Feathers in Winter
by Sandra Voisine
The busy days of harvest have long since ended.
The vegetable gardens and fields yielded their bounty,
and the ground has been plowed or tilled to rest for
the winter. Squirrels and other small mammals have
gathered seeds and nuts to hide or stash in niches
among the rocks and roots of the underbrush as food
during the lean months ahead. Bears fattened by a
diet of berries and apples settle in for hibernation.
Fall has passed into the cold days of winter.
Throughout the region, many people
stock backyard feeders with seed for the joy of
watching a colorful display of visiting birds.
Over the past 15 years, my husband and I
watched these visitors and were able to identify
fifty-seven different birds. Many more came to
sample the bounty but flew in and out so quickly,
it made proper identification difficult. As the
season changes and the temperature drops, there
is a shift in the birds found in our area. Some
of the more common and easier to identify like
ducks, geese and robins arrive in the spring and
migrate to warmer climates when the temperature
drops, freezing the ground, lakes, rivers and
ponds. Other birds survive here all year-round.
The most common is the Maine state bird, the
black capped chickadee. These fluffy little birds are
sociable and their cheery-sounding call notes (chicka-dee) bring a smile to many and are a popular favorite
among bird lovers. Chickadees hide dead insects and
seeds in holes or bark crevices and are attracted to bird
feeders for suet and seeds. Fun to watch, these birds
flock together in winter and flit around tree branches
and bushes. They visit feeders and will often take one
sunflower seed at a time, fly off to eat it, or stash it
for a later meal. Once the chickadees get used to your
presence near the feeder, your outstretched hand can
tempt them to land and grab a seed from your palm.
26
WINTER 2015