Weather and Birds

And the answer to yesterday’s photo quiz.

It’s been a rough few days over much of the US and Canada, with temperatures like in the old days — made only worse by the weather people’s insistence on giving us the “wind chills,” too.

It’s been hard on the birds, too, as anyone watching feeders or out driving the country roads will have noticed. But I don’t think it can compare to a nasty night 105 years ago today in Lincoln County, Nebraska.

Screenshot 2014-01-06 11.36.26

Most years, I don’t even see 10,000 Lapland Longspurs, far less walk around town picking them up from vacant lots.

Stay warm!

Congratulations to A.B. for pointing out some of the important characters that permit the identification of this bird. The very long wings are a great way to rule out the superficially similar sparrows and Old World sparrows. 

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