January

The harshest time of winter has arrived! Please keep your bird feeders brimming full each day if you have begun a feeding program. The birds will appreciate your handouts at least through late March.

High-energy suet at feeders will attract downy, hairy, red-bellied and possibly pileated woodpeckers.

Red-tailed hawks by day and screech owls by night forage over open fields as their small furry prey disappears beneath the snows of winter. Woe be to the tiny brown mouse that ventures out for "one last look" and is spotted against the white background of snow!

Watch for small flocks of northern cardinals to appear at your feeder. Their normally tightly controlled territories break down as food becomes scarce and they must range farther for food.

Tree sparrows may be scratching about under your bird feeders the fourth week. Watch for a sparrow-sized bird with a rusty cap and unstreaked breast with one central black spot. These birds come from northern Canada to winter in this area.

Tufted titmice singing "Peter-Peter!" and the bright "Cheer-Cheer-Cheer!" of cardinals announce their recognition of lengthening days and the first hints of spring.

Chickadees begin to sing their spring songs in earnest as the hours of daylight, gradually increasing since late December, finally begin to be noticed.

Goldfinches return to winter feeders in large flocks. Restock the thistle seed if you can!

Great horned owls are already nesting in secret places high atop forest canopies. Imagine them incubating eggs in the winter's cold and snow!

Song sparrows, resplendent in their new brown coats with streaked breasts and a central chocolate spot, begin to reappear at area bird feeders. Most will not begin to sing in earnest for another few weeks.

Red-winged blackbirds begin to appear in large numbers about this time each year. Their annual reappearance marks one of the first and surest signs of spring.

Spring migrating ducks such as buffleheads, goldeneyes and redheads begin to reappear at Cleveland Metroparks refuges. They are among the first of the waterfowl to follow spring northward as open water slowly becomes available.

Forlorn-looking red-winged blackbirds huddle on snow covered branches as the last of the month's snowstorms may catch them by surprise. Look for the red and yellow markings located on their shoulders.

Bluebirds may have returned to Hinckley Reservation by now if the winter has not been too harsh and cold.

Early migrating robins feed among the holly berries and crab apples throughout Cleveland Metroparks.

Great blue herons reappear as soon as open water makes fish available for them to eat. They first reappear along Cleveland Metroparks rivers, but quickly move to lakes and ponds as soon as the shore ice melts.

The song sparrow, one of the first and most vocal of the spring sparrows, should have arrived by now. The male's calls begin with three sharp notes, then blur into a melodious trill.

The first of the migrating woodcocks may begin their spring mating flights in certain secret places. Watch the nature centers' program listings and join a naturalist in April to view this spectacle!

The buzzards are back! On March 15, legend has it that the buzzards (turkey vultures) return to Hinckley. Visit the famous "buzzard roost" on the first Sunday after March 15 and watch for the newly arrived migrants.

The phoebe's raspy "fee-bree" call reassures forest hikers that spring is truly here.

Male goldfinches grow progressively more brilliant yellow each week. Set out fresh thistle seed for them!

Golden-crowned kinglets return to Cleveland Metroparks on their way northward to Canada. Only half the size of chickadees, they flit continuously from branch to branch in search of food.

White-throated sparrows, singing their plaintive "old Sam Peabody-Peabody-Peabody" calls continue to pour through Ohio on their way to northern Canada.

Rufous-sided towhees return.

Killdeer return in to the Cleveland area in large numbers. If you approach a nest, watch the female perform the "broken wing" act to draw you away.

Male woodcocks perform their spectacular "sky dance" in morning and evening twilight each day through mid-May in hopes of attracting a female. Watch open fields with some shrub cover and discover the spectacle for yourself.

Canada geese are incubating eggs at Lake Isaac in Big Creek Reservation and Sunset Pond in North Chagrin Reservation.

If south winds prevail, a major bird migration should be underway. Look for Swainson's and hermit thrushes, sandpipers and some of these warblers: yellow throated, yellow-rumped, black-throated, green and (especially in North Chagrin Reservation) hooded warblers.

Bluebirds should be back in force. Is your bluebird house cleaned out and ready for this year's visitors?

More birds of the deep forest such as the rose-breasted grosbeak and the northern oriole should have returned from their winter haunts in tropical rain-forests.

Newly hatched goslings follow their parents in fuzzy yellow armadas at Cleveland Metroparks refuges.

House wrens start to breed. Are your wren houses ready?

Hummingbirds, rose-breasted grosbeaks, nighthawks and chimney swifts should all be arriving this week or next.

The peak of warbler migration is likely to occur. Bird walks in the forests and fields of Cleveland Metroparks are likely to turn up more birds than you ever knew existed! Many will soon be gone as they continue migration, while others "disappear" in the newly unfolding leaves of the tree tops.

Wood thrushes and veeries return to fill Cleveland Metroparks forests with their haunting flute-like calls each evening.

Northern orioles begin to look for elms to build their hanging nests.

Many birds are in courtship and some have begun nest building and incubating eggs. Get up early on a weekend and listen to the early morning chorus in Cleveland Metroparks forests.

Bluebird houses are sometimes appropriated by tree swallows, house wrens or chickadees. Though they're not bluebirds, each species is a beautiful addition to the world.

Adult chickadees and titmice grow scarce at bird feeders as they busily hatch and fledge their young.

June evenings bring the flute-like calls of wood thrushes and veeries as twilight settles on the land.

Nighthawks (not true hawks but relatives of whippoorwills) grace the evening skies throughout the region as they hunt for their insect prey. Listen for the "b-z-z-z-t" made by their wings as they power-dive for food.

Fledgling chickadees begin to appear at bird feeders with their tired parents.

Goldfinches may be gathering thistledown for nesting material as Canada thistles begin to go to seed.

Mallards and wood ducks begin to change color as they go into their summer "eclipse" plumage. This is an especially wary time for them, as they are unable to fly for several weeks.

As the days grow shorter, blackbirds begin to flock together to prepare for the long journey south. Surprisingly, the young of some species, who have never migrated before, often leave before the adults.

Young house wrens should have fledged.

Immature hummingbirds begin to appear at Cleveland Metroparks feeders as the young finally leave their thimble-sized nest.

Blue and green-winged teal ducks reappear at Baldwin Lake and Lake Isaac as their fall migration southward continues.

The first black ducks reappear at Lake Isaac and Sunset Pond. Some may stay for the winter but most pause for a few days then move on southward.

Nighthawks form flocks to prepare for their autumn migration. By Labor Day, most will be gone from the skies of Cleveland.

Migrating warblers this week include Cape May, Tennessee, magnolia and blackburnian.

Migrating shorebirds at Baldwin Lake's mud flats may include Caspian terns, dowitchers, semipalmated and pectoral sand-pipers and lesser yellowlegs.

Labor Day marks the traditional migration of the nighthawks, a common bird throughout our suburban area. This whippoorwill-like bird zooms through the summer night skies hunting for insects and creating a loud "b-u-z-z-t" sound as it power dives in flight. Look for their long narrow wings with white wing bars in flight.

Shortly behind the nighthawk migration the chimney swifts also leave. These small swallow-like birds gather in wheeling flocks of a hundred or more around inactive chimneys in the summer.

A spectacular migration at Baldwin Lake in Rocky River Reservation presents rare and unusual shorebirds using the exposed mud flats as a feeding area. Among September stop- overs, look for semipalmated plovers, greater and lesser yellowlegs, great egrets and hundreds of killdeers. Small sandpipers, called "peeps," are difficult to identify, but fun to watch as they probe the soft mud in search of small invertebrates.

Although most warblers are in their confusing fall colors, watch for blackburnian, hooded, Tennessee, Cape May and magnolia warblers in and around Cleveland Metroparks forests.

Black ducks and blue-winged teal return from northern haunts. Watch Cleveland Metroparks rivers and ponds for them.

Hummingbirds may still be flitting around your flower garden if the days have not grown too cold, but most will be gone by the end of the month. Their migration may include a non-stop trip of over 500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico!

Dark-eyed juncos may appear at feeders. Sometimes called "snowbirds," legend says that they appear just before the first snow of winter and leave after the last snow of spring. Previous years' observations show that their timing is considerably off, fortunately.

Flocks of robins increase their numbers daily as they prepare for migration. Fall-ripened crab apples are a favorite high-energy food.

Grackles accumulate in flocks numbering in the thousands as they prepare for migration. They may be joined by a few cowbirds and red-winged blackbirds as well.

The woods grow silent as most non-resident songbirds leave for warmer climates. Cardinals and robins still serenade the dawn.

White-throated sparrows begin to appear this week on their annual migration from Canada through Cleveland to warmer climates. Listen to their half-hearted "old Sam Peabody- Peabody-Peabody" calls.

Chickadees at feeders now wear sharp new winter feather coats.

The fall migration continues with yellow-rumped warblers becoming common in the Rocky River Valley. The first of the golden-crowned kinglets, residents of Canada's boreal forests, also begin to appear.

Wood ducks begin their migration southward in earnest. Many begin to appear this week at Lake Isaac and Sunset Pond. A few will stay the winter but most migrate farther south.

Ruby-crowned kinglets follow in their golden-crowned relatives' migration paths this week.

The peak of the invasion of the white-throated sparrows should occur. They scamper through the underbrush in small flocks looking for insects and seeds, making a great deal of noise for such small birds.

The first of the wintering black ducks are now at Lake Isaac in Big Creek Reservation. Other earlier arrivals have passed on to the south, but these birds will stay for most of the winter in small, reclusive flocks.

Ducks appearing on Cleveland Metroparks ponds with long, pointed bills are mergansers, sometimes called "fish ducks". They may gather off the Lake Erie shoreline in rafts numbering in the thousands.

Whistling (now called tundra) swans begin to appear throughout Cleveland Metroparks as winter begins in the far north.

Red-bellied and downy woodpeckers return to feeders as cooler weather approaches.

Birds of all kinds from the Canadian northland pour into Cleveland Metroparks. Canada geese by the hundreds stop by Cleveland Metroparks refuges to rest and refuel on their way south. Among the smaller birds, the most common might be tree sparrows (light breast with a single spot), fox sparrows (larger than most sparrows and showing a rusty-red color) and juncos, sometimes called snowbirds. Perhaps some extra seeds spread under your feeder would be appreciated by these small ground-feeding visitors.

Among the rarest migrants are northern harriers or marsh hawks. Look for these long-tailed predators hunting over Cleveland Metroparks wetlands. Even ducks sometimes fall prey to harriers.

This is the month of the tundra swans. Each year since our records began in 1984, these swans have appeared in the Rocky River and Chagrin River valleys. Some may stop by Lake Isaac or Baldwin Lake to rest and feed. Others are spotted feeding in the corn fields along River Road between North and South Chagrin reservations. Flocks of over 300 have been counted as they head south.

Purple finches, another visitor from Canada, reappear throughout the area. Look closely at the reddish-colored house finches you have seen all summer and watch for a slightly larger bird, more purple than red, without stripes on its breast.

Rufous-sided towhees, singing "drink-your-tea" can still be found where crab apple trees bear fruit in Cleveland Metroparks meadows.

Dark-eyed juncos, apparently sensing the same day length as spring, begin their spring songs each morning. As the days shorten, the songs will cease.

The last of the autumn waterfowl appear at Cleveland Metroparks refuges. Look for hooded mergansers, buffleheads and goldeneye ducks.

Shoveler ducks with their attractive bright green heads and large, scoop-shaped bills graze among the shallow water plants.

As the last of the migrating Canada geese move south, they may be joined by snow geese, white geese with telltale black wing tips.

Open water remains at most refuges and rivers until month's end. Watch for late-migrating ducks such as shoveler ducks and the fish eating red-breasted mergansers.

If winter hasn't been too harsh thus far, some of Hinckley Reservation's buzzards may still be seen circling over head at midday. As food becomes scarce, they will gradually drift to more southerly locations for the winter.

Cedar waxwings begin to harvest the summer's crop of over-ripe berries. The fermented sugars in the berries turn to alcohol and the happily inebriated little birds occasionally lose all sense of direction, propriety and flight when the alcohol-laden berries warm their tiny stomachs.

Each year at this time the National Audubon Society sponsors a nationwide "Christmas Count" of birds remaining on the wintering grounds. Contact a Cleveland Metroparks nature center for information on this year's Christmas Count.

If open water remains, ruddy ducks, common mergansers and goldeneye ducks should be passing through. These are generally the last of the fall migrants.

Tufted titmice and chickadees should be willing to take sunflower seeds from friendly hands at Brecksville and North Chagrin nature centers from now until the end of winter. Bring a pocketful of seeds and make a new bird friend!

As winter begins officially, watch leafless trees in deep Cleveland Metroparks forests for barred and great horned owls.