NOVEMBER (11/8/02)

November presents a whole new scene for birders. By and large the southbound migrants have all left us. We no longer have orioles, warblers (unless we’re lucky enough to have a hardy yellow-rumped) Winter residents continue to move in from the north.

White-throated sparrows, white-crowned sparrows for a few lucky folks, tree sparrows, juncos, nuthatches, pine siskins and maybe a few other new species of finches take over the feeder scene. We start to hope that maybe bobwhites or turkeys will choose our yard and thrill us with their presence as they cautiously try to capture some of the seed bounty on the ground.

If you stopped feeding birds over the summer, you should definitely have your feeders in place by now. If your old ones have been chewed up by squirrels and raccoons, consider replacing them with the latest models, many of which are now mammal-proof. You should furnish several types of feeders for your customers. A hopper type that you can set to open only for small birds, not crows or mammals;.a hanging type for finches, chickadees and titmice; and a platform for the ground feeders, such as sparrows and doves.

Just as you provide different feeders, you should stock of a variety of seeds. Sunflower seeds appeal to many of our wintering birds, but the goldfinches and house finches prefer thistle seed, while the ground-feeding sparrows and doves enjoy millet or a mixture of high quality seeds.

In November, away from our yards, along our coasts, only yellowlegs linger. However, should we have a Nor’easter, we’ll rush to Sandy Neck in Barnstable or First Encounter in Eastham hoping for interesting loons and grebes sheltering in close to shore, as well as a show of gannets, shearwaters, storm-petrels, sea ducks, alcids and jaegers.

For those who live on one of the Cape’s many ponds and lakes, November is the month when the bulk of our wintering waterfowl arrive. I’ve found that most residents are very good at knowing their ducks, be they dabblers or divers. The two species of dabblers best known to everyone are the mallards and black ducks. Have you ever been surprised to see them diving, thinking, perhaps, that your eyes are deceiving you or that you’ve misidentified them?

Don’t worry. You don’t need a new field guide or an upgrade in your glasses. These ducks are diving, not just dunking, but really diving under the water head first, going completely under like a merganser or bufflehead, and not appearing to be surface feeding at all. The probably reason? Both species like their acorns soaked and they'll dive for them. It's their favorite food this time of year. Assuming that there are oak trees on the edge of the pond and that the ducks are diving in areas where branches reach over the water, that might explain what's going on. Mallards and black ducks also dive for pond snails and probably a range of aquatic insects like dragonfly nymphs.

If you’re in a new house on a fresh water pond and aren’t familiar with duck species, be sure that you have a good field guide, as you’ll derive many enjoyable hours of watching the waterfowl. As I mentioned above, pond or lake ducks fall into one of two categories: divers or dabblers. Both of these types are plentiful on the Cape, as are sea ducks, such as scoters and eiders, viewable from many vantage points.

Almost every species of Eastern pond ducks occurs on the Cape, although few locations are likely to host them all. Once you know your “own ducks” well, search out other species by planning drives that will take you by other ponds and ocean inlets. Nine species of dabbling ducks, twelve of diving ducks and seven of sea ducks are possible, not to mention geese and swans, coot and ...!

If you’d like to look at land or water birds this winter but aren’t sure where you should go, consider joining one of the many local groups that will be out and about looking for a variety of species. As I have mentioned in past columns, the Cape Cod Bird Club, the CC Museum of Natural History and the Mass. Audubon sanctuary at Wellfleet Bay all make frequent outings to all sorts of habitats to look at wintering birds. Never hesitate to join one of these groups because you think you don’t know enough about birds. Leaders are happy to have newcomers, and you are bound to learn a lot and have a great time.