Winter Approaches
(**Don't miss the almost last entry - Walking in a woodland at dusk ... an evocative read, and not by me. Scroll down.).
Our Winter Birding Playground
Ten minutes away from home is a long-standing bird banding station on land belonging to McGill University. Summer is ended, winter is rushing towards us and regular banding operations have finished until spring when northbound migration gets going again. During the next five months or so J and I plus a couple of friends undertake, regardless of how deep the snow lies and how low the temperatures fall (very, being the adjective for both measures) to make regular visits to fill up an extensive collection of bird feeders and to walk around the site taking a census of any birds that happen to be there. This is a fine opportunity to do something useful for science and at the same time have an extensive piece of nature (entry is closed to the public) all to ourselves. It can be quite magical at times and although spring and summer birding offers more species to look at, this deep winter interaction with the hardy residents is what J and I both enjoy.
I would happily do census work there in warmer seasons as well, but a chap like me with deficient hearing knows when we he is unlikely to be able to reliably identify by sound all those birds hiding among the leaves. So, winter it is and I am so glad it is here - we started just a few days ago.
We have been doing this for more than a few years now, certainly more than a decade, and have a pretty good idea of what to expect. There are the year round resident species but also a selection of winter finches that move down from the north and which we have all to ourselves. It’s great.
I shall undoubtedly share some observations here over the next few weeks and months but will start with a couple of photographs from last year to give you taste of our private winter playground. These pictures are from last winter.
The point of the bird observatory is to monitor and interpret bird migration. If you don’t know what is happening to bird populations you are flying blind when it comes to conservation measures amongst other things.
And speaking of bird feeders …
”Hey everyone - come and look at this!”
How often has this been you? The cry of the naturalist when out for a walk with friends who would rather get a move on and arrive at the pub or coffee shop. In this case I am just crying out into the internet in the case that someone is listening … “Hey everyone - come and look at this! It’s November, it’s cold and wet and there’s a beautiful moth”
Bet that caught your attention, didn’t it. The pub will still be there when we have admired this splendid fellow that I caught in an empty pill container. What it is, is a Brown Satyr Moth(Ufeus satyricus) and it’s supposed to be here at this time of the year. These moths appear twice a year. Once in spring, usually April after overwintering and again in November. This fellow will have recently emerged from pupation and after flying about for a while will shortly be hibernating. It will re-emerge in warm weather in early spring prior to mating. Not sure what it was doing in my garden as the caterpillars are to be found on willow and cottonwood trees of which there are few around here and none closer than the riverside.
So, winter approaches but there is still something insects to look out for.
What else is around this week? How about … a Brown Creeper (Certhia americana). This bird was in the arboretum but a week ago a brief sighting was enjoyed, sans camera, in the garden.
Nice little birds that we don’t actually see all that often as they scuttle up and down the bark of trees, perfectly colored to remain unseen. Permanent residents through much of their range though many northern birds migrate to the southern half of the United States. Breeding brown creepers generally are to be found on large trees, mostly conifers with deeper bark furrows that can support plentiful numbers of bark-dwelling invertebrates such as spiders to forage on. In winter they can also be found on deciduous trees. Typically they start at the bottom of a tree and work their way upwards, unlike Nuthatches that work downwards from the top.
Good news from a region we once lived not far from - the power of public donations/crowd-funding to save habitat …
Connecting people to urban wildlife - Film
There is a short (prize winning - this is not an amateur piece) video in the link below about people who watch birds - it focusses on urban birding and it poses some great questions about why we “watch birds”. Do have a look …
To finish - do please read this …
I have mentioned Melissa Harrison’s writing more than once in past newsletters but this is top-class stuff. Walking in a woodland at dusk. Very evocative.
The bit in the middle you can perhaps skim over, but the first and last sections are rather splendid.
BONUS
I should have stopped at this point - but then I was introduced to “A Practical Guide for Roadside Wildflower Viewing”. Quote: “… is offered as a free service to all drivers hungering for a way to learn more about wildflowers without having to stop and walk around like some kind of animal.” The author is Director of Science for The US Nature Conservancy in Nebraska so it should be reliable.
Congratulations for making it this far. See you back here next weekend.
… aaaand:
Clutching the coat-tails of the millions of one-time Twitterers (I was never one) who jumped ship from the Bird Site since the election, I have tentatively dabbled a toe behind the curtain of Bluesky. There are people there who like one of my photographs! Early days … I am at 1001species.bsky.social. This may be as far as it goes, but nothing ventured and so on. Say hello if you venture there too.
I think the camouflage of the Brown Creeper is simplt incredible and I am rarely able to get a decent image of them.
Thank you for all of this post and all that you do in your COLD winter for our feathered fowl and we humble people, who love them, too! Will look forward to reading more by Melissa Harrison! Thank you for the introduction AND your wonderful close-ups of the wee ones!