where are my winter birds?

[traveler]

If it wern't for chickadees, it would be like a ghost town out by the feeders!

Where are my redpolls? Pine grosebeaks?? I kinda thought this early, heavy snow would push more winter birds down earler, instead it seems to be the opposite. Are the rest of you seeing many winter birds?

[LeeKen]

I have a few juncos but I haven't seen a redpoll or siskin. Last year was the first year we had pine grosbeaks so I was hoping to see some more, but no luck so far. I blame it on Obamacare.

[eyeguy 54]

lol. normal birds here in Sauk Rapids. Tons of redpolls last year, have not seen any yet this year. last winter was strange, had not seen the redpolls for a long time.

[Dotch]

Birds are coming around some here. More frequent and in numbers. After I was gone for a few days the chickadees and nuthatches are back. The goldfinches are starting to pull on the thistle feeders a little harder. There are 4 downies and a couple hairies taking up residence on the suet. Blue jays and juncos round out the rest of the sightings. Nothing exotic but seeing a subtle increase.

[Jim Almquist]

So far I have no new birds at the feeders. It seems like every year is a little different. I am sure it is due to what ever food they may find or not find that causes them to come down to the lower 48 for the winter.

[Ufatz]

Out in the woods near Fergus: cardinals,blue jays,nuthatch and chickadee,redpolls and Pileated's walking on the front deck!! They all love the big chunks of blubber we get from the butcher and the sunflower seeds. Oddly, the corn is not that popular. Mrs. Fox comes for whatever we have available and yesterday sat on the lake out front and ate something she found or caught. She comes up by the house every early morning. Has had two litters of three past two springs. Just like having another dog around the place.

And of course several of the ladder back variety and the big yellow breasted one with red hat.

[DonBo]

Here in the metro, lots of chickadees, nuthatches and goldfinches. A few juncos for a while now. First cardinals of the season just showed up about a week ago.

[delcecchi]

Here in the metro, lots of chickadees, nuthatches and goldfinches. A few juncos for a while now. First cardinals of the season just showed up about a week ago.

We have had a lot of birds since fall here in Rochester. When your situation happened to a friend of mine, it was determined to be due to a predator (once an owl, and other times a hawk, possibly a peregrine) that had taken up residence in the area. Apparently the birds aren't too hot to sit on a feeder in view of something that could eat them.

[finnbay]

Still no redpolls or siskins here on Finn Bay. We do have a few pine grosbeaks. Lots of goldfinches, nuthatches and chickadees.

[traveler]

Still nothing here....send a few of those pine GB's down from babbit, will ya?

[Paul]

I think I saw a Canadian goose here last week. really quiet over here in the Valley. Heard reports of some owls around Grand Forks, seen a few rooster pheasants but other than that a bit quiet. today was 22 degrees though I would think they should start to move a bit. This -40 has been for the birds. No pun intended

[NilesBayHusker]

We still haven't seen any redpolls. What gives? Last winter we had hundreds around the feeder until March. It's been so cold here in No. MN that maybe they kept flying south.

[Todd Caswell]

Pretty boring around here as well, nothing out of the norm.

[eyeguy 54]

no redpolls here. tons last year. non e for 15 years before that. strange indeed. maybe algore can figure it out.

[Duffman]

The mallards have been hitting the neighbors feeder, and a hawk has taken one of them down in my yard for the second week in a row.

I don't mind.

Hawks gotta eat, same as ducks.

Usually when I see that much down floating around, there's pillow fighting and girls in nighties.

[eyeguy 54]

LOL ! would love to see the kill in action. I got pics of a sharp shin tearing into a junco 2 years ago.

[MN Shutterbug]

When the girls show up with nighties, we want to see a pic of that too

I photographed a Sharp-shinned devouring a Cedar Waxwing a few years ago and actually saw him nail it in midair but didn't have the camera ready. It happened so fast. I also photographed a Cooper's dining on a Blackbird in my back yard a couple years ago. That didn't bother me at all.

[Duffman]

I left the carcass out overnight thinking a local coyote or fox would take care of it.

And this morning it was gone.

We have a sharpie that makes a daily flight thru the yard during the summer, usually lose 2-3 doves a year. Prefer he'd hit the grackles, but I'm guessing dove tastes better.

[Duffman]

My buddy just saw this take place in his parking lot at work in St Paul.....

Falcon 1 Pigeon 0

[Hawg]

Just happened on this forum this morning. I'm in Brainerd and I have next to zero birds this winter. I have corn, suit, blk seeds, and little bird stuff seed out. No cardinals, no grosbeaks, no siskins, not much at all. I guess I'm not alone. Did it ever pick up for anyone around my area? Heck, I even sho, oops, scared away the stray cat, still nothing.

[traveler]

it sure never picked up for me! We had a shrike come thru for a few days last week and he couldn't find anything around here either...pretty sure he's moved on now!

[OLE77]

It's been pretty active at feeder. Thistle has a lot of finches; oil has a lot of beaks, chickadees, nuthatches. Water has been going like crazy in this cold weather.

[Pinusbanksiana]

I had a small flock of pine siskin's earlier in Jan, the left and replaced by about 75 goldfinches. Yesterday I saw my first purple finch of the winter, all by himself I think. Chickadees, nuthatches, downy, hairy, and a blue jay. Missing this year are redpolls, crossbills, and pine grosbeaks,

[delcecchi]

Just happened on this forum this morning. I'm in Brainerd and I have next to zero birds this winter. I have corn, suit, blk seeds, and little bird stuff seed out. No cardinals, no grosbeaks, no siskins, not much at all. I guess I'm not alone. Did it ever pick up for anyone around my area? Heck, I even sho, oops, scared away the stray cat, still nothing.

If you normally have birds, then my guess is some sort of predator, most likely a hawk or owl.

[eyeguy 54]

been quiet but busy today.