Nature Happenings

• Project FeederWatch continues, www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw
• Decorate a tree for the birds. Pick a tree in the yard and decorate with edible ornaments for your feathered friends.
• Quadrantid Meteor Shower peaks Jan. 4. See up to 60 falling meteors per hour! 
• Aldo Leopold's (Father of Wildlife Conservation) birthday is Jan. 11.
• The smaller the bird, the earlier it hunts for food in the winter darkness.
• Many raptors over-winter in the area. Watch for Bald Eagles along the rivers.
• Great Horned and Barred Owls are building and/or refurbishing their nests. They will begin sitting on their eggs in late January or early February. Listen for Great Horned Owls' "hoot" as they pair up for mating season.
• Rather than search for worms in frozen soil, large winter flocks of robins will visit fruit trees for food
• The rainy season has begun. Protect your seed and feeders with weather domes.
• Keep an open source of water for the birds with a bird bath and heater.
• Largest congregation of Bald Eagles in the lower 48 states can be viewed along the upper Skagit River through January feeding on spawned-out salmon.
• Juncos will hunt for fallen seed, often before dawn.
• Cedar Waxwings will visit yards in search of fruit, often staying for hours before moving on.
• Mahonia, Witch Hazel and Winter Jasmine bloom and are very much appreciated by our hummingbirds.
• Keep nectar feeders full during freezing weather for Anna’s Hummingbirds. Call us for the latest suggestions for helping them out.
• Many species of insect-eating birds, including Wrens and Bushtits, will frequent suet feeders.
• Watch for Gray Jays and Clark's Nutcrackers in the mountains.
• Now through late March is a difficult time for birds; providing food and an open source of water is important.
• Winter is a great time to look for birds' nests. Admire the craftsmanship, but leave the nest in place.
• It's the peak time to look for winter raptors such as Snowy and Short-eared Owls, Bald Eagles, Rough-legged, and Red-tailed Hawks, Northern Harriers and Peregrine Falcons, Merlins, and Kestrels.
• Jan. 21st - National Squirrel Appreciation Day!