These days it’s so cold out I have to really bundle up just to fill the feeders, but even those little five-minute trips have some interesting sightings. Today I saw a Mourning Dove, which isn’t very common in my yard. I’ve also seen lots of Northern Cardinals at the feeders, and yesterday I found a flock of twenty House Sparrows out my window, eating seeds off the ground. I even saw a Common Grackle, a species which has usually migrated by now, eating fallen seeds below my feeder this morning! And of course, there are always plenty of Black-capped Chickadees, which make me smile no matter how cold it is.
Winter can be pretty dull for a birder, since so many birds have gone south- only a few hardy species join us humans in toughing out the winter here. I haven’t seen any winter finches this year, which is a disappointment, but luckily or unluckily there’s still a lot of winter left for that to happen!
One of the only things for me to look forward to this winter, as far as birding goes, is the trip to Sax-Zim Bog I’m hoping to make. I went last year, and it was a blast! This year, I’m hoping to find some owls- the bog is known as a hotspot for owl sightings, but last year I didn’t see a single one. I only wish I could visit during the annual Winter Bird Festival, which is canceled this year due to COVID-19. Still, I’m really excited just to be there and hopefully rack up some new species! In the meantime, I’ve been lurking on their website, which is awesome and even includes some video birding trips for those of us who can’t wait to visit.
So until that happens, I’ll be filling the feeders and watching out the window- got to save up all the warmth I can before I brave a day in the cold!