Birding Journal Observations - January / February 2014

Cold weather egret on Feb. 6

The winter of 2014 was certainly cold enough to bring birds to the feeders, and my observation is that suet was the number one attraction. The woodpeckers, warblers, kinglets, wrens ands nuthatches all seemingly wait in line to access this source of high energy nutrition. My first goldfinches arrived on January 21 and they remain here today, though their overall numbers seem to be lower this year as my thistle seed stockpile is still in good supply. A few noteworthy observations from the early part of 2014 is that I have had frequent sightings of pine warblers and ruby-crowned kinglets this year, with a serving of black and white warblers on the side - likely the best winter I can recall for seeing these three species. With the first flowers blooming during the final days of February due to a brief warm up after the Ice Storm, it won't be long until neotropical migratory songbirds will be migrating through the Lowcountry Outdoors. Other birding observations include yellow-bellied sapsucker, tufted titmouse, chipping sparrow, carolina chickadee, cedar waxwings, mockingbird, towhee, white-throated sparrow, cardinal, hairy woodpecker, white-breasted nuthatch, downy woodpecker, dove, Carolina chickadee, Caroline wren, red-bellied woodpecker, robin, bluebird, pileated woodpecker, Canada goose and golden-crowned kinglet. Don't forget to maintain your wood duck boxes and bluebird houses around March 1 each and every year.

Pine warbler that was hit and killed by a car

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To view past Birding Journal Observations from Jan. / Feb. click 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009.