Snow Birds

As the summer avian residents depart for the tropics, it gets very quiet outdoors around here, both in sound (the birds’ songs) and visually. I can move through an area and not scare up a bird.

Just as I am starting to feel a bit depressed about the lack of avian activity, species that I haven’t seen since Spring begin to return. These birds nested and fledged their chicks far to the north, and consider my location (39 deg N latitude) their winter home.

Except for the orange slices I put out for the Orioles’ arrival in Spring and the Hummingbird nectar feeders that I keep filled all summer, I do not offer seed or suet to wild birds in summer. However, just a few days ago, I restocked the platform feeder in the north Pond Meadow to welcome the winter residents after their long migrations from the far north.

One of the first returnees is a true favorite of mine. The White-crowned Sparrow is a distinctive, gregarious little bird.

Yesterday, I captured a couple of these cute sparrows on and around the feeder. The adult birds sport very distinguishing head markings that some people refer to as a bicycle helmet.

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The juvenile individuals have a similar marking pattern to the adults. However, they have brown, rather than black stripes over their head. The contrasting bright white along with the black hue develop over time.

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These birds are known to scratch (seeds) like a chicken. I caught the behavior in the following photo!

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I’m happy to welcome these cuties back for the winter.