winter flocks

With the temperature dropping into the '30s, there was a noticeable increase in what I would describe as winter foraging flocks with a diverse and changing line-up of species. Although the dominant birds in these loose flocks continued to be the familiar ones -- Common Grackles, Am Robins, Chickadees and Titmice -- there were others, more generic to the season: White-throated Sparrows, White-breasted Nuthatch, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Golden-crowned Kinglet and some half a dozen Dark-eyed Juncos -- the first of the season that I have seen. In and among these birds were a couple of Starlings, House Finches and American Goldfinches . There were four species of woodpeckers active including two or three Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers -- a handsome male and one or two juveniles. The objects of desire for most of these birds were the white Red Cedar berries and the red Euonymus berries but the Juncos were also feeding in the open grassy areas next to the house -- on what I have no idea.

A single lost juvenile Cedar Waxwing was seen high in the Tupelo at the head of the marsh where there had been a flock of two dozen a couple of days ago. The marsh itself was singularly unproductive. No rail calls and the only bird seen, working its way around the mud in the middle, was a solitary Song Sparrow! I did hear the unmistakeable call of a Royal Tern coming from the creek so these southern visitors have not deserted us yet.

Eric Salzman