Nature Note #195: Snow Birds
My "naturadar" was going off again today. Anyone is who in awe of the natural world possesses some form of this mechanism. Some people are only just discovering theirs, while others always seem distracted by the petals on a flower or the smell of the ocean in the wind. Mine is constantly on, scanning for signs of life in and around the house. While sitting in my parent's kitchen, I glanced out of the glass door leading out to the deck. Flecks of snow drifted quietly from the skies above while caramel oak leaves littered the ground, occasionally dancing to the wind before settling back down. The cloudy skies above almost disguised the flakes as they left their skyward home and descended haphazardly to the earth below. Further along the decks railing stood our well worn bird feeder swaying gently on its hook.
Our bird feeder is a large tube feeder with a metal top and bottom, plastic tubing, and stiff metal perches. The top bore the scars of squirrels trying to chew through the metal lid. The bottom was missing some of its metal perches. Some were missing due to pilfering by squirrels, while others were likely misplaced when it had been returned to some dingy part of the garage for the summer.
As if on cue, a small flock of birds appeared below the feeder, scouring the dropped sunflower seeds for unopened morsels that clumsier birds had spilled while poking about for the next seed. Graphite above with small, dark eyes, a white belly, and neat white edges to their tails, they were easy to identify. The juncos had arrived.
Despite their monochrome appearance, juncos are actually members of the New World sparrow family. While they lack the rich browns and tans seen on those species, they still share their small, conical bills, chunky bodies, and bright singing voices. If you get the chance to visit the mountain forests of the New Hampshire or Pennsylvania during the summer, you will be serenaded by a short sweet trill drifting from the treetops.
They fed quietly together, flicking their tails as they pecked at the ground, radiating out from the feeder. They were looking, pecking, and then looking some more. While we are privy to a variety of small birds that visit our feeders, these dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis) or snow birds are one of southern New England's migratory backyard birds. They, along with American tree sparrows (Spizelloides arborea), pine siskins (Spinus pinus), and in some places, evening grosbeaks (Coccothraustes vespertinus) only visit us during the winter before returning to Canada and the northern forested areas of the United States.
As the flurries fell from the sky, more birds visited the feeder. I love watching juncos work below a feeder as much as I love watching chickadees, jays, and cardinals visiting the feeder itself. Each bird has a different way that it finds food providing the viewer with an insight into feeding behaviors and preferences of their resident flock.
Some, like chickadees and jays, are hoarders. They are just as happy to dine politely (which is a bit of a stretch for the jays) at the feeder as they are dashing between the feeder and their hidden pantries nearby. Chickadees and their cousins, the titmice, will hide their seeds in the crevices of tree bark and branches. This is so that they can be prepared if they are unable to find any food later on in the winter. Jays, on the other hand, are more mischievous in their tactics. Not only do they hide nuts and seeds away from the bird tables in their own hiding places, they will steal from other jays and even squirrels in order to get their fill!
Cardinals and sparrows can be found on both twig and limb, but will also feed on the ground with the juncos. Using their conical bills, they carefully remove the husk of large seeds to gain access to the "meat" inside. They are so adept at doing so, that in the blink of an eye, the husks drop out of view and in time for the bird to grab another seed to begin the process all over again.
So, the next time you are refilling the bird feeder, keep an eye out for those snow birds. They'll be gone before you know it, winging their way home. I will be following their lead very soon, I hope.
Our bird feeder is a large tube feeder with a metal top and bottom, plastic tubing, and stiff metal perches. The top bore the scars of squirrels trying to chew through the metal lid. The bottom was missing some of its metal perches. Some were missing due to pilfering by squirrels, while others were likely misplaced when it had been returned to some dingy part of the garage for the summer.
As if on cue, a small flock of birds appeared below the feeder, scouring the dropped sunflower seeds for unopened morsels that clumsier birds had spilled while poking about for the next seed. Graphite above with small, dark eyes, a white belly, and neat white edges to their tails, they were easy to identify. The juncos had arrived.
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| Lone snow bird. Photo by me. |
They fed quietly together, flicking their tails as they pecked at the ground, radiating out from the feeder. They were looking, pecking, and then looking some more. While we are privy to a variety of small birds that visit our feeders, these dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis) or snow birds are one of southern New England's migratory backyard birds. They, along with American tree sparrows (Spizelloides arborea), pine siskins (Spinus pinus), and in some places, evening grosbeaks (Coccothraustes vespertinus) only visit us during the winter before returning to Canada and the northern forested areas of the United States.
As the flurries fell from the sky, more birds visited the feeder. I love watching juncos work below a feeder as much as I love watching chickadees, jays, and cardinals visiting the feeder itself. Each bird has a different way that it finds food providing the viewer with an insight into feeding behaviors and preferences of their resident flock.
Some, like chickadees and jays, are hoarders. They are just as happy to dine politely (which is a bit of a stretch for the jays) at the feeder as they are dashing between the feeder and their hidden pantries nearby. Chickadees and their cousins, the titmice, will hide their seeds in the crevices of tree bark and branches. This is so that they can be prepared if they are unable to find any food later on in the winter. Jays, on the other hand, are more mischievous in their tactics. Not only do they hide nuts and seeds away from the bird tables in their own hiding places, they will steal from other jays and even squirrels in order to get their fill!
Cardinals and sparrows can be found on both twig and limb, but will also feed on the ground with the juncos. Using their conical bills, they carefully remove the husk of large seeds to gain access to the "meat" inside. They are so adept at doing so, that in the blink of an eye, the husks drop out of view and in time for the bird to grab another seed to begin the process all over again.
So, the next time you are refilling the bird feeder, keep an eye out for those snow birds. They'll be gone before you know it, winging their way home. I will be following their lead very soon, I hope.
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