It’s a cozy morning here in the house as I awake to a very frosty and icy late February morning – further convincing me that February and March got mixed up on our weather calendar.
I took a quick walk outside to get the bird feeders filled and operating after that a heavy layer of ice coated them. The birds will be very happy for the bird feed today with most of their natural food supply encrusted by ice and little chance that we will see above freezing temps for a while. While I enjoy being home and retired, I appreciate the many who are out and about doing their work to keep the roads safe, those in public safety and health care, and so many other people who are providing for us in various other ways. thank you!
I have been enjoying a good winter of birding with more free time – often with my birding friend, Rick. It seems like we are on a perpetual scavenger hunt for birds. It’s really fun and gets us out and about. We continue to use eBird a lot to record our sightings and to see what reports are coming through regarding unusual bird sightings around the state – especially here in Western New York. Though the primary spring migration is still two months away spring is already making itself known in several respects.
If you feed the birds, chances are that you have had a few red-winged blackbirds stop by. Today a big flock is already here gobbling up some feed with an occasional cowbird and grackle mixed in. More will be coming.
Another less common blackbird to watch for is the rusty blackbird. Look it up so you are prepared in case one – or several – show up. And, yes, a few robins are showing up here and there, probably the ones that will be nesting here along with cardinals and mourning doves in April. Great-horned owls and bald eagles are already nesting.
But right now it is still winter and we will likely still get a good dose of it in March. Many northern visitors to New York will remain here well into April and these could include northern shrike, rough-legged hawk, American tree sparrows, and snow buntings. You may see large flocks of these snow buntings – small whitish-silvery birds – fly up from the road sides or across open fields as you drive through the countryside.
Speaking of country roads, horned larks are spreading out into smaller groups as well and starting to pair off into their nesting territories. In icy/snowy weather like this, they are easy to find along a roadside. If you pull over and take a closer look at them you will be impressed with their neat facial design which includes two “horns!”
Northern visitors that can stay well into May include evening grosbeaks, pine siskins, short-eared owls, and the white-throated and white-crowned sparrows. This has been the winter for evening grosbeaks returning to Western New York in significant numbers. They have formed flocks and have found certain bird feeding stations that they like for the whole winter. Unfortunately for me, and many of you, we have none while others do! Back in November one lone male was stopped by our feeders for about a half hour. They are beautiful birds.
Speaking of grosbeaks, it will be very late in April and early May when the pretty rose-breasted grosbeaks will return – two months from now! There is another grosbeak, called the pine grosbeak, which rarely comes far south from Canada. However, if they come, the best chance of seeing them is along the south shore of Lake Ontario – often to feed on tree fruits and berries. Well, this winter there have been two of them pretty consistently hanging out in Webster Park just east of Irondequoit Bay. We made a trip up there to see them and were successful. Webster Park is really nice – a great place to see many birds due to its many plantings. Another really neat birding hotspot (great for hiking, too) up that way is Durand-Eastman Park a little to the west along the lake. If you use eBird it helps you to find out what’s being seen out there and helps you locate some new and interesting birds.
If you are a bluebird enthusiast it is getting to be time to clean, fix, re-locate, or make some new boxes. I’ve been making a few to sell, but mostly to replace some old ones and to add to some new locations. I’ve also been making some kestrel boxes. If you have a bunch of winter bluebirds hanging around, you may find that they are all roosting in one of your nest boxes. In that case, I would still leave a little soft grass or nesting material in there for them until about mid-March – otherwise it is time to clean them out. Some nest boxes may have white-footed deer mice in them. If you leave the box open, they will move out. When you scrape out the mouse nest, it may be quite stinky (if you know what I mean) so it’s good to leave the box open for a week or so, so it can dry out and will keep the deer mice from moving back in .
I mention it often, but keeping your handwritten list of 2023 bird sightings and the first day you see them is great fun. Try using eBird as it is a very valuable tool.
Meanwhile, have fun “scavenging” for birds – like a scavenger hunt. It keeps you active and you can do it while you are doing other things!
Hans Kunze is an avid birder and nature enthusiast who has been writing about birds and nature for more than 30 years. He writes for The Livingston County News twice per month. Write him at 6340 LaGrange Rd Wyoming, NY 14591 or call (585) 813-2676.
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