Brewster, MA
After some of the snow had melted, it felt good to be out and about, breathing in fresh air over the marsh and in the woods! It was a great morning for a walk, and the bird nerds (& birds) did not disappoint! We saw and heard a ton of song birds, mostly close to the museum itself. The "drive through window" as I like to call the windows of the Marshview Room are typically swarming with hungry customers particularly when the weather is cold. Flying is a huge exertion. Yes, of course - birds fly - but with each beat of their wings - there is an energy price. They store their fat for this energy and without food sources to assist them - winter can be the toughest season to endure for wildlife. It's good to feed the birds! Even 1 feeder and/or 1 suet feeder can help countless bird species, yes the squirrels too... but they live out there as well! I have found that if I fill my feeder with a mix that has more safflower seed than sunflower seed, the squirrels will still visit & hog, but less so.
Our snowy walk was windy too and we were rewarded for bundling up with some pretty larger bird sightings: Great Blue Heron swooping over the tree line, what Rick thought to be a Northern Harrier who was right over the marsh as we came back out from the woodsy trail, and Red-tailed Hawks in the distance. Photo credits as listed. Thanks for enjoying the John Wing Trail as much as I do bird nerds! (double click photos to enlarge)
Our List:
American Robin
Black-capped Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
Northern Flicker
Blue Jay
Tufted Titmouse
American Crow
Downy Woodpecker
European Starling
House Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Great Blue Heron
American Black Duck
Northern Harrier (good guess Rick - my gut said the same)
Red-Tailed Hawk
House Sparrow - male
House Sparrows on the bat houses
House Sparrows
House Sparrow - female (photo credit: RICK)
Blue Jay
Downy Woodpecker - male (photo credit: RICK)
Northern Cardinal
House Sparrows
House Sparrow - female
Evidence of birds eating the seeds from the tall marsh reed grass
Some seeds still left on the marsh reed grass
Chilly & oddly inviting
Cape Cod Bay iceburgs
Red-tailed Hawk (photo credit: RICK)
House Sparrow - male (photo credit: RICK)
House Sparrow - I just love how close they let us get
Next opportunity for Tuesday Tweets: 2.9.16 $2Members/$4Non-members
Happy Birding!