We've had a pair of overwintering Carolina Wrens visiting the suet feeder in Hiram for a couple of weeks now. The male (I think, it's the larger one) is surprisingly tame and has learned by observing the Blue Jays what hand-thrown treats are. Yesterday he carefully observed them grabbing peanuts off the ground, and when the coast was clear I tossed him a walnut half, which he disappeared under the porch with. He doesn't seem at all afraid of people opening the window when he's just outside, although the presumed female is on the shy side. According to allaboutbirds, "Members of a pair stay together on their territory year-round, and forage and move around the territory together" and other sources say the species doesn't form flocks in winter, so a pair is what I'm calling them unless I hear otherwise. Anyway their behavior is 100% pair-like, to the point of looking like a set of salt and pepper shakers when they're on the ground together. The male isn't singing yet, but either he or both of them have been making a twittering call that sounds similar to a displaying Woodcock's whistling wings, along with occasional abrupt chatters. Interestingly, they don't seem to be present in the yard every day, just a couple of days a week so far, but they've been seen and heard up and down the road so maybe they're looking for nest site options. When they do show up in the yard they usually stay for the entire day and they sometimes roost overnight in the storage tent. They don't seem bothered by the recent very cold temperatures, although there's only a moderate amount of snow on the ground so far this year.
Other likely overwintering species are a FIELD SPARROW (last seen today in the company of ATSPs) and several Bluebirds which I guess people have been seeing in quite a few places lately.
Sean Smith
On Thu, Jan 23, 2025 at 2:09 PM Susan Bloomfield <owlet18@gmail.com> wrote:
--I'll trade the Carolina wren I heard singing his heart out this afternoon in West Kennebunk for any winter grosbeaks you might have.Susan BKennebunk
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