February delights – daily Snow Buntings and a surprise visitor
A lone Snow Bunting appeared in the garden two weeks ago. They aren’t common around here, so we were surprised and delighted to see the gorgeous songbird. Maybe it flew in to check out the large, chattering flocks of American Goldfinches we have everyday. (I do put out a lot of sunflower seed to supplement the native plant seeds left from last fall).
Snow Buntings are almost always seen in flocks, so I have to admit worrying about this bird a bit. Was it “lost”? It stayed all day, ate some seeds, and spent a lot of time looking around – often up – as though it were looking for its flock. We weren’t sure what to expect the next morning.
Much to our surprise, this lone bird turned into a flock of thirty restless and whirling birds early the next morning. Was yesterday’s bird a scout that communicated a source of food to its flock? Researchers know they use a certain call when they are separated from the group, so, maybe. The flock, sometimes nearly 50 birds, has delighted us every day now for two weeks with no sign yet of moving on. I can hear them softly calling to each other as they eat seeds off the snow. Things have been delightfully busy out there bird-wise, but then….
Whoa. We’ve waited 4 1/2 years to see a Bobcat in New Hampshire, and now we have one hanging out in the yard. Was it drawn in by all the birds and other animals we’ve had this winter? Probably. Here it is snoozing and also keeping an eye on the Snow Buntings and American Goldfinches some 30 feet away.
After a while it spied a Red Squirrel – more interesting it seemed than the birds – and stalked it, unsuccessfully. We thought the squirrel was a goner, but the Bobcat gave up after a missed pounce, abruptly sauntering off in a “I’ve had enough of this” kind of way. We watched it leave to try its luck somewhere else, and hope it will come back again. What an amazing February in the garden!
So amazing!
Thanks! It has been a very entertaining winter!