Bird watching on an unusually warm February weekend
Sitting out on the deck listening to a podcast comfortably in February, I noticed something different that so far this winter either avoided our eyes or just never showed up. The number of bird species in the yard this winter lags about 25% behind last winter.
The day started with a couple racoons chattering away outside my bedroom window about quarter to five. I was glad we locked down the pigeons that night, I’m sure the racoons were headed to the coop looking for meal. I got up and sent the dogs out to chase them away.
Since I was up, I worked a couple hours on inside chores, an hour of inside projects, some cooking, and then getting ready for the day. From the time I stepped into the shower to the time I stepped out the plans changed. I just gained a whole unexpected afternoon to get stuff done.
I thought about a walk, a drive, or taking the dogs to the woods for a short run. I thought about the projects that need doing so that when the lakes open up I can just fish. But back spasms started; any bending or leaning forward leads to this. The answer remains the same, rest and ice. Resting in a lawn chair out on the deck in February; who would have thought? Birds flocked into the feeders. The chickadees were the bravest with me sitting just feet away. I thought about how often chickadees break up a long boring sit on the stand. Landing on your hat or gun barrel. The downy woodpeckers flew in, but kept eying me with their left then their right eye back to the left and then flying off. After about a quarter hour of the chickadees enjoying the feeders to themselves, the white breasted nuthatches, juncos, and yellow bull finches started working in slowly. After that one of the downy woodpeckers worked up the courage to jump on a tallow feeder and start feasting. Soon others did the same - the cardinals, pine siskins, and redpolls. And then a house finch appeared.
He commanded the feeder he sat upon, none of the other species challenged him. None challenged the female that arrived shortly after on another feeder. A second female landed on the feeder the male fed from and they shared. On the 25th of February house finches finally visited our feeders.
I think this mild snowless winter means the birds don’t seek out the feeders as much. To survive on only black sunflower seeds, most songbirds need to eat half their weight a day in seeds. For a chickadee that can be about 150 seeds. The chickadees often take a seed from the feeder, fly to a tree, and break the shells on a branch. Yet other species of birds eat the seeds whole.
When a few inches of snow fell and the temps dropped this winter, the birds flocked to the feeders. Some of them were drained of seed in a day. Most of this winter the feeders only needed filling every fourth day. Last year, it was at least every other day.
Last year bluejays were at the feeders all day long. This year, a few come to the feeders early in the morning and fly off. Without the snow the birds can find other sources of food is my theory. Because when snow and cold were here this year there were plenty of bluejays all day long. I thought about all the venison I put in the freezer because a bluejay announced the approach of a deer from a direction I wasn’t looking.
Maybe the birds get sick of black sunflower seeds, maybe they want a change of pace. But we feed black sunflower seeds and some tallow. With the weather warming up I’m taking the tallow down. It attracts hungry bear fresh out of hibernation and they do a lot of damage in one night on the deck.
The birds suddenly scattered for the spruce. A bald eagle drifted high overhead gliding east.
Several days earlier I noticed a kestrel not far from the house and later that day a pair of redtails. I also saw some of my stupider training pigeons flying around and over the redtails.
By the time the sun set, my back felt better. I learned a thing or two. But mostly, maybe at my age I learned that taking time to sit and watch the birds in February isn’t a bad thing.
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