Mystery Tracks©

 

 

So, what do you think happened in  the picture above?  Did something get snatched by a hawk?  Did a songbird land and then hop around on the fresh snow before taking flight again?

 

It’s a mystery unless you know how to find and read the clues left behind at the scene.

 

The entire scene is only 35 inches (89 cm) long.

 

There was a bird on scene, note the wingtip marks in the snow on the right, and the footprints in the center.

 

There are no other tracks leading into the track trail at the left of the picture.

 

The straddle is only 1-¾ inches (4.5 cm) wide, and the wingspan is 9-⁵/₈ inches (24.5 cm) wide.

 

There is no blood, feathers, or fur at the scene, so no one died.

 

Hmmmm...It can’t be any birds of prey because the wingspan is too small.  And for the same reason, it isn’t a bluejay, crow, or grackle.  This is a small bird, and since there are no tracks leading into the scene, we know that it landed, hopped along in the fresh snow for about three feet (about 1 meter) and then flew off again.  But what bird could it be?

 

Of the approximately thirty common birds in Western New York, there are only four prime suspects.

 

In the rogues gallery we have the American Goldfinch, with a wingspan of 9 inches (23 cm), next to him is the Dark-eyed Junco, who has at a wingspan of 9-¼ inches (23.5 cm), the House Sparrow is next, with a wingspan of 9-½ inches (24 cm), and last is the Tufted Titmouse, who has a wingspan of 9-¾ inches (24.75 cm). 

 

Our mystery bird, who had a wingspan of 9-⁵/₈ inches (24.5 cm) wide, was most likely a tufted titmouse (baeolophus bicolor).

 

The tufted titmouse lives in hardwood forests and forested urban areas of the eastern United States and in some parts of southeastern Canada.  This bird is a small, crested, blue-gray bird with a white face, and a pale belly, with peach-orange sides.  Both the males and females look alike and have a small black mark above their beak.  

 

Tufted Titmouses¹ live in small flocks, called “glees”, that forage for insects and seeds in parks and woodlands.  

 

And one landed in the snow, hopped along for a couple of feet, and then flew off again, case closed; mystery solved!

 

Don’t forget to come back next week and read “Ten Essentials of Winter Camping ©”, where we will talk about how to camp in the winter wilderness and stay warm and safe.

 

I hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE.  Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE, and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube.  If you have questions, as always, feel free to leave a comment on either site.  I announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.

 

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

 

 

Notes

 

¹ According to the Birds&Blooms “A purist would probably say titmouses is correct. On the other hand, a couple of major dictionaries (and bird field guides) give titmice as plural”.

 

 

Sources

 

O’Donnell, Patrick; “The 30 Most Popular Bird Species in New York (Based on eBird Data)”, March 15, 2024, https://www.birdzilla.com/learn/birds-of-new-york/, accessed March 30, 2024

 

Wikimedia, “Tufted Titmouse”, by Jocelyn Anderson, December 17, 2016, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tufted_Titmouse_(189117409).jpeg, accessed March 30, 2024

 

Wikimedia; “Photo of Jim Hutton from the television series Ellery Queen”, February 28, 1976, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jim_Hutton_Ellery_Queen_1976.JPG, accessed March 30, 2024