REGION — Some of the denizens of the Upper Delaware Valley in the warmer months, like this blue heron perched near a pond in Manchester Township, PA, will soon be following the human snowbirds and heading south, to avoid the chilling winds of winter.

While many birds will leave the area to pursue better food opportunities in southern states, a lot of birds, such as cardinals, chickadees and woodpeckers will remain behind and make do with the growing season’s remains.

And at least one bird will increase in number in the region, as bald eagles that summer further north in Canada, fly here to take advantage of the stretches of the Upper Delaware River that remain ice-free through the winter.