In the last week or so, it has been seasonably cold with occasional snow flurries. The last flock of what were probably migrating Canada geese were heard over a month ago, flying south for the winter. However, you may say, “Wait a minute, we see Canada geese during the winter.” Indeed, you will see them over the winter, especially near the rivers and other waterways that happen to have open water where geese can feed. Canada geese both breed and winter in our region. The geese you see migrating in the fall high up in the sky may be on their way to the Carolinas, or maybe on their way to areas such as Easton, PA, just a few hours south of here as the goose flies. Most of the geese that migrate over this region probably start their trip in Canada. Most of Canada gets cold enough to necessitate migration of geese and other bird species to warmer habitat in order to survive the winter

Many raptors are migratory, and the distance they migrate varies widely by species.

Broad-winged hawks migrate through the region around the third week of September, and many of them don’t stop until they reach the northern part of South America. You won’t see a broad-winged hawk in the region after the first week of October. I heard a red-shouldered hawk call on New Year’s morning during a hike. This is another raptor species that lives in the area all year. There are migrants that pass through the area during the fall; some of them may winter in our region, with others heading further south. The very common red-tailed hawk is another year-round resident; some migrants are seen in the fall; most of these are likely leaving breeding areas in northern climes.

As far as the birds you may see in your back yard or near the bird feeder, many of these are year-round residents that you may hear calling during the spring breeding season. Others may be winter visitors such as redpolls or pine siskins. Redpolls are classified as irruptive migrants, which means that they migrate further south every few years based on food availability. If you are lucky, you may see a small flock foraging on the ground. 

If you feed birds, winter is the best time to do it as food is less plentiful and harder to find during the winter. Suet feeders are also good to attract certain species of birds, including woodpeckers. Except for an occasional winter walk by a male, the bears will be mostly absent during this time. To find out about which birds you are likely to see during the winter vs. the rest of the year, check out “All About Birds” from Cornell University here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/