Tufted Titmouse

Scientific Name: Baeolophus bicolor

Range / Habitat: Year-round in lowland, mature deciduous and mixed woods of the eastern United States.

Field Notes: Large, short-crested and long-tailed tit. Grey upperparts, white underparts including check. Rufous flanks. Large, black, beady eye.

Personal Notes: A wonderful find on a wonderful day with friends in New Hampshire. We had a picture for years from Minnesota that we debated about being a Tufted Titmouse. This time we were sure! We then found this bird at the far western edge of his range, in Fontenelle Forest in Omaha, Nebraska.

White-throated Sparrow

Scientific Name: Zonotrichia albicollis

Population Estimate: 140M, Least Concern status

Range / Habitat: Winters in the eastern portion of the US, though extends through Texas in the south. Summers throughout Canada. Preferred habitat is forest and bog edges. 

Field Notes: Black and white striped head with yellow lores and white throat. There is also a less striking form whose head is tan-on-black (top photo). This bird shares part of its distribution with the similar White-crowned Sparrow, which lacks the yellow lores and white throat patch.

Personal Notes: Richard discovered this bird on the grounds of a fancy Washington DC hotel. We also saw dozens of this bird in migration at the MN Landscape Arboretum in late September.

Blue Jay

Scientific Name: Cyanocitta cristata

Population Estimate: 22M, Least Concern status

Range / Habitat: Year-round in the eastern US and up into Canada in forest edges. They favor acorns and are frequently found near oaks.

Field Notes: Part of the crow family, this is a dramatic and conspicuous bird that is smaller than a crow but larger than a robin. Dramatic crest. The blue coloration is both unmistakable and even electric. Characteristic, high-pitched and far-traveling "jay" sound.

Personal Notes: One of our favorites, especially in winter.

Northern Cardinal

Scientific Name: Cardinalis cardinalis

Population Estimate: 100M, Least Concern status

Range / Habitat: Year-round in inhabited areas such as backyards, parks, woodlots, and shrubby forest edges throughout eastern US and eastern Mexico, including the Yucatan.

Field Notes: Unmistakable in range, even the duller female.

Personal Notes: We were waiting for winter to get our dramatic Northern Cardinal photo, and here it is. We were fortunate to come across a lot of different birds at the MN Arboretum feeder.

White-breasted Nuthatch

Scientific Name: Sitta carolinensis

Population Estimate: 10M, Least Concern status

Range / Habitat: Year-round in mature forests and forest edges throughout most of the US, southern Canada, and into Mexico. 

Field Notes: Typical nuthatch behavior. Frosted black cap, white face and underparts, bluish-gray back and wings.

Personal Notes: A hard little bugger to photograph.