The Zen Birdfeeder

WBU Hummingbird Feeder Why it's the Best out There

I remember my first hummingbird feeder vividly - 12 (yes, twelve!) plastic and glass parts scattered in my sink every time it was time to clean it (about every 4-6 days).  Plastic red petals, yellow bee guards, a base, a top, perches, and a glass container that needed a twisty-turny brush to reach all edges of the inside surfaces. !#&@@$&$#!#%*  For years, I unknowingly went through this ordeal to feed the hummingbirds.   Well, ENOUGH of that!!!!

When I cleaned my first Wild Birds Unlimited Hummingbird feeder, I thought I had died and gone to birdfeeder heaven.  TWO pieces to clean - not TWELVE!  Bowl shaped, so NO DRIPS!  Well, needless to say, that old feeder is long gone to less-than-ideal-feeder-functionality heaven and my hummingbirds and I are happy campers.

 

Being easy to clean is one of the most important features of all WBU-brand hummingbird feeders.  If a feeder is easy to clean, you will clean it more often and that's good for the birds.

Here's all the other features I like about the WBU hummingbird feeder making it, in my opinion, the best designed hummingbird feeder on the market.

Bowl shape - no leaking

Clear base that allows viewing of the lapping action

Perch allows hummingbird to sit while feeding.
No yellow on ports - yellow is known to attract bees.

Raised ports - rainwater does not flow into nectar

Built in ant moat with rainwater overflow

Easy to fill

Easy to hang - we recommend a window suction cup hanger to bring 'em up close!

Easy to clean
I like that I can touch all the surfaces while cleaning to ensure a squeaky-clean feeder.
Use a nectar-port brush to clean feeding ports.

Top shelf dishwasher safe

Nectar recipe embossed on inside of lid

Weathers well - no fading

Lifetime Guarantee

Available in 8 oz. and 16 oz. size

WBU Hummingbird Feeders are available at Wild Birds Unlimited - Saratoga Springs NY, your local WBU store, or online.

Baby Doves ... Already!

Here in upstate New York, migration is still underway, new birds still arriving, and nesting season is just getting into full swing.  Hummingbirds have only been back for 2-3 weeks.  So I guess I was a little surprised to see young Mourning Doves already.

 

I did see dove courtship behavior in April (in 2006, I saw doves mating as early as mid-March!)  Mourning Dove eggs are incubated for about 2 weeks, nestlings are cared for (in the nest) for just under 2 weeks, and fledglings hang around the nest for another week.  After that, they are on their own within the flock.

Young Mourning Dove preening

 

You can identify young Mourning Doves by looking for a light buff color on the edge of their wings.  Their tails may also be shorter.  As always, look for clumsy landings (or with doves, landings more clumsy than usual). This is often a telltale sign of fledgling birds. 

Two young doves

Acts of Green at Home

A couple weeks ago you may have noticed a new badge on my blog which says "It's Easy Being Green...Do Your Part".  I added this badge after recording my acts of green on the One Million Acts of Green website.  This website engages us as individuals with the concept that "when we all do one act, we act as one, and help the planet".

Here's a few Acts of Green I do at home:

I compost all non-meat food scraps in two compost bins.  I don't work it as hard as some die-hard composters do (turning, layering, etc.) but I do get rich compost over time.  In fact, I just emptied one bin to fill my raised bed vegetable garden.  Here's some information about composting.

In this green bin tucked under the stairs in my basement live hundreds of red wiggler worms.  I vermicompost!  Yes, worms eat my food scraps!

The worms will break down the food scraps and leave nutrient-rich castings which I will skim off to top dress my container and/or potted plants.  Read more about vermicomposting.

I catch rain water into water barrels and use it to water my outdoor plants.  The rains last week have already filled my barrel.  I have a second barrel that I can link to this one and double my capacity.  The cinder blocks place it up high, perfect for filling my Haws watering cans!  Read more about water-wise gardening.

Contrary to Kermit the Frog's song, it IS easy to be green.  And being green is good for the birds! Take another Act of Green today and make sure it's counted toward the One Million Acts of Green.

My Day as a Crown Point Bird Banding Helper

The Crown Point Bird Banding station wrapped up its 2009 season this weekend.  I was fortunate enough to head up there a couple weeks ago with Marne O., where we were able to lend master bander Mike Peterson a hand by keeping an eye on the mist nets.

Winter Wren 

As a helper, you assisted by checking the mist nests every 20 minutes or so and radioing back to Mike or the other banders if there was a bird in the net.  Joining Mike at the station was Gordon Howard as well as Gary Lee (who co-authored "Adirondack Birding" with Mike).

Various sizes of leg bands 

We visited on the 4th day of the banding season and they had already banded 124 individual birds of 31 different species.  During that time, they banded their 15,000th bird from over the 34 seasons they've been at Crown Point.

When we got there, they were holding onto an Eastern Towhee, a Veery, a Baltimore Oriole, a Common Yellowthroat and a Winter Wren in anticipation of the school group that was arriving soon.  Mike & company make presentations to groups of all ages - what a great way to help kids gain a real interest in birds and nature!

The first bird I saw in the nets was a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, which Gordon removed below.  Hummingbirds are not banded at this station (a special permit is required).  I was lucky enough to be able to release this male hummingbird!  It was pretty cool.

We learned that the nets come down every night at dusk to avoid catching bats and June bugs (who chew up the nets).  The nets are back up by around 5:30am.

Gary Lee at the mist nets

While they have the bird in hand, they use the bander's "bible", "Identification Guide to North American Birds Part 1" by Peter Pyle, to determine the bird's age and sex, then they measure the bird's length and wing length.  All this is recorded in their logs.

The Winter Wren gets measured

Occasionally a bird is recaptured, like Barn Swallow #245081995, who was originally banded at Crown Point on May 17, 2008.  Since he was originally banded in spring, that swallow took a migration trip last fall travelling south to Mexico or even as far south as the tip of South America.  And this spring, he made the return trip!  Simply amazing to think about!

This recaptured Barn Swallow was originally banded in May 2008

So far this season they have had 15 recaptured birds.  The most remarkable was a Baltimore Oriole that was first banded in 2005, and was recaptured in 2007, 2008, and 2009.  The oriole was estimated to be almost 6 years old.

It was a beautiful sunny and warm day and activity in the nets was slow, especially as afternoon set in.  All told, while we were there, we saw these birds captured, banded, recorded, and released: Common Yellowthroat, Baltimore Oriole (2), Ruby throated Hummingbird, American Goldfinch, White-throated Sparrow (3), Grey Catbird, Barn Swallow (2), and Winter Wren.

 

Grey Catbird gets his band

Thanks to Mike, Gordon and Gary for the work you do and for your hospitality. 

I'll post of recap of the 2009 season when it becomes available.

When Siskins Stay Around to Nest

The winter of 2008-09 was a huge year for Pine Siskins.  Their irruption covered much of the United States, as seen on this map from the 2009 Great Backyard Bird Count.

Click on the map to view a multi-year animation of 2000-2009 GBBC reports.

Pine Siskins are considered an uncommon breeder in New York, but as a result of the massive winter irruption, we have heard reports of some birds staying behind and not returning to their Canadian breeding grounds.  Following a large irruptive year, siskins have been known to stay and breed far south of their normal breeding range if there is a good food supply available.

If you still have Pine Siskins in your area, here's some information about their breeding and nesting behaviors from Kenn Kaufman's book, "Lives of North American Birds":

• Siskins breed mostly in coniferous and mixed forests, often around edges or clearings, though sometimes in deciduous woods and isolated pine groves.
• May nest in loose colonies or in isolated pairs.
• Courtship and formation of pairs may begin in winter flocks; males display by flying in circle above female, wings and tail spread wide, while singing. Male often feeds female during courtship.

Pine Siskins mate-feeding

• The nest site is well hidden, on a horizontal branch well out from trunk, 10-40 feet above the ground.
• Nest is built by female and is a large but shallow open cup of twigs, grass, strips of bark, rootlets, lined with moss, animal hair, and feathers.
• There will be 3-4 eggs, sometimes 2-5. Eggs are pale greenish blue with brown and black dots often more at larger end.
• Female incubates eggs for about 13 days.  Male feeds female during incubation.
• After eggs hatch, the female may brood more at first with male bringing food, but later, both will feed nestlings.
• Young leave nest about 14-15 days after hatching.

If you are still seeing siskins in your area, keep an eye out for these signs of nesting siskins.  And please let us know if you see evidence of breeding.  Be sure to include your location.

UPDATE 05/27/09
From Sue in Edinburg NY: I live in Edinburg and had more than 3 dozen pine siskens over-winter here. I'd guess about 10 stayed and I believe I am seeing their fledglings this past week!! (they have different calls and are paler in markings.) They fly around as a flock from tree to tree and feeder to feeder.
From Nancy in Ticonderoga NY: I have at least 2 pine siskins visiting the feeders and hanging about here on the northern end of Lake George in this past week since I have been here. When I was in here at Easter-time, I observed a Pine Siskin pulling at some yarn strands I had put out (nesting behavior).  I had also observed, even in February, Pine Siskins feeding each other (or at least the male feeding the female).

UPDATE 06/15/09
From Brian in Averill Park NY: We've had a few pine siskens hanging around our thistle feeder in Averill Park here as well.  I suspect their nesting here somewhere, but don't know that for sure.
From Barb in Gansevoort NY: Had a pair of siskins back at the feeder today.

What Robins Eat

American Robins are common visitors to yards all across the country.  While they don't visit birdfeeders with great frequency, you might have some success offering them mealworms, sunflower chips (no shells), or fruit from an open feeder.

I mostly see them searching for earthworms, eating fruit on trees and shrubs, or visiting my birdbath.  So before you fertilize or use pesticides, think about our robins and all the other birds that could be impacted by lawn and garden chemical use. 

The robin pictured above is enjoying sumac berries which are widely available here in the northeast.  And the robin below was in my yard most of the winter, here visiting my heated bath in late March.

Read lots of Fun Facts about Robins in our March Bird of the Month post.

What's an Itsy-bitsy Painted Turtle Doing at my House?

One day at the end of April, I found this little guy along the side of the house.

It's an Eastern Painted Turtle and was a REALLY little one at that. I wish I had taken a picture of it next to a quarter, because that's about how big its shell was.  This is exactly as I found it, right along the cinder block foundation of the house, climbing on a piece of slate.  I'm surprised I even saw it!

We put him in the birdbath for awhile and he quickly went into the water.  We eventually returned him to the area where he was found, and placed out a ground-level bath for his use.

It surprised me to find a painted turtle because it seemed totally out of its habitat.  My Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians says "they live chiefly where the water is shallow, the aquatic vegetation profuse, and the bottom soft and muddy - in ponds, marshes, ditches, edges of lakes, backwaters of streams..."  None of that describes the habitat around my house - I have no ponds or water features other than birdbaths and my soil is VERY VERY sandy.

Here's more info on the Painted Turtle:

• Painted turtles are most active from May to October in the Northeastern United States.
• During the winter, painted turtles hibernate by burying themselves deep in the mud beneath streams and ponds. The mud insulates the turtle, which helps prevent freezing during the harsh winter months.

The Peterson guide also states that hatchlings are about 1" long - about this guy's size.  But a newborn turtle on April 28th in upstate New York?

Is there anyone who can help me out with this curiosity? 

Meet my Purple Finches

I love having Purple Finches in my yard.  That "other" redbird seems to get all the attention, so I'd like to give some time to the beautiful Purple Finch.

Unlike the House Finch, the male "purply" (as I call it) looks like it has been totally dipped in a cranberry-colored dye.  There is some color variation from bird to bird, apparently impacted by their diet.  My purplies are almost all deeply colored and unabashedly beautiful.

The west side of my house is Purple Finch country - it is their preferred area to eat.  I have two feeders set amongst the pine trees filled with safflower seed.  Squirrels don't bother safflower seed much if at all, so I can put these feeders directly under the pine boughs.  The Purple Finches love the safflower and the woodland setup.

The female is not nearly as colorful but a beautiful bird in her own right.  Heavily streaked with a fancy facial pattern, she looks soft with a thrush-like breast, but the substantial beak is all finch.

Purple Finches can show up in my yard anytime of year, and I'm lucky enough to have them breed in my yard every year.  Here's to a fruitful breeding season in 2009!

 

Birds by the Numbers

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are known to winter in
shade-grown coffee plantations (digiscoped image)

300    million cups of coffee consumed
by Americans every day

69    percent of coffee grown in Columbia is
now grown in full sun

94    percent FEWER bird species are supported in
sun-grown coffee farms vs. shade-grown farms

71    million Americans consider themselves birdwatchers

What an impact we could make
if all 71 million of us
chose or helped a friend choose
Bird-Friendly coffee every day!

Female Oriole Arrives! Time to Hook Up!

One week after the male Baltimore Oriole arrived and started staking out his territory, the female oriole has also arrived in the area.  Here she is gleaning insects from the near the top of a birch tree.

Female Baltimore Oriole (digiscoped image)

The male arrived on May 11, was around for 2 days, but hadn't been seen or heard after that.  But I heard his wonderful call this morning and found both he and Mrs. Oriole up in the treetops. Here is a recording I made of the oriole song. 

I freshened up the oriole feeder with new nectar and a new orange half (still waiting for them to visit the feeder).  Hopefully they will together defend their territory and set up for a new breeding season.

Male oriole (digiscoped image)

Besides the return of the female oriole on Monday, it was a great day to watch birds at home.  Twenty-three species passed through the yard or the skies overhead.  Here's a list of Monday's visitors:

• Blue Jay
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• Tufted Titmouse
• Mourning Dove
• American Goldfinch
• Purple Finch
• Ovenbird
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak (at least 3 males and 2 females)
• House Wren
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Black-throated Green Warbler
• Hairy Woodpecker
• Downy Woodpecker
• Northern Flicker
• Chipping Sparrow
• Ruby throated Hummingbird
• Baltimore Oriole
• American Robin
• Belted Kingfisher (overhead)
• Turkey Vulture (overhead)
• Yellow rumped Warbler
• Red-winged Blackbird

Northern Flicker female (digiscoped image)