Scary weather conditions and an extended 30 second visit from the Harris’s Sparrow combined to alter my usual birding regimen for a stay at home option. Strong wind blew the young Harris’s Sparrow off balance a number of times, even blowing its tail to the side in the process. A stoic Gray Partridge really doesn’t reflect the lively action observed when 2 coveys met and mixed together for some moments before going their own way again. While emphasizing photographing indoors, Paul also managed some interesting images of a White-breasted Nuthatch and a male House Finch.

After being housebound for 2 days of winter storms, I needed to break and drove to Fargo in spite of the start of another round of snowfall. Owing to the blowing snow and recent experiences of seeing very few birds along that drive north then east, I was surprised to see an adult Bald Eagle perched on a pole adjacent to the highway about 30 miles from home. I hoped it was a good omen, but the eagle was the only bird observed along the way. But I did find 2 coveys of Gray Partridges in my study area in southwest Fargo, numbering 11 and 10, but they all joined together for a couple minutes after some enjoyable vocalizations between the meshing birds that created a super-covey of 21.

After visiting 2 family households and grabbing some groceries, the roads were OK coming home for the first 100 miles, but the next 36 miles were bad, and the last 14 miles were horrible! I started the drive with the theme “I haven’t done anything stupid lately,” but this was beyond simply stupid. With no other vehicles on the highway now, and more than 6 inches of snowfall already, apparently there was no snow plow action after 5pm on Friday, no one had driven the highway for hours. There was barely a discernable trace of the last tire tracks leading down the middle of the highway that the last ‘stupid’ driver left – but that was probably a 4-wheel drive pickup truck and now there were long drifts 2 foot high being blown across what was once the highway.

About half the way home, although I was only driving 25 miles per hour, twice my car slipped sideways for a moment until I braked and delicately turned to a forward position. But the third time it looked like I was about to tip over the shoulder and into the snowy ditch – miraculously I braked and turned the car back onto the road, seemingly on the verge of catastrophe!

I was only 7 miles from home, but it was obvious that if I got stuck in one of the snow drifts that the car was breaking through, or if the car spun out of control at 20 mph, it would be many hours before a snow plow would barrel through. I had a nearly full tank of gas, so I could keep the car running to stay warm and kinda safe with the lights on. But I kept going, afraid to stop in case I would lose momentum, getting ever more concerned about 2 locations ahead on the highway where the wind blows snow across big lakes to form the nastiest snow drifts – could I get by?

It turned out the next hundred or so snow drifts weren’t any worse than the last 600, and it was touch and go until I parked in front of my house. Wow, I made it, miraculously! I’m still a little shell-shocked 4 days later. I didn’t expect such bad road conditions, and throughout the day I had kept saying “I’ve driven in snow before,” but driving at night on what turned out to be an unplowed drift-covered highway was a whole different experience. Yes, it will be a long, long time before I “do something stupid again!”

Considering the lack of birds in the field, and the poor road conditions with drifting snow a continuing factor even on the paved well-used highways, during a shortened drive south of my office Saturday afternoon I decided to change my tactics the rest of the week by emphasizing the birds at my feeding station and the surrounding area. I was much more safe and comfortable staying at home, and suddenly the birds visiting my feeding station became ever-more interesting – especially when I had a chance to photograph the wintering Harris’s Sparrow as it spend a surprising half-minute perched above my platform feeder. When it dropped down to begin eating shelled sunflower seeds, I enjoyed the chance to photograph it from a second vantage point.

That was my only chance to photograph birds Saturday afternoon, but Sunday proved to be better for getting some photos of White-breasted Nuthatches and a colorful male House Finch. Even though the Harris’s Sparrow eluded my camera by moving quickly and constantly, as usual, I managed a couple photos of it again Monday afternoon.

It was actually a good week for birds returning to my feeding station. As I noted in last week’s Editor Afield article, 2 Oregon race Dark-eyed Juncos arrived, and while I couldn’t ascertain they were “returning” birds, the next day the more petite, brighter colored Oregon junco appeared too, along with a “normal” Dark-eyed Junco. One or more juncos made an appearance through Sunday, when I didn’t see any; but Monday they were back again.

Last Thursday, the morning started with a visit from a Blue Jay (what the heck, where ya been?) After its 12-day hiatus, the jay made just one appearance, and I haven’t seen one since. Later that day I was equally surprised to see a male Hairy Woodpecker peek around the trunk of the elm tree adjacent to my feeding station, but it was spooked by something, and I didn’t see it again.

While there is no way of telling if the Hairy, or jay, or juncos are actually returning birds (aside from the petite Oregon junco), with the paucity of birds beyond my home turf, I would bet they are returnees – but if that’s the case, where have they been during “off” days and weeks? It’s the biologist in me that brings up these questions, or maybe it’s just being an inquisitive birder, but it’s part of the process of learning more about the birds we encounter. Really though, all birds should be wearing name tags so we can tell them apart individually – Ha-Ha!

Enjoy your winter birding activities, but be careful and give your emergency safety and survival kit a second look to be sure you won’t get caught in a snow bank or a mud hole. Be safe and be prepared in whatever you are doing day by day. Best Wishes, and enjoy a couple birding episodes this weekend, sometime between Valentine’s Day and President’s Day, during the Great Backyard Bird Count. You can participate from home or in the field, or both – Good Luck!

Article and Photos by Paul Konrad

Share your bird sightings and photographs at editorstbw2@gmail.com