Conditions were not ideal for Columbia's annual Christmas Bird Count this morning. Snow had fallen through the night and the temperature at dawn was 23 degrees. Fortunately, the wind was rather light.
Experienced birders know that weather conditions can have a significant impact on birding "success." Heavy rain and high winds pose the greatest challenge, usually keeping birds in sheltered areas. Cold weather, in itself, is rarely a factor and often makes the birds more active and more visible; the effects of snow are variable, depending on the depth and rate of fall. Whenever ice or snow cover the ground, birding is generally best at feeders, near and within coniferous woodlands, along open streams or in areas where dense thickets offer food and protection.
About three inches of snow had fallen through the night and, this morning, the snowfall was light to moderate; our birding success turned out to be fairly good. As usual, starlings, grackles, red-winged blackbirds and dark-eyed juncos were found in the greatest number though crows and red-tailed hawks were less common than expected. Sparrows were out in force, especially in thickets along the major creeks; song, tree, white-throated, swamp and fox sparrows were well represented; northern cardinals were also common in these areas, the males looking radiant against the backdrop of snow. Highlights of the day included a couple of pileated woodpeckers, a large flock of purple finches at a feeder and a lone barred owl; the latter was perched in a barren hardwood amidst a cedar grove, oblivious to the cold and snow.
