One red northern cardinal bird perches on a tree branch during heavy winter snow. Getty Images
Winter Birding By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
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lthough many birds have migrated to warmer climes for the winter, birding can still provide hours of activity outdoors. Penfield-based photographer John Kucko calls birding “fascinating because there are so many varieties” but warns, “you have to have paramount patience to sit there and capture different birds. It’s addicting.” Though many died-in-the-feathers birders look through binoculars to observe birds and then record in a notebook where and when they spotted what, Kucko prefers to capture the memory on his camera. He enjoys the plumage of cardinals so much that a male cardinal adorns the January page of the 2021 calendar of his photos that he designed. “It was in a snowstorm when I got this,” he recalled. “I think everyone loves cardinals and seeing them in the snow is so special.”
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He also likes photographing snowy owls and bald eagles. “Bald eagles are one of the great success stories of New York,” Kucko said. “In the early to mid-’70s, there was one nesting pair in New York state; now there’s dozens all over the state. It never gets old photographing them.” Alison Kocek, Ph.D. candidate and graduate research assistant with the Department of Fish and Wildlife Biology & Management at SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry in Syracuse, calls wintertime “an excellent time to birdwatch in Central New York.” She listed waterfowl, gulls and raptors among the major species groups that winter here. Luckily for birders, these species tend to spend a lot of time in the open. Kocek added that this winter is expected to be a major winter finch interruption year, which we have not
CNY WINTER GUIDE
experienced since 2013. “Large flocks of purple finch, pine siskin, and red-breasted nuthatch — I know, not really a finch – and some red crossbills have already come through and evening grosbeaks are just starting. We are hoping that we will see common redpolls joining soon as well. Head to a nearby lake or just check your backyard feeders for a fun activity to do safely with your family.” Winter is a good time to spot hawks, too. “Spring hawk migration starts the last week of February and runs into June,” according to Onondaga Audubon. “Peak migration is between the second and fourth week of April. Most other north-bound birds reach our area at the beginning of April, with peak being the middle of May. Fall migration starts in late August and runs through the end of November. However, you can bird all year round. Eagles can be seen in the area in Janu-
