goldfinches
Take flight impulsively
Crashing into windows
Sadly sealing their fate.
So many Goldfinches
Studied by Chickadees
Who sit and just wait
But are seldom irate.
So many Goldfinches
Not in summer gold
But in winter’s green
Singing in sweet debate.
For the Birds: Seedy winter for many birds
At a certain point, my shared driveway splits in two. My neighbor is off to the right. I’m on the left. A row of about 10 eastern hemlocks separates the driveways.
The other day as I drove down the driveway before it splits, I noticed hundreds of little hemlock cones under the trees. Maybe thousands. It instantly brought me back to one of my favorite winter birding moments.
I was still relatively new to birdwatching when I took a long walk in Pisgah State Park. The park has several entrance points. The one I used on this day was my favorite entrance. The trail from the parking lot leads down a long hill. Once at the bottom of the hill, it’s like the rest of the world is a million miles away. No houses, cars or anything. Just woods and other interesting habitats to explore and enjoy.
Continue readingA few more bluebird photos
Here are a few more eastern bluebird photos I managed to get in addition to the one I used to support my last column, which may be found here. It appears to be another good year for seeing bluebirds this New England winter as I’ve heard from several readers who have seen these beauties.
For the Birds: Bluebirds highlight winter walk
My foot was finally feeling a little better so I figured I’d try a short bird walk. Turns out, it wasn’t ready for prime time. I walked a few hundred yards on the uneven snowy terrain and had to turn back.
The little I did manage to walk was along a wood’s edge with good, thick brush forming a barrier, perfect for birds to hide in. A lone white-throated sparrow and a lone tree sparrow were the only birds I saw, however. There was also a male cardinal, but he never left his protected spot among the bramble and I could spy only specks of red.
On my way back, I noticed a white-breasted nuthatch and a woodpecker in a big tree beyond the truck. I figured it was worth a closer look because I had seen a yellow-bellied sapsucker in that very tree some time ago. It turned out to be a downy woodpecker, and it had flown off to a more distant tree by the time I hobbled over there anyway.
Not all was lost, though, as the detour led me to a small flock of eastern bluebirds. Some were perched in the low branches of a nearby tree, and some were in the brush picking at berries of some sort.
Continue readingThe day after the storm, take 1
Here are a few photos from the calm after the storm. It’s still bitterly cold in New England, but the sun is shining brightly.
Storm photos, take 5
Here are a few leftover photos from yesterday’s storm.
Storm photos, take 4
A montage of snowy bird photos wouldn’t be complete without a junco, so here you go. Also, a blue jay as a bonus.
Birds of New England.com 