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Early winter?

15 years ago

It must be all the cloudy rainy days in the northeast and Ontario, Canada, because the dark-eyed juncos have already arrived (seems early to me), the black-capped chickadees and tufted titmice are swarming the feeders and the goldfinches are changing real fast. There have been hairy and downy woodpeckers, white breasted and red breasted nuthatches, carolina wrens, purple finches, morning doves and cardinals. As I had responded to another post, I even had black-throated blue warblers this morning. That's a first for me at the feeder. Has anyone else had extra activity at their feeders? At the rate they are eating, I better store up on extra bird food right away.

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Comments (5)

donald lucius
15 years ago
Just the opposite here in western Colorado. it has been mostly dry all summer and fall except for some scattered rain showers, We usually get light frosts by mid sept. but so far this year mostly 40s nights and 70's and low 80's days, All the summer birds are gone and just a few chickadees and nuthatches showing uo. no juncos or towhees
or white crowned sparrows or the titmouse that we get in winter yet. and only have seen a couple woodpeckers and one lone scrub jay. kinda dull around the feeders this time of year till it get cold and snowy
Do have the year around magpies and collared doves
mbloft
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the response. You reminded me of when I lived in Colorado. Here in RI its been in the 40's at night and 50's lately in the daytime. We will get some Indian summers yet. Our blue jays are here all year, but they don't frequent the feeders too much. No scrub jays here, towhees only in summer (gone now), white-crowned sparrows sometimes, white-throated sparrows are frequent at times and no collared doves in this area. No magpies either. I really liked seeing them in CO. The locals didn't seem to like them much, but I thought they were beautiful handsome birds. Our blue jays take their bird community niche here in the northeast.
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seaflea3
15 years ago
Yes, I've had similar activity....I saw my first junco a long time ago...very early for NY state!! seems all the birds and squirrels are ravenous....I hope this doesnt mean an early and hard winter!!
kendra2003
15 years ago
I had Pine Siskins show up on the seventh. I didn't see them until much later the winter before last, and last year I didn't see any at all. I wonder if the food is scarcer up north this year?
bandjzmom
15 years ago
I am with all of you, worrying about an extra cold winter. I am also seeing Dark eyed Juncos in my yard, and I should not see them in my Georgia yard until January or until there is snow. I have a more Northern friend who is already seeing the Pine Siskins too early. I'm not seeing so much feeder activity yet mbloft, but now that you have posted this, I am going to be watching for it to come earlier.

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