Swifts, swallows 'n such

A Purple Martin feeds its young

  

       Swifts are twittering high above, swallows are sweeping lakes, and martins are building nests in their high-rises. Around here, that means the spring migration is pretty-much complete.

         This blog has concentrated mostly on bird feeding simply because that's what I do. My experience in housing is limited.
         But having swallow and swift species back for the summer is a reminder of how some birds are reliant on manmade structures. Swallows use bridges, dams and buildings for nesting; Purple Martins are almost totally reliant on the martin houses we put up; and Chimney Swifts are true to their name. They all seem to like to nest in groups.
          In return, these birds help keep the insect count down during the summer. (I think that if it weren't for birds, we would surely be inundated with bugs.)
          Swifts and Purple Martins prefer high places and open spaces. Swallows like to be around water.
           Depending on where you are, it may not be too late to put up a Purple Martin house for the season. But you should look for a big yard or open field, and plan on putting the house up high.
           Purplemartin.org has all you need to know about these birds.

               Here's what I saw in my yard today:

               (AM, cloudy, 66 degrees, 25 minutes)
Chipping Sparrow
Carolina Chickadee
Gray Catbird
Northern Cardinal
Blue Jay
Brown Thrasher
Tufted Titmouse

The big and little

      A couple of Canada Geese dropped in today - literally and figuratively. I don't object to the geese. It's just that they leave their droppings here and there ... and here ... and over there, too. I have to watch where I walk after they've waddled around the yard for a while.
      There's a lake about 100 yards from me, so it is not unusual for the geese to visit my yard. They like bread, but usually feed on the sweet grass in the yard and the nearby field.
       Canada Geese are the largest birds that come to my feeding area. The smallest - the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds - have also visited. But, strangely enough, I haven't seen them on a daily basis as I normally do. I may have put too much, or too little, sugar in my mixture. (Remember: one cup of sugar to four cups of water is recommended.) Or the ones I saw may have been passing through on their way north. Or they may simply prefer the feeders of my neighbors on both sides.
       I'll change out the water in a couple of days and see if more appear.
       Meanwhile, here are the species that showed up today:
PM, partly cloudy, 64 degrees, 25 minutes

Northern Cardinal
Common Grackle
Canada Goose
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown Thrasher
White-throated Sparrow
House Finch
Chipping Sparrow
Tufted Titmouse
Blue Jay
Mourning Dove
Carolina Chickadee
Gray Catbird

Mimicry

Kinda blurry photo of a Brown Thrasher - but you get the idea

A Gray Catbird has been hanging around my feeding station for the last few days. It likes to hide in a holly bush nearby and pop out once in a while. Catbirds are heard more than seen, I've found.

               The catbird, Northern Mockingbird and Brown Thrasher form the trifecta of mimics that frequent yards around here. They're mimics because one or two of the sounds they make may sound like other birds.
               The mockingbird is the most vocal, visible and wide-ranging of the bunch. Folks from the Northeast to the Southwest see and hear Northern Mockingbirds. You know ‘em - the gray birds with white wing bars. They go from perch to perch in your yard, staking out territory. Yeah, those ones. They can be downright rude when it comes to territory. Sometimes they get bold and actually swoop down and attack things that approach their nests. I've seen them go after cats. People can be targets, too. Experts say they’re just being protective. I think they’re ticked off from missing the casting call for the Hitchcock film. (I mean, what’s the big deal with crows and gulls, anyway?)
               Northern Mockingbirds sing a lot. And I do mean a lot. During nesting season, they sing deep into the night.
            Bird songs can't be described well in print. But I'll give it a try here, and then send you to a place where you can actually hear a song. Northern Mockingbirds repeat phrases usually three or more times; something like "tu-tu-tu; we-we-we-we; churew-churew-churew," and so forth.
               Brown Thrashers (photo above) only repeat phrases a couple of times, then move on to the next. The catbird, which looks a like a smaller, darker version of the mockingbird, doesn't repeat phrases. But at the end of its repertoire, the catbird often punctuates with a "meeeww" sound; hence the name.

               Check out the Gray Catbird song here:

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Gray_Catbird/sounds

              

       A squirrelly day

                  Squirrels ruled the roost today. Don't worry; I'm not planning to trap ... yet. But here are the birds that made it to the feeding area:

               AM, cloudy, 50 degrees, 20 minutes

               Northern Cardinal
               Northern Mockingbird
               Blue Jay
               Common Grackle
               Northern Flicker
               Mourning Dove
               Red-winged Blackbird
               Brown Thrasher
               Brown-headed Cowbird
               Chipping Sparrow
               White-throated Sparrow

My backyard life list

Birders make lists. Yearly lists, regional lists, life lists, etc. Matter of fact, whole competitions are based on how many species a team of birders can list in a day.

         So, in addition to my other lists, I figured I would put down my backyard life list. You can compare. Keep in mind this is eastern North Carolina and year round. You'll get some I don't, and I've seen some you may not see.
          Some birds I have seen or heard in my neighborhood, but have never gotten them to come to my feeders. Cedar Waxwing, Eastern Bluebird, Orchard Oriole and Northern Oriole are in this group. So are the birds that fly overhead, such as vultures, swifts and swallows. 
            The Brown Creeper, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak are pretty rare for me. The rest of these have shown up three or more times. The hawks make short hunting stops.
           I have never been able to get an oriole to come to my yard. I hear the song in the neighborhood regularly in the spring and summer, but I put out the orange, and only the mockingbird answers. Hope you have better luck.
               Anyway, here's my backyard life list:
Canada Goose
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Blue Jay
Fish Crow
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Chickadee
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Pine Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Field Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch

 

And here are the birds I saw today:

AM, sunny, 66 degrees, 10 minutes

Northern Cardinal
Northern Mockingbird
Blue Jay
Tufted Titmouse
White-throated Sparrow

unCommon Grackles

     Grackles showed up today. Not many - about four or five. I don't get grackles that often. But I had wheat bread out, and they seem to like to gulp that stuff down.
     I've never had what you would call a flock of them (20 or more) in my yard, so I don't consider them pests. In fact, I think they're kind of funny. They strut instead of hop. They make these screechy kind of sounds, and their antics are amusing.
     I get the Common Grackle around here (photo above). Farther south and in coastal areas, the Boat-tailed Grackle will often flock to parks and other public places to scavenge. They're pretty aggressive in those settings, too, so they can be a general nuisance. They're bigger birds, and the females have a brown face and body. They also have a loud whistling noise in their repertoire of sounds. Out west are Great-tailed Grackles, an even bigger version of this species.
  Here's what I saw at the feeding station today.
               AM, partly cloudy, 65 degrees, 20 minutes
              
              Common Grackle
               Northern Cardinal
               House Finch
               Chipping Sparrow
               Brown Thrasher
               Tufted Titmouse
               Carolina Chickadee
               Northern Mockingbird
               White-throated Sparrow
               White-breasted Nuthatch

Keep it clean

Dozens, maybe hundreds, of birds may use your feeders and baths each day. Know what that means? Disease, that's what it means; or at least the chance of disease. In my 30 or so years of feeding birds, I've actually seen diseased birds only a few times.

               But I keep my feeders clean, and so should you.

               What kind of diseases do birds get? I'll spare you the long names.  Just suffice it to say they involve parasites, mites and a few other infections.

  Can you get bird flu by feeding birds? Can you win the lottery?

               But again, too sci for here. Look, you want the jargon and such? Pull up that Google, and have at it. … OK, OK, I'll do it!

               See these:

http://www.birdfeeding.org/conservation-a-education/bird-safety-beyond-the-backyard/bird-flu-and-backyard-bird-feeding.html

and

http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/publications/fact_sheets/coping_with_diseases_at_birdfeeders.jsp

Look, when you feed up, do what your grandmother always told you: wash your hands.

               Now, if you happen to see a bird at your feeder that doesn't look quite right - missing feathers, a disfigured face, bugs on it, acting particularly lethargic - you may have a disease problem. Same if you find a dead bird without signs of injury. STOP FEEDING, at least for a couple of weeks. This takes away their gathering place for a while.

   You can help prevent disease by keeping things clean.

               When do you clean your feeders?
               Most experts recommend once every two weeks. Confession: I clean my feeders less than that - except during migration (fall/spring), when birds come and go between regions. I rinse and wipe down my bird bath about every other day.

 How do you clean your feeders?

• Take a small measure of bleach and mix it with water - a couple of cups to a gallon is good here (1:9 is the recommended ratio)
•  Wash the feeders, concentrating on the perches and feeding ports. I have a loooong bottle brush for the tube feeders.
•  Rinse them well, and let them dry.
•  Scrub and rinse your bird bath, too.

 All sorts of waste can accumulate under your feeders. So rake around the feeders or shovel up the mess.

         I have covered the basics of bird feeding as I know them.

        From here on, I'll simply make observations and maybe throw in some tips about bird guides, bird houses, homemade suet, special equipment, etc.

  Meanwhile, here's what I saw around the feeders today:

               PM, cloudy, blustery, 79 degrees, 20 minutes

               Northern Cardinal
             White-throated Sparrow
               American Goldfinch
               Mourning Dove
               Brown Thrasher
               Carolina Chickadee
               Brown-headed Nuthatch
               Carolina Wren
               House Finch

 Chipping Sparrow

'Rascawy squiwwel!'

Call me Elmer Fudd. You may recall the Warner Brothers cartoon character who relentlessly - and futility - tried to outwit Bugs Bunny. That's me with squirrels. I have tried a number of things to keep them from my bird feeders. Some things work for me for a period of time; nothing forever.

        Don't get me wrong; I really don't hate squirrels. I feed them regularly. I have three stands for squirrels. But when I get up one morning and go to the window to see six or seven squirrels around my station, three hanging from the feeders, and the birds waiting patiently in the brush, I know I have a problem. And not just a population problem; squirrels can go through 20 pounds of sunflower seed in no time. It can become downright expensive.
         
           What to do?
         
            I suggest patience.
             
            Here is a key figure to keep in mind: 6 feet. That's about the distance I've found that a squirrel can jump sideways or down. From the ground, I've seen about 4 feet. However, my neighborhood squirrels aren't of the Olympic caliber of some, since I read they can go 10 feet horizontally or down. So if you hang a feeder in a tree, it should be at least 4-6 feet from the ground and 6-10 from the trunk or the nearest limb. You can buy a tilting dome to go over the feeder to keep the squirrel from climbing down whatever the feeder is hanging from. I've heard of people using old record albums, pizza pans, big soda bottles or big salad bowls for this purpose.
            If you hang your feeder from one of those shepherd-hook posts in the ground, try a cone-shaped baffle about halfway up the post.
               If you are lucky enough to have a couple of trees in your yard - with no close-hanging limbs - you might stretch a wire between the trees and hang the feeders on the wire. Thread the wire through lose plastic tubing or put some sort of baffle on the wire.
               There are hopper-type feeders and caged tube feeders that are specifically designed to deter squirrels. I have used neither.
               I've tried offering cracked corn. But, like birds, squirrels prefer the sunflower seed and will simply ignore the corn after a while.
              What do I do?
               Well, these days, I wait until the population becomes intolerable, and I trap and move. That's right; I have these Have-A-Heart traps. They don't hurt the squirrels - other than their feelings - and you can easily and safely transport them. There are about five squirrels from my neighborhood that now have a home in a beautiful oak grove - about five miles from my house. Another five or six live in a stand of hardwoods about four miles away.
             Other squirrels will eventually replace these in my yard, so this trap-and-move strategy repeats itself about twice a year - just to keep the population down.           
               These days I have a group of five squirrels that are gathering around my feeders. The slick metal I tacked to my wooden post worked with them for a while, but at least one of them is acrobatic enough to quickly shimmy up and perch at my lantern feeder. I expect I'll be using my traps soon.

     

       Other pests

            Squirrels are the most likely pests you'll have if you have bird feeders in a neighborhood with trees. If you live in a suburb or rural area, you may have any number of other mammals that will be attracted by your food. Rats, mice, racoons or rabbits may show interest. And if you live around their territory, deer and bears may show up. Whoa! Then you're talking about some serious fencing!
              Last year, I noticed a Wood Rat eating under my feeder. He was cute and seemed harmless. About a week later, there were two. Then three. Trap time! The whole family now lives in a nice little meadow near the woods - about five miles from my house.
               I have a couple of rabbits in my yard, but they seem more interested in grass than bird food. But you can trap them, too.
               Cats show up from time to time. But I have never found them to be a persistent problem. I just run them off.

Birds as pests

            Some people consider certain species of birds as pests around their feeders. I don't, mainly because I have just never had a big flock of starlings or grackles come to my station day after day. Sure, I get an occasional group of Brown-headed Cowbirds. I don't like them. They don't even build their own nests - just drop their eggs in other species' nests and go their merry way. Not good.
           But there is not a lot I can do about them, except maybe run them off.
           If you have huge flocks of starlings or grackles coming back to your feeding area persistently, you might try a few days of moving them out with loud noises. Some people try firecrackers or even loud hand claps. Bang on a pot or pan, if you feel good about it.
          Sometimes I'll be sitting next to my window and hear this sudden rush of birds exiting the yard. I look out and the station is empty. This tells me a hawk or falcon is in the vicinity.
           I like them, so I don't mind a visit every now and then. Big hawks - like Red-tailed Hawks - help keep the squirrels in line.

Insects

             If you have a hummingbird feeder, you may have ants, wasps and/or bees. Most of the pan or saucer-type hummingbird feeders have ant moats which you can fill with regular water. You can buy these ant guards, too. They attach to the wire you hang your feeder from. Or you can make your own moat out of something like a spray-can top.
            The flat feeders don't drip much, either, which helps keep ants from finding them.
            For the bees and wasps, there are feeders that come with bee guards, which are little mesh things that somehow keep the insects out.
              Also, you might try moving the feeder to see if the insects find it again.
               Whatever you do, DON'T SPRAY INSECTICIDE.   

Just stop feeding

               My last resort is to simply cut off the food. Last summer, after about five trapping trips, I still had squirrels on my feeders. The squirrels were getting fat. The birds weren't. So I just let them exhaust the food, and I took the feeders down for about a month. Squirrels came back about a week after I returned to feeding. But it was apparently a different crowd; it took them weeks to figure out how to get to my feeders again.

That’s the best way to deal with persistent hawks, too.

          Next time, I’ll write about keeping your feeders and baths clean.
          Meanwhile, here are the species I saw around my place today:

AM, sunny 75 degrees, 30 minutes

            House Finch

 Brown Thrasher

 Chipping Sparrow

 White-throated Sparrow

            Carolina Wren

            Blue Jay

 Carolina Chickadee

            Tufted Titmouse

Baseball and hummingbirds

 

I like baseball. I like hummingbirds. So it's great that their seasons match. You don’t see them in winter. They spring train in Florida and Arizona and come north for the regular season. I know that when the first pitch of the Major League season is tossed, it is time to look for the first hummingbirds.

               It is that time of the year.  
               Hummingbirds are the favorite sightings around most homes. They stand out because they are tiny, bold, raucous and acrobatic. They have toothpick bills and lightning wings that allow them to hover and even fly backwards.
               For most of us, they arrive in the spring and depart in the fall. In southern Florida and the Southwest, you may have hummingbirds year round. People in the West are fortunate enough to have a number of species during the summer. But, for folks in the East, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird is about the only species we have. It is not that uncommon for a Rufous Hummingbird to show up at an eastern feeder from time to time, but don't count on it.
               I usually start looking for hummingbirds around April 1. I say that because reports of others in my region start around that time. I'm in eastern North Carolina. But I actually see my first one around mid-April. I'm not sure why. But I suspect family tradition - a family group that follows the same path each year. But that's just a guess. I see my last one of the year around mid-to-late September.
               They winter from southern Mexico to as far as South America.

               You can find a handy little map that shows the northern progression of the migration here:

http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html#faq

               We've discussed the types of feeders that attract hummingbirds. There are just a couple - a pan-shaped type or a tube or bottle type. Most have bright-red coloring to help attract the birds. And they have tiny ports for tiny bills. I once made rig of baby-food jars with ice-pick holes in the top. Never had luck with that. Most hummingbird feeders are inexpensive anyway.

               I hang a pan-type feeder. It seems to handle the wind OK, and the birds seem to like it. Ants sometimes show up, but some feeders have special cup-like devices to hold the ants at bay. You can buy them too.

Food mixture

               Hummingbirds like nectar. If you have azaleas, honeysuckles, morning glories or any number of other flowering plants in your yard, you may see hummingbirds hovering around. Hummingbirds also eat insects.

               But we attract them by planting the flowers they like and offering sugar water in feeders.
               You can buy hummingbird-food mixtures in stores. But it really isn't necessary. All you need is sugar water. Just take four cups of water and mix in one cup of sugar. Warm it until the sugar is dissolved. Let it cool down, and it is ready. You can take what you don't use right away, and put it in a jar to store in the refrigerator. It will keep for a couple of weeks.

               Next time I’ll talk about pests, particularly squirrels.

               Now, here’s what I saw around my feeding station today:

PM, rainy, 45 degrees, 20 minutes
Brown Thrasher
Mourning Dove
White-throated Sparrow
House Finch
Chipping Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Tufted Titmouse
American Robin
Carolina Wren
American Goldfinch

Setting the table

A female House Finch in for a snack

            OK. We know where birds like to hang and what they like to eat. Now let’s set the table.

           Birds really aren't picky about where they eat. If you want to test your habitat to see what will show up, just throw stuff on the ground, the deck or the driveway and see what shows up.

            But the point of our quest here is to see the birds, preferably up close. So we have bird feeders that hang and stand at our window level.

              Today I'll cover most types of feeders and bird baths.

               Tube feeders are usually for smaller birds. They have multiple feeding ports, so they can host more birds at one time. Finches like these feeders, because many species of finches move in small flocks. But titmice, nuthatches and chickadees like these feeders, too. And bigger birds, such as cardinals, will sometimes come to these feeders, particularly if the perch is big enough.
               Tube feeders are good for hanging, but you can also put most of them on a post. When you shop for any feeder, check the underside to see if it can go on a post.
               Some folks don't like tube feeders because you have to have a funnel to load them. But you can buy a cheap funnel-scoop device that makes loading fast and clean. 

               Hopper or tray feeders come in many shapes. Many look like little barns with clear Plexiglas sides that let you know how much food is left. Take the top off, load in the food, and put the top back on. These feeders are good for almost all birds. You can hang these feeders, but they are best mounted on a post.  

               Bowl or globe feeders are also good for the little clinging birds. And their shape makes it tougher for bigger birds and squirrels to get to. They are also easy to clean. I've never used one of these, so if you have one, tell me what you think.

               Platform feeders are - well - platforms. They are usually wooden with raised sides, one or two feet in diameter, even bigger. Some have a cover for shelter. Mine are not covered, so I drilled some holes in the corners for drainage for when it rains. Most any birds come to these feeders. Cardinals seem to like mine. And I had a crow family that dropped by for a while to eat bread. I like crows, but the mockingbirds in my yard do not.

               Suet feeders - these are little cages designed for blocks of suet. Hang 'em high, most anywhere, and clinging birds will visit.

               Natural feeders - Old piece of tree limb fall in your yard? If it's 4-5 inches in diameter, drill a few holes in it big enough to keep suet or peanut butter. Then wire it to hang, and presto! - you have a bird feeder.

               Window feeders - Some people like to attach a platform to their window sill. Others get one of those little suction-cup jobs to put on their window. You can get a good look the birds this way. But, unless you have a screen, see-through curtains or one-way glass, they'll see you, too - and take off when you arrive.

               Hummingbird feeders - Some are long, some are flat. Hang them close to your window - you'll enjoy the close-up look at these summer visitors. But watch out for ants!

Bird baths

               Birds like water too. Like us, they drink and bathe. So having a bird bath in the yard is nice. Many of these are the decorative concrete stands with big round shallow bowls atop. But any big shallow bowl will do. Some people have shallow tile bowls that they put on the ground. I have a garden, decorative-type bath that is as heavy as concrete, but has a plastic or ceramic coating that is easy to clean. It is better to put these baths under a tree or near bushes, since birds like to bathe with cover nearby.
               If you can figure something out, try to drip water into the bath, or somehow get the water to move. Birds apparently love this. Some sophisticated gardens have those mini-waterfall setups with water running all the time. But you can do something as simple as hang a punctured water bottle above your bath, so it will slowly drip water.

               So, these are your best bets for getting our feathered friends to be friendlier (say THAT 10 times, quick!). Experiment. See what works for you. And be patient. The birds may not show up right away; they have to case the joint before they move in for the goods. 

               And since it is getting around hummingbird time in the East, I’ll discuss those little gems next time.

Now, here's what I saw around my station today:

AM, rainy, 55 degrees, 10 mins

 White-throated Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Mourning Dove
Northern Cardinal
House Finch
Brown Thrasher
Carolina Chickadee
Carolina Wren