Winter Feeding

We're busy filling our feeders since the arrival of arctic temperatures. The other day, I observed a flock of red-winged blackbirds and some starlings in our trees. Sure enough, I had to fill our feeder twice during the day. I also made some homemade suet because the birds loved it so much last winter. However, today I realized that the birds weren't eating it. Finally, it occurred to me that the suet holder on our new bird feeder is bigger than the slice of suet I put in. I added another piece of suet and, sure enough, the birds attacked it right away.
Last weekend, we headed to the trail in search of exercise and fresh air. However, the trail was still covered with icy snow and walking was treacherous. We therefore didn't get very far before turning around. When we stopped and looked up we observed a cardinal, a red-bellied woodpecker, a mockingbird, a chickadee, and a tufted titmouse. I have to go back with my camera when the weather is more favorable.

Feeder Watch

Saturday's snow fall really brings the birds to our feeders. I counted 12 cardinals at one time. Also in abundance are house sparrows, mourning doves, and squirrels (not birds, but a steady presence around our feeders). A Carolina wren also visits the feeders quite often, and three crows search for the peanuts my husband throws outside every morning. As if to compensate for other birds, we seem to have fewer dark-eyed juncos than during other winters.
A new addition to our bird/squirrel offerings is a log that hangs from a bungee cord. It is pressed out of corn kernels, peanuts, and sunflower seeds. It is a huge hit with squirrels, titmice, chickadees, and wrens. Of course, we have our usual offerings of black-oil sunflower seeds, safflower, corn kernels, nyger, and suet. Something for everybody!

Failures of the gardening year

The biggest "failure" of our gardening year was our inability to find a two-tiered bird fountain. It was supposed to be the focal point of our second native garden. We looked locally and online and came up "empty." Everything we saw was either too small or the water would be too deep for birds to stand in. A bird bath should not be deeper than two inches and nothing passed the test. We finally bought a pretty bird bath and a water wiggler. It was not very popular, though, until we hung up our bird feeders. I guess water alone was not enough of a magnet for birds.
We also purchased an arbor and placed it at the entrance to our native garden. We had images of trumpet honeysuckle climbing up the sides and luring hummingbirds with their sweet smell. Alas, we could not find trumpet honeysuckle anywhere. We hope to have better luck next year.
We also expanded our vegetable area and planted tomatoes and paprika. That proved to be too much temptation for our resident groundhog (actually, he resides under our neighbor's barn, but finds more food in our backyard). Our plan for next year is therefore to put up a fence to protect tender plants from wildlife since we spend a small fortune on repellants.
Fences are on our list for next year, but overall we're happy with the way our backyard has turned out this year. Considering that we haven't had much rain this summer and fall we're lucky that we only had to water our new serviceberry and the annuals, of course.

Successes of the gardening year

The gardening year is winding down and it's time to take stock of the successes of our native garden. After removing our huge silver maple, we had enough space in our backyard to finally buy a serviceberry. It is now the centerpiece of our second native garden. Its bloom was very short this year (I didn't even get to photograph it because it was over so quickly) but I hope it will bloom longer in its second year. I missed the berries because I was out of town at the time. Its autumn color was beautiful--a russett red that added a beautiful shade to our fall garden.
We also purchased a Joe-pye weed that was a bee and butterfly magnet. I have the photos to prove it. Its blooms attracted bumble bees into October. Luckily, we got a dwarf variety. They can get taller than a man in the wild.
Our zinnias recovered after the first shoots were eaten by rabbits. With a later bloom, they provided color until the first frost killed them.
Next time I will blog about the failures of our gardening year. Luckily, there weren't many.

Birds & Blooms

I am excited to announce that my photo of an airborne Tufted Titmouse is a finalist in Birds & Blooms magazine's backyard photo contest. People can now vote online by logging on to www.birdsandblooms.com/contests.
After winning First Place in WildBird magazine's photo contest in 2005 and an Honorable Mention in Pennsylvania Magazine's photo contest 2006, this is the third time my little friend is up for an award. It even landed me on TV when Dave Crawley from KDKA Country filmed me in 2005. Now, the titmouse graces my business card and the homepage of my website, enchanting everyone who sees it. Will three be a charm? I'll keep you posted on the results.

The Wood Duck

The wood duck is one of a few ducks in North America that nests in trees near water. Many people consider it to be the most beautiful of all waterfowl. You can count me among them now. I think they look like swimming paintings.
Wood ducks readily nest in boxes, and that's how they were introduced to North Chagrin Reservation. As you can see on this photo, the head of a wood duck drake is iridescent. While the females look more drab, they also have a crest and beautiful plumage. Most remarkable is their white eye ring.
They feed off seeds, acorn, fruits, and invertebrates. At North Chagrin, they often picked up pieces of wood out of the pond.
Wood ducks pair up in January and are usually paired by the time they reach their breeding grounds. They are probably gone by now, but they'll be back in Ohio next year, ready to enchant us again with their beauty.

North Chagrin - Part 3

Photographers should always be open for new subjects. Such was the case on the morning of the first workshop day when a buck appeared on the other side of the small pond. Undisturbed by leaf-peepers and photographers, it made its way along the paved trail while we photographers fired away. It was the first time that I actually photographed a deer. The only other time I encountered a deer while carrying my camera the deer was way too close. I figured that I could maybe photograph its nose and not much else. And the nose would have probably been out of focus.
I am still editing the hundreds of shots I took at North Chagrin and find that I have many favorites. Considering the bad weather we have had during the past few weekends I had great luck. I still can't get over how tame the birds were. Last week, I went to Beechwood. There were three mallards on the pond but they always swam to the other side of the pond when they noticed me. They must have been passers-through since Beechwood is a popular destination with hikers and school groups.
All in all, I couldn't be happier with my results.

North Chagrin - Part 2

Waterfowl were not the only tame birds at North Chagrin Reservation. Here is a list of the birds I observed during my stay: Bluebirds, American Robins, Cooper's Hawk, White-breasted Nuthatch, White-crowned Sparrow, Wood Ducks, Canada Geese, Mallards, American Wigeon, Red-winged Blackbirds, Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, House Sparrows, and a Great Blue Heron.
It is one of life's mysteries that a bird that I really could use in my portfolio only shows up when I don't have a camera handy. Such was the case on Sunday when my husband joined me and I decided to leave the camera behind while we walked around the pond. Just then, a bluebird landed on a small tree not far from where we were standing. Considering how many people visited the reservation last weekend I was amazed how accustomed to humans all the birds were. Of course, humans weren't the only creatures around. I haven't seen so many dogs this side of the Allegheny Mountains. But wood ducks are truly the stars of the show and quite a few people asked me anxiously, "Are they still here?" Yes, they are - at least until early November or whenever they decide to fly south.

Ducks galore

I spent the weekend at North Chagrin Reservation in Ohio where I attended a wood duck photo workshop. I arrived on Friday afternoon in a light rain and checked out the pond. To my surprise the birds were so tame that even the great blue heron I saw did not fly away when I approached. Apparently, the waterfowl and shorebirds are so used to people that they don't get spooked.
On Saturday morning, we joined plenty of other photographers on the boardwalk to photograph wood ducks and mallards in the early light. We learned that about ten years ago, wood ducks began to breed in the nest boxes that had been built for them. More nest boxes followed and the reservation now is home to a beautiful flock of wood ducks. Before migrating south in early November they have molted into their fresh plumage. Against the backdrop of fall foliage reflecting in the ponds they are truly beautiful. Mallards and Canada geese were also plentiful. And the trees around the ponds and on the trails are home to many songbirds. Although the workshop ended on Sunday evening, I spent Monday morning at the pond before I packed up and it began to rain. It has been a cold, breezy weekend but at least the rain held off until I was finished. The fall foliage, which was probably at or near its peak in Cleveland, added to the beauty of the experience. Now I am back in our warm house, tired and excited about the happy task of editing hundreds of photos. I think I have found another favorite spot to visit.

We're ready

We took down our hummingbird feeder over the weekend and cleaned our bird feeders. We have already stocked up on black oil sunflower seeds, safflower, and cracked corn. Now we only need to buy or make suet and we're all set. And I bought a new hopper feeder today. Let the birding begin!
Next weekend I'm going to a wood duck photo workshop and hope to return with plenty of great photos to add to my stock. I'm hoping to get more than one species of birds, of course.
At home we're seeing plenty of birds, mostly sparrows. The fall flowers are still in bloom and yesterday I actually saw a monarch on our New England aster. It was probably coming from the North and passing through our yard. I wonder how many visit our flowers without our knowlege?

Fall Has Arrived

It is now officially fall and the leaves are certainly changing. Last week we headed to Presque Isle. I was hoping to see migrating warblers, but we saw nothing but a few mallards and plenty of ring-billed gulls. Instead we almost got eaten alive by mosquitoes and decided to never return in September.
At home things are getting lively. While the hummingbirds have probably all departed (we saw a straggler over a week ago and none since then) we are spotting more birds overall. My husband saw four flickers in our backyard at once and the blue jays are noisy and numerous. I also observed a red-bellied woodpecker yesterday as it pecked at our neighbors house. It won't be long now until we hang up our feeders again.

Pre-Season

Last week we had such beautiful weather that I headed out to the Audubon nature reserve in Beechwood for the first time in almost a year. The reason for my "abstinence" was, of course, road work. I just couldn't seem to find a direct route to Fox Chapel that didn't include massive detours. Finally I decided to use backroads.
Unfortunately, it was quiet at Beechwood. Birds were in short supply, except for that one hawk circling overhead. There weren't even any Canada geese or mallards. In the end, I photographed a painted turtle sunning itself on a log in the pond.
At home we often hear the not too melodious call of blue jays. They seem to have had a good year. Occasionally I hear a pileated woodpecker. And the hummingbirds are still here, at least the females. It will probably take a weather change to force the migrants to fly south and the warblers to pass through our area.

Hiatus

We are experiencing hot and sticky weather right now and don't venture outside much. No matter, the birds seem to be on hiatus too. All, except hummingbirds. They are performing aerial combat around our syrup feeder, chasing each other away from the energy drink. As if there weren't enough for everybody! Why can't they just get along? It won't be long now before they start heading south, the first sign that fall will be approaching.

Summer Musings

We don't see too many birds right now, but I have seen and heard plenty of hawks lately. The ruby-throated hummingbirds are hitting our syrup feeder hard. Not only do they have chicks now, but they are also beefing up for their upcoming migration. I have to check the feeder often to make sure it is full. They are also visiting our flowers, but I see them on the feeder more often than not.
Lately I've been photographing butterflies (yes, we finally have some) and posted some pretty photos on my other blog. Our wildflower garden has recovered from the groundhog's attacks and even the cosmos is blooming now. The biggest hit is our Joe-pye weed. Sometimes we count almost a dozen bees on it. That's where I photographed the butterflies.
While we have taken a few wildflower hikes lately the weather is not inviting us to do much this weekend. There isn't much else to do than making plans for the cooler season. I just signed up for a wood duck workshop in October. I hope it is as exciting as promised.

A Summer Hike

During the summer - and once we take down our feeders - we don't see too many birds in our backyard. We therefore am more interested in wildflowers than birds right now. Last Sunday, we headed out to Raccoon Creek State Park where we stopped at the wildflower reserve first. After admiring eight to nine feet tall ironweeds we inspected the native garden where we fell in love with the blazing star wildflower. We would love to grow this showy flower that seems to be popular with insects too. Now we have to find a nursery that carries them. After all, gardens are always works in progress.
After the detour to the wildflower reserve we headed out on the valley trail, a trail we had never been on before. I soon realized why: the trail is not wider than two feet and winds up and down around the creek banks. At one point, where the trail went down a steep grade toward a foot bridge, I would have turned around if my husband had not urged me on. Needless to say, he had to lift me up the grade on the way back since this was not a loop. We did see many "first" wildflowers that day. Perhaps we should start a life list?
In our backyard we're still fighting off rabbits and a groundhog. I don't mind if they eat grass, but they're not satisfied with that. They even attacked our purple coneflowers this summer. Survivors of the carnage are our new Joe-pye weed and a nice stand of wild bergamot which I photographed the other day. As if rabbits weren't enough, other plants (such as black-eyed Susans, for example) suffer from the lack of rain. Last night's downpour was a nice respite for them. What I am also missing this year are butterflies. Where have they all gone to?

Birding in Germany

I recently returned from a trip to Germany where I visited my family and friends. My parents' garden is big and it abuts several other gardens and orchards. Fruit trees and evergreens provide ample cover for the many birds I heard. With the help of my dad's binoculars I observed serins, blackbirds, a blue tit, magpies, and a great tit. Also passing by were swallows, a hawk, and a white stork. The stork nest on top of the fire hall has three inhabitants this summer. And let's not mention the rooster who lived not far away!
If I had the window open at night I could hear bird songs before four o'clock in the morning. When I was younger I did not notice birds unless they were swans or other showy species. Now that I'm interested in birds I see them everywhere.

Backyard photography

My favorite lighting for bird photography (or flowers, or wildlife) is bright overcast. Last week was just such a day and I set up my blind to take advantage of the great lighting. While I did not get to photograph any new species, I did get a very charming shot of a male cardinal with a sunflower in its beak.
In the meantime, we have taken down our feeder for the summer - the hummingbird feeder remains - and we have to find other ways to lure birds. One way is adding a bird fountain to our new garden. However, we have yet to find one.
Our new garden is having some growing pains, and that's mostly due to rabbits and a groundhog. My zinnias have been eaten in the front and back yard, making it look like the Munsters' garden. There are some native plants that the critters don't touch and perhaps that's a sign to plant more of those. Trial and error is the motto here and it's quite possible that the garden won't take off until next summer.

June observations

We are still seeing many birds in our backyard. In fact, their population has swelled because many have chicks now. Their constant chirping sounds through our yard all day long. My most exciting sighting this week was a Northern Flicker in our front yard. It targeted the ants on our walk. The Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are still around, enchanting us with their beauty.
Of course, birds aren't the only wildlife we attract. The chipmunks have also multiplied and we are trying to save our newly planted flowers from rabbits. The latter find our flowers really tasty. Oh well, such is life in the suburbs.

Return to Raccoon

On Saturday, we returned to the wetland trail at Raccoon Creek park. It was quiet this time and we only encountered catbird fledglings, one warbler, two bluebirds and numerous Canada geese. The sound of bullfrogs frequently interrupted the silence. I had taken my camera along, but did not take many photos. The hot and humid weather (not to mention insects) soon diminished any idea of staking out birds.
At home, we are busy planting and watering flowers in our new native garden. It doesn't look like much right now, but we're hoping that the recent rain will spur on our seedlings to grow. We are still feeding birds and they are beginning to bring their fledglings to our feeder. They are as big as their parents and it is quite amusing to see such big birds begging for food. We are still seeing a male rose-breasted grosbeak and I hope it will stick around. If we could find a bird fountain, then we would be able to see our birds taking a refreshing bath on a hot summer's day. Oh well, we'll keep looking. Something will come up eventually.

A Trip to Raccoon Creek

For the first time this year, we headed to Raccoon Creek State Park yesterday. The weather was less than stellar - it was cool and very windy. I therefore left my camera at home and brought my binoculars instead. With such winds I would have been hard-pressed to find a branch that was still long enough to take a decent photo.
Because we're also interested in wildflowers, our first stop involved trilliums and other spring bloomers. On the wetland trail, we saw a Catbird, several warblers (one was probably a yellow warbler, the others were harder to identify), two Baltimore Orioles, countless robins, and a couple of bluebirds.
At home, I had some rarer sightings lately: a Northern Flicker and a White-crowned Sparrow. The Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are still around, too, and I've taken lots of photos of them. To provide some natural food for the birds this summer, we started another wildflower garden. May seems to be the busiest month of the year.

Cowbirds, oh my!

One of the problems with hanging up bird feeders is that you're also attracting less desirable creatures. At the moment, that would be cowbirds. For weeks now, they have descended on our feeders, eating everything in sight. Of course, the obvious solution would be to stop feeding birds. But then I wouldn't be able to see the rose-breasted grosbeaks that are hanging around lately. They are big eaters too, but at least they don't lay their eggs in other birds' nests. We are on our last bag of birdseed now and when that's gone, they're on their own for the summer.
We are planning on adding another small native garden where birds and insects will be able to find natural food sources. And we're trying to find a bird bath with flowing water, which is more difficult than we expected.
Last Saturday, we went to Sewickley Heights park hoping to see some warblers. We saw a few towhees and I commented that we had not seen any at home lately. Shortly after we returned home we looked out the window and there was a towhee. Ask and you shall receive.

Hummers

On Sunday, we hung up our hummingbird feeder, rather timely as it turned out. On Monday evening, my husband spotted two male ruby-throated hummingbirds at the feeder already. I figured that the southern winds might speed up their way north - and I was right.

They're here...

Things are getting exciting in our backyard now. While we still see a white-throated sparrow around, the juncos seem to be gone. Unfortunately, we have a small flock of cowbirds around. I don't like to see them because they put their eggs in other birds' nests, but there isn't much I can do about them except taking down the feeders. But then we would have missed out on a sight yesterday. First, we spotted one male rose-breasted grosbeak at our sunflower feeder. Soon, I noticed another male in our neighbor's pear tree. A female was not far behind. They all came to our feeders and ate...and ate...and ate. Did I mention that they ate? They are beautiful birds and have a pretty song, so how can I complain?
Yesterday, we also hung up our hummingbird feeder. We usually see our first hummer around May 1, but it can't hurt to be ready. The recent winds we had might carry them here earlier than normal. And what's normal around here when we have 88 degree weather in April?

Independence Day

I've been honing my bird photography skills in our backyard lately, sort of like spring training after a long winter. Today, we went on our first bird outing. We drove to Independence Marsh in Beaver County and were not disappointed. We had not even left our car when we already spotted a killdeer, tree swallows, Canada geese with goslings, and the ever-present shriek of red-winged blackbirds. Besides the tree swallows, we had other firsts of the year: first female and male blue bird, first yellow warbler, and my husband saw a waterthrush. While rambling around, we flushed a couple of ducks out of a tree, saw a mockingbird, a mystery bird, and two turkey vultures in the distance. All the while we were entertained by the incessant call of frogs and the dragonflies that were out and about. It sure was noisy out there, but it was a pleasant sort of noise. I was disappointed that we didn't see more waterfowl, yet the arrival of spring migrants was a pleasant surprise. Finally, the wind and the heat - too hot for April - got the better of us and we drove home, happy and exhausted at the same time.

Backyard Birds

When the weather is agreeable I am out in the backyard photographing birds. Last Friday, I spotted a dark-eyed junco eating seeds underneath our feeder and a white-throated sparrow that landed on a branch. I had not seen any white-throated sparrows for a while and had wondered whether they had left yet. Winter is not officially over until these migrants have returned to Canada. Yet, the next day my husband spotted a sparrow with a particularly white breast. Apparently, I had seen the tan-triped variety. I have also seen (and heard) cowbirds in our yard recently. And let's not forget the red-winged blackbirds that pass through every few days.
In a few days I'll have to prepare the first mix of hummingbird syrup because these little flying machines show up around May 1 or 2. I wouldn't want them to pass up our yard because I forgot to hang up a feeder. I am less fortunate with an oriole feeder. For a couple of years, I hung out an oriole feeder after spotting an oriole in our neighbor's tree. But, none of them ever visited my feeder and it's now collecting dust.

The Rookery

Yesterday was a gorgeous day and most importantly, it wasn't windy. We therefore headed out to Big Sewickley Creek Road near Ambridge to view the Great Blue Heron rookery we had discovered last year. There must have been 20 or more nests, but photographing them was difficult. Many branches obstruct the view, making focusing and taking a decent photo almost impossible. To show you what I had to cope with I'm including some of my photos here.
Every now and then, one heron took off in flight and glided over the valley. I could never figure out where they flew. When they returned with a stick in their beak they "handed" it to their partner who was busy outfitting the nest. Occasionally, a fight erupted and the herons honked at each other, almost sounding like Canada Geese.

At long last

As a bird photographer and bird lover, it is my objective to lure birds to our backyard. Feeders are the obvious choice, but the feed can be pricey. Much more natural, if you disregard the initial price tag, is planting trees and shrubs for birds. For years, I'd been longing to get a serviceberry. Everything about them seems perfect: Their spring blossoms are beautiful, their nectar feeds insects, their fall foliage is attractive, and birds and people savor their berries.
There was one problem, though. We had no space to plant another shrub without removing something else. Last November, we finally had our silver maple removed. Not only did its shallow roots grow too close to our patio, but the tree itself was so vulnerable to storms that we feared it might fall onto our house or car some day. Lesson learned: Don't plant a tree that has shallow roots.
On Saturday, we set out to buy a serviceberry. Luckily, the selection was much better than years ago. The nurseries seem to carry more native plants than they used to and our biggest problem was what size shrub we wanted to buy. The smallest ones were quite inexpensive and would have fit into our car, but they would take years to mature. We settled on a medium sized shrub (about eight feet) that will hopefully bear fruit this year or next year. Will we attract cedar waxwings with this shrub? We shall see.

Spring has sprung

Until yesterday, our backyard was quite uneventful this week - that is, if you don't count hawks. We have had quite a few red-tailed hawk sightings lately. Sometimes they fly right through our yard.
Last evening, we saw our first eastern towhee of the year and I saw it again today. I also noticed that the goldfinches are beginning to molt. Those are two signs that spring is here to stay.

Turkeys Away

My favorite episode on WKRP in Cincinnati was Turkeys Away. The joke is that the station manager drops turkeys out of an airplane thinking that they fly. So, when I first saw a huge bird fly across the street in front of my car, I thought, "It could have been a turkey, but since turkeys don't fly, what could it have been?" I then learned that wild turkeys do indeed fly...
On Monday, I spotted several turkeys in our backyard, scratching at the seeds that dropped from our bird feeders. I knew that they spook easily. I grabbed my camera and stalked down our driveway to the edge of the house, not an easy feat on a gravel driveway. To my surprise, there were over a dozen turkeys in our and the neighbors' yards. I fired off a couple shots before they spotted me and flew away toward the wooded ravine behind our house. All winter long, we did not see a sign of them but now that the days are getting longer they will probably show up more often. Years ago, I even saw a turkey landing on top of our feeder pole. More dangerous was the time when I observed three turkeys crossing the street toward the school that abuts our housing plan. Where they after the food the children dropped on the ground or did they want to attend turkey school?

Mystery Solved

During the past few weeks, I noticed some strange looking birds in our backyard. They didn't quite look like goldfinches, yet they often visited our thistle feeder. They also ate seeds on the ground, but they weren't sparrows either. The other day I received an Audubon Society bulletin and learned that they are pine siskins. I wish I had known this during the backyard bird count so I could have included them. On Saturday, when they were visiting our feeders again I set up my camera and took some photos of them. I was quite excited that I could finally photograph again after a long winter trapped indoors.
At the same time the siskins were at the thistle feeder, a male goldfinch showed up. Its eyes were quite shut from what I assume is conjunctivitis. A bit later, I spotted it on the ground eating seeds. I felt quite sorry for it since it will probably starve to death sooner or later. My husband cleaned out the feeder that same night to avoid spreading the disease to other birds.

Musings

Despite the recent cold spell, spring is around the corner. Really. The birds think so. I hear more and more bird songs around our house and even when I'm driving. Last week, my husband spotted a blue jay that was feeding another one.
The results of the great backyard bird count are in and I can report that we have all 10 of the most frequently reported birds in our yard. I would be happier if I could report a rarer species than, say, a mourning dove, but so it goes.
A bit more unusual are the seagulls we saw at the Pointe recently. There is no body of water nearby and I can only assume that they are raiding the garbage disposals of the restaurants. Go figure!

The Great Backyard Bird Count

This past weekend, I participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count. At some times of the day it was like a feeding frenzy out there. On Saturday, for example, I counted 13 cardinals at once. I can explain their abundance with the wooded ravine we have behind our house. Other large numbers were: five juncos; nine mourning doves; five goldfinches, and seven starlings. I also saw three robins on our street, my first sighting of the year. Their survival instincts have not quite kicked in yet.
Our most exciting experience was on Sunday when we watched two crows land in our yard. At that same inopportune moment, a vole decided to leave its hole - only to be snatched up by one of the crows who then took off with its prize.
The other backyard visitors were vegetarians and munched on our four bird feeders and the feed that fell to the ground. Too bad I was not allowed to count squirrels. They are always in abundance around here. I was also sorry that the flock of red-winged blackbirds I have often seen lately did not show up during the count. That would have been impressive! I am anxious to see the final tally of the count. Last year, cardinals were the most reported species. No wonder, judging from my own numbers.