Migrants Taking a Cold Beating

by Cindy ~ April 12, 2007

We’re having yet another storm, with over 7 inches of snow and more to come. Yesterday on the way back from town, I viewed countless numbers of Killdeer and American Robins lined on the roadsides.. and quite a few road-killed birds. They head to the roadsides for grit and food, and thrush species have a habit of flying close to the ground, so they’re targets for many vehicles.
Many insectivores like Eastern Phoebes, Purple Martins, Tree Swallows and Chimney Swifts are likely going to perish due to lack of food. They just aren’t equipped to deal with cold weather and need insects to survive. Our property looks more like Christmas today than it does mid-April… but this isn’t the first time this has happened and it won’t be the last. A few years ago we had hundreds of Yellow-rumped Warblers here and they covered our roofs, our vehicles, our driveway, our understory.. everywhere I looked there was a butter-butt hopping around in search of food. It was an amazing, yet very sad sight- because there was no food to be found and they were literally starving. Like Pine Warblers, Yellow-rumps will often come to feeders (especially suet) but that is the exception to the ‘rule’.

It saddens me to know that all across the U.S., migrants are in peril due to the unseasonably cold temperatures- but my Mom called today from Oklahoma and her first hummingbird of the season showed up yesterday, despite the cold. But, she’s lost all of her blossoms on her plants and trees. This will have long-term effects because many states have had frosts that have killed off the blossoms on fruit/nut trees- fruit and nuts that many animals and birds depend on later in the year.

Nature has a way of keeping a balance- and sometimes that balance is achieved in harsh ways. I know for myself, I’m tired of the cold and snow and anxiously await the day when our property is once again filled with migrant birds, feeding on natural food sources.. until then we fill our feeders and hope for warmer weather to arrive.