It's finally gotten more winter-like here in Western New York, making birding a bit harder. The cold temps aren't fun to contend with and trudging through deep snow makes it slow going - and sometimes a bit dangerous. I'm more apt to stay indoors and focus on work on the worst of days, yet it's hard for me to forego a day of birding - even if for a couple of hours!
So... I've been out and about a tad...
At Birdsong, a local park near home, I was surprised to hear the "check" calls of a Winter Wren when I spontaneously stopped in there one afternoon. I did a little spishing and the wren popped right up in response. I managed a few photos to document this unusual January sighting - and I'm glad I got them quickly because he dove right back down, apparently deciding I wasn't that interesting. There's bad weather on the way with near zero temperatures and icy, arctic winds in the forecast. I sure hope the little guy is able to find food and protection over the next week.
Just a couple of days ago, a Greater White-fronted Goose was found on the north end of Grand Island. Mike Morgante was out doing the waterfowl count for the
BOS and came upon this rare goose. I only just added this species to my Erie County list last winter (
Read about this here). It's is a rare enough bird that makes it hard for me to resist going to see it - so off I went! Unfortunately, though, the bird had left just minutes before I arrived, traveling east with a small flock of Canada Geese. But since I was in the area, I decided to bird Buckhorn State Park a bit before continuing my unfruitful goose chase. It took awhile, but patience and persistence paid off and I was finally able to get nice looks at the single male Rusty Blackbird that's been frequenting the parking area. I don't think I'll ever see enough of that good looking bird! It's odd that only one has been seen this winter. Over the past several years, up to a dozen have been coming. I hope that's not an indication of anything negative as that bird is in a special concern status, having lost much of its population in recent years.
I've seen many flocks of Cedar Waxwings these past two weeks - one flock numbering at least one hundred birds. I felt certain I'd find a Bohemian Waxwing among them but I couldn't find one to save my life! I actually ran into that same flock twice and no Bohemian the second time either. But I do love the cedars - they're quite beautiful and that large flock was quite impressive even without a bohemian.
Snow Buntings are finally back - a few are, at least. I found a small flock of fourteen near Springville. They're tough to catch up with sometimes. They move all around, quite fickle-like, not staying in the same place for more than a few hours. With all the snow we just got hit with, I have to wonder if they're burrowing under the snow as they are known to do. This bird breeds in rocky crevices in the high arctic and comes to our area in winter. Another fun fact about Snow Buntings is that they can winter the furthest north of any other
passerine, other than the Common Raven. They've been equipped with feathered legs which help them survive the extreme cold. AND - I thought this was neat - this species not only hybridizes with the McCay's Bunting where their ranges overlap, but in 2011, it was also documented to have bred with a Lapland Longspur, producing hybrid offspring!
Just yesterday, I came upon a nice adult Red-shouldered Hawk close to home. I love this
buteo's striking combination of orange, black, and white colors and the checkerboard markings on their flight feathers. Other than the Rough-legged Hawk, I think it's the most gorgeous hawk we have here in WNY. This bird was stalking a feeder, probably seeking an easy meal of "songbird". There were House Sparrows at the feeder - one can only hope s/he chooses them! I suppose the thick blanket of snow makes rodent hunting tough, their preferred diet.
Songbirds have it especially tough in winter. I saw either a Cooper's Hawk or Sharp-shinned Hawk grab one of my feeder birds just today - right outside my office window. I suspect it was a Downy Woodpecker. I know the hawks need to eat but I sure wish they'd go for those invasive species instead!
I have one last bird to report, which will most likely finish out the month since more snow is on the way. There's not really a suitable photo for it, but I was pleased to come upon a female (or young male) Purple Finch this afternoon. It was at a neighbor's feeder and I was rather bold to point my camera at the lovely finch and grab a few photos. I hope the neighbors weren't looking out their window! BUT - I felt I should document the sighting, being that they aren't often seen at this date - it's not really rare - just infrequent in January. I'll put the photo up but keep in mind it's just a documentation shot.