The Zen Birdfeeder

What to Watch for in Your Yard - Fewer Hummingbirds

At this time of the summer - the month of July - as far as Ruby-throated Hummingbirds go, it may be more of what you're NOT seeing! You may see male hummingbirds now and then, grabbing a sip of nectar in between visits to nectar-bearing flowers and picking off the now plentiful insect and spider buffet.

Females, on the other hand, are busy girls and their visits to our feeders are noticeable fewer. Mother hummingbirds build their nest, which can take up to a week to 10 days to build. She will lay two eggs and she alone will incubate the eggs for over two weeks, spending more time on the nest than off. Once the eggs hatch, the naked young need to be brooded to regulate their temperature, so mom spends a great deal of the day on the nest for about another two weeks. And of course, she has to keep them fed, so she quickly seeks out insects and high quality nectar sources and returns to the nest to regurgitate it for her hungry pair.

She, like other avian nest-tenders, is totally dedicated to the success of her young. So while you may be seeing a little less of her right now, come August she'll reward the patient amongst us with two beautiful hummingbirds, who will make it one of the most amazing months to watch hummingbirds.

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How to Help 3 Nestboxes Full of Chickadees

I'm so thrilled to have 3 active Black-capped Chickadee nests in my yard. Each of those nestboxes has 7 eggs in them, for a total of 21 eggs!

While I love having 21 future chickadees in my boxes, and would LOVE to brag about them here, and on Facebook and Twitter, I'm always cautious because there are many things that could happen to those 21 chickadees before they leave the box (not to mention the dangers AFTER they fledge! But that's another post.) A few of those things are out of my control, but many are within my control.

I know there are some specific actions I can choose to do that will increase the likelihood that the nestboxes in my yard will successfully fledge their young. And I think I've done most if not all the things that I can. Here's what I've done:

• My nestboxes are mounted on poles placed outside the jumping distance of squirrels and protected with squirrel baffles.
• My nestboxes have port hole protectors so the holes can't be chewed or pecked larger and allow larger birds or predators inside.
• All nestboxes are in areas with little human disturbance. There are trees and shrubs nearby to provide shelter if needed.
• My nestboxes have drainage holes as well as ventilation slots to help keep the in-house environment safe for mom and babies.
• I provided an easy source of safe nesting material to help parent birds conserve energy during nest construction.
• I don't use chemicals on my yard or in my gardens.
• My cat is kept indoors.
• I provide a wide range of fresh, quality birdfood, especially those high in protein and fat, to help parent birds easily supplement their nutritional needs. I also maintain 4 birdbaths for an easy source of water to drink and bathe in.
• I will add live mealworms to my food offerings once the eggs have hatched, providing an easy source of supplemental protein for parent birds to feed the young nestlings.
• When conducting nestbox checks for NestWatch, I check in the middle of the day, I avoid attracting predators, and I make my visits quick.

But things can happen that are out of my control that could make one or more of these nests fail:

• A parent bird could die, from predation, injury, or from natural causes.
  
  • Loss of the mother bird during incubation or in the first week or so after hatching could prove fatal to the eggs/nestlings since only the female will incubate and brood the naked nestlings.
  • Loss of the father would force the mother to spend more time off the nest which would endanger the eggs/nestlings.
  • A loss of either parent during the nestling stage could put the young birds at risk of starvation if the surviving parent can't provide enough food.
• One or more eggs could just not be viable, for whatever reason.
• Weather could turn cold and/or wet, which could make it difficult to keep the eggs or nestlings warm and dry. It might also reduce the availability of insects to feed the young.
• Insects could infest the nestbox.
• Weather could turn extremely hot, making it difficult for mom chickadee to keep eggs or nestlings at the proper temperature.

So while I'm very excited at the thought of seeing 21 chickadees fledge, I'll keep my expectations in check. I've done all the things I can do to ensure success, but it is a tough world out there and even my best laid plans could be set off course by bad weather or a skilled hawk. But I will keep you posted!

Shop Wild Birds Unlimited - Saratoga Springs NY or online for the safe nestboxes, port protectors, and mounting hardware described in this post.

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Mystery Egg on a Feeder

Here's an interesting conversation we recently had on our Wild Birds Unlimited Facebook Page:

June:
Who might have laid an egg on my flat feeder??? Help!!!!

WBU: 
How interesting! First time I've seen that!
Well, because it is still really early in breeding season, because it is at a birdfeeder and a flat surfaced one, I looked up Mourning Dove.  Doves are prolific breeders, starting early and finishing late every season. They lay a white egg which is just over 1" long.
Now why it got laid here is unknown! Kind of like having a baby on the way to the hospital? Or did a nest-robbing predator bird deposit/drop it here?
A very interesting observation, June!

June:
I went to show my husband the egg and it had been moved to the corner and surrounded by seeds and a morning dove had just been on the feeder.

WBU:
Any chance you've seen their nest nearby? Try to watch where they fly or listen for a "coo" call. If it's low enough, you could try placing it in the nest.

The next day....
WBU:
June, any luck or news to report today?

June:
After my last text to you, the dove was back and when I looked again, the egg was gone. Could it have taken it? It wasn't on the ground because it would have hit our blacktop driveway 2 stories below if it was pushed off the feeder?

WBU:
Most likely some bird removed it. I wouldn't venture a guess who.
The egg initially could've been laid by an inexperienced bird. Hopefully she'll choose a better spot next time!

Thanks to June S. for sharing her observation and pictures. It was a very interesting observation!

Here Come the Girls!

Our female Red-winged Blackbirds returned today, more than 3 weeks after the males returned.

This is a fairly common migration strategy amongst migrating birds, with the male birds returning to breeding grounds ahead of the females. This approach gives the males time to establish territory.

You'll witness males return before the females in familiar backyard birds such as Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Dark-eyed Juncos, Gray Catbirds, House Wrens, Eastern Phoebes, Chipping Sparrows, Baltimore Orioles, and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks.

It's nice to know that when the males of these species return, females (and the nesting season) are not far behind!

Blue Jay Bully at Work

 

Redpolls...Better Late than Never!

Ever since I read Ron Pittaway's Winter Finch Forecast back in September, I've been looking forward to the arrival of Common Redpolls.  In prior irruption years, they'd arrive in mid-December to early-January.  But this year, only a single Pine Siskin was showing up, and somewhat irregularly at that.

But with the arrival of our last few snowfalls and single-digit temps, the redpolls have finally arrived!

Like in prior years, the size of the flocks have been increasing, from around 12-15 early on, to 30-ish a couple days ago, to a high count of 53 during today's daylong snowstorm.  American Goldfinches are still abundant as well, flocking right in with their finch cousins.

I'm hoping they're around at least through March.  I promise to keep the niger feeders filled for them!

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My Take: Common Birds in Steep Decline 2014

As backyard bird enthusiasts, we are not often faced with the idea that one of our favorite birds is in trouble from a conservation standpoint. Chickadees and jays, goldfinches and cardinals...they all seem to be so plentiful. Nothing could take them away from us, right?

Experts are constantly studying bird populations and each year, they publish The State of the Birds report.  Here is a page from the 2014 report identifying some of the most common birds - birds that are not on any watch list (yet?) - but that have been experiencing rapid population declines.

"These birds have lost more than half their global population, and the 33 species combined
have lost hundreds of millions of breeding individuals in just the past 40 years."  

(click on image to enlarge for easier reading)

Take a moment to look through this list of birds. Take them in, one by one, asking yourself these 3 questions.  I'd love it if you shared your answers in the comments:

Which birds have I personally seen?
Long-tailed Duck
Northern Bobwhite
Purple Gallinule
Herring Gull
Black Tern
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Snowy Owl
Short-eared Owl
Common Nighthawk
Chimney Swift
Loggerhead Shrike
Horned Lark
Bank Swallow
Blackpoll Warbler
Field Sparrow
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Pine Siskin

Have any of them visited my yard?
Blackpoll Warbler
Field Sparrow
Common Grackle
Pine Siskin

Are there any that really surprise me because it seems like they're so abundant or seemingly common that they just CAN'T be in trouble?
Herring Gull
Chimney Swift
Blackpoll Warbler
Common Grackle
Pine Siskin

We just spent a couple months at our Wild Birds Unlimited shop commemorating the loss of a massively abundant bird, the Passenger Pigeon.  The loss of that bird, which used to number in the billions, is a lesson that no population of birdlife is too big to lose.

This report clearly shows that bird declines are not only occuring in rare birds or birds whose habitat or food needs are very specific.  Declines are occuring in our own backyard.

All of us can play the role of bird conservationist, whether it is making decisions about our own habitats or contacting officials that manage lands and development, or keeping cats indoors and our windows bird-safe, or contributing financially to support the work of conservation and bird research organizations like the American Bird Conservancy, the National Audubon Society, and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, to name a few.

Let's all do our part to keep these birds, and all birds, from disappearing.  Every bird we lose makes our world a sadder, duller, and quieter place to live.

Here's a link to The State of the Birds 2014 report.

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FAQ: Can I Keep Bird Feathers I Find on the Ground?

Q: Can I Keep Bird Feathers I Find on the Ground? 

A:  No, It is illegal to keep the feathers of most of our native birds.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 was put in place to protect birds, and it "makes it illegal to take, possess, import, export, transport, sell, purchase, barter, or offer for sale, purchase, or barter, any migratory bird, or the parts, nests, or eggs" of native birds unless you have a permit to do so. That includes feathers found on the ground, nests even after used, and eggs that never hatched. They are interesting and informative to look at, but all should be left as you found them.

Source: US Fish and Wildlife Service

Chickadee NestWatch 2014 - Final Report #4

Just a quick final report on my last Black-capped Chickadee nestbox.  I watched the box on and off on the morning of their expected fledge date of June 24th, their 18th day in the nest. I didn't see any signs of nestlings thinking about leaving, like peeking out the nest hole, or parents coaxing them. I had to leave for work around 1:00pm, still hosting a box full of chickadees.

I didn't get home until after dark, so I had to wait until morning to check if they had fledged. When I peeked through the top, I saw the nest was still full of little chickadees.  But within a few hours, it started to look like today was the day!

 

Mom and dad weren't entering the box as often, and then the first little chickadee stepped up to look out at the big world outside the box. He quickly turned and went back in to the safety of his nest.

I kept an eye and ear on the nest, listening and watching for the sound of adults beckoning the chickadees to fledge.  When I heard the adult call, it was followed by a chorus of scratchy little calls emanating from inside the box.  Within a couple hours, the fledging had begun.

I got to see two leave the box. Others were easy to find in nearby trees, calling that scratchy, high-pitched little "che-bee" call.  I also knew it was one of the six when I saw a chickadee taking short little flights ending with clumsy landings.

 

One flew across our small yard to the front of the greenhouse and held on for dear life to a rubber gasket. He eventually had the sense to take the short flight to the roof, but the slight pitch there made his initial landing tough. Everything has to be learned for these little guys!

 

The young ones are just too cute for words! The feathers on the top of their heads stand up on end. They have a stubby little tail. And in varying degrees, they all have clown lips, where the corners of their beaks are still yellow and soft.

But in no time, their fluffiness will be gone. They'll grow out their tail feathers and lose those clown lips too.  In just a matter of weeks, they'll be unidentifiable amongst the flock of identical-looking chickadees raiding our birdfeeders.

 

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FAQ: Are there Fewer Hummingbirds this Year?

Q. I'm not seeing many hummingbirds? Are there fewer hummingbirds around this year? 

A. We will always see fluctuations in the number of hummingbirds coming to feeders in some portion of North America every year. But based on past experiences and the lack of any reports of "catastrophic" events that would have effected hummingbird populations, we believe the lack of activity you might be experiencing at your feeders is most often tied to weather and it's impact on the abundance and quality of the plants that provide natural nectar sources.

In areas experiencing prolonged, multiple year drought, we have seen much reduced activity at feeders as hummingbirds continue their migration to avoid areas that are almost completely devoid of nectar plants. They will not take a chance on nesting in areas with such extreme conditions. In contrast, once established on their breeding ground during a normal weather year, a short term summer drought seems to drive hummingbirds to feeders as their sources of plant nectar begin to dry up.

Due to favorable weather conditions this year, the Eastern portion of the US has been experiencing one of its best growing seasons in years. The widespread abundance of nectar plants is providing a tremendous natural food supply for hummingbirds which reduces their activity at our feeders. It also allows them the advantage of being able to spread out their breeding territories into areas that may not have been able to support them in less favorable years. So there may be fewer hummingbirds at any given location than in previous years, but the overall population is stable...just distributed over a wider area.

During the height of the nesting season, female hummingbirds are hard a work at the nest - incubating, brooding, feeding 1-2 nestlings. Throughout that process, we typically see a little less of the adult females. But that changes once the young fledge, when females and young make frequent visits to quality nectar sources. Make sure your feeders are clean and the nectar is fresh so that your feeders are amongst the nectar sources they choose to visit!

The majority of this material was provided by WBU Chief Naturalist, John Schaust.

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