Backyard Birding

After it was becoming clear that our (four!) squirrels were eating the majority of the sunflower seed we were putting in our hopper feeder, we purchased an Opus Top Flight Fortress Bird Feeder. It holds five pounds of seeds and has a wire cage around the seed tube, allowing smaller birds to insert their heads, but blocking larger birds.

Our woodpeckers have no difficulties feeding from it, which is good, and one persistent jay seems to have worked out how to get to the seed. The grackles have not bothered trying, so far as I have seen.

But the squirrel, too, has figured it out. It hangs upside down from the top wire, inserts its little paw through the cage into the feeding tube and extracts a seed. He then munches it while hanging upside down and tries again. For the moment, we are thinking of rubbing Vaseline all over the pole to make it slippery. This is a young squirrel, and he seems to have a lot more trouble climbing the small pole than his mother did. Of course, that will mean some repositioning of feeders. I know it is only a short hop from the bird bath! Do you have any other ideas that do not involve purchasing anything? We will eventually, but right now we need a new kitchen floor.

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It is not uncommon to find a young bird that has fallen from its nest. In fact, I remember it as an exciting opportunity to get a closer look at the wildlife around our home. Like many children, we took the birds home, tried our best to raise them, and discovered just how attentive parent birds must be to their nestlings when we struggled to keep them fed. But what should you do if you find a baby bird out of the nest?

Chances are, the best bet is to do nothing at all. The mother bird is likely close by, watching her young bird. If it has developed feathers, it is likely a fledgling just learning to fly. Fledglings often struggle with early flight and fall from the nest. Parents stay nearby, continue to feed the baby bird and often do their best to ward off predators. Observe from a distance, keep dogs, cats and children away, and you likely will see the parent shortly. It won’t be very long until the bird finds its wings and flies.

If the bird does not yet have feathers, or feathers which are undeveloped, however, it is still a nestling. Nestlings are not capable of survival for long outside the nest. They get shoved out for a variety of reasons. A parasitic species such as the brown-headed cowbird may have laid an egg in the nest. If this is the case, the invading bird will push whatever eggs or nestlings are in the nest out to ensure its own survival. Sometimes this happens even amongs nestlings of the same species.

And sometimes birds just fall out of their nests.

Common folklore says that handling the bird will cause the parents to reject it. This is not true.

No matter how flighty birds appear, they do not readily abandon their young, especially not in response to human touch, says Frank B. Gill, former president of the American Ornithologists’ Union. “If a bird’s nest is disturbed by a potential predator during the nesting or egg-laying stage,” he says, “there’s a possibility that [it] will desert and re-nest. However, once the young are hatched and feeding, [their parents are] by and large pretty tenacious.” Scientific American

If you find a nestling, look nearby and try to locate the nest. If possible, gently return it. Be prepared for angry parents. I once was hit in the head by a blue jay as thanks for returning her nestling to its nest. If you cannot find the nest or it is impossible to reach, you can try constructing a replacement nest.

If the nest has been destroyed or is unreachable, you may substitute a strawberry basket or small box lined with tissue and suspend it from a branch near to where you believe the nest is located. Audubon Society of Portland

We once used an old butter tub with holes poked in the bottom. The holes are important so that the bird does not drown in the event of rain. It may take an hour or two, but the parent birds are quite likely to return to the nestling, even though you have handled it and even though it is in a new nest. The best thing to do at that point is to leave it alone. Checking on it will only cause further stress and there is not much else that can be done. Hand-raising the bird may be interesting for the family, but such birds also have minimal chances for survival when released.

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Whether pro or con is a matter of personal preference, but one side effect of putting out so much seed for birds is the inevitability of some of it germinating in your garden. This spring, our little feeding station was completely overtaken by sunflowers…and two corn stalks. I happen to love sunflowers, so I was quite happy. Our attempt at planting a “wildflower in a box” did not work out very well, and most of the area had been overtaken by dandelions and thistle anyway.

Last week, my children dissected a sunflower which was very interesting. We discovered an entire microcosm on the head of the plant. Numerous tiny insects were crawling over it, and one had burrowed into the stem. We saw the developing seeds and wondered how long it would be until they matured.

That question seems to have been answered. Our garden was full of American goldfinches today, busily combing over the sunflowers, looking for seeds. I wasn’t able to get a good picture because the sunflowers are growing up against the house so the birds fly off every time I try to get a picture. We’ll see if I have more luck tomorrow! More flowers which provide food for native birds:

thistle (goldfinches eat the seed and use the down in their nests…but your neighbors may not appreciate you much!)
dandelion (similar to thistle!)
a variety of berries (if you don’t mind sharing)
crab apples
honeysuckle
cone flowers
black-eyed susans

The other benefit of gardening with native birds in mind is that many of these plants are much hardier than ornamental plants. They do not require as much watering, are more resistant to disease and are less likely to be driven out by weeds.

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This afternoon, I nursed the baby under a tree while my other children searched over the sunflowers growing under the feeders for insects. The birds would not come to the feeders with so much activity, but they gathered in the trees, waiting for us to leave. I love these times. Although we do not get to see the birds very well, the yard is filled with their song. Whether it is the harsh “twack” of the red-headed woodpecker, the soft gurgle of the brown-headed cowbird or the melodious whistle of the cardinal, each brings its own special instrument to the symphony of our backyard.

I am just beginning to learn the songs of the less shy of our feeder birds, but hope to learn more. One of the resources we found at our local library was Birding by Ear, a CD with a collection of bird songs to help you learn to identify birds by their song. My children love going to sleep with it playing in the background, but I am yet to use it to systematically learn the calls of our local birds.

If you are interested in learning to identify birds by their songs, I would recommend checking out the CDs available at your library, and paying close attention to your feeders. The calls which have stuck with me are those I heard while the birds were flying to the feeders. For me, this moment is a little more exciting and personal, so the sounds stay with me more than when I’m trying to memorize the sounds on a recording. We are planning on installing a microphone near our viewing window, which may help us, as well. The Virtual Birder also has a lot of excellent suggestions we may try. Birds are frequently heard more often than seen, and I would love to know who else is hanging out in our trees besides just those who waiting for a chance to come to the feeders.

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(I am in no way affiliated with BirdWatcher’s Nature Shop and have never done business with them. The link is only provided to give you more information if you are interested in the CD I mentioned).

Nothing is quite so exciting in bird feeding as discovering a new visitor, especially if you are not sure what kind of bird it is. Today, we were lucky enough to attract this beautie:

As discussed in my first practice, I resisted the urge to immediately run for the bird guide, and began to take mental notes on what I saw. The appearance of the bird did not give me very many clues in this case.

Size: About the size of a blue jay

Color: Black with distinctive white patch on rump with black stripes. The head is more brownish. White underside with light streaking.

Beak: Seems large for the bird, like a jay or woodpecker. All black.

Behavior: The bird flew in and landed on the large branch outside the window. It seemed tame and curious. When my daughter ran in asking what kind of bird I saw, the other birds at the feeder flew off but this one stayed. It hopped up the branch like a woodpecker, watching the feeders closely. A red-headed woodpecker arrived shortly afterwards. The two birds left together.

The bird was actually there long enough for my daughter to get the bird guide and we went through each picture. It sat there as we compared each picture to it. This is rare and why it is so important to at least take good mental notes before looking at the pictures. There were some similarities to both the three-toed woodpecker and the black backed woodpecker, but that would have been an extremely rare find. We are way outside of their normal range, but there were also distinguishing features lacking. I guessed that what we were seeing was a juvenile that had not yet received its adult plumage. Since it came with a red-headed woodpecker, my first guess was that it was one of those.

I never would have thought it would be so difficult to find a picture of a juvenile red-headed woodpecker! I finally stumbled across some, however, and confirmed that Jr. had indeed come for a visit. It is exciting to confirm my first guess, and even more exciting to see the offspring of one of our favorite “regulars.”

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Raptors are making a come back in some urban environments. Such large birds of prey generally require large open spaces for their hunting, and are among the first birds affected by urban sprawl. Some seem to be adapting, however.

“It’s a very positive development for conservation and mankind,” said Daniel E. Varland, co-editor of the book Raptors in Human Landscapes. Varland lists peregrine falcons, red-tailed hawks, osprey and Cooper’s hawks as among those birds of prey that are surviving in cities. In some parts of the country, he said, small falcons called merlins have moved into urban areas. projo.com

I love these magnificent birds. In fact, I often pause in my night time blogging to step out on the porch and listen to the Great Horned owls. Watching the red-tailed hawks hunt in the field is always interesting And one of the most exhilarating moments of our birding hobby was when one swooped down low over our backyard, close enough to see those eyes as they surveyed every inch of our backyard.

Owls and red-tailed hawks do not generally cause much of a problem for feeders, however. There are several types of hawks which feed on songbirds, the most common of which are the Cooper’s hawk and the sharp-shinned hawk. These can be drawn in by the activity at your feeder, and may even make a kill. While it is exciting to get a close-up view of these amazing predators, providing them a cafeteria-style meal is probably not your first purpose in backyard birding.

To protect your birds in the event a hawk discovers your feeders, it is important to have shelter near your feeders. If you place your feeders approximately ten feet from a shrub or tree (especially a pine tree), your birds will have quick cover. At these times, it is especially important to have something in place to prevent window collisions because the birds will be making a quick, thoughtless dive.

If the hawk is persistent and begins to “camp out” in your yard, you may have to consider taking down your feeders for a little while. Within a few days, they will begin to disperse and the hawk should move on.

To learn to identify the two most common hawks which are likely to prey on your feeder birds, this page from Cornell is very helpful. I have seen sharp-shinned hawks in our neighborhood, but never in our yard. Our feeders are nestled near our house, surrounded on two sides by walls and on one side by a large bush. I do not think there is an easy way for hawks to approach the feeders without crashing into the house, and the birds have a quick escape route. Or maybe there are simply enough people feeding birds in our area that the concentration of birds in our yard has not attracted any particular interest from predators.

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Nyjer seed is a popular seed for finch feeders. Our gold finches, house finches and purple finches love it. We offer it in a traditional tube feeder, but it is also available in sort of sock that the birds can hang from while they eat. House sparrows will also eat this seed, but there are ways to discourage this, which I will discuss later.

Nyjer is frequently referred to as thistle seed, but the two plants are not related. While finches do love thistle, and use the down to line their nests, they actually seem to prefer Nyjer when it is available. It has a high oil content which is important for wild birds.

This seed actually is imported from Egypt and thus has been heat sterilized. It is unlikely that this seed will sprout because of the heat sterilization, but seeds do occasionally survive the process. If you find one of the lovely little yellow flowers in your garden, you should remove it immediately. They can be quite prolific and you do not want to introduce a non-native species which could be detrimental to our native plants. Here is more information, from the Wild Bird Feeding Industry (pdf). Because this seed has been sterilized, it is not good for long. If the seed is much older than a month, birds will begin to reject it. If there is no activity at your finch feeder, try replacing the seed with fresh seed. This is one type of seed we only purchase from our local wild bird store because the freshness is so important.

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It has been an eventful week in bird feeding. We were forced to bring all of our bird seed back inside because of the raccoons. With that gone, they figured out how to get the dog food container open. Unfortunately, it also rained, turning all of it to mush.

We also cleaned our feeders, prompted in part by the decision to post about the importance of cleaning feeders. I am not very good at cleaning on a regular monthly schedule and have decided I had better begin actually scheduling this monthly chore. Otherwise I put it off.

We allowed our ground feeder to go empty for a few days to see if that would help some of the sparrows and grackles disperse for awhile. It seems to have worked for the moment and we have more house finches than ever. Unfortunately, we suddenly have starlings. They came over the winter and mobbed the bird bath, but this is the first time they have eaten at our feeders. They predominantly are interested in the suet. After it is empty, I am not going to refill the feeder they prefer and see f that dissuades them at all.

Today we had a bird that I could not identify. It was kind of a dusty brown and a little lighter underneath. I am guessing it is a juvenile, possibly a cowbird. It looked a lot like this guy, but it has been awhile since I looked at it, so I don’t trust my memory entirely. At first I thought it was a juvenile starling, but it lacked the yellow beak.

I’d love to hear your stories about your bird feeding this week! Feel free to leave a comment or a link to your blog telling us about your birds!

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Bird feeders are a wonderful way to attract a variety of birds to a yard. We all enjoy the color, sound and life this hobby brings to our yards. But can it be detrimental to the birds? If you do not clean your feeders regularly, they can become a means for spreading avian diseases. In order to limit the spread of disease at your feeders, consider the following:

1. Feeders should be cleaned once per month, year round.
2. Use a mild bleach solution to clean all of your feeders, one part bleach to nine parts water. Immerse the feeder completely for three minutes and allow to dry.
3. Clean up droppings regularly.
4. Change the water from your bird baths regularly, and clean it as necessary.
5. Provide space. Multiple feeders and perches for waiting birds brings a greater diversity of birds. It also allows them space to limit transmission of disease.
6. Clean up excess seed, especially when it is wet. Damp seed molds. Check your feeders after a rain to make sure the seed is dry. If not, replace it.
7. Store seed where rodents cannot get to it. Closed plastic containers work well. If stored outdoors, be aware of raccoons who can get into almost anything.
8. If you notice a sick bird at your feeder, begin cleaning more frequently.

If you keep these measures in mind, you can keep this hobby enjoyable for your family and safe for your birds.

[tags]birding, bird feeding, backyard birding, birdwatching, bird feeder[/tags}

Last week, I wrote about an elusive pest which was responsible for the loss of over ten pounds of sunflower seed in a single night. “Bandit,” however, is not a he, but a she. And she has quadruplets.

She may be adorable, but we cannot afford to feed her growing family. For the moment, we have brought the seed inside.

backyard birding, birding, raccoons, birdwatching

A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.” James Dent

The last time my husband went to the wild bird store to get seed, he picked up a little surprise for me. Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. Through poetry, interviews and research citations, he presents a powerful argument for allowing children some time to simply explore nature on their own terms. He demonstrates the psychological, emotional and physical benefits of time spent outdoors in unstructured play.

As a child, I owned our neighborhood. I knew everyone in the neighborhood, knew all the pets by name and had several “secret” hideouts. The other children in the neighborhood and I filled our lazy days of summer building forts, exploring the creek that ran through the neighboring edition and riding our bikes. One year, we startled a bird on her nest. She took off running, faking an injury. We went to the tuft of grass she had been hiding in and 13 little ones sprinted after her. They were quite comical to watch, but we backed away, not wanting to stress the mother and her babies anymore. I had never heard of birds nesting on the ground before and was fascinated. I had never seen that kind of bird before and wondered how I’d missed it when they were nesting so close to my home.

It took me several trips to our library to finally find out what kind of bird we had seen: a northern bobwhite quail.

It never occurred to me that these experiences had any value of their own. I was just a kid enjoying summer vacation.

It was interesting to me to read about the different studies which, although inconclusive on their own, seem to indicate the importance of this kind of activity for children. Green spaces have a positive impact on people, even when it is just a window in their office overlooking a park. Nature is at once relaxing and invigorating. You may hear a bit more about this book after I am finished reading it, but in the meantime, I definitely recommend taking a look at it. Especially if you have children.

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I try not to post things which are too regional in nature, but since i have written a little about urban birding, I thought this was interesting: Bird Walk in Central Park. New York City is not a place I would naturally think of to go birdwatching. Pigeonwatching, maybe. But even in the most urban environments, many species have found a way to adapt and even thrive. Even some raptors, such as the American kestrel, have made cities their home.

Wherever you are in the country, it is worth checking with your local nature centers or birding societies to see what events are planned. These make wonderful day trips for a family and you can learn more about the birds in your own area and what they are up to when not at your feeders.

Last year, we had the opporunity to attend an event sponsored by a local nature center. A local birder was there answering questions and his enthusiasm for the subject was infectious. I learned a lot about our native sparrows, and he held the ateention of my four year old!

Even without an organized event, however, going on a local bird walk can be a relaxing way to get out of the house and enjoy the outdoors. Grab a pair of binoclors, a field guide and a notebook to keep track of what youfind. Even a walk around your neighborhood should yield some sitings.

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There has been an increase in the number of finches visiting our feeders. Our American goldfinches who have been a rarity since summer began have been coming daily. The house finches have been very active, sometimes taking over the entire sunflower feeder. My daughter and I wondered why. Here are some thoughts my eight year old shared:

Has the recent dry weather affected their food supply?

Are they somewhere in their breeding cycle that would require more food? They are all mature adults, so I don’t think we are seeing fledglings, as is the case with the sparrows.

Could they be getting ready for winter already?

I did not know the answers so spent some time on the internet. It appears that American goldfinches are one of the latest breeders of any bird nesting in temperate areas. They routinely begin nesting in late June or early July, so it is quite conceivable that nesting is requiring more food. Also, most of the birds we have seen have been males, so we wonder if the females may be busy incubating. House finches, on the other hand, should have finished raising their brood, but may be getting ready to raise a second brood.

How fascinating!

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Whether for a weekend getaway or a two week vacation, most of you will take some time this year to get away from work and relax. You will stop the paper and the mail, ask someone to keep an eye on the house and make arrangements for the pets. But what about the wild birds you have been feeding? What will they do while you are gone?

Fortunately, wild birds are not dependent on a single food source. They likely know the location of several feeders within their territory as well as natural food sources. In fact, most people notice a drop in feeder activity during the summer and early fall months because their feeder birds are enjoying nature’s bounty. Keeping this in mind, here are a few ideas to help you care for your birds while they are away:

1. If you are vacationing during the summer or fall and the weather in your area has been normal, you have the option of not worrying about it. Especially if you live in a residential area where there are likely several homes offering seeds for the birds. The birds will merely rely more heavily on these other sources of food until you resume feeding.

2. Particularly if you already have someone checking your house or caring for your pets, you could find someone to feed your birds as well. Even if it is unnecessary for the well-being of the birds, this has the added benefit of ensuring that your birds will be there when you get back. Otherwise, you may have to wait a week or so for your feeders to really start getting busy again.

3. Gradually taper off the amount of seed you are providing. Plan to begin a week or two before you leave, offering a little less each day. This gives the birds time to seek out alternative food sources before yours disappears.

4. If you are not going to be gone very long, it may be possible to leave extra seed for the birds through an extra feeder or two. In the winter, our finches empty the finch feeder daily and twice a day if the weather is bad. During the summer, it takes them three days to empty it. A second feeder would keep them coming for about a week. We also recently purchased a large sunflower feeder which holds five pounds of seed. Since the squirrels have not yet figured out how to get into it, it takes our birds a week to empty it. This does not work for ground feeders or platform feeders unless they have some means of keeping out the rain and snow. Damp seed molds and can be responsible for making your birds ill. It also likely will be emptied by squirrels, raccoons and rabbits.

Decide what works best for you and your unique situation and enjoy your vacation, knowing the wild birds which visit your feeders will be well taken care of.

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Experiences in nature are an important part of our lives. They help us to get away from the busyness of life and recharge. Interestingly, time spent outdoors seems to be both relaxing and invigorating. It can also inspire individuals to action and to a lifetime commitment to wildlife.

John Stravers got hooked on birding watching hawks court in a field.

“The hawks literally were dancing in the sky and I began studying on my own and I watched that pair of hawks through the entire season, watching them nest, and raise young which fledged,” he said. Capital Times

He got in contact with a local birder who served as his mentor, went to college and stared the Midwest Raptor Recovery Fund when he graduated. But he really wanted to be in the field researching, not running an organization.

Now he is the research and field trip coordinator for the National Audubon Society’s Upper Missouri River Initiative and monitors red-shouldered hawks in Northeastern Iowa.

“This is birding with a purpose, for a species that needs attention,” he said. “To go back into some of the biggest forests for the 28th year in a row, with a shroud of fog and bingo find a pair of red-shouldered hawks, my heart responds to that.”

This is one of the many reasons behind why we first set up our feeders in our yard. It gives our children a chance to experience a small bit of nature in our own yard, even as the city slowly encroaches on our little suburb. They may or may not ever found organizations to study and conserve our native wildlife, but I hope they will maintain a lifelong appreciation for nature.

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