Avian Adventures with Aaron | December 9th

Winter is well on the way by now. This month we will walk the trails of Rushton Woods Preserve, and enjoy crisp air as the solstice approaches. Winter is a great time to become associated with the short-distance migrant birds of the north. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Dark-eyed Junco, Purple Finch, Cedar Waxwing, and Fox Sparrow scramble down “south” to dine and feast on the native fruits of our black haw viburnum, dogwood, and sumac trees. These sugar-rich food sources provide the energy that birds need to survive winter’s frigid temperatures, which come during a critical period when invertebrate food sources are all but absent. Massive flocks of Canada Geese, American Robin, and Common Grackle mixed with Red-winged Blackbird litter the skies, trees, and meadows, bringing with them a chorus of bird song that rings in the end-of-year season.

About Aaron Coolman | Motus Technician and Avian Migration Ecologist

As his title suggests, Aaron wears a lot of hats. With a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Ohio State University, experience in residential garden design, former work as a USFWS Biotechnician, and history as a volunteer for the Maryland DNR Heritage Program, Aaron is a perfect fit at our organization and has been working with WCT since 2022. A nature enthusiast, Aaron spends much of his free time birding, gardening, volunteering for various conservation groups, and photographing…you guessed it…nature!

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