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Down the Garden Path: Birdwatching in Illinois winters · Kendall County News - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: Down the garden path bird watching rain bluesy boar. This
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  article is being read by an automated voice brought to
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  you by Everlett. Many people enjoy birding year round. Spring
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  is definitely a high for birding as we get to
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  see rare migrating birds as they travel past on their
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  long journeys. But we get a real treat here during
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  winter with the birds that use the Midwest for their
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  wintering grounds. One little, quirky, two toned bird of the
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  winter season is the dark eyed junko. Many call it
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  the snow bird because dark eyed junkos appear across our
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  region as soon as it gets cold, So why would
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  this tiny bird come to our area for the winter season. Well,
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  junkos are more northern dwellers and enjoy the mild summers
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  across Canada and Alaska. But winters in Alaska and Canada
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  are much less hospitable than Midwest winters. Our region provides
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  more daylight hours for foraging as well as less severe weather.
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  An iconic winter bird of Illinois is the northern cardinal.
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  The males with their striking scarlet feathers and the females
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  with their rusty brown feathers stand out in stark contrast
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  against the landscape of winter. The northern cardinal is Illinois
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  State bird and can be seen year round. Because their
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  diet consists mainly of seeds and grains, they happily visit
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  backyard bird feeders, especially if you offer their favorite seed sunflower.
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  Other common backyard birds this time of year are the
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  goldfinch and the housefinch, although they have more subdued colouration
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  this time of year as they are not in their
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  prominent breeding plumage. They rely on seeds during the winter
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  and readily visit bird feeders and native gardens to forage
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  for seeds. To endure a long cold winter. Night finches
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  roost together on the sheltered inner branches of conifer trees,
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  but goldfinches are also known to burrow into the snow
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  around bushes and native plants to create a snow cavity
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  which is insulated and well protected from extreme cold. Supporting
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  birds during winter is an enjoyable pastime and help sustain
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  biodversity of native species. Providing native plants like conein flowers, asters, Rubekia,
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  and native grasses and leaving the stems standing during winter
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  provides food and protective habitat over the cold season. A
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  backyard bird feeder stocked with sunflower, safflower, and niger seeds
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  provides a resource boost for birds, especially when offered before
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  and after the harshest winter condition. Bird watching can provide
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  a lot of nature connectivity for all ages. It also
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  boosts environmental literacy, awareness of nature, and stress reduction through
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  mindfulness and curiosity. It is also a great winter activity
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  as you can readily watch birds within the comfort of
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  your house or car, have fun exploring nature, and get
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  to know more about the birds all around us. If
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  you would like to learn more about birds and other wildlife,
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  visit Extension dot illinoi dot edu Delight Life Sources. Carly
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  Tumenello is a certified Master Naturalist volunteer with University of
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  Illinois Extension, serving to Page Cane in Kendall Counties.