Winter Birds

By: Sharon Martin

Variety of Winter Birds found in Newfoundland and Labrador. Photos: Scott Martin

When all the Christmas decorations are carefully tucked away until next year, the house and garden devoid of brightly colored lights and ornaments seems cold and bare. For a week or two in January, post Christmas blues are accompanied by bitter winter winds that grip at our very core. Even Jack Frost cannot amuse us with his icy carvings on our window panes.

An interesting way to pass the cold weeks ahead is by feeding and observing our feathered friends. Not only are you providing a healthy nourishing treat for the birds, the satisfaction you will get from watching the ruffled creatures flit to and fro over the frozen landscape of your backyard will warm your heart.

Winter Bird Feeding Tips

The best time to introduce bird feeders to your backyard is in early fall. This is when birds start looking for food sources and will most likely stay all winter.

Don't stop feeding the birds abruptly because by winter they have become dependent on food from you and if it has been a hard winter, seeds and cones in trees may be unattainable for the birds.

If you want birds in your backyard all year round you can provide them with food during all four seasons. Birds like a bath so be sure to provide a water source year round if possible. Birds will feel safe in your garden if they have trees or tall plants to hide in for shelter and protection.

Winter Birds in Eastern Newfoundland

Below are some birds we observed at our cottage during winter in Eastern Newfoundland:

Blue Jays Like most other jays the blue jay often mimics other birds with its shrill squawk. Their favorite food is peanuts in the shell and the best feeder to watch them is a clear window feeder, Blue jays also love sunflower seeds and a feeder containing only sunflower seeds is a good idea because they tend to choose only sunflower seeds from mixed seeds often scratching the unwanted seeds to the ground. These jays also like shelled nuts and fruits.

Gray Jay The Gray Jay is a frequent visitor to camp sites and cabins and will eat anything left behind. These birds are bold and within a few visits will feed from your hand.

Evening Grosbeaks These beautiful colored mid sized birds appear at the feeders with their mate. The male has black wings and tail and bright yellow body and a yellow streak across its forehead. The female has a grayish body with a light brown belly and speckled feathers. These birds travel in small flocks and love sunflower seeds. They prefer feeders with wide ledges or seed scattered on the ground. They have a bell sound call.

Red Breasted Nuthatch

A small bird with a gray back and a reddish belly. The head is streamlined with a black cap and a pointy black bill. These birds hang up side down at window feeders. They love small seeds and nuts and also eat sunflower seeds. They fly away from the feeder with their food and store it in tree trunk crevices.

Juncos

The juncos are probably the most frequent visitor at our birdfeeders on Hodgewater Line. Their color patterns vary. However the colors range from whitish gray to black. They love scratch seed used to feed chickens and ducks and will nibble on any type of mixed wild bird seed.

Black Capped Chickadees

These plump tiny birds make the sound of their name "chick a dee dee dee". Like the juncos they are not fussy feeders but they prefer to feed from feeders instead of feeding from the ground or deck.

If you have had other species of birds visiting your feeders please contact NF Interactive with information and pictures if possible. We would love to share your wild bird pictures and information with our readers.

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