Backyard Birding

As we drove into the Smokey Mountains, how they got their name was obvious. It looked like the clouds were ascending from a thousand vents in the mountains as they took their place in the sky. Other days, a haze hung over the mountains as if they were covered in smoke. Some of this haze is caused by clouds. Some is from pollution, both natural and man-made.

The Great Smokey Mountain National Park is unique in that it was carved out of private land. Donations were made so that the federal government could purchase large tracts of land from lumber companies as well as from farmers. Many of the old buildings remain, including the remains of stone chimneys

and a graveyard outside a church.

Because of varying altitudes, soil types, moisture levels and light levels, the Smokes boast an incredible diversity of plant and animal life within a relatively small geographic area, including approximately 200 species of birds. There are also trails throughout the park. Some carry you to interesting features, such as this Laurel Falls which features a 75 foot drop.

As we hiked up to the falls, we received an ominous warning.

My son, who is a little leery of heights, hugged the rocks near the edge of the trail When we reached the falls, my daughter immediately tried to join the other hikers who were trying to climb the falls. My son played quietly in a small pool of water while I had my eye on my eight year old for fear temptation would overtake her and lead her up those rocks. Then, for no apparent reason, my son took off toward the other edge of the falls…and quite a long drop ending on jagged rocks below. He was just running around, oblivious to the imminent danger. Luckily, I am not prone to yelling at my children too much so when I yelled, he froze. We left the falls. That is why we have no other pictures and the falls actually do not look all that impressive. But I had nightmares about them.

There are also a number of “quiet walks” with no particular destination that allow you to take a leisurely walk in the woods to enjoy the peace. I realized that if I am ever to get serious about birding outside my backyard, I really am going to have to learn bird calls. We did not see any birds on any of our hikes. They provided us with a continuous, although somewhat muted, concert throughout our trip. Other than than the rather nasal “twack twack” of the nuthatch, however, I had no idea who the performers were.

We did have to stop to allow a rafter of turkeys to cross. They are kind of ugly birds and I do not know why I like them so much. They remind me of wilderness and the fact that we see them on our way into town always makes me feel like we are further from the city than we really are.

The highlight of our ten days was this fellow. He came out of the woods, paused and crossed. On the other side of the street, he changed his mind and walked back, disappearing back into the woods the way he had come. Just long enough to get the camera out, but not long enough to really focus it.

The late freeze and dry summer has affected this area of the country as well. Early in the year, there were concerns that the acorn crop would fail and that severe shortages in other natural food sources would drive an increased number of birds and even bears into residential areas looking for food. Luckily, estimated damage to the food supply were incorrect and we saw a number of acorns on the ground. There has not been an increased number of bears in residential areas which is good both for humans and for bears. No one wants their property damaged by an overzealous bear. And bears that begin to associate humans with food often end up euthanized.

Just running in a field was the highlight for my two year old. This was taken in a meadow in Cade’s Cove.

The baby spent most of her time in the Snuggli, content to explore the world from the safety of my arms. Here she is at the campground, enjoying the dance of the leaves above her.

We had a wonderful time with a perfect mix of hiking and just lounging about the campground.

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Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to go on my first official birding hike. This is the habitat we explored:

A mixed forest, filled with ponderosa pine and aspen.

A mountain stream.

And a beautiful lake, nestled in a valley.

The habitat is very different from what I am familiar with here in Eastern Nebraska. While it isn’t exactly in my backyard, the best sighting of the day was a bird that can be attracted to feeders if you live within its habitat, the Steller’s Jay.

This raucous bird has the widest range of any North American jay, extending from southern Alaska, south to Central America and east to the Rocky Mountains, which is where we saw them. Once in awhile, they may be seen far from their home range, although no one really knows why. These adventurous birds tend to be younger.

They prefer forested areas. All three of the birds we saw were near the woods at about 7,000 feet.

If you live within the range of the Steller’s Jay, you will likely be successful at attracting them with sunflower seed, corn or suet.

In October, we will be going to the Smoky Mountains. I wonder what new discoveries are awaiting us there!

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For the past week, I have had the pleasure of exploring the heart of the Great Rocky Mountain Flyway. On Lookout Mountain, I saw my first scrub jay as it darted into a shrub. Later on the hike, I came across a small group of pygmy nuthatches scouring a pine tree looking for food. I was surprised at how bold they were, allowing me to come within several feet of them. The still mountain air was alive with the call of birds I have never heard, and still have never seen.

The most impressive, however, were the ravens soaring over Pike’s Peak. Looking down from the summit, we watched the birds circle, thousands of feet above the earth. Rising on currents of air, they hovered and glided through the air.

It is interesting being in a different region. I have lived my entire life in the Eastern Region and while I may not be able to identify great numbers of birds even near my home, they are familiar to me. Here, everything is new. The calls from the tops of trees are different, and the glimpses I catch of the birds as they dart for cover are of birds I have never seen.

It will be interesting to get to know them a little better if I do indeed spend more time up in these beautiful mountains. Next time, I am going to bring a field guide.

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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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