Birding Journal Observations - January / February 2015

Brown Thrasher at suet on Jan. 2, 2015

The winter of 2015 will go down as another cold and wet season in the Lowcountry. After a series of years with drought, winter season rainfall has returned to a more normal level and the wildlife and countryside should flourish with the freshwater infusion. With more gloomy days than sunny days in February it may have been tougher to keeper the bird feeders free of wet muck or mold, but not if the backyard birds are flocking to devour the feed as is the case at my stations for thistle, peanuts, suet, sunflowers and seed.

My first goldfinches arrived on January 20 and they are still present at the start of March. Their numbers have been bolstered this year by a strong pine siskin presence at the thistle feeder. Birding books say that they are frequent companions and I witness no animosity between then whatsoever. Of course the larger birds like mockingbird, brown thrasher and blue jay can clear all the small birds momentarily when they swoop in to the bird bath. My first dark-eyed junco sighting was on February 4, and the purple martin scouts arrived on February 23.

Other bird sightings of note include cardinal, white-throated sparrow, pine warbler, tufted titmouse, red-bellied woodpecker, white-breated nuthatch, Carolina chickadee, downy woodpecker, Carolina wren, chipping sparrow, dove, yellow-bellied sapsucker, grey catbird, Canada goose, Wilson's snipe and red-shouldered hawk. I also use this time of year to maintain my wood duck boxes.

To view the most recent Birding Journal Observations click Nov. / Dec. 2014

To view past Birding Journal Observations from Jan. / Feb. click 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009