Birds of Winter
FINDING A HOME ON THE FARM DURING THE WINTER MONTHS
While production slows down on the farm during the winter months, the land and fields continue to serve as a home for many birds. Here at the Hudson Valley Farm Hub there are some 171 species of birds documented on the farm. If you listen carefully, this season continues to be filled with their sing song chirping and the landscape brightened with their colorful feathers and markings. Some find food and cover in the variety of meadows on the farm, while others circle the fields seeking prey. Here is a collection of photos taken by Anne Bloomfield, Farmscape Ecology Coordinator, who spends the brunt of her day monitoring wildlife in the fields.
Photos and captions provided by Anne Bloomfield, Farmscape Ecology Coordinator
During the winter, American Goldfinches can be seen at the farm both in meadows as well as the floodplain forest eating seeds.
A male American Kestrel perches high up in the hop yard near a nest box installed last winter.
American Tree Sparrows are common in the Native Meadow Trial at the Farm in the winter but move north to breed in the tundra in the summer.
Eastern Bluebirds can be seen year-round on the farm, though in the winter they are often found in small flocks at the edge of the floodplain forest foraging on bittersweet berries.
Northern Harriers hunt low over farm fields and meadows in the winter. The white patch on the rump is a good identifying feature that can be seen even without binoculars.
A raptor of open habitats, Red-Tailed Hawks are often observes circling over farm fields looking for prey such as voles and mice.
In the winter, Monarda in the Native Meadow Trial provides seed and perches for sparrows such as this Song Sparrow, a year-round resident at the farm.
A winter visitor to the farm, the White-Throated Sparrow finds food and cover in wet meadows, upland meadows, and on the edge of the floodplain forest.