Windows, as birds (don't) see them

A couple of wrens were chasing about my deck yesterday, and one hit my storm door. The bird wasn't hurt and flew off. This is not common in my yard, but it happens a couple of times a year. Most times the birds aren't hurt. If they fly in fast from a distance, sometimes they are stunned and fall to the deck. I have also seen a bird killed. The break room at my former workplace had a huge picture window. One day a flicker flew in hard, smacked the window and never came to.

               The instances of birds flying into windows are more common than you think, particularly in cities with skyscrapers that have a lot of window glass. The birds either see a reflection of sky or see past the glass to the light from another window and think there is a flight path. The number of bird deaths because of window glass rises during migration periods like now.
               In my yard, a bird will hit a window or storm door out of panic caused by a hawk or a rival. (Doves fly too fast for their own good, sometimes.) If you have a large window, it may happen just because the bird thinks it has a path to find cover. If a bird sees a reflection of a tree, it might be flying toward that.
               Reflection is a big factor. My brother's family had to deal with a cardinal that had regular war with the side-view mirror on the family car. The cardinal saw a rival in that mirror and continually attacked it. They ended up having to put a bag over the mirror to keep the cardinal safe!
This rare; matter of fact I had never heard of it. So I wouldn't worry about covering your side-view mirrors.
               However, there are things you can do to make things a little easier for your backyard buddies. What you are trying to do is make sure the bird knows there is some sort of barrier in front of it.

• One my favorites is to let the windows get dirty. Ha! That's just too easy. 
• You might try putting up blinds or curtains to block their view. I know, "So how am I supposed to watch birds?"
• Well, a sticker or two on the window can work. People with sliding-glass doors have these to keep their kids from running into them.
• Screens over windows help, too.
• Or try hanging ribbons or a flag in front of the window.

       There are some more-expensive measures to take, like installing shutters or special windows.
      Of course, if this doesn't happen in your yard, you probably shouldn't worry. Just go out to your feeder and look back toward your house to get a bird's point of view. If you see yourself, the reflection of a tree or something, or if you see through the window or door to light from another window or door on the other side of your home, the bird probably sees the same thing. Then there's a chance of an accident.

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OK, the last time I saw a hummingbird was on Sept. 17. I'll leave the feeder out longer, just in case a Rufous Hummingbird shows up. That's a long shot; I've never seen one here, but the Rufous has been reported in the vicinity during the winter.

 

Here's what I saw today:

(AM, sunny, 60 degrees, 20 minutes)

 
Blue Jay
Red-bellied Woodpecker
House Finch
Carolina Wren
Northern Cardinal
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Chickadee
Mourning Dove