The Zen Birdfeeder

More Goldfinch...Young and Hungry!

My October 14th post Late Nesting Goldfinches highlighted the American Goldfinches in my yard, including the family of four that passed through on October 12.  I found it amazing that there were still fledgling birds around.

Well, ten days later, on October 22nd, I had another family of 4 pass through my yard.  The young were still in the fledgling stage, dependent on mom to feed them.  I hope you enjoy this series of photos of this little family.  (Click on any image to enlarge)

So close to the feeder, but still begging.
 

Mom, mom, mom!!!
 
  
  
  
  
  
 

It's goopy but it tastes good! 
  
  

In this series, mom is feeding one youngster and another approaches.
 

The second baby has arrived right behind mom. 
  
  

Mom says "I'm outta here!"
  
 

Mom, where did you go?  I wanted some too!
  

Here's the little family on an Advanced Pole System decorative branch.  
  
  

With the way the weather has changed (see my Rain Into Snow post), I hope this late little family is still doing fine.

 

Squirrels: Missing in Action

 

 

For most of the summer, our Grey and Red Squirrels have been missing in action.

Chipmunks are plentiful, but the squirrels are GONE!  Only a single Red Squirrel has been seen over the last couple months.

I asked Ward Stone, NYS Wildlife Pathologist, on his WAMC radio show, "In Our Backyard".  He wasn't sure what was happening.  He said natural food sources are low which may cause squirrels to be on the move.  I'm just surprised that they're nowhere to be seen, considering all the feeders we have around.

If you live in upstate New York, please let me know what your squirrel populations have been like lately.  Please include your location.  If I get enough information, I will pass it along to Ward Stone.

Wordless Wednesday

Rain Into Snow

The day started with a steady rain, soaking the many birds at the feeder.  Lots of juncos again, as well as nuthatches and woodpeckers, chickadees and jays, and this soaked goldfinch.

 
 

Look at how the jay on the right has a bulge in his throat, a sign that he has a bunch of seeds in his crop to be cached away for future use.

 

Here's some two-storied feeding with jays or chickadees up top eating seed and woodpeckers down below finishing off the Bark Butter.

 
 

The rain started picking up in mid-afternoon.

 
 

Then the temperature dropped a little and the snow started.  With big honkin' snowflakes.

 

All the white streaks in these photos are snow!

 
 

One soaked jay from a day of rain and snow!

 

Getting Ready for Project FeederWatch

I didn't spend too much time behind the camera today but I did keep an eye outside to "tune up" for Project FeederWatch that starts on November 8th.

Highlights include a Golden-crowned Kinglet (female) and lots of juncos.

 

Here's the activity in my yard for today:

Purple Finch  3
Black capped Chickadee  9
Red-breasted Nuthatch  1
Hairy Woodpecker  2
Mourning Dove  9
Blue Jay  4
Downy Woodpecker  1
Dark-eyed Junco  23
American Goldfinch  1
Fox Sparrow  1
Tufted Titmouse  2
Golden-crowned Kinglet  1
American Crow  1
Cedar Waxwing  1
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
American Robin  4

Species 16
Individuals  64

Project FeederWatch Season Starts November 8

Ithaca, NY - ­More than 100 studies have shown that getting closer to nature reduces stress and promotes a feeling of well-being in children and adults. So, filling feeders and counting the birds that visit may be just what the doctor ordered! For more than 20 years, that’s what participants in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Project FeederWatch have been doing-­benefitting themselves and the birds.

"It is a great winter time activity for the whole family," says Alaska FeederWatcher Nancy Darnell. "If you have children, they will come to love watching the birds. All of this is fun and a chance to contribute to scientific studies, too!"

The 2008-09 season of Project FeederWatch gets underway November 8 and runs through April 3. Participants count the numbers and kinds of birds at their feeders each week and send the information to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Participants submitted more than 115,000 checklists during the 2007-08 FeederWatch season, documenting unusual bird sightings, winter movements, and shifting ranges-­a treasure-trove of information that scientists use to monitor the health of the birds and of the environment.
 
“Being a FeederWatcher is easy and fun, and at the same time helps generate the world’s largest database on feeder-bird populations,” says project leader David Bonter. “We are grateful for the contributions our participants have made for the birds and are proud of the joy they say it brings to their busy lives. Since we started in 1987, more than 40,000 people have submitted observations, engaging with the wildlife beyond their windows.”

Scientists learn something new from the data each year, too, whether it’s about the movements of common backyard birds or unusual sightings of rarely-seen species. Highlights of the most recent season include the largest southward movement of Red-breasted Nuthatches in the history of the project­-part of an expected influx of northern birds that fly farther south when their food supplies run short. Other northern species showing up in record numbers included Common Repolls and Pine Siskins. Among the rare birds reported was a Streak-backed Oriole in Loveland, Colorado-­the state’s first report of this bird, native to Mexico. A December nor’easter deposited a Dovekie in Newton, Massachusetts, the first time this North Atlantic seabird has ever been reported to Project FeederWatch.
 
Long-term data show some species increasing in number, such as the Lesser Goldfinch in the Southwest. Other populations continue a downward trend, such as the Evening Grosbeak throughout their range. Once one of the most common species seen at feeders in the northern half of the continent, the grosbeaks are declining for unknown reasons.
 
Beyond the benefits to birds and science, however, is the benefit to participants. “Nature is not merely an amenity; it is critical to healthy human development and functioning,” says Nancy Wells, Cornell University assistant professor of design and environmental analysis. Her studies find that a view of nature through the window or access to the environment in any way improves a child’s cognitive functioning and reduces the negative effects of stress on the child’s psychological well-being. Wells also notes that when children spent time with nature early in life it carries over to their adult attitudes and behavior toward the environment.
 
Project FeederWatch welcomes participants of all ages and skill levels, from scout troops and retirees to classrooms and nature center visitors. To learn more and to sign up, visit www.feederwatch.org or call the Lab toll-free at (800) 843-2473. In return for the $15 fee ($12 for Lab members) participants receive the FeederWatcher’s Handbook, an identification poster of the most common feeder birds in their area, a calendar, complete instructions, and the FeederWatch annual report, Winter Bird Highlights. 

CHECK OUT THESE PROJECT FEEDERWATCH RESOURCES: 

New York Top 25 Most Frequently Reported Feeder Birds, 2007-2008 Season

Educator/Home School Resources

Tricky Bird IDs

• Sharp-shinned Hawk and Cooper's Hawk
• Downy Woodpecker and Hairy Woodpecker
• House Finch and Purple Finch
• Chipping Sparrow and American Tree Sparrow

Participant Photos

Bird Feeder Cam at Cornell

Busy Dark-eyed Juncos

  If their activity so far this fall is any indication, we're in for a very strong Dark-eyed Junco winter.

 

They have been 12 to 18 of them around all the time now. They were especially busy yesterday in the cold rain.

 

I spread WBU Deluxe Blend on the ground especially for the juncos.  Deluxe blend has millet in it, which these relatives of the sparrow family enjoy.  I even add extra millet to the blend for them.

 

These ground feeding birds will eat suet (they love Bark Butter when spread at the base of a tree), but they aren't particularly adept at clinging to suet feeders like this suet log. Yet they were working hard the other day to get to the high-fat suet inside.

 
 
 

With our higher elevation (1300 feet), juncos are year-round residents here.  But their numbers fluctuate widely.  In late winter 2007, we had juncos numbers in the hundreds.  In fact, my Junco Jungle post (my first official post on The Zen Birdfeeder) talked about the influx of juncos in my yard.

 

I hope we have another season like that one - it'll make for a great Project Feeder Watch season. I'll keep you posted.

 

When do you see juncos in your area?  Are they year-round or seasonal residents?  What do they eat in your yard?

A Productive Day in the Yard

It's been at least 5 years since I planted bulbs in the fall, but something possessed me to order some for planting this year.  I ordered them from John Scheepers, Inc., a company I've always had good luck with and that has a great selection of bulbs for my zone 4 yard.

Here's what I planted:
Magic Carpet Tulip mixture (25) - double tulips that will bloom in mid-April.  I planted these in an inner circle around the plum tree.
Allium mixture (100) - a low growing mix of white, yellow, and fuschia allium that will bloom April/May.  I planted these in the outer circle around the plum tree.
Gold Medal Narcissus mixture (50) - a wide variety to ensure a long flowering period in April/May.  I planted these in 4 groupings in the front bed.
Crocus tommasinianus Lilac Beauty (50) - star-shaped soft lilac that will bloom late March/early April.  I planted these above the narcissus in hopes that the chipmunks will leave them alone.
Iris reticulata mix (100) - low growing, mixed colors that will bloom in early April.  I planted these in 4 groups in the deck bed and 3 groups out near Jess' grave.

I'm excited to have FINALLY put some bulbs in the ground again and am already looking forward to next spring when they bloom for the first time.  I'll share photos when they do.

We had our first of the fall season Fox Sparrow yesterday October 21.  Last year, the first Fox Sparrow appeared on October 20, so they were right on time.  In looking at my notes from last year, I also noted that seven Evening Grosbeaks came through on October 20.  And the feeders in my yard were not exactly grosbeak-friendly! 

My feeder with catch-a-seed tray were damaged by the bear back in May, and I hadn't replaced that setup which the grosbeaks really seemed to prefer.  So today I put up a recycled plastic feeder with a catch-a-seed tray underneath.

 

They are all mounted on a WBU Advanced Pole System mounting setup with baffle that will keep the squirrels off.  The tray keeps the ground under the feeder clean and provides a large feeding surface for the grosbeaks, as well as for juncos, cardinals, sparrows, and others.  Birds also love the perching branch to approach the feeder and to open seeds on.

I also took in the copper birdbath dish and put out our heated birdbath.  The water in the copper bath has frozen over a couple nights already.

Notice the heavy taping of the connection between the birdbath cord and the extension cord.  I wrap the connection in electrical tape, wrap it in a baggie, then seal it with another layer of electrical tape.  This prevents moisture from getting into the connection.  This is the most common cause of heated birdbath "failure".  I leave the wrap on year-round since I just remove the entire bath and replace it with a copper tray for the summer.

We had light snow flurries today and the daytime high only reached 42 degrees.  Sweetie, the female Downy Woodpecker, has again started to use the birdhouse as a winter roost.

All are signs of the coming winter.  Take time now to put the finishing touches on your yard and get your birdfeeding stations ready for the long, cold winter which is just around the corner!

Book Review: For the Birds - A Month-by-Month Guide to Attracting Birds to Your Backyard

For the Birds - A Month-by-Month Guide to Attracting Birds to Your Backyard is the first book by three sisters, Anne and Mary Schmauss and Geni Krolick, who also happen to own Wild Birds Unlimited shops in New Mexico. New Mexico is thousands of miles from upstate New York, so I was interested on how their book would play for birdfeeders in the northeast.

Fortunately, the authors hail from northern Illinois and have fed birds in Minnesota and Missouri as well.  This broad exposure has helped them write a book that is as useful in New York as it is in New Mexico.  Though the book contains some minor discrepancies in timing for us in the northeast, the book will be useful to birdfeeding hobbyists all across the country.

For the Birds starts with a Basics section that reviews the four essential elements to hosting birds and other wildlife in our yards: Food, Water, Nesting, and Habitat. It presents a good overview of the different foods and types of feeders available, how to present water, nesting and nest box basics, and guidelines to provide a suitable habitat.

The book then proceeds with a monthly discussion of:

• What birds to look for
• What food to offer including seeds, suet, mealworms, fruit, and nectar
• Water needs and options
• Nesting activities and needs
• Habitat reminders
• Quick tips
• "Sisters' Tips", fun reminders from each of the 3 authors
• Kids Projects (a great way to get kids interested in the hobby!)
• Notes Section (good for tracking the comings and goings in your yard over the years)

This systematic approach to attracting birds serves as a reminder of the need for food, water, nesting, and suitable habitat every month of the calendar year. The book does an excellent job of addressing not only WHAT to offer, but HOW to offer it, WHEN to do it, WHAT NOT to do, and what to expect.

The advice will help beginners get started, know what to expect, and how to maintain their backyard bird habitat month by month.  Experienced birdfeeders will find tips on how to attract non-seed eating birds such as robins (with water), creepers (with suet), and buntings (with millet) as well as how to fine-tune their birdfeeding stations to attract some of the more finicky birds like orioles.  

The book concludes with a Troubleshooting section that addresses common problems such as squirrels, messy seed, and rodents, as well as a disclaimer that essentially reminds me of a lesson in zen acceptance: nature happens.

The book is visually pleasing, with a large, square format and flat paper stock that shows off the wonderful photography well.

I'd recommend reading the book from start to finish initially, but to also keep the book handy to re-read each month's section as you attract birds throughout the year.

Follow just one suggestion each month from For the Birds and I think you will be able to continually enhance your enjoyment of this great hobby.  For the Birds has something for everyone, especially the birds!

For the Birds - A Month-by-Month Guide to Attracting Birds to Your Backyard
by Anne Schmauss, Mary Schmauss, and Geni Krolick
Published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang  2008
ISBN 978-1-58479-717-3
$19.95
Available at WBU-Saratoga Springs

More Bathing Birds

Toni of "A Spattering" blog and I seem to have been on the same wavelength lately.  A couple weeks ago, we both posted about birds enjoying spent summer blooms (my October 6th "Leave Summer Blooms for the Birds" post and Toni's October 7th "Natures Food" post).  And just this week, I posted "A Little Post-Bath Preening..." and Toni posted "Birdbath".  If you haven't checked out her blog, please take a moment and follow any of the links to her blog.  She is a talented watercolor artist (my favorite medium) and does wonderful work with many bird images.

So, to carry on the bath theme, here's some of the birds that visited my birdbaths in mid- to late-summer.

AUGUST
 
Hairy Woodpecker

SEPTEMBER
 
A Dark-eyed Junco who was followed immediately by a...

 
...Black capped Chickadee

  

  
Chipping Sparrows

  
Dark eyed Junco

  
Another junco fully into it.

OCTOBER
 
Tufted Titmouse 

It won't be long before I turn off the dripper, bring in the solar fountain, and plug in the heated birdbath.  As much as birds enjoy the water in the summer, they need an easy source of open water in the winter for drinking as well as bathing, and a heated birdbath can provide it for them.  If you don't have one already, you might want to consider a heated birdbath for your birds this winter.

A Little Post-bath Preening Works Wonders!

 
From soakin' wet....

 

 

 

 
.... to lookin' good!