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ESCARPMENT
®
feature
AUTUMN
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EARLY WINTER
2015
THE
ONES
WHO
REMAIN
Birding in lateFallandearlyWinter
canbe rewarding
if one canget by the frosted fingers and toes.Oneway to staywarm
and look for birds at the same time, is to take your binoculars along
whileyou’resnowshoeingorcross-countryskiingandworkingupsome
bodyheat. The trailsareoftenprime locations for spottingbirds.
Naturalist and expert birder, PeterMiddleton, says there are three
groupsofbirds that canbeobserved in thewintermonths: residentyear
around species,waterfowl and irruptivebirds.
Resident species that canbe seenyeararoundaredoves,woodpeck-
ers, jays, chickadees and finches, such as juncos, cardinals and
goldfinches. Ifyouhavebird feedersyouwill usually find thesebirds in
abundanceduring thechillymonths.
While usingagoodpair of binoculars, manywaterfowl can be ob-
servedalong the shoresof theEscarpment —grebes, loonsandducks
willbe found,at leastuntil the lake freezesover.Recently,MuteSwans
andTrumpeterSwanshavebeenshowingupaswell.Winteringducks
includeMallard,GreaterScaup,Redhead,Bufflehead,CommonGold-
eneye, long-tailedDuck, aswell asmergansers. Peter says, “If youare
lucky, youmay spot aHarlequinduckor two.”
The thirdgroup, which Peter refers toas irruptive species, are not al-
wayseasy to find. Thesearebirds thatmovehere from locations further
north during thewinter months. The SnowyOwl and Rough-legged
Hawk,bothmigrate from thehigh reachesof thearctic,butdepending
on theyearmayormaynotbeabundant.Thesameholds true forwinter
finches. These include Pine Siskins, EveningGrosbeak, both Redand
WhitewingedCrossbills and the Redpoll. These birds are drawn to
feeders.
Peter’s first rule forwinter feeding is: If you start feedingbirds inwinter
donot stop.Oncewinteringbirds findasourceof food itbecomes their
lifeline. Stopping this sourcemid-winter could condemn thesebirds to
starvation.
Different feeds attract different varieties of birds. Peter indicates that
Black Oil Seed, Nyger Seed and suet will attract the full range of
finches and other small birds, while crushed corn brings doves and
turkeys.
Story | Tom Hakala
Photo | Peter Middleton
