What Bird Is That Forum

It's been a mild winter so far. No ice or snow and very few lows below freezing, but this weekend the bottom is predicted to drop out.

Might bring some extra visitors to the feeders. Haven't had a new species since last May. (Rose-breasted Grosbeak)

We're getting dumped on up here in Ontario with snow squalls blowing it all over the place. The snow has drifted waist deep in areas around the house, including between the house and the storage container where the snowblower is still waiting for me. The temps have been better the past few days but it's going to drop to -16C/3F overnight with the wind chill making it feel like -24C/-11F. Tomorrow's high is suppose to reach -14C/7F with the night's low going down to -22C/-8F and wind chill making it feel like -34C/-29F. I guess you could say that the weather has me feeling under the weather, the daily aches and pains make it harder and harder to deal with these overwhelming snow accumulations and frigid temperatures.

(I'll be nice and not mention the weather here...)

Stay safe and warm everyone!

The local NWS forecast has dropped any mention of frozen precipitation along the NC coast this morning. There are no winter watches or warning for the coastal counties, although there is a Hazardous Weather Statement for the sub-20F temps from several nights starting Monday. Other than the uncharacteristically cold temps, conditions should be manageable here. The forecast calls for rain all weekend so no birding, but we're stocked up on junk food and the 24-hour sports car race from Daytona starts Saturday afternoon!

Here in the PNW we had an unusually warm start to the winter but that translated into over 20" of rain at my place just in the month of December. We've already passed our average year totals and usually we get half of that in Feb-May. In over 20 years of doing this it's the first time we've ever had to mow grass in Jan, and some places not once but twice! Some trees were even in flower but thankfully Jan dried out and we've got a cold snap to slow things down a bit.

SirVive wrote: Fri Jan 23, 2026 4:34 pm Here in the PNW we had an unusually warm start to the winter but that translated into over 20" of rain at my place just in the month of December.

We've had a warm winter down here too, and until today no rain in two-three months.

The weather is still predicting 3-5f several mornings but they have finally gotten over the idiotic clames of snow, 13 inches they were claiming two days ago.

It was -20C (-4F) this morning. Two weeks ago we had a January thaw (not uncommon) and most of the snow disappeared. Attached photo shows current situation.

Traffic at the feeders has been insane all week. This morning's cold, damp, and wind have the birds taking it up another notch. Right now I'm looking at over 50 bird of at least nine species.

Similar here. Yesterday was the first day that it was well below freezing all day. Light coating of snow/sleet on the ground.

14 or 15 species. Ate like crazy but nothing new identified.

19F this morning. Lows for the next week will be 25F or below, highs no better than 45F. A walk in the park for our friends in the north but definitely not what we signed up for here. I've live in the Carolinas for 50 years; I've seen similar temperatures for two or three days but never over this long a period.

At least the roads are clear, gas and groceries can get in, electricity / heat doesn't seem vulnerable, and the space heater in the garage is keeping the potted plants alive. The Wonder Mutts keep charging out, getting their lungs full of cold air, then charging right back in to tell us all about it. Plenty of time to do the taxes and take care of some indoor chores we've been putting off.

At times the traffic at the feeders is almost uncountable. I'm shuttling the hummingbird feeders in and out so the nectar doesn't freeze. There's a female outside the window right now trying to suck the feeder dry. I don't know how they'll do over this extended cold. Mother Nature can be a bitch.

It's currently -19C/-2F but the temps are suppose to be more seasonable this week with highs getting back up to -3c/27F by Friday before dropping back down to -13C/9F on Saturday. The overnight fog has left the trees beautifully frosted but my photos don't do it justice.

My attempt to capture the beauty of the frosted trees was no better out back than it was out front earlier this morning.

DL6A1106 by Glen Mercer, on Flickr

Couldn't upload directly so I had to post to Flickr first to share the view out back.

Lonestranger wrote: Mon Feb 02, 2026 2:34 pm My attempt to capture the beauty of the frosted trees was no better out back than it was out front earlier this morning.

DL6A1106 by Glen Mercer, on Flickr

Couldn't upload directly so I had to post to Flickr first to share the view out back.

That's beautiful! It's going to be a fringed 84f here today.

Kevin wrote: Fri Feb 06, 2026 2:14 pm It's going to be a fringed 84f here today.

Only got to 80 here.

Went from a daytime high of -3C (27F) yesterday to -15C (5F) today and back up to a forecasted -1C (30F) on Tuesday.

Appear to be lots of Pine Grosbeaks and Snow Buntings, a few Lapland Longspurs and very few Snowy Owls in the county.

The temperature here is supposed to be 1 degree above freezing tomorrow, and then again on the weekend. I'm hoping I can get some snow moved from between the house and storage container before it melts and then freezes into an ice pack.

I birded from the deck this afternoon, outside for the first time since the 8" snowfall on the first of the month. Still a bit chilly at 45F but better than wind chills below 30. One interesting thing about getting out on the deck as opposed to birding from inside the sunroom: did you the birds make sounds?

Maybe before next winter I'll figure out what clothes I need to buy to be comfortable at 25F or 30F.

It's been cold here, but not unseasonably so. High 20s to low 30s at night, up to about 70 during the day. All normal for this time of year.I'm still having my breakfast on the terrace roof and doing my eBird list at the same time! Unfortunately wild fire season has started - it's the dry season, and a lot of people burn their fields to clear out the dried grass and weeds, and sometimes they get out of control - so smoke from that sometimes blends with the ash from the volcano to create a bit of haze.

aveschapinas wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 3:58 pm It's been cold here, but not unseasonably so. High 20s to low 30s at night, up to about 70 during the day. All normal for this time of year.

Speaking of frozen bird baths, I finally deployed the bird bath heater I have never previously used since I bought it several years ago. It did a fine job keeping the water in a liquid state, even on the night the temperature dropped into the mid-teens.

Charlie Spencer wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 7:45 pm

aveschapinas wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 3:58 pm It's been cold here, but not unseasonably so. High 20s to low 30s at night, up to about 70 during the day. All normal for this time of year.

Speaking of frozen bird baths, I finally deployed the bird bath heater I have never previously used since I bought it several years ago. It did a fine job keeping the water in a liquid state, even on the night the temperature dropped into the mid-teens.

Mine has a solar heater, A.K.A., the sun. It was all melted within an hour.

Nothing like spending all night on an air mattress in freezing temps, I just barely bundled up enough to stay warm.

Kevin wrote: Tue Mar 17, 2026 11:56 am Nothing like spending all night on an air mattress in freezing temps, I just barely bundled up enough to stay warm.

Dare we ask why you were on an air mattress? Do we need a Kickstarter to get you some box springs?

Kevin wrote: Tue Mar 17, 2026 11:56 am Nothing like spending all night on an air mattress in freezing temps, I just barely bundled up enough to stay warm.

They're predicting 94F here next Saturday.

We just had a 23C/42F temperature swing from 11C/52F yesterday to -12C/10F this morning. The wind chill overnight made it feel like -23C/-10F. The 6-8 inches of snow from the weekend melted yesterday, but a light snowfall has already turned the ground white again. Personally, I have had enough of winter and eagerly look forward to the warmer temps.

Greyhawk wrote: Tue Mar 17, 2026 1:39 pm

Kevin wrote: Tue Mar 17, 2026 11:56 am Nothing like spending all night on an air mattress in freezing temps, I just barely bundled up enough to stay warm.

They're predicting 94F here next Saturday.

It's 99 here, and 93/96 Thursday/Friday. Meanwhile I'm In my warmest winter coat and ski pants to sleep tonight

Kevin wrote: Wed Mar 18, 2026 2:22 am
It's 99 here, and 93/96 Thursday/Friday. Meanwhile I'm In my warmest winter coat and ski pants to sleep tonight

I see that I'm not the only one going through extreme temperature shifts. I prefer sleeping under the blankets in a heated house though instead of in a snow suit on an air mattress.

Lonestranger wrote: Wed Mar 18, 2026 8:19 am

Kevin wrote: Wed Mar 18, 2026 2:22 am
It's 99 here, and 93/96 Thursday/Friday. Meanwhile I'm In my warmest winter coat and ski pants to sleep tonight

I see that I'm not the only one going through extreme temperature shifts. I prefer sleeping under the blankets in a heated house though instead of in a snow suit on an air mattress.

It's called camping, it's that thing you do mostly in your younger years where you spend money to pretend your homeless.

Kevin wrote: Wed Mar 18, 2026 12:18 pm
It's called camping, it's that thing you do mostly in your younger years where you spend money to pretend your homeless.

Having done my share of cold weather camping, I can tell you that an air mattress allows the cold air to get underneath you, usually making you colder than if you slept on the ground or on a thin foam camping pad. The key to staying warm at night while camping in cold weather is to have a good sleeping bag and wear a winter hat/toque to bed.

Lonestranger wrote: Wed Mar 18, 2026 9:36 pm

Kevin wrote: Wed Mar 18, 2026 12:18 pm
It's called camping, it's that thing you do mostly in your younger years where you spend money to pretend your homeless.

Having done my share of cold weather camping, I can tell you that an air mattress allows the cold air to get underneath you, usually making you colder than if you slept on the ground or on a thin foam camping pad. The key to staying warm at night while camping in cold weather is to have a good sleeping bag and wear a winter hat/toque to bed.

Oh your absolutely right, an air mattress is undoubtedly just about the worst thing you can do for warmth. Personally I'd rather have to bundle up than have my bad back tied up in knots with pinched nerves the next day from sleeping on the ground. Obviously not everyone has that issue though.
When I planned that trip I was clearly hoping for good weather but it was just a little cold and windy. Had I scheduled it for a mere three days later we'd have been sweating at nearly 100 degrees.