Guess who’s coming to visit our bird feeders this winter.
Every year Ron Pittaway analyzes the seed crop in Canada’s forest and predicts where northern finches and irruptive songbirds will spend the winter. Last week he published his 2016 Winter Finch Forecast and the news is mixed.
Pittaway says the seed crop is poor this fall in southeastern Canada so many seed eaters will go west or north where the crop’s been good. We won’t see crossbills this winter but three species are certain to move south: red-breasted nuthatches, blue jays and purple finches.
Red-breasted nuthatches (above) have already arrived in western Pennsylvania. I saw one in my City neighborhood last week.
As for blue jays, we’re inundated with them in Pittsburgh especially in Schenley Park.
Purple finches have been reported in central Pennsylvania but I’m still waiting for my first one here in the west.
Keep your feeders filled and don’t be disappointed if you attract a lot of blue jays. They’re visiting from Canada. 🙂
(Red-breasted nuthatch photo by Shawn Collins. Blue jay and purple finch photos by Chuck Tague)
Could this be the reason for so many goldfinches at my feeders? I live in Tionesta and I have heard a lot of people also saying they have loads of goldfinches.
Diane, goldfinches eat seeds but not the cone crops Ron Pittaway writes about. My guess on goldfinches is that it’s a combination of: (a) the end of the breeding season so there are lots of juveniles, (b) perhaps low availability of natural foods due to drought so they visit feeders, and (c) perhaps earlier migration movement due to drought. Their migration peak is usually late October.
I love bluejays! I supply them with peanuts in the winter, but this weekend feasted on the acorns in my tree.