I Have a Birdy Yard

Spring has sprung; the birds today are far more colorful and appear in greater and greater numbers like the brave and glorious bulbs and tiny spring flowers and the Dandelions in the lawn.

It seems more arrive every day; I find it both cleansing and inspiring. I want to get out and work in the yard, but it is still too wet and my RA prevents me from even pulling weeds. It can be frustrating but also teaches me to be patient and to accept what I can do and to embrace what is…as it is. Besides, the birds like the wildness and even more come as spring unfolds. I open windows to listen, as I watch dozens and dozens come to the different feeders offering different selections of seed, nectar, fruit, peanuts and kibble.

This weekend, sitting at the big windows that stretch the entire width of my kitchen I see dozens of Red-winged Blackbirds, Common and Great-tailed Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbirds and European Starlings and the ubiquitous Eurasian Collared Doves. I recently bought some Safflower Seeds and filled their favorite feeders with that seed instead of their preferred Black-oil Sunflower seeds. They will try the new, white seed…but no longer mob those easy feeders. I am thrilled. And the squirrels don’t like it, either. All three grosbeaks seem to love it, however.

Speaking of grosbeaks…three varieties are visiting my yard right now. Over the past day or two, I have counted as many as 18 male Black-headed Grosbeaks, six male Red-breasted and as many Evening Grosbeaks all at or under feeders or waiting a turn on nearby branch or wire. Just seeing this many brightly colored birds who are having such a hard time with their habitat fractured by manicured yards and the disfavor of the too common native plants they need to survive…makes me smile. I enjoy offering them a respite; and they often choose to nest nearby; it’s a win/win for everybody.

I have a single ‘flat-bed’ feeder that is a lipped, metal, rectangular tray with a good pattern of holes for drainage. In it I put shelled and unshelled and unsalted peanuts, kibble and sometimes grapes or what I call ‘fat-worms’ made from thin strips of meat-trimmings I get from the butcher. Mostly it is the big black pests who feed there…along with the more dominating Black-billed Magpies, as many as 6-8 at a time; one waiting after the other for a turn to grab, stuff and fly off. Also 2-3 Blue Jays come back and forth too, flipping unshelled peanuts to find those with the heaviest meats inside before they decide and fly off to give the other a turn. I’ve not seen for some months the single, male Lewis’s Woodpecker that spent the winter here, but there is one visiting my friends Polly and Paul, across town. I hope he finds a mate there! While I have occasionally had Scrub Jays visit and once a Steller’s Jay…I have never seen the hordes of Pinyon Jays she gets, either.

I impale orange-halves on feeders, for the dozen or more male Bullock’s Orioles (it’s easier to just count males) I have in the yard at any one time, but have noticed the Black-headed Grosbeaks also enjoy them. As I’ve said before, I also carefully enlarge several feeder-ports on the hummingbird feeders (ensuring they are also smooth inside so as not to damage delicate tongues), so that the big, yellow and black orioles can use them, too. For that small gift, I am rewarded with their hanging, sock-like nests in the local trees and their youngsters who follow them here in the summer. Two feeders hang almost against my kitchen window; I hear a ‘thump’ when an oriole lands and lately am privileged to watch 2-3 tussle over who gets to feed first. Birds stand on the feeder, hang on the wire holder and cling to the bird-netting I stretch across the outside of the window. They argue and chortle and hang in all manner of positions just inches from me as I sit and watch. I feel blessed…yanno?

I have discovered a much cheaper feed for the little finches than pure, black thistle (Nyger) seed. It’s offered at feed stores by Purina Mills and is called Finches’ Feast. It contains about an equal mix of the black thistle with the similarly shaped little Canary Seed and tiny, tiny sunflower-seed chips. The birds love it; it works very well in any finch-feeder and it’s half the price of pure thistle. At any time now, I find as many as two dozen American Goldfinches, the same number of Pine Siskins and perhaps half as many House Finches all vying for position at these feeding stations. I try to keep these separate from feeders bigger birds enjoy, as they seem to frighten off these little birds. The big black birds will try to feed at these feeders too, but these particular feeders make it hard for them and they usually leave after just a bite or two…and the little finches come right back. Several times this week I have seen two or three Lazuli Buntings sharing these feeders too…though they seem quite timid. If I remember correctly, last year these startlingly blue little birds seemed to like a feeder full of ‘premium mixed seed’…I think they like the white millet it included. (I try to avoid cheap mixes that contain milo or red millet; cheap seed-filler that birds don’t seem to like). Once I even saw an Indigo Bunting accompanying the other buntings, finches. I regularly have Cassin’s Finches, occasionally Purple Finches join the little birds at these tiny-seed feeders.

Right now, as I look out over my yard I see so many yellow birds; different hues, different sizes; they seem to mirror my lawn; liberally laced with bright yellow dandelions. I’m patiently waiting for the Western Tanagers to appear; Polly recently saw one in town. They bred here as well and bring their fledglings to my feeders. Who knew how much red appears on the face and head of a Western Tanager is dependent on the insects it eats? Unlike other red tanagers, the Western Tanager cannot manufacture the red coloring itself, and depends on the bugs…who get it from the plants they eat. They also enjoy seeds and fruit, especially the orange-halves I offer.

Other heralds of spring are the hummingbirds. First to arrive are the red-throated Broad-tailed Hummingbirds that sound like chirping crickets when they fly. A day or two latter the Black-chinned Hummingbirds arrive, though I can’t understand why they are not called ‘Blue-collared Hummers’…their dark throats are edged with such a beautiful blue-purple iridescence. Soon will come the belligerent but beautifully-brown Rufus Hummingbirds and finally the tiniest of birds…the Calliope Hummingbirds who bred in on the Canadian west-coast to Alaska but spend winters in Central America. By summertime, there will be 50-75 of these brightly iridescent little birds flitting and dashing through the yard.

This morning I saw my First of Season (FOS) White-crowned Sparrow. I have not seen one in months and months and am tickled pink to know they are back. I also saw a Chipping Sparrow, but they show up from time to time, as do the Song Sparrows. But another bird I am yearning to see are the seal-like, black-backed Lesser Goldfinches; they should be here any minute. While I do see the errant one from time to time, they’ll be here in greater numbers all summer. I just love their shiny black tops; from bill, over top including wings, to the tips of their tails and the bright, unblemished yellow over their entire undersides. I would imagine there are also the green-backed version too, as they are more common here in the west (black-backed are a more ‘eastern’ bird, I understand), but I cannot yet ‘see’ them. While Lesser Goldfinches are even smaller than the tiny American Goldfinch, I still find it difficult to tell females from young males…and perhaps from the green-backed Lessers. Still, those black-backed beauties are stunning.

Coming and going daily, all year even, are both Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, Black-capped and Mountain Chickadees and, I know now, both White- and Red-breasted Nuthatches. I wish I could discover a way to continue to put out suet feeders now that all the black birds are here…but they will eat a cake a day! So, some of my favorite birds must go without…their visits here have fallen a bit, now that they only get sunflower seeds. The Flickers just aren’t coming around these days; haven’t seen one in weeks.

Eventually, I’ll stop feeding sunflower seeds too, as a method to get the black rascals to move on. Right now it is too early in the migration for me to want to pull the feeders, but as bears wake, deer get hungrier and the weedy-birds start thinking ‘nests’…I’ll stop. Hopefully that will encourage them to leave.

About this time, the warblers and sparrows and fly-catchers arrive; they don’t use seed feeders. I saw the second Black Phoebe I’ve ever seen in my yard yesterday and the Yellow-rumps have been here awhile. Once I had an American Redstart…I’d love to encourage another to stop. Already seen in by Polly are the quite common Yellow Warblers who bred here; but I’ve not yet seen them in my yard. Any day now, I’m sure. They too, bring their youngsters…sometimes including a single cow-bird chick looking for all the world
like Baby Huey hulking and begging food from their diminutive yellow parents. Ugh…

Soon the fly-catchers will arrive. In addition to the phoebes, I’ve seen Western Wood-Pewees and perhaps the Gray Flycatchers Polly has seen. I am not yet good enough to tell the flycatchers one from another.

Of course, the American Robbins are here, 3-4 at a time in the grass under the trees. Hopefully one won’t decide to build a nest, again, near where I come and go. It was not pleasant getting hit in the head by an irate bird trying to protect its nest every time I ventured into my yard.

And while they don’t nest here, the Turkey Vultures have taken up roosting at night in the trees in front of my house…something I find a bit disconcerting. I do like being in their flight-paths however; when they come and go, I get long, slow viewings of the big vultures flying quite low over my yard…adults sporting that naked, red face and head. Kinda makes me want to keep moving when outside in the yard, though!

I continue to plant berrying vines and shrubs, small trees and native perennials and grasses for the birds here. While Paul and Polly have Gray Catbirds and Spotted Towhees, I’ve never seen them here. I believe I’ve heard the cat-birds…but I can’t be sure. I want to see these guys. I hope to get something called a (female) single-seed juniper or perhaps a Rocky Mountain Juniper. The evergreen tree will offer both cover and small fruits for my birdy friends. At my friends Dave and Marta’s home, I’ve watched over a hundred robins and a good-sized flock of Cedar Waxwings feeding on such trees…not to mention the Townsend Solitaires. While the robins enjoy the fruit early on, it is when the Virginia Creeper’s fruit has frozen and thawed a few times by late September and October, the Hermit Thrushes show up.

Both the Black Phoebe and the Banded Kingfisher I’ve seen flyover my yard now and again, like water. I plan to create a pond this season, just outside my kitchen window. Yeah, I'm blessed to have a very birdy yard, a stone's throw from the river and surrounded by tall trees...but I also plan it that way. That, and the pond, will be another story.

Thanks to birdfreak on Flickr and the free wikipedia for all photos on this post.

Happy May Day!

Got a dusting of snow again last night; I prevented the nectar feeders from freezing (again) by bringing them in when it got dark. I wait till then because it never ceases to amaze me how late hummingbirds will feed into the evening. I just have to remember to get the feeders back out as soon as it's light. Those poor little things need sustenance as soon as they wake up from the torpor they enter to keep from freezing, themselves.

On April 29th I came home from work (it was trying to snow again), dropped my stuff off, walked through the house, came around the corner and found myself face-to-face with the most beautiful, male Bullock's Oriole I've ever seen. He was at a nectar feeder just outside my kitchen window (I always drill out every other feeder-port for the orioles). He stayed several minutes while I watched him. He was so richly colored his chest looked as orange as burning embers; a warm russet so brignt one could hardly call it yellow. There's another FOS for me...and he's back this morning, too. Yummmmmmmm... I've not seen the female yet (she looks like an entirely different bird), but they bred here last year, so she can't be far behind!

Also here yesterday were a couple of Yellow-headed Blackbirds. Since I try very hard, if unsuccessfully, not to feed the darn blackbirds (Red-wings, Grackles and Cow Birds), I don't often see them anymore. They are a stunning looking bird, though. I just love this shot (however blurry) I got sometime ago when one chest-bumped with a grackle. Crazy...

The Broad-tailed Hummingbird showed up on the same day I saw him last year, but the Black-chinned seemed a day or two late. Still...the FOS for both birds was still late April!

Not seen this April (but that were here last April), were Rose-breasted and Black-headed Grosbeaks, Lazuli Buntings and larger numbers of Lesser Goldfinches - the sleek, black-backed variety. I'll keep an eye out; can't be long now.

Total species for April was 46 birds and included:

Yellow-headed Blackbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Bullock's Oriole, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Cassin's Finch, Mallard *, Brown-headed Cowbird, Chipping Sparrow, Violet-green Swallows *, Yellow-rumped Warbler - Audubon's, Great-tailed Grackle, Lesser Goldfinch - Black-backed, Red-tailed Hawk, Canada Geese *, Northern Pintail *, Gadwall *, Great Blue Heron *, Common Grackle, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Belted Kingfisher *, Turkey Vulture, Song Sparrow, Pine Siskins, Common Raven, Red-winged Blackbird, American Robin, Evening Grosbeak, Black Rosy-Finch, Brown-capped Rosy-Finch, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, Blue Jay, American Crow, White-winged Dove, American Goldfinch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Mountain Chickadee, Hairy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, Northern Flicker - Red + Yellow-shafted, Downy Woodpecker, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch, Black-billed Magpie, European Starling, House Sparrow, Eurasian Collared-Dove. ( * = Flyover )

Late Oriole...

I saw a late female Bullock's Oriole a day or two ago; I've not seen one for weeks. I'm so happy I drilled out some of the ports on the hummingbird feeders. While I missed if she had a chance to feed on nectar, it was available to her; she's in for a long migration home to the tropics, too!



Such a pretty thing...

On Feeding Hummingbirds & Orioles

Who doesn't like to feed hummingbirds? Have you ever found a big bird at your humming bird feeders? Orioles also enjoy nectar…though sometimes a less ‘rich’ blend like 5/1 or even 6/1. I drill out some of the holes on the plastic ‘pan’ feeders (which have perches these birds need to feed from the feeder; they don’t ‘hover’) I use for the hummers and let them feed on the same stuff the hummingbirds enjoy. They always do. Course, I also offer orange slices and halves, as well as grape jelly (which also bring in the Tanagers).
Both like meal worms, too; but back to the nectar… I mix a 4/1 concoction of water and plain ol’ granulated sugar to make the nectar I offer all season; the 'season' being 2-3 weeks before anticipated arrival to 2-3 weeks after I see the last bird

Granulated Sugar is made from either of two plants: sugar cane or sugar beets. There is no real difference in the sugar made from these plants; some manufactures don’t even mention which is used. The sucrose in each is the same, but trace elements are different; but have insignificant nutritional effects. Regular sugar = fine granulated sugar = table sugar = standard granulated sugar = extra-fine granulated sugar is the standard table sugar we're all familiar with.

"White" sugar is created in a couple of ways. Beet sugar is produced much the same way as cane sugar. The beets are sliced and soaked with chemicals to form a sugary syrup. Sugar cane is initially pressed and the juice is then mixed with lime to achieve the desired PH-balance and to help settle out impurities.

The liquid, now a dark grayish-green color, is heated to its boiling point, and chemicals are added to remove impurities. Sulphur dioxide is introduced to the cane juice before evaporation. It effectively bleaches the mixture. Next, the juice is placed in huge tanks to evaporate, leaving a thick syrup. This syrup is heated to remove more and more water until crystals form. These crystals must be separated from the syrup, so they are put into a centrifuge machine which spins it around rapidly.

The sugar which is left inside the machine's cylinders is called raw sugar. In this form, the sugar has uses to some manufacturers, but to make it suitable for food, it must go to a refinery. There, it is dissolved, treated with chemicals, filtered, crystallized once more, and allowed to solidify, this time into pure white sugar.

This mixture is then run through a centrifuge again to take away the outer coating of the raw sugar crystals. Phosphoric acid and calcium hydroxide are then added to the juice which then combine and absorb or trap impurities. The resulting syrup is then filtered through a bed of activated carbon to remove molasses and then crystallized a number of times under vacuum. It is then further dried to produce white refined sugar like we buy in the store. (Ugg, who knew? How can they call white, granulated sugar ‘pure’? Sheessh! …there are benefits to the research I do)

Turbinado sugar, also known as ‘turbinated sugar’, is made from sugar cane extract. It is produced by crushing freshly cut sugar cane; the juice obtained is evaporated by heat, then crystallized. The crystals are spun in a centrifuge, or turbine (thus the name), to remove excess moisture, resulting in the characteristic large, light brown crystals. Turbinado sugar differs from refined white sugar in that it is obtained or crystallized from the initial pressing of sugar cane. Because the turbinado sugar is less refined than white sugar, it is often called ‘Raw Sugar’. Turbinado and demerara sugars are the same and often sold as organic products. . It also is considered by some to be “healthier” since it receives less processing than does white sugar. Unlike granulated sugar, turbinado sugar tends to hold more moisture, and is lower in calories...and should NOT be used for hummingbird nectar (see below.)

Brown sugar is refined white sugar with a molasses-syrup mixed in and then dried again.

About making nectar to feed birds; do not use commercially prepared liquids or mixes. They contain preservatives that are even more harmful to birds than to humans (it’s a size thing), as well as various dyes which have also been proven harmful as well. Let the feeder itself provide the color (red attracts hummingbirds (and orioles, to), but yellow is favored by bees and wasps. I always remove the yellow ‘flowers’ when I find ‘em on feeders.

Do not use brown sugar, confectioner’s sugar, raw sugar, or turbinado sugar to make your nectar. Confectioner’s sugar contains corn starch that can cause the syrup to ferment quickly. Brown sugar and raw sugars contain iron and can prove deadly to hummingbirds over a period of time.

Do not use artificial sugar if only because it contains absolutely no nutritional value (not to mention what it does contain).

Do not use honey to prepare your mixture. Honey will ferment more quickly and also promotes the growth of fungus and other organisms that attack the digestive system of the small birds.

Regardless of what you read, boil a mixture of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water (1 cup sugar + 4 cups water (thanks Anon for correcting my typo)) for two minutes to retard fermentation. Keep the lid on the pot to reduce evaporation. Do not microwave the mixture as this heating method is hotter than water’s boiling point and causes a breakdown in the sugar molecule. Cool and refrigerate what is not immediately used. Warm temperatures and direct sunlight cause fermentation and bacterial growth within the sugar-water; therefore it is critical that feeders be emptied and cleaned every two to four days. (Yet another reason to begin the season only filling feeders partially full; you’ll waste less.)

Oh, another goodie I learned from the hummingbird book Bosque Bill suggested (by Dan True; see Bill’s Place): Place pieces of fruit that attract fruit flies and gnats near a feeder (bananas, peaches, apricots, etc). I’ve watched hummers hawking gnats swarming over grass and understand they eat tiny spiders and other bugs deep within evergreens; but the fruit attracts the tiny bugs to eye-level, where you can watch …and the hummers will thank you for the extra protein!

One last consideration: the 4/1 ratio is sort of a generalization. Plants naturally contain higher and lower ratios of sugar to water; depending on weather, water, etc. When birds first arrive during migration, they might enjoy a higher level of sugar to water; it will certainly keep the birds coming back when they’re nearly starving. However, keep in mind that nectar is where the birds get water, so too rich a mixture will do more harm than good as the weather gets warmer and everything needs to drink more water. There have been some studies regarding whether or not too rich a blend damages birds’ livers, too. Perhaps a slightly richer ratio very early in the season would be beneficial, but certainly not for the long run; cut back to 4-to-1 before summer gets rolling. That said, by and large a bird knows what it needs. Rich food makes for fewer visits to feeders; a more natural concoction will allow them the time to rest and/or feed on other foods.

Other Sources:

• http://www.bigsiteofamazingfacts.com/how-is-sugar-made
• http://www.foodsubs.com/Sweeten.html
  http://www.sucrose.com
• http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/73/1/White-sugar-vs-raw-sugar.html
• http://www.google.com/searchhl=en&q=How+to+Feed+Hummingbirds&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=
• http://www.hummingbirds.net/hainsworth.html

Hummingbird photos from Wikipedia; Orioles are mine

Spring Migration

What a wonderful Spring I’m having! This birding stuff is opening my eyes, getting me outdoors and leaving me in awe regarding the realization of all that I’ve been missing. It still amazes me that I’ve lived nearly 25 years in Colorado and had no idea the plethora of colors, sizes and shapes of birds we have here. It really is astounding. One evening last week I came home from and added three (!) new birds to my growing list of ‘Yard Birds’ before work the next day. I’m so tickled.

Today another first showed up! I’ve decided I saw an American Redstart at my feeders. Nice dark bird, not unlike a black-bird, but with a creamy belly and distinctly orange ‘epaulets’ and markings on its back. It spent a lot of time trying to scare off other birds; raising the feathers on its head, generally fluffing up and opening its wings some, while fanning its tail. He was definitely trying to look big and ferocious. I missed his flying away, but am confident it was the Redstart. My how smug; feeling confident enough finally to ID a bird all by myself! While I didn’t get a photograph of the pretty little thing, I’ve linked to a good example of what I saw, but what really shows the pugnacious attitude of the little guy is this 1890 drawing by B.H. Warren, M.D. from his book: Birds of Pennsylvania.

One of the ‘new’ birds is the Western Tanager…a beautiful creature which apparently is nesting near here. Odd thing about this bird, unlike other Tanagers and most other birds, the red on its head is manufactured by eating certain insects…not unlike the pink Flamingos exhibit if they’ve been eating shrimp. I wonder why the male has more red? Perhaps when his hormones are raging, he gets a penchant for the bugs. At any rate, this red coloring is called rhodoxanthin and is a rare plumage pigment, according to Cornell.

Speaking of oddities, what is up with that bird's belly? I have no idea, but the photo above reminds me of broody-birds. While in most birds it is usually the female who sits on eggs, some males give it a go as well. To the point that they too, exhibit the brood-patch; the un-feathered belly-skin with which a bird covers and incubates eggs. Woodpeckers and occasionally Nuthatches are two breeds where the male oftentimes develops a brood-patch. You can see pictures of a brood-patch here.

While doing the research on incubation, I discovered yet another bit of superfluous information. When eggs are first laid, the reason cold weather doesn’t bother them so much…and so the female can spend several days laying a full clutch…is because the new eggs are thicker. As the developing bird grows (and who knew it was called an eyass?), it produces Carbon Dioxide which, as it mixes with the fluids within the egg forms a mild carbonic acid…which will slowly react with the shell, thereby thinning it over time and making things much easier for the hatchling to break out. While the egg is new and strong, the adult birds can carefully roll the eggs every hour or so, which keeps everything inside properly suspended. Unturned eggs will not develop properly…and will die. And when actual incubation does start, the 15-20 minutes of time eggs are left uncovered from time to time is not inattention on the parents part…it is necessary to let oxygen diffuse into the eggs. Who knew? I found this fascinating; you can read all about it by John Blakeman here. …and who is John Blakeman? I Googled him too; he’s an expert biologist/birder in Ohio.

I visited the Great Horned Owls the other day…the babies are growing fast! I wish I had a lens that would allow me to take better photographs! Still, these little shots remind me of my visits and how cool it is to see such a site in person.

I’ll include a couple shots of Grosbeaks here, too. I was fascinated to discover the females are not at all dull-looking. The female Black-headed Grosbeak is a beautiful bird with a boldly striped head. Apparently she is quite similar to the female Rose-breasted, but that one has more defined streaking which also continues across the entire breast. Also, the Black-headed female has a two-toned beak, the top mandible is darker; while the Rose-breasted female’s bill is all-over pale. I’m not sure if I’ve seen her, yet; I’ve only seen a male or two and not very often. Course, the fact that they hybridize creates more problems with identification.

The female Evening Grosbeak looks entirely different in her somewhat formal looking black and grey and dramatic white wing-patches. What I find beautiful about the two of them is that both their beaks turn a beautiful teal-color during breeding season. I noticed this once, and have read that this occurs with the males; but obviously it is both sexes which sport this pretty display.

Speaking of females, I had to study up on the difference in the females of Bullock’s Orioles and Western Tanagers. They are somewhat similar…but the Tanagers are smaller and the Orioles’ bills are longer and sharper looking. The female Western Tanager’s back is dusky with an almost olive-yellow head, while the Bullock’s Oriole female’s head and face are quite strongly bright yellow-orange.

I think I’ll include four shots of my feeders to show the incredible number of birds which visit here. This is just some of ‘em! Wow…

Great-tailed Grackle, Western Tanager (m), Black-headed Grosbeak (m+f),
Bullock's Oriole (m+f) Evening Grosbeaks (m)

all changed places...and add a Hairy Woodpecker (f)