One of the surprises of January birding is how quickly birds start to feel like familiar characters rather than fleeting visitors.

With summer gone, the noise fades and the cast becomes smaller—but the personalities get louder. There’s always a Chickadee that acts like it owns the feeder, a Blue Jay that announces its arrival from three yards away, and a Cardinal who waits patiently, judging everyone else.

Winter birding isn’t about how many species you can check off a list. It’s about noticing behaviour, habits, and little quirks. You stop asking, What is that bird? and start thinking, Oh, there you are again.

Fewer birds. Better conversations.

And honestly, I’ll take that trade any winter day.

Paul