The Zen Birdfeeder

Common Redpolls Arrive with a Vengeance!

The winter finch irruption of 2007-2008 has already blessed us with a new yard bird (Pine Grosbeak) and new high counts of a returning visitors (29 Evening Grosbeaks on Dec 24th).  Common Redpolls had visited as well, with counts up to 30.  That all changed with the overnight snowfall of 9" in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains.

Click on this picture to enlarge and see around 54 Common Redpolls on our Advanced Pole System deck set-up.  The activity at the niger feeders had been slow over the last few months, so there were only 2 feeders, half filled, out there until this morning's onslaught prompted me to add a third feeder and fill 'em all to the top.  We have over 100 redpolls visiting our feeders today.

Just a quick post to share - more on Common Redpolls later!

Peanuts! Get your Peanuts!

We had a young customer in the store today who purchased a new WBU Peanut Pantry and a bag of peanuts in the shell, hoping to attract Blue Jays.  He was very excited about his new feeder so I decided to do a post just about his new feeder.

The Peanut Pantry is a way to offer peanuts in the shell to your birds.  Jays will be the primary customer, though I've seen a Tufted Titmouse take a peanut and have watched a Downy Woodpecker try to shell a peanut while it was in the feeder.

Peanuts are high in fat and protein, providing a good energy source to the birds especially in the winter.  Never feed birds salted peanuts.

The jays can empty this feeder in no time.  When they're really active, I've seen them empty it in less than 30 minutes!  I use this feeder as a special treat for the jays, putting it out in place of another feeder on my Advanced Pole System for the day.

NOTE: This is a good time to pull a feeder that needs cleaning from your birdfeeding station.  Rotating feeders is an easy way to get in the habit of regularly cleaning your feeders. 

The jays are fun to watch when they use this feeder.  They'll take a whole peanut, kick it back into their crop, and take another nut before flying off.  A benefit of the jay's caching behavior is that you won't find a lot of peanut shells under your feeder.

Wild Birds Unlimited stores also sell a peanut wreath for offering peanuts in the shell to the birds. 

Peanut feeding is a fairly recent trend in the US. If you're looking for something new to feed your birds, you may want to consider peanuts in the shell.  In a future post, I'll share photos and information on feeding shelled peanuts to the birds.

In the meantime, like this little Red-breasted Nuthatch, remember to DREAM BIG!!

Enjoying Pine Grosbeaks Again

The Pine Grosbeak was just added to my yard list earlier this year.  An immature male spent a good part of two foggy days in late November feeding at the large hopper feeder and tray and on the ground.

What a thrill to host this boreal finch!  The Pine Grosbeak, as well as other winter finches like the Evening Grosbeak, Pine Siskin, and Common Redpoll, is part of the 2007-08 irruption year that is predicted to be among the best in recent memory due to seed crop failure in Canada.

The Pine Grosbeak is compared in size to the American Robin. The adult male has a dull rosy red head, chest, and back, with dark wings with 2 white wing bar.  He has been compared to an overgrown Purple Finch.  The female is more greyish all over with olive-yellow head and rump.  The immature male that visited my yard is more like the female - greyish all over except for a more reddish head and orange-red rump.

What Pete Dunne describes as a "smudgy shadow across the eye" is nicely visible in these images.  Dunne also compares the bird's "neckless head" to that of a snapping turtle.

   

The Pine Grosbeak's call is described as a "whistled tee-tew-tew" that is unique enough to summon me to the windows when it is amplified to the inside of my home.

Their bill is stubby and if you are able to look closely, you'll see a hook on the end of the upper mandible.  (click on any image to enlarge)

What I find comical about this bird is their messy eating habits - they look like they need to use a napkin.  The Stokes Birding Blog has some great images of Pine Grosbeaks with copious amounts of apple debris on their bills while eating.  My pix show snow stuck to their bills as they forage on the ground for seeds.


While the Pine Grosbeak is known as a flocking bird, I have had single visitors only until the day after Christmas when I had 3 show up in my yard.  I got my first look at (though no pictures of) a mature male bird with its rosy head and chest.

What a tame bird the Pine Grosbeak is!  It is "of gentle, unobtrusive manner, almost fearless of man's approach, and always seems to be perfectly contented with its situation whenever encountered."  As I was writing this post and periodically looking out at my feeders, as if on cue I had a Pine Grosbeak appear.  I was able to approach it within 15 feet to take these most current images.

   

Wordless Wednesday

Hey, I thought this was a bird blog!

Celebrating Around the Tree

Merry Christmas to all!

Wordless Wednesday

High steppin' grosbeak

Evening Grosbeaks are Becoming "Regulars" at my Feeders

As the winter progresses, temperatures decline, and snow deepens, the Evening Grosbeaks are becoming more regular and in ever-increasing numbers.

Back on October 28, I reported a yardlist high count of 7 grosbeaks.  That high count has steadily grown, with 10 seen November 19 and December 10, 22 seen on December 14, and 27 seen today, December 17.

The grosbeak flock returns numerous times throughout each day, perching as a group in the maple tree, then descending from there to the tray feeder, hopper feeder, and to feed on the ground.




   

They have to compete somewhat with the jays, who have also been very busy at the feeders.

To encourage Evening Grosbeaks to visit your feeders, make sure you offer seed on an open tray or platform feeder or in a roomy hopper feeder.  A quality blend of black oil, striped sunflower, sunflower chips, and safflower seed like WBU Supreme Blend will appeal to these special visitors!

As I prepare this post, the Evening Grosbeak call is being amplified inside my home, and I am trying to capture some digiscoped images of them through the windows.  If they turn out, I'll post them soon - stay tuned.

Evening Grosbeak Report from New Hampshire

The Fishers are our good friends and loyal WBU customers now living in New Hampshire.  They shared these great pix and information on the Evening Grosbeaks that recently visited their yard.

Dear Bird loving friends,

Today, Wednesday the 28th of November, I counted a total of 65 Evening Grosbeaks at our feeders. Here are 3 photos which I thought that you would be interested in. One of 49 grosbeaks in an oak tree near our feeders, one of several at our feeder up close, and one of a couple drinking from our heated bird bath on our deck. I witnessed these birds between 730 and 815 am. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I also took 2 photos of a sharp shinned hawk during the same time period! This bird was on a branch looking down in the tall grass 12 yards to the north of the feeders.

Evening Grosbeaks at WBU Heated Birdbath

Thanks to Gregg, Lori, and Jessica for the pix.  A special hello to Jared!

Wordless Wednesday

2 Red Squirrels in an APS Baffle

A Visit from the Mighty Goshawk

My first thought when he flew through the yard was, "That ain't no sharpie!"

I don't claim to be the expert identifier, especially birds of prey, and even more so in flight, but this guy was BIG!  A Northern Goshawk had visited our yard a number of times this summer, so some of his characteristics were known to me: a large woodland bird of prey with grey back and whitish underparts and inside wings.  What I didn't know is whether he'd be around at this time of year.  I had to hope he'd come back for another pass through the yard for another (better) look.

And that he did.  He chased a jay through the yard and off about 400 yards or so before passing on that one. He immediately looped back for another pass through the yard.  This was so cool!

Betting on another return pass, I stepped outside the door with my camera, and sure enough, he returned to perch on the telephone pole, the same perch our summer goshawk used this summer (could it be the same bird??)  I got several passable pix and a good look - finely streaked breast, intense red eyes, that broad white stripe over the eye that give the goshawk an "I'm the boss" look.  He continured to hunt the area for about 20 minutes, passing through the yard one more time.

From our little patch of land - under three acres - we've enjoyed watching the activities of 3 accipiters: the Sharp shinned Hawk, the Cooper's Hawk, and the Northern Goshawk. I'm so lucky to be able to look out my front windows and step out my front door to experience a sight like I did yesterday.  Take time to be grateful for the nature that surrounds you every day.