Birds Are Back In Town

House Wren

It seems like it has been a long and chilly spring. The Robins have been back for quite awhile but I was waiting for the House Wren to come back and sing his song every morning to wake me up. It seems like the House Wren never stops singing; all day long and almost all summer long they sing their little song, the song is a little annoying to some but I like it. House Wren Chatter

Indigo Bunting

Anyway, my wife had a birthday the other day and when she got up and looked out the window she saw an Indigo Bunting in the bird feeder. It was a real treat she loves Buntings but they never show up at our feeders. We had one stop by last year for about 10 minutes and we never saw him again, but this one stayed all day and into the next. We also have Orioles pass through but never stay. This morning I found one picking up nesting materials from around our deck. Nice, I hope they stay.

Here are some of the birds we have seen over the last few days.

Gold Finch

Hummingbird

Oriole

Purple Finch

Rose Breasted Grossbeak

Yellow Warbler

The Vomiting Vulture

This vulture is natures ultimate garbage collector with a bill that can rip open the toughest cow hide, yet with feet like a chicken instead of mighty talons like an eagle. A Turkey Vulture can eat carrion (dead and decaying animals) that are rotted and diseased and not get sick or die, as a matter of fact the birds droppings are disease free. The turkey vulture in fact plays an important role in protecting other animals from getting sick. Turkey Vultures love warm sunny days when the air currents are active and they can soar very high in a flight pattern called a kettle. Vultures are very common in Wisconsin and can be identified by the formation of their wings, when they soar and glide they hold their wings in a gentle "V" formation. Turkey Vultures are about the size of an eagle without the white head, as a matter of fact the Turkey Vulture has a "bald" red head and the Bald eagle has a "hairy" head of white feathers. I wonder why they don't call it the bald vulture? Probably because all vultures are bald...maybe.

This bird has no song or call because it does not have a voice box (syrinx) so it hisses and grunts to make sounds; otherwise they are generally silent. Vultures  have an instinct that makes them want to return to it's summer feeding grounds the exact same time every year regardless of the weather, which is around the vernal equinox (the first day of Spring). In 1994 bird scientist (who knew such thing existed) determined that the Turkey vulture was actually a member of the stork family. Did you also know that some of these same bird scientists estimate that vultures will consume 111 ponds of rotted, spoiled, diseased, dead things in a year? If the carrion is scarce a vulture will eat pumpkins, leaves,seeds and grass.

Okay now for the vomiting part. If you ever visit a Vulture roosting area or a rookery; BEWARE. Vultures young and old, will swiftly vomit in the direction of any disturbance or danger, to scare it away. Think of it, regurgitating a dead animal, that is scary all by itself.

Check out more for yourself at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_Vulture

Babes

 
Or was that babies? Baby Robins; I found them while looking for something else. The mother built a nest in a lilac bush right next to our deck. Ugly? Cute? You decide. Won't be long and they will be back in the area. Just remember when you see a Robin it does not mean that spring has arrived, the rule of thumb is: "It will snow three times on the Robins tail, then Spring."

I will call it spring when I see them in my yard. Might only be 4 or 5 weeks until we hear the "cheery, cheery, cheery up" call outside the window.

"Enough already of winter, curse you little wooly caterpillar"

Pileated Woodpecker Video

This is a very poor quality video out our patio door but I am telling you that birds love suet in the winter. This a pileated Woodpecker, we generally have at least one daily, some days we have two at a time. They will usually be knocking on the trees or tearing up the suet bags. We bought the suet bag at the grocery store in the freezer section of the meat department. To hang the bag I simply tied a small rope to the top of the bag and threw the bag over a tree limb which seems totally natural to the birds. Tie the other end of the rope to the trunk of the tree and there you have it. In the summer all you need to do is untie the rope from around the trunk and take it all down. Easy as pie!

Many different types of birds will go to a suet bag in the winter because they need the fat in the suet to power up their furnaces so they can stay warm.

The Northern Flicker State Birds (week 9)

A Flicker in our yard. We have a lot of ants, and Flickers love ants.

Wow, I have forgotten all about the State Bird posts. It has been a long time since I have written about any of them. So this week we are going to talk about the only state to have a woodpecker as a state bird. It has a rather unusual nickname; the Yellowhammer. We know the bird better by it's more common name; the Northern Flicker. A beautiful and colorful speckled woodpecker.


Alabama is the only state to have a member of the woodpecker family as a state bird. According to Civil War legend, a company of new soldiers from Huntsville was spotted with bits of brilliant yellow cloth on their sleeves, collars, and coattails. This resulted in some of the older soldiers comparing their appearance to that of the bright and cheerful yellowhammer bird. In time, all Alabama soldiers became known as "Yellowhammers." 


Unlike most woodpeckers, Flickers forage on the ground. They think grasshoppers, ants and crickets are a tasty treat, but they will visit your birdfeeder if suet is available. The Northern Flicker is a beautiful bird with easily identifiable markings. They are fairly common throughout the United States with the Red-shafted Flicker to the west and the Yellow-shafted Flicker to the east. 

A Flicker on the prowl

There are two different subspecies of the northern or common flicker: Colaptes auratus auratus (yellow-shafted) and Colaptes auratus cafer (red-shafted). Both subspecies are brown-and-black barred on the back and wings, and a buff-colored or whitish breast with black spots. A wide black “necklace” is also characteristic of both subspecies. Northern flicker’s have a conspicuous white rump that can be seen when the bird is in its deeply undulating flight.
The yellow-shafted flicker has a red patch on the nape of the neck. They have a gray crown. Under the tail and wings, a bright yellow can be seen giving the flicker the name yellow-shafted. The males have a black mustache or line at the base of the bill.
The red-shafted flicker has a brown crown and doesn’t possess the red patch on the nape of the neck. Red-shafted flickers are reddish under the tail and wings. Also, the males have a red mustache.
DISTRIBUTION: The yellow-shafted flicker is found from southern Alaska and Canada south to the Gulf States. They can be found throughout the eastern United States and Cuba. There are migrants in the northern parts of their range.
Red-shafted flickers are found from southeastern Alaska and southwestern Canada down through the western United States to Guatemala. Migrants, usually hybrids may occur in the western part of the eastern United States.
HABITAT: Flickers inhabit areas that are open, such as woodlands and groves that contain dead trees or poles for nest cavities. They will also make their homes in towns and parks.
FEEDING HABITS: Flickers spend a majority of their feeding time on the ground probing for ants. They also eat other insects, fruits, berries, and seeds. Flickers can often be seen at bird feeders where they eat suet, and seeds such as sunflower, or peanuts.
LIFE HISTORY AND ECOLOGY: The male flicker chooses the site for a nesting cavity in a dead tree, stump, or pole. Flickers may even use nest boxes. Once the male has chosen the site, he begins to excavate the cavity with some help from the female. It usually takes from 15 to 28 days to complete the nesting cavity. The cavities are typically high above the ground. Breeding season begins in March and continues through early to mid – July. Eggs are laid daily with an average clutch size ranging from six to eight. However, clutches can range from 3 to 14 eggs. Eggs are solid white with a smooth surface and high gloss. Incubation responsibilities are shared by both sexes with the male sitting at night. The eggs are incubated for 11to 13 days. Flicker nestlings are fed regurgitated food from both parents, but are brooded by the male for the first three weeks. The young will begin climbing in the nest cavity at 17 to 18 days after hatching, and are fed at the entrance by three weeks of age. The young will leave the nest at 25 to 28 days of age.
(Courtesy of http://www.outdooralabama.com/watchable-wildlife/what/Birds/woodpeckers/nf.cfm )


Check out more info at http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Flicker/id

Homemade Suet...Winter Birds Love It

A suet cage from the store...my suet

A plastic mesh bag from oranges

This week we made some suet at home. It is really simple and the birds that stay through the winter really need the fat. Birds convert the fat that they get when they eat various seeds into heat to help them survive the cold winter days. The other night it was -21 degrees that is very cold; but some birds were created to not only survive, but to thrive, in this temperature. God gave them a super efficient furnace to keep them going.

Already this morning I have seen Goldfinches, Pine Siskens, and Chickadees all out eating from our feeders; these are all relatively small birds so they really need the heat. There have also been Cardinals and Woodpeckers out there. they are a little larger and need more food to keep a larger body warm. I do not understand it all. I know that some birds are able to lower their body temperatures in the winter to survive; amazing.

But equally important to food, especially fatty foods like suet, birds need water. That is why we have a large flower pot tray filled with water and a small heater to keep the water from freezing up.

A jumbo turkey bag tied up

Homemade Suet

1          cup          Lard or Shortening (I use lard)
1          cup          Peanut Butter (I use chunky, but any kind will work)
(melt the fats together over medium heat)

2          cups        Corn Meal
1          cup          Oatmeal (I use the quick cooking)
1          cup          Bird Food
(stir together until a coarse batter forms)

(optional stuff)
you can add some raisins, or old peanuts, cranberries or other stuff you think the birds might like for an added suet treat.

A homemade suet holder...thanks Aaliyah

You can line a cake pan with aluminum foil and pour the in the suet. Place in the freezer or outside in the cold until it is hard; cut them into squares the size that will fit into your suet holder. You can also place some suet onto a sheet of foil and make a ball shaped suet treat. This would be a great school project. Have Fun!

Winter Blizzard 2010...Birds

It started to snow last night and we have a forecast for a lot of snow; up to 16 inches or so. I fed the birds this morning and they have been around all day. As of sundown we have 12 inches of snow on the ground; when is Spring? Any way I have documented some of our bird visitors today and here they are.

Blue Jay

Downey Woodpecker

Downey Woodpecker

Female Cardinal...never saw the male all day

Goldfinch

Junco

Piliated Woodpecker

Pine Siskin...Christmas light in back...(not a ghost)

Tufted Titmouse

Turkeys...2 of about 20

White Breasted Nuthatch

Red Squirrel

A B-eagle

The joke goes like this.
Q. What do you call a sick bird?
A. An illegal (an ill-eagle). You know something that is unlawful...get it? I know it is a bad joke.

So
Q. What do you call a big bird?
A. A Beagle (a big-eagle). You know a big......oh forget it. Hope you like the picture.

This eagle was found in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, along Hwy 45.

Pileated Woodpecker

We had a Pileated Woodpecker on our deck this last week; awesome! We get this type of bird every year and it is always a treat to see him, especially so close to the house. He is a very large bird so you can't miss him. As you can see he likes suet. Suet is a very important supplement for birds in the winter because they rely on the fat in the suet to maintain their bodies heat in the colder weather.

Go down the store and pick up a block of suet and a wire holder and see what happens.

The Eastern Bluebird State Birds (week 8)

I took photo in Missouri

The Bluebird is the state bird for New York, and Missouri. Now that we have that out of the way there are actually a few types of Bluebirds to choose from. The Eastern Bluebird which is most common to this part of the country. The Western Bluebird, and the Mountain Bluebird are found in the Southwestern states and along the Pacific coast; the Mountain Bluebird is also found in the Rocky Mountains of the U.S.A and up into Canada. So with the understanding that neither the Mountain or Western Bluebird is common to New York or Missouri lets talk about the Eastern Bluebird.

The Mountain Bluebird is the state bird for the states of Idaho and Nevada. We can talk about him another day perhaps.

The Eastern Bluebird is Blue (who knew) with a rusty red throat and breast, and a tummy that is white the female is much less colored. It is about 7 inches in length, so a little smaller than the American Robin, and thinner. The Bluebird likes to live in in open areas like farm fields or large yards, with scattered trees and along roadsides. Bluebirds will readily accept a Bluebird nesting box as home for breeding. Bluebirds love bugs like grasshoppers, crickets and beetles. They also love invertebrates (things without a backbone)  like worms, spiders, bugs, and snails. Bluebirds will also eat berries and fruit.

This was taken on our deck, here is a mom and her fledgling

I gotta say right now that a Bluebird is a very crabby looking bird, almost as crabby looking as swallows. Oh well you can't help the way you look. Bluebirds only visit us in the Summer, they winter in the south, around west Texas. And can be found all year long in the south eastern states and in to Mexico.

A Bluebird house is very basic and would be easy to build, you may be surprised and get a Bluebird family; if they come it is very likely that you will have Bluebirds every year. We have had a couple pairs every year for over 15 years.

Check out some extra info;
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Bluebird/id

Here are some nesting box plans if you want to build one:
http://www.nysbs.org/handouts/BluebirdNestingBoxes.pdf

Jillions of Juncos

Alright so maybe there are not "JILLIONS" of Juncos but there are quite a few. Juncos are one of my favorite winter birds and when they move in get ready cooler weather is on the way. We have already seen the Tufted Titmouse, which is another of my favorite birds. Alright here are some pics of some Dark Eyed Juncos.

 

The Purple Finch State Birds (week 7)

The Purple Finch is the state bird of New Hampshire. It is a strawberry colored bird about the size of a sparrow, with a forked tail, (sort of like a scissor tail, but much shorter.), and a thick cone shaped bill. They nest and breed in coniferous (trees with needles or pine trees) and mixed forests. Males will sing from the tree tops, and build nests on the outer reaches of the pine tree branches. Purple Finches eat seeds, berries, blossoms and fruit; so you will likely see them at a bird feeder if you are patient. It would not be uncommon to see a Purple finch in our area in the winter, however during the winter some will migrate all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Purple Finches colors vary slightly from red and purple to brown. The female has a much drabber look and are less colored and will lay from 3 to 5 light green blue eggs, marked with black and brown. Eggs are laid in a cup of grass, twigs, and hair that the finches make on the outer branches of the pine tree, the female will sit in the nest, or incubate, the eggs for 13 days before the babies hatch. Purple Finch populations have dwindled over the past number of years because of a competition for habitat with the very similar looking House finch.

Both pictures were taken in our yard.

For more info and the Finches, and their call check out:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Purple_Finch/id

If you want to know more about nesting, building a nesting box and feeding a Purple Finch check out:
http://www.birdhouses101.com/Purple-Finch.asp

The Northern Cardinal State Birds (week 6)

Now this is one very popular bird; it is the mascot for many sports teams (when I was in grade school our basketball team was called, the Schofield School Cardinals) and the state bird for seven states. North Carolina, West Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Virginia have named this bird their state bird; it is so colorful. Cardinals are shy birds, they are often among the first to the feeders in the morning and the last to the feeders at night. They don't seem to compete with other birds for time at the feeder, but are very territorial when it comes to breeding and nesting. 

The Cardinal stays all year long around here and this would be an excellent bird to start the hobby of bird watching with. They love and need seeds in the winter so if you put out a feeder with sunflower seeds in it you might get a pair to show up at you house. Make sure you put your feeder in a place where you can see it from a window, then you can stay warm and dry while watching the birds from inside. Cardinals especially will fly off if the sense any type of perceived danger. You will likely see more birds if you stay indoors. Cardinals feed almost entirely on seeds, and to a much lesser extent they will eat insects. In the winter when they cannot find any insects they need seeds.


Cardinals are a medium sized songbird that is about 8.75 inches in length, with short rounded wings, a long tail, a heavy orange cone shaped bill, and a black crest or mask. The males are brilliant red with reddish-gray wings and back feathers. The back and wings are less colorful than it's chest, face, and head. Both male and female Cardinals have a tuft on the top of their heads. The female is a duller brownish-red.

To find out more about Cardinals check out these:

Wild Birds Unlimited,  http://www.wbu.com/education/cardinals.html


Cornell Lab of Ornithology (very good site) http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/id

Worlds Ugliest Bird?

I know that people usually talk about cute little song birds, and the majesty of hawks and eagles, or the sport of game birds but no one ever seems to talk about the really "ugly" birds. California Condors are an endangered species of bird, they are gaining in numbers however, and are doing well because of help that the have received from captive breeding. California Condors have a wingspan of over 9 feet, so they are able to spread their wings and sail on the wind currents and soar over canyons and wide open spaces in the southwest of our United States without having to flap their wings very much. A condor can weigh up to 20 pounds and would be almost 4 feet tall if he were perched on a rock ledge or tree.


Condors are part of, and the largest of the Vulture family of birds and are scavengers. Like the turkey Vultures that we have in Wisconsin in the spring and summer, they often eat things that are already dead. California Condors can live up to 60 years, that is pretty old for a bird and represents a lot of dead things. The Condor’s diet consists of medium and large-sized dead mammals like cattle, sheep, deer, and horses in any state of decay. Condors may travel several hundred miles in search of food. Condors are almost entirely black and like our own Turkey Vulture have bald featherless heads. They often stick their heads into the dead bodies of animals...yuck. Their heads range in colors from pink and red to blue and orange.


Check out more at:
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-condor.html

A Turkey Vulture on Hwy KK

The American Goldfinch State Birds (week 4)

Goldfinches in the G.W. Mead Wildlife Area 

The little American Goldfinch is the state bird of New Jersey, Iowa, and Washington, is common at feeders, where it takes primarily sunflower and nyjer seeds. The have been called wild Canaries because of the males bright lemon yellow feathers. Female Goldfinches colors range from a drab yellow to an olive green/brown color, during the winter the males and the females look the same. The Goldfinch is a small bird between 4 and 5 inches long with a wingspan of up to almost 8 1/2 inches; about the size of a "skinny" chickadee.


Gold finches love seeds and get them from grasses and feeders; so if you do not have a feeder, put one out and they will show up. Goldfinches stay all winter here in central Wisconsin, so now is a great time to put out that feeder. Goldfinches can be found in open weedy fields, roadsides and backyard flower beds and feeders, especially during winter when the natural food sources are harder to find.




For more Goldfinch info check out http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goldfinch/id


To hear the Goldfinch check this out  http://www.birdjam.com/birdsong.php?id=23

Baby Hummer

This is such a cool video of an injured baby hummingbird. Don't be alarmed though, it has a happy ending.

State Birds the Western Meadowlark (week 3)

From Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The Western Meadowlark is an extremely popular choice as a state bird. The Meadowlark is the state bird  of Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon and Wyoming. The Meadowlark is a large stocky songbird with yellow from his throat all the way down his belly, with a black bib that sort of hangs around his neck an down on to his breast. His wings and back are spotted and streaked with brown and black. Meadowlarks nest on the ground in fields and open areas foraging through the grass for bugs and seeds. The open fields and prairies of some of western states make an excellent habitat for these songbirds where they live all year long . Meadowlarks range from 6 to 10 inches long with a wingspan of about 16 inches; which is about the size of an American Robin, however the Meadowlark is stockier and heavier than the Robin.

For more info check this out. http://www.birdwatching.com/stories/storymeadowlark.html

Eastern Meadowlark(???)  photo I took at Buena Vista,