FOAM LAKE
BIRDING
No. 185
Here it is,
Nov. 4th, and there is no snow on the ground, yet. It is trying though. At this time of the year every day without
snow is a blessing. Remembrance Day is
early enough for winter to set in.
On the
birding front things are slow but for one Hairy Woodpecker and one White
Breasted Nuthatch in our backyard. The
pair of Eurasian Collared Doves still comes into our yard several times a
day. I would like to have them hang
around for the winter but I am not quite sure what to feed them. I am going to try cracked wheat.
On the day
before Halloween we had a Robin scratching around on the ground and
feeding. It was nice to see something
"summery" at this time of year.
It was alone so it just might be one of those that decides to winter
over. Time will tell. In the meantime it is back to watching House
Sparrows and Chickadees.
Driving to
and from Foam Lake I have noticed more Rough Legged
Hawks than usual. These Arctic hawks
breed on the Tundra but winter over on the Great Plains
mainly along the Missouri/Mississippi drainage system. They are quite common here late in the fall
but are usually mistaken for the more common summer hawk, the Northern Harrier
(Marsh Hawk). Both are slender gull-like
hawks that behave and look much like each other with both species even having
the large white rump.
My next
task is to set out my winter feeders especially the ones with suet since the
weather is cold enough to prevent spoilage.
Another feeder that I put out only in the winter is canola seed for the
reason that the only birds that seem to like it are the Redpolls. The Redpolls are not here yet but we will be
ready for them if and when they come.
This week's
pictures are of a Robin feeding in the same area where we saw the one mentioned
in this article and a White Breasted Nuthatch at one of our peanut feeders.
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