On this sunny, mild morning in central Missouri, I arrived at the Columbia Audubon Sanctuary to find a gusty northwest wind raking the preserve. This was a disappointing development since strong winds often cause songbirds to shelter in dense thickets or shrubbery, making them less visible.
As I descended a trail toward the central creek, my concern seemed justified; a few birds were heard but none were seen. Then, on the west side of the valley, I entered a leeward aviary, where numerous birds, protected from the wind and attracted to trees that were lit and warmed by the morning sun, flitted among the branches. Indeed, of the nineteen species I observed this morning, all but one (a red-tailed hawk) were represented on that sunny hillside. American goldfinches, dark-eyed juncos and eastern bluebirds were most abundant while fours species of woodpecker were most conspicuous.
Once I left that area on my two-mile loop, it was back to birding by ear and relatively few birds were actually observed. Like humans, wild creatures gravitate to sites where they are most comfortable; those who look for them might acknowledge this clue but there are no guarantees in the field of birding.
As I descended a trail toward the central creek, my concern seemed justified; a few birds were heard but none were seen. Then, on the west side of the valley, I entered a leeward aviary, where numerous birds, protected from the wind and attracted to trees that were lit and warmed by the morning sun, flitted among the branches. Indeed, of the nineteen species I observed this morning, all but one (a red-tailed hawk) were represented on that sunny hillside. American goldfinches, dark-eyed juncos and eastern bluebirds were most abundant while fours species of woodpecker were most conspicuous.
Once I left that area on my two-mile loop, it was back to birding by ear and relatively few birds were actually observed. Like humans, wild creatures gravitate to sites where they are most comfortable; those who look for them might acknowledge this clue but there are no guarantees in the field of birding.
