Christmas at the Cottage

I just spent the most wonderful weekend at my dear friend Isabel's cottage. I had a great time skiing and birding with her and her family. There was very little snow around her cottage, but we still saw many cool winter birds.

One of our targets was a recently reported Barred Owl several kilometres away from Isabel's property. We excitedly rushed outside first thing in the morning to chase this beauty. As soon as we hopped into her car and drive to the end of her street, can you guess what we see? We spot a Barred Owl perched on the telephone wire only a few arm's-lengths away from us!

Barred Owl

Barred Owls are very sedentary and local; they often do not move farther than 6 miles away in a given season. They can be found year-round in mature forests, which support a high diversity of prey and are more likely to have large cavities suitable for nesting. Barred Owls eat many kinds of small animals and are primarily nocturnal. During the summer, listen for their barking "Who cooks for you" call and the courtship duets of mated pairs.

Another awesome surprise awaited us the very same day. In Isabel's basement, we were all playing Wii video games when we saw movement outside through the window. We ran upstairs to discover a Pileated Woodpecker drumming its head off on a tree. This species characteristically excavates rectangular holes in trees to find ants. These excavations can be so broad and deep that they can cause small trees to break in half!

Pileated Woodpecker

The most thrilling bird of the entire trip was Evening Grosbeak - my first lifer since October! Isabel and I saw 8 of these magnificent birds, patterned in black, white, and yellows. Evening Grosbeaks are irregular (or “irruptive”) winter migrants. Some years these spectacular finches show up at feeders far south of their normal winter range—providing a treat for us bird watchers. 

Winter birding is a satisfying activity, adding splendid colour to a bleak winter day. If you ever have the chance to go birding this winter, I encourage you to go looking for the Barred Owl, the Pileated Woodpecker, or the Evening Grosbeak - I guarantee they will bring a smile to your face!

Evening Grosbeaks