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While researching birds that leave the area in the spring, I was surprised to learn that what I've considered winter birds, are year-round residents.
Northern cardinals, titmice, chickadees, Carolina wrens, downy and red-bellied woodpeckers and white-breasted nuthatches are just a few of my feeder visitors that fit the bill.
One bird that isn't hard to spot in the winter is the northern cardinal. The bird is year-round resident according to a range map provided by Birds of the World and posted on Cornell Lab's All About Birds website.
Longtime Seneca Rocks Audubon Society member and local birder Gary Edwards wrote that this wasn't always the case in his book "Venango County Birds."
"Now a permanent resident, the northern cardinal is a relatively new addition to the area. It is now one of several familiar birds including the tufted titmouse and Carolina Wren, once confined to southern states," Edwards penned.
Northern cardinals, titmice, chickadees, Carolina wrens, downy and red-bellied woodpeckers and white-breasted nuthatches are just a few of my feeder visitors that fit the bill.
One bird that isn't hard to spot in the winter is the northern cardinal. The bird is year-round resident according to a range map provided by Birds of the World and posted on Cornell Lab's All About Birds website.
Longtime Seneca Rocks Audubon Society member and local birder Gary Edwards wrote that this wasn't always the case in his book "Venango County Birds."
"Now a permanent resident, the northern cardinal is a relatively new addition to the area. It is now one of several familiar birds including the tufted titmouse and Carolina Wren, once confined to southern states," Edwards penned.
| According to Edwards the earliest record of a cardinal in Venango County was in a March 13, 1916, article in "The Derrick" newspaper that reported an unknown red bird spending the summer in Rouseville. The All About Birds site provided a couple of other interesting facts about the cardinal. "Only a few female North American songbirds sing, but |  |
the female northern cardinal does, and often while sitting on the nest," said the post on All About Birds.
The site also posted "a perennial favorite among people, the northern cardinal is the state bird of seven states."
The site also posted "a perennial favorite among people, the northern cardinal is the state bird of seven states."
Another bird sighted at my feeder pretty much daily during the winter months was the tufted titmouse.
The tufted titmouse is listed as is a year-round for most states east of the Mississippi.
That is no different for Venango County. Edwards' mentioned in his book that the titmouse was another species that expanded north into Venango County in the 1900s.
The tufted titmouse is listed as is a year-round for most states east of the Mississippi.
That is no different for Venango County. Edwards' mentioned in his book that the titmouse was another species that expanded north into Venango County in the 1900s.
However, Edwards wrote about a possible decline in the titmouse population.
"The local titmouse population appears to be have been negatively affected by the West Nile Virus but now is again becoming common at feeders," he penned.
"The local titmouse population appears to be have been negatively affected by the West Nile Virus but now is again becoming common at feeders," he penned.
A fairly new winter visitor to my feeder this season was a Carolina wren.
The wren's range map depicts the small bird as a year-round resident for much of the eastern continental United States.
Edwards in his book pegged the wren as an uncommon year-round resident.
"We are in the northern inland boundary of its range.
Populations increase when winter and spring weather is not harsh and decline ... after years with severe spring snows or ice storms. "
In 1940, no Carolina wrens had been reported in the county, according to Edwards.
A dramatic increase in breeding frequency between the two Pennsylvania breeding bird atlas' illustrates the continuing northern advance of the species.
The First Atlas of Breeding Birds in Pennsylvania was released in 1992 and the Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in Pennsylvania was released in 2012.
The wren's range map depicts the small bird as a year-round resident for much of the eastern continental United States.
Edwards in his book pegged the wren as an uncommon year-round resident.
"We are in the northern inland boundary of its range.
Populations increase when winter and spring weather is not harsh and decline ... after years with severe spring snows or ice storms. "
In 1940, no Carolina wrens had been reported in the county, according to Edwards.
A dramatic increase in breeding frequency between the two Pennsylvania breeding bird atlas' illustrates the continuing northern advance of the species.
The First Atlas of Breeding Birds in Pennsylvania was released in 1992 and the Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in Pennsylvania was released in 2012.
Another fairly common sight at my feeder this winter was the acrobatic white-breasted nuthatch.
According to range maps the white-breasted nuthatch is a year-round resident of most of the continental United States.
A post on All About Birds said, "The white-breasted nuthatch is normally territorial throughout the year, with pairs staying together."
"In winter, white-breasted nuthatches join foraging flocks led by chickadees or titmice, perhaps partly because it makes food easier to find and partly because more birds can keep an eye out for predators," the post continued.
According to range maps the white-breasted nuthatch is a year-round resident of most of the continental United States.
A post on All About Birds said, "The white-breasted nuthatch is normally territorial throughout the year, with pairs staying together."
"In winter, white-breasted nuthatches join foraging flocks led by chickadees or titmice, perhaps partly because it makes food easier to find and partly because more birds can keep an eye out for predators," the post continued.
| Regular visitors to the suet this winter included downy and red-bellied woodpeckers. According to range maps, the downy woodpecker is pretty much year-round pretty much everywhere. "The downy easily becomes our most common woodpecker during the summer months," Edwards penned in his book. According to range maps, the red-bellied woodpecker is also a year-round resident for most of the states east of the Mississippi. Edwards penned that there was a six fold increase in their numbers regionally between the first and second Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas' which would be from 1992 to 2012. |   |
As previously mentioned in other blogs, black-capped chickadees and blue jays are also year-round residents. There are also many more that I have not mentioned that call Venango County home for more than just the spring and summer.
As the some of the county's feathered year-round residents prepare to set up homes, I highly doubt the assessment office is making any visits to these new constructions.
As the some of the county's feathered year-round residents prepare to set up homes, I highly doubt the assessment office is making any visits to these new constructions.
That's just the nature of things 'round here.
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