Winter Birding Essentials: Reading The Landscape

     It’s a cold winter’s day in January and I’ve decided to take an early morning bird walk in the Wethersfield Meadows. I have about an hour to spare, so I need to move swiftly. I step out of my car and scan the farm fields for birdlife. No luck. I immediately think to myself, this isn’t going to be easy. With a seemingly barren landscape before me, I will have to evaluate my options and read the landscape carefully. 

     When birdwatchers spend time in the field, they not only become familiar with a birds field marks and song, they begin to understand the different habitats they live in. Ornithologists use the term microhabitat to describe these subtle subdivisions within a landscape. Once learned, these habitats are easier to notice and in turn allow a birder to become more efficient at finding certain species.

     This was the case in Wethersfield as I was looking for overwintering sparrows. Sparrows are seed-eating birds that prefer the edges of open fields with areas of thick brush nearby for cover. As soon as I located this particular type of habitat, I was able to find plenty of American Tree, Song, Savannah and Swamp Sparrows.

     Another bird I had my sights set on this morning was Horned Lark. Horned Larks are barren-ground specialists which favor extensively open land with scant weedy vegetation. Experienced birders know quite well that farm fields are a perfect place to find foraging winter flocks. A few minutes of careful searching revealed a secretive flock among the plows furrows.

     A winter’s landscape can sometimes make it much easier to find birds. The meadows bordering woodlands provide clear views of perch-hunting hawks due to the lack of foliage. Red-tailed Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks and a Merlin were all enjoyed during my visit. The woods exposed branches also allowed unobstructed looks at woodpeckers, nuthatches and Golden-crowned Kinglets.

     In addition to the land, rivers and ponds should be checked during the winter. With daily temperatures averaging below 30 degrees, parts of the Connecticut River had become completely frozen over. Savvy birders who routinely seek out unfrozen areas are often rewarded with sightings of waterfowl, gulls and Bald Eagles. The openings in the river today offered distant looks at Common and Hooded Mergansers, American Black Ducks and Canada Geese.

     Acquiring the ability to read landscapes is an integral part of a successful days birding. This knowledge will enable you to enjoy birding year round, especially when old man winter is in town.