Winter Birding

We recently purchased a bird bath heater, and it has been a hit. Apparently, birds do need drinking water during the winter just as much as during the sweltering summer heat. Keeping it filled and clean in these frigid temperatures can be a challenge, though.
Because of the icy weather, I have been birding through our kitchen window lately. The other day I watched a crow fly into our neighbor's pear tree. A Cooper's hawk hiding in said tree did not put up much of a fight, but flew across our yard and disappeared. Crow - 1, hawk - 0.
Winter brings many birds to our yard, including more than a dozen red-winged blackbirds yesterday. A recent newsletter by the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania alerted me to the fact that those reddish finches I've seen lately are probably common redpolls. I hope they will still be around when the weather releases its icy grip.

Ohio Raptors

In late October, I attended a raptor photo workshop held by Brian Zwiebel at Ohio Nature Education. I came away with some beautiful photos of permanently injured birds, which are now being used for educational purposes. I am glad for the opportunity to get an up-close view of these awe-inspiring raptors. Just days before the workshop we heard a Great Horned Owl from our backyard but couldn't see it in the dark.

More Images from North Chagrin

These images of a female and male wood duck depict the differences in their appearance. Fall is an especially good time to photograph them because they have just molted and look their best. The top photo shows the autumn trees reflected in the water while the bottom photo brings out the iridescent head of the male duck. No wonder North Chagrin is so popular with photographers!

New Bird in our Neighborhood

The other day I set up my blind in our backyard to photograph some of the birds that visit our feeder. We had placed the feeder close, but not too close, to our serviceberry so that the birds can scope out their surroundings before flying to the feeder. The fall foliage provided a nice backdrop. I expected the usual tufted titmice, chickadees, and cardinals. When a bird sat on a perch for quite a while it seemed to be saying, "photograph me." I did not recognize it and was thrilled that I could take almost a dozen photos before it took off. Imagine my surprise when I viewed my images on the computer and learned that the mystery bird was a "Myrtle" yellow-rumped warbler! I had never even seen this bird, ever. Sometimes the best subjects are as close as your backyard.

Return to North Chagrin

Around the same time last year I attended a photo workshop in Ohio focusing on wood ducks. I had so much fun that I decided to return on my own. This time I had plenty of sunshine. Another plus was the fact that the deck near the nature center and a trail to another deck were finished. This allowed me to zip around checking on possible photo opportunities. I knew the ropes by now and, when the lighting was good, I was ready with my camera and lawn chair to await the action. And action I got.
Besides wood ducks, I also observed Canada geese, a great blue heron, red-winged blackbirds, chickadees, a robin, and a marsh wren. It is no wonder that the park was very popular with visitors young and old. I consider it one of the best places I have photographed birds at so far.

An Autumn Garden

Our backyard is a riot of colors right now. Red, yellow, and brown trees compete for our attention. Bumblebees and honey bees are still visiting our native garden with its New England aster, goldenrod, and panicled aster; creating a pleasing color scheme in purple, yellow, and white. The milkweed seed pods are opening, releasing their seeds to the winds.

The hummingbirds have departed and other birds show up in their place. We hung our feeder last week and have attracted a variety of birds. Besides the usual chickadees, titmice, cardinals, house sparrows, and mourning doves I have also spotted a white-crowned sparrow and an Eastern towhee. Last night we heard a great horned owl through an open window and went outside to investigate. Without the help of a moon we could not make out its shape, but we heard its hoots through the night air. There is always something new to discover in our backyard.

A New Bird in our Yard

As far as bird sightings are concerned, summer has been quiet in our yard. There were the usual robins, and goldfinches drinking from our bird bath and eating seeds in our garden (and dozens of house sparrows in our front yard). So, when the blue jays out back made a racket on Monday morning, my husband went to investigate. He never did find out what upset them, but instead he spotted a warbler. Now, we have lived here for 13 years and have never seen a warbler in our neighborhood. As is usual in those cases, identifying which kind of warbler was impossible. A few minutes later I headed out with a camera to perhaps photograph an intruder, and saw a female rose-breasted grosbeak instead. I haven't seen any grosbeaks since spring and it is a sign that the birds are beginning to show up. We are therefore getting ready to hang up our feeders because they really are bird magnets. We purchased black-oil sunflower seeds, thistle, and safflower for cardinals.
We haven't spotted any hummingbirds for a while and assume that they are on their way south. May they return safely next spring!

Backyard Visitor

As we strolled through our backyard last week we noticed this small groundhog in a tunnel made out of cut grass. We wondered:
Maybe it is sick?
Maybe it is young?
Maybe I should get my camera?

That last thought spurred me into action and I set up my tripod and 400mm lens. All this commotion did not disturb the little guy, but when I clicked the shutter once it made a hasty retreat. Such is the life of a wildlife photographer. You may only get one shot...

Award Winning Bird Photography

Today's issue of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has an article about me and my incredible feat of winning three major awards for the same photo of an airborne Tufted Titmouse.

Failures of the Gardening Year

While the successes outweigh the failures, we had a few duds in our garden:

Annuals
We purchased salvia for the first time this summer and, while they added a splash of red to our flower island, they did not attract any insects at all.

Perennials/Shrubs
A spicebush had been on our wish list for years. This year we finally found one at a local nursery and planted it in our backyard. Here it receives shade in the morning and then full sun. Its leaves are now black around the tips and edges and the whole shrub looks sickly. We don't know whether it is getting too much sun in this location and are considering to replant it in a shadier spot. Or perhaps it needs some nutrients and a dose of fertilizer would help. Or--it has just been too dry this summer to support a newly planted shrub.

Hummingbird Air Combat

Every year in late summer there are aerial battles going on in our backyard. Before they head south for the winter hummingbirds like to gourge themselves on syrup and nectar. Our syrup feeder is therefore more popular than ever. When one hummigbird approaches it carefully checks out its surroundings and then sits down on the perch to drink. Its caution is warranted, because soon another hummingbird - usually a male - arrives and drives the first one away from the feeder. Other times, the first hummingbird perches on a tree branch and waits for another hummingbird to land on the feeder. Then it takes off and chases the second bird around our yard. As if there isn't enough syrup for everybody! This goes on until it is dark, and it's much more entertaining than anything that is on TV.

Successes of the Gardening Year

It is time to take stock of the successes and failures of gardening year 2010. 

Annuals
The winners are: Zinnias. Even though the first growth was eaten by rabbits the zinnias made a nice comeback and are clear favorites with insects. Whether they're cabbage, eastern tiger swallowtail, black swallowtail, or monarch butterflies, or bumblebees, they make a bee line (pun intended) to the zinnias and ignore every other annual on our flower island.

Perennials
It's a tie between common milkweed/butterfly weed and Joe-pye weed. Besides the fact that milkweeds are the only host plant for monarch butterfly larvae, they are also very popular with insects. During their bloom they were literally covered with flying objects all day long.
Our Joe-pye weed (a cultivar named 'Little Joe') has grown much taller than last year. It is, in fact, taller than me. It enjoys a long blooming season and is a great draw for insects. And it doesn't look like a weed at all.

An Amazing Hummingbird

While we were out on the wetland trail at Raccoon Creek State Park we were able to see a hummingbird up close and personal. It drank eagerly from a swamp thistle, oblivious to our close presence. Its wings rotated at such a speed that we were unable to see them. Even though I could have touched it, the hummingbird did not see us for quite a while. At one point it was almost right above me and I had to crane my neck to observe it. At last it stopped its motion for a moment, apparently noticing our presence. It flew off, leaving us behind as we marveled at the closest encounter with a hummingbird we had ever witnessed. Unless one lands on our hands we will probably never see another bird this close to us.

Summer at the Wetlands

After weeks of humid, hot weather we finally had a nice weekend. We celebrated it by going for a hike at the wetlands trail at Raccoon Creek State Park. We enjoyed many butterflies - mostly Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, Black Swallowtails, and Questionmarks - and the wildflowers of summer: Joe-pye weed, various sunflowers, jewelweed, and the very popular thistle. The trail was often overgrown and we were thankful for our hiking staffs, which we used to blaze our way through the wilderness. We watched a female mallard and her grown chicks on the lake and listened to numerous bullfrogs. Countless catbirds made it clear that they did not like us being around. After ducking under several fallen trees we came to a challenging tree and decided it was time to turn around. We observed the following wildlife: a blue heron at the spillway, catbirds, a hummingbird, mallards, a water snake, and a shorebird (possibly a juvenile Greater Yellowlegs).

New Addition to Our Backyard

For years we have been talking about how nice it would be to have a pond in our backyard. Finally, we decided to turn our dream into a reality. Of course, when our contractor could fit us in it was a bit late to find a good selection of pond plants locally. We ended up ordering submerged plants and a water lily by mail because we wanted to buy native plants. That way we won't have to worry whether our plants will survive the winter.

Great Expectations

Our native garden is still attracting many insects, and no wonder. While the common milkweed and butterfly weed are going to seed now, the purple coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, blazing star, and wild bergamond are enjoying many insect visits. The blue lobelias are beginning to open and the Joe-pye weed will not be far behind. It is vital to have continuous bloom in a garden to provide food for butterflies throughout their life span.
Yesterday morning we observed an exciting event: an adult monarch butterfly flitted around our milkweeds. We weren't quite sure what it was doing. And then it occurred to us: It was looking for places to lay its eggs. Finally, it placed its eggs underneath the leafs of the plants. A couple of times it flew away - apparently looking for other egg hosts - only to return and lay some more in our patch. That means that there are no other milkweed plants in the area. While we have no intention of cutting down our milkweeds, it is important for their survival to spread their eggs around to more than one habitat. It is sad that so many people grow nothing but lawn, which goes brown this time of year anyway. Wouldn't you rather have butterflies than brown grass?

Build It and They Will Come

On the rare occasions when we venture outside in this hot, humid weather we have had numerous butterfly and insect sightings. A monarch visited a common milkweed the other day; fritillaries, eastern tiger swallowtails, and an eight-spotted forester checked out the purple coneflowers; an eastern black swallowtail landed on the black-eyed Susans; and a spicebush swallowtail gave our spicebush a once-over (could it be that it was laying its eggs in there?).
The milkweed is also very popular with bees and other insects of all sorts. Next to bloom is the Joe-pye weed, which is already beginning to open. Word is out that our cafe is open for business. One reason, though, why our backyard is so popular is because none of the other neighbors have anything but lawn and alien plants. Build it - or rather, plant it - and they will come!

A Blazing Star

Last year we went on a Blazing Star hike at Jennings Environmental Center. I liked the flowers so much that we purchased two this year. The first one has begun to bloom and is already attracting butterflies. They look better in masses and we're hoping to collect some seeds this fall to expand on our garden.
Butterflies and bees are busy in our garden. The purple coneflowers, bergamond, sunflowers and cosmos are blooming while the black-eyed Susans are beginning to open. Next will be the Joe-pye-weed. A week ago I thought I saw a monarch butterfly on a butterfly weed.

Gardening Update

The berries on our serviceberry are now a distant memory, but there are other feasts to look forward to. Our two virburnums (arrowwood) are finally growing some berries. The common milkweed and butterfly weed are blooming now and are very popular with fritillaries, bumblebees, honey bees, and other insects. Our Joe-pye weed is growing taller than last year and I am already looking forward to photograph the butterflies it will surely attract. The blazing stars we bought this year are looking good, especially since we caged them to protect them from the rabbits that are causing havoc in our garden. The rabbits have made a meal out of the zinnias I planted but they are slowly making a comeback now.
Notable bird sightings include: a hawk that perched on our neighbor's tall willow tree, only to be chased away by crows or grackles (in the commotion it was hard for me to tell). We see Baltimore orioles around but they never visited the feeder I put out for them, so I took it down.
For weeks we have been wondering why our front yard bird bath was often muddy. While we were out weeding today we saw a robin taking a full bath and the water got muddy quickly. Apparently, it had not wiped off its feet before getting into the bird bath. Another mystery solved!

Success Story

When we planted a serviceberry in our backyard, we had two goals in mind: providing a natural food source for birds; and an additional object for me to photograph. We succeeded on both counts. They are, of course, related. The serviceberry has an incredibly large amount of red berries, which the birds devour. There is a bully among them, however. A robin loves them so much that he chases everyone away when he's eating them. The berries are irresistible to cedar waxwings, cardinals, and house finches. We tasted them and liked them too. Some people make marmalade out of them, but I think you need more than one shrub to have a decent yield. Of course, if we made marmalade I wouldn't have been able to take this photo. So for now, we are happy to provide food for wildlife.

At the Marsh

Yesterday morning we headed to Independence Marsh for the first time this year. Besides seeing plenty of wildflowers, here is a list of birds we saw: Canada geese (naturally); killdeer; mockingbird; house sparrows; one female wood duck; hummingbird; great blue heron; hawk; turkey vultures. Of course, we also saw plenty of dragonflies and a bullfrog.
Apparently, the wood duck tried to lure us away from her nest, since she stopped chattering once we were gone. Seeing the duck took me back to the photo workshop I attended in Ohio last fall. Observing one on a local lake was quite a treat. We did not spot a male duck or any chicks.
While we could do without biting insects, a trip to a wetlands is almost sure to offer plenty of opportunities to observe wildlife and wildflowers.

Plant it and They Will Come

The serviceberry has quite a few desirable features: a beautiful - if not very brief - spring bloom; red berries that are a favorite source of food for many birds; and a russet colored fall foliage. It is also called Juneberry for good reason. Its berries are ripening already, and it isn't even June yet. Cedar waxwings are checking out the berries for ripeness several times a day and we have even spotted robins and cardinals tasting them. It seems as if we hit the spot by planting a serviceberry. That's what happens when you plant native plants instead of aliens.

Backyard Bird Sightings

In my presentations I am telling people how to garden for the birds. Case in point: Our serviceberry is growing berries right now, and the cedar waxwings are already checking them out. Of course, once I grab my camera they perform a disappearing act. I plan on setting up my blind soon to await their return. Or perhaps I'll wait till the berries are ripe...
Another exciting sighting is a Baltimore oriole. I hung up our oriole feeder and hope to lure them into our yard.
I finally took down our bird feeder today, after it became too big a draw for grackles. Between our shrubs, flowers and the bird baths I hope we will lure them into our yard nonetheless. And I kept a few sunflower seeds to bribe the birds when I want to photograph them.

Brief Update

I did not do much birding last week, for a reason I explained in my other blog. One afternoon I was in our backyard photographing birds. My highlight was a white-crowned sparrow. They visit our feeder every spring for a short period. I also saw a male ruby-throated hummingbird.
Yesterday, my husband observed a Baltimore oriole flying through our yard. I am sorry that I missed that one, as they are quite beautiful with their bright orange color. I am never sure whether to hang up an oriole feeder or not. They don't seem to stay around.

Birding Friday

This morning my husband and I finally spotted the first ruby-throated hummingbird at our feeder. Usually they arrive here around May 1 and I was getting worried they may not show up.
On a whim I decided to participate in a guided bird walk today at Sewickley Heights park. I was hoping to get some tips on where to find birds. Highlights of our (very long) walk were: Blackburnian warbler, yellow-rumped warbler, hooded warbler, Kentucky warbler, American redstart, red-eyed vireo, scarlet tanager, indigo bunting, bluebird, and a Cooper's hawk. Not bad for a couple of hours of birding. I also learned that the best way to see warblers is to search for them in sun-lit tall trees. All in all it was an enjoyable outing and I took away some great advice about the habitats of different species.

Bird of the Day

The other day my husband spotted the first rose-breasted grosbeak in our backyard. I didn't see it, but set up my camera yesterday hoping it would show up. Instead, I photographed a blue jay with a piece of corn in its beak. Wind and clouds finally convinced me it was time to go inside. Wouldn't you know it, as soon as I took my camera off the tripod a turkey showed up in the yard. If only I had stayed in my blind a minute longer... Such is often the case with photography. The moment I pack everything up an exciting bird shows up. That's why I'm hesitant to quit.

I haven't seen a ruby-throated hummingbird yet, but keep cleaning our feeder and expect to report a first sighting soon.

Turkey Hill

The "wild" turkeys in our neighborhood are getting pretty bold. The other day my husband observed a turkey in the front yard of a house down the street from us. It is pretty common for them to stroll through our backyard, but now they're crossing the street?
Then on Sunday we spotted a male and a female turkey under our feeder for a short while. A little later my husband noticed a turkey taking a dust bath in our neighbor's dirt. Perhaps there is some truth to the advice to give birds a place to take a dirt bath. After all, their feathers need to be in ship shape to take off when a predator is nearby. We never run out of new things to see in our backyard.

An Unusual Visitor

On Wednesday I set up my blind to photograph the birds in our backyard. I took several photos of what I thought was a sparrow. But when I looked at the LCD monitor of my camera I noticed that it had a crossbill; its upper bill was longer than the lower bill and its tail was very long. We consulted our birding guides and websites and came to the conclusion that it was probably a juvenile white-winged crossbill, a very rare visitor in our parts. I'm now waiting to have my sighting confirmed. During spring migration we often see birds that we don't observe for the rest of the year. But this bird is truly a life list bird.

Planting for Birds - Serviceberry

Last year, we planted a Smooth Serviceberry - Amelanchier laevis - in our backyard. It is also known as a shadbush or juneberry. When in doubt, always check the Latin name on a tag.
This particular serviceberry is a shrub and ideal for small yards. Its white flowers are blooming right now. The berries are popular with birds and the coppery red leaves add great color to any fall yard.

Birding Update

Two days ago we saw the first Eastern Towhee in your yard. It has been a regular early-morning visitor ever since then.

Yesterday, I headed to Boyce-Mayview Park to photograph birds. The morning air was resonating with the call of Red-winged Blackbirds who flitted about the shrubs and tall trees. The Bluebirds were more quiet, taking in the morning sun from tall trees. I did not have much success photographing either since they were too far away. Perhaps when the vegetation grows and I can easier hide I will be more successful. In the meantime, I am putting up my blind in our backyard. Unfortunately, the blind is very noisy in the slightest wind and yesterday I had to take it down again, as it spooked the birds away.

Still, it is great to be outdoors again after a long winter. Yesterday, the temperature reached 81 degrees. It seems unreal that the trees are still bare and the juncos are still here.

A New Plant in our Yard

The nurseries are finally open and we made a trip to Reilly's Summer Seat Farm to see what native plants we could find. We bought a spicebush, which had been on our wish list for several reasons: birds like to eat their red berries in the fall; they attract spicebush swallowtails; they are compact; and their yellow flowers add a new color to our yard in mid-spring. What's not to like?
I plan on photographing this shrub in several seasons and will keep you posted how the birds and insects take to the spicebush.

At the Rookery

It wouldn't be spring without a visit to a great blue heron rookery. So, when I learned that there is a rookery at Boyce-Mayview Park in Upper St. Clair I had to investigate it. It was a beautiful spring morning when we headed out to the park where we were greeted by red-winged blackbirds and the first bluebirds of the season.
Finally, after making a wrong turn and having to climb up a hill, we saw the rookery across the creek. It was quiet time and the only action we saw was a heron who kept flying to an abandoned nest across the creek. Was it a nest from last year? Who knows, but the heron seemed to think it was a convenient way to build a new nest. While we observed the herons we saw a red-tailed hawk from above.
All in all, it was a successful day of birding, especially once we found an almost level trail that took us back to our car.

It Works!

After the snow receded I could finally test my new birdcam. I first put it on the ground to catch birds that don't visit our feeders but rather forage among the spoils from above.
It is only appropriate that the first two photos the camera took were of a turkey (and the tail of another one). If it seems as if I'm blogging about turkeys a lot lately that's because they are around so often. The camera also captured a mourning dove, a cardinal, and a song sparrow.

Backyard Brawl

We are experiencing exceptionally sunny weather and the snow in our yard is slowly melting. The snow-free area under our feeder is getting a bit larger every day, thus exposing all the sunflower seeds that fell to the ground over the past few weeks. Visits from our "resident" turkeys are becoming less frequent. One time over the weekend, however, we witnessed three turkeys approaching said area, only to find a squirrel canvassing the ground. When one of the turkeys got a bit too close to the squirrel the squirrel defended its riches and the turkey hopped into the air. This occurred at least twice. It was quite hilarious to watch the squirrel stand up--so to speak--to the much larger turkey.

Birds & Blooms

My already award-winning photo of an airborne Tufted Titmouse is competing for the Grand Prize in Birds & Blooms Magazine's backyard photo contest. Voting has begun online at www.birdsandblooms.com/Contests/Backyard-Photo-Contest.
The news on the home front is that our backyard has turned into a wild turkey habitat. I saw five turkeys in the still snow-covered yard this morning. Their footprints are all over our yard and even close to our garage. Pretty soon they'll be ringing our door bell, demanding to be fed! We're hoping that they'll go somewhere else once the snow melts. Spring can't come soon enough around here.

Late Winter Update

When I first saw a turkey in our snow-covered backyard I was excited. Next thing I knew three female turkeys have become regulars at our bird feeders. They time their appearance precisely when my husband puts a feeder out with food for ground eaters. The plan is, of course, to feed songbirds (such as cardinals, white-throated sparrows, fox sparrows, Carolina wrens and anyone else who is more comfortable eating on the ground). We had not anticipated to feed gigantic turkeys and hope they'll disappear once the ground is free of snow. What's a photographer to do? Take photos, of course. However, they tend to disappear once I get out there.
I have another reason to wish the snow gone. I just got a Wingscapes birdcam and hope I can field-test it soon. The camera has a motion detector and a flash and I hope to capture birds with it that just aren't comfortable with me being around photographing them. I plan on posting it near our hummingbird feeder and/or our birdbath during the summer.
Until then, I watch the birds from a window. Lately, we've observed a flock of red-winged blackbirds, more starlings than we dare to count, a robin, and all the other species I mentioned during the bird count. I have also noticed that, despite the cold weather, the birds are singing more and more often. I even heard the red-winged blackbirds call this morning. Can spring be far behind?

Turkeys Away - Not

My favorite episode of "WKRP in Cincinnati" is the Thanksgiving show "Turkeys Away." The joke is that the station manager drops domestic turkeys out of a helicopter, thinking they can fly. Around our house, we have wild turkeys and they're flocking to our bird feeders more and more often. Until today, I had only seen one at a time. Today, I spotted three turkeys at the same time and did what any shutterbug would do: I photographed them.
As the snow melts away it reveals the sunflower seeds - and their shells - that have landed on the ground recently. It'll be a chore to rake them up, but otherwise they will attract rodents if left unattended. As the weather gets above freezing it is also imperative to clean the bird feeders. We usually clean the feeders in the evening so they can dry overnight before they get filled again. For cleaning we use one part bleach to ten parts water. If you don't have bleach, vinegar will do too. It is important to rinse the feeders thoroughly to remove any trace of bleach. Diseases can spread easily at a heavily frequented bird feeder. That's why it is important to keep up with cleaning and/or removing moldy seeds.

The Great Backyard Bird Count - Day 4

I love it when things go according to plan. This morning I was thrilled to see our "resident" wild turkey show up at our feeder, just in time to be counted. It spent a considerable time in our backyard and returned around lunch time. I took some photos through the window. Then I attempted to mosey around our house to photograph it but it detected me and flew off. It is hard to approach anything through frozen snow that reaches over my knees.

The Great Backyard Bird Count - Days 2 & 3

Yesterday morning things were eerily quiet around our feeders. A couple of cardinals sat motionless in a pear tree and a squirrel practically hugged another tree. No one was at the feeders. That could only mean one thing: A predator was out there. And then I saw a Cooper's hawk landing on one of our trees, the squirrel not too far above him! After a few moments it flew off again. It did not take long for the birds to return to our feeder.
This morning I spotted 17 cardinals in our backyard. I stopped counting them after that, because what was the point? I didn't even know we had that many around. A less pleasant surprise was counting 18 starlings. Where do they all come from all of a sudden? I am pleased, though, to see a flicker returning to our feeder regularly. And after seeing a turkey at our feeder twice this week it isn't showing up at all to be counted.

Great Backyard Bird Count - Day 1

The Great Backyard Bird Count is on. Here is a list of the birds I observed today:

10 Northern cardinals
5 Starlings
1 Northern flicker
1 Black-capped chickadee
1 Tufted titmouse
1 Carolina wren
1 Downy woodpecker
1 Red-bellied woodpecker
1 Hairy woodpecker
1 Blue jay
2 Dark-eyed juncos
2 House sparrows
1 White-throated sparrow
2 Fox sparrows
1 White-breasted nuthatch
2 Mourning doves

This list is by no means complete. While driving through our plan I saw dozens of birds (possibly mourning doves) on a powerline. I couldn't count them, though, because I was driving. I am also hearing quite a bit of bird chatter outdoors today despite the weather.

Feeding birds and other creatures

On Friday and Saturday our region was hammered with more than 21" of snow. My husband had filled the bird feeder before the yard became unpassable, but the ground feeding birds were out of luck. However, our resident fox sparrow managed to dig a hole in the snow--something we had never seen before. After the snow fall ended my husband stalked through knee-deep snow to put out a platform feeder filled with corn and seeds for the ground eaters on top of the mass of snow. Needless to say, our yard is very busy.
Birds are not the only creatures taking advantage of our outdoor cafe. Last evening we saw a doe at the platform feeder. And today I observed a turkey for several hours eating happily away. In this weather no one wants to expand energy looking for food. I managed to take a couple of photos through our window glass, but when I ventured outside to take a sneak shot it must have heard me coming and flew away.
Hanging a bird feeder is a bit tricky. Put it too far away from the house and you have to trudge through snow and ice to fill it. Put it too close to the house and the birds might crash into your windows and perish. It is absolutely essential to provide the birds with shelter near the feeders (no more than 8-10 feet away) so they can escape if a predator lurks nearby. Lately, we have observed a hawk that often dive bombs through our driveway to make a surprise attack. Hawks have to eat too, but I would like the playing field to be level. Of course, if it was up to me they could eat all the starlings they like...

The Great Backyard Bird Count

The Great Backyard Bird Count is now just one week away. It will take place from February 12-15, 2010. Where, you ask? Wherever you feel like watching birds. That could be at your feeder, your school, a local park or a wildlife refuge. As long as you write down the times you watched the birds and tally your count it doesn't matter where you view them.
Sometimes the best place is right at home. This afternoon I looked out the window and saw a female turkey under our bird feeder. Too bad it was a week early for the count...
In order to whet your appetite for the bird count I am enclosing a list of all the bird species we have seen in and around our yard over the years:
• American Goldfinch
• American Robin
• Baltimore Oriole
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Blue Jay
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Carolina Wren
• Chipping Sparrow
• Common Grackle
• Cooper's Hawk
• Crow
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Downy Woodpecker
• European Starling
• Eastern Towhee
• Great-horned Owl (heard only)
• Hairy Woodpecker
• House Finch
• House Sparrow
• Mourning Dove
• Northern Cardinal
• Northern Flicker
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• Song Sparrow
• Tufted Titmouse
• Turkey
• Turkey Vulture
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• White-crowned Sparrow
• White-throated Sparrow

Winter Notes

It is bitterly cold today and the birds were already at our feeder before daylight broke. Three crows descended on our yard, probably remembering that my husband throws out some peanuts every morning. They've been stopping by more and more often. Perhaps they figure that the best food is the food that takes the least effort to find.
How do our backyard birds survive the frigid nights, other than fluffing out their feathers? They roost, I'm told. They huddle together to give each other warmth or hide in tree cavities or vacant bird houses. Brush piles and evergreen bushes also provide habitat for birds. We had to cut down a shrub last fall and threw it at the edge of our hill side. That brush pile is now teeming with sparrows, juncos, and wrens. Shelter is also important for birds to hide in when our resident hawk lurks around.
In the morning birds have to replenish the energy they expended throughout the night. That's why our feeders are busiest in the early morning hours. Late afternoon is another busy period. While birds cannot afford to totally rely on a particular feeder (they would be doomed if you moved away or went out of town) it is important to keep up the feeding throughout winter once you started feeding birds.

Watch Out, Cardinals!

I often say that watching birds is much more entertaining than television. Today is no exception. This morning I spotted a bird on the ground and grabbed my binoculars. It was a Cooper's Hawk! I had never seen one on the ground before. It flew on the trunk of a felled shrub nearby and looked around. Then it flew into a pear tree that edges our yard. Against my better judgement I grabbed my camera and stepped outside the front door. I knew they are pretty shy, but thought that I could approach our side porch to take a shot. When it spotted me, however, it flew off--much to the relief of the cardinal that was perched on the other side of the tree. The other day the hawk had better luck, since we found a large pile of feathers on the ground. Apparently, the hawk had snatched a mourning dove, which happens quite often. Hawks need to eat, too, but I would be sad if it caught a pretty singer such as a cardinal.
According to a book I bought recently, Cooper's hawks feed mostly on birds and small mammals, hunting by stealth. They usually move from perch to perch in dense cover, then using a burst of speed to overtake prey. Their habitat are mature forests, open woodlands, and wood edges. Since there is a wooded ravine behind our house there is plenty of habitat to choose from.
Years ago I was more successful with my camera when I photographed an immature Cooper's hawk at our bird bath. Yes, it really was just taking a drink. Back then, our garage door was already open and I used it as a cover. Many photographers also shoot from their cars, but I have never tried that. Perhaps I should, once the weather gets a bit warmer. The best advice, though, is to be ready all the time because you never know what unexpected visitors will pass through your yard.

The Great Backyard Bird Count

I'm gearing up for the Great Backyard Bird Count, which takes place on February 12-15, 2010. I am an ambassador this year and will give a presentation about the GBBC at the Moon Township library on February 6.
If you would like to participate please visit www.birdcount.org to learn more about it, how to count the birds, and how to submit checklists. It is important that you submit the highest number of birds seen at any given time; e.g. if you see seven cardinals at a time and an hour later you see five, put seven in your checklist, not 12. It is quite possible that you are counting the same birds twice.
Most importantly, have fun! The GBBC is a great way to get acquainted with birds. Perhaps you will find a new interest. I did.

Adventures of Bird Feeding

Our backyard has been covered with snow the entire year now. That means that the birds are busy visiting our feeders. Nature being what it is, occasionally songbirds look like a tasty meal themselves. My husband spotted a hawk in our yard and the cardinals disappeared; all but one, who was sitting in the neighbor's pear tree unaware of the danger. When he noticed the hawk he took off between our house and the neighbor's with the hawk in pursuit. We don't know what happened to the poor cardinal but haven't seen any feathers around. I guess hawks need to eat too, and with the snowcovered ground they can't find any rodents to eat.
When I stepped into our garage today I saw a creature fluttering around. It was a bird who must have flown into the garage and then the door was closed. I let the poor guy out because he must have been hungry. That happens when birds become too curious!

A Stranger at the Feeder

The frigid weather - and the fact that the ground is covered with snow - brings lots of birds to our feeders. Unfortunately, many of them are starlings. The other day, however, I noticed a red-brown speckled bird on the ground I did not immediately recognize. I consulted my new book, "Lives of North American Birds" by Kenn Kaufman, and feel pretty confident that the new guy is a fox sparrow. The book says that it makes forward jumps and then scratches back with both feet at once. That's exactly what struck me as odd about this sparrow. We have never seen a fox sparrow before, but since we are just north of its usual winter grounds it's entirely possible that a fox sparrow is visiting our yard.
I would love to get a photo of this stranger, but my fingers are already ice cold inside the house. I therefore need to find a good pair of gloves/mitts with removable finger tips to operate camera controls. Don't worry, I would not expose my bare fingers but instead wear liners underneath the gloves. Liners give me the necessary dexterity to turn buttons and focus the lens. It will be a while, though, until the weather is decent enough for me venture outside for more than filling our feeders. Until then, I keep watching the birds from our kitchen window--and try to figure out how to get rid of starlings.