Over 200 different species of birds can be seen along Marshy Creek Trail during the Winter (December – February). Here are a few birds that are frequently identified.

 

Yellow-rumped Warbler, Setophaga coronata, female, first winter.  Loves Bayberry bushes and Juniper trees in the late Fall.  Eats a lot of insects.  Its song is a clear warble, sidl sidl sidl seedl seedl seedl when perched and a more commonly heard chwit svit when flying. It is 5.5″ in length, a wing span of 9.25″ and weighs 0.43 oz.

 

 

 

 

 

Brown-headed Nuthatch, Sitta pusilla, can be seen on pine trees, eating pine seeds. Its song is a high sharp, nasal KEWde, followed by a harsher KEWdodododo teew, better described as a squeaky toy or rubber ducky.  It is 4.5″ in length, a wing span of 7.75″ and weighs 0.35 oz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, Females, very abundant along Marshy Creek Trail. Song is a series of high, clear, sharp chew chew chew or pichew pichew tiw tiw tiw tiw. Its song can also sound like purty purty party or what-cheer what-cheer what-cheer. It loves to eat seeds, fruits, insects and insect larvae. It is 8.75″ in length, a wing span of 12″ and weighs 1.6 oz.

 

 

 

 

Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens, Male, is seen year-round. Often forages on ties and weed stems.  Calls are a short gentle, flat pik and a slow rattle call beginning slow and squeaky, ending lower and faster from kikikikikiki  to twi twi twi; drum is a simple rapid roll. It eats mainly insects, including beetle larvae that live inside wood or tree bark.  It is 6.75 ” in length, a wing span of 12″ and weighs 0.95 oz.

 

 

 

 

Dark-eyed Junco, Slate-colored Variant, Junco hyemalis, can be seen year-round, though more common in late Fall and Winter.  Juncos eat insects including beetles, caterpillars , ants, wasps and flies.  It also likes seeds in winter. Call is a very high smacking stip and has very warbling phrases in Spring. Flight call is a sharp, buzzy tzeet.  It is 6.25″ in length, with a 9.25″ wingspan and weighs 0.67 oz.