Perhaps our balmy October weather kept them at bay. Or perhaps they arrived under the radar and I've been too busy to notice their presence. For whatever reason, I saw the first white-throated sparrows under our feeder this afternoon, a sign that they have escaped the harsh winter of Canada to spend the dark season in the mild confines of central Missouri.
Two weeks behind schedule, their appearance is always a welcome sight and their plaintive song will brighten the long, dreary months of winter. That tune will build in urgency during the waxing days of early spring and, by mid April, they'll depart for their homeland, never to endure the sticky weather of a Midwest summer.
Watching them beneath the feeder, one wonders if they would stay put if they knew about the mild conditions along the Gulf Coast. If informed, would they pull up stakes and head for the sandy pinelands of that southern clime? I tend to doubt it; after all, these hardy birds have adapted to the cool climate of the Great Northwoods and our Missouri winters, however taxing, pose little threat to their survival. On the other hand, a few months in the heat and humidity of the Gulf Coast, while inviting to many humans, might sap their energy and hasten their demise. I, for one, would never encourage them to leave; their stoic presence, especially on those frigid winter mornings, is an inspiration to all of us who cannot escape.
