Birds don’t know if they’re coming or going

Published 7:37 pm Sunday, January 21, 2018

The recent pattern of warm, then cold and finally mild weather appears to have had an early effect on some of the birds that will pass our way during the migration season as well as birds that are already here.

Gulf Coast Bird Club officer Mohamed El-Mogazi said the untypical weather for January has put a move on birds.

Some birds that are residents of the area are getting out more and into different areas.

“It’s too early for migration, but the cold weather we have experienced has pushed bird movement from the north of us, some from the northern portion of the state and some from farther up,” El-Mogazi said.

“On New Year’s Day I had a painted bunting come into my yard, and that’s the first one I have ever seen in my neighborhood,” he said. “They are getting out looking for food.

“I have also been seeing large groups of chipping sparrows. We see them this time of the year, but not in such large flocks.”

He also added that people are seeing more goldfinches and purple finches earlier.

El-Mogazi said the purple martin is typically the first bird migrating through.

A couple of weeks ago a bird watcher took a picture of a young Vermilion flycatcher in Graywood.

“It is a southern bird, but in the winter time it will come closer to the Gulf,” El-Mogazi said. 

He added that if one has a bird feeder, make sure the feeder is stocked every day because you never know what might come calling.

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Larry Reynolds and his wildlife and fisheries crew got in another aerial survey of ducks in Southwest Louisiana right after the first of the year and reported that the result was that the number of ducks in the Coastal Zone was just about the same as it was for the month of December.

He added that it was higher than the January survey of a year ago.

Reynolds wrote that there was an increase in mallards, green-winged teal, shovelers and scaup, but that increase was countered by the decline in ring-necks, blue-winged teal and pintails.

“There has clearly been movement both into and out of the surveyed area since the December survey,” he noted.

Duck season closes today for the Coastal and West zones and remains open through Jan. 28 for the East Zone.