Happening in Nature - January

• The winter can be very hard for birds. Less natural resources means less naturally available food for
birds to eat. Help your flying friends by keeping feeders filled and water unfrozen for them to enjoy!

• If the weather is especially chilly, Juncos and Spotted Towhees prefer to eat sunflower chips
instead of millet. For Finch feeders, we have fine sunflower chips available.

• Many of our local insect eating birds, including Yellow-rumped warblers, greatly enjoy suet during
winter. We have a variety of options of suet to personalize what birds you would like to see in your
yard!

• Out in nature this winter? Keep a look out for Gray Jay's if you're by Tiger Mountain, Rattlesnake Ridge
or Snoqualmie Pass.

• January 25th is the average arrival date of the Say's Phoebe!

• Hummingbird nectar feeders easily freeze during the winter months. To keep your Anna's
hummingbirds well fed, we recommend bringing in nectar feeders at night and placing
room-temperature nectar outside in the morning. If you want to keep nectar from freezing
outside, come on by the WBU Covington store to learn our tricks to keep your nectar unfrozen.

• Keep those binoculars handy on the east side of Mt. Rainier by Bumping Lake or Crystal Mountain Ski
Resort. These are great places to see the Clark's Nutcracker!

• At Alki beach, January is the best time to see the Brant Goose, Barrow's Goldeneye, Black Turnstone,
Bufflehead, Horned Grebe, and many more birds that overwinter in Washington. It may be too cold to
swim, but check out the beach for some fun bird sightings!

• Great Horned Owls nest this month.

• Keep an eye out for many overwintering raptors, including:
Golden Eagles
Bald Eagles
Rough-legged Hawks
Ferruginous Hawks
Red-tailed Hawks
Prarie Falcons
Merlins
Kestrels

• For all you gardeners, winter jasmine blooms this month!

• Winter is a great time to look for birds' nests. Admire the craftsmanship, but leave the nest in place.

Nature Events

• Project FeederWatch continues: www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw

• Aldo Leopold's (Father of Wildlife Conservation) birthday Jan. 11

• The Quadrantid Meteor Shower will be here early in the month. See up to 60 falling meteors per hour!