In My Binoculars...

So I just returned from Pittsburgh and the WBU Annual Meeting and had quite an exciting couple of days. While Kristin and Gregory remain up there to check out nw and exciting products for the bird feeding enthusiast, we are holding down the fort. We did have a chance to do a little birding up there in Steel town near the mighty three rivers. Incidentally, some of the good stuff we found were off the beaten track a bit in a reclaimed recreation area along a creek in the suburbs. It was the Wingfield Pines Conservation Area along Chartiers Creek, where the land trust is attempting to stop iron oxide from depositing into the creek. An old strip-mined area, it produces 43 tons of iron oxide a year and through a multi-pond filtration system, they are able to stop the run-off. It is VERY COOL and a great example of how land can be reclaimed and improved. There was lots of great bird life there, too, between the marshy ponds and the creek and the wooded areas full of wildflowers and wild berries! Some of the highlights included Rough-Winged Swallows, Orchard Orioles, Eastern Wood Pee-wees and Yellow Warblers. We also saw Warbling Vireos and Yellow-throated Warblers! One of the coolest discoveries was a Cedar Waxwing building a nest! That is a pretty far range point for them, so we were pleasantly surprised. We also saw Green Herons, an Osprey and some of the usual suspects like American Robins, American Goldfinches and Red-Winged Blackbirds. All in all, a nice birding outing, followed by a Kestrel showing up as we dined on the sidewalk on Penn Avenue!

The night before we had quite an exciting night as we got to see one of our very own, Ernie Miller, awarded the Sales Associate of the Year for the entire franchise, which is comprised of nearly 300 stores! The excitement continued at the National Aviary where we enjoyed South African Penguins, Golden Plovers, Screaming Pihas and Flamingos.  If only we had had a little more time there, like maybe a MONTH!  Ha! But, we had to get back to our fabulous nature store and the multitude of babies everywhere. Seriously, it seems like the outdoor area at the store is full of babies and even in my yard. Are you experiencing the same thing in your natural areas? Look for baby Gray Catbirds, baby Brown Thrashers, baby Eastern Bluebirds and baby American Goldfinches being fed. Make sure your nest boxes are cleaned out in between broods because once the babies fledge, they don't return, but the adults will and possibly build again or someone else will move in! Eastern Bluebirds can have as many as three broods in one nesting season. I'm also seeing some cool migrants nesting in my yard, like Great Crested Flycatchers! they are super cool birds with yellow on their undersides and rusty tails and a grey crest. They sound like jungle birds when they call and sing and are cavity nesters, so make sure you have rooms for rent at your house! 

Cheers and Happy Birding!

~The Bird Nerd

In My Binoculars...

Welcome to the Wild Birds Unlimited of Yorktown's first edition of the birding blog, "In My Binoculars". This will be a source of information, observations of what is going on outside RIGHT NOW, reflections on topical activities, musings and reports of recent bird outings, along with some good information, hard facts and a little humor. We hope you stop by often to check it out on those days when you're stuck inside or can't make it to the store for in-person information. And maybe it will even inspire you to reach outside of your comfort zone and look for some of your own adventures.

So I just returned from Pittsburgh and the WBU Annual Meeting and had quite an exciting couple of days. While Kristin and Gregory remain up there to check out nw and exciting products for the bird feeding enthusiast, we are holding down the fort. We did have a chance to do a little birding up there in Steel town near the mighty three rivers. Incidentally, some of the good stuff we found were off the beaten track a bit in a reclaimed recreation area along a creek in the suburbs. It was the Wingfield Pines Conservation Area along Chartiers Creek, where the land trust is attempting to stop iron oxide from depositing into the creek. An old strip-mined area, it produces 43 tons of iron oxide a year and through a multi-pond filtration system, they are able to stop the run-off. It is VERY COOL and a great example of how land can be reclaimed and improved. There was lots of great bird life there, too, between the marshy ponds and the creek and the wooded areas full of wildflowers and wild berries! Some of the highlights included Rough-Winged Swallows, Orchard Orioles, Eastern Wood Pee-wees and Yellow Warblers. We also saw Warbling Vireos and Yellow-throated Warblers! One of the coolest discoveries was a Cedar Waxwing building a nest! That is a pretty far range point for them, so we were pleasantly surprised. We also saw Green Herons, an Osprey and some of the usual suspects like American Robins, American Goldfinches and Red-Winged Blackbirds. All in all, a nice birding outing, followed by a Kestrel showing up as we dined on the sidewalk on Penn Avenue!

The night before we had quite an exciting night as we got to see one of our very own, Ernie Miller, awarded the Sales Associate of the Year for the entire franchise, which is comprised of nearly 300 stores! The excitement continued at the National Aviary where we enjoyed South African Penguins, Golden Plovers, Screaming Pihas and Flamingos.  If only we had had a little more time there, like maybe a MONTH!  Ha! But, we had to get back to our fabulous nature store and the multitude of babies everywhere. Seriously, it seems like the outdoor area at the store is full of babies and even in my yard. Are you experiencing the same thing in your natural areas? Look for baby Gray Catbirds, baby Brown Thrashers, baby Eastern Bluebirds and baby American Goldfinches being fed. Make sure your nest boxes are cleaned out in between broods because once the babies fledge, they don't return, but the adults will and possibly build again or someone else will move in! Eastern Bluebirds can have as many as three broods in one nesting season. I'm also seeing some cool migrants nesting in my yard, like Great Crested Flycatchers! they are super cool birds with yellow on their undersides and rusty tails and a grey crest. They sound like jungle birds when they call and sing and are cavity nesters, so make sure you have rooms for rent at your house! 

Cheers and Happy Birding!

THE BIRD NERD HAS LANDED

So here I am writing again on the bird blog with fervor and zest!!! It is SPRING and renewal and rebirth and energy abounds. The Bird Nerd is now fully immersed in all things bird and birding, after lighting at Wild Birds Unlimited of Yorktown, VA. As the Community Outreach Coordinator, I am reaching out to the community holding talks and classes about birds, backyard habitats and photography. It has been a wild past eight months and I have added lots of life birds to the list. Hampton roads is an exciting place for a birder and now that spring is here, it's time to start focusing on the neo-tropical birds who migrate here every Spring and call the area and many other areas along the Eastern Seaboard home for at least a few months while they breed and raise their young.

Look to the next post for some specific accounts of new sightings and tips on what to look for in your very own backyard!

Cheers and Happy Birding!

Middle O' Winter Birds

While some areas of the country are lucky enough to enjoy mild or temperate temperatures during the winter months, most of us are experiencing some cold weather.  Here in the East, we have been graced with some Spring-like days so the plants are getting confused and some trees, bushes and bulbs are emerging early from their winter hibernation. So, many people wonder if the birds get confused with the warm days and if they are encouraged to migrate early.  Actually, migrations are based on length of day, so while we are enjoying those warm days, so are the wintering birds. Birds like the White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Juncos, Carolina Wrens and some woodpeckers are enjoying those warm days just like we are.  In fact, they become extra active, so make sure to keep those feeders full.  On those warm days where it feels nice to be outside filling them, the birds are stocking up, trying to eat as much as possible to prepare for more cold days.  The birds are a good barometer, too, as they get busy right before inclement weather, so they can be an indicator of impending storms, rain or snow.  Here the wrens are singing in the morning, the woodpeckers are visiting the feeders and the bluebirds are flocking together in search of food.  Using shelled sunflower seeds, sometimes called sunflower hearts or kernels can provide beneficial protein for all sorts of birds, especially those thrushes who can't crack seeds, like the bluebirds.  It also eliminates the shell mess that piles up under the feeder and causes bacteria and mold build-up.  Suet is another good option when you find a suet feeder everyone likes that's also squirrel-proof. I have yet to find a raccoon-proof suet feeder, but I'm still searching.  Don't forget to provide clean water for the birds, too.  Even when it rains or snows, the birds still visit bird baths they've become accustomed to visiting in the summer.  Contrary to popular belief, they don't get their water from streams and rivers or lakes, but from puddles and bird baths.  

If you're a true snow bird and have escaped to warmer climates, then good for you!  Enjoy your respite from the cold.  We just returned from Palau in Micronesia, where I took some underwater photographs while diving there.  I have added them to the underwater gallery on my zenfolio website for your viewing pleasure.  Remember that when ordering any photos or photo products, they will not come printed with the word "PROOF", but if you order them with the watermark with my name, they will have that printed on them.  As always you can contact me for custom projects like calendars and photo books.  

Happy bird watching and don't forget to look up at the sky or listen to the bird songs. 

How much Wood would Woodpecker Peck?

So yesterday, I had Mrs. Red-Bellied Woodpecker visiting my feeder.  This after I spotted a Hairy Woodpecker on my feeder the day before.  A first for me to see.  So while I'm looking through my super powerful binoculars, I see a little White-Breasted Nuthatch on the tree behind my garden and just up the trunk from him was a downy woodpecker.  What the what?  Craziness.  It doesn't take much to make a bird nerd happy, just some mad woodpecker action!  Here's a little Downy from the fall.

Hummingbird haven

Bees do it.

Bears do it.

People do it and

birds do it.

No, I'm not talking about that, dirty birds! I'm talking about stuffing your face!

So it's that time of year again. Not back to school time, but put on winter fat time. We wait until Thanksgiving, but the hummingbirds are doing it now. They are trying to double their body weight for their long journey south across the Gulf of Mexico to migrate and winter over in Central America.

So PLEASE don't take down those feeders, you won't be keeping them here, only to suffer from a frost and die. You will actually be doing them a disservice if you take down your feeders because now is the time they really need that easy food source. Besides, they migrate based on length of day, not on temperatures or availability of food.

Since males lose half their body weight during mating season, they are trying to compensate right now by "carb-loading" at your feeders and the remaining blooms of summer.

Also, the babies are out and about now and moms will try to coax them to the feeders eventually, first showing them the flowers as food sources and then on to the easy nectar in your feeders.

Don't hastily pull up those petunias, million bells and other flowers to replace them with ineffective mums just yet. They need all they can get.

Just imagine if you have to make a road trip on an empty stomach or run a marathon with no breakfast. What if there were no McDonald's on the way to grandma's?

You'd be pretty steamed if one day you went to the fridge for a slice of apple pie only to find somebody had thrown it away, wouldn't you?

Just think about that before you try to take down those feeders.

Been a Long Time!

It's been a while, mostly due to problems logging on to my account since the change to gmail supported logging in. I don't know if that's proper grammar for tech-talk, but it was the best I could do!

I'm happy to have finally worked though the bugs and can waxwing poetic again about birds. Oops, a little birdnerd humor there!

Last baby bird season was kind of a bust for several reasons. First of all, we were undergoing some serious construction so we could not repair the camera birdhouse. As we speak, it is empty, even though the blues built a nest, but apprently did not have successful egg laying.

Next, I put up several houses in the neighborhood to start my very own bluebird trail! I had to rally for volunteers to agree to have them on their property, but due to a delay in the newsletter going out (it was not sent out until middle of April I think), I got them up late. I had made a pretty convincing flyer (IMHO) including a picture I took of Lloyd, the very fertile male in my yard. I had six takers and added one to an existing post at the end of our street (it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, right?) and two houses in one yard. So a total of 8 houses have gone up and I am very exited about it!

I had a busy summer and unfortunately was under the weather for much of it so I couldn't do as much monitoring as I would have liked.

This year is pretty good so far, but a bit of a mixed bag. I am sure some of it is weather related and I think some of it is the result of some new parents in the neighborhood.

The good news is that our blues built a nest in a previously never occupied house in our yard and had six successful fledglings! The bad news is I didn't get any footage, but I am happy they all made it out!

More news soon and some fun sightings, neighborhood inhabitants, and some helpful information related to other critters not of the winged variety.

I'll also try to post some fun bird video!

It's like Thunder, Lightning......

Okay, okay, bad disco song reference, but "Knock on Wood" is one of my favorites and certainly that line is appropriate considering the recent events.


Sincere apologies for being absent for so long, but there has been a lot of recent activity. The saddest and most frustrating news is that the Bluebird cam got hit when our house was recently struck by lightning. It's been a nightmare logistically for us. I am glad that the blues weren't in the house or affected. They seem to be carrying on as usual, probably happy for their new-found privacy!!

I know that Sylvia and Lloyd had completed the nest and I know she is incubating based on their activities, so that's consoling.

There's quite a bit of other activity considering the recent cold snap with temperatures in the freezing to below freezing range.

• The Goldfinches are all dressed out in their mating plumage.
• I thought I had a pair of House Finches building a nest, but it appears that there is a courting conflict going on.
• "Snowflake", my near-albino Tufted Titmouse is still around.
• Chickadees seem to be building in yet another house I have hung.
• The Tree Swallows are still buzzing around my other two boxes, but I have yet to see any construction. They're usually late and a bit messy anyway (their the "creative ones" in the bird world. I can relate!)

Some of the tender flowering plants have been hurt by the cold snap, so that might affect food sources and insect quantities. The daffodils had a short run, as did the hyacinth, the wisteria and some tulips. I am worried about peonies and some cherries and other fruit bearing trees and shrubs, but everything else seems to be fairing well.

Tips of the moment:

1. Keep those feeders full! The birds are feeding like crazy because it's mating season and it's been cold.
2. Watch for fun and interesting mating behavior. Many birds will feed potential mates. I caught my finches doing this. The deal isn't sealed yet, Mr. House Finch!!!
3. Don't forget to provide clean water!
4. Clean your feeders when you fill them.

That's all for now. Hope this is helpful and feel free to post questions or comments!

Feeding the Birds: Just the FACTS!!!

Okay, there are plenty of myths out there surrounding bird feeding. From taking down your feeder for migrating birds to throwing out stale bread, there is a lot of contradictory information to sift through.

Here is a quick run-down that I hope will help. As I am preparing for my photo show, I had to do this in a rush, but I will certainly be back soon with more!!!!

Once you start you should continue! Birds won’t starve in the winter, but they do get used to a certain area and will move on if food gets scarce.
Feed the birds all year for the best results.
Provide several types of feeders for the best variety and so birds don’t feel crowded.
Provide food, shelter and water
Keep feeders and houses clean! If you can’t clean them when you fill them, then don’t feed them.
Practice predator control.
Keep a bird journal.
Provide a variety of food:

v Millet
v Black-oil or striped sunflower seeds (hulled or not)
v Cracked Corn
v Nyjer (Thistle)
v Suet
v Nuts
v Mealworms


Other tips and resources:

Ø Birds like running water and clean birdbaths.
Ø Cavity nesting space is at a premium so putting up a box is a great family activity and helps your chances of attracting birds.
Ø Don’t feed last year’s feed. Seeds spoil and attract bugs, etc. Keep in a dry, sealed container and replace if it’s been around since last winter.
Ø There are better options than stale bread and it attracts other critters.
Ø Move your feeders around to discourage pests, disease, parasites and general mess.
Ø If large pests are a problem, don’t fill your feeders all the way. Provide food for the bigger critters in other areas of your yard.
Ø Add some natural materials nearby for comfort, perching, preening and shelter. I leave my hibiscus trees by the feeders so they have a place to hang out in. I also have a large crepe myrtle by the deck and arbor vitae along the deck.
Ø Don’t throw away your Christmas tree and garden cuttings. These make great habitats and provide nesting material in the spring.
Ø Use native plants, trees and shrubs. Plant winter resistant berry-bearing trees and shrubs.
Ø Let your flowers go to seed for food supplies in the fall and winter.
Ø Provide nesting material with the exception of dryer lint and other chemically treated materials.
Ø Location is often the key to placing feeders and nest boxes. Just like us, they are looking for an ideal environment.
Ø Turn to reputable sources such as the Audubon Society and Cornell Ornithology lab.
Ø My blog uses these as resources to dispel common bird myths and misconceptions.

Second Time's a Charm

As the "winter" continues, the Bluebirds have been consistently visiting the feeder. They have also fed on the seed feeders on desperate days or when the weather has gotten cold or inclement. I only use the hulled seeds now, so these are easy for them to eat. I also have noticed the Tufted Titmice and Carolina Wrens visiting the mealworm feeder.

A couple of observations I have made involve bathing and family. On exceptionally sunny days, even when the temperature is low, the bluebirds splash around in one of the three birdbaths I have. One is heated and they finally discovered that one.

I have also noticed that the number of bluebirds at the feeder and lined up on my roof is always five, leading me to believe that they are hanging out with their kids from the second brood. This is consistent with studies I have read about their flocking habits. It seems that the first set is on their own and the second set is allowed to stick around. The parents are also very tolerant of their presence and the children make way for the parents anytime they assert themselves where the feeder is concerned.

It makes one wonder why the first brood is cast off so hastily and the second one gets to hang nearby. It will be interesting to see what happens in the Spring. I now have there boxes in my yard and one in the field across the street. Last year, Tree Swallows took to the one at the back of my yard and the one across the street. Those two are recycled plastic and have nice plexi viewing panels on the side. They are by Rubicon and they can be found at bestnest.com. I also have a plain bluebird spec house attached to the deck as an experiment to see if anyone is bold enough to use it.

New Programs on the way!

I have some exciting news for the Naturalist program and all you local birders!!!!

I am having an exhibition of some of my nature photographs, including many local and exotic birds on JANUARY 27th!!!

From 6:30 until 9:30p.m., they will be on display for enjoyment and purchase. I have never done anything like this, but I am really excited! The following week is my "Bird Nerd 101" class and then I have a bluebird building class soon after that! Pretty exciting stuff!!

Feel free to ask me any questions or post for details or clarifications on anything!

Hope to see you there!

Winter Fever

Hidey Ho and sorry it's been a while since I've posted anything! The recent cold snap has brought the feeding to a fever pitch! The birds are keeping me busy refilling the feeders. I have had great success with my new mixes and switched to hulled Sunflowers since I have so many Bluebirds.

For those of you who are unaware of this, Eastern Bluebirds will indeed eat seed when it is available in a hulled form. Their beaks are not made for cracking open seeds like their feeder buddies, Goldfinches, Chickadees and the others. If food availability is short, or in cold months after insects have died, Bluebirds will turn to berries and other vegetation, but they will come to your feeders. It had been so warm that there was still a good supply of insects. We could still see and hear grasshoppers, moths and crickets buzzing around, but since our week of cold weather, they are surely gone. I ordered mealworms by the thousands, but when they've eaten all of those and I am tardy to the feederm they resort to eating seeds.

It is hilarious, though to watch them attempt to perch on the tube feeders and eat, so I have scattered seed about and they have been hopping around eating from the deck. I also have Carolina Wrens eating my mealworms and they are pretty messy eaters, throwing meal dust and worms about, so I am probably doubling my efforts a bit. Somebody is eating holly berries or something along those lines because there are little red poopies all over the place. I even put a dish of seed by the window to entertain my new kitten and so far the Chickadees and Titmice have been having a field day with that.

The birds have also been actively using the bird bath and attempting to even when it is frozen. I was pouring warm water on it to thaw it and have now set up my heated bird bath, so they should be good to go. I still have lots of Goldfinches, Juncos, and House Finches. My little White-Breasted Nuthatch has been coming in his formal attire and the other day I even had a woodpecker in the Myrtle by the deck. I didn't get a good look at him, but I believe he was a Downy. Today I made a peanut butter/seed/fruit mix and hung it in a mesh bag, so hopefully he'll be back.

I'll be back with some exciting news and an owl story! In the meantime, Happy Holidays and FEED YOUR BIRDS!!!

Upcoming Programs!

Shout out to all of my Bird Nerds and Bird Nerd Wannabes!! I am holding several new and exciting programs through Parks and Recreation's Naturalist program. I am really looking forward to these and I think they will be fun for all!

****If you are a wannabe and want to learn how to spot and identify birds than my Bird Nerds 101 program is for you! September 15 from 7-8 at the Nature Zone.
This program is informal and we will discuss the basics: shape, categories and local birds. We may touch on bird calls.

****For those who consider themselves Bird Nerds already, we will be putting our knowledge and skills into action on a bird walk/hike Saturday, September 16 from 8am to 10am. This should be fun because we will be looking and listening!

Check the Parks and Recreation website for details and to register, or call 455-5828!

Hope to see some folks there!!!

Long Hiatus

If you read this blog regularly, you have noticed I have been away for several weeks. The summer has been lazy and busy all at once, but more than anything, it's been a hot one! The birds have been plentiful and there has only been one new exciting sighting: a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher. He buzzed me one morning while I was trying to determine the source of an unfamiliar song. At first I thought it was a Tufted Titmouse, but then he flew directly by my face and landed on one of the feeders. The white orbital ring and body shape made for easy identification. He was a light-bodied, perky little guy, or gal, as they look similar.

The hummingbirds have become increasingly active and numerous as they have certainly bred by now and are staking out territories and preparing for their long haul to Central America. It's been a dry summer, so it's been difficult combined with the heat, to keep my flowers full and healthy. The butterflies have been plentiful also this year and I had the opportunity to participate in some Monarch tagging during the Parks and Recreation Nature Camp. I have also seen many Hummingbird Moths which are also referred to as Sphinx Moths. ***Incidentally, they are the product of my garden nemesis, the very destructive, highly-camouflaged, Tomato Hornworm. I learned that this summer and also that the white egg-like structures on their back are actually the larva of a parasitic wasp. Grow a garden and you will learn something everyday!

So, there has been some competition for the flowers when you add bees to the mix! And I have seen more honey bees this year than any other, which was good for the garden. It has been a bumper year for tomatoes and cucumbers and my squash was doing well until it was secretly attacked by borer worms and squash beetles, which look like stink bugs. It's very hard to keep it organic. And the Hornworms were especially bad, most likely because they laid eggs last year in the soil. I even found a cocoon of one. The parasitic wasp eggs don't take effect before they decimate a tomato plant. I saw one who looked like he was on his last legs, but removed him anyway.

Who knows how much damage would have occurred if I had let nature take its course??!!

Not Quite Contrary

Well it's officially summer and the lovely not-so-hot weather is behind us, but it's making things go gangbusters in the garden. Having a garden is such a treat. Everyday there is a surprise waiting for me. Since I don't garden with a great amount of structure or organization, there are many surprises. I have no idea what many of the plants are that are doing so well. I am expecting some butternut squash to be quite productive, if that is indeed what I think it is. Hopefully this year will bring some lovely melons like last year. The tomatoes are pretty happy and I have three pepper plants that love their location away from all the other peppers. My African Blue Basil is huge, a regular bush the size of a hydrangea.
One of my disappointments is my tomatillo plant. It is doing so well and is bushy and full of blooms, but I believe it needs a buddy to help it produce.
I am happy that my giant (volunteer) sunflowers are blooming and beautiful and while they are shading two tomato plants with tons of dying fruit on them, the up side is that they are a cheery focus and are attracting lots of honey bees and birds. The birds like to munch a little but mostly on my flowers and the bees are helping to pollenate everything, so that is a plus. Hoeny bees are a rich commodity and not very abundant. I have heard there is some sort of disease plaguing them and I am checking to see what that is.
My nemesis, the Japanese Beetle is still a destructive force, but I think as soon as they finish reproducing, they will be on the way out, hopefully over to my neighbor's! They truly are the bane of any gardner's existence. I would rather have deer mow everything down than have holy leaves or buds that fall off before they can bloom because a beetle has destroyed it. At least with deer, you can't see what you're missing! You just have a root ball left, or headless stems, like my hollyhocks.

Whistle for Dinner Guests

I wasn't sure what to think when someone recently told me that she had gotten Bluebirds to come when she whistled, (you know who you are), but there seems to be something to it. On a lark, I decided to try it on my visits out to the mealworm feeder. Mimicing the Bluebird call I hear when they are visiting the feeder or calling to one another, I poured out the worms and stepped away each time. The first time Lloyd came when I whistled, I assumed it was a fluke. I figured he was simply nearby watching. Lately, I have stood for a few minutes listening and scanning the yard to make sure they are not around. Sure eneough, I whistle and here comes Lloyd with gusto, headed to the feeder, although he usually does a screching aerial halt and stops short to land on one of the other feeder hooks. As soon as I step away, he flies down to the feedere to honk down. He doesn't even wait for me to go completely away.

I guess even wild birds can be trained to some extent. If they can find the food source, they can remember to come back. Perhaps they can also learn other songs, even those performed by humans. Perhaps I am just nutso and he is waiting somewhere I can't see him and spies the worms from a distance with his awesome eyesight and comes to the feeder because he is desperately hungry. Perhaps I am over-analyzing and should just be glad they are coming at all. And I should be happy that my local service station/world's best fried chicken (I've been told, but I have never tried it, but it smells AMAZING) place stocks mealworms and keeps me supplied. (BTW, the place is called Mitchell's and if you live nearby, you should try it. Free advertising for my friends!)

So, don't forget to whistle while you work, or at least whistle while you fill your feeders!!! "SOUP'S ON!!"

Dude, Where are my Bros? (Panic Time)

A very unconventional group of babies fledged today. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since I named them after musicians, including two of the most notorious punk rockers in the music biz.

Rufous, Syd and Nancy fledged today at some time after 6:30 p.m. Most babies fledge in the morning, but these guys defied conventional wisdom and decided to leave in the pre-dark hours. This fledge was so sad because little Nancy was the last one left in the nest, which surprised me because I thought she would be the first to go. Watching her squawking in the nest all by her lonesome was pitiful. She seemed utterly distraught and unsure about what to do next. Mama and Papa seemed to have left her and were probably busy tending to her siblings. If you ever watched Looney Tunes, then you know the Foghorn Leghorn episode with the Ostrich: "The left me all alone, squawk!"

Unfortunately I don't have any idea what was going on outside the box. I would love to have known, for instance if they flew toward and landed on the back of my house like the first clutch. Maybe I can figure a way to mount a camera outside the nest for the future. I do know that Lloyd and Sylvia did not abandon Nancy. Lloyd burst back on the scene to bring a mealworm and take something away, although I am not sure what. He came, he dropped and he left and Nancy must not have been Jonesing too much for food because she left the mealworm behind. The babies could be heard outside the box and apparently, one of the parents periodically came to the hole with food because little Nancy got a little nutsy a couple of times. Sadly, I was away at dinner when the disc ran out and did not see her departure, but returned home to an empty nest. Well, empty, save for one of the unhatched eggs and a lone mealworm. I assume all is well and hope that my neighbors kept their monster half-ton (bird-killing machine) cat inside during the event.

I guess tomorrow morning I will find out the details and know whether or not they all made it out and stayed out safely. At least they have a safe haven for food and learning the ropes!

Like the Postal Workers

Busy little Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds gotta eat, right? Even in the rain they were out feeding at the feeder. The rain finally stopped today, although we had a brief shower this afternoon. Actually, animals tend to get a bit more active in rainy weather.

Since it has been raining a lot lately, I thought I would dispel a popular myth regarding Wild Turkeys and the rain. There are lots of people who think that: A) Turkeys are stupid, B) Turkeys become mesmerized by rain, and C) Animals always seek shelter in poor weather the way we do. A popular belief is that Turkey look up when it rains to "watch the rain" and end up drowning as a result. Some say the water trickles into their nose holes and drowns them and some say they stand with their beaks agape until they drown.

NOT TRUE!! Just to set the record straight, Turkeys have keen hearing and keen eyesight. They are not stupid, but they are as smart as animals on that end of the evolutionary scale can be. They are much more "street smart" than their Butterball cousins, and they do tend to run together in the same direction to escape danger. (Hence the expression, "flock together") Okay, so a friend of mine told me once that Turkeys come out in the open when it rains so they can better hear predators since sounds are lost in the rain in the woods. I am not sure of the validity of this and am feverishly looking for the answer. I do know that rain and flooding are not good for hatchlings, and that they will often perish in torrential downpours when they are still in the nest.

Finally, where as birds get a bad rap for their intelligence ("bird brain", "turkey"), they do have the ability to learn certain behaviors. For instance, Crows and Ravens have shown problem-solving ability in the wild and have even expressed higher learning behaviors such as using "tools". Green Herons have been observed dropping bread crumbs in water to attract fish to the surface. I think that's pretty impressive. It leads me to believe that my Bluebirds have learned that when I come out to the deck and whistle my weak Bluebird imitation, that they really do know I'm bringing mealworms. Sometimes I don't even see them in their usual spots, whistle and before I turn all the way around, they are on the feeder going to town! So maybe they come when I call them.
At least, I like to think so.........a birdnerd can dream, right?

(Sources: Elphick C.; Dunning Jr., J.B.; Sibley, D.A. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior, National Audubon Society. Knopf, NY

Eaton, Stephen W. 1992. Wild Turkey. In The Birds of North America, No. 22 (A. Poole, P. Stettenheim, and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, DC: The American Ornithologists’ Union.

Early Bird??? Fuhgettaboudit!

Whoever said that the "Early Bird Catches the Worm" obviously never had a camera in their birdhouse! Little Rufus is so loud, that he often gets the attention of his parents and they literally change their minds about who they are going to give the next mealworm to! They look back and forth and Rufus is so persistent and overbearing, that I think they give him the mealworm just to quiet him! It's very amusing.

So, I am officially changing the adage to: "The loudest bird gets the worm, so sleep in!"

Conquering the Scary Tech World!

Okay, I finally figured out how to list links on my blog in the sidebar section! So, I am pleased to direct you to the right-hand column for some of the links I suggested earlier. Click and you will be redirected away from this blog to the link. Simple as that! I also changed the template, but it's still the same blog. Enjoy!