Chincoteague Island is located on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The name chincoteague meant “Beautiful land across the water” in the language of the Native Americans who lived in the area-primarily the indigenous Assateague people. For visitors to this popular destination, there still seems to be some confusion of these two names-primarily when it comes to geography, so let’s try and clarify which is which, and where is where-me included!

First, they are both part of a chain of sandy barrier islands separating the mainland from the Atlantic Ocean. Assateague Island, on the ocean side, is a 37-mile long and skinny island that extends northward towards Ocean City, Maryland. Most of Assateague Island is protected parkland by the National Park Service’s Assateague Island National Seashore. Chincoteague Island sits immediately west of Assateague’s southern tip, protected from the ocean by Assateague. It rests comfortably within Chincoteague Bay. To add a bit more confusion to the mix, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service maintains its Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Assateague Island directly across a short causeway from Chincoteague Island and the town of Chincoteague. Got all that? Assateague is an island. Chincoteague is an island, a town, a bay and a wildlife refuge.

Even so, Chincoteague it still manages to hold onto a small-town feel unlike its Maryland and Delaware counterparts further up the Atlantic coast. This can probably be attributed to geographic isolation and government ownership of its beach. There will never be any commercial development allowed to build ocean-front hotels, boardwalks or any other businesses along the ocean waterfront here. The most famous residents, and attraction to this area, have four legs-the wild ponies.

Ponies have occupied Assateague Island since the colonial era although nobody really knows exactly how or when they arrived. The standing theory, and one that seems more exciting for tourists, is that they escaped Spanish galleons that shipwrecked off-shore.

Also “wild” ponies seem a bit of an exaggeration unless one defines wild to mean “mellow ponies without saddles.” Take the Assateague ponies five miles inland, drop them in a large field and nobody would bother to give them a passing glance. Stick the very same ponies on an island, combine them with romantic tales of Spanish shipwrecks and an iconic children’s book (Misty of Chincoteague-1947) and following movie (Misty-1961), then watch tourists gawk! Nothing has done more to transform Chincoteague from a fishing village focused on the bounty of the sea into a tourist destination harvesting travelers more than the renowned Misty mystique.

But it’s the natural features of the area-vast beach stretches and coastal salt marshes that attract thousands of migrating and breeding birds-and the reason I visit the Chincoteague-Assateague area as well. However, you must be patient, since there can be crowds of people coming to see the “wild ponies” and visiting the recreation beach. Even though it was fairly busy with people (there’s only one road in and out) the last weekend in May when I visited, I still managed to see 103 different species of birds-not too bad for trying to social distance from everyone else!

One of my favorite groups of birds in North America is the grosbeaks. These robust, colorful, and sometimes, very musical birds, can be found from the west coast to the east coast, and from Canada to Mexico. Specific species may use a variety of habitats during breeding and migration. Common members include Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Evening Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak, Black-headed Grosbeak, Pine Grosbeak and two Mexican species that rarely wander north into the southern U.S.-the Yellow Grosbeak and Crimson-collared Grosbeak.

GROSBEAKS get their name from the French grosbec, from “gros” meaning thick and “bec” meaning beak.

The beaks of these birds are adapted to eating seeds, including those of trees such as elms, as well as buds and flowers. In addition, they also eat a variety of insects, including beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers and many others-spiders and snails are also a part of their diet. In the late summer and fall they may feed heavily on berries and small fruits. Young are fed mostly insects.

The most common breeding species where I live is the Rose-breasted Grosbeak. The males are a striking black and white color with a splash of red on their chest, usually in a V-shape. One gruesome folk nickname of this bird is “cutthroat.” The females are brown streaked with faint yellow wing linings. They’re usually found in deciduous forests, old fields and overgrown orchards. But as fall gives way to winter, another grosbeak may make a rare appearance!

Every winter I wait patiently, hoping to be invaded by one of the coolest of its kind, the Evening Grosbeak! Here in the east, these seed-eating machines will infrequently venture south from Canada in search of food, raiding backyard bird feeders like small swarms of locust. The males’ handsome gold, black and white markings make them one of the most popular winter time birds!

When I was kid growing up in NE Pennsylvania in the 1970’s and early 80’s, every winter we would have hordes of Evening Grosbeaks drop in to gorge on our sunflower seeds. It wouldn’t be unusual to have flocks of 50+ drop in unexpected, feed ravenously, then quickly disappear.  Unfortunately, in the last 20 years the population of Evening Grosbeaks has been declining throughout their range. Scientists believe the main reasons for their decline is due to habitat loss in their northern breeding forests and pesticides used to control spruce budworm, an important food source for them, and other northern bird species.

My birding year, and outdoor adventures, would not be complete if I didn’t get a chance to see at least one Grosbeak, every year…….and maybe, just maybe, when the cold winds blow down from Canada, I may get another look at those eye-catching winter visitors from the north! Enjoy the Outdoors!

We stood there motionless on a frozen lake just north of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories in Canada’s far north. Our eyes gazed upward at the waves of green, pink and white that danced and rolled across the moonlit and star-filled night sky. As quickly as the illuminations disappeared from the horizon in front of us, they would appear directly over our heads, or ripple behind us, or sometimes both! The air temperature was -23°F (-30°C), and with each warm breath we exhaled, the moisture on our fogged-up glasses quickly formed ice crystals. I wiped off the cold, pulled back the sleeve of my goose down parka and looked at my watch. It was 12:30 am. I’m not sure why I cared about knowing what time it was at that particular moment, but for some reason I simply wanted to make a mental note of the exact time we first experienced the Aurora borealis, also known as the Northern Lights. I use the word “experienced” because it was more than just “seeing” them. It was being there-together, in that environment, at that exact time. But even as we both managed to snap a few really beautiful photos with cold, draining batteries, there were many moments that we put the cameras and phones away and watched in pure amazement! You couldn’t help it, and you just wanted “the show” to continue all night!

Experiencing this long-awaited bucket list item included many months of planning as to where, when and how to go. Should we hire a guide, go with a pre-arranged tour, or go it alone. In the end, we decided to go with one-man tour company (www.seannorman.com), the “Aurora Chaser,” and it was the best decision we made! Sean enthusiastically shared his passion and knowledge of how this natural phenomenon occurs, and why. Listening to his personal stories and connections to nature and the native culture, it was easy to get excited about his appetite (and addiction) to viewing the Aurora!

As we learned, the Northern Lights are actually the result of collisions between gaseous particles in the Earth’s atmosphere with charged particles released from the sun’s atmosphere. The lights are seen above the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres. They are known as ‘Aurora borealis’ in the north and ‘Aurora australis’ in the south. It can happen in a variety of eerie colors, including green, blue, white, pink, and in rarer instances, red and purple. Sean told us in that you can view them in Yellowknife from August through April, but you must have clear skies.

Our adventure to the Great White North was not limited to just the wonderful nightly display of the Aurora. Yellowknife had much more to offer during our visit to this frozen destination in March. We also explored some of the remote territorial parks in search of a few of the native birds and other wildlife.

We learned about the history of the region, the animals that live in the boreal forest and the rich culture of the indigenous Dene people at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre.

Our travels found us driving down the Dettah Ice Road on Great Slave Lake and we discovered the annual Snow King Ice Castle Festival. In between, we enjoyed the local food and met some great people!  As cold as the temps were, Yellowknife was warm and welcoming!  We stuffed a lot into our 5 days in Canada, which also included a quick side trip from Calgary, Alberta to Lake Louise in Banff National Park, to take in a little snowshoeing in the Canadian Rockies.

Our packed schedule was a bit hectic at times, but mostly it was a fun, fantastic trip with memories we’ll have for a lifetime……and oh, those lights, those beautiful Northern Lights!  Cheers!

I discovered the main clue the critter left behind. I had seen these mysterious small holes before. Horizontal rows of small cavities, called sapwells, drilled into the trunk of a Sugar Maple tree. They were so fresh that sap from the tree was still trickling out of each hole, still wet to the touch. The animal had just been here, and was most likely close by, waiting to return to lap up its reward. It was a type of woodpecker with an appropriate name-the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

This robin-sized bird’s behavior of tapping into trees is like any other woodpecker. But its attraction to sucking up the oozing sap with its specialized, brush-tipped tongue is a bit unique in the bird world. The sap also attracts insects, which the sapsucker will gladly dine on along with the flowing, sweet liquid. In winter, they may feed on any leftover berries or fruits. Occasionally in the winter, we’ve had them visit our backyard bird feeding area, pecking away at the suet.

In the U.S. and Canada, there are four sapsucker species that occur-the Yellow-bellied, Red-breasted, Red-naped and Williamson’s. Only the Yellow-bellied can be found regularly in the east. The other 3 inhabit the western part of the country. They prefer mixed deciduous-coniferous forests, but can also be found in parks and backyard woodlots. Common trees they visit include maple, birch, aspen, poplar and several fruit trees, like apple trees.

Sapsuckers are one of my favs! I always enjoy seeing these cool-looking birds and hearing their cat like calls each spring. The next time you’re out and about in the forest, look for the distinctive sapwells of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker! Enjoy!

……….my true love gave to me:

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Energetically Curious. That’s how I would best describe one of my favorite songbirds-the Carolina Wren. These cinnamon-colored wrens with a long, white eyebrow are common year-round residents in the East. They can be found in a variety of habitats, including woodlots, backyards, parks and even wetlands, but always near, or in, thick brush. Growing up in Pennsylvania, these were very uncommon birds, and difficult to find. But, over the years the Carolina Wren’s range has steadily expanded north, especially with more mild winters.

One of the coolest things I like about this active, little bird is its constant curiosity. It seems as if no nook or cranny is off limits, as it searches for small insects and fruit. At our home in Virginia, they dart around our back deck, woodpile and shed. They pick suet from the feeders and take baths in the water that collects on the picnic table. Their snooping has even brought them into our house through a back door or garage door that’s been left open. Even at my workplace, there’s a pair that somehow find their way into our small shop, hopping around the rafters, along the floor and in and out of the shelves. Don’t get me wrong, I’m pleasantly surprised to see them, but it’s sometimes a bit challenging getting them out!

Another feature of the Carolina Wren I enjoy is their song. Although they may have several variations, one of their common vocalizations is a 2-syllable song described as “cheery, cheery, cheery, cheery, cheery.” (click below to hear the song of the Carolina Wren) Sometimes, their song changes to a 3-syllable verse, described as “tea-kett-le, tea-kett-le, tea-kett-le.”

They’re also one of the few songbirds that will sing all year-round. I’m lucky to have a job that allows me to work in the great outdoors, and it’s refreshing to come in on a cold, dreary winter day and see a robust little, brown bird sitting on the fence loudly ringing its loud, bubbly song. Sing on Sweet Carolina Wren, sing on!

We were 30 miles or so from our coastal destination when we began to smell a hint of salt air drifting in our windows. Just a trace at first, growing stronger with each passing mile.  Although we have visited the beach many times before, we were still excited, still eager to walk in the sand and hear the power of the crashing waves once again!  Big Blue knew it too, as he pulled us along like a giant magnet. Before reaching our mini beach holiday, we made a couple stops, including a delicious pulled pork BBQ sandwich for lunch, as well as stopping to learn about the local, but booming, peanut and cotton industry in SE Virginia.

Except for birding trips with my dad, I did not grow up a “beach person.” But my wife lived closer to the shore than I did and took summer vacations to Delaware with her family. However, we have many relatives and friends that did (and do) spend their summers and/or weekends “down at the Jersey Shore,” or relaxing in one the coastal towns of Maryland, Virginia or North Carolina. The one thing they’ve all shared with me, is that sense of relaxation they feel as they approach their favorite beach spot. Some may refer to it as stress relief, but it really does calm your soul as you take that first barefoot stroll along the shoreline, warm sun on your back, wet sand gently oozing between your toes and the cool ocean water splashing against your legs. Some of us even test the mighty ocean waves on our first walk, trying to dodge the larger ones, and telling yourself that one won’t reach me. Then, seemingly without warning, it sneaks up and crashes into you, wetting the bottom of your shorts before you’ve even unpacked your bags! Even after 40 years of doing the same thing, I still foolishly shout out, “I wasn’t expecting that,” as I quickly check to make sure my cell phone that was hiding in my pocket, hadn’t been temporarily submerged in the Atlantic Ocean!  

Theresa and I experience that same feeling of serenity when we venture to the coast. But for us, it’s also about re-visiting the variety of coastal wildlife we normally don’t see where we live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Maybe it’s the pods of dolphins playing in the surf, or the many crabs that slowly crawl along the sand, but dash like Olympic sprinters into their holes as you approach them.  But more than any other critters, it’s the “beach birds” we enjoy seeing the most. We pause to admire the flying skills of a large Brown Pelican gliding effortlessly inches over the surface of the water, disappearing behind each cresting wave, then suddenly re-appearing as if it was there the entire time. We laugh as we watch small, delicate flocks of Sanderlings hurriedly running toward the mighty ocean on each outgoing wave searching for sand crabs, then hastily retreating toward land from the next incoming wave-like the opening theme song from the old TV show the Monkees!  

It was late September and our annual fall adventure had us headed to Nags Head, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We were a bit hesitant about going since parts of these barrier islands had sustained some serious damage from Hurricane Dorian, which grazed the area with 100+ mph winds and strong storm surge just a couple weeks earlier. Fortunately for us, they were spared the harshest part of the storm where we were staying. However, in our travels to the southern end of Hatteras Island the damage was very obvious, with many large piles of tree branches and dozens of salt water-damaged appliances (from storm surge) stacked up along the road, waiting to be picked up. We had heard the damage on Ocracoke Island and points further south was even worse. We hope they recover quickly.

Although we talked about taking a couple of days to just relax and “sleep in” on this trip, of course that didn’t happen. We awoke each morning by 6:00 am, grabbed our coffee, and headed down to the beach to welcome the sunrise with a few dozen photos.  As far as landscape photography goes, it’s hard to top the beauty of a rising sun over the ocean, with its canvas of pink and orange colors and rolling surf. In addition to our many beach walks, we also took advantage of the warm, sunny weather and booked a guided kayak tour in the waters of Pamlico Sound, within Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. As we paddled we saw pelicans, terns, gulls, cormorants and a few egrets. Gazing down in the clear water, we were lucky enough to catch sight of a few sting rays and Blue crabs that passed under our quiet boats. Kayaking is a great way to see wildlife up close!

The beach can be a special place. Maybe it’s the salt, the sand, the sun, the waves or the wildlife-maybe it’s a combination of all of them. For many people it’s a place to kick back, slow down and absorb what nature has to offer. You can feel it as you inch closer and closer to the coast. One famous quote sums it nicely, “Ah, the smell of salt and sand. There is no elixir on this blessed earth like it.”  Get Out and About!

The Iroquois’ name for it means “Canoe Landing.” While early settlers dubbed it “the Crooked Lake” because of its unique “Y” shape, and its natural beauty quickly earned it the nickname “Lady of the Lakes.” Whatever you call it, the clear, glacial waters of Keuka Lake makes it the most unique lake of all the Finger Lakes in New York.

Originally, Keuka’s two branches of this “Y” lake were one. Over time, glaciers carved out a major tributary to the main river, transforming it into what is now the East branch of the lake. This glacial action also created a reverse flow of drainage, South-to-North. To this day, Keuka Lake is the only lake in the country, and one of few in the world, that flows both North and South! Keuka Lake is 19.6 miles long, 1.9 miles wide, and reaches a maximum depth of 183 feet. The third largest Finger Lake, it is surrounded by the communities of Hammondsport, Branchport, and Penn Yan. Named “the world’s most beautiful wine region,” by readers of Budget Travel magazine, there are many outstanding, world-class Finger Lakes wineries located in the hills along Keuka Lake.

                                   Sunrise over Keuka Lake, as a Great-blue Heron soars past us.

We spent a relaxing week on the east bluff of the lake a couple weeks ago-exploring the area, fishing, boating, and of course, visiting a few of the dozens of local wineries (and supporting their tasty operations). Visiting the Finger Lakes region in mid-June can be hit or miss with the weather, with warm days, cool nights and rain at any time. But in spite of the unpredictable weather, we enjoyed catching many fish, tubing, hiking at Watkin’s Glen State Park and sampling a few of the local reds and whites.

                            A Mayfly rests on a lakeside plant and a mama Wood Duck calls in her ducklings

Every day we fished a little. Mostly, we cast our lines from the dock, and we caught a lot of fish-one of the great things about the house, and Keuka Lake. The coolest thing is that the lake has many different fish species. Throughout the week, we caught Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel, Rock Bass, Bluegill and Pumpkinseed Sunfish. Several of them were good size fish!

Tyler with a nice Rock Bass, Darby shows of her big Pumpkinseed and Yoni holds his big Smallmouth Bass-great fishing!

The fishing was going pretty good until Tyler and I tried fishing from one of the peddle boats the lake house provides. Have you ever tried one of these challenging little watercraft? You peddle like crazy until your legs almost fall off, and they steer like a 100’ barge! I get the “hands free” concept, but it just doesn’t work. It didn’t help that it took us 10 minutes to figure out the rudder on our little vessel was broke, so we were going in circles as we peddled furiously to try and straighten it out.

But the harder we peddled, the faster we spun, until Tyler figured out that if only one of us peddled, the boat would only zig-zag, instead of “orbiting” in the water. I was fine with that (him peddling) since my legs felt like rubber after our 8^th lap. It was like an episode of Gilligan’s Island, as we tried to guide our SS Minnow to some nearby docks to fish. After 30 minutes of peddling, we managed to travel about 100’ from where we launched. The last straw was when we lost our favorite lure 20’ feet above us in an overhanging tree, and then my rod tip broke off as I tried pulling it down. It was time to limp back to our own dock, defeated by the hopeless peddle boat, and fishless to boot! It was time for a short road trip.

We took a break from fishing to visit Watkins Glen State Park. Although we’ve been here a few times in the past, it’s still one of our favorite destinations. The park sits in the town of Watkin’s Glen, at the southern end of Seneca Lake, largest (38 miles long) of the Finger Lakes. Its natural beauty comes from the 2-mile gorge that Glen Creek has carved out of the landscape over thousands of years.

The main Gorge Trail takes you past 200’ towering cliffs covered in lush ferns and overhanging trees. As you venture upward, you’ll be sprayed by the wet, cool mist of 19 waterfalls that you walk by, and behind. The trail brings you to natural features such as Couch’s Staircase, Cavern Cascade, The Narrows, Glen Cathedral and Rainbow Falls. Each step gives you a different angle to view, and photograph, the cascading stream, as the glen seems to invite you to explore every rock, water droplet and singing bird it has to offer. It’s a very cool, 2-mile walk through one of nature’s wonders, and still one of our favorites!

 As our tranquil week came to a close, we couldn’t leave without taking a few hours to enjoy what the region has increasingly being renowned for-dozens of world class wineries. Take a short drive around Keuka Lake and the first thing you’ll notice are the acres and acres of rolling hills covered in vineyards. Each have their specialties and you could spend several days visiting (and sampling) loads of them. One of our favorites was Heron Hill Winery. Maybe it was their name or their facility, maybe it was their award-winning wines, or maybe it was just because I liked the names of a few of their wines, including the Game Bird Series (Ring-necked Pheasant, Wild Turkey and Wood Duck). The bonus was they also offered a few other “non-grape” beverages to sample/sell, such as their apple pie moonshine! No matter what your flavor, the wineries around Keuka Lake are worth discovering!

The Finger Lakes region of central New York is a great outdoors destination. Along with the many beautiful lakes to enjoy, there are several scenic parks to explore, abundant restaurants to sample, and enough wineries to visit to satisfy your taste for an entire season! And right in the heart of the area is our favorite, Keuka Lake, the “Crooked Lake.” We already miss watching the sunrise each morning over Keuka’s rippling waters, enjoying our coffee dockside waiting for that next fish to bite!

It was three days before our departure date when I finally received an email reply back from Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary, along the Platte River in Central Nebraska. The news was not very encouraging. Although their Nature Center was open, many of the migrating Sandhill cranes had not arrived yet due to the severe weather they had experienced over the last two weeks. To make matters worse, the roads into their site had been severely damaged by recent, historic flooding that covered many rural parts of Eastern Nebraska and parts of Iowa. Heavy rains, combined with rapidly melting snow and ice, ended up being a recipe for disaster. The Platte River, and many other local waterways where the cranes roost each night on their stopover north, had very little sandbars exposed, forcing the birds to hunker down in local fields. Each spring, about 80% of the world’s sandhill crane population rests and fuels up along 70 miles of the Platte River before continuing their northward migration. Our long-planned trip to see one of the last great animal migrations was not looking so good. When it comes to seeing these large numbers of impressive birds, timing is everything! After many emails, phone calls and checking websites, Theresa and I decided to go for it, and drove the 19 hours to Central Nebraska to see whatever cranes showed up by the time we arrived.

Sandhill Cranes have been found as far north as Alaska and Eastern Siberia. In order to reach these destinations, cranes must build up enough energy to complete their long journey and to begin breeding. For the cranes, the Platte River Valley is the most important stopover on this migration. The river provides the perfect spot to rest, and the nearby farmlands and wet meadows offer an abundance of food. Without the energy gained along the Platte, cranes might arrive at their breeding grounds in a weakened condition — where food may be limited until the spring growing season begins. The Platte River region has a variety of habitats that support cranes. The most important is the Platte River itself. The river is very shallow and sandbars dot the channels. It is here the cranes rest at night, gaining protection from predators like coyotes. In the morning, cranes shuffle up and down the river waiting for the sun to pop up over the horizon. As the sun rises, cranes head out to feed and loaf in the surrounding fields.

A chilly morning watching the sun rise over the Platte River,  and thousands of Sandhill cranes taking flight.

During the day, cranes “dance” to relieve the stress of migration and strengthen pair bonds. Cranes are very “social” birds and in the evening, congregate in wet meadows before heading back to the river for the night. We made the right choice. By the time we departed after just two days, there were approximately 200,000 Sandhill cranes in the area. They were constantly flying overhead calling their raspy calls, and flocking in just about every cut cornfield and wet meadow in a 20-mile radius. It was amazing to simply stand there and see and hear these beautiful birds gathering all around us!

A quick photo stop of the Sandhill prairies, and my new best buffalo friend…..Nebraska.

As an added bonus, we also booked a viewing tour in the beautiful Sandhills to experience the courtship “dance” of the Greater Prairie Chicken. The males of these funky birds meet at their courtship areas, called Leks, where they “dance” around, squawking and cooing at other males, and challenging each other. All of their antics are for one reason, to attract girlfriends to mate with. We ventured out in the early morning darkness, 30 minutes before sunrise. We arrived quietly at our makeshift blind-a gutted school bus with folding chairs, open windows and no heat. Fortunately, it was a balmy 33 degrees F, and the early morning rain had stopped. We were asked to stay absolutely quiet, and turn off all flashes on our cameras. The birds begin flying in to the Lek just after sunrise and any sudden noises (or flashes from cameras) would scare them away. Several times while sitting in the bus, I did my best not to cough, sneeze or even fart. It was a very cool experience, and at times, pretty funny, to watch these chicken boys strutting their stuff all over the prairie!

After saying goodbye to the cranes and chickens, we wandered a few back roads of south central Nebraska, and stumbled across a flock of Snow Geese that were roosting on a small, shallow lake in a waterfowl refuge. Not just a few Snow Geese, but approximately 200,000-300,000 all in one spot. They were like a huge swarm of insects, lifting off the lake, then settling back down. It was a “snowstorm” of Snow Geese. We stood there shooting video clips and snapping dozens of photos, and we were the only ones there!

Along our journey, we briefly stopped in Marysville, Kansas, nicknamed the black squirrel capital of Kansas. The town loves their black squirrels so much that they have over 20 large decorated statutes located all over town. The black squirrels are actually a color phase of the Eastern Fox Squirrel. We found both running around the town’s park. 

The famous black squirrels (center) of Marysville, KS are a black phase of the Eastern Fox Squirrel (left)….and celebrated with many uniquely decorated statues (right)  around town

As our adventure closed, we headed south into Kansas, making one last stop at the Harlan County Reservoir to see hundreds of White Pelicans, dozens of wintering Bald Eagles and a friendly Prairie Dog Town.

                            A Prairie Dog Town and one of it’s cute little residents.

It was an enjoyable end to our spring fling to the Platte River Valley and prairies of the Great Plains! We saw so much awesome wildlife, beautiful open landscapes and met some great people along the way. If you can go, go!

Winter is upon us. The invasion from the north has begun! Hundreds of them have been quietly moving south from across the boreal forests of Canada and points beyond. They’re decked out in impressive colors of rosy reds, striking golds and bold blacks and whites. What are these invaders, and why are they here? They’re birds. Very special birds that we don’t see every year. For many birders like myself that live a bit further south, we get excited about these rare visitors because we may get the opportunity to have some of these species show up at our backyard bird feeders! These seasonal movements are called irruptions, and one species is making appearances in many areas it hasn’t visited in decades!

In the bird (and birders) world irruptions are defined as large, irregular migrations of birds from their normal range, usually the far north, to areas they’re not commonly found in, like here in Virginia. Most of these irruptions occur in the winter months, and are caused by the lack of food where they typically live. They move south in search of some of the foods they eat, like the seeds of conifers and birches, berries, and for some species, small animals! Most irruptions focus on songbirds including Pine Siskins, Purple Finches, Common Redpolls, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Grosbeaks, Bohemian Waxwings and Red and White-winged Crossbills. These species are forest-dwelling birds, so here in the Eastern U.S. they most likely find their way to our areas by following the Appalachian Mountain range south. They may also wander many miles away from the mountains. They’ve also been described as “nomadic” feeders, meaning they may visit your feeders one day, disappear for a few days, then suddenly show up again several days later.

Pine Siskin (above left), Purple Finch (above right), Common Redpoll (below left) and Red-breasted Nuthatch (below right), Red Crossbill (bottom)

Perhaps my favorite bird of this group is the beautiful Evening Grosbeak, a bird of my childhood. This beautiful boreal species (males have a magnificent gold, black and white plumage) gets its name from the French word “gros-bec,” meaning “big beak.” Unfortunately, Evening Grosbeak populations are in serious decline due to food availability and habitat loss. The grosbeak feeds mostly on conifer and hardwood seeds in winter, but it feeds its young insects, including the spruce-budworm. But, the spruce-budworm is considered a significant forest pest in the U.S. and Canada and aerial spraying to reduce spruce-budworm infestations may negatively impact Evening Grosbeak populations.

                                         Male Evening Grosbeak (photo courtesy of David J. Hawke)

I remember as a kid living in NE Pennsylvania watching large, hungry flocks of Evening Grosbeaks swarm to our big feeder to gorge themselves on sunflower seeds every winter in the late 1970’s and 80’s. They could scatter the shells of the sunflower seeds faster than a bench full of Major League baseball players! My dad, mom and I would enjoy gazing out the kitchen window, only breaking our observations to bravely venture out in the cold and snow to fill the feeder every few hours. Boy could they put away the sunflower seeds! Boy do I miss those days! Not sure we’ll ever see Evening Grosbeak numbers like that again.

This 1980 photo shows a small flock of Evening Grosbeaks dining on sunflower seeds in our       backyard feeder, in NE Pennsylvania. The gold-colored male is on the right, while the duller-colored females on the left.

There are other bird species that irrupt other than the boreal forest species, such as Northern Shrike, Rough-legged Hawk and the stunning Arctic resident, the Snowy Owl. These carnivorous visitors are just as exciting to see, but they usually don’t irrupt in large numbers. Most reports are of individual birds showing up, and different than the previously mentioned birds, they’re found in open areas with scattered trees, not associated with forests.

Northern Shrike (above left), Rough-legged Hawk (above right) and a Snowy Owl sitting on a shed roof during a snow storm (below).

Before we know it, the cold winds of winter will give way to the warm breezes of spring. The bare trees will begin to bud and some of our summer resident birds will begin to return. But as long as the northern invasion continues, we’ll keep the backyard feeders filled, and maybe, just maybe, we’ll strike gold again!