The Zen Birdfeeder

Happy Halloween!!

 

What a Difference a Year Makes

I just got back from a short weekend trip to the Boston area and had a lot of birdfeeder filling to do on Monday morning.  The two hopper feeders - empty.  Three suet logs - just empty holes.  Peanuts - drained.  Squirrel-proof Eliminator - empty.  Seed stackables - gone.  Niger seed - 3/4 gone.

And that was just over a 3-day weekend.  What a change from the autumn of 2009!

In mid-September last year, we traveled to Ohio for the Midwest Birding Symposium.  We were going to be gone 5 days or so, so we loaded up all the birdfeeders.  Hoppers and tube feeders were filled to the brim and suet feeders stocked. Our aces-in-the-hole were three large 4-1/2 pound Supreme Fare cylinders, a great birdfood choice when you're going to be away from home for a number of days.

Imagine our surprise when we returned home and most of the feeders were still full!  What was going on??

Mid-September 2009 marked the beginning of a long period of extremely SLOW activity at birdfeeders.  The questions started and not a day went by when store customers didn't ask, "what happened to my birds?"  And it was not only here in eastern New York state - it impacted backyard birdfeeders all along the eastern seaboard from Maine to Massachusetts to New Jersey.  Disappointed homeowners were asking local WBU storeowners and even Massachusetts Audubon, "where are my birds??"

I had no less than 5 posts that touched on the subject, including "Top 5 Reasons Birds Stop Visiting Your Feeders" (Sep 24), "Just Beyond the Birdfeeders" (Oct 7), "A Look inside a Pine Cone" (Oct 26), "Plentiful Berries for the Birds" (Nov 30), and "Where are my Redpolls?" (Feb 11).  The slowdown lasted an agonizing 6-7 months, relief coming only as nesting activities started in the spring of this year.

White Pine cone and its seeds - Fall 2009

Last year, I posted pictures of bountiful natural food supplies, pine trees loaded with seed-laden cones, oak trees full of acorns, fruit-bearing trees and shrubs weighted down with berries. There was such a bounty that it didn't become depleted as the winter wore on, and birds feasted on these natural food supplies and were spending very little time at birdfeeders.

Bittersweet berries (top)
White Pine (bottom)
Fall 2009

The only "light at the end of the tunnel" came in an assurance from WBU Inc. Chief Naturalist John Schaust that the next winter would be better - trees and shrubs seldom have two such bountiful seed- and fruit-bearing years in a row.

And he seems to be right.  Here's a picture of the same white pine that is shown above just laden with pine cones.  This year?  No cones to be seen.  There are few berries on the Mountain Ash and the bittersweet.  No crunching of pine cones on the ground beneath my feet.

White Pine treetops - Fall 2010

And the birds?  Well, they're back in force.  Large winter flocks of chickadees, nuthatches, titmice have formed.  Extended families of Blue Jays are porkin' out on high-fat peanuts faster than the fans at Fenway.  Pine Siskins are joining goldfinches to crowd the finch feeders.  Juncos blanket the ground with migrating native sparrows.  And instead of "where are my birds?", we're hearing the lament, "they're eating me out of house and home!"  What a difference a year does make!!

   

Siskins and Goldfinch share a feeder - Fall 2010

Dwarfed by a Leaf

This image just really struck me because it shows just how small warblers really are.

This is a fall migrating Black-throated Green Warbler that passed through my yard in late September.  It is perched on a poplar tree and the leaf makes the warbler look teeny.  Black-throated greens are among the smaller warblers, measuring in at only 5" long.  

Wordless Wednesday

Mudslinger

Fox Sparrow

The Other Kinglet

About the same time that a few Ruby-crowned Kinglets were foraging my yard for insects, I also had a visit from the other kinglet, the Golden-crowned Kinglet.


Unlike the ruby-crowned, this spritely little gal isn't shy at all about showing off its namesake yellow cap. 

As small as the Ruby-crowned Kinglet is, the golden-crowned is even a tad smaller!  But they share those toothpick-like legs and orangish feet.  And they both are perpetual motion machines, always moving in search of insects.


There were lots of reports of kinglets in the area this fall and I was lucky enough to have a visit from both species. Now if only they would hold still for just a second or two for a nice photograph!

Rufous Hummingbird Sighting in Saratoga County NY

Our Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have been gone for almost a month now; the last we heard was seen around September 24th or so.  So the report of a hummingbird on the Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club birdline certainly piqued my interest!

Local birding expert Rich Guthrie reported the sighting of a possible Rufous Hummingbird on October 24.  He personally checked it out, then called in a licensed bander, and sure enough, it was confirmed that we have a female Rufous Hummingbird in our area!  Be sure to read Rich's interesting post about Rufous Hummingbird sightings in the east and how hard these birds are to positively identify.


The homeowner was gracious about opening his property to observers and I had the opportunity to view the hummingbird today, October 25th. During the 20 minutes I was there, the hummingbird visited the feeder a number of times and perched from a couple favorite tree limbs.



She has been around since about the first week of October and has withstood temperatures as low as the upper 20s. While she was a joy to see, I hope she moves on soon before the temperatures dip much lower.  Safe travels!


Another special thanks to the generous homeowner for sharing this special bird with all of us!  Good thing he still had a filled, clean feeder out!

UPDATE NOVEMBER 5, 2010
A message from the homeowner where the rufuous was seen:  "The little Rufous was last seen at our feeder at 7:10 yesterday morning (2 Nov).  It was a bright sunny day for flying, and we wish her safe travels.  I'll keep my feeder up, just in case."
Another BIG thank you to our hummingbird host for taking care of this special bird and for keeping us posted on her journey.

ADDENDUM:  Any hummingbird visiting feeders in the east in late October, November, and December should be checked for this species. (Peterson Birds of Eastern/Central North America - Fifth Edition).
If a Rufous Hummingbird is documented anywhere in New York state, the report should be submitted to the NYS Avian Records Committee.

Top 5 Peanut Patrons

The shelled peanuts in my mesh peanut feeder have been going down like crazy! 

Here are my Top 5 Peanut Patrons.

Red-breasted Nuthatch


Tufted Titmouse


White-breasted Nuthatch
 

Blue Jay


Black-capped Chickadee

Peanuts are a high-fat treat that many birds love, especially as temperatures start to decline and their energy needs increase.  Peanuts are a great addition to any birdfeeding station and your birds will love your for it!

Snowman Peanut Feeder available seasonally.

Wordless Wednesday

Mirror Image

A Wonderful Warbler Day

Yesterday I shared the features I have on my property that make it attractive to migrating birds.  Late in September, those features helped attract a wonderful variety of migrating birds to my yard, and I had one of the best warbler/migrant days I can remember.  And I never walked more than 20 yards from my front door!

Black-throated Blue Warbler

It was September 24th, an unseasonably warm day following a clear night (the fall equinox with a full moon and a brilliant planet Jupiter with four moons visible).  I didn't have to go into the store until evening so I had almost the full day to enjoy 21 different bird species in my yard.

Migrating Warblers

Black-throated Green Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Pine Warbler

The Black-throated Blue Warbler really put on a show, foraging for quite a long time looking for insects. Three Black-throated Greens also enjoyed a  high-protein insect buffet.  The Pine Warbler was in pursuit of high-fat food sources, going after Bark Butter and suet in the suet log. Three Yellow-rumps and a Nashville rounded out the group of warblers.

Two Black-throated Green Warblers


Pine Warbler enjoying Bark Butter


Nashville Warbler


Yellow-rumped Warbler

Other Migrants

Blue-headed Vireo
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Chipping Sparrow
Rose-breasted Grosbeak

The Ruby-crowned Kinglets continue to enjoy insects in the yard - they've been here for well over a week now.  And while our breeding Chipping Sparrows and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks moved on weeks ago, migrants continue to pass through at our busy feeders.  A large tray feeder with lots of activity makes it easy for migrating birds to find a food source in my yard.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet


Chipping Sparrow


Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Year-round Birds

Blue Jay
Mourning Dove
Hairy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
Dark-eyed Junco
Unidentified Hawk

Red-breasted Nuthatch

We had a visit from a Pileated Woodpecker, which happens quite infrequently, so it was a pleasant surprise.  The nuthatches, titmice, and chickadee flock seems to get bigger and busier by the day.  And an unidentified hawk (sharpie or Cooper's) passed through the area, giving us a show of an accipiter hunting prey on the wing.  Of what we saw, he came up empty-handed.

It was a day we're not likely to forget and one that already has me looking forward to spring migration!

Invite Migratory Birds to your Yard

It's difficult to not get excited during spring and fall migration.  On any given day during these migration seasons, you have the chance of seeing a non-resident bird use your yard as a stopover spot.

Black & White Warbler

At either end of their journey could be locations as diverse as British Columbia and Mexico, or the Yukon Territories and Venezuela.  In between, birds rely on stopover points when weather and/or need for food and rest brings birds down for a day or two or maybe longer.  They use this time to rest, rehydrate, and to replenish fat reserves for the next leg of their journey.

Fox Sparrow

 

There are famous stopover points across the US, like Cape May NJ, known for their fallouts created by favorable geography, coupled with the habitat and abundant food and water resources needed by migrating birds.  But you don't have to be in Cape May to see migrating birds, especially if your property provides what birds need during a migratory stop: shelter, food, and water. The more diverse these resources are on your property, the greater your chances of seeing a variety of migrating birds.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

My yard provides a diverse habitat - many species of deciduous trees of various heights, a variety of coniferous trees, many shrubs and bushes, and lots of low cover.  I don't use pesticides of any type so insects are plentiful and for the frugivores, there are crab apples, mountain ash, holly, juniper, bittersweet, sumac, and more.  Besides my numerous birdfeeders filled with a variety of seeds, nuts, and suet, I have 2 birdbaths out year-round (more in the summer) since I don't have a natural water source on the property.

Mountain Ash berries

This diversity of habitat and food and water sources is not just for the migrant birds - our everyday birds rely on these resources as well.  And while the everyday birds in our lives provide reliable enjoyment on a day in and day out basis, having a Ruby-crowned Kinglet or Blue-headed Vireo visit your yard for a day or two in spring or fall adds to our yard that variety which we call the "spice of life"!