Sunday, February 16, 2025

Another winter storm bringing more deep snow and freezing rain to an already wintry February. The storm has brought the first pine warbler of the year to our feeder this morning (the 28th bird species for the yard this year)–the only warbler that regularly eats seeds, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. This male is in his brilliant yellow and olive-yellow Spring plumage. Perhaps he didn’t get the message from Punxsutawney Phil.

Other birds are fueling up at the feeders as snow falls: 7 blue jays, 3 starlings, a hairy woodpecker, 4 downies, a pair of cardinals, 4 bluebirds, handfuls each of goldfinches and house finches, and 2 dozen juncos. A few chickadees and titmice arrive around midday. Two mourning doves and a tree sparrow.

At 9:30 AM it is still snowing, but the forecast calls for a miserable combo of freezing rain, rain, freezing drizzle, light rain, light freezing rain, and northeasterly winds. Freezing rain by afternoon. Birds still coming; the bluebirds look bedraggled.

28. Pine warbler