The Zen Birdfeeder

Spring Arrivals and Departures (2008 #4)

Here's my fourth report of arrivals and departures this spring.

STILL AROUND
White throated Sparrows (numerous)

Tree Swallows (though we don't have the right habitat for them, we do have lots of Black Flies and other flying insects around)

 

NEW SPRING ARRIVALS
Rose breasted Grosbeak (two females on May 4, males the next day; in 2007, both male and female arrived 5/11). Digiscoped image below; notice the reflection off the feeder.

Savannah Sparrow (May 4; a new yard bird!  One day visit only)  Digiscoped image below.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (a female on May 4; in 2007, both male and female arrived on 4/27)
Northern Flicker (May 5)

DEPARTURES
Fox Sparrows (last seen 4/20)
Song sparrows (last seen 4/17)

OTHER VISITORS
Grape Hyacinth

Creeping Myrtle

Immature Sharp-shinned Hawk

Black Flies  :(
Black Bear (more on that in another post)

STILL TO COME
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Grey Catbird
Eastern wood Pewee
White crowned Sparrow
Indigo Bunting
Yellow-rumped Warbler and Black-throated Blue Warbler (both nest in our area)
Other warblers

Here's links to 2008 Spring Arrivals and Departures Report 1 from April 3rd, Report 2 from April 13, and Report 3 from April 21

Wordless Wednesday

Aftermath (taken March 30th)

Trip to Maine - Ogunquit and The Marginal Way

Just got back from a few days in Maine and want to share some of what we saw along Maine's southern coast.

We stayed in Ogunquit, just about 20 miles or so into the state.  Ogunquit means "Beautiful Place by the Sea".  The population of Ogunquit is 1,200, but during the summer season, we were told it is home to nearly 100,000 people! We're glad we were there in March!

Within walking distance from the timeshare is Perkins Cove and the Marginal Way, a short walking path with ocean-front homes on one side of the path and rocky coast on the other side.
Google Earth image of Perkins Cove, Ogunquit Maine

Monday had beautiful sunshine, but it is still quite cold in Maine this time of year.  We were in parkas, hats and gloves as the temps barely reached 40 degrees.

Herring Gulls were abundant as were American Crows.  Within the cove were Mallards, as well as many Common Eiders, Common Goldeneye, and Red-breasted Mergansers, all diving ducks.

In the bramble along the path, we also spotted a Black-capped Chickadee, many House Sparrows, a singing male Northern Cardinal, a clucking Common Grackle, and a White-throated Sparrow well camouflaged on the ground.

Further along, a number of Longtailed Ducks and a group of about 14 Harlequin Ducks bobbed in the waves.  The harlequins are absolutely gorgeous birds - I just wish the photos had turned out better.

On the walk home through Ogunquit residential streets, we saw American Robins, more cardinals, and Mourning Doves. 

As we neared the timeshare, a hawk flew overhead and into a nearby tree.  I was able to capture many images of this immature Coopers Hawk just steps away from our front door.  Just like at home, sometimes you don't need to go far to experience nature!

More from our Maine trip tomorrow.

Sharpie Session #3

It must've been the distress call that made me look. My window sound monitor had been on all day, I had my head down at the computer, but something made me look up.  What I saw was a fascinating part of nature, though I have to admit my heart went out for the poor little tuftie.

I didn't see the strike.  It occurred not more than six feet from a feeding station.  There were no feathers settling to the ground from an airborne hit.  What I saw was just nature in action: a bird-eating hawk dispatching its prey, a Tufted Titmouse.

Over the past few days, I've told the stories of recent Sharp-shinned Hawk visits to my yard, providing interesting information from the "Essential Field Guide Companion" by Pete Dunne.  Here is more information from that source, this time about the sharp-shinned hunting habits:

• Most seed-eating birds fall within their prey range
• Sharp-shinned is most partial to smaller species (chickadees and sparrows).  This partiality is not absolute.
• Kills prey by constriction (that is, does not use its bill)
• Plucks prey before eating, usually on the ground where the kill was made and less commonly from a stump or elevated perch

This might have been the hawk's second kill recently near the same feeder - earlier on this same day, I had found a small tuft of relatively recent "disconnected" feathers while filling the feeders.

The hawk is pictured in a position called "mantling".  Once the prey is subdued, a predator bird may assume a position of spreading its wings out and over the prey to shield it from theft by other birds.  This sharpie had good reason to mantle its victim.

It seemed like it took a long time for him to kill the titmouse, though in looking at the camera times, it was over in less than 20 seconds.  It was the distress calls and struggling of the little bird that made it seem like an eternity.

Finally, the struggling stopped. The cries stopped. The hawk looked as if it had won a wrestling match with a pin, both shoulders to the mat.
   

But the story didn't end there.  No longer in a mantling position, the prey started looking real good to another, larger predator.  A huge form entered the scene - a Barred Owl seeking an easy meal!  At first I thought it was a large hawk (we have had goshawks in the yard), but then the large eyes and rounded head became evident - the owl I had seen in late February was paying another call.

It all happened so fast. The owl approached, the sharp-shinned took off, the owl turned, then both were gone. I don't know how the story ended other than the fact that some bird of prey had been fed.

I had to force myself to remember that it was all a part of nature and that predators take the slower, the sick, the less experienced.  The fittest, fastest, and healthiest survive, enabling the best birds of a species to live and carry on.

Sharpie Session #2 (con't)

We left off in yesterday's post after our resident Sharp-shinned Hawk left its perch in pursuit of a woodpecker.  The woodpecker got away and the Sharp-shinned assumed a new perch in the plum tree, about 4 feet off the ground and only 10 feet from the house.  (Click on any image to enlarge)

From its new perch, it began preening.

Birds preen by fluffing then running their beaks through their feathers.  Preening grooms and repairs feathers by realigning the barbs and barbules and mending splits.  Preening also waterproofs and conditions feathers with help from a wax-like substance secreted from a gland at the base of the tail.

By rubbing the gland with their beak, a bird picks up the oil and then distributes it by rubbing their beak over the feathers. The substance helps make the feathers supple and strong and prevents them from drying out.  It may also have antiparasitic properties that inhibit parasites and other harmful organisms.

Break from preening to watch a titmouse.

Back to preening.

Look regal.

Preen the back...

Now the front.

Watch a chickadee.

Looks like a very tasty chickadee...hmmmmmm...

Lucky chickadee

This one got away.  But the sharp-shinned returned the next day.  Was its next target so lucky?  Check back tomorrow for Sharpie Session #3.

Sharpie Session #2

On Monday, I had another extended visit from a Sharp-shinned Hawk.  (A visit earlier this month was highlighted in Sharpie Session #1).

It was 9:30am, this sharpie was on the east side of the house, again perched about 15 feet high.  The bright blue sky provided a great background. (Click on pictures to enlarge)

The intense look in his dark red eyes showed he was alert to all the small birds in the area.

Both a chickadee and a Red-breasted Nuthatch entered the same tree the hawk was in.  They called loudly and repeatedly, though were apparently not too threatened from their position above him in the same tree.

Here's how Pete Dunne describes the Sharp-shinned Hawk's hunting behavior in his "Essential Field Guide Companion":

• Likes to hunt in the forest beneath the canopy.
• Favorite strategy is to fly to a strategic, open perch 10-50 feet up; wait, motionless, for a period of several minutes to half and hour, then move on.

He sat on this perch for about 10 minutes before flying directly over my head to attempt a strike at a woodpecker who was at the suet feeder in the plum tree, about 50 feet away.  Unsuccessful, the hawk assumed another lookout post, this time only 4 feet off the ground in the plum tree.

More photos tomorrow as the story of Sharpie Session #2 continues.

Sharpie Session #1

I've had two long visits from a Sharp-shinned Hawk recently.  The first occurred on March 4th before 8am.  While I was exercising, I noticed a sharpie in a tree not more than 25 feet from the house, and about 15 feet off the ground.

Here is how Pete Dunne describes the Sharp-shinned Hawk in his "Essential Field Guide Companion":

• Jay to flicker size
• Virtually no neck
• Head that is small and flat-topped but roundly contoured
• Long slender tail has blunt straight-cut or notched tip
• Adults have slate blue backs and pale orange underparts
• Whitish band on tip of tail is narrow and not crisply defined

This hawk was very cooperative, staying around for about an hour and showing me a couple different poses.  I even had time to get a few digiscoped images.  Not sure why he had one leg pulled up.  Warmth perhaps?

He saw a feeder bird nearby, fixed this intense gaze on it, but did not attack.

He even turned around to give me a good look at his slate-colored back.

Check back Thursday for a post about another recent visit from the Sharp-shinned Hawk.

Local GBBC Summary

Here's a summary from the Great Backyard Bird Count on the checklists submitted in my town:

2008 Results: Middle Grove, New York
This town report includes all data submitted to the town and to all postal codes associated with the town.

Species            Number of Birds    Number of Checklists
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1       1      
Northern Goshawk  1       1      
Mourning Dove  6       3      
Downy Woodpecker  10       5      
Hairy Woodpecker  7       3      
Blue Jay  7       5      
American Crow  8       5      
Common Raven  2       2      
Black-capped Chickadee  64       8      
Tufted Titmouse  11       6      
Red-breasted Nuthatch  8       4      
White-breasted Nuthatch  7       6      
Dark-eyed Junco  10       4      
Common Redpoll  436       8      
Total 578             

A total of 14 species were reported.

My checklists over the 4-day count period included 13 species (I didn't report a raven during the count). 
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1         
Northern Goshawk  1             
Mourning Dove  6             
Downy Woodpecker  5               
Hairy Woodpecker  7             
Blue Jay  5             
American Crow  4             
Black-capped Chickadee  54             
Tufted Titmouse  9             
Red-breasted Nuthatch  8             
White-breasted Nuthatch  4             
Dark-eyed Junco  10             
Common Redpoll  340

Middle Grove reported a significant number of Common Redpolls.  IN FACT, Middle Grove NY was #26 in the country in redpoll counts and #1 in New York state:

2008 Results: Common Redpoll (Carduelis flammea):
Top 100 Reporting Localities

Town  Number of Birds    Number of Checklists Reporting the Species 
1  Anchorage, Alaska  3,254       59      
2  Juneau, Alaska  1,810       30      
3  Haines Junction, Yukon Territory  1,648       7      
4  Whitehorse, Yukon Territory  1,157       30      
5  Temple, Maine  1,058       5      
6  Trois-Rivieres, Quebec  942       36      
7  Dillingham, Alaska  786       8      
8  Ely, Minnesota  757       28      
9  Quesnel, British Columbia  737       19      
10  Wasilla, Alaska  671       7      
11  Saint-Valerien-de-Rimouski, Quebec  650       4      
12  Pinawa, Manitoba  638       23      
13  Plantagenet, Ontario  630       4      
14  South River, Ontario  619       6      
15  Ripton, Vermont  556       7      
16  Gustavus, Alaska  553       8      
17  Midland, Ontario  550       4      
18  Cloquet, Minnesota  540       7      
19  Hallstead, Pennsylvania  524       4      
20  Miramichi, New Brunswick  512       3      
21  London, Ontario  497       44      
22  Cap-aux-Meules, Quebec  450       3      
23  Kasilof, Alaska  450       4      
24  Lac la Biche, Alberta  437       17      
25  Williston, Vermont  437       4      
26  Middle Grove, New York  436       8

Two of my GBBC highlights were the Northern Goshawk on Day 1 and the Sharp-shinned Hawk on Day 4.  I'm especially pleased to have reported a goshawk; only 28 of these birds were reported in New York state on 22 checklists.  Only 174 were reported across the country.  What a thrill to have been one of those lucky few to have one in my own yard!

The Great Backyard Bird Count is held every year over President's Day Weekend.  Plan to join the fun in 2009! 

Tale of Three Owls

Two WBU customers have recently reported the appearance of a Barred Owl near their homes.  And then just this morning, we were lucky enough to have one just 20 feet from my back balcony.

These gorgeous birds are a joy to hear with their familiar "who cooks for you, who cooks for you all" call. They will sometimes respond to imitations of their call, even poor ones!

But it's even more special to see a Barred Owl.  Seeing them in town is not a rare occurence.  Stokes Guide to Bird Behavior Vol III says that while little is known about this common bird, "a fairly common occurence...is to have one show up in a city park during winter. These are probably males that have temporarily left their territories due to lack of food and have come into the city to feed on small birds and rodents."

Wanda P. saw this owl just last weekend (and reported it to the Great Backyard Bird Count). "He flew from tree to tree in a circle and then came right back to the tree with the feeder."

Judimarie and Andy B. had this owl appear in their driveway!  "Imagine my husband's surprise when he pulled into the driveway after a long day at work and found this Barred Owl waiting for him on the back of our pick up!  We live in Luther Forest and this was a first owl sighting for us.  He was intently watching our pine tree and didn't seem to notice that I was there trying to get a photo of him.  From measuring the tail light on the truck, we estimated that he was 20-22 inches."
 

Barred Owls are usually most active between midnight and 4am but our customers saw these owls outside these hours.  I saw this owl at 8 in the morning.

I had been exercising in my room when I noticed some movement in one of the large pine trees. A Grey Squirrel was working his way up the tree, and then I noticed the owl on the front side of the tree!  He didn't seem interested in the squirrel (Barred Owls have relatively weak talons and prey on smaller rodents like mice and voles.)  I got to enjoy his presence for about 5-8 minutes and when he flew off, I marvelled at his silent flight and huge 4-foot wingspan.

 

Barred Owl courtship behaviors have begun which include calling to each other.  Listen for them in early evening or early morning when the moon is full and the air calm.

Read more about the Barred Owl and listen to their distinctive call on WBU's rightbird Online Field Guide.

Special thanks to WBU customers Wanda P. and Judimarie and Andy B. for sharing their Barred Owl stories and pictures!

Great Backyard Bird Count 2008 - Day 4

Today is the last day of the 2008 Great Backyard Bird Count.

HIGHLIGHTS:
My GBBC days were bookended by the appearance of accipiters - a Northern Goshawk on Day 1 and a Sharp-shinned Hawk on Day 4.

I had just finished preparing lunch, walked to the table, and saw this sharpie perched on my Advanced Pole System (APS).

I grabbed the camera and got a few shots in before he took off into the foggy day.  I'm ashamed to admit that I was in such a hurry to take the pictures and zoomed in on the hawk, I didn't see a Downy Woodpecker frozen still on the suet feeder right underneath the sharpie! What a sight (and photo op) I missed because I wasn't taking in the big picture! :(

Woodpeckers continue to be busy not only at my feeders, but at lots of feeders across the country. The Downy is the #4 reported bird so far in this year's count.  I'm reporting three from today's count - were any of the 18,419 downys reported so far from YOUR count?

In recent mornings, I'd wake to redpolls on the feeders outside my window.  Seems the mid-40s temperatures have given them other options.  I didn't see my first redpoll flock until 2pm, and they didn't stay long.  The redpoll count in Middle Grove NY (my reporting zip) ranks us #22 in the Top 100 Common Redpoll Reporting Localities COUNTRYWIDE!!!!  Woo hoo!!!

MY COUNT:
Common Redpoll  80
Black capped Chickadee  20
Tufted Titmouse  3
Downy Woodpecker  3
Red-breasted Nuthatch  2
Hairy Woodpecker  2
American Crow  2
Dark-eyed Junco  2
Blue Jay  1
Mourning Dove  1
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1

Species 11 - Individuals 117

March 1 is the deadline to submit counts.  If you participated, make sure you take a couple minutes to take the GBBC survey to help Cornell better understand the birding community, including how to improve the Great Backyard Bird Count. Take the survey and you'll receive a special offer from Cornell.

Within the week, I'll explore the results more and recap my counts and counts around the Saratoga area.  I hope you had as much fun counting the birds as I did.  Plan to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count next year, presumably over President's Day Weekend.