SNOWY DAYS AT BIRD FEEDERS

      When snow flies in the northeastern United States, seed-eating birds fly, too- straight to a source of readily available food, including at bird feeders.  Through a live camera and our computer screen, I regularly watch birds at a group of five feeders in a successional woods in southern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Those woods also have thickets, little, weedy open areas, and a stream flowing through.  The gray woodland and thickets offer shelter to the birds, gray squirrels, and flying squirrels at night.

     Well-stocked by Lancaster County Conservancy staff, those feeders are constantly visited by birds wintering in nearby woods and thickets.  Those birds are artificially concentrated because of the lure of the easily-obtained grain, but they are beautiful, and interesting to watch at the feeders, especially during snowy days.

     As snow falls, the many birds at the feeders seem exceptionally frantic to feed on seeds and grain.  Some, like Carolina chickadees and tufted titmice, constantly fly back and forth at the feeders, grab a seed each trip and fly off with it to eat.  Others, like mourning doves, American goldfinches and blue jays, may land on the tray and stuff themselves before flying away.

     I have seen 20 species of woodland and thicket birds at those feeders, up to the end of January of 2025.  Each kind of bird is lovely, and active, at the feeders, dawn to dusk, particularly in the snow-covered woods, providing much intriguing entertainment to those who watch, either at the feeders or on a computer screen.  There is almost always bird activity at the feeders, especially during snow falls.

     I have seen five species of woodpeckers, including downies, hairies, red-bellies, pileateds and flickers, eating suet, sunflower seeds and grain at the feeders.  Suet is animal fat they like because it supplements the insects they peck out of the trees.  One can see how they brace themselves upright with their stiff tail feathers and sharp toe nails.  Big as crows, pileateds are stately seen so close up.  And flickers are the most lovely of them all.  

     Other kinds of common, woodland birds I've daily noticed at those feeders include permanent resident Carolina chickadees, tufted titmice, white-breasted nuthatches, Carolina wrens and blue jays.  Each of these species is attractive in its own way, helping make watching birds more enjoyable and inspiring.  I particularly enjoy the beauties of titmice and Carolina wrens.  But many people think  the lively chickadees are adorable.  

     Seed-eating birds at those feeders in the woods include permanent residents northern cardinals, song sparrows, house finches, American goldfinches and mourning doves, and wintering white-throated sparrows and dark-eyed juncos.  I'm sure these birds are also eating tiny seeds from nearby weeds and grasses in the nearby, more open niches.  

     Of all the seed-eating birds, I think the white-throats and song sparrows are the most attractive.  Some folks, however, like the red of male cardinals.  

     Four or five eastern bluebirds are a surprise to me at the feeders.  In winter, bluebirds mostly ingest berries from trees, bushes and vines.  But here they also consume suet and seeds.  Bluebirds, male and female, are really attractive and are a great addition to any bird feeder in winter. 

     Sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks could be attracted to those feeders because both those raptor species specialize in ingesting birds.  Sharpies and Coops' sweep at those feeders from ambush and try to grab any birds not quick enough to get away.  

     At dusk, the birds quit feeding for the day and retreat to their overnight, sheltering roosts.  The woodpeckers, titmice, bluebirds and chickadees squeeze into tree cavities.  Doves, juncos and jays shelter for the night in needled, coniferous trees.  The cardinals and sparrows flit into dense, sheltering shrubbery.  There they are relatively safe from owls and other predators, and cold winter winds.

     Birds at feeders in winter are enjoyable to watch.  They are cheering and inspiring.             

                

     

     

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