It’s in your nature: Uncommon winter visitors

Well January 2020 has come and gone without the usual bitter cold. Where is winter this year? Not that I enjoy the cold, but sometimes a “tough” winter delivers me some different winter birds.

A lack of snow cover, easily found food, and probably tolerable winter conditioners to our north allowed them to “stay put” and not give us the opportunity to see them. Yes, the white-throated sparrows and juncos are here, but they even shun the feeders unless snow is falling and food is harder to find. I’ll highlight a few uncommon winter birds for you JUST in case they make an appearance.

I have recorded purple finches the past 10 years, but they are never very common. I generally find them at the feeders in late February/early March as they begin their migration north. Sometimes they spend weeks here. Maybe they’ll “pop in” later.

Pine siskins, close relatives to goldfinches, often feast on my thistle seeds. They feed on birch tree seeds and pine seeds in the wild. Last January, birding buddy Dave and I watched about two dozen siskins at a feeding station a mile north of Beltzville Dam. I returned to that spot a number of times later and not one was there. They are so nomadic. Sometimes I hear and see them in the December hunting season as I sit in the Carbon County woodlands. But this winter, zilch.

Red-breasted nuthatches are often regular winter visitors, but they too are cyclic. Some years I already see them in September and October while a few remain at my feeders. This winter, they are either absent, or they’ve eluded me. Result of a milder winter? Could be.

The rarest winter songbird that I have found in the Times News region is the pine grosbeak. Looking somewhat like an oversized purple finch, they only rarely make an appearance. In all my birding years, I have only found them two winters.

The males are dull red, females a dull tan/muted yellow, and juveniles are showing a few of the “reddish” feathers. They normally remain in Canada where they feed on conifer and tree buds, seeds and drying fruit.

I found them one year feeding in the food plot fencerows planted at Beltzville. A few years later I found two “lonely” ones on a January day in Franklin Township. They and the evening grosbeaks may not need to move south since our winters are less and less harsh. Keep an eye out for unusual birds, especially if we get a deep snow cover and a prolonged cold snap.

Nature Suggestion: Bald eagles in the next few weeks will begin laying eggs. The past year I enjoyed following all the nest activity via livestreaming. If you are interested, I’m listing the following three webcam sites: 1. Pittsburgh’s Hays Bald Eagle Cam, 2. Livestreaming Bald Eagle Nest Cam Hanover, Pa. and 3. PA Farm Country Eagle Cam. Bookmark these sites and enjoy, you’ll be surprised of the cameras’ qualities.

Test Your Outdoor Knowledge: I mentioned that pine siskins, and even redpolls and goldfinches will feed on birch seeds. What is the correct name for the 2-inch dangling seed structures produced by the birches? A. corm, B. catkin, C. achene, D. pistil.

Last Week’s Trivia Answer: Since 1980, wood thrush populations have dropped more than 60%.

Contact Barry Reed at breed71@gmail.com.