Morning Birding Species List | December 4, 2018

Tuesday, December 4, 2018, 8AM - 11AM
Weather: Clear and cold
Location: Hallam Lake and West Buttermilk Road

Comments:

On this very cold morning few birds were active, but those that were showed behavior strategies revealing some of the ways in which these birds cope with single digit temperatures. Birds were puffed up, trapping body heat with their downy feathers beneath their sleek contour feathers. Geese had frost on their backs, showing that little body heat escapes through their highly insulating plumage. They were also concentrated around food sources, such as open water, conifer cones cluster at tree tops, and at bird feeders. We also observed food caching by chickadees and nuthatches, and possibly also by jays. Colors of plumage were especially clear and bright in excellent light and with fairly close views of birds, especially the dark purple iridescent sheen of the Ring-necked Duck's head and the bright red patch on the Hairy Woodpecker's head. We enjoyed mini lessons on the various subspecies of Dark-eyed Junco and on the book, Of A Feather, by Weisensaul. Join next for the Aspen Christmas Bird Count on December 16th, 7:30am at Hallam Lake!

~ Rebecca Weiss, ACES Bird Guide 

Photo by Dale Armstrong