Chirps and Cheeps

A fresh blanket of snow was a cruel April's Fool joke - keeping my thoughts from wandering to spring birding.  With a heavy sigh, I headed out to drive around area farm fields on the hunt for any birds foolhardy enough to venture up to Western New York.

It was no surprise to find Horned Larks out in a snowy field. Small numbers of this prairie subspecies will actually continue all year in the Lake Erie region, breeding in farm fields.  You can tell that this is the prairie subspecies in the photos by the color of the superciliary stripe (or eyebrow).  The "eyebrow" on these birds is white, where the northern subspecies would have a bright yellow "eyebrow".

Another nice bird I encountered was a little more spring-like.  I was happy to find a lone Wilson's Snipe in another field that held a few pockets of mud that weren't frozen over and covered by the newly fallen snow.

As I drove away from there, I happened to notice a little bit of bird activity out by a huge barn door.  I had to get my scope out (oh, was it cold!) to be sure of what I suspected, and as I hoped, they were pipits!  Eleven American Pipits were looking for something to eat up by that barn and, as luck would have it, the farmer pulled in with his tractor and chased the pipits very close to where I was.  A quick drive a couple hundred feet down the road and I was able to get some nice, close views.  That was a treat!

After I got home, I no sooner got in the house when I saw my first feeder visit by a handsome male Purple Finch.  I had already seen a couple here and there but they seemed to be missing my feeders this year.  I'm thrilled they're finally back - and with his appearance, my thoughts are once again returning to spring birding!