Backyard Blizzard 1/23; American Woodcock Continues

Backyard 8:52 AM

About a foot of snow had fallen by the time I got up this morning and it looks like there's another 12 hours of snow, so I knew all birding would be confined to the backyard. I threw out a few cupfuls of seed. Every time it snows heavily I hope that we don't lose that pine tree in the back of the photo--the one touching the ground that is usually 20 feet high.

I'm seeing more birds in my backyard today than I did walking close to 5 miles in Whitesbog yesterday. This morning, Shari wondered where the woodcock went in the snowstorm. "Hunkered down somewhere I guess," I said. A little later I looked out the window, beneath a slanting pine tree, and there in a little sheltered nook, I saw a bird breathing heavily and ruffling its feathers. My first reaction was again, Mourning Dove.  Looking more closely, I saw that it was, indeed, the woodcock, hunkered down. I'm thinking this bird might become a resident.

AmericanWoodcock, hunkered down
Photo: Shari Zirlin

So far, 16 species for the backyard today, all but the hawk and woodcock voraciously seeking seed or suet:
Cooper's Hawk  1
American Woodcock  1
Mourning Dove 3
Downy Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay  1
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Yellow-rumped Warbler  1
White-throated Sparrow  1
Dark-eyed Junco   18
Northern Cardinal 5
Common Grackle 5
Brown-headed Cowbird  2
House Finch 2
Pine Siskin 5
American Goldfinch  3