Mourning doves hang around in winter

Q: In the past I would sometimes see mourning doves in winter in Minnesota: This year, for the first time, I have from 10 to 12 doves picking up seeds under my feeders. Is this common or is it another sign of the warming of our planet?

A: That must be quite a sight in the morning and evening in your backyard. It's not unusual for members of this species to winter over in our area: In fact, in other winters, I've often had five or more doves sitting on the rim of my heated birdbath at dusk, just before disappearing for the night. Several other readers have also written about the doves they're seeing this winter. These birds seem to be a bit nomadic, so if they visit a backyard one winter, they may go somewhere else the next year.

Owl food

Q: I've sometimes observed eagles and hawks scavenging a carcass. Do owls ever scavenge?

A: That's an excellent question, and for an answer I turned to owl expert Karla Bloem, director of the International Owl Center in Houston, Minn.: She says it's rare for an owl to feed on a dead carcass, but it does happen. "I suspect it is only when they aren't catching enough on their own. In high school I once observed a great horned owl feeding on a road-killed deer daily for about a week in winter — this was the first photo I ever took of an owl," Bloem said.

Mystery bird

Q: A bird is frequenting my backyard, but I can't find it in my field guide. It's about the size of a red-bellied woodpecker and has a long, pointed beak. Can you help?

A: The photo you sent shows a bird that confuses many of us at this time of year because its plumage is so different from its summer look. European starlings in winter have white-tipped feathers, making for a dramatic pattern on their backs and wings. Over the winter these tips will wear off and starlings will show all black plumage for the breeding season.

A rough crowd

Q: My feeders seem to be drawing a rougher crowd this season, including a big jump in the sparrow population and many starlings. They're draining the feeders and keeping my finches, chickadees and woodpeckers away. What can I do to make my feeders less desirable to these birds?

A: My feeders are also "enjoying" a major influx of pestilent starlings and many more sparrows than in summer. Starlings are such messy birds, pooping in feeders and on feeder domes and in the birdbaths, too, making them very unwelcome guests. I checked with local wild bird store staffers to get their recommendations, and here are a few suggestions for changes that might keep these non-native species at bay.

Kraig Kelsey, who owns Kelsey's Wild Bird Store in North Oaks, has been feeding birds at his home for decades. He finds that starlings seem to mainly be a problem when the weather is extremely cold, as it was near the end of December. He suggested discontinuing shelled peanuts, suet, sunflower hearts and cracked corn for some days, until the starlings leave.

Tom Trapp at Wild Birds Unlimited in St. Paul mentioned upside-down suet feeders, the kind with the suet cage on the underside, which woodpeckers and chickadees can easily use but seem to foil most starlings. Tube feeders inside a cage and very small feeders, designed for small birds like chickadees, are other possibilities.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology notes that starlings have softer beaks than most seed eaters, so peanuts in the shell and white-striped sunflower seeds present a problem for them to open.

As for sparrows, I've found that they're not big fans of safflower seeds, so I fill two feeders with safflower, which draws cardinals, house finches and chickadees.

It's a shame that starlings and house sparrows were introduced to this country back in the 1800s, because they have such negative effects at both feeders and nest boxes.

Winter robins

Q: It amazes me to see five or more robins at my heated birdbath in winter. Is this unusual?

A: More and more of us are seeing robins all winter long, and experts trace this to our warming nights due to global climate change. Summer or winter robins are "water babies" — if there's a source of water, they will find it. And they're eager to keep their feathers in good condition, so they'll often bathe in really cold weather.

When the air temperature falls below about 20 degrees, it's dangerous for birds to bathe — if icy water reaches their skin, it can be life-threatening. For this reason, I advocate placing a board or branches across the birdbath basin on really cold days, to allow birds to drink but prevent birds them bathing. I've had pushback on this point from people who say birds know when it's too cold to bathe. But I feel we fool birds by providing heated water, which they associate with warmer temperatures. I've heard many credible stories about birds bathing in cold weather, then crashing to the ground as their wings ice up.

Saltwater loons

Q: I've retired to North Carolina and we have common loons swimming along the sounds, bays and waterways in winter. I'm wondering whether they prefer freshwater or saltwater.

A: Loons can survive in both freshwater and saltwater. When they're on saltwater, a gland in their noses expels the salt, an adaptation that's usually only found in oceanic species.

Possum poop?

Q: I have 15 bird feeders, and many of them are on the ground. Lately I've been finding some kind of pellet mixed with the remaining seeds in the morning. These are brown and about ½ inch long. There's a possum out there every night — could these be left by the possum?

A: That's an interesting question and I have to admit I'm not all that familiar with possum droppings. If you google "possum poop" you'll find a number of handy sites that feature photos of their droppings, for comparison's sake.

Note to readers: The DNR eagle camera is up and running for the 10^th year, and a pair of bald eagles was visiting the nest as early as December. Keep an eye on eagle nesting at: www.dnr.state.mn.us/features/webcams/eaglecam/index.html

St. Paul resident Val Cunningham, who volunteers with the St. Paul Audubon Society and writes about nature for local, regional and national newspapers and magazines, can be reached at valwrites@comcast.net.