American Crow hunting acorns
I spotted this American Crow having a delightful time watching all of the action around it as more American Crows plus Blue Jays, squirrels and chipmunks all eagerly grabbed countless acorns under an oak tree. In this shot it almost seemed like it was gleefully sizing up the tree, taking an account of how much stock was left in this giant store. There are feeding frenzies going on all around us with wildlife storing food for the winter during a very helpful warm November stretch. That is about to end as colder than average temperatures are coming for the mid-month with some snow in the...
Read MorePine Siskin (Spinus pinus) invasion
A Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) invasion is underway with birds expanding across a sizable swath of the United States. On some conducive flight mornings it is hard to go outside without seeing or hearing some flying south! Have your feeders been swamped with hungry new arrivals? If you do not have them yet you may soon.
Read MoreRed-breasted Nuthatch enjoying pine cones
On the same day that I posted about not seeing many Red-breasted Nuthatches this autumn I went out and immediately saw a Red-breasted Nuthatch. Such is life! I do not need to file a retraction in this case because my overall point remains valid. The species is a resident in many parts of New York and the Northeast but these tiny bundles of joy are found much more frequently in the fall and winter during irruption years where birds move south and often visit bird feeders for the duration of their stay. There are always a number of Red-breasted Nuthatches that migrate to southern quarters....
Read MoreGroundhog (Marmota monax)
It is about to turn into a very chilly weekend for us in the Chautauqua-Allegheny region after a week of warm temperatures and a lot of sun. This Groundhog (Marmota monax), or whatever else you prefer to call the rodent among its many names, has to be in a hurry to eat all it can now. The species is always highlighted when they come out of hibernation to “predict” the end of the winter and early spring seasons. However, if you watch them in autumn you will see a lot of activity out of the increasingly fatter individuals as they prepare to hibernate. A good “night” to...
Read MoreChipmunks collecting for winter
Does this happen to you? Even if you have baffles up on well-protected feeders it is the Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) collecting season as they prepare for winter by grabbing every kind of seed, acorn, nut and other tasty treat they can find. I love watching them scurry up and down trees and run as fast as they can with a mouth full of food each fall, filling the cache in their burrow. They do hibernate but not fully – I sometimes see them wake up from one of their naps, popping out to enjoy warmer winter days, especially around bird feeders, to get some extra fresh food.
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