For the Birds: As Seasons Change

Western Tanager gone until March. Photo by Craig Kerns

By Christine Southwick

Gone are the Willow and the Olive-sided Flycatchers. Gone are the Orange-crowned and the Yellow-rumped Warblers. Most all the warblers except for our hardy Townsend’s Warblers have also left for their wintering grounds further south.

Did you know that most songbirds migrate during the night, and find perches in the mornings? If you are an early-riser, like I am, you may hear bird calls up in the trees or as they are still passing through. I’ve been hearing Western Tangers for the last week on their way to Central America. We won’t see or hear them until next spring.

Townsend's Warbler here all year, but seen more often in the winter
Photo by Craig Kern

Why fly in the dark? Flocks of songbirds would be great targets for all sorts of raptors—Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks, Merlin and Peregrine Falcons. Even Red-tailed Hawks might find flocks too tempting to ignore. 

By flying at night, birds eliminate that danger. By flying high at night, they don’t have to worry about owls either. Sun and heat rising from the ground taxes their energy faster than cold, so flying at night saves energy. If it is too cold, too wet and windy, birds will wait, rest, and hopefully find food at stops along their migration route.

How can you help these long-distance flyers? Water, especially moving water, is a prime need, and will draw many migrants into your yard for a quick stop, or a longer rest.

Black-headed Grosbeak gone until April
Photo by Craig Kerns

Keeping your feeders stocked with good quality food will give long-distance migrants like Black-headed Grosbeaks going to Mexico and warblers, like Yellow Warblers going as far as South America a good start by supplying the protein-loading needed to survive their long-distance migration. Birds use bugs for fuel. Most of the bugs that birds prefer are in decline (or eliminated).

Just think about how many bugs are hitting your windshields now, as opposed to how many you used to have to wash off your windshield when traveling. Suet will help supply those missing nutrients.

Fortunately for us we have several resident birds that we can count on visiting our seed and suet feeders. 

Dark-eyed Juncos, Song Sparrows, Spotted Towhees, Bushtits, our woodpeckers-Downy, Hairy, Pileated, Northern Flicker and Red-breasted Sapsuckers continue to delight us during the winter. Anna’s Hummingbirds also stay year-round.

Varied Thrush come down from the mountains in the winter
Photo by Chris Southwick

Birds that come to use our milder winters include Varied Thrushes, Fox Sparrows, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. Watch for them.

Keep water liquid during the cold, keep nectar fresh, and offer suet and dry seeds. You’ll be glad to see which birds find your yard.