Winter Birds

For Alison Bell4 by Earl Plato

Social Life in Winter Birds
Watching birds in winter is easier than in summertime. Why? It’s obvious; Less cover and because so many birds flock together. At the farm we had the huge gathering if Starlings. In Niagara Falls there are large roosts of Crows.
There you can see their feeding habits with their sentinels posted. At our farm feeder we had a pecking order with the Blue Jays. The first pair of jays would alight; feed a short while then a second pair arrived and chased the first pair away. A few minues later the third and dominant pair landed sending the second pair away. This pair ate without any further attempt at dominance. Stokes tells us that in winter time social behaviour occurs between certain species. He mentions Titmice, Kinglets, Chickadees, and Woodpeckers intermixing at feeding times. Chickadees and Titmice are the more aggressive species. Observe and enjoy the social behaviours of winter birds.
Breeding Among Winter Birds
Do you believe the following statement by Donald Stokes?
“The breeding of most mammals and the courtship of many birds occurs in the middle of winter.” Observe the Mallards and Black ducks in the river at the north end of Fort Erie. They display various courtships throughout our winter. Hairy woodpeckers also begin courtship displays in December. Blue jays engage in a strange group display during February and March. Note: I have not observed this ‘jay’ phenomenon yet. This 2008 I’ll keep my eyes open
A Hairy woodpecker in Marcy Woods
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