Lifestyles

New birds arrive at Beaver Pond Farm

By Becky Nelson
Bramblings
I  caught two unexpected guests at the bird feeders this week, a starling and a purple finch. I have been watching several blue jays, cardinals (both male and female), a gaggle of juncos and chickadees, and random house and gold finches over the past couple of weeks. The starling must have just been passing through as I haven’t seen it again, and the purple finch came back one more time but then seemed to have moved on as well, at least for now.

I am thrilled that I caught sight of both of these travelers. Watching the birds is a favorite pastime when I am in the house looking up from computer work or stopping by for a snack or a drink when working out-side. I was thrilled to see the purple finch. The New Hampshire state bird is a rare sight around the farm, and I was happy to see this visitor. According to the Audubon Society, the finch is an “irruptive” visitor to New Hampshire in the winter, more common here in the western and northern parts of the state, and only coming south when Canadian conifer seeds are not plentiful.

I learned that the purple finch was in a heated battle to become New Hampshire’s bird in 1957 and ultimately took top seed over the New Hampshire Hen…a chicken breed. I’m pretty happy the flashy bird became our state bird. The male is the one with the rosy glow, and the female is a brown bird with streaks, very similar to a house finch. I may have a Mama and a Papa at the feeder, as they are usually monogamous, though I can’t distinguish her from the house finches if she is here. I hope the couple spends the winter and decides to nest around here in the spring.

The other surprise visitor, the starling, is not so welcome here on the farm. Introduced to the United States in New York City in the 1930’s, for what reason I will never understand, this bird became a pest very quickly. The starling is a flocking bird, so I am surprised I had a singleton at the feeder. I am happy, however, as they can wipe out the seed in a hurry if a flock comes in. I remember starlings being a huge problem at the farm when I was a kid in the 1960s, with the flocks wiping out the gardens sometimes. We relied less upon the gardens in the ‘70s, and I was busy being a high schooler, so I don’t know what happened to the big flocks I saw, but they haven’t bothered us much of late. Some of our farmer friends closer to the river have had a terrible time with blackbirds and starlings in their corn, so I know they are still a problem.

The starling is a trickster, and can mimic other birds and other sounds with ease. They are competitors for other birds’ nests, and will move in and chase the original occupants away. They are unmistakable to see in the sky in a flock, with their swooping and rising movement unlike any other I have seen. Even though I was happy to see this single visitor at the feeders the other day, I hope he or she keeps on flying along and doesn’t stick around to pester me at garden time.

We had a most important visitor take up residence at the farm last week, with our son and daughter-in-law welcoming their first baby to the clan, a couple weeks earlier than anticipated. All of my unanticipated visitors have been welcome, but this little bird takes up a special place in my extended nest and in my heart.

As the proud grandparent of (now) three, I anticipate many fun-filled “grand” days in my future, and I may have a little less time to watch the birds as the grandbaby and grandkids grow. My nest has expanded. Even so, I still like to see who shows up at the feeder, and maybe the grands will enjoy sitting with their old Nanny and watch the birds, try to identify them, and wonder at their lives and styles as I wonder at the lives and styles of each of the kids.

— Becky and her husband own Beaver Pond Farm in Newport, family owned since 1780. She can be reached at [email protected].

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