Mourning Doves Gone Too?

[Hawg]

Not seeing any around Brainerd for a few days.

[delcecchi]

I've seen them in Rochester all winter.  They come at dusk and clean up the sunflower seeds on the ground. 

[Hawg]

This is from the DNR page. They must have moved south a little, I went from quite a few to none.

Habitat and range

Mourning doves are common along country roads, and are also found in towns and open forests. In winter mourning doves migrate south; however, some can be seen year round in southern Minnesota.

[delcecchi]

11 hours ago, Hawg said:

This is from the DNR page. They must have moved south a little, I went from quite a few to none.

Habitat and range

Mourning doves are common along country roads, and are also found in towns and open forests. In winter mourning doves migrate south; however, some can be seen year round in southern Minnesota.

Southern Minnesota.   That be right here. 

[the nature boy]

I still had a few yesterday in SW MN. If it wasn't for the doves, I wouldn't be buying safflower seeds.

[Dotch]

We typically have them through much of the winter in our neck of the prairie in SC MN. However, if the weather starts to get real cold they seem to head into towns and other more sheltered areas. 

[Mike89]

still around here

[smurfy]

had them in my back yard yet last nite in cold spring!!!!

[half-dutch]

I was down in NW Iowa this past week.  All kinds of mourning doves there.

Soybean and corn harvest is starting;  so spilled grain in the field may hold them there awhile. 

[delcecchi]

Saw a few in the yard last week also, now that I have started bird feeding again. 

[smurfy]

still in my yard up in cold spring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jim Almquist]

We had our first Junco arrive this weekend. Hope that is not a sign of the type of winter we are in for 

[smurfy]

I was at the cabin this weekend and SAW a few of them also. wasn't paying a whole lot of attention at home but thought i'd seen one here in stearns county last nite. gonna keep an eye out tonite.

I know the hummingbirds are gone!

 

[Dotch]

1 hour ago, Jim Almquist said:

We had our first Junco arrive this weekend. Hope that is not a sign of the type of winter we are in for 

Not a good sign. The hummingbirds have been conspicuously absent from the feeders here since about the 21st, right before everything got washed down the creek. One of their earlier exits from the ranch. 

[smurfy]

OK.............I give.................whats the secret or oman to seeing juncos this early?????????????????????????

[Dotch]

To make people worry so they will buy wool garments. Sort of like global warming and buying indulgences like carbon credits. 

[leech~~]

32 minutes ago, smurfy said:

OK.............I give.................whats the secret or oman to seeing juncos this early?????????????????????????

Means get the snowmobiles ready boys it's going to be a good winter! 

[smurfy]

 guess I had that coming!!!!!!!!!

[Jim Almquist]

Most years they show up at the end of October into early November. Just hope this one was lost and not trying to escape early.

 

Funny I was just looking at wool coats Dotch  

[delcecchi]

1 hour ago, Jim Almquist said:

Most years they show up at the end of October into early November. Just hope this one was lost and not trying to escape early.

 

Funny I was just looking at wool coats Dotch  

That's funny, I was just looking at airplane tickets..... 

[Dotch]

On 9/26/2016 at 0:37 PM, Jim Almquist said:

We had our first Junco arrive this weekend. Hope that is not a sign of the type of winter we are in for 

Uh oh, just saw a junco at the ranch under the feeders a couple hours ago. This is serious. First we lose the hummingbirds early, now the juncos are back. It'll be an ugly winter. Get yer wool coats everybody! Wool coats fer sale! 

[roony]

Lots of hummers are still coming to our feeders! Maybe the ugly winter will stay southeast of me. :-)

 

[Dotch]

That gin I put in my feeder must've confused the little buggers and they flew north! 

[Jim Almquist]

This morning we had our first flock of Junco's come in with a mix of Sparrows. Really dose make me think this winter could be a little rough.

[Dotch]

You could be right. There sure are a lot of people talking a rough winter.The woolly bear caterpillars I've seen afield seem to concur. 

https://www.weather.gov/arx/woollybear

Of course the tried and true method of knowing the length and severity of the winter depends upon when I decide to let my face grow long and how long I leave it on before shaving it off...