As the autumn days get shorter and the chill lingers longer, nature seems to slow in anticipation for the winter ahead. But our local birds are busy this time of year, diligently caching acorns and seeds, relishing in the abundance of fall-fruiting plants, or hastily foraging for seeds on the forest floor.
Many of us might capture a glimpse of this whirlwind of bird activity while drinking our morning coffee from our kitchen windows or on a hike in the forest enjoying the fall colors. We encourage you to take some time this season and find a place to be quiet and still to observe some of our local birds utilizing the rich bounty of resources that autumn provides.
Photo: David Hargus
Below are just a few of our local birds you may see during your fall season birdwatching.
The cedar waxwing has just arrived in the region to spend fall and winter in the Central Sierra. With their characteristically silky feathers, black mask and pronounced crest, this is one of North America’s few fruit specialists. So, look for these birds in flocks, feeding on the fruits of dogwood, serviceberry, cedar, juniper, or winterberry.
The red-breasted nuthatch, a year-long resident of our region, can be seen in spring and summer hopping up and down tree trunks, using its strong beak to probe for insects. Autumn brings a shift in behavior for the nuthatch. Now we can see them spending more of their time methodically collecting seeds (mostly conifer seeds) to store away in cache trees for the winter months ahead.
Move your gaze down to the forest floor. Look for the dark-eyed junco, a small bird with a rounded body. The males have pronounced black head and two vertical white stripes on the tail feathers as they fly away. Juncos usually forage in groups, along the ground in search of seeds. They can even be seen foraging long into winter when the snow blankets the forest floor.
CSERC and the Central Sierra Audubon are partnering to provide educational programs to elementary school students, in hopes of getting kids as excited about birds as our members. Megan Layhee is a biologist at CSERC and is currently leading these programs for grades 2 - 5. If you are in Tuolumne or Calaveras Counties, and would like Megan to come present an Audubon program about birds to your students or your child’s class, email her at: [email protected]
Photo: Megan Layhee
Photo: M. Matenosky