1-15-25 Bad weather brings good birds!

January 15, 2025  •  Leave a Comment

 

The new year began with a few days to prepare for the storm.

Now, after ten days of icy snow cover, we're all ready for some warmth!

We've gained 16 minutes of daylight since the Winter Solstice.

 

1-14-25 E. Gray Squirrel resting in snow1-14-25 E. Gray Squirrel resting in snow 1-1-25 Northern Cardinal1-1-25 Northern Cardinal 1-1-25 Eastern Bluebird1-1-25 Eastern Bluebird 1-2-25 Brown Creeper on Sugar Maple1-2-25 Brown Creeper on Sugar Maple

Northern Cardinals and Eastern Bluebirds seemed to bathe leisurely on New Year's Day.  Later, the Brown Creeper searched for insects on the sugar maple (Acer saccharum).

 

1-2-25 American Goldfinch1-2-25 American Goldfinch 1-2-25 Hairy Woodpecker female1-2-25 Hairy Woodpecker female

1-4-25 Downy Woodpecker female1-4-25 Downy Woodpecker female

American Goldfinches, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers found seed and bark butter to fill up on ahead of the storm.


1-1-25 Dark-eyed Junco1-1-25 Dark-eyed Junco 1-4-25 Dark-eyed Junco1-4-25 Dark-eyed Junco

Dark-eyed Junco numbers started to creep up. We've seen the slate-colored, but in 2022 some of the Oregon subspecies came in. There are reports this subspecies is being seen again this winter.

 

2-25-22 Dark-eyed Junco Oregon subspecies2-25-22 Dark-eyed Junco Oregon subspecies

Read more about this species and its variations:

 Dark-eyed Juncos

 

1-5-25 Rusty Blackbird1-5-25 Rusty Blackbird 1-5-25 Rusty Blackbird pair1-5-25 Rusty Blackbird pair

A pair of Rusty Blackbirds showed up and foraged for seed under the Cliff Goldenrod (Solidago drummondii).

 

1-5-25 Red-bellied Woodpecker female spars with European Starling1-5-25 Red-bellied Woodpecker female spars with European Starling

A female Red-bellied Woodpecker sparred with this European Starling for feeding rights on the suet. 

 

1-5-25 Northern Cardinal rests in Climbing Hydrangea1-5-25 Northern Cardinal rests in Climbing Hydrangea

Birds find shelter in plants and protected places out of the wind. A Northern Cardinal tucks in during the storm on a climbing Hydrangea next to a south-facing stone wall. 

 

1-5-25 Northern Flicker taking cover under White Oak branch1-5-25 Northern Flicker taking cover under White Oak branch

A Northern Flicker shelters under the collar of a white oak branch, out of the icy mixture of sleet that came first. The European Starling doesn't cling in the same way, so it fluffs up and holds on.

 

1-6-25 Song Sparrow in cover of Coral Trumpet Honeysuckle1-6-25 Song Sparrow in cover of Coral Trumpet Honeysuckle

This Song Sparrow has been staying in the shelter of the Coral Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) on the arbor. I happened to see it come out and rest. Energy must be rationed on these bitterly cold days! 

 

1-13-25 Mourning Doves in cover of Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)1-13-25 Mourning Doves in cover of Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
Mourning Doves find cover in Buttonbush (Cephalantus occidentalis). Its twiggy branches help give some protection from hawks. 


1-5-25 Eastern Bluebird1-5-25 Eastern Bluebird 1-5-25 Blue Jay1-5-25 Blue Jay

Eastern Bluebirds and Blue Jays often come in to drink.

 

1-7-25 Fox Sparrow1-7-25 Fox Sparrow 1-7-25 Fox Sparrow1-7-25 Fox Sparrow

A Fox Sparrow has been present since 1-6-25, and it was seen again today. I don't document these every year.

 

1-7-25 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker immature female1-7-25 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker immature female 1-7-25 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker immature female1-7-25 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker immature female

For the first time that I recall, an immature female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker started coming to the suet feeder. It's a daily routine now.

 

1-8-25 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker1-8-25 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
1-4-25 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker1-4-25 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker


This male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker came looking for some protein in this bark butter.
 

 

1-10-25 Northern Flicker spars with European Starling1-10-25 Northern Flicker spars with European Starling

European Starlings are real pests at the feeders and this Northern Flicker had to work harder for its food, just like the Red-bellied Woodpecker did.

  1-10-25 Yellow-rumped Warbler1-10-25 Yellow-rumped Warbler 1-14-25 Yellow-rumped Warbler1-14-25 Yellow-rumped Warbler

Both female and male Yellow-rumped Warblers have been documented in this first two weeks of the year.

 

1-7-25 Northern Cardinal1-7-25 Northern Cardinal

There is nothing quite like a male Northern Cardinal in the snow on a sunny winter day! 
 

1-11-25 Eastern Bluebirds1-11-25 Eastern Bluebirds

Eastern Bluebirds really count on supplemental foods when deep snow covers the ground. We estimated that we had 14-15" total, the most in a long time. 

 

1-10-25 Golden-crowned Kinglet1-10-25 Golden-crowned Kinglet

A bedraggled Golden-crowned Kinglet came to the bubbler on 1-10-25. It seemed happy to bathe! More photos are in the new gallery. 

 

1-14-25 Purple Finch1-14-25 Purple Finch
1-14-25 Purple Finch1-14-25 Purple Finch 1-15-25 Purple Finch female1-15-25 Purple Finch female

1-15-25 Purple Finch female1-15-25 Purple Finch female


Both male and female Purple Finches have been here this week. What beauties! They are sometimes a challenge to tell from the House Finches. In the following photos, the Purple Finches are on the right.

 

House Finch on left, Purple  Finch on rightHouse Finch on left, Purple Finch on right House Finch. female on left, Purple  Finch female on rightHouse Finch. female on left, Purple Finch female on right

Purple Finches are a bit larger with a brown cheek patch, less striped and the female has a white eyebrow. Keep watching for them!

 

1-14-25 White-tailed Deer1-14-25 White-tailed Deer

A family group of five white-tailed deer scampered through the woodland on Tuesday, disturbed by the recycling truck. 

 

1-6-25 Feathers from Mourning Dove taken by Cooper's Hawk1-6-25 Feathers from Mourning Dove taken by Cooper's Hawk

Everybody's gotta eat! These feathers were left when a Cooper's Hawk took a Mourning Dove. We saw the hawk as it carried the dove away. All the birds will either freeze or dash to cover when a Blue Jay calls the alarm.

 

1-15-25 Sharp-shinned Hawk1-15-25 Sharp-shinned Hawk

That happened today when this Sharp-shinned Hawk flew in to scan briefly for prey. It was not successful getting a bird while I watched. Maybe this hawk will hit the jackpot with a few pesky starlings.

 

We are setting a new record pace with 38 species so far! 

Here is the link to the gallery to see all the photos:

Birds through January 15, 2025 

 

 

 

 

 


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