An American goldfinch looks on. (Scot Stewart photo)

“I heard a bird sing in the dark of December. A magical thing. And sweet to remember. We are nearer to Spring than we were in September. I heard a big sing in the dark of December.” — Oliver Herford

The beginning of December is frequently met with a wild mixture of feelings. It brings another year to a close and reminds the residents of the northern hemisphere the shortest days of the year are about to come. It does more than hint at the prospects of a mass of holiday celebrations, plenty of social gatherings, were they with large family groups or big chats in the hallways at work. December also brings reminders of colder, more wintry days to come, and as most grow older the sense that the days (or the earth itself) are just spinning faster and faster, winding everyone through each week in seemingly less time than ever.

For wildlife those shorter days usually demand a faster pace from sunrise to sunset, with less daylight to find food and greater demands to keep up with the cold temperatures robbing everyone of precious heat. Day break does not start with the need to defend the territory and feed new fledglings fed, but simply to survive. The thought of a bird actually singing in December truly is a precious one. By early December, birds like American goldfinches have completed their fall molt and are covered in more subtle shades of olive, light yellow, black and white. They are content to call softly or just keep quiet and stay as unnoticed as is possible.

Cardinals have completed their fall molt and have a slightly different strategy to blend in. Unlike the goldfinches with a spring and fall molt, they only molt once a year The new feathers male cardinals get in their fall have just a touch of brown on their tips to help them blend in with the brown grass on the ground and the tannish branches of the winter trees. As the winter wears on, those brown edges wear away exposing the bright red just in time for the spring breeding season. Female cardinals, have much less-striking feathers and blend in well all year.

The warm, above average temperatures and the reemerging bare ground may have given some birds, squirrels and other animals a chance to return to foraging for more natural foods recently, leaving feeding stations a little quieter and the mountain ash and crab apple trees in towns unattended.  American goldfinches and mourning doves are among the more active feeder birds in Marquette currently, with several flocks of goldfinches, as big as 30 individuals busy on black-oil sunflower seed feeders on the east side of town last Saturday and 40 in Trowbridge on the west side Wednesday.  Mourning doves at this time of year seem to bottom feeders – literally feeding on the ground below feeders.  Around a dozen were seen around feeders in south Marquette last Wednesday morning.

Bohemian waxwing flocks seem to be a bit smaller. One large flock of at least 180 was seen in a wetland near Ahmeek, in Keweenaw County, but smaller flocks have been more common. Last Friday a flock of 45 was found at the edge of Deer Lake in Shelter Bay, and another of 56 was found south of  Grand Marais on the shoulder of M-77 the same day.  On Tuesday November 29, 18 were found at the edge of Lake Levasseur in Chocolay Township.  These birds all seem to still be feeding on the bright red fruits of winterberry fruits growing along wetland edges or gritting for gravel on roadside shoulders to help with digestion. Pine grosbeaks have not made any big jumps in numbers yet – but their big arrival in the area often occurs in early December. A single bird was seen at Presque Isle this past Wednesday. Another one was seen at Whitefish Point last Monday along with a more notable 40 common redpolls and a single sharp-tailed grouse.

Evening grosbeaks have been a bit more visible with small flocks, showing up in the western part of Marquette County. Five were seen in West Ishpeming on Tuesday. But a large flock has been a regular feature at one residence past Deer Lake north of Ishpeming. Last Saturday 46 showed up at sunflower seed feeders. Grosbeaks prefer platform feeders and these were quite busy. They also fed on the ground once the platform filled with birds. Some of these outlying feeder stations have great luck attracting the evening grosbeaks all winter. Another one in Diorite has been a favored spot over the years too.

Most of the lingering summer residents have finally left. One of the last seen was female belted kingfisher found at the edge of the Al Quaal Recreation Area and Teal Lake this past Monday. Parts of the lake have resisted the freezing temperatures and after the 60+ temperatures last Saturday, most was again open water. The lake also saw flocks of buffleheads and red-breasted mergansers while it was open. A second kingfisher was seen the same day on Drummond Island over in Chippewa County. A few other lingerers were seen there as well as four red-winged blackbirds and two common grackles were observed at feeders.

So, what are the chances of hearing some singing birds? House finches, mourning doves and northern cardinals all occasionally sing during the winter months in Marquette County, and at night barred and great horned owls do regularly add their serenades to the nighttime air. Keep listening!

EDITOR’S NOTE: Scot Stewart is a teacher at Bothwell Middle School in Marquette and a freelance photographer.