Archive for October, 2009
Life’s Little Curve Balls
I really like to come and write here every single day. Seems that life has a way of throwing us little curve balls and I did not make it here yesterday. And today, it’s Halloween, so my door bell keeps ringing. But I have a couple of tips to pass along.
The weather has been wet and yesterday, my mealworm feeder was completely flooded out. Seems the drain holes were clogged and the little guys were all floating on top of the water. It is important that the container or feeder or dish that you feed mealworms in, has an adequate drain hole, so when it rains the water runs through instead of accumulating. Mealworms are far too expensive to let them float away.
The tube feeders have been getting a major work out the last couple of days. It appears that our winter birds have started arriving in numbers and I look forward to reporting to you on that. Make sure your tube feeders, thistle feeders and suet feeders are full, so as the winter birds arrive, they plan on sticking around your back yard for the winter.
Have a wonderful weekend!
What Is a Nuthatch
The white-breasted nuthatch is a very common bird feeder bird with a real appetite for large meaty seeds. Nutchatches get their name from their habit of finding acorns, sunflower seed and other nuts and seeds and jammming them behind the bark of trees and then wacking them open with their beak which is long and pointy and quite sharp.
This tiny little bird super agile and very active. Even the largest nuthatch is still a very small bird with a large head and almost no neck and a very short tail.
They are definitely white-breasted as the name implies. Their back is gray-blue and they have a frosty white face to go with the rest of their underparts. They wear and bright black cap and their bill is sharp, straight or slightly upturned and pointy.
They literally creep along tree trunks and branches and probe for their second diet favorite which is insects. There were two of them on my platform feeder which is just outside my kitchen window . And they both flew away with sunflower seeds tucked in their bills. Sure would have loved to have seen them at the other end of the flight to witness the “hatching” of the seeds.
Why I Enjoy Birdwatching
The other day, I was busy with something in the yard and the next thing I knew, I had zoned out on a flurry of finches and mourning doves on and under the bird feeders. My husband caught me in my trance, and asked, “Why do you watch the birds so much?’ An hour later, I think he was sorry he asked, but I think I answered his question.
My first bird feeder was a birthday gift. I was a young mom, with not too much time, so the feeder was nicely placed on a closet shelf for a number of years. I am almost ashamed to admit that, but it’s true. Once my children were in school all day, I had a bit more time and had started gardening a lot. Then one spring, on a rainy day, I was cleaning out the closet and I found the bird feeder. It was a decorative bird feeder, colorful and shaped like a little barn, and the first thought that crossed my mind was it would make a great garden ornament. Before I knew it, I had purchased my first bag of food and added a hummingbird feeder, a couple of novelty birdhouses and a thistle feeder as well. That was 34 years ago.
For many of those years, I was only interested in watching them. I could identify very few and knew very little about them, and considering the longevity of my hobby, I am still a babe in the woods when it comes to identification and real knowledge of the different species, thier habits and likes and dislikes. So you have the background, now why do I enjoy it so much.
My yard is my special place. It’s one of my places of contemplation, peace and solitude. I love to sneak out onto the patio in the early morning hours especially in the spring and watch as the robins return, and the finches put on their summer coats and the blue birds take up residency. It brings me closer to God and nature. They are wonderful entertainment too, especially during mating season. The courtships can be quite comical as well as heart touching. It is a wonderful excuse to smile, even giggle at their antics and acrobatics. And the sounds are magnificent. What a great stress reliever too.
I won’t even pretend to recognize all the calls or even identify them all on first sight. I love their freedon, their differnet flight patterns and the quiet times and spaces they take me to. Now, this took about 20 minutes, and my explanation to my husband was at least an hour, so I warn you, there may be more to come.
A Bit About the Starling
I did not know until today that the Starling - the “European Starling” - is not really an American native. In the 1890’s the first of these birds were released in New York City in Cental Park. From those 100 they are now a population of over 200 million, and poplulate the vast majority of the Northeastern US . They are always under the bird feeders in my yard and are really much more prevalent than I would like them to be. In flight, they have a great triangular appearance.
They are black and shiny, almost iridescent, and they are chunky with tails that are quite short and stubby. They are quite adaptable, and live on farmland, in the cities and woods edges. You will not find them in great numbers in marshes and forests. They are quite prevalent in my backyard as well.
The European Starlings dine mainly on equal portions of animal and plant food. Their favorites include beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, earthworms, ants, flies, grains, cherries and mulberries.
Starlings will inhabit bird houses in the spring, and will often choose a blue bird house, as well as cavities, and woodpecker holes. The female Starlings build the nests in these areas with grasses, stems, cloth, leaves, and line it with soft fine grass and bird feathers, while the males defend the territory. Both male and female incubate the eggs and feed the nestlings. They will then go off to find a new place to raise their second brood. They often drive other native birds from their nests. They are harassing and can be considered a menace, to the degree that they have recently been accused of the decline in the red-headed woodpecker and northern flicker population.
Mom’s Favorite
A friend of mine just sent me this picture. I just had to share it. So tell me, are you Mom’s Favorite?
A Little Tip:
Do you offer suet to the birds at this time of year? Many people reserve the suet for the cold winter months while many others keep the caged suet feeders full all year round. Personally, I take it down in late April or May and put the cakes back in the suet feeders come late September or early October.
This year our weather has been like a roller coaster, and we had several days where the temperature approached 80 degrees. My suet cages are located under trees on small shepherds hooks, but they are also exposed to a good deal of sun. Yesterday, my husband I spent some time in the yard straightening a couple of shepherd’s hooks and while doing so I noticed that the suet cake in one of the feeders had become rancid. I could tell both by appearance and by smell. The sun was hot enough to send the lard to one side and it was dry and cracking.
If you put your suet feeders out, and had some warm weather afterwards, you might want to check to be sure that your suet cakes have not been affected by the weather. We had a whole lot of really fresh suet cakes now. The birds are happy again.
I Had to Take A Second Look
One thing for sure, there is never a shortage of Eastern Blue birds here, even in the winter. As an avid bird watcher, I find this to be quite a blessing. I leave the blue bird feeder and the blue bird house out all year. It has paid off year after year.
Before moving here, I had never seen a blue bird. The first time I saw one, I remember the gasp that came out of my mouth scaring them away. The first spring we were here, our next door neighbor mounted 3 blue bird houses in his yard. Only one of the three was occupied with a blue bird family, but what an experience. The next spring I added a blue bird house and the families just keep on coming.
This morning I had to look twice. I was no where near my binoculars or my camera which has been on the fritz for a while, but I peered out the upstairs back window and saw two pretty little blue birds sitting side by side on the blue bird house. No matter how often I see them, just perching, foraging on the ground, playing in the shrubs or in their very distinctive flight, I feel the same way! And, no matter how hard I try no to do it, I still gasp with delight every single time.
I hope you had a delightful weekend, finding a moment or two just for you. A quiet moment, a time to reflect, relax and be grateful!
Wishing For The Sun
Rain, Rain, go away! Wow has it rained. it started yesterday afternoon, went through the night and skipped a few hours this morning and then the skies opened up again this afternoon. It flooded out the mealworms, which are now under the mealworm feeder, instead of in it. I think I’d better examine the drain holes as they are obviously clogged.
Sun is promised for tomorrow. We need the dry out time!! And, the mealworm feeder will nees som dry mealworms.
Have a fantastic weekend everyone.
The Fall Assessment
I had to take a hard look at some of my bird feeding and housing equipment today. It never pays to go into the winter with faulty bird feeders and houses. One of my decorative bird houses is similar to the one pictured here. The one in the picture is new and bright and “picture perfect”. And, mine is old and showing signs of its 8 plus years in the bright sunlight, cold, snow and rain. It has however, given me that many years of memorable birds who have chosen to call it home and raise their families, not to mention the shelter it has provided for many of them during the winter months.
It had a few loose parts which I fixed quite easily, so structurally it is quite sound and very functional once again. It is severely faded though, and I am struggling with whether to brighten the colors with stain or paint. Why the struggle? I do not want to jeopardize my fine feathered friends in any way. If I do decide to paint it, I will be looking for the most non-toxic paint or stain available. It would be very easy to go get some paint and slap it on and voila, a new spiffy decorative bird house, but sometimes it is easier in the long run to do the homework and find the environmentally friendly solution that will keep the birds healthy and happy.
A Combination of Treats
I don’t think I will ever have enough bird feeders, or suet feeders. The wooden bird feeder pictured here is designed to provide a variety of treats. There are compartments for seed, suet and fruit. Just think of the variety of birds it will attract. The possibilities are endless and the solid cedar construction will insure a long lasting feeder. The price is reasonable too.
This particular wooden bird feeder is one that currently do not own, but it is indeed on my wish list.
Did You Hear The Mockingbird?
The mockingbird takes up residency and pretty much stays there. They can be a bit annoying when they are incessantly mocking, but I do love these year round visitors. This afternoon, there was one drinking from my freshly cleaned birdbath. He jumped up on our neighbors fence and entertained me with his mocking before taking off.
This slender, robin sized bird has a gray back, and very conspicuous white patches on his wings. Their breast is pale. They are frequent visitors here as they are so fond of the low shrubs and open terrain that exists here on our lawn and in the open space behind it. You may find them living in towns and cities. They love to forage on the lawns and in thickets, road margins, woods edges and farms.
Their diet is a 50/50 split between insects and native and cultivated fruits. The mockingbird will run along on the ground, stopping and lunging for its insect prey which consist of beetles, ants, bees, wasps, grasshoppers and more. They have also been known to eat spiders, snails, sowbugs and earthworms. At this time of year, they are getting fat and happy on grapes, apples, barberries, hawthorn, elderberries and multiflora rose hips which is a favorite. During the winter months they will come to the bird feeders for seeds and the suet feeder for suet. They are noted for chasing other birds away.
The male and female both sing, but it is the male who is the true virtuoso. The pick up bits and pieces of other birds’ songs and the calls of crickets and frogs, dogs barking, etc. and the mimic - over and over. As they age, the male’s repertoire gets larger and larger and ultimately can be as large as more than 150 distinct songs. They will repeat a song for six or more times and them move on to another song. They sing for long minutes on end. They sing in flght, they sing on the ground, they sing from perches. They sing when they are building their nest and during and after mating. They sing when they are looking for food and even after they have captured the ffod in their bills.
Another happy bird? You could say that, if the amount of time they spend singing counts toward being happy.