Winter Advantage - Clusters Of Cardinals

By Marjie Gemmell

A few days ago we had our first significant snowfall of the winter season. The snow began around midnight and continued through the morning and early afternoon hours. When all was said and done, we had about five inches of the white stuff.

This snow was of the wet, heavy variety which mounds so beautifully on fences, porch rails, tree limbs and bird feeders. This type of snow provides perfect photo opportunities, no matter your level of expertise, or what direction you aim your camera. All very nice, if you are into photography.

Not being particularly interested in shooting scenery, for me the biggest thrill of a heavy snowfall is that it works like a casting call for Northern Cardinals. Boy do they come out of the woodwork!

Cardinals are no strangers in our yard. We always have a few males and females feeding on sunflower seed. But bring on a few inches of snow and presto ... cardinals by the dozen.

To my eye there is nothing as breathtaking as the bright, vivid red of the male cardinal against dazzling white snow. Multiply that by 30 or 40 cardinals, and it is truly a sight to behold. They dart in and out of the bushes, perch atop feeders and on porch rails and in general put on a great show. Even the less brilliantly colored female cardinal, with her pale red and buffy attire looks quite arresting against a background of snow. I never tire of watching the pictures they pose.

Cardinals feed long after most common feeder birds have gone to roost for the night. It always amazes me that with a backdrop of snow, the male cardinals are easily seen well into dusk. That vibrant red just stands out.

Of course, Northern Cardinals are not the only birds that flock to the feeders when the landscape is snow-covered. Everyone comes to the party. Most of the birds, even the shy ones, seem to throw off their reserved demeanor and become much less inhibited when snow covers the natural feeding areas. Feeding stations are the free lunch counter on snow days.

I especially like to watch the gleaners. They treat the feeders like a fast food establishment. It is not their way to shilly-shally around, nor stop and waste time in community chirpings. No, the Tufted Titmice and Carolina Chickadees dash in, ignore the other birds, grab a seed and take the food with them. They often perch on a nearby branch and I watch first-hand as they pound the sunflower seed open, to get the meat inside. Then it's back to "McDonalds" for another order to go.

Other birds are more hesitant, stopping a few feet away from the feeders to look the situation over, before committing to fly in. Nuthatches and woodpeckers seem to be of this ilk.

Song Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows and Tree Sparrows usually skulk around in the bushes for a while before they work up the courage to come out in the open and forage under the feeders. I notice that once they get in the 'feeder rhythm' they often become more impetuous and brave, spending less time hiding and more time feeding.

Of course, anyone who has backyard birds is familiar with the technique of the Blue Jay. He just lands a few feet from the feeders and starts squawking. I don't know what language he speaks, but all the little birds seem to understand that he means 'get lost, it is my turn'. Once the Blue Jay runs the others off, he feeds at his leisure. Maybe that is why Blue Jays are generally perceived to be bullies.

My niger thistle seed feeders are always pretty much mobbed by American Goldfinches, and a sprinkling of House Finches. Once the snow falls though, even the finches multiply until the trees are festooned by forty or fifty birds, patiently awaiting an empty port.

On snow days, the backyard is like watching a three-ring circus. There is activity in every arena. Unfortunately, at some point one has to suspend the feeder watching, get out the snow shovel and go to work on the walks and driveway. But it is only a temporary suspension, for when the work is done, I guarantee I will be warming my hands by clutching tightly to my binoculars, delighted again by the winter bird feeding antics. Good Birding.

Marjie Gemmell was a naturalist for 21 years teaching bird identification classes to thousands of students and adults. Outside the classroom, Marjie shared her knowledge of birds and her bird watching skills leading bird walks, night hikes and birding tours.

Marjie has followed her avid quest to see and identify birds to nearly all the continents of the world, and in the process has seen 4,000 bird species.

Her greatest satisfaction comes from sharing her birding knowledge with others.

To learn more about bird identification go to: http://www.easybirdidentification.com

View my blog site for other birding adventures at: http://wwwmarjieseasybirdidentification.blogspot.com