In December, as winter approaches, we naturally turn to thoughts of feeding the yard birds and watching them comfortably from indoors. It is always interesting to watch their interactions, but another reason to observe closely is that we never know what oddity may turn up, like this White-winged Dove. A casual look might dismiss it as just another Mourning Dove, or one with a strange plumage aberration. But this bird is really an explorer from the southwest. And the beginning of winter—if we are going to get a winter—or tail end of fall, is when unusual birds are most likely to turn up. These are often young birds dispersing after the breeding season. They may eventually go south, but in some cases not before they have flown east, north, or circled back toward the west. If you study ebird sightings it is clear that many birds are not as hard-wired or pre-programmed as we used to think. So it’s worth taking the time for a second look. It is also good to spend some time studying a paper bird guide. These are usually laid out in such a way that it’s easy to compare similar-looking species. Learn the differences between House Finch and Purple Finch, for example. Or drool over rarities. In a way, this is comparable to wishful seed catalogue perusal, but without the expenditure of money and labor. Nantucket has hosted some notable rarities for the east coast: Varied Thrush, Western Tanager, Painted Bunting, even a couple of sightings of Magnificent Frigatebird. And who knows, that weird grey ‘robin’ could turn out to be a Townsend’s Solitaire. If something looks odd, get a photo. Zooming in can often show the crucial detail. And if you have a rarity at the feeder, you’ll need the documentation, or no one will believe it. Good birding!

Photo by Photo by Ginger Andrews