Birds of Winter: Bald Eagles, FeederWatch & Christmas Bird Counts

Nature Notes for November 29, 2013

Two large birds were perched in a tree. On closer inspection with a spotting scope, they proved to be two young-of-the-year Bald Eagles! A better perspective of their perch could be found from a bit further down the road. From there, we could see that the eagles were being harassed by five Common Ravens. Then, three coyotes trotted through the scene. The local flock of American Crows was keeping a respectful distance from the eagles.

Were we in Algonquin Park? No. This scene played out along a road just south of Roseneath in Northumberland County last Tuesday, November 26, for five delighted observers. Probably, out of sight from the roadside, was the carcass of some dead animal, perhaps a deer, on which all of these animals were feeding.

Otherwise, this birding expedition was very quiet. Even Black-capped Chickadees were present in smaller numbers than usual. The cold temperatures of the past few days have frozen most marshes, small ponds, and even the quieter bays of Rice Lake. Now waterfowl can be found only on the open water of Lake Ontario.

At feeders, even American Goldfinches are scarce. The other finches that sometimes arrive in winter will probably not come this winter. Observers in the northern forests report an abundant seed crop. Pine Siskins, Common Redpolls, Evening Grosbeaks, and Pine Grosbeaks which feed on these seeds will not have to come south to eat well. Although there have been a few American Goldfinches in my garden, they have been feeding on the cones of the white cedar and the seed heads of the purple coneflower, not on the niger seed in the feeder.

Another Project FeederWatch season has begun. So far, the most abundant bird in my garden has been Mourning Dove. Several days, there have been 20+ doves in a rather small space. When the sun shines, after they eat their fill, they find the sunniest spots to roost. They are very difficult to see against fallen leaves, dead grass and the gray branches of the brush heap. With so many doves present, it probably won’t be long before a Cooper’s Hawk finds the yard.

Up to five Blue Jays have been frequenting my feeder. Their preferred food is corn, which I scavenged from my family’s harvested corn field.

In the past week, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Red-belliedWoodpecker and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker have visited the yard. All but the last will stay through the winter. Although a few sapsuckers sometimes persist through the winter, most migrate to the southern U.S. and Mexico.

There has been a flock of up to five Northern Cardinals hanging around the yard. Although they are not especially unusual here, I don’t often see so many at a time.

The last stop of the birding group mentioned at the beginning of the column was an overlook of a frozen bay of Rice Lake. There, we found a third Bald Eagle, flying past and north over the islands towards Peterborough.

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Before the next Nature Notes appears, two of Northumberland’s Christmas Bird Counts will have taken place. The Port Hope-Cobourg Count will be held on December 14 and Presqu’ile-Brighton’s on December 15. The new, officially sanctioned Rice Lake Plains Christmas Bird Count will be held on January 1, 2014.