I know many of you are not fond of the cold and snow, but you have to love the extra bird activity at your feeders. We have heard from many customers seeing Bluebirds for the first time at feeders. Is it because there are more Bluebirds here now, or has the inclement weather forced them to seek out “alternative” food sources more often? Perhaps it’s both reasons. We know that harsh winter conditions north of us can and does “push” many types of birds, including Bluebirds, toward us in the southern region. Many of you have discovered Bluebirds will eat seed if it is out of the shell. Sunflower hearts and chips, shelled peanuts, and suet become important to their survival when snow and ice eliminate insects totally from their diet for a period of time. Even those of you accustomed to feeding Bluebirds live mealworms have discovered they will eat dried worms, too, when conditions dictate.

Other birds being seen for the first time for many of you include Yellow-rumped and Orange-crowned warbler, Ruby and Golden-crowned Kinglet, Red-winged Blackbird, and one of my favorites that largely goes unnoticed, the Fox Sparrow.

I never see this bird in my yard unless there is a significant snowfall. They seem to appear only when snow accumulates. They, like most Sparrows, are ground feeders, searching and scratching the leaf litter on the forest floor for seeds, berries, and insects. One of my simple but effective feeding strategies with accumulated snow is to place a few pieces of plywood on the ground and sprinkle several kinds of seeds liberally on the dry surface. It only takes moments for Junco’s, White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows, Cardinals, and Towhees to find the offering.

Click here to read more on the Fox Sparrow!

The Fox Sparrow have been described as the best in their family at “scratching”. They are larger than most sparrows and have large feet and unusually long toes and claws that enable them to dig deeper and more aggressively into the leaves and soil for food. The scratching action is very similar to the Towhee’s.

Fox Sparrows are about 7” in length. Most have a reddish colored rump and tail, and reddish wings with subtle white wing bars. The breast is heavily streaked with rusty, triangular shaped markings. Gray is apparent about the neck and shoulders and combined with the rusty red gives this bird a “foxy” appearance. So the next time you see several sparrow-like birds on the ground get your binoculars and take a closer look. It’s a real treat to see this bird.

A couple of cold fronts have moved through mid-TN since our last blog a couple of weeks ago pushing most of the Rose-breasted Grosbeaks out of the area. A few are still being seen at feeders locally, as are Ruby-throated hummingbirds. Sightings of Red-breasted nuthatches have slowed a bit while sightings of Purple Finch and Pine Siskin are on the rise. Remember, we do not have Purple Finch here year round like we do the House Finch. They are a fall through winter visitor and numbers can be sparse to significant from year to year.

Purple finch on left. House finch on right.

Pine Siskins are often missed by the casual observer as they tend to mix in with Goldfinches at feeders. Noteworthy field marks on the Pine Siskin include yellow wing bars, and yellow at the base of the rump and considerable streaking on the breast and belly.

Other winter visitors like White-throated sparrow, Junco, and Yellow-bellied sapsucker are present around feeding stations. This week in my yard I’ve had several sightings of Golden-crowned Kinglet, and Eastern Bluebirds have re-discovered my suet feeder, as they seem to every fall and winter.

Remember to keep an eye on suet feeders for chance sightings of some of the atypical feeder birds. Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Brown Creeper, Yellow-rumped, and Orange-crowned warbler, and of course Bluebirds are some of the birds to potentially see at a suet feeder.

On the subject of Bluebirds it is a good time to clean out nest boxes. The old nest debris can be wet and moldy making it a breeding ground for troublesome insects. Sometimes Bluebirds will use nest boxes to roost during wintery conditions. Several birds may squeeze in together to escape frigid temps or a wintery mix of precipitation. Bluebirds don’t require any kind of bedding for roosting but if you want to put some wood shavings or pine straw in the box that’s fine. And if you have a nest box that hasn’t had any action for a couple of seasons go ahead and change the location of the box now. During the winter months Bluebirds will actively check out potential nest sites. Give them time to locate the new site.

That’s all the news for this week. Keep your binoculars close and be ready to use them. If you don’t have binoculars come to the shop and let us help you choose some.

Snow Brings Out Many Different Birds

Wood Thrush Notes

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