Barred Owls Have Everybody Talking

By Beth Sullivan

Those of us who are linked in to all the nature sites on social media have been reading a lot about barred owls lately. If you are a nature watcher of any kind, it is very likely you have spotted one in the last couple of months. The news has been filled with reports of this most wonderful owl. Reports have been coming in of sightings and encounters in all sorts of places.

Most of the time, barred owls like to hide in evergreens. Photograph by Hank Golet.

Diurnal owl makes a showing

While very widespread in distribution, normally they are somewhat secretive and like most owls, are more active at night. Barred owls are the most likely to make an appearance during daylight hours or be spied in a somewhat more open location. I admit, they are my favorite. I think it’s because of their dark eyes which are situated in the front of their face, not off sides like other birds, and they appear calmer and more human, unlike the great horned owls and others, with their other-worldly yellow eyes. I walk in several areas where I keep my eyes open because I know they are residents. They usually like to sit deep in the shadows of a big evergreen to stay out of the way of the noisy and disruptive crows. On a recent, finally sunny warm day, I came upon “my” owl sitting out on a limb, exposed and seeming to be enjoying the sun as much as we were.

At this time of year they can be heard calling to one another. Actually they call almost any time of year. When I find my spot to sit, I can often hear several of them calling back and forth to one another. They often respond to a good imitation too. When my daughter was young, she and a barred owl engaged in a conversation during which the owl flew out of the woods to the yard edge to investigate more closely.

So why are there seemingly so many of them right now? I am not sure there is any one answer but I have read many good theories. One is that there is a lack of food in some more northern areas, pushing them south to find the small mammals they usually rely on. Another thought is that there is an abundance of food locally, and the birds are just happy to be out hunting over open fields taking their mice and voles more easily than in the forest. One beautiful bird was photographed by several people as it spent the day at Knox Preserve. The fields were newly mowed, providing less cover for small mammals. The owl moved from trees, to poles, to empty birdhouses, just watching and waiting. I have found mice nesting in those empty birdhouses during the winter; maybe it was waiting for a quick snack.

One other theory, that I find interesting, is based on the fact that it is now early mating season. The young from last year may have spent these many months still in the company of their parents, possibly still getting assistance and lessons. But now the parents have other things on their minds, and it is time for tough love. The kids are out on their own. They are a bit unrefined and not very discreet in their hunting techniques yet. Maybe that’s why one chose to sit on a “No Parking” sign in the Stonington Borough. Another, or maybe the same, was reported in the only tree on Dodge Paddock. A wonderful sight for many, but also probably an easy place to find meadow creatures in the newly cut field area.

Great horned owls and most other owls have quite startling yellow eyes.

They are very vocal and appear to enjoy themselves. Photograph by Dennis Main.

This one chose to sit in full view of homes and a busy trail. Photograph by Rick Newton.

This owl at Knox Preserve was apparently waiting for a snack. Photograph by Rick Newton.

Hike, and drive with your eyes open

Sadly though, their inexperience and hunger drive them to a bit of recklessness or carelessness, and as they hunt along open roadsides, they swoop low and too often end up casualties of collisions with cars. It is quite startling to find an owl on eye level with you, especially when you are behind the wheel.

So as you hike these next weeks, listen for the crows signaling they may have found one sleeping somewhere. Look up, especially into evergreens, and you may see one, or maybe even parked on a sign where you least expect it.

Whatever reason is behind their increased numbers, I am enchanted whenever I encounter one.

You can read more about this year's owl boom here. 

Glastonbury police rescued this one after a collision with a car. Glastonbury police photo. 

Many barred owls are unable to be released after injury. This pair was lucky enough to be able to have a family in captivity. Photograph by Ben Turner.

Photographs by Beth Sullivan, unless otherwise indicated.

Some Vagabond Birds

By Beth Sullivan

We started off this winter, in late fall actually, with one good snowstorm and a lot of good birds. We all hoped this was going to be a big year for northern species. Every once in a while, due to challenging conditions in the northern regions, birds will move south in irregular patterns. These are called irruptions. Some are more noticeable, and stunning, than others. A few years ago we were seeing beautiful snowy owls in local areas, in farm fields and coastal areas, sandy beaches, and parking lots. That was a great winter! It was attributed to a lower than normal supply of the small mammals that the owls normally find on their home turf.

A diet of seeds

Other birds rely on seeds from various sources. If a particular seed source becomes scarce, they will move as well. Some rely on seeds from evergreen conifers, others from trees such as birch and alder. This season started off spectacularly. One day in early November, we were totally stunned by a flock of evening grosbeaks at our feeder. They flew in with a very distinctive chatter and landed on the ground beneath our tube feeder and fought for spots on the perch of our hopper style feeder. I think I have only seen these birds at our home once before in all the 30+ years we have lived here. They may have been here, but we wouldn’t know, mostly because they have the terrible habit of dropping in, demolishing all the seeds present at the moment, then swirling away, never to come back. We just happened to be at the window at the right time to see about 15 of these gorgeous birds. Their color is so smooth; females are subtle and lovely, and the males are outstanding in their yellow and black. Their beaks are huge, bigger than our local cardinals’, perfectly adapted to cracking open hard shelled seeds. They stayed long enough to entertain us, let me get some good photos, then got spooked and flew off, never to return that day, or since, that we have seen.

We kept our eyes open after that. My favorite birding is often done at my kitchen window. I can pretend I am getting work done, do dinner, clean up , whatever, and keep my eyes on the feeders and trees right in front of me. I am always rewarded.

Snowy owls are not common this year. This one was at Sachuest NWF. Photograph by Susan Dewire Chester.

The male grosbeak is impressive in his coloration and the size of his beak.

Sparrows all around

Not too much later in November and into December, we welcomed several fox sparrows to our feeders. These birds are noticeably bigger than their more common counterparts. Yet they mix in with all the white-throated sparrows and song sparrows. Their behavior is just the same: hop and scratch, then scurry to the bushes. But their color is warmer, rusty reddish brown. These birds, as with other sparrows, are not quite as flighty. They are apt to stick around for a longer time if they know there is food. And they don’t travel in flocks like the grosbeaks. These birds stayed with us for several weeks, and I enjoyed their antics on the ground under the window every day. Then they were gone. Wherever they go, farther south maybe, they often return on their way home. Keep an eye out in March.

Our other welcome visitors also showed up in flocks, but not necessarily of their own kind. This year the pine siskins arrived in December, but when they arrived they came with a big flock of American goldfinches. We have goldfinches living here year round, but the larger, mixed flocks from up north, often roam around with the locals. When the larger flocks show up, look carefully, because one or two may stand out as different. Sometimes the siskins themselves will come in larger numbers in flocks of their own. The siskins are similar in size, small, delicate, but are streaked brown and may show a delicate wash of yellow on their sides. Their beaks are thinner than the goldfinches’. They behave the same; you can tell they are related. These flocks may stay in an area for a day, maybe two, but then they are off and moving elsewhere.

I haven’t seen any other northern superstars. But yesterday at the suet feeder, in the deepest cold of the winter, several beautiful bluebirds arrived. A promise of spring, I’d like to believe. And certainly just as welcome and appreciated as any transient visitor.

The pine siskin is delicate and very streaked.

Our goldfinches share their flocks and feeders with the pine siskins.

The fox sparrow is more robust in color and size than most sparrows. They don't stay all winter.

The white throated sparrows are winter residents, here from October to May.

When the bluebirds arrived it was a glimpse of spring.

Photographs by Beth Sullivan, unless otherwise indicated.

Winter Bird Watching from Inside Out

By Beth Sullivan

The transition from 2017 to 2018 hasn’t exactly gone as planned. Being hit by the flu really set me back on any resolutions to get out and hike, not to mention the bitter cold and a blizzard to boot.

However, I have really been able to enjoy some great winter bird watching right from my windows and have had the opportunity to contribute to Citizen Science as well. The local Audubon Christmas Bird Count has ended, and while I haven’t seen specific results, a glance at the eBird website is a great way to check up on highlights and rarities. Sitting stuck indoors, it is hard to get excited over a rare goose that has strayed from Greenland that I can’t get to. But I can be excited about the flashes of color outside my window and centered around my feeders. The miracle of these littlest of birds who are constant and reliable, no matter what the weather, is what I have concentrated on this last week or two, and to make it count, I report to Project Feederwatch. You can find out more about Project Feederwatch here.

For now I am concentrating on observing how these sweet fragile creatures withstand the weather that has had us all complaining. There are two main groups of birds to watch now: those that are migrants, that come here for their “southern getaway”, and those that have been here all along, our residents.

The most common migrants are the white-throated sparrows and the dark-eyed juncos. They most often arrive in flocks of varying sizes, and once they have established their winter home territory, they don’t move very far.

The White Throated Sparrows arrive in September and leave in May, not seeming to mind the snow.

A resident, the Titmouse will puff up and cover its feet in the cold.

Many locals to see

The locals are those that probably nested within “an acre” or so of your house. The cardinals, house finches, Carolina wrens and even blue-jays may have nested within eyesight of your house. Each of those species had a nest I could watch this summer. It’s fun to guess which of the birds I am hosting now may have been raised under my watchful eyes. As cavity nesters, the chickadees, titmice and nuthatches probably nested more into the wooded areas but are easily drawn out into our yards and to our feeders. Banding studies have shown that family groups of these species will stick together, sometimes in mixed-species flocks, and loosely roam, but not very far if they have a food source during the winter.

During cold, a bird has one mission: to stay alive. To do that it must eat. A lot. A bird’s metabolism is normally very high, and in order to keep up that rate, to keep warm and maintain vital functions, a bird will spend almost all its daylight hours searching for and consuming food. Our local winter birds have a couple of choices. Most rely on seeds of some kind. Volumes have been written about seed choices and feeder styles, but generally speaking, offering a variety will attract a variety. Nuts and seeds provide fats and proteins essential for winter survival. Suet is even more concentrated energy and is very attractive to the woodpeckers in our area. Woodpeckers have the added ability of digging deep into rotting wood to uncover grubs and insects that may be hiding deep under bark. More protein.

Along the woodland edges I often watch birds foraging in the vines and shrubs. Many plants have not yet been stripped of their fruits. Vines of Virginia creeper, fox grape and even poison ivy provide seeds that persist. Juniper and red cedar fruits are waxy coated, and the seeds within are ripening now. The same is true of many of the hollies and viburnum species. If you gardened with native plants, you have offered seeds and fruits that will remain as ‘feeding stations’ well into the winter.

Bluebirds prefer berries, but in the winter, suet is welcome.

Providing a variety of feeding stations will attract a variety of birds as they express their feeding preferences.

Goldfinches are residents but they will form flocks and roam the area during the winter.

Check all the views

As I move from window to window, I can enjoy all of my birds. I can watch as they choose their favorite manner of eating. I can enjoy the relationships: tolerance or intolerance among species as they take places on the feeders. I watch them hop and scrape to find the snow-covered seeds on the ground or enjoy the antics of birds that are not used to clinging, attempt to balance on suet like a woodpecker. They will puff up their feathers, seek a sunny lee side of a tree trunk, and never really complain about how cold it is.

Grab your binoculars, a note pad, and a warm cup of tea and enjoy watching the littlest of the hardy winter creatures. Then when it warms up…..wander farther afield. The birds will await you there as well.

This Red-bellied Woodpecker will work the trees for food, but also will visit the suet feeder.

Like many birds, this Nuthatch seeks out the sheltered side of a trunk.

Photographs by Beth Sullivan.