Winter Birds and Winter Food

Birds at my feeders, through the years.

The ability to require food is what determines whether birds stay the winter or not. This collection of photos were all taken in my backyard. These are some of the hardy birds that stick around during cold winter weather in Philadelphia and elsewhere. There are only 20 -30 land birds (common and easily found), which stay in cold winter in North America.

These birds will feed on seeds of grasses, flower, trees and shrubs, on the still hanging fruit of fall-fruiting shrubs. And on the insect eggs and hibernating insects hidden in the nooks and crannies of trees and shrubs. 

In winter there are no airborne insects for aerial feeders like warblers, swifts and flycatchers, so these birds go where the insects are hovering in the air, Central and South America.

Slowly moving water like ponds and lakes, freeze over in cold weather. So the ducks, herons, rails and sandpipers move to open, unfrozen water. In the Philadelphia, these birds can be found along the Delaware and other Rivers, in Tinicum Marsh and Atlantic Ocean along the Jersey and Delaware shores.

Of the birds pictured in the collage above, the Dark-eyed Juncos migrates to the Philadelphia area and Delaware Valley. The Juncos breed in conifer forest far to the north and migrate south in the fall. They spend the winter from southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. 

Each fall I look for them underneath the shrubs in my backyard. When they arrive it is a clear sign the wheel of the seasons is turning and living beings are following their instructions on how to live.  

Top left: Mourning Dove, top right: Dark-eyed Junco

Lower left: male Cardinal, lower right: Chickadee (Carolina/Black-capped, I live in an area were they hybridize)

Colorful Evening Visitors - Project Feederwatch Report

Male Cardinal waits his turn at tray feeder.

The colorful native birds arrive at my backyard feeder in the very late afternoon. I went to replenish the feeders at 4 o'clock, and the Cardinal pair and a female Hairy Woodpecker were already eating.

The woodpecker pecked at the suet cake, just as she would peck at hibernating insects and eggs in the tree trunks.

female Hairy Woodpecker

She lacks the bright red patch on the back of her head that the male Hairy Woodpecker has. But I could see she was a Hairy woodpecker by the lack of spots on her outer tail feathers. The Downy Woodpeckers have black spots on their tails.

The Cardinals were foraging for seeds underneath the feeders, but few were left. The gregarious hoard of House Sparrows had cleaned the area out earlier in the day.

I like the House Sparrows, but their pushy ways and loudness, get on my nerves. I kind of resent them. These invaders from the other side of the world, keep the native birds away from the feeders.

Eat, eat my little friends! (House Sparrows)

They are fun to watch. They vocalize all day. They travel in packs. And they eat the full buffet I put out at my feeders, black oil sunflower seeds, suet, millet and Nyjer seed. I guess this is why they are so successful and numerous. I am trying to love House Sparrows.

Dark-eyed Junco

Eight dark-eyed Juncos hopped into view from under the shrubs. When the House Sparrows are around, there are at most, three Juncos in my garden. I had no idea there were so many of these little birds in my garden.

In the fading light the birds left my garden, one by one.

Location: My backyard, Philadelphia, PA; Time: 4:00 - 4:57 pm

Weather: cold 28 degrees F, clear, breezy H: 26 degrees F, L: 22 degrees F

Species seen: Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis), Northern Cardinal ( Cardinalis cardinals), and Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides pubsecens)

My Project Feederwatch Photo Gallery

Peace and Goodwill, to All.