Birds Before the Storm

American Tree Sparrow in my backyard this afternoon

Central South Dakota is now in the midst of a winter storm that the weatherman says is the strongest of the season. News outlets have been warning us about this for several days now. The birds knew it was coming, too. The Pine Siskins and Dark-eyed Juncos have been visiting my feeders since early morning in numbers I haven't seen all year. Then about 5:30 this evening a flock of about 30 American Tree Sparrows showed up to glean the seeds that litter the ground. It has been two years since I have seen any tree sparrows in my yard. So, the birds are getting ready to ride out the blizzard. Winter in South Dakota! It sure is exciting.



American Tree Sparrow, Spizella arborea