The Zen Birdfeeder

A "Great" Backyard Bird Count

Like thousands of other folks across the continent, I just wrapped up a weekend of counting the birds for the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). This was my 7th year participating in the count.

I was able to count some all four days; Saturday and Sunday I only had a couple hours available before heading into the shop, but on Friday and Monday I was around all day to count.

I saw 16 different species of birds that I was able to report, including all the regulars:  Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, Hairy and Downy Woodpecker, Tufted Titmouse, Red- and White-breasted Nuthatch, Mourning Dove, Dark-eyed Junco, American Goldfinch, and Northern Cardinal.

 

But it's always the less frequent birds that you love to have show up for the count, and I had a few of them this year. The male Red-bellied Woodpecker that has been frequenting my feeders since the beginning of February showed up to be counted everyday. While red-bellieds are becoming more common in upstate New York, for me they've been very infrequent, with only 4 prior sightings before this current stay. Let's hope he sticks around, establishes a territory, and finds a mate this breeding season!

 

This winter has also brought regular visits from 2-3 American Tree Sparrows, present since the end of December. This is the first time they've ever been included in my GBBC.

 

Purple Finches nest prolifically in my yard during the summer and regularly depart in the fall. But a small group of these gorgeous finches have returned to my yard this winter, first seen a couple weeks ago and showing up everyday for the GBBC. This was the first time I've been able to include these birds in my GBBC.

 

Since the end of December, I've had 2 Brown Creepers around somewhat regularly. I was excited with the thought of them showing up to be counted too. Three count days went by with no creepers. The morning of day 4 passes as well without any creepers. Finally, at 3:00pm on the final day, with only 2 hours or so of daylight left, 2 creepers showed up, spirally together up the big pine tree and foraging on the snow-covered ground. Just in time to be counted!

Species that showed up in bigger numbers included 23 Blue Jays, 16 goldfinches, and 11 chickadees. All in all, a nice bird count weekend, averaging 13 species and 52 individual birds each day. Another GBBC under the belt, but the counting continues...Project FeederWatch runs until early April!

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It's Slow Here in Project FeederWatch Land

One Half Hour of One Hundred Grackles

I was coming off a Project FeederWatch count that would depress even the most optimistic bird feeding enthusiast:  just 6 species and 17 individual birds observed over the 2-day count period.  I even wrote a blog post about it, predicting the rest of the season to be disappointing in number and diversity of birds.

But there had been minor changes in the weather since my last count.  Temperatures had turned much colder, with daytime highs just around freezing and overnight lows nearing single digits.  Patchy snow covered the ground.  Just north of us, a winter storm was in the forecast.  Changes like these are perfect to help turn bird feeding activity up a notch. 

I began my count just minutes after the 7:02am sunrise, and my initial look outside included 5 Blue Jays, 3 Black-capped Chickadees, a Dark-eyed Junco, and an American Goldfinch.  I was optimistic - I had ten birds by 7:05, when I only had seventeen in 12 hours of counting the week before!

Then around 7:15, the noise began.  "Kaak, kaak, kaak, kaak!", coming from the trees all around the house.  High in the pines in the back, they looked like big black ornaments, sometimes 3 or 4 to a branch, every branch.  In the maple to the east, they dotted every leafless limb.  They crowded the plum tree right off the corner of the deck.  At first, the Blue Jays perched amongst them, until the sheer number of intruders drove off even the most aggressive jay.  Yea, Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" did come to mind.

There were well over a hundred of them, Common Grackles on the move.  Grackles begin forming communal roosts in late summer, shortly after nesting, and typically migrate from our area in October and November.  Migrating flocks in flight can look like long ribbons in the sky.

I don't know where they came from, perhaps a roost just north of us.  Grackles leave their roosts at first light and these descended to my yard within 15 minutes of sunrise.  Maybe the winter storm in the forecast got them on the move and the jay activity in my yard alerted them to an easy food source before they took flight.

They descended from the trees and became a black moving carpet over the entire yard.  They crowded the gravel driveway, likely taking in grit to aid in digestion.

My best count: 163 Common Grackles

 

I count 114 grackles on the driveway, walk and corner of yard

Interestingly, they didn't crowd the bird feeders, they just foraged on the ground.  They were spooky, flying off to nearby trees with any movement, but returning to forage as soon as it seemed safe to return.

They didn't stay long, just 30 minutes or so.  But that's all it took to put on an impressive display, sending me off to find out more about this common but often underappreciated bird.

It's Slow Here in Project FeederWatch Land

After finishing my second week of Project FeederWatch, I tallied the sad results and came up with only 6 species and 17 individual birds over the two-day count.  It made me wonder what my counts have looked like in Week 2 of previous years and how those years turned out overall.

Bird activity has been very slow at my birdfeeders this fall, the product of a wet spring and warm summer that has provided wildlife, including birds, with a lot of natural food to feast upon.  This Week 2 (during the 3rd week of November),  I had only Black-capped Chickadees (albeit a fair number of them - 9), American Goldfinches (3), Mourning Doves (2), and one each of Red-breasted Nuthatch, Blue Jay, and Dark-eyed Junco.

My single Red-breasted Nuthatch

This second week was even slower than my first week, when I had 9 species and 36 individual birds visit my yard.  Oh, make that 35 individuals - I lost a Downy Woodpecker to a Cooper's Hawk that day.  :(

Prior Years' 2nd Week Tallies
2004-05        8  species, 19 individuals
2005-06        10 species, 51 individuals
2006-07        11 species, 41 individuals
2007-08        11 species, 53 individuals
2008-09        16 species, 64 individuals
2009-10        10 species, 92 individuals
2010-11        10 species, 28 individuals
2011-12        9  species, 47 individuals
2012-13        11 species, 59 individuals
Average        10.7 species, 50 individuals

2013-14        6  species, 17 individuals

Not only is the diversity of birds below average, the sheer number of birds at the feeders is way below average. 

The yard "regulars" that are MIA include White Breasted Nuthatches, Hairy Woodpeckers, and Downy Woodpeckers.  I haven't seen a Hairy Woodpecker in weeks!  And the birds here in smaller numbers than usual are the Blue Jays, Mourning Doves, and Dark-eyed Juncos.

In other years, some of these week 2 counts have included some migrants such as Fox Sparrows and Common Grackles, as well as some uncommon birds to my yard like Ruffed Grouse and Cedar Waxwings.

Ruffed Grouse

The other two PFW seasons that had lower than average Week 2 counts were 2004-05 and 2011-12. 

2004-05 finished with a high species count of 12 (average of 10) and a high individual count of 68 (average of 35) with 15 different species visiting over the season.  That season may have been influenced by the fact that we were just then getting into the heavy birdfeeding in our yard and it was my first year counting.

2011-12 finished with a high species count of 15 (average of 8.1) and a high individual count of 94 (average of 51) with 17 different species visiting over the season. 

Both these seasons finished below the average PFW counts (over 9 seasons) of 11 species and 71 individuals.

If I were to use this history as a predictor of what the remaining 13-17 counts might be, I would say that this will be a BELOW AVERAGE Project FeederWatch season at my birdfeeders here in upstate New York.  I will see not only fewer species but many fewer total birds.  To add to this grim prediction, Ron Pittaway's Winter Finch Forecast suggests that we won't see Pine Siskins or Common Redpolls in our area this winter because of plentiful natural food sources up in Canada.

My lesson here is that natural foods always trump the birdfeeders.  Birds will return to birdfeeders when natural foods are either covered up by snow/ice or when those foods are depleted.  Birds move to where the natural foods are plentiful.

Another important point is that I should (and will) continue my Project FeederWatch counts even during slow count periods.  The REAL scientists who know what they're doing will add my counts to all the thousands of others that come in and make sense of it all.  Here's what they say on the Project FeederWatch instructions:

"Remember if no birds visit your feeders, this information is important. The only way scientists know when birds are missing is if the people seeing no or very few birds tell us."

So I'll continue to count and continue to enter data, and hope my predictions are wrong.  Either way, I'll take great joy in the few birds I'm seeing out my window this winter.

ps: My final point to this post is the realization that I'm a real nerd.  But a real nerd untrained in math, or statistics, or science, which makes me a dangerous nerd.  But thanks for reading anyway!

 

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Less than Ideal Weather for Nests Full of Chickadees

The Black-capped Chickadee eggs that fill three of the nest boxes in my yard were laid during a warm dry period in May.  It seemed spring had really sprung - flower boxes were planted, and a tender basil plant was put in the ground.  Inside, the Pendleton Wool blanket was taken off my bed and the ceiling fan switched to summer mode.

I've gardened enough in our Zone 4 location to know that frosts are still a possibility through the end of May, but that didn't stop my optimism and excitement about 20 little speckled eggs.

But then the rains arrived.  And the cold.  The furnace kicked on and I had to dig out the fleece tops I had already packed away for the season.  And even though it hasn't been cold enough for a frost, there's been a bitter dampness that just chills you to the bone.  I'd almost rather have an overnight frost, at least the chill could be gone by midday.  But all-day rains and daytime temps in the 40s are downright miserable.  And that's being said from the warmth of my log home. 

Those 20 chickadee eggs aren't relying on a pellet stove (as I am right now), but on the insulating qualities of the 1" walls of a white pine box, a wood chip, moss, and animal fiber nest, and the warmth provided through the brood patch of a dedicated mother chickadee.

Throughout the wet and cold spell, I hoped that none of the eggs had hatched.  I'd think Mom would have a better chance of keeping eggs warm than keeping a clutch of hairless tiny nestlings warm.

My monitoring day for NestWatch was right in the middle of this awful weather, but I passed on checking the nests for fear of negatively impacting nesting success.   Cold wet weather can be deadly for baby birds. If my opening the box causes the nest to get wet, the eggs might cool too much and it would be even worse if the eggs have hatched.  If I keep mom off the eggs or chicks too long, again, they might get too cold.  Heck, I don't even take the lid off the Crockpot*, why would I open a nest box to the cold damp air?

Besides staying out of the nest boxes, I also offer live mealworms to the chickadee parents.  They take me up on my offer, using these easy pickins to help keep mom on the nest as much as possible, right where she belongs until temperatures rise and the rains let up.

The outside of the boxes are dark from the rains, and I hope the wood is dry on the inside.  I hear chickadees calling softly to one another, and see another at the feeder.  I remain optimistic.  But I can't say it's easy to NOT to check in on their progress.  The forecast is calling for one more day of rain and cool temps before warming up considerably in the days after that.  So the NestWatch checks will wait and I hope that the next few times I open each nest box, I'm greeted by a nest full of tiny pink chickadees, little warriors who survived the first curveball that nature threw their way.

 

* they say it takes 30 minutes to recover the heat lost by removing the lid of the Crockpot while cooking.

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Sexing a Chickadee (It's not what you think)

Quick!  Male or female?

Ok, too easy:  female Northern Cardinal. 
Try this one.  Girl or boy?

Right!  The red patch on back of the head tells us it's a male Hairy Woodpecker. 
Still too easy.  Try this one: girl or boy?

Got ya!  For most of us bird lovers who aren't lucky enough to hold a Black-capped Chickadee in our hand, we can't tell a girl chickadee from a boy chickadee just by looking at them.  Unless we see a chickadee as he sings the familiar "feebee" call (which only the male sings), we just live with it and accept it as one of the daily unknowns in bird watching.

But right now - during chickadee nesting time - we MAY be able to identify a male bird or a female bird.  One way requires a close and somewhat intimate observation of a hard-to-see physical attribute.  As a result, it might be really hard to accomplish.  The other way just requires close observation of behavior, albeit during a fairly short time frame, and is something we all can do with a little time, knowledge, and practice.

First the hard one.  During mating season, the male chickadee's external reproductive part - the cloaca - enlarges.  Swelling at the base of the cloaca that is most likely due to an accumulation of seminal fluid (as opposed to some other cause.) 

Identification Guide to North American Birds,
Peter Pyle

Folks who band birds (and have the benefit of having the bird in their hand) may then judge the degree of this enlargement on a 5 point scale.  They may feel confident calling the bird a male with a 2 or higher rating.

Out in nature, if you're able to get a good view of a chickadee's underside, you may see the cloacal protuberance and, based on the degree of enlargement, be able to identify it as a male.  There is a lot of judgement in this call, and doing it real-time versus looking at pictures may make it just about impossible. 

A side view is better than a straight on view.

With the help of an experienced bird bander, it was felt this bird is indeed a male chickadee.  Told ya - it's kind of hard, and I'm not sure I would (or should) make the call on my own.

 

Another visual that might be a clue is the presence of a brood patch, a spot on the female's lower belly area that lacks feathers, increasing the warmth that can be passed along to eggs during incubation.  Since only the female chickadee incubates eggs, seeing a brood patch might help identify the female.  This is not a large patch and it can sometimes be covered with surrounding feathers, so it too might be difficult to see.

Much easier is to watch the pair's behavior during the nesting season.  During that time, certain roles are assumed only by the female.  So if you observe two paired-up chickadees, you may be able to tell which one is the male and which is the female by their behaviors.

Here are the nesting behaviors that are unique to one or the other and which may give you a clear indication of sex:

• Only the female incubates the eggs.
• The male will call the female softly as he approaches the nest to feed her during the incubation period.  The female may exit the nest to get the food from the male.
• Only the female broods the newly hatched young, again with the male bringing food to the nest.

You have a limited period of time to catch these behaviors.  Incubation only lasts 12 days, and brooding of nestlings only lasts a few more days after that.  One of the best ways to have a chance is to participate in the Cornell Lab's NestWatch citizen science program, as you will likely observe behavior differences between the adults during one or more of your nest checks.

I really don't know why I have this fascination with determining the sex of a chickadee.  Maybe it's because it IS an unknown for most of the year, and unlocking the mystery is both a challenge and an adventure.  It doesn't change a thing, but for some reason, I look forward to the challenge each year.

 

Sources:  Julie Craves, Supervisor of Avian Research, Rouge River Bird Observatory and A Guide to Bird Behavior Vol. 1, Donald and Lillian Stokes  

And They're Off - Project FeederWatch Counting Begins

Today I started counting for the 2012-13 Project FeederWatch season.  This is my 8th season counting in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology citizen science project.

 

Common Redpoll

Evening Grosbeak

I think we'll have a great PFW season, especially with the possible irruption of Common Redpolls and Evening Grosbeaks.  I'll be keeping a eye out for Pine Grosbeaks and maybe even some White-winged Crossbills in the conifer trees.  I've even reviewed my field guide just in case those crossbills show up!  My everyday birds are already busy at the feeders, even on this unseasonably warm day that kicks off the season.

 

I hope you'll join me in counting the birds this winter.  Find out more at the Project FeederWatch site.  It'll be fun!

 

What's Going on with Birds - Early November

My outdoor thermometer this morning is reading 21 degrees, so there's a good reason that my birdbaths are frozen solid.  So I thought it would be a good time to talk about what's going on with birds in upstate New York yards right now.

My birdbath froze solid last night.
Makes it tough for the birds!

GET HEATED BIRDBATHS OUT

We've had some frosts and freezes already, so if you haven't already swapped out to your heated birdbath, you should get that done now.  Make sure to double wrap with electrical tape the connection between bath and extension cord - that is where most heated birdbath "failures" occur.  I even wrap it in a baggie and put another layer of tape.  This year, though, I'm converting to the new Lock n Dry® extension cord that seals the connection and eliminates the work.
Make sure clay and concrete baths are put in storage so they don't crack during freeze and thaw cycles.

NO SISKINS

Pine Siskins seem to have moved on from many area yards but American Goldfinches are still numerous and busy.  Give your niger seed loose by giving the feeder a shake and make sure it's fresh to keep your goldfinches happy.

 

Dark-eyed Junco eating Bark Butter
at our WBU Double Decker Feeder

BIRDS CALORIC NEEDS INCREASE

As days get shorter and temperatures go down, birds have to take in more calories in a shorter period of time.  Add more high-calorie birdfoods to your offerings like suet, Bark Butter, peanuts, shelled sunflower seeds, and No-mess Blend (birds expend fewer calories eating seeds without a shell.)

NO MORE CHIPMUNKS!

Eastern Chipmunks have gone into hibernation but may emerge during warm spells.

PROJECT FEEDERWATCH STARTS NOVEMBER 10

If you watch the birds in your yard, why not count them for science?  Read up about Project FeederWatch then join me in being a citizen scientist this winter!

Are We In for a Great Birdfeeding Season? I'm Thinkin' So!

There are a number of good signs out there that this may turn into a very good fall and winter for us bird feeders! Here's why I think so.

We are all familiar with the migrating birds that come in the spring and leave in the fall (or vice versa), year-in-and-year-out, and in a somewhat preditable fashion.  Hummingbirds, orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, catbirds, and juncos are the ones most familiar to us.

Common Redpoll on WBU Mesh Finch Feeder

But there are a number of birds that migrate more irregularly, showing up some years and not showing up in other years.  This is called irruptive migration, meaning "migrations that are not seasonally or geographically predictable". (Kerlinger)

The irruptive migrants that we're most likely to see in our yards are Common Redpolls and Pine Siskins.  Other birdfeeder birds that can move in an irruptive fashion are Red-breasted Nuthatches, Purple Finches, and even Blue Jays!

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Purple Finches

Every year, Canadian ornithologist Ron Pittaway writes a Winter Finch Forecast, predicting (from an Ontario, Canada perspective) the winter movement of irruptive bird species.  His predictions are based on the availability of food, mainly the tree seed crops that certain irruptive species need to survive the winter months.

Some of the Good News from the Forecast

Poor seed crops on both coniferous and hardwood trees could very well cause some movement of irruptive species into our area.  Here's some of the good news from Pittaway's forecast (again, from an Ontario perspective):

1) He is predicting that "most Purple Finches will migrate south of Ontario this fall".
2) He also predicts "there should be a good southward flight (of Common Redpoll) because the white birch seed crop is poor to fair across the north."
3) As far as Pine Siskins, he states "some siskins currently in the Northeast should move south this fall and winter because cone crops are poor."  Siskins, however, have been known to move westward in search of food.
4) Even Red-breasted Nuthatches are on the move with "a widespread irruption of this nuthatch beginning in mid-summer indicated a cone crop failure in the Northeast."
5) Evening Grosbeaks might be seen "at feeders in central Ontario and probably elsewhere in the Northeast because coniferous and hardwood tree seed supplies are low."

Early Signs are Good!

Pine Siskins this fall on WBU feeder with tray

Early signs in upstate New York are good that his predictions might be right!

- Purple Finches are being seen, sometimes amongst House Finches, by bird feeders who have typically hosted only the latter.
- Pine Siskins are already in Saratoga County in decent-sized flocks of over 20 birds (like at my house!)  Further north near Lake Placid, flocks are growing and are now nearing 100 birds.
- Red-breasted Nuthatches are visiting feeders that have typically been visited primarily by White-breasted Nuthatches.
- Evening Grosbeaks have been reported in Gansevoort NY as well as further north in the Adirondacks.

Amongst other non-irruptive species, good-sized winter flocks of chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers are already visiting birdfeeders hard.  Natural food supplies, while still accessible, may be low due to our somewhat dry early summer.  Add some snow and ice to the equation, and our year-round birds might be really busy at feeders this winter!

Bottom line is that I think it could become a GREAT season for us feeder-watchers!

Get your birdfeeders ready by giving them a little fall cleaning.  Buy some fresh birdseed, and make sure your niger seed (thistle) is fresh.  Seed in the feeders should be dry and loose, not clumpy and moldy.   Add some additional birdfeeders, especially finch feeders. 

Consider participating in Project FeederWatch, a season-long Cornell Lab of Ornithology citizen project or at a minimum, count birds over Presidents Day Weekend in the Great Backyard Bird Count.  

And please let us know right here or in our store about the activity at your birdfeeders this fall and winter. 

I am so psyched....I can't wait!!!

SOURCES: How Birds Migrate, Paul Kerlinger; Winter Finch Forecast 2012-2013, Ron Pittaway, Ontario Field Ornithologists

Long Time No See

I was so happy to have a couple Red-breasted Nuthatches return to my yard after a long absence.  These energetic little nuthatches had been daily regulars in my yard thanks to an abundance of the coniferous habitat they prefer. 

But sadly they had been conspicuous by their absence for many months.  I recorded one Red-breasted Nuthatch on December 27, 2011 during a Project FeederWatch count but none since. 

Many factors may have caused its temporary absence, from weather to food supplies to mortality and predation.  But the mystery of my missing nuthatches will remain unsolved.


It's nothing new for birdwatchers to have no clear explanation for the disappearance (or appearance) of a bird species from their yards.  I can live with that - I'm just glad to have my nuthatches back!

Chickadee NestWatch Report #5 (2012)

On about June 14-15, five days before the nestlings’ estimated fledge date, I noticed a significant increase in parental activity.  Mom and dad chickadee were making many more trips into the nest with juicy insects in their beak.  

The parents seemed to became much more vocal as well, perching on branches just outside the nest.  Most likely they were scolding chipmunks and squirrels and any other living thing they thought were getting too close to their babies (like me!)

I checked inside the nest for the very last time on June 17.  I estimate that the nestlings were 13 days old, with 3 days left in the nest.

What a change since last time!  They each had big, beautiful black eyes and had all gained their namesake black cap.  They were short-tailed but fully feathered.  No more checks into this nest otherwise they might leave earlier than is good for them! 

This was the first time in a couple checks that we've been able to get a good count of 6 nestlings.  The 7th egg must not have hatched and remains hidden beneath the nestlings.

They're so beautiful!  In just 3 days, they'll all take their first flight.  In the days leading up to the big fledge day, they'll stretch and flap their wings to strengthen them for that flight.  They'll fledge in the morning, maybe even before I get up and about.  I'll try to check on them early on fledge day to try to catch their very first flights!

But the bad news (for me) is that even though they stay with their parents for a number of days, the little family unit immediately leaves the area.  So after they fledge, I probably won't see the young anymore.  The parents, however, will most likely return to my yard, leaving their young ones to join another group of chickadees.  I'll welcome the parents back with open arms (and open feeders) to thank them for the little bundles of joy I've enjoyed observing over the last month.

If you are observing a nest and would like to report what you see, join Cornell Lab of Ornithology's NestWatch citizen science project.  Talk to us in store if you have questions about NestWatch.

NestWatch Report #1
NestWatch Report #2
NestWatch Report #3
NestWatch Report #4