Winter Birding from the Hot Tub

As the seasons begin to change, we look forward to crisper evenings, turning foliage and, soon enough, snow.  Just as the colors turn, so does the wildlife around Happy Cabin.  Our neighbor across the street has a beautiful front yard, full of native plants and blooming flowers.  On a recent visit, she pointed out a tiny nest above her doorway, home to fledgling bluejays.  She described how the mother jay takes over her yard in the summer, squawking at her if she dares to sit on her patio in a lounge chair. A tall pine surrounded by flowers was ground-zero for flight training.  The baby jays were just learning how to fly. 

I assumed that the birds would all migrate south in the winter, looking for sunnier climes.  I was wrong. While many birds migrate south to escape the Sierra winter, others stay, making Lake Tahoe their year-round home.  Some types of birds, like the bluejay, even migrate some years but not others.   Which gives me one more thing to look forward to this winter:  birding.

In the winter, the golf course behind Happy Cabin becomes a snowy meadow ringed by towering pines, an alluring habitat for all manner of winged creatures, from song birds to raptors.  And what better place to watch them than the hot tub at Happy Cabin?  Armed with a cold drink and binoculars, look for waterfowl like the elegant snow goose and tundra swan, hunters like the red-tailed hawk and bald eagle, and rarer finds like the cedar waxwing and red crossbill.  If the mood strikes, you’ll find a pair of binoculars hanging next to the fireplace and a bird book on the mantel.  Happy birding!

To visit Happy Cabin during your trip to North Lake Tahoe / Tahoe Vista / Kings Beach, click here.