The Zen Birdfeeder

Wordless Wednesday - Young Sharpie

Sharp-shinned Hawk immature
September 2011

Eight Hundred and One Barred Owls

What do you get when you have 801 Barred Owls calling in a single place?

Hopefully, a Guinness world record!

801 attendees at the 2011 Midwest Birding Symposium gathered in the Hoover Auditorium at Lakeside Ohio last Saturday and, under the direction of the bird call lady Nicole Perretta, called out that familiar Barred Owl call, "who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?"

Three times these 801 voices called out in hopes of establishing a Guinness world record for the most people imitating a bird call in unison.

What fun being part of a possible Guinness World Record, even though in the process, we caused the local Barred Owls to seek out a new territory (only kidding!)

Be part of the fun.  The Midwest Birding Symposium will return to Lakeside OH in September of 2013.

Broad-winged Hawk Fly-by

While sitting on the deck today photographing hummingbirds, I heard the piercing, whistle-like call of a Broad-winged Hawk overhead.  Fall hawk migration is underway!

Here in the foothills of the Adirondacks, I'm lucky to get a number of migrating hawks overhead, and today there was a nice breeze coming out of the northwest that apparently the hawks found to their liking.

The first hawk was high in the the sky, as was the next broad-winged that passed over.  But a couple minutes later, I heard the call again and this one paid a much closer visit, flying perhaps only 50-feet high and circling the yard a couple times.

 

Broad-wings are small buteos, and their 13-17" length could even be shorter than that of the Cooper's Hawks that visit the yard.  But they're chunkier birds and their wings are much broader and typically longer.  Though their diet does include other birds, we're much more likely to have Cooper's or Sharp-shinned Hawk cruising the birdfeeders for a meal.

Broad-wingeds typically hunt from a perch, but his close aerial presence had cleared the yard of birds and chipmunks anyway.  I enjoyed his relatively close fly-by as he journeys to his winter grounds in Mexico, Central- or South America.

Identifying Common Backyard Hawks

Feeding the birds and wildlife in your yard can sometimes bring unexpected visitors, including hawks. Here are the two most common hawks to visit backyards, some tips to tell them apart, and how to deter them. 

OUR COMMON BACKYARD HAWKS

Sharp-shinned Hawk
(adult pictured)
• Blue Jay-sized, about 11" from head to tail
• Tip of the tail is squarish, showing corners.  Narrow white band at end.
• Head appears small compared with the body and makes the sharpie look short-necked
• Broad chest and narrow hips give it a high center of gravity
• Thin, stick-like legs make them look longish
• Short, rounded wings in flight

Cooper's Hawk
(juvenile pictured)
• Crow-sized, about 16½" from head to tail
• Tip of the tail is rounded with longer tail feathers in the middle.  Broad white band at end.
• Head appears large compared with the body and the body looks tall
• Thick body with a low center of gravity
• Thick legs compared to sharpie makes them look short
• In flight, has a cross-like shape

NOTE:  If you think you've seen a falcon in your backyard, chances are you've seen either a Sharp-shinned Hawk or Cooper's Hawk.  Cornell Lab of Ornithology states, "It is actually quite rare to host a falcon like a Merlin, Peregrine...at your birdfeeders."

Check out the Cornell Lab's website for additional identification tips and photos.

 

Sharp-shinned Hawk - adult

DETERRING HAWKS

• Make sure your feeders and baths are located where there is ample natural protection. Nearby evergreen shrubs, bushes, trees or a brush pile will provide birds with an easy escape when they are threatened by a hawk or other predator.
• When hawks start hunting in your backyard, take your feeders down for a few days. The hawk should go elsewhere for food and will hopefully find a new location for hunting and not return. Your songbirds will leave while the feeders are down, but will return once you replace your feeders.

Sharp-shinned Hawk (adult) "mantling" over prey

 

Adapted from material provided by WBU, Inc., using information from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology PFW 2009-10 Winter Bird Highlights publication.  All images by Nancy Castillo

Birds Frozen in Time

With all the Blue Jays I have in my yard, when a hawk is in the area, I am usually notified with a cacophony of loud and urgent calls from these yard sentries.  But even without the warnings from the jays, if I see a woodpecker "frozen" in time, I know to look around for avian predators.

 Hairy Woodpecker

Woodpeckers are amongst those birds that will perch or cling perfectly still, sometimes for minutes on end, if there is (or they suspect there is) a hawk in the area.  Other birds like the jays and doves and juncos hurry off to get the heck out of Dodge, but Hairy Woodpeckers and Downy Woodpeckers will try to be inconspicous by not moving a muscle.

White-breasted Nuthatch

Other birds that I've seen freeze like this are both Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches as well as Tufted Titmice.  They seem to wait until other birds resume their foraging and feeding activities before they become active again.

Red-breasted Nuthatch 

Watch for this behavior in your yard, especially during the winter.  If you're inclined to use this as a photo opportunity, be careful of flushing these birds from their immobile state lest they become the next meal for a hungry hawk.

Windshield Year Birds

After an initial batch of 12 new birds for the year by watching my feeders at home, my next batch all came through the windshield of a car.

On my first trip into the store this year, I knew I'd pick up a few more easy year birds.  I expected to see these suburban birds that usually don't visit my feeders.  Sure enough, along Jones Road I saw American Crows, and from the Chipotle parking lot, a few House Sparrows perched in a small tree while across the road on Route 50, over 100 European Starlings were perched on the power lines, like quarter notes playing out a long, monotonous tune.

European Starling (digiscoped 2009, NY)

A couple days later, I headed down the interstate on a trip to the Philly area.  I saw Rock Pigeons clustered around exit 12.  All along my drive, Red-tailed Hawks perched high on trees and poles looking for their next meal in the snow below.  In New Jersey, I started seeing Turkey Vultures with their teeter-totter flight.  Turkey Vultures leave upstate New York in the winter, though now I know they don't go far.

Black Vulture (April 2009, TX)

In New Jersey along interstate 78, I saw a smaller vulture with a white only on the tips of their wings - now I'm glad I learned to identify Black Vultures during my trip last year to Texas!  In Pennsylvania,  Herring Gulls frequented the parking lots of the King of Prussia mall area.

Fittingly, near the Audubon exit on Route 422, many skeins of Canada Geese - and many other unidentifiable waterfowl - flew overhead.  Unbeknownst to me, I was within minutes of the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove.  I'll definitely make time for a stop there next time I'm in the area!

So my year list stands at 21 right now.  I'll be in downtown Atlanta soon and while there, I'll be on the lookout for birds that can be seen in an urban environment to add to my year list.

Dove Discrimination

Maybe I was a bit glum to begin with, but seeing the doomed Downy Woodpecker sent me into a deep period of self-reflection, even on Christmas morning.

I was alerted to something going on by the sound of a slight window strike.  I went to investigate, found nothing, but then saw the hawk on the ground in the front yard - with something in its grip.

I saw black and white but grabbed my binoculars for more details - it was a downy, on its back being held down by a hawk (probably a sharp-shinned), but still alive.  Should I try to scare the hawk off, hoping the downy was still okay?  But as I moved from the window, the hawk flew off, with the downy still in its grip.

Immediately, sadness and a feeling of loss filled my heart.  I hate to lose any bird to a strike, but why a downy?  Downy Woodpeckers in my yard number below a half dozen, so a loss of even one is significant.  Did I just lose 20% of my downy population?  And I worry that the victim was Sweetie, a female downy that roosts in the nestbox in the corner of the yard.  Will I ever see her again at day's end, peeking her head out the nestbox hole?

But what would I have preferred that the hawk take?  A chickadee, one of the 18-20 in my yard?  No, not a chickadee!  Not that sweet little bundle of joy!

Should he have taken a jay, one of the dozen or so I've been seeing?  Those big, raucous, peanut-gorging, seed-spraying feeder hogs?  No!  Maybe take a tuftie?  Or a nuthatch?  No - none of the above!  How about a dove?  Well, okay, maybe a dove.

Wait a minute - who am I to feel great heartache for the loss of a woodpecker, or a chickadee or a nuthatch, but less heartache for the loss of a dove?  I don't think I'm alone in this thinking - why are we all more accepting of a hawk taking a dove than taking any of these other birds? 

Doves are not an introduced species like House Sparrows or starlings, which would be a convenient way to justify their loss.  Is it that we just can't get over the fact that doves are related to pigeons, another species we relegate to the bottom rung of bird desireability?  Or do we value doves less because we consider them too big and slow of body and mind, perhaps revealing some bird bigotry that might even reflect our below-the-surface feelings toward their human counterparts?

I find it so interesting how witnessing a hawk strike almost instantly transports me into a state of introspection, as I try to understand the deep emotions I experience following the event.  And is that why I enjoy observing nature, why my windows are always open to the world - so that when I witness nature in action, I might learn not only more about nature, but more about myself as well?

As I looked out on the surviving birds, I hoped they were relatively safe from hawk predation for the remainder of the day.  But alas, they were not; not more than 4 hours later, a hawk (same? different?) stood sentry on the top of my pole system.  Please Mr. Hawk, no more bird strikes today - downy OR dove.

Did I Save the Jay but Hurt the Hawk?

I've heard the call before - a distress call from a Blue Jay and the surrounding calls of his fellow jays trying to ward off the predator.  I know the cry of a jay being held by a hawk - perhaps a Cooper's Hawk - as it dispatches its prey.

Cooper's Hawk with Blue Jay prey - February 2009

It was coming from in the woods, so I headed into the trees, snapping downed branches as I walked, certainly not stealthy by any stretch of the imagination.  I walk down the slope, loudly crunching more branches, and from the woods across an opening, a hawk flies off - empty handed.  The cries from the jay stop, but I don't see the jay fly off.  I wasn't able to pinpoint the exact location of the strike, so I didn't pursue it any further.

But thoughts linger in my mind.  Did I just save a Blue Jay to live another day or leave it mortally wounded to die in the woods?  Did I hurt the hawk by scaring it off of its first meal in a week? 

Why did I go towards it in the first place?  As an observer of birds and nature, I just wanted to observe nature in action, but by doing so, I actually disturbed the course of nature.  Both birds were hurt by my actions.  The jay I'm sure is at least injured from the strike.  The hawk left empty-handed.  Only I gained.  Not from the audio observation, but by a hard-learned reinforcement to make sure my actions to observe nature don't interfere with nature.

Wild Birds Unlimited - Bird of the Month Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle
(Image from WBU Inc. image library)

FUN FACTS ABOUT BALD EAGLES

• Bald Eagles have faced many perils since the 20th century, mostly due to human interactions. Though they have been on the 'endangered species' list, moved to the 'threatened' list and have been recovering well with breeding pair introductions in many states, they still have a long way to go to reach their previously estimated population sizes. 
• The Bald Eagle lives throughout a large part of North America, primarily in the US and Canada, and is usually found near rivers and bodies of water.
• Bald Eagles are opportunistic feeders and usually prefer to eat fresh fish. During winter, they will eat more birds, mammals and carrion.
• Bald Eagles usually hunt from a high perch and glide down to catch their prey. They will strike from the air and are known to wade into shallow streams or rivers for fish.
• Bald Eagles are occasionally pulled into the water while trying to catch large fish. These birds are surprising good swimmers, using their wings to mimic a motion that is similar to the butterfly stroke.# Bald Eagles first breed at about 4-5 years of age.
• Bald Eagle nests are massive and can take months to build. They usually measure about 5 feet wide and 3 feet tall and are made of sticks and branches. Nests may be reused and added to for years.  The biggest recorded Bald Eagle nest was about 9 feet wide and 18 feet tall.
• Nests are typically found in a very tall tree, up to 180 feet or more above the ground.
• Bald Eagles usually lay two eggs.
• Male Bald Eagles help the females incubate the eggs, and both care for the young after they hatch.
• Both parents are very careful around the eggs while in the nest. They will even clench their toes to possibly prevent the eggs from being punctured by their talons.
• Babies hatch in about 35 to 46 days and will leave the nest in 10 to 11 weeks. However, they will still be fed for a month after fledging.
• Juvenile Bald Eagles gradually spend time on their own away from their parents and learn to hunt by trial and error. They may eat a lot of carrion, especially fish, till they master hunting live food.
• Immature Bald Eagles have been known to explore vast areas for multiple years. Some Floridian young have been seen in Michigan, and some Californian young have gone as far north as Alaska.
• Bald Eagles can stand up to 3 feet tall and have an average wingspan of 7 to 8 feet.  They can weigh over 9 pounds.

Check out Wild Birds Unlimited rightbird Online Field Guide to read more about our national bird, the Bald Eagle.  Hear their unusual voice, read about their behavior, view their range and more.

KIDS LOVE FACTOIDS!
Share these cool fun facts with the children in your life.
Why not measure your child's arm span
and see how it compares to the Bald Eagle's wingspan?

Identify It.
Learn About It.
Care About It.

Project FeederWatch Season 6 Recap

Last month, I concluded my 6th season of Project FeederWatch (PFW).  Since I work from home 3 days a week, it gives me many hours to keep an eye on the feeders and submit my counts to scientists at Cornell's Lab of Ornithology.

Fox Sparrow

While the professionals do their thing with the data, I always like to do my own "analysis" of season.  The 2009-10 season for me was slower than the gangbuster 2009-09 season.  Here are the highlights (or lowlights).

• The highest number of species during one count period was 17 and it came in the last 2 count periods, only after early spring migrants began arriving.  Before that, species counts were below average.
• Throughout the season, I averaged 12 species per count, below the nearly 14 species averaged during the 2008-09 season.
• The highest number of individuals during one count period was 136, well below the 250 individuals seen during the 2007-08 season (redpolls).
• The average individual count throughout the season was 73.
• Total species seed during the 2009-10 season was 24 compared to 29 species the prior PFW season.
• Here's a list of all those 24 species that appeared in my counts, followed by the number of times it was reported:

Canada Goose (1)
Ruffed Grouse (1)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (6)
Mourning Dove (17)
Downy Woodpecker (18)
Hairy Woodpecker (18)
Northern Flicker (1)
Blue Jay (18)
American Crow (7)
Common Raven (1)
Black-capped Chickadee (18)
Tufted Titmouse (18)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (17)
White-breasted Nuthatch (15)
Brown Creeper (2)
American Robin (2)
European Starling (7)
Fox Sparrow (2)
Song Sparrow (1)
Dark-eyed Junco (18)
Northern Cardinal (8)
Red-winged Blackbird (2)
Purple Finch (2)
American Goldfinch (14)

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Brown Creeper

American Robin

• Blue Jay flocks were sometimes very large, with up to 33 individual jays seen at one time.  I averaged nearly 20 Blue Jays each count.  That's a lot of blue!

Blue Jay

• It was a good junco winter too.  Larger flocks started gathering in late March with a group of 60 seen March 22-23.  I averaged 19 juncos each count period.

Dark-eyed Junco

• Chickadees were reliable and numerous too.  Each count, I averaged 11 chickadees at a time.

Black-capped Chickadee

• I was happy to have 5 Hairy Woodpeckers in the yard at one time in early January.

 
Hairy Woodpeckers

• No redpolls!  They are a biennial irruptive species and this was the year they were "expected", I saw NO redpolls (or other winter finches such as siskins, Evening or Pine Grosbeaks) this PFW season.  Disappointing!

	04-5	05-6	06-7	07-8	08-9	09-10
Weeks	15	18	17	15	19	18
High Species Ct	12	15	15	14	17	17
High Indiv Count	68	162	146	250	131	136
Average Species Ct	10	11.5	12	11	13.8	12
Ave Indiv Count	35	68	77	102	77	73
Total Species Ct	15	20	24	20	29	24

American Goldfinches

If you participated in Project FeederWatch this season, you have until May 31st to enter your counts.  If you didn't participate, read more about PFW and next November, consider joining me and thousands of others in this fun citizen science project!