– TAKE IT OUTSIDE – WINTER INTO SPRING – BIRD WATCHING IN NORTH CENTRAL PA
One of the things I love most about this area of north central PA is the abundance of life, in all its forms – and always right outside the front door. In my early decades in northern California, the weather is tough to beat – mild just about all year – and seeing seasonal species of birds, plants and other living things in the wild is not as drama c as we witness here in north central PA. I lived in the suburbs east of San Francisco from the age of ten, un l a few years ago and what started as maybe a one year stop, has translated into a threeyear happy transi on. The landscapes here are lovely, the outdoor “draws” are abundant, and the people of PA are authen c and
Pretty Cardinal very friendly everywhere I go, every single day.
Way back when, my family moved from New York to California, and our home backed up to an orchard owned by the Rakestraw family. Beyond the back gate of our house I would hike around the ten-acre grove of Black and English Walnut trees they owned, and was lucky enough to experience amazing natural discoveries. The walnut orchard was lined north and south by evergreens.
Mourning Doves made their flimsy nests in the pine trees out of scant pine needles. Their flight sounds were unique sounding like “squeaky wings” and the Yellow Sha�ed Flickers had beau ful, bright colors and could be heard with their shrieks from anywhere in the orchard. Goldfinches were beau ful, brightly colored birds easy to spot pretty much anywhere, and the Scrub Jays were definitely the sounds of summer birding.
The birds and mammals in my li le northern California ecosystem didn’t really change much from season-to-season, but after my first year here in Clearfield County I felt the big difference of all of our outdoor friends, especially the birds. While many Canadian Geese choose to remain here in the area, many flocks of them head out of the area, including beau - ful white swans I no ced in forma on in early winter. The plen ful Robin, Northern Cardinal, and several birds of prey that I longed to observe in the woods, open spaces or near the water become scarce within a period of a few months.
But now they’re star ng to come back....
I was at Treasure Lake this weekend packing a few things up from my parent’s home and looked out the window on Saturday morning. It was partly cloudy and I watched as a Bald Eagle flew about twenty feet above the water moving into the channel west of my parent’s lakefront home. Nobody could ever mistake the white head and tail of a mature Bald Eagle – and I always consider their sigh ngs as gi�s that portend good fortune. Robins started coming back in mid-february, and they’re already fat from the bounty of earthworms coming out from the ground. I’ve seen and heard the songs of the Northern Carinal, and to me she is also a sign of good luck, so I’m happy every me I hear their birdsong.
One of the best things about our general area is that there are always an enormous popula on and diversity of feathered friends to no ce. I have found that on the coldest of winter days hiking in the woods, that if I just stop, and listen for a few minutes, there are always the sounds of winged friends everywhere. There colors, behaviors and personali es do differ. I’ve discovered that Black-capped Chickadees are really curious – on a recent hike I pulled out my camera and spo ed one about thirty feet away in a tree. When I shared my own birdsong with him, he dropped out of the sight of my camera’s view finder, but when I looked up, he had flown to within ten feet of me and was eyeing me from another tree limb.
If you’re looking for a meaningful hobby you can do anywhere, especially here in north central PA, get into “birding.” You can do it at home, on a bike, during a hike, or while traveling in your car. I don’t know if there’s an outdoor ac vity that more accessible. And a few fun reminders to make it memorable – keep a running list – of different types of birds whether they’re small songbirds, birds of prey or any variety in between.
Take it outside – think about pu ng up a bird feeder, or s birdbath and keeping track of avian visitors at different periods during the day, at different mes of year.
Get a reference guide – ge ng a birding book and pay a en on to their songs and calls. I have owned and used several Roger Tory Peterson guides since I was ten years old. The informa on and artwork are amazing.
Get a decent pair of binoculars – you don’t need to break the bank but try out different pairs. If you’re in a store. look through them at the darkest object or part of the store you see to test for brightness.
So, get an early jump on Spring and Take it Outside for some bird watching in north central PA!