Hummer Haven UnLtd.: Blog

11-22-24 November's parade

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 22:59:32 GMT

November has been slow to cool down. Drippy days turned to gusty ones.

Annuals have been removed from their pots and the last bright colors of fall natives are fading.

It really looks like November!

11-9-24 Raindrops on cypress fronds

Bald Cypress fronds guide the raindrops on a brisk morning.

11-17-24 Fuchsia Gartenmeister

11-18-24 Geranium maculatum Cranesbill

Bright coral trumpets of Fuchsia x "Gartenmeister" were still blooming this past week. Scarlet leaves of the native Cranesbill (Geranium maculatum) were on fire in mid-morning sun.

11-92-4 FOS Red-winged Blackbirds 11-92-4 FOS Red-winged Blackbirds

House Finches, Chickadees and Cardinals were soon joined by Red-winged Blackbirds at the feeders, flaring their epaulets.

11-9-24 American Robin, Cedar Waxwings

Cedar Waxwings have been dropping in briefly at the bubbler before being chased by robins.

11-9-24 American Robin

Robins have come in for water despite being chased by the Northern Flicker!

And Red-winged Blackbirds had to get in on the action.

11-10-24 Carolina Wren 11-10-24 Carolina Wren

In quieter moments, American Goldfinches, Dark-eyed Juncos and Carolina Wrens take a turn.

11-10-24 Northern Cardinal female 11-11-24 Tufted Titmouse

Crested beauties like the female Northern Cardinal and Tufted Titmouse also bask in late afternoon sun.

11-9-24 Brown Creeper

Clinging birds forage for food in the bark, like the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and smaller Brown Creeper.

11-9-24 Eastern Bluebird

Thrushes like the Eastern Bluebird and American Robins have been eating the Beautyberries and deciduous holly berries. Getting a berry can be a tricky balancing act!

The parade of deer have been captured on our Stealth Cam out by the garden. November is the season of the rut, when bucks are out and about, stamping their hooves and making their presence known to other males. They tangle with each other, and winners breed with the does. Be careful out there!

Mid-November 2024 Mid-November 2024

11-21-24 Cedar Waxwing The candles are lit in our windows each evening to brighten the coming winter nights.

Winter Solstice falls on December 21, 2024.

As we look forward to time with family and friends,

we remember those who've gone before us and wish you all a...

11-3-24 Fall back has come!

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 03:08:02 GMT

In anticipation of the time change, we decided to get away for a few days. The chosen spot ticked all the boxes for us: peaceful atmosphere, acres of woods with trails for birding, good restaurants and art galleries within easy driving distance, and a fudge shop. What more could we need?

Fan Clubmoss with Sassafras, American Beech and Sugar Maple Leaves on the trail

Upon our return, the chickadees started fussing immediately, letting the other birds know that the wayward crew had finally shown up! "Where's the grub?" "The bubbler is full of leaves, we can't bathe!" and on they went. We remedied the situation at hand, and chuckled at their insistence.

The birds made us feel good to be back home. As luck would have it, this poem was shared in a newsletter from Haikubox staff the same day. I'll definitely be researching this poet's work for more inspiration.

For the Bird Singing before Dawn

Some people presume to be hopeful
when there is no evidence for hope,
to be happy when there is no cause.
Let me say now, I’m with them.

In deep darkness on a cold twig
in a dangerous world, one first
little fluff lets out a peep, a warble,
a song—and in a little while, behold:

the first glimmer comes, then a glow
filters through the misty trees,
then the bold sun rises, then
everyone starts bustling about.

And that first crazy optimist, can we
forgive her for thinking, dawn by dawn,
“Hey, I made that happen!
And oh, life is so fine.”

Poet Laureate of Oregon 2018-2020

“Many times in my life I’ve been told by serious people that I must be very naïve to be happy, to have hope, to celebrate this little life I’ve been given when, actually, they say, everything is pretty dire. There’s war, poverty, crushing injustice all over—what right do I have to talk back to all that with flimsy little poems about the good?

What can I say? The birds are my teachers, my elders, my guides. Every day before dawn, in silence and darkness, I’m at my desk making poems on the page. And then, before light, I hear the first bird outside begin to sing.”
—Kim Stafford

And now, here's the birding update.

10-20-24 Tennessee Warbler

A Tennessee Warbler was seen at the bubbler on 10-20-24, and another was feeding in a black cherry a week later.

10-21-24 Black-throated Green Warbler

This Black-throated Green Warbler stopped by on 10-21-24.

10-23-24 Red-shouldered Hawk

This Red-shouldered Hawk has been frequenting the woodland, in search of voles and other possible small prey.

10-19-24 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 10-19-24 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 10-24-24 Golden-crowned Kinglet 10-24-24 Golden-crowned Kinglet

Both Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets get very excited about the bubbler!

10-24-24 Yellow-rumped Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warblers are the warblers we're seeing right now.

The first Yellow-bellied Sapsucker of fall was this immature bird, seen on 10-24-24. It was seen again yesterday morning.

10-26-24 Eastern Bluebird 10-26-24 Eastern Bluebird 10-26-24 Eastern Bluebird 10-27-24 Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebirds are coming by often for water, berries and suet.

10-27-24 Dark-eyed Junco

Dark-eyed Juncos round out the late fall picture now.

11-2-24 Brown Creeper

Brown Creepers are also part of the scene.

11-3-24 Hermit Thrush

This little Hermit Thrush has been at the bubbler at least twice today, between the sprinkles.

We are very grateful for the rain and the birds!

May the birds bring you joy, peace and hope ~ all good for our mental and physical health.

10-18-24 Mid-October Mix

Sat, 19 Oct 2024 14:16:26 GMT

Mid-October = A Mix of Birds

That means year round residents, southbound migrants and overwintering birds could all be here on any given day.

10-8-24 Brown Creeper 10-9-24 Brown Creeper

Brown Creepers are here for the winter.

10-8-24 Eastern Phoebe

Eastern Phoebes will be moving a bit further south, but this species is a harbinger of spring and returns early. This year, our first one showed up on Leap Day, 2-29-24.

10-9-24 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 10-9-24 Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Two Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were seen chasing each other through the gardens on 10-9-24. There still could be a later bird, so I have two feeders filled. After Halloween, there is always a chance of a Rufous Hummingbird or other rarity coming through.

10-9-24 Swainson's Thrush

Swainson's Thrush spend the winter in the tropics, from central Mexico south.

10-11-24 Hermit Thrush- tail up

10-11-24 Hermit Thrush

Hermit Thrush spend the winter in the southern US. Depending on temperatures and snow cover, we may see them here frequently. This is the thrush with the rufous tail, which it cocks, then slowly lowers.

10-16-24 American Robin 10-16-24 American Robin

American Robins spend the winter here, though there is movement southward of the northern flocks. The first bird found a worm in the leaves by the bubbler rock.

10-14-24 Chipping Sparrow immature

Chipping Sparrow will winter just south of us in some southeastern states. I did have an immature bird here in January-March 2023.

10-11-24 Hairy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker is a resident throughout much of North America, though some northern birds migrate south for the winter.

10-14-24 Red-bellied Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpeckers are also resident here in winter. Two were on the sugar maple looking for insects when a different woodpecker heard their chatter and came in to check them out.

10-14-24 Red-headed Woodpecker immature

10-14-24 Red-headed Woodpecker immature 10-14-24 Red-headed Woodpecker immature

Do you recognize this curious young bird? By January, it will begin to get new red feathers on its head and throat.

Yes, it's a Red-headed Woodpecker. The last photo is a bird that was here on 1-20-22. I had heard one this spring and in early October, so I was thrilled to see it come in. That's the thing, one hears more birds than one sees and opportunities to photograph aren't always there! This uncommon woodpecker is found year round in forest edge habitat throughout Missouri.

An Orange-crowned Warbler was foraging near the pond in the Arrowwood Viburnum and Sugar Maple. This dull little warbler rarely shows its orange crown, but one can be seen here:

Orange-crowned Warbler

A Yellow-rumped Warbler followed two Black-throated Green Warblers to drink at the basin.

A Ruby-crowned Kinglet popped in to watch the Tennessee Warbler drink at the bubble.

10-17-24 Black-throated Green Warbler

Yesterday, 10-17-24 one Black-throated Green Warbler stopped in to bathe. Later, our Haikubox picked up this call of a bird that is rare to find at this point in the year, a Mourning Warbler. It was not confirmed. You can click on the link and listen to its 'tsip' call.

Mourning Warbler

10-14-24 FOF Dark-eyed Junco

Last but not least, the first Dark-eyed Juncos were spotted on 10-14-24. The night before, 7,728,000 birds had flown over our county, so that was technically my Big Day for fall.

Other species have been heard only, like the Great Horned Owl at 3 am. on 10-5-24 and Greater White-fronted Geese that were flying over on 10-12-24. A diminutive Winter Wren and splash-bathing Blue-headed Vireo have been seen on several days. We're still hoping for more birds to arrive such as Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Red-breasted Nuthatch. There's always a chance for other late migrants. We'll keep you posted!

Need one last look at all the October birds?

Begin here: October Birds

10-7-24 September into October

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 22:00:59 GMT

October

Leaves are changing, beginning to drop and birds have been dropping in!

Here are some of the highlights.

Cooper's Hawks have been making the birds very jittery for weeks, with good reason. It looks like this one took a Northern Cardinal. Everybody's gotta eat!

A first fall male and female Rose-breasted Grosbeak pair came to the bubbler on 9-24-24.

9-26-24 Nashville Warbler
Nashville Warblers also arrived the last week of September.

9-26-24 Northern Waterthrush

Northern Waterthrush have been regulars through the first of October.

9-29-24 Brown Thrasher

A Brown Thrasher really went for the bubble!

A first fall Common Yellowthroat played hide-and-seek in the Pickerel Weed in the pond while it bathed. It finally came out and perched briefly on Jewelweed for a good look.

10-4-24 Blackburnian Warbler

On 10-4--24, a Blackburnian Warbler was first seen at the pond. Then, it zipped around to the bubbler to bathe.

10-4-24 Black-throated Green Warbler

Black-throated Green Warblers have been the most numerous of the migrants lately.

10-4-24 Tennessee Warbler

Not sure why, but Tennessee Warblers have come in much later than usual for our yard. In 2022, I photographed two in late July, a new record for Missouri. This year? They did not show up until 10-3-24.

American Robins have been devouring the Winterberries (Ilex verticillata x Red Sprite). Because of the early rains and good pollination this year, these shrubs have produced more berries than usual.

10-5-24 FOS Brown Creeper

Our first of fall Brown Creeper has arrived!

There have only been a few times that several warbler species have been at the bubbler together. Here is a Bay-breasted, Tennessee and Nashville jumping in to join a chickadee.

10-6-24 Black-throated Green Warbler

Black-thoated Green Warblers have also enjoyed bathing in the stream bed of the large pond.

10-6-24 FOS Hermit Thrush

The first of fall Hermit Thrush arrived on 10-6-24 and showed at the bubbler.

10-6-24 FOS Yellow-rumped Warbler

Another first of fall bird, this Yellow-rumped Warbler found tiny insects yesterday on an American Elm (Ulmus americana).

10-7-24 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 10-7-24 FOS Golden-crowned Kinglet

Both kinglets have been documented now for fall, the Ruby-crowned and today, the Golden-crowned.

To all our readers, family and friends,

please stay safe in this hurricane season!

9-22-24 Autumn has arrived!

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 13:02:35 GMT

Fall Equinox

Sunday, September 22, 2024 at 7:43 a.m. CST

9-22-24 Barred Owl
On this first day of fall, shortly after 8 a.m. Dan spotted this Barred Owl in a small green ash about 15 feet out from the gazebo. It was a very wet bird as we had gratefully gotten nearly 2 inches of rain overnight. It sat in the tree for a few hours, scanning for vole activity. A sure sign of fall is seeing these owls on a gray day.

9-6-24 American Redstart 9-6-24 American Redstart

American Redstarts, female and male, have been seen regularly this month.

9-7-24 FOS Swainson's Thrush

The first Swainson's Thrush came in on 9-7-24 and stopped in briefly at the bubbler just after sunrise.

9-7-24 American Redstart

American Redstart female checking me out.

A shy Magnolia Warbler foraged in the smooth hydrangeas. What gives it away? The 'tail dipped in ink', which is diagnostic for this species.

9-14-24 Bay-breasted Warbler 9-14-24 Bay-breasted Warbler 9-15-24 American Redstart 9-15-24 American Redstart

Yes, you know these by now. Bay-breasted Warbler and American Redstart.

What we see in nature is sometimes sad and disturbing. This Ruby-throated Hummingbird had a dislocated lower mandible. So many questions about this bird, and the outcome did not look good as its tongue may dry out, according to my friend and hummingbird bander, Lanny Chambers. I watched the bird for just a few minutes and haven't seen it again, but thought the experience was important to share.

9-17-24 Magnolia Warbler in Blackhaw

Here's a Magnolia Warbler viewed from the front as it foraged along a branch in a Blackhaw Viburnum. Most warblers have been staying half hidden like this one, and their fall plumage helps them to blend in.

9-17-24 Two Bay-breasted Warblers

This pair of Bay-breasted Warblers were back again, challenged by the chickadee. The male has the richer bay color on its flanks.

9-17-24 American Redstart

Another American Redstart, or is it the same one coming in again? I scratch my head a lot when it seems the same birds are moving around the neighborhood and returning.

9-18-24 Bay-breasted Warbler 9-18-24 Bay-breasted Warbler

The Bay-breasted Warbler is considered uncommon, though they sure do show up here.

9-21-24 Swainson's Thrush 9-21-24 Swainson's Thrush 9-21-24 Swainson's Thrush

On the last day of summer, another Swainson's Thrush came to bathe and sure seemed to enjoy itself.

9-21-24 Bay-breasted Warbler

About 5:00 p.m. that same day, the pair of Bay-breasted Warblers were back again.

9-22-24 Barred Owl

And on Sunday, the Barred Owl finally turned and perked up as activity picked up in the woodland. It flew to a sugar maple then to a larger green ash for different vantage points before heading to another patch of oaks nearby.

9-22-24 Bay-breasted Warbler

And the first warbler of fall was none other than, you guessed it, a Bay-breasted! Yes, some falls are like this, but there are still large numbers of birds to come. Stay tuned!

Latest travelers 9-9-24

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 14:46:45 GMT

Focus is on Migrants!

Slowly but surely, they're trickling in to forage, drink and bathe.

8-27-24 Chestnut-sided Warbler

8-30-24 Chestnut-sided Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warblers first arrived on 8-27-24. The small size of warblers is best understood when seen near common birds, like the Tufted Titmouse and Northern Cardinal. Most warblers, like the Chestnut-sided, average 4.75"-5.5" in length.

8-28-24 Swallow-tailed Kite-2 by Dan 8-28-24 Swallow-tailed Kite by Dan

Photos by Dan Terpstra

On Wednesday morning, 8-28-24, we drove up to Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Three Swallow-tailed Kites had been observed there for several days and we wanted to look for them. We did see three, flying with Mississippi Kites. Striking in contrast and the largest of the kites, they are so graceful to watch in flight. The last time we saw this species was on a trip to Costa Rica in 2012. We felt so lucky to see them. A fourth kite was confirmed a few days later. Three have also been seen at Eagle Bluff CA in Boone County.

This species is certainly a rare transient and summer visitant now, though it was a former summer resident statewide. "The disappearance of this species from the state as a breeder and regular migrant coincided with the virtually complete elimination of forest in those regions." From The Status and Distribution of Birds of Missouri by Mark B. Robbins.

Perhaps this species will have a chance to reclaim some of the breeding range it once had and nest in Missouri again.

To read more about this bird: Swallow-tailed Kite

8-28-24 Mourning Warbler Composite

We got back home before noon and saw some of the usual suspects here. Then, right about 4:00 pm, a small bird flew into the hydrangeas behind the bubbler from the west. A chipmunk was chasing titmice out of the basin. I continued to watch. I knew that little bird was still hiding. "Inquiring minds need to know!"

So, the chipmunk skittered to the gooseberry patch and the bird popped out and went right to the bubbler! It was a rare first fall male Mourning Warbler. As I studied it, it ticked all the ID boxes for a young Mourning Warbler. Split white eye ring, dark bluish gray hood with black speckling on the breast, yellow under tail coverts. This species has always been a difficult one for me to see here, so I was a happy camper! Was it related to the male that I photographed last year? Did that male pass along the migration map in its genes so the young bird found its way here? It's entirely possible.

8-31-24 Northern Waterthrush 8-31-24 Northern Waterthrush 8-31-24 Northern Waterthrush

A Northern Waterthrush has been around for several days, first checking in on 8-31-24. It walked through the bubbler area and went to the lower wetland where it found tiny larvae to eat. You have to look closely, but one is wrapped around its bill in the first photo.

9-2-24 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher 9-2-24 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher 9-2-24 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

Flycatchers are often in the woodland, chasing tiny gnats and flies. This Yellow-bellied Flycatcher is another rarity in both spring and fall. This one was here on 9-2-24.

9-3-24 Bay-breasted Warbler 9-3-24 Bay-breasted Warbler 9-3-24 Bay-breasted Warbler

9-4-24 Bay-breasted Warbler

Bay-breasted Warblers are uncommon in spring and fall. Our habitat provides concealment, sheltered places to rest, find food and water. So, we do typically see them in both seasons.

9-4-24 Black-throated Green Warbler 9-4-24 Black-throated Green Warbler

Lovely Black-throated Green Warblers are a bit more common in both seasons, and like old friends, they're always welcome here!

9-4-24 Red-eyed Vireo immature

This is an immature Red-eyed Vireo. Why? Because its eyes are still brown! By spring, they will turn more obviously red in color.

9-6-24 American Redstart 9-6-24 American Redstart 9-6-24 American Redstart 9-6-24 American Redstarts

American Redstarts are also warblers. The male is black with orange markings, the gray one is a female. Young males look a lot like the females, but have some black feathers showing and more orangey yellow patches.

9-6-24 Golden-winged Warbler 9-6-24 Golden-winged Warbler

This species was seen in spring, and a female had stopped in briefly last week. Finally, on 9-6-24, this male Golden-winged Warbler was observed in time to document it.

For many years now, I've tried to see the pattern of when these birds will come down to the water. Each bird has different needs, It may have dropped in at 5 a.m. as it flew over our yard. It needs to rest from its flight, but it's hungry and starts feeding upon caterpillars at first light. So, some will come to the water before 7:00 a.m., or maybe take a quick look and come back later. It's really not possible to predict but there are days when a lot more birds are here which increases the chances! It's a hopeful obsession!

We have had a few nights with very high numbers of birds crossing our county. There are many more birds to come!

We've lost over 2 hours of daylight and are heading towards the Fall Equinox on September 22, 2024.

Enjoy the fall weather!

Fall Migration is underway! 8-26-24

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 20:04:30 GMT

When we heard the last of the Mississippi Kites, it was time to say migration had begun.

BirdCast from the night of 8-16-24

Sure enough, that night showed an impressive number of migrants that crossed over our area! A few were seen the next day as they stopped in to forage for insects, to drink and rest.

About 10:20 a.m., a first fall female Summer Tanager dropped in at the bubbler, following a few usual suspects.

Here is a composite photo showing both Tanager species with examples of females. The Summer's plumage is typically more of a mustard or ochre tone whereas the Scarlet leans toward greenish yellow. Fall birds require a careful look!

8-17-24 First Fall Northern Parula 8-17-24 First Fall Northern Parula 8-17-24 First Fall Northern Parula 8-17-24 First Fall Northern Parula

A first fall Northern Parula came several times that day to the bubbler area. There is very little chestnut on the breast of this bird so I think it's a female. Time will tell.

8-17-24 Common Gracke immature

A young Common Grackle drank heartily at the bubbler. It had been eating suet just a little while before.

8-17-24 Downy Woodpecker immature

Young woodpeckers like this Downy are learning to forage for food on their own. This bird is checking the stems of Smooth Hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens) for insects.

8-17-24 Northern Flicker immature male 8-17-24 Northern Flicker immature male

This is the first summer that we've put up a suet feeder and it has been popular with all the woodpeckers. This male Northern Flicker has been feeding two young of its own, both males. We've dubbed them, "the Flicker boys." We've watched them for days, they come in around lunchtime for some suet. The method seems to be that the male will show one of the young birds how to get the suet on its own. The other one waits on the railing and the adult fills up with enough for two. They take off to a nearby hickory and the young bird gets some from the adult at that point.

The Flickers work closely together in the mornings on foraging lessons by probing the soil with their bills for ants and insect larvae. It's a busy time for birds teaching their young!

BirdCast from the night of 8-17-24

An even larger number of birds crossed over the next night, spurred on by the waxing Super Blue Moon of August, or the full Sturgeon Moon. An alternative August moon name is Flying Up Moon, a Cree term describing the time when young birds are finally ready to take the leap and learn to fly. How appropriate! (Information per The Famers Almanac.)

About 7:30 a.m. that morning, we saw a Black-and-white Warbler in the Rough-leaf Dogwood next to the deck. A bit later, I checked the dripper bath for activity.

A gorgeous Baltimore Oriole was attracted to the dripping water, taking sips before taking a plunge. This bird seemed to thoroughly enjoy its bath. About noon, a Chestnut-sided Warbler was foraging in the Arrowwood Viburnum near the pond. I got great looks, but no photos. There were also a couple flycatchers, a Least and a Yellow-bellied. On Monday, 8/19/24, a very vocal Red-eyed Vireo was heard in the woods.

Seeing the warblers reminded me to review those confusing Fall Warblers! Here is my gallery with many views of these tiny migratory birds. Enjoy the collection and may it help you identify birds in your own yards or wherever you're bird-watching. The link will open a new page.

Fall Warbler Species!

August, birds are preparing to migrate! 8-13-24

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 02:32:00 GMT

August, a time of frenzied feeding.

Birds must put on weight to be ready for their long migratory flights.

Salvia 'Black-and-blue' is a perennial that blooms from mid-May into mid-October in our garden. It is one of my favorite non-native plants because it feeds so many Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Its nectar has about 30% higher sugar content, which the birds and bees love.

This young hummingbird is using a bare stem as a perch to reach the blossom. As it does, pollen is being deposited on its forehead, which the bird will carry to the next blossom.

I noticed some tiny bee activity around this bloom while I was waiting for the hummingbirds. Look closely, not just one bee but next to the metallic green bee is an even tinier native bee inside the bloom. Another benefit is revealed!

8-8-24 Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds will be moving through with each cool front now through October. They drink nectar and sugar water to fuel their need to catch insect food. I had a question from my friend, Jan Conant who enjoyed the photo with the hummingbird's tongue in the last post. She wondered how do hummingbirds really drink? In 2011, researchers published the results of studying their amazing tongues. This is very specialized behavior!

How the hummingbird's tongue really works

Now, on to a different species of bird entirely. I have been seeing an adult Mississippi Kite soaring over our yard and around the neighborhood. One day, I heard a second bird answering with its "Phee-phew" call, but I only got a glimpse of it. I started checking early in the morning and last Thursday, 8-8-24, I found a juvenile bird perched, obscured in a nearby oak.

8-8-24 Mississippi Kite juvenile

I watched it for some time before it decided to glide away and I lost sight of it.

The next two mornings, I was able to observe it calling, preening, stretching its wings and finally an adult called to it and brought in some insect food. Handoffs were very quick! Sometimes, the bird was facing away, "mantling" or hiding its prey. Studying the photos, the insects looked to be large grasshoppers and annual cicadas.

As you can see, the young bird looks very different from the gray and white adult, to help it blend in with the trees for protection.

As soon as I'd open the front door, I could hear it begging. Back inside, get the camera and try again to capture this feeding behavior. Here is a four minute video with some of the clips. I've slowed down some of the action so we can really see what's happening!

8-12-24 Mississippi Kites 8-12-24 Mississippi Kites

It rained most of the day yesterday after I got some initial images. I couldn't find the birds in the afternoon and wondered if they had moved on. But by 8:10 a.m. this morning, the juvenile was back on its open perch, preening, stretching its wings and calling. Didn't hear the adult, but after about 20 minutes, the juvie took off to the east, over and around to another part of the neighborhood. Perhaps it has several perches like this one where the adult will come with food. This bird must practice its flight maneuvers, too.

It won't be too long before these birds begin their journey south. After rearing their chicks, they fly all the way to central South America for the winter! Read all about this fascinating bird:

Mississippi Kite

July, a busy time if you're looking! 7-29-24

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 19:43:06 GMT

July is the time for young birds to learn about their world!

7-14-24 Northern Mockingbird juvenile 7-14-24 Gray Catbird

The juvenile Northern Mockingbird and Gray Catbird have been coming in for the Rough-leaf Dogwood berries. The catbird secretly checked out the bubbler one day, working its way around it.

On Sunday, 7-14-24 three birds dropped in at the Bubbler. Larger than Common Grackles, but a bit smaller than American Crows, I thought they were new species #127 for the Bubbler, and my very knowledgeable birding buddy, Connie Alwood confirmed them for me. Fish Crows had been calling the previous week, a nasal "ca-ha" or "uh-uh", or a single "cah", not the drawn out "caw, caw" of the American Crow. So, they had been in the neighborhood a while. These birds are very adaptable to human modified environments, even stealing food off of golf carts says my friend, Tina! The Fish Crow has greatly expanded its range in the last few decades, moving up the Mississippi River into its tributaries. Actually, that's not too far from us, "as the crow flies."

7-14-24 Fish Crows, #127 at the Bubbler
7-14-24 Fish Crows, #127 at the Bubbler

In this last photo, look carefully, it's not easy to see the difference between these two species. (Scale is approximate.) The Fish Crow is substantially smaller (on average 270-300 g vs. 500 g). Both are similarly proportioned, but the Fish Crow has a more slender bill, smaller feet, shorter legs. The American Crow shows a longer-legged look with thicker feet. Feathers on the back of the American Crow show a decidedly "ringed" effect in the right light. That's simplifying things, but it gives one an idea of what to look for. It's not always easy to tell them apart even when they're near each other. Begging American Crows can sound somewhat similar to the Fish Crow but do not have the same abrupt ending that Fish Crow calls do. "The only reliable difference between the two is vocal: The Fish Crow sounds like an American Crow with a bad cold." (From Birds of the World) The joys of bird identification are many!!

7-27-24 Bubbler mid-July #127 Fish Crow, Barred Owl

The Fish Crow was Bubbler Bird #72 for the year and the young Barred Owl was #73.

7-19-24 Red-bellied Woodpecker juvenile

Another young Red-bellied Woodpecker has been eating some suet and it has an almost ghostly gray appearance right now. It will gradually get in more colored feathers. The little Northern Flicker took its first bath from the safety of the small rock it was clinging to, how brave!

While chatting with my neighbor, Bob, the other day, he noted that I've mentioned seeing hummingbirds. Yes, we do see them all summer. Part of that is due to the native plant nectar that is available. Though I have not found an actual nest in our yard, there's a very good chance of one here. We see males and females all summer. They've been at the bright red Cardinal Flower that has recently started blooming.

That flash of the red gorget tells us it's a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

The striations on the throat of this bird indicate a probable young male. So, young birds are out and about, we're occasionally seeing one chase off another.

Photo from 8-4-21

I was watering the front porch pots a few days ago when a young bird got right in my face! It was telling me to back off from its new patch of Coral Fuchsia "Gartenmeister". This is an annual flower, but it comes on strong as the native Coral Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) slows its growth and has fewer blooms. Feed more birds!

7-25-24 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 7-25-24 Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Here's a male, on a favorite perch to protect its patch, ready to zoom in and chase off intruders. See its tongue reaching the sugar water? Slurp, Slurp! It's time to get feeders up! Hummingbirds will be on the move soon, heading south.

7-23-24 Great Spangled Fritillary

A Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly has been visiting the Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) in the garden, which is home to many insect pollinators right now.

7-26-24 Garden in July 7-22-24 Ironweed (Vernonia arkansana)

The garden is at its peak, with drifts of Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) and Orange Coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida). The Ironweed (Vernonia arkansana) is just beginning to open its purple flowers. All attract pollinators including hummers looking for tiny insects or nectar (Ironweed).

Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis), Spotted Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) and perennial non-native Black-and-Blue Salvia (Salvia guaranitica x Black-and-Blue) fill in and attract hummingbirds, too.

We took down the Eastern Bluebird box this morning. The third clutch of birds fledged on 7-23-24. I missed the actual fledging, but around 2:00 p.m. I did see the male calling to the nest box while five speckled fledglings followed to watch from surrounding branches!

Enjoy the sights and sounds of nature in your yards!

Rain, berries and birds! 7-13-24

Sat, 13 Jul 2024 15:52:01 GMT

How does our garden grow? With sun and over 10.73 inches of rain so far in July.

Joe Pye (Eutrochium fistulosum) now stands about 12 feet tall in comparison to our wind sculpture, well above the normal 5-7 feet.

Joe Pye with its massive blooms attracts pollinators like crazy. They're always buzzing around and getting into the flower heads. A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher was seen chasing some tiny insects on these flowers.

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is another pollinator favorite. A tiny carpenter bee (Ceratina spp.) visited this bloom. There it is on the upper left side of the cone.

The pale blue flowers of Downy Skullcap are showy right now. It attracts small bees and hummingbirds, and is deer resistant. It's just out of my usual view, so I'll have to keep an eye out for hummingbirds around it.

7-06-24 Paw Paw fruit (Asimina triloba) 7-8-24 Hazelnuts (Corylus americana)

Paw Paw (Asimina triloba) and American Filbert or Hazelnut (Corylus americana) are expanding in size every day. Some of the largest paw paw fruit have already been taken, a favorite of opossums and raccoons.

7-12-24 House Finch eating Elderberries

American Elderberries were nearly ripe a week ago, an Eastern Phoebe and House Finches were going after them yesterday.

The biggest draw has been the berries of the Rough-leaf Dogwood (Cornus drummondii). A young Gray Catbird has been fed by one of the adults the last few days. Notice the gape on the young bird in the first two photos.

These dogwoods were in the seed bank, so to speak, we didn't plant them. Dogwoods feed 94 species of Lepidoptera or moth and butterfly caterpillars. These caterpillars in turn feed birds during spring and fall migration and during the nesting season. The flowers benefit many pollinators and now the fruit from that pollination is feeding birds. What a great example of a hard-working native plant!

American Robins with their speckled young are there throughout the day, sometimes grabbing a berry on the fly.

Eastern Bluebirds, also thrushes like their American Robin cousins, love this fruit! The lighter the berry, the riper it is and some will continue to ripen into October.

A young Brown Thrasher came in on its own to feast on the berries. It's a bit tricky balancing on a bobbing branch and grabbing the berries! Like the Gray Catbirds, the Brown Thrashers are known for their secretive, stealthy behavior. It made my day to know that this young bird felt safe and comfortable enough to come out in the open to feed.

As I checked my photos, I found that this was the first time I had photographed young birds of both of these species.

7-11-24 Brown Thrasher composite photo

This composite photo shows the plumage differences in the adult and immature birds. This little one has to grow into that tail!

6-28-24 Northern Cardinal immature
7-1-24 Tufted Titmouse immature
7-6-24 Eastern Phoebe immature -2

Young birds are frequently seen at the bubbler, finding their own way around. A Northern Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse and Eastern Phoebe are just a few.

7-12-24 Blue Jay immature 7-12-24 Red-bellied Woodpecker immature

Young Blue Jays and a Red-bellied Woodpecker are learning the ropes, too. Finding water and food is now essential to these young birds. They will soon be completely on their own! They're fun to watch as they scratch their heads and figure things out.

7-13-24 Gray Catbird juvenile "catnap"

The immature Gray Catbird was back this morning, grabbing berries on its own steam. It's hard work, and it took a wee "catnap."

7-11-24 Eastern Bluebird at fountain
Dan repaired the copper fountain so it's up and running again. The male Eastern Bluebird had gotten used to the simple bird bath and wasn't so sure about this fountain at first. But, it has gotten comfortable with it again. The bluebirds are busy with their nestlings now, carrying insects often to the nest box.

Stay cool...Oh, wait!

Just finished the blog post when I went downstairs and found this bird in the Rough-leaf Dogwood. It's a juvenile Northern Mockingbird! That makes a third species of young birds that I've not photographed before, and all three are in the Mimidae family, or Mimics.

7-13-24 Northern Mockingbird juvenile 7-13-24 Northern Mockingbird juvenile 7-13-24 Northern Mockingbird juvenile

That's a lot to smile about...

Summertime! 6-27-24

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 15:00:20 GMT

Sights and Sounds of Summer 2024

Our somewhat peaceful surroundings have been full of human noise lately. Street crews, roof installers, lawn crews, driveway sealers, moving vans, ice cream trucks - you name it, they've been here! What amazes me is how the birds and other critters do their best to carry on.

6-9-24 Eastern Bluebird female 6-23-24 Eastern Bluebird nest

We think the second brood of Eastern Bluebirds fledged on 6/10/24. Roofers were here all day on 6/11/24. The adult pair were soon back watching the box, waiting on housekeeping service! As soon as we confirmed the box was empty, we swapped it out for the clean one on 6/13/24. The female wasted no time building a new nest with cypress needles first, then pine needles from trees across the street. The nest cradled the first egg on 6/19/24.

6-23-24 Five Eastern Bluebird eggs

Here is the female on the morning of 6/23/24 as she goes in to lay the fifth egg. It's wonderful to see these birds work together to raise their young. Depending on the heat and timing, this third brood should fledge around 7/11/24.

Last week, on 6/20/24, I had been at a friend's house in the morning. When I returned, I went to check the phoebe nest, knowing they would probably fledge that day. Well, the nest was on the ground! I was a bit concerned, but later saw an adult taking food to one of the young. Perhaps the chicks were rambunctious and raring to take off from the edge, toppling the nest.

6-20-24 Eastern Phoebe 6-20-24 Eastern Phoebe fledgling

The chick was definitely a new fledgling! I watched it fly a good 35 feet to another tree.

6-24-24 Eastern Phoebe immature

An immature bird from the first brood was seen at the dripper bath, then in this hydrangea on 6/24/24.

1-5-23 Pair of Common Grackles

Young birds will often come to the bubbler for a drink when it's hot. Common Grackle chicks are a bit smaller than the adults and have brown eyes, as opposed to the yellow eyes of adult birds.

6-16-24 Northern Cardinal juvenile

Finally, young Northern Cardinals are coming out of cover to be seen. Their bills are still dark, and eventually will turn bright orange.

6-12-24 Northern Flicker

One species that loves to make a big splash is the Northern Flicker. The yellow shafts of its tail feathers are easily seen in the second photo. The Western subspecies of Northern Flickers have red shafts. They will hybridize in the area where the two meet. Read more here:

Northern Flicker

6-17-24 Blue Jay 6-17-24 Blue Jay

This Blue Jay and the flicker have earned their vigorous baths. It's hard work to defend territories and raise chicks in the good old summertime.

6-24-24 Eastern Bluebirds at dripper

An immature, speckled Eastern Bluebird from the second brood is still tagging along with the adult male.

6-22-24 Ruby-throated Hummingbird

6-18-24 ( Lonicera sempervirens)

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are seen every day, sometimes at the feeders, sometimes at flowers, like the Coral Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens). This is a female, though males are seen, too.

6-24-24 Gray Catbird 6-25-24 Gray Catbird

This Gray Catbird has been heard calling and finally stopped in at the bubbler for #71 for the year. They can be very stealthy, but it's been hot! Birds need fresh, cool water.

6-24-24 Doe in garden at 99.7 degrees

On 6/24/24, the hottest day so far at 99.7 degrees, this doe ventured into the garden to browse. This doe may have just one fawn. There is another doe that has two. On two mornings, I've watched the five of them leave the swampy thicket after having spent the night bedded down in dry leaves.

6-27-24 Blue Dasher on Canna

Today, I watched two Blue Dashers chasing each other in the water garden. This one is displaying in an 'obelisk' position. They're usually seen here in July.

TAKE CARE ~ STAY COOL!

Late spring update 6-9-24

Sun, 09 Jun 2024 21:06:43 GMT

Let's begin with a video of clips from our Stealth Cam since February.

Look for deer, rabbit, coyote, Rusty Blackbirds in snow. Listen for toads singing in April and cicadas in May.

Watch the fawns, one is concealed as the doe feeds it. Yearling bucks race to the woods away

from the noise of a dump truck, unloading gravel for street repairs. The video will open in a new page for you.

February ~ June 2024

On Friday, 6-7-24, American Crows were upset and calling loudly in the woods. I looked from upstairs and saw a raccoon climbing a small oak. Dan was watching downstairs and caught sight of a red fox, leaving the woods. He was unable to get a photo. The last time we recorded a fox was in the fall of 2017, the same time that we first recorded coyotes. Foxes typically move out when coyotes move in. They cannot compete with the larger animal.

Red Fox 10-20-17
Red Fox 10-20-17

Red Fox at the Bubbler 10-22-17

5-16-24 E. Cottontail Rabbit

We have a bounty of bunnies this year. I've watched them eat numerous native plants such as woolly blue violets, Virginia creeper, Purple Coneflower and even poison ivy. The third photo shows it weeding for me! Eastern Cottontail Rabbits are the first choice on a Red Fox menu. Perhaps that is the lure?

4-27-24 Woodland Vole 5-17-24 E. Chipmunks

Both Woodland Voles and Eastern Chipmunks are often taken by Red-shouldered Hawks and voles by Barred Owls. They are also on the list for the foxes. Small mammals make up an important part of the food web by eating plants and insects, then transferring that energy by becoming food sources for larger predators such as these. It's the circle of life!

5-13-24 Cicada emerging
Cicadas have been a food for many mammal and bird species this spring. The last of them are still heard on warm days as they complete their life cycles. We're now into the sixth week since we saw the first one.

6-4-24 Water Canna (Thalia dealbata) 6-8-24 Water Canna (Thalia dealbata)

The tallest plant in our water garden has gone from bud to bloom, Water Canna (Thalia dealbata). Bumble bees are finding nectar at the flowering Pickerel Rush (Pontederia cordata). These are both hardy native plants, and hummingbirds visit them.

On the west side of the water garden, Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis), River Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) and the white blooms of Lizard's Tail (Saururus cernuus) make a lush grouping with some variegated Solomon's Seal.

Great Spangled Fritillary butterflies are seen often in the garden now. This one is enjoying nectar of Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea).

5-28-24 E. Phoebe immature 5-28-24 E. Phoebe immature

Young Eastern Phoebes chase each other as they explore the woodland learning to forage on their own. They seem to enjoy playing in water!

5-30-24 Tufted Titmouse immature 5-30-24 Tufted Titmouse immature

With some species, it's easy to tell young birds from the adults by the gape, the fleshy hinge at the base of the bill. (Look at the Phoebe again.) This Tufted Titmouse is one of at least four from a clutch.

5-29-24 Downy Woodpecker immature 6-4-24 Harry Woodpecker immature

Immature Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers both have red feathers on top of their heads, which are not always easy to see. Both species will come to suet, and both quickly learn how to find insects in decaying logs or under the bark of stumps.

Eastern Bluebirds will have their second brood fledge any minute now, I can hear the male calling! The female Eastern Phoebe is sitting on a second clutch of eggs. There is always something to listen for, something to observe and learn from here in our Shady Oaks Sanctuary.

5-6-24 Copper Iris and Sensitive Fern

A month ago, the Copper Iris (Iris fulva) were in peak bloom.

Sweet moments like this in our gardens and in our lives are treasures!

News Flash and Latest Migrants 5-28-24

Wed, 29 May 2024 02:18:33 GMT

May 28, 2024 ~ News Flash!

We were just featured in our hometown newspaper and the response has been amazing!

We've been getting comments on our website, through emails and texts from friends, old and new.

Welcome to new readers of the blog!

A big shout out to Miki McKee Koelsch for really getting what we are all about and conveying it so well in the article,

and to Ursula Ruhl for taking photos of us (who'd rather be behind the camera). Thank you!

And, a big hug and thank you to our dear friend, Armetta Smitley, who called the Times initially!

Here's the link to the Webster-Kirkwood Times, look for this title to read all about it:

Our Garden is for the Birds!

Now...on to the latest spring migrants!

5-16-24 Northern Waterthrush 5-16-24 Northern Waterthrush 5-16-24 Northern Waterthrush

A Northern Waterthrush found some small larvae in the algae to eat in the bubbler on 5-16-24.

5-18-24 Veery

Overnight, on 5-18-24, over two million birds had flown over according to BirdCast. One that stopped in to refresh itself was this Veery.

5-18-24 Magnolia Warbler

Another migrant was a Magnolia Warbler that just took its sweet ol' time while it bathed.

5-19-24 Tufted Titmouse 5-19-24 Tufted Titmouse 5-19-24 Tufted Titmouse

This little Tufted Titmouse seemed very excited and pleased with itself for finding a caterpillar snack! It celebrated with a big splash.

5-19-24 Brown Thrasher 5-19-24 Brown Thrasher 5-19-24 Brown Thrasher

Sunday, 5-19-24 also brought a Brown Thrasher out of the thicket.

5-21-24 Bay-breasted Warbler

It was really dark at 7:30 am when this Bay-breasted Warbler needed a bath. Over a million and a half birds again had passed overhead the night before, but we did have a few warblers here the next morning. In fact, two females can be quite challenging to ID.

QUIZ bird! That's a Tufted Titmouse in the foreground, but what is the bird in back? Let's see if we can figure it out.

These two species are favorites of many birders. The males are distinctly different, though nearly the same size. Study the leg color, that is considered a diagnostic detail to help differentiate between the females.

5-22-24 Two Bay=breasted females

These are both female Bay-breasted Warblers. There is variation among them but females have a split buffy eye-ring and usually dark legs and feet.

5-22-24 Two Blackpoll females

Here are two female Blackpoll Warblers, again with some variation, yellowish to whitish breast with dark streaking on the sides. Some have darker streaking on top of head. Note the yellow-orangish legs and feet.

5-21-24 Blackpoll Warbler female

So, what do you think the QUIZ bird is? These two are the same species. You've got this!

5-21-24 Chestnut-sided Warbler 5-21-24 Chestnut-sided Warbler

Two Chestnut-sided Warblers also came in on 5-21-24. The second one is a female, not as strongly marked as the male.

5-23-24 Canada Warbler female 5-23-24 Canada Warbler female 5-23-24 Canada Warbler female

On Thursday, 5-23-24, it made my day to see this female! It had been a year and a half since I'd photographed the 'necklaced' or Canada Warbler.

Indian Pinks (Spigelia marilandica) have been attracting the female Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Oops, just missed her!

5-26-24 Water lilies (Nymphaea odorata)

We've been enjoying our lush water garden, especially the water lily leaves which had expanded to huge proportions this week!

And then, tornado warnings and a hail storm came in on Sunday evening, 5-26-24. Shredded lettuce! We were fortunate that the only damage was torn leaves, and they were everywhere.

As you can see by the charts, migration is winding down. There is still a slight chance for a surprise, so stay tuned!

Cicadas? Oh yes, we still hear and see the cicadas and they will soon complete their life cycle.

They have fed many birds and critters, and the leftovers will be broken down by many insects to return nutrients to the soil.

Peak of Migration 5-14-24

Tue, 14 May 2024 20:00:14 GMT

Migration is at Peak!

Some birds are stopping in to give us a closer look and a listen.

5-2-24 Swainson's Thrush singing 5-12-24 Veery

Swainson's Thrush are here, and singing through the day. Another thrush is this Veery, and it has been around for several days.

5-6-24 Nashville Warblers

Nashville Warblers were bathing together.

5-9-24 Magnolia Warbler

A Magnolia Warbler foraged in the Blackhaw (Viburnum prunifolium). It was looking for small caterpillars under the leaves.

5-10-24 Tennessee Warblers

A nice little flock of Tennessee Warblers braved the bubbler together. The females are more yellow overall.

5-10-24 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

A Ruby-crowned Kinglet stopped by and it's a bit on the late side, possibly a female.

5-10-24 Bay-breasted Warbler x5-10-24 Bay-breasted Warblers 5-10-24 Bay-breasted Warbler

On 5-10-24, there were at least two, maybe more Bay-breasted Warblers. Oh, yes! I watched one devour a cicada on the pin oak in front.

5-10-24 Black-throated Green Warbler

Finally had a Black-throated Green Warbler check out the bubbler that day, too.

5-10-24 Baltimore Oriole female

A female Baltimore Oriole was a nice find that day. Its plumage helped it blend so perfectly in the stream bed!

5-12-24 Magnolia Warbler 5-12-24 Magnolia Warbler

Finally, a Magnolia Warbler came to bathe! As often happens, I was so focused on this bird that I nearly missed the approach of ...

5-12-24 Blackburnian Warbler 5-12-24 Blackburnian Warbler

THE FIRETHROAT! A Blackburnian Warbler, which always takes my breath away!

5-12-24 Chestnut-sided Warbler female

First year Chestnut-sided Warblers are coming through. These are both first spring females, but the second one looks like it has barely begun getting new, colorful feathers. This is what they look like in winter in Costa Rica. The change is really dramatic in the males, as you can see below.

5-8-24 Chestnut-sided Warbler

And now...

5-12-24 Blackpoll Warbler 5-12-24 Blackpoll Warbler

My Haikubox had been picking up the song of the Blackpoll Warbler, and I finally saw this mostly black and white bird. This bird needs to be seen in spring, because their fall migration route typically takes them further east.

On 10-4-2013, this young female Blackpoll Warbler became the third record for Missouri by coming down to look at the bubbler! This little bird was featured in my very first blog post, and it was the only photo that I managed to get before other birds chased it off.

Now, an update on the nesters.

5-8-24 Eastern Bluebird 5-10-24 Eastern Bluebird eggs

Eastern Bluebirds wasted no time getting another brood started! We were going to clean out the old nest only to find the female had begun laying eggs. The bumper crop of insects available may have contributed to their eagerness.

5-11-24 Eastern Phoebes

5-11-24 Eastern Phoebes
5-11-24 Eastern Phoebes

Eastern Phoebes have been busy feeding their fledglings, too. This little one had eyes bigger than his tummy! I've seen the female collecting more moss and mud from the swampy thicket to reinforce the nest.

The cicadas are in full emergence here, just as they were 13 years ago. What a bounty! They start their scream-like song very early now and it goes on all day. While the chipmunk gorges on them at its table, I'm catching up on things inside and taking a little break.

Happy Migration!

My, oh my, it's MAY! 5-6-24

Mon, 06 May 2024 19:37:56 GMT

May is a time for feeding new chicks and migrating birds!

4-28-24 Eastern Bluebird fledgling

Eastern Bluebirds fledged on 4/28/24. They've been seen and heard making the rounds of the neighborhood.

Despite the House Wren removing three of the chickadee eggs, at least one chick made it to fledging on 5/4/24. The adult coaxed it out with a treat!

4-28-24 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 4-29-24 Summer Tanager red morph female 5-4-24 Common Yellowthroat

The leaves have grown quickly, concealing the birds. Try your hand at identifying these three! (Answers at the end of the post.)

4-23-24 Indigo Bunting

An Indigo Bunting enjoyed a bath in the bubbler.

4-25-24 Nashville Warbler

These are both Nashville Warblers, but the first has a very yellow eye-ring, not the typical bold white. It may just have more pigment, but it's the first one I've seen like it.

4-28-24 Wild Turkey On 4-28-24, a Wild Turkey trotted through the woods.

4-28-24 Northern Waterthrush

A Northern Waterthrush has been around for a week now, foraging in the swampy thicket or garden beds.

4-28-24 Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore Orioles have been seen and heard often, and four got in the bubbler on 4-28-24.

5-1-24 Yellow Warbler

A striking Yellow Warbler first showed itself on 5-1-24.

4-29-24 Black-and-white Warbler

This Black-and-white Warbler rested for a bit in this rough-leaf dogwood.

5-4-24 Bay-breasted Warbler

A very good day was 5-4-24 when this beauty came in, a Bay-breasted Warbler.

5-4-24 Northern Parula

A Northern Parula felt right at home in the basin.

And now, for the quiz answers!

4-25-24 Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

4-29-24 Summer Tanager red morph female

Summer Tanager, red morph female

5-4-24 Common Yellowthroat

Common Yellowthroat, a bird that is often hidden!

Now, to change it up...

5-4-24 First Brood IX Cicada

They're here!!

Brood XIX of the Periodical Cicadas are emerging now. This morning, I watched Swainson's and Gray-cheeked Thrush, a Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe and female Indigo Bunting catching and eating them. What a bounty of food for all the birds and small mammals!

Copper Iris is now in bloom in the Water Garden.

4-28-24 Migration Map

This map shows that we are into prime migration time! I'll be doing my best to document what is here.

To view all the birds since the last post, open this page:

Birds since 4-22-24

Earth Day 4-22-24

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 11:12:34 GMT

A Celebration of Diversity on Earth Day!

Let's look at some new arrivals this month in our Shady Oaks Sanctuary.

4-12-24 Purple Finch 4-8-24 Purple Finch female

Purple Finches, both male and female have been in the woodland.

4-14-24 Swamp Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow was found in the swampy thicket, of course.

4-15-24 Hermit Thrush

The Hermit Thrush slowly raises and lowers its rusty tail.

4-16-24 Northern Parula

Northern Parula is a lovely small warbler.

4-16-24 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglets are frequently seen at the bubbler.

4-16-24 Nashville Warbler

A shy Nashville Warbler was ahead of more to come.

4-16-24 Yellow-rumped Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warblers are almost in full breeding colors.

4-18-24 Tennessee Warbler

A Tennessee Warbler is in much paler hues.

4-18-24 Palm Warbler

A Western Palm Warbler was buddies with the Tennessee Warbler.

4-21-24 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 4-21-24 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 4-21-24 Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds finally arrived! The female has been feeding at the Virginia Bluebells and Coral Trumpet Honeysuckle.

The male has bathed in the bubble twice now!

4-14-24 Pine Siskin takeoff

Not new, this Pine Siskin has been here all winter, and will be leaving soon on its way Canada.

4-20-24 Blue-headed Vireo 4-20-24 Blue-headed Vireo

A Blue-headed Vireo has been around for several days and enjoyed splash-bathing.

4-21-24 Orange-crowned Warbler

An Orange-crowned Warbler slipped in to the bubbler a few times.

4-22-24 Brown Thrasher 4-22-24 Brown Thrasher 4-22-24 Brown Thrasher

Brown Thrashers are finally getting comfortable here again. They're chasing robins out of the bubbler!

4-22-24 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 4-22-24 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Peek-a-boo! Today, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker just had to take a dip.

4-16-24 E. Three-toed Box Turtle

The Eastern Three-toed Box Turtle has come out of hibernation, another sign of spring!

4-8-24 Nessus Sphinx moth

A bumble bee mimic, this Nessus Sphinx moth emerged in time to nectar at the Virginia Bluebells.

How was your Earth Day spent? Appreciating nature, I hope!

5-1-20 Blackburnian Warbler

Last week for the Warbler Exhibit: Open for Viewing through Saturday, April 27, 2024!

Check the link for more information.

"Meet the Warblers!"

Into April now! 4-4-2024

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 13:48:52 GMT

Nesting is serious business!

3-24-24 Carolina Chickadee 3-28-24 Carolina Chickadee

The Carolina Chickadees have been busy finishing their nest and on 3-30-24 there was one egg cradled deep inside. It's the creamy speckled one just to the left of center. The moss was embellished with soft alpaca fibers that were pulled from the grapevine ball, an idea that I put together for holiday gifts. Chickadees are one species that will use rabbit fur to line their nests, so I thought they might like this. I was very curious to see what other birds might take some.

Now that egg-laying has begun, the pair must defend their nest. The Eurasian Tree Sparrows can barely stick their heads through the hole, but they harass the smaller birds. We hope the chickadees are successful.

NOTE: I call "our" chickadees "Carolina Chickadees" because they have always sounded and looked to me like that species. It is more complicated than that! A recent discussion on the MOBirds Listserve indicated that neither song nor morphological characteristics are good indicators of whether a chickadee is Black-capped, Carolina or mixed ancestry in the hybrid zone. More information at a later date...

Back to the birds!

3-22-24 Eastern Phoebe with insect 3-27-24 Eastern Phoebe

The Eastern Phoebes have been catching insects as temperatures have been warm. The female seemed to like the available fibers, too!

3-25-24 Pine Siskins, green morph

The green morph Pine Siskin has been at the feeder some days. That bird is almost as bright as the male American Goldfinches are right now.

This Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was spotted on trees in the swampy thicket. In the first photo, one can see that it has a red nape. A few years ago, there was a similar bird that I photographed and submitted as a possible hybrid. After experts reviewed the photos, it was decided to be a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. I do wonder if it's the same bird.

4-1-24 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 4-1-24 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

This bird is typical, with only white on the nape feathers, it's another male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. It was tapping the Shagbark Hickory for sap to drink before checking out the Bubbler.

3-29-24 Eastern Bluebird eggs 4-1-24 Eastern Bluebird pair

The Eastern Bluebirds took time to get a quick bath together. At last count, four eggs were in the nest. The female may lay another, typically there are five to a brood.

3-28-24 Cedar Waxwings 3-28-24 Cedar Waxwings 4-1-24 Cedar Waxwings

Cedar Waxwings have been coming in to bathe, with sometimes as many as ten or twelve in the basin together. I noticed the orange tail tip in this last photo, which indicates this bird has been eating a lot of berries from the invasive Bush Honeysuckle.

4-1-24 Yellow-rumped Warbler, molting 4-1-24 Yellow-rumped Warbler, molting

There have been quite a few different Yellow-rumped Warblers in the woods. That's a Pine Siskin with a male warbler in the first photo, and the next two are scruffy little guys molting their feathers into spring plumage.

4-2-24 FOY #49 Chipping Sparrow

One new arrival is a Chipping Sparrow. It has been seen at feeders around the yard, and perched, like so in the Spicebush (Lindera benzoin).

5-1-20 Blackburnian Warbler

Warbler Exhibit is Open for Viewing through Saturday, April 27, 2024!

Check the link for more information.

"Meet the Warblers!"

Spring has sprung! 3-21-24

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 20:54:37 GMT

Spring Apparent!

The first full day of spring was balmy at 58 degrees and activity was noted in every direction.

Wood poppies (Stylophorum diphyllum) are opening now.

Wish I could share the yummy fragrance of the shrubby Clove Currant (Ribes odoratum). It wafts through the air and awakens the senses.

The nodding blooms of Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginiaca) change from pink to blue.

Wooly Blue Violets (Viola sororia) welcome tiny native mining bees to gather pollen. Violets support 25 different pollinators such as these!

Northern Cardinals are nesting in their favorite spot in the Coral Trumpet Honeysuckle vine (Lonicera sempervirens). The male insists on protecting its mate and nest by chasing off intruders, including its own reflection. The bird begins about 7 am and continues until after 7 pm. The bird will not be dissuaded and covers three floors and three sides of the house! (It may have earned a new nickname, Bam-bam!) It did this last year and lived to nest again.

3-12-24 Eastern Bluebird nest 3-19-24 Eastern Bluebird nest

The Eastern Bluebirds have made great progress on their nest in a week. No eggs yet.

3-20-24 Eastern Bluebird leaves nest

The female found this downy white feather, and chose it to embellish or 'feather' its nest. Nothing but the best!

3-21-24 Carolina Chickadee at nest box

The Carolina Chickadees have been busy, too. A slow-motion video was the only way to capture what they're doing.

3-21-24 Carolina Chickadees nest building

3-20-24 Eastern Phoebe nest

The female Eastern Phoebe has returned and was seen carrying material to their nesting place. The pair had cleaned out the Carolina Wren nest and it is looking more like a real phoebe nest now. I'm not sure yet where the Carolina Wrens are nesting, but we see them every day and the male is singing as if on territory. I suspect they may be in one of the old oak snags. We'll be watching.

ALL of the new baby birds will soon be eating insects, especially caterpillars of many sizes, shapes and colors!

We encourage our native birds to nest by putting up the nesting boxes. However, the House Sparrows and Eurasian Tree Sparrows are NOT native birds. They are introduced species that have naturalized and are seemingly everywhere. They use up resources for our native birds, so we will not support their nesting activity, and remove nests made by them. It's the only way to give our native birds a chance.

This was exactly the case in the second Eastern Bluebird box we put up. The Eurasian Tree Sparrows took it over, so we removed all the material and then took down the box for this year.

PS It would be rare to have two pairs of nesting bluebirds, the standard distance between boxes is 250-300 feet even up to 600 feet apart.

Everything we do in our yard is to help native birds and we do that by supporting native bees, butterflies, moths and other insects. That means leaving our leaves where many insects complete their life cycles. That means NOT using pesticides that will kill these insects. After all, the insects become essential food for our native birds. The results have been amazing!

Here are a few examples from my latest program.

Recently, Dan and I watched this program by our mentor, Dr. Doug Tallamy on the

Winter Learning Series from the Missouri River Bird Observatory.

**If you also want to help our native birds, this is the program to take in!**

Nature's Best Hope

(The link will open a new page for you.)

Spring Forward! 3-10-24

Sun, 10 Mar 2024 14:19:45 GMT

Spring Forward!

Ready or not, here we go...

3-2-24 Virginia bluebells

Virginia Bluebells are showing their leaves and buds now, and daffodils are in full bloom all around town.

3-1-24 Eastern Bluebird 3-1-24 Eastern Bluebird female

The Eastern Bluebirds come in together several times a day, taking turns to bathe. On Saturday, I thought the female carried some cypress fronds to the nesting box. We'll give them some time yet before we open the box to check.

2-27-24 Mourning Dove feathers

Back on 2/27/24, a Cooper's Hawk was photographed bathing in the stream bed of the large pond. When I checked later, I saw these Mourning Dove tail feathers near the far south edge of the pond.

3-1-24 Mourning Dove, sans tail

This bird had been staying in cover, but finally came out to be documented a few days later, on 3-1-124. It managed to escape the grasp of the hawk with its life!

2-27-24 Mourning Dove

By comparison, this dove's tail is intact and as one can see, it is quite long.

3-2-24 Eastern Phoebe 3-2-24 Eastern Phoebe

The first of year Eastern Phoebe was seen on 2-29-24, Leap Day and photographed on 3-2-24. First it was in the garden on this Pokeweed stalk, then it was fly-catching in the woodland. It is still in the neighborhood, and may be our resident breeding male.

3-2-24 Two Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers 3-2-24 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

3-6-24 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers continue to move around the neighborhood.

3-5-24 Brown Creeper 3-5-24 Brown Creeper

Even though Brown Creepers are infrequently seen as a rule, we have sightings nearly every day here.

3-4-24 Dark-eyed Juncos

Dark-eyed Juncos are pairing up before they move on to their breeding areas all across Canada!

3-5-24 Carolina Wren at brush pile

The Carolina Wrens are sometimes seen hanging out around the brush pile. They started a nest on top of the old Phoebe nest, but still seem undecided about its completion. We heard them fussing one day. The Eastern Phoebe may have had words with them!

3-5-24 Hairy Woodpecker female

This Hairy Woodpecker female is often seen at the peanut feeder or the suet.

We have been spending time now out in the garden. Our policy is "Minimal Disturbance!" So, that means we plan our time to go out when the birds are taking a break and we work as quickly as we can for an hour or two, then come back inside so the birds can return to the feeders and water features.

On Wednesday, 3-6-24 it was just mild enough to give the Bubbler a good scrub, with water only. We work fast!

3-6-24 Spring Cleaning! 3-6-24 Spring Cleaning!

Enjoy the changes of Spring...

3-8-24 "Meet the Warblers!" Exhibit at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center during April

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 17:46:29 GMT

5-1-20 Blackburnian Warbler

Blackburnian Warbler

Uncommon Transient

May 1, 2020

Margy Terpstra ~ Kirkwood, Missouri

This is one of 34 images that will be on display through April 27, 2024 at

Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center.

Wood Warblers have often been called the gems of the forests, the butterflies of the bird world. Their arrival is highly anticipated in spring

as they move through our area along the Mississippi Flyway from central and south America to their breeding grounds.

This migration is a wholly American phenomenon! The wood warblers are only found in the Americas

and their adjacent islands in the Western Hemisphere.

They are considered Missouri birds because they spend part of their lives every spring and fall here in our state.

I would like to thank the staff at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center

for inviting me to display this collection.

It is truly a joy to be able to share my images of these beautiful neotropical migrants,

which I've been photographing since 2003 in our Shady Oaks yard.

The exhibit is free! You are invited to stop in at Powder Valley, stroll through the Art Hallway

and see these beauties up close.

The area is open every day, but building hours are restricted, see below or check the website for

more information:

Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center

11715 Cragwold Road

Kirkwood, MO 63122-7000

314-301-1500

Building Hours:

Sun Closed

Mon Closed

Tue 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Wed 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Thu 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Fri 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Sat 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Ups and Downs through Leap Day 3/1/24

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 15:25:13 GMT

We have gained almost two hours of daylight since the Winter Solstice.

Spring is on its way and that means ups and downs, in temperature and moisture.

2-20-24 Yellow-rumped Warbler 2-20-24 Yellow-rumped Warbler

2-21-24 Yellow-rumped Warbler

A Yellow-rumnped Warbler has been residing here in our woodland. On warmer days, it has been seen sipping sap at the sapsucker wells on the Sugar Maple by the pond. Then, it will sally out to catch insects and land in nearby shrubs. Conditions have been very dry, and it is often seen at the bubbler.

The bluebird nest box went up at noon on 2/20/24. This pair of Eastern Bluebirds are pretty excited about their prospects! Nest building should begin soon, the pair were seen mating Wednesday, 2/28/24.

2-26-24 Cooper's Hawk 2-27-24 Cooper's Hawk 2-27-24 Cooper's Hawk

A Cooper's Hawk was seen on a warm afternoon, Monday 2/26/24 when it reached 78.1 degrees. The next day would be the warmest yet, and the hawk returned to take a long and leisurely bath in the stream bed. It was totally drenched and used this perch in the Bald Cypress to shake and dry its feathers.

Red flag warnings were up both Monday and Tuesday. When I walked through the east beds to look at plants, the leaves were crispy under my feet. These were dangerous conditions, extremely dry and windy. Birds were thirsty!

2-27-24 Tufted Titmouse 2-27-24 Red-bellied Woodpecker 2-27-24 Downy Woodpecker

Birds like this Tufted Titmouse were at the bird bath frequently. Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, Carolina Chickadees and more kept up a steady parade at the bubbler, mainly to drink.

2-27-24 Mourning Dove 2-27-24 Yellow-rumped Warbler 2-27-24 Eastern Bluebird

The drying, gusty winds kept the birds low in the landscape, nervous about hawks and continually taking chances to drink. Mourning Doves, the Yellow-rumped Warbler and Eastern Bluebirds were just a few of the many to stop by.

Around 1:30 pm, I stepped out to talk with Dan and immediately heard the first Pine Warbler of the year. Hope it will come in closer!

The high on Tuesday 2/27/24 was 83.9 degrees! By Wednesday morning, the temperature had plunged nearly 60 degrees to 24.6 degrees.

Activity remained high because the birds were still looking for water. Both white and tan forms of the White-throated Sparrow were early birds.

Pine Siskins were back eating seed at the feeder, for a quick meal in the cold.

2-28-24 Rusty Blackbird 2-28-24 Rusty Blackbird
2-28-24 Red-winged Blackbird

Five Rusty Blackbirds and a single Red-winged Blackbird were in the swampy thicket foraging for good, A few of these also came to the bubbler.

2-28-24 Yellow-rumped Warbler

The ubiquitous Yellow-rumped Warbler had an eye to the sky. Birds are always aware of danger! Hawks need to eat, too.

Mourning Doves settled into the leaves to rest in the sunny, cold conditions.

2-29-24 Brown Creeper

2-29-24 Rusty Blackbird
2-29-24 Yellow-rumped Warbler

On Leap Day, Thursday, 2/29/24, our first Eastern Phoebe of the year was seen as it landed right outside my window in the sugar maple. It pumped its tail a few times and continued on. This is the earliest I've seen one, last year's first sighting was on 3/1/23.

A Brown Creeper came in and it looks to me like it has a tiny larva on its bill. One Rusty Blackbird was still around, and in the afternoon, our little Yellow-rumped Warbler was back on the sugar maple.

Get ready, it's almost time to turn those clocks ahead one hour!

Spring Forward

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Up to the GBBC Weekend ~ Great Backyard Bird Count 2-19-24

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 17:45:08 GMT

February flies!

Now we're finishing up the weekend of the GBBC. Here are some of the highlights of the past few weeks.

2-9-24 Pine Siskins

Pine Siskins continue to be seen at the water, in the native trees and at the feeders.

2-10-24 House Sparrow

A single male House Sparrow has been showing up at the bubbler and at one feeder. If you've not seen these two naturalized species together before, here they are in one photo for comparison. They are introduced species that dominate and displace our native birds.

This immature female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker has been seen frequently at our sugar maples.

2-12-24 Eastern Bluebirds mating 2-12-24 Eastern Bluebird pair

We have seen some sure signs of spring! Just by chance one afternoon, I caught this pair of Eastern Bluebirds in a quick mating gesture. The pair then bathed together. Their nesting box is going up soon!

Six American Goldfinches were seen nibbling at American Elm buds for carotenoids, an essential ingredient in their diet.

On Friday morning, 2-16-24, these Wood Poppies (Stylophorum diphyllum) were already poking through the leaves. We still had some winter weather to experience that day.

The White-throated Sparrow studied the sleet as it began to come down. Snow, too?

A lone Rusty Blackbird was seen in the garden, dragging its right leg behind it. Would it survive the imminent weather?

2-16-24 Brown Creeper

The Brown Creeper came in for some bark butter as the sleet changed over to snow.

2-16-24 Mourning Dove

Mourning Doves, House Finches and American Goldfinches toughed it out and clung to perches.

2-16-24 Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebirds carried on.

2-16-24 American Goldfinch

American Goldfinches and American Robins found some perches close to the ground to settle upon.

About 2:30 pm, the snow intensified and so did the feeding frenzy!

2-16-24 Snow Day 2-16-24 Snow Day

To get the full picture, here's a short video of the snow as it accumulated during the day. Some of you don't get to experience this if you live in warmer climes, and surely you miss the quiet beauty! Try to identify the birds that come in.

2-17-24 American Crow

After the snowfall, the temperature dropped into the teens. An American Crow investigated the bubbler the next morning.

This White-throated Sparrow woke up, cozy in its Christmas tree cover.

Saturday morning was clear and bright. Pine Siskins were feeding in the panicles of the Bald Cypress.

2-18-24 Carolina Wren singing

The ever cheerful Carolina Wren belted out its morning song from the spicebush (Lindera benzoin).

For all the photos since the first of February, begin here:

February!

January reflections 2-1-24

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 17:20:52 GMT

We begin with a short video of clips from our Stealth Cam near the garden, taken in January.

January 2024 January 2024

Deer, a three-legged coyote and an opossum came through the garden in varying degrees of cold, snowy and wet conditions.

Rusty Blackbirds foraged under the Buttonbush shrubs during freezing rain on 1-22-24. Brrr!!

Now, let's take a closer look at Pine Siskins that have wintered here in our sanctuary.

3-24-13 Pine Siskins eating thistle seed in 12" of snow

1-14-19 Pine Siskin eating seeds from Bald Cypress catkins (Taxodium distichum x Shawnee Brave).

12-24-20 Pine Siskins eating Beebalm seeds (Monarda fistulosa) in the garden.

2-13-21 Pine Siskin eating Cliff Goldenrod seeds (Solidago drummondii).

Pine Siskins are attracted to our yard in large part because of the abundance of native plant and insect food.

One-sixth of their diet is insects (arthropods).

They will also feed on elm, maple and sweet gum seeds, E. red cedar, birch, spruce and pine.

1-27-21 Pine Siskins will also eat seeds and berries of native Lonicera spp. like our Coral Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens).

12-13-20 We documented a green morph Pine Siskin.

As you can see, it is lighter in color with less dark streaking (less brown pigment)

and with yellow-gray-green tones on its back,(black and yellow pigments, carotenoids, retained) indicating a green morph.

What I learned just recently is that according to one study that examined 1500 specimens from 6 museum collections,

about 1% were found to be green morphs, all of which were male. Whether this plumage represents a true color morph or

individual variation remains uncertain. It's considered an aberrant plumage.

1-27-24 Two Pine Siskins

On 1-28-24, I had a high count of 12 Pine Siskins.

As you can tell, all of them are darkly streaked with the exception of the bird on the left in this last photo.

1-29-24 Three Pine Siskins

1-29-24 Green Morph Pine Siskin

Once again this winter, we have a green morph Pine Siskin. It was seen on three days. What a handsome bird!

Overall numbers have dropped as temperatures have warmed. The birds are foraging again for their native plant and insect foods.

1-25-24 Song Sparrow

A Song Sparrow popped out on 1-25-24.

A female Downy Woodpecker waited for a turn at the suet while the Northern Flicker female took its time.

1-29-24 Cooper's Hawk in fog

Fog helped disguise this Cooper's Hawk as it flew through the woodland.

1-29-24 Blue Jay 1-29-24 Carolina Wrens

Once the hawk left, the Blue Jay and Carolina Wrens were back to business.

Another immature female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker hammered into old wells of sap to drink.

Isn't nature beautiful?!!

The sapsucker had worked so hard to get the sap flowing.

Many will enjoy its efforts!

Icy-dicey! 1-23-24

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 17:40:14 GMT

We prepared for the freezing rain with grippers on our boots, kept feeders filled and water features flowing.

Birds knew it was coming and tanked up!

'Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be beautiful or believe to be useful'

William Morris

Before that storm, on 1-16-24, an immature male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and an European Starling shared a moment at the bubbler. The starlings are not usually so accommodating. All of us who feed birds dread their persistence at driving away the native birds.

Two days later, within fourteen minutes, three individual sapsuckers came in. The first was this immature female with the white throat.

The second bird was this immature male with the red throat.

Immediately, an adult male made its presence known!

The two males began a chase around the small white oak.

"Where'd he go!?" The stunning adult male took over.

This encounter made me think of all the sapsuckers that I've photographed since the first of the year and I put together the composite below.

White throats? Females. Red throats? Males. All the immature birds are in different stages of transitional plumage. Some have more red on the crown, more black on the chest, more yellow on the belly. The only adult bird is the male in the center. This species is just fascinating to study in winter!

1-18-24 Yellow-rumped Warbler 1-19-24 Yellow-rumped Warbler

Like the sapsuckers, there have been several Yellow-rumped Warblers around, too.

1-19-24 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1-19-24 Northern Cardinal

Usual suspects, like the Red-bellied Woodpecker and Northern Cardinal are enjoyed daily. Late afternoon sun shows off their brilliance.

1-19-24 Prints in the snow

Tracks in the snow show that birds have been drinking at the stream bed where there is open water.

On Saturday morning, 1-20-24, I was in the breakfast room when I saw a flash of red to my right as I heard a Pileated Woodpecker. "Dan, do you see it on the railing?" Yes, he did! I had to back out of the room slowly with my handheld camera, moving the tripod would have been too much commotion and disturbed the bird. It was a good plan.

1-20-24 Pileated Woodpecker 1-20-24 Pileated Woodpecker 1-20-24 Pileated Woodpecker

What a spectacle! It's just a glorious thing to see "The Boss!" We've had four different Northern Flickers, four Downy Woodpeckers, two Hairy Woodpeckers and other various birds taking suet. It was a thrill we both shared to see this largest of North American woodpeckers come in to feed. The Pileated Woodpecker is just a stunning bird.

That was not the only surprise that day. Since early November, our Haikubox has been recording American Tree Sparrows. "Ha, good luck seeing that one, show me the money!" I have only photographed this species in two prior years, 2014 and 2022, in February with snow cover. Well, I was upstairs and saw some birds moving around in the garden, and I spotted one.

1-20-24 FOY American Tree Sparrow

By the time I got the camera in place, it had moved to cover in the Arrowwood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum). It took most of the afternoon finding it again in the garden and out in the lawn area, where I'd scattered some seed.

1-21-24 American Tree Sparrow near pond

The next day, I convinced myself there were two. One was near the pond and another out much further in the garden under the Beautyberries, (Callicarpa americana) in the leaves. A needle in a haystack to spot, for sure! In Birds of the World, it says, "Over snow, known to beat weeds with wings and then fly to snow surface to retrieve seeds." Saw one again yesterday, so hope they have found their winter home.

1-21-24 Northern Flicker

The flickers are back, this female is a regular. American Goldfinches and Pine Siskins were at the bubbler bathing in the icy conditions with the freezing rain yesterday. Brrr! Conditions improved with temperatures above 35 degrees all night. It's nice to have a break in the cold!

Mid-January report 1-17-24

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 03:02:38 GMT

Enduring frigid temperatures with snow cover is winter's survival challenge for birds!

How do they make it?

Recently, I had a call from my good friend, Bill Ruppert. "I have a question for you," he said. "The birds come in to the feeders for an hour or so and then disappear! Where do they go?" This was an excellent question! We talked about it for a while and I set out to find examples to share.

Habitat = Food, Cover (Places to rest, nest and digest) and Water

Food is obviously important with seeds, fruits, nuts and sap that native plants provide. Birds also find insects on plants and in the leaves left in the beds. We help birds with supplemental foods in winter, foods high in fat to help them get through cold nights and maintain their fat reserves. In winter, birds especially need cover, places to rest and digest. (Nesting comes later for most birds.) So what do these "places to rest and digest" look like?

Even non-native plants can provide some cover. This is our climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris). In fall, it looks like this with golden leaves. In winter, the vine provides places for perching while the south facing stone wall soaks up sunshine and radiates a bit of warmth.

Birds will tuck in to rest in between forays for food. The area is out of the wind and birds might rest on the stems or on the ground. Shown are Northern Cardinal, Dark-eyed Juncos, Eastern Bluebird, and Mourning Dove. Perhaps you also have an area like that where birds can rest.

1-14-24 Common Grackle in white oak

Oaks, especially young oaks like shingle oak (Quercus imbricaria) and white oak (Quercus alba) tend to hold onto leaves through winter. This is called marcescence. Here, a mixed flock of Common Grackles and European Starlings are using these leaves to help protect them from the strong winds. A single Common Grackle was nearby in the white oak. A couple days ago, I checked the shingle oak before sunrise and there were nine Cedar Waxwings in that same area, just waking up!

Another way to stay out of the wind is to take cover in twiggy shrubs, like these Mourning Doves in buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis). The Blue Jay had just hopped down to forage. Buttonbush does best in low, wet areas. This plant provides a protected spot for birds here.

Another shrub/small tree that is used constantly is the rough-leaf dogwood (Cornus drummondii) next to the deck. It is on the south side of the house and protected from northwest winds. Birds rest, cat-nap and wait to take turns at the feeders and heated bird bath. There can be twenty or more birds at a time resting in this tree. They fluff up, cover their little talons and conserve energy! Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, White-throated Sparrow and Eastern Bluebird are shown.

Back near the pond and stone wall, these Dark-eyed Juncos took cover in between the green swords of Copper Iris (Iris fulva) and Cliff Goldenrod (Solidago drummondii). The birds are getting a two-for-one deal here, eating the seeds of the goldenrod while sheltering under them.

This Downy Woodpecker stayed out of the wind by clinging to the south side of this white oak (Quercus alba) by the bubbler pond. The bonus there is that the air stays a little warmer near the bubbler. Warmer air helps when the temperature dips below zero degrees!

All the water features have been used to the max during this cold spell. Large flocks of American Robins were mixed with blackbirds, like this lone Rusty Blackbird in the lower left.

1-13-24 Hairy Woodpecker

For the first time this year, a Hairy Woodpecker was seen on at the bubbler on 1/13/24. This day, as the coldest air was coming in, proved to be the busiest at the bubbler and feeders. Staying hydrated, well-fed and rested is key.

After the first snow, the bubbler continued to be visited by many species. This female Red-bellied Woodpecker was adamant about its turn!

1-14-24 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Both male and female Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers have been coming to drink.

By the 15th, the stream bed was nearly completely iced over. This Red-bellied Woodpecker was hammering at the ice to drink the flowing water beneath.

1-15-24 N. Mockingbird

That day was also the first time this year that a N. Mockingbird came to the bubbler.

1-16-24 Four E. Bluebirds

There's no prettier sight than Eastern Bluebirds on freshly fallen snow! Today, it got up to 40 degrees, but another cold spell is on the way.

We have gained 21 minutes of daylight since the Winter Solstice!

To view all the photos since the last post, begin here:

Photos since 1/10/24

1-9-2024 A Good Start to the New Year

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 11:52:14 GMT

We're off!

First little snow has fallen with a bit more to come soon. Thirty species of birds have checked in for January.

1-1-24 Cedar Waxwing

A Cedar Waxwing stopped in at the bubbler, waiting for a turn with a large flock of American Robins.

1-1-24 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1-1-24 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

The Ruby-crowned Kinglet continues to come in every day, checking all the food sources. It spied the bark butter/peanut butter mix on Rudy, and in typical style, hovered to grab some. This is how this bird looks for insects on leaves.

1/1/24 Blue Jay 1/124 White-throated Sparrow

Rudy and the Grab 'n Go table continue to be popular with birds as large as Blue Jays as well as medium sized sparrows, like this White-throated.

1-1-24 Pine Siskins

Pine Siskins are around every day now, visiting the bubbler or when temperatures drop, the feeders, too.

1-1-24 Leucistic American Robin 1-1-24 Six American Robins

A flock of 50+ American Robins came in on NewYear's Day. Among them was a leucistic male, easy to spot with the white feathers lacking melanin!

1-1-24 Brown Creeper

Around lunchtime, I was watching the bubbler and said to Dan, "I'm just waiting for the Brown Creeper to show up, it usually comes in about now." And, no kidding, right then it came from behind the little oak tree to get a drink. Birds are creatures of habit like so many animals.

1-2-24 American Crow

On 1/2/24, there were eleven American Crows in the yard, and three came to the bubbler. It took years before they would take a chance. Smart and wary birds!

1-3-24 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

On 1/3/24 the first Yellow-bellied Sapsucker of the year was seen looking for sap on the sugar maple. Since then, I've also seen a female which has the white throat.

1-5-24 Red-bellied Woodpecker

Speaking of bellies, the Red-bellied Woodpeckers are regulars. This is the female with its red washed belly. The male's will be much more pronounced come spring.

Thanks to our young neighbor, Jack and his dad, Nick, for bringing their Christmas tree over. It is in the woodland now for added shelter for the birds. The Dark-eyed Juncos used it in the first snow, and the squirrel seen here wasted no time finding seed underneath it.

1-6-24 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

1-6-24 Three Pine Siskins

The Ruby-crowned Kinglet was back after the snow, and so were the Pine Siskins.

1-6-24 White-breasted Nuthatch 1-6-24 White-breasted Nuthatch

The White-breasted Nuthcatch came down to get a good bath one day. That doesn't happen often with this species.

1-8-24 New brush pile

Yesterday, I added another brush pile near a feeding station, using branches that had dropped from our pin oak, covered with evergreens that had been in the porch pots.

1-8-24 Carolina Wren 1-8-24 Dark-eyed Junco

It got the full seal of approval from the Carolina Wrens, Dark-eyed Juncos and White-throated Sparrows.

1-8-24 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

The Kinglet keeps checking food sources, like the bark butter on this oak tree. Today, I saw it back on the suet cake.

1-8-24 White-breasted Nuthatch

The White-breasted Nuthatch followed close behind the kinglet.

Sure wish I understood what goes through the birds' heads when it's about to rain or snow and they absolutely have to jump in together to get baths! Not privy to this information! These are all finches, American Goldfinches, House Finches and the lone Pine Siskin that is just taking off.

1-8-24 Pine Siskin

All of you know this one by now, the Pine Siskin, getting a drink before the rain. Light snow is falling as I write. We'll see what tomorrow brings!

12-31-23 New Year's Eve

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 23:00:26 GMT

Let's wrap up 2023!

It has certainly been a busy month in our neck of the woods. Like many, I could use a few extra hours each day! But, now here we are, at the end of another year. We have continued to enjoy birds in the garden, at our water features and at the feeders. Colder days increase activity!

12-2-23 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 12-2-23 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 12-2-23 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

An immature Yellow-bellied Sapsucker bathed vigorously on 12-2-23. We'll hear it calling so it's still in the neighborhood.

12-3-23 Eastern Bluebirds 12-3-23 Eastern Bluebirds

Eastern Bluebirds also come in and bathe after cruising over the leaves for insects, or stopping at the feeders.

12-5-23 Pine Siskin 12-5-23 Pine Siskin 12-5-23 Pine Siskin

Pine Siskins are frequently heard in the trees and will visit the feeders some days. On 12-30-23, I counted seven of them.

Native birds like the American Goldfinches do not care for the Eurasian Tree Sparrows, as you can see by the interaction of the birds on the upper right. Word spreads quickly between these sparrows when a feeder is filled, and then 20 or more will come in.

12-19-23 Brown Creeper

The diminutive Brown Creeper is a regular each day, searching the bark of trees for tiny eggs and larvae, and it will eat a bit of bark butter when available.

12-20-23 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

A Ruby-crowned Kinglet has been coming in and taking a bit of suet. It's considered rare in December, usually wintering a bit further south. I have had them in winter before. This suet contained berries, which may have enticed the bird.

12-24-23 Cooper's Hawk 12-24-23 Cooper's Hawk 12-24-23 Cooper's Hawk 12-24-23 Cooper's Hawk, resting 3 hours

All the birds head for cover when a Cooper's hawk cruises through. This bird appeared to have finished a meal, still working some bits down its craw while luxuriating in a bath in the stream bed. It flew up to the adjacent Sugar Maple, and stayed over three hours on Christmas Eve. Two days later, we saw it take a Mourning Dove.

12-25-23 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 12-25-23 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 12-25-23 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

12-31-23 Ruby-crowned Kinglet The Ruby-crowned Kinglet was back on a misty Christmas Day, having its own special meal! We saw it again today, first at the suet and then investigating all the goodies on the Grab 'n Go table. It even took a bit of bark butter from Rudy. Click on the link to hear its "je-ditt" call here:

Ruby-crowned Kinglet captured on my Haikubox

12-31-23 Downy Woodpecker

This Downy Woodpecker was one of many visitors at the Grab 'n Go table today.

12-31-23 Aemrican Robins 12-31-23 Eastern Bluebird female

An influx of about 30 American Robins signaled some movement of birds into the area. A Red-winged Blackbird was also seen before this female Eastern Bluebird took a bath.

12-31-23 European Starling

An European Starling came in, checking feeders and the water. It may be a scout, like the Red-winged. We'll see what the New Year brings.

12-31-23 Yellow-rumped Warbler

A Yellow-rumped Warbler also came in with the crowd, wary of the possibility of a Cooper's hawk.

12-31-23 Mourning Dove at rest

It's time to reflect on the past year while we rest up for the new one, like this Mourning Dove. Overall, it has been a very good one for counting yard birds here, a new personal best with 121 species of Yard birds and 94 Bubbler birds. I missed a few warblers, but did have 28. All good!

May all of you enjoy more time in Nature, listening for Ruby-crowned Kinglets, American Robins, and more.

Happy New Year!

12-1-23 December is here!

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 17:30:05 GMT

December!

Time flies. Birds have been coming in every day to forage for seeds and insects.

American Goldfinches safely feed on the seeds of Cliff Goldenrod (Solidago drummondii). I watched them, counted three and then five flew out. Camouflage! These plants line our driveway wall. Dark-eyed Juncos eat the seeds and use the plants for cover and then duck into the spaces in the wall to stay out of the wind. It's a Keystone plant supporting 97 different Lepidoptera, which also feed birds, and a graceful beauty, too.

This is an irruption year for Pine Siskins, and they will join American Goldfinches at the feeders when they're not high in the trees. Some of the goldfinches are a very mousy gray-brown and without binoculars, can fool the eyes. Once you look, the stripes are very obvious on the siskins. The male siskins may have yellow wing-bars, too.

12-10-22 Blue Jay

Over the last few years, in addition to hanging some feeders, we have set up the Grab'n Go Buffet Table on the deck. It began as a way to provide mealworms and bark butter or suet bits for the Eastern Bluebirds to help them get through the winter. Last year, I added some natural perches to give the birds a place to comfortably land and take off. This setup was a hit with the birds!

Back in 2018, I found two small reindeer made of white birch branches at our favorite local nursery, Greenscape Gardens. When I went back to get another, there was only one left, the one nobody else wanted. Just like his namesake, Rudy was a bit awkward looking and needed to be more than a decoration. So, Dan and I brainstormed about how we could re-purpose him for the treat table this winter. A hole, some washers, a recycled deli container, and a red fuzzy nose from our friend, Sue did the trick. It took no time at all for the birds to embrace their new friend.

Meet Rudy!

11-26-23 Blue Jay finds bark butter

11-21-23 Eastern Bluebird
11-26-23 Pine Siskin 11-21-23 Downy Woodpecker

You must know all of these birds: Blue Jay, Eastern Bluebird, Pine Siskin and Downy Woodpecker. There are a few more in the video: Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Tufted Titmouse, American Goldfinch. They all brighten up our days!

Now, birds are still finding insects, an important protein source for them in the winter.

11-25-23 Pileated Woodpecker 11-25-23 Pileated Woodpecker
11-25-23 Pileated Woodpecker

While cleaning up after baking a pumpkin pie, a flash of red caught my eye. A Pileated Woodpecker was hammering away on a large white oak snag in the woodland. It was going after beetle larvae, successfully. Got my hands dried just in time. It flew to a Shingle Oak (Quercus imbricaria) and came out of hiding for just a second. Definitely a male, as it has the red mustache.

The Pileated Woodpecker is the largest of the group seen in Missouri. Even though I've heard them this year, these were the first photos I'd been able to get. Large bird, yes, but it still can hide itself amazingly well in the woods.

A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was seen probing a limb on one of our Shagbark Hickories (Carya ovata). This species will eat insects as well as the sap from maples and hickories. Plant diversity in the yard brings in a diversity of insects and birds.

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is a bit smaller than the Red-bellied Woodpecker. Winter is really the best season to see the woodpecker group.

A Dark-eyed Junco bathes with four Pine Siskins. Even on cold days, birds do come in to drink and get a quick bath before the sun goes down.

11-20-23 Tufted Titmouse

The thermostatically controlled heated birdbath is now in use, as shown by this Tufted Titmouse. It's conveniently clamped to the deck, near the Grab'n Go table. We're set now to help the birds get through winter.

Hope you've gotten a few ideas for your yard birds!

A Time of Gratitude 11-20-23

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 03:39:48 GMT

November, the month of Thanksgiving, prods us to remember loved ones, near and far.

We're so grateful for those who have mentored, cheered and forgiven us as we've stumbled through this life.

Be kind to each other, the holidays are bittersweet for many.

Let's turn our thoughts now to the birds.

A large flock of 40-50 American Robins came in on 11-9-23. They quickly finished off the remaining fruits of the Blackhaw (Viburnum prunifolium). By a stroke of luck, in one frame these two showed us the methods for grabbing the drupes, on the fly and from the branch.

When there are so many larger birds vying for bathing space, the smaller birds find water where it's available. Two American Goldfinches drink from a depression in a boulder while a Yellow-rumped Warbler waits a turn.

11-9-23 FOS Red-winged Blackbird female

The FOS Red-winged Blackbird, a female, found a safe corner to slip into the basin and drink.

11-9-23 Five Cedar Waxwings 11-9-23 Cedar Waxwing

Five Cedar Waxwings took advantage of a break in the action.

A female Northern Flicker used a high perch, an immature female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker slipped in from the side while an American Robin used the basin. The sapsucker finally enjoyed a real bath after the robin took off.

11-11-23 Eastern Bluebird

Pine Siskins came in again and the Eastern Bluebirds have been showing up mid-day. We've had no rain for 3 weeks, which always increases traffic at the bubbler and pond.

11-11-23 FOS Fox Sparrow

Our FOS Fox Sparrow foraged in the leaves and stopped by the bubbler on the same day, 11/11/23. Minutes later, about 3:15 pm, a doe raced through the woods, being chased by a buck. The doe doubled back, staying outside of the light fencing behind the bubbler. The buck could not turn as fast, and it came crashing through the fence!

11-11-23 3:15 pm Buck crashes through fence

Yes, the buck recovered enough to push on, through the hydrangeas and thorny gooseberry patch, after the doe.

11-14-23 Five American Goldfinches 11-16-23 Brown Creeper clinging to rock

Five American Goldfinches bathed together one day. The Brown Creeper clung to a break in the bubbler rock while thinking about its approach to the water.

11-8-23 White-breasted Nuthatch

Two White-breasted Nuthatches and three immature Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers have been seen frequently.

11-17-23 FOS Rusty Blackbirds

The FOS Rusty Blackbirds showed up on Friday, 11-17-23. The flock numbered at least 24, maybe as many as 30. Tough to count as they forage in the leaves!

I was talking with my friend, Sue one afternoon when we heard and then saw nine Cedar Waxwings fly over. The next day, they all needed water.

Look again at the first photo and you'll notice that both birds do not have the red tips on the secondary feathers!

"The "wax" tipping the Cedar Waxwing's secondary wing feathers is actually an accumulation of the organic pigment astaxanthin, a carotenoid that gives red fruits their color. The tips increase in number and size with an individual's age, and immature birds may show no red wingtips at all. Some scientists speculate that waxwings evolved these waxy tips to signal important information — such as age and social status — to other birds within the flock.

The waxwing's striking yellow tail tip is also the result of the carotenoids that color the fruit this species loves to eat. In recent years, waxwings eating the fruits of an introduced honeysuckle have grown orange-tailed tips instead!"

For more fascinating information: Cedar Waxwings

11-17-23 2 Red-winged Blackbirds

Finally, two male Red-winged Blackbirds came in with the Rusties and robins on 11-17-23.

Our feeders have been up now for a couple weeks. We wait until November because there is plenty of insect food, fruits, seeds and acorns for the birds to eat in our native habitat. Once we have a few nights below freezing, birds start looking for supplemental food.

Eastern Bluebirds have been checking out the latest addition to the Grab 'n Go Buffet table.

There's a new mascot on board to pique their interest!

We'll introduce him next time.

November surprises! 11-6-23

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 21:44:15 GMT

~ November ~

Fall color is waning and in six weeks, the shortest days of the year will be here.

For now, we are grateful for birds that visit to feed on insects and fruits,

and rest up before moving to their overwintering sites. Some will stay to brighten our winter days!

Blackhaw drupes(Viburnum prunifolium) remain on a few of our plants to feed many species of birds.

10-15-23 Golden-crowned Kinglets 10-15-23 Four Golden-crowned Kinglets

Golden-crowned Kinglets are still coming through, and one day there were four at the bubbler at once!

10-13-23 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 10-15-23 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglets still stop by, they love moving water whether at the bubbler or at the pond.

This young male Orange-crowned Warbler felt safe to tuck in behind the Yellow-rumped Warbler to bathe.

10-15-23 Brown Creeper

Brown Creepers usually stay over the winter.

10-15-23 Brown Thrasher

Brown Thrashers are rare in winter, but a pair nested here and we have seen some this fall.

10-15-23 FOS White-throated Sparrow

White-throated Sparrows are another winter resident that has arrived.

10-16-23 Blue-headed Vireo 11-2-23 Blue-headed Vireo

Blue-headed Vireos are often around in October, but the second photo is of one that came in on 11/2/23.

Happy Birthday #23, Bubbler!

A good time was had by all on Saturday, 11/4/23, for the unofficial belated "bird-day party."

First surprise visitor was this young Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Poor thing tried several times to get close to the water, but there were at least 40 American Robins taking turns, putting off other birds. It was Bubbler Bird #93 for the year.

11-4-23 FOS Purple Finch female 11-4-23 FOS Purple Finch female 11-4-23 FOS Purple Finch female #2 11-4-23 FOS Purple Finch female

Two female Purple Finches were the first of fall. These irruptive finches aren't always seen each year, though I'd had them in the spring.

A Black-capped Chickadee checked the sky to see if it was clear for a quick bath, while a Cedar Waxwing decided there were too many robins! The waxwing was Bubbler Bird #94 for the year. The biggest surprise was yet to arrive!

11-4-23 FOY #122 Pine Siskins 11-4-23 FOY #122 Pine Siskins

PINE SISKINS! Another irruptive finch, they have been seen sporadically around the state this fall. Didn't see them at all last year, so what fun to have some come in. They did not go to feeders, though they will eat sunflower chips and thistle. These five (yes, there are five) only went to the water to drink and were Yard Bird #122 and Bubbler Bird #95 for the year, both new records for our sanctuary.

10-31-23 Mourning Dove at rest

So, provide safe habitat with native plants and water, where birds can rest.

Plant natives like Gooseberry (Ribes missouriense) and leave the leaves so birds like these Yellow-rumped Warblers can find insects to eat.

Be sure to include native shrubs that bear fruit, like the Blackhaw (Viburnum prunifolium).

11-4-23 FOY #122 Pine Siskin

Add moving water and you're sure to be treated to a bevy of beautiful birds!

The white oak (Quercus alba) was gorgeous in the late morning sun today,

but most of those migrants had moved on. The chickadee bathed alone.

It Takes a Village! 10-28-23

Sat, 28 Oct 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Two Tanager species breed in Missouri.

Let's start with the stunning Scarlet Tanager!

5-4-22 Scarlet Tanager 5-4-22 Scarlet Tanager

9-23-20 Scarlet Tanager

9-26-22 FOS Scarlet Tanager

The bright red male is in breeding plumage, but by September, its plumage has changed to the yellow with black wings.

5-6-23 Scarlet Tanager 5-6-23 Scarlet Tanager 10=15-19 Scarlet Tanager female
5-6-23 Scarlet Tanager female

These last four images are of a male and female that came in together on 5/6/23. The female's wings are not fully black but greenish.

Transitional Tanagers

By fall, both species are transitioning to winter plumage which will give them better camouflage on their wintering grounds.

Summer Tanager is a species with quite variable plumage!

These are immature males and the breeding plumage is the deep rosy red.

5-6-23 Summer Tanager Red morph female

This is a red morph female, with splotches of red feathering.

5-7-23 Summer Tanager 1st spring male

4-30-21 FOY 89 Summer Tanager

Again, immature and mature males in varying plumages in spring.

5-10-21 Summer Tanager female

Looked like a female. That's a Tennessee Warbler in the background.

9-26-20 FOS Summer Tanager female

This bird was photographed on 9-26-20 and frankly, I'm not sure of the sex on this one.

10-7-22 Summer Tanager
Perhaps both of these were red morph females.

5-9-18 Summer Tanager with bee

Summer Tanagers feed mainly on insects, including bees, wasps, caterpillars, grasshoppers, dragonflies, beetles and cicadas.

10-1-16 Summer and Scarlet Tanagers

In fall, these birds are differing shades of yellow, usually mustard yellow for the Summer and greenish yellow for the Scarlet.

So, what about this bird?

9-29-23 Summer Tanager 9-29-23 Summer Tanager

9-29-23 Tanager species

This bird, a Tanager species, was seen and photographed for a total of 22.95 seconds late in the afternoon on Friday, September 29, 2023. I had contacted several experts in Missouri birds, in hopes that the bird might come back the next morning. The birders were here for several hours, but the bird did not show. So, we were left with just these few photos. My original thought was that it might be a Hepatic Tanager, and if so, this would be the first time this species would have been seen in Missouri, i.e. a new state record. I checked the eBird page on this species and one can zoom in on the map to see sightings much farther north and east of Missouri.

Hepatic Tanager

So, how to be certain of a bird in transitional plumage? The bill was large and somewhat horn colored but not fully visible. Hepatic Tanager has a tooth-like notch in the upper mandible. However, this bird had a very gray cheek and dark lores, which had pointed me to Hepatic after studying online photos.

My photos were sent around and it was up to Pete Monacell, chairman, and Bill Rowe, secretary of the Missouri Bird Records Committee, to build a consensus. Birding Trip Guides of the southwest were consulted because of their field experience there with both Summer Tanager and Hepatic Tanager. They mostly agreed on Summer Tanager.

Bill got back to me and said that Mark Robbins, author of The Status and Distribution of Birds of Missouri, had checked skins of birds in the KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum's collection. Mark also finally called the bird a Summer Tanager.

Biodiversity Institute

Bill wrote to me again, "This was an unusual and difficult identification and there is no reason to feel funny about calling it a possible Hepatic and giving us a heads-up on it. The bird did deserve that kind of attention! It was a learning experience for all of us, and we are glad you were able to grab those photos." The irony is that many observers, including those consulted, have never seen this plumage in a Summer Tanager. "Weird, anomalously plumaged Summer Tanager," it was called, and well, a lesson was learned by all.

At Shady Oaks, we welcome all the ugly ducklings!

As for me...

"Let me keep my mind on what matters most which

is my work which is mostly standing still

and learning to be astonished."

~ Mary Oliver ~

Friday the 13th of October, 2023

Sat, 14 Oct 2023 02:22:38 GMT

Migrants are still part of the scene!

Some birds, like this Tennessee Warbler, have to claim space to refresh before moving on. The body language of the female Northern Cardinal says it all! The local birds don't always share amicably.

The Bay-breasted and Black-throated Green Warblers can manage bathing together.

10-6-23 Northern Parula 10-6-23 Northern Parula

A Northern Parula is one of the smallest warblers, and it looked but did not take the plunge.

10-7-23 Black-and-white Warbler female
There have been several female Black-and White Warblers this month.

10-3-23 E. Wood-Pewee
10-4-23 Eastern Phoebe

Two often confused flycatchers nest in our yard. The first is the Eastern Wood-Pewee and this is an immature bird. The second is the Eastern Phoebe, which has the distinct habit of pumping its tail. That's one clue in telling them apart.

American Robins discovered the berries on the Spicebush (Lindera benzoin). We have probably a dozen plants and some had lots of fruit this year. These plants also host the Spicebush Swallowtail butterflies, feeding their caterpillars.

10-5-23 American Robins

There have been several days with a large influx of robins which always means competition at the Bubbler.

10-7-23 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 10-7-23 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

On 10/6/23, the first of the season (FOS) Ruby-crowned Kinglets were seen. It's rare to catch them staying still for a second!

10-10-23 Brown Creeper

Finally saw our FOS Brown Creeper on 10/10/23, it had been detected by our HaikuBox for several days. This one went straight to the bubble for a well-earned bath!

10-12-23 Winter Wren

10-12-23 Winter Wren 10-12-23 Winter Wren 10-12-23 Winter Wren

Another tiny favorite, the FOS Winter Wren came in yesterday, 10/12/23. I saw it early in the morning, and it came back again later in much better light. Thank goodness! How many speckles can a little bird have?

10-11-23 Red-shouldered Hawk immature

The day before, a young Red-shouldered Hawk took a turn in the basin. Notice the light colored crescents near the wing tips. In flight, these look like 'windows in the wings'. From the tiny to the mighty, the Bubbler serves them all!

NEWS FLASH!

Back in March, I gave a program for the Partners in Native Landscaping event coordinated with the St. Louis County Library. Dan Pearson, Bring Conservation Home Program Director, wrote to me to saying there were 521 views of my webinar. It received a very high average rating of 4.9 out of 5, second highest for the series. I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity! It's a real honor to be able to share that "Our Garden is for the Birds!" is now available to view on the BCH YouTube channel, and to further educate the public. So, if you are interested and would like to view it or share it with friends, here's the link.

Our Garden is for the Birds!

Tanagers will be featured next time, in discussing our early "Trick or Treater" from the last post.

Check back on 10-28-23 for the final consensus on that mystery bird!

September's Migration Tale 10-2-23

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 17:57:18 GMT

September - slow but sure this year,

ending with a Super Harvest Moon that brought in a 'really interesting bird'.

9-20-23 Chestnut-sided Warblers

Two immature Chestnut-sided Warblers discuss the yummy dogwood berries.

Two immature Ruby-throats argue over rights to the feeder.

A Black-throated Green Warbler takes cover in the Smooth Hydrangeas while preening after a bath.

9-23-23 Magnolia Warbler

This Magnolia Warbler still has remnants of its black necklace.

Crane fly for breakfast, anyone? This Yellow-rumped Warbler thought so.

The Carolina Chickadee's job is to show the visiting migrants, like this Bay-breasted Warbler, how to really take a bath!

A class of four pay attention to this lesson, Wilson's, Magnolia, Nashville and Black-throated Green Warblers.

And, they're off! Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Green and Wilson's Warblers have at it. The longer they stay, undisturbed by humans, larger birds or animals, the more comfortable they become.

Chestnut-sided and Tennessee Warblers survey the bubbler area and wait for a turn.

9-29-23 Common Yellowthroat female

A female Common Yellowthroat tucks into a quiet corner.

9-30-23 Black-throated Green Warbler 9-30-23 Black-throated Green Warbler

A Black-throated Green Warbler still in breeding plumage, graced us with its presence on Saturday, 9-30-23. What a looker!

9-30-23 Blue-headed Vireo 9-30-23 Blue-headed Vireo 9-30-23 Blue-headed Vireo

A determined Blue-headed Vireo did its careful calculations and splash-bathed in the basin. This is always an amazing skill to watch!

9-30-23 Golden-winged Warbler

Oh, a male Golden-winged stopped by the bubbler. Only females had been seen this spring, when so many males flew over, racing to the breeding grounds. What a thrill to see it, our most endangered species here.

9-29-23 Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Another Yellow-billed Cuckoo dropped in, and this must be an adult. The yellow mandible and orbital ring are visible.

9-29-23 Tanager species

The Harvest Moon, the last Super Moon of the year occurred early in the morning on Friday, 9-29-23, This bird came to the Blackhaw Viburnum right next to the bubbler basin that afternoon, about 4:40 pm. Birds were popping out all around the bubbler, American Robins, Eastern Bluebirds, a few warblers and I'm not sure what else because I locked onto this bird.

"WHAT IS THIS BIRD? I DO NOT KNOW THIS BIRD!" I did not recognize it as one I had ever seen. Yes, it looked to be in the Tanager group. But the photos I was able to get spanned only 22 seconds before it flew. It could not get comfortable with all the birds popping in and out. This was the best photo I could manage, the bird did not perch on an open branch. BIG Sigh...a clearer photo of details was needed.

It was obviously a young bird, see the yellowish gape at the base of the bill? But, what species? That question remains, I had my suspicions and pursued possibilities. Comments included, "You nailed it!" "What about that color?" "I've never seen that plumage, either." "That's a pretty dang big bill." "There's a lot of gray in that cheek."

I will keep you posted. Experts are being consulted, photos being sent around, no clear consensus as yet. This may take some time. We "continue to hold", as directed.

Photos since 9/19/23

Happy October!

September musings 9-19-23

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 03:01:07 GMT

It's time to catch up! Leaves are falling, birds are chipping, foraging and bathing. Here are some highlights.

Yellow-bellied Flycatchers have been seen frequently in the thicket and around the bubbler, catching small insects or splash-bathing.

9-6-23 Yellow-billed Cuckoo

A silent Yellow-billed Cuckoo slipped onto this branch one day. In typical fashion, it sat and slowly looked all around before heading to another elm.

9-7-23 Swainson's Thrush

You may remember this post from July: How well do you know the Thrushes?

We've been seeing Swainson's Thrush and the uncommon Veery.

9-7-23 Veery 9-8-23 Veery -brownish 9-8-23 Veery #2

The last two were seen on the same day, 9/8/23. My eBird checklist was flagged, seeing two needed some evidence, so I added the photos. The middle photo shows a brownish bird, the last is more typical of the tawny coloration of the adult plumage. These birds are often seen in dimly lit, wooded locations and it is often challenging to identify them.

9-12-23-2 Veery 1st year 9-13-23 Veery 1st year bird

This is a first year Veery, seen on 9/12/23 and 9/13/23. I searched my guides and apps to find drawings of it in Sibley's. It has the "weak brownish lateral throat stripe, pale gray flanks and bright white belly." The lighter feathering on the wing was also in the drawing. It's always exciting to see something for the first time!

Young Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have been busy protecting a patch of flowers or a feeder. The second bird is sipping nectar from Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) near the pond.

This hummingbird first caught my eye because of the bright red feathers on its throat. However, look more closely. This bird has a twisted bill. It had been at the flowers and seemed okay drinking at the feeder. So, I sent this photo and others to my friend, Lanny Chambers, a licensed hummingbird bander since 1999, and asked him for his thoughts. Lanny guessed it might be due to a mandible dislocation that didn't quite heal properly, possibly caused by a window strike or other collision. As long as the bill still keeps the tongue from drying out, the bird should be fine. Lanny had seen a couple of these plus dozens of healed bill fractures in birds he had banded. They were otherwise healthy and seemed to have adapted well. Still, Lanny wanted to check in with a veterinarian colleague about this bird.

Lanny wrote back to say, "I contacted Dr. Lisa Tell, a veterinary professor at UCSD and fellow hummingbird bander. She says "scissor bill" is usually a developmental problem, occurring before hatching, not an injury. She doesn't know if it's a genetic, environmental, or random mutation. So, my guess wasn't a good one. I consider Lisa the world expert on hummingbird health and pathology."

Again, we've seen something new and learned from it! Isn't Nature fascinating? Thanks so much, Lanny!

Now, for the warbler report.

9-7-23 American Redstart 9-12-23 Black-and-white Warbler 9-12-23 Tennessee Warbler

An American Redstart, Black-and-white and Tennessee Warblers are featured first.

9-12-23-2 Bay-breasted Warbler 9-12-23-2 FOS Common Yellowthroat

Bay-breasted Warblers and a Common Yellowthroat have frequented the bubbler.

9-14-23 Chestnut-sided Warbler

9-16-23 Chestnut-sided Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warblers have been at both the bubbler and the stream bed. The female in the last photo has been coming in for several days to the Rough-leaf Dogwood trees (Cornus drummondii) to grab berries. Another first here is seeing a warbler take berries. I've read that this is common in spring before they take off from Central and South America. Who knew this dogwood could be so important and nutritious to this little bird? Glad we had a bumper crop this year! (Photo is taken through a screen, that's why it's a little fuzzy.)

9-15-23 Black-throated Green Warbler

9-16-23 Black-throated Green Warbler 9-16-23 Black-throated Green Warbler 9-17-23 Black-throated Green Warblers

Black-throated Green Warblers have been active everywhere, splashing, finding insect food and having a nice break to rest and refuel here.

Ovenbirds and Northern Parulas came in yesterday to enjoy the water in this dry spell.

Ah, fall color is upon us, in trees and birds!

Wow, they are so beautifully camouflaged in our Missouri native trees. Do you see the bird in this Sugar Maple?

Yes, Bay-breasted Warbler. To see all the photos since the last post, use the following link.

Birds since 9/1/23

Immatures and Migrants! 9-1-23

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 15:30:09 GMT

A cool front and the Super Blue Moon on 8-30-23 helped to fuel migration!

So, what's up?

Let's begin with this young Barred Owl, on its own one morning, investigating the Bubbler.

Young Barred Owl 8-11-23 Young Barred Owl 8-11-23

Barred Owls are often seen at dawn and dusk. The owlets are curious, alert and very active as they learn about their world! This is true of all the young birds. They need to learn whether on their own or with their brood mates.

These Eastern Bluebirds came together, "Follow the leader!"

8-30-23 Carolina Chickadee 8-30-23 Carolina Chickadee

Carolina Chickadees are just as adventurous!

And, you may recall, it is these two species, the Carolina Chickadee and Tufted Titmouse, that the migrants are looking for because they eat the same foods. They are indicator species of good habitat!

8-23-23 Migration! 8-23-23 FOS Magnolia Warbler 8-23-23 FOS Magnolia Warbler

The first warbler of the fall showed up on 8-23-23, a Magnolia Warbler.

8-24-23 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

The next morning, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher was quickly moving about, looking for caterpillars on several trees. A telltale bit of sticky leaf hangs on its tail.

A first of season ( FOS) female Blackburnian Warbler dropped in on 8-24-23, followed by a Chestnut-sided Warbler.

The Carolina Chickadee wasn't exactly thrilled that the Chestnut-sided was barging in on its Bubbler!

8-25-23 FOS Chestnut-sided Warbler #2

There was a second bird at the Bubble on the large rock.

On 8-25-23, our FOS Bay-breasted Warbler came in. It seemed early for this one, and indeed, it was a day earlier than the earliest state record. So, I documented this bird with the Missouri Birding Society's Bird Records Committee, and wait on their final decision.

I couldn't be absolutely sure of the age/sex of this bird, it is likely to be an adult female or first fall female. Males have more of a buffy tinge on the flanks.

8-25-23 FOS Black-and-white Warbler

Black-and-white Warblers have been seen on two days so far. These may both be first fall males, the females tend to have buffy flanks.

8-27-23 Red-eyed Vireo immature

Red-eyed Vireos have been very active, splash-bathing at the bubbler in between grabbing the white berries of Rough-leaf Dogwood and catching insects. If you look closely, this bird has a brown eye, so it's an immature bird.

8-28-23 FOS Ovenbird

A lone Ovenbird was seen bathing at 7:15 am on 8-28-23. It is also a warbler species.

It was fun to see a first fall Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at the bubbler. The yellow eye-ring is a diagnostic detail on this Empidonax species. I missed getting a good photo of its front, but here is a comparison photo.

8-31-23 BirdCast 8-31-23 BirdCast

WOW! This is the report on 8-31-23, the morning after the Super Blue Moon.

8-24-23 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 8-24-23 E. Phoebe with caterpillar

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and Eastern Phoebes are still very busy feeding here. See the caterpillar in the Phoebe's bill? They have some time yet before they move on.

8-31-23 Red-eyed Vireo immature 8-31-23 Bay-breasted Warbler 8-31-23 Bay-breasted Warbler

Yesterday morning, I was hopeful that many more migrants would show up. Red-eyed Vireos were here, like the pictured immature bird, along with one Philadelphia Vireo. The only warbler that I caught sight of was this Bay-breasted Warbler at the sump puddle. This one has buffy coloration on the flanks, typical of males.

It was about noon when I heard the signature chatter of a squirrel, warning of a Cooper's Hawk. Good time for a break, I figured, and I had no sooner gotten inside with the camera that I saw the very bird drop in at the Bubbler! It was an immature bird, with its own lessons to learn.

8-31-23 Cooper's Hawk immature

Everybody's gotta eat!

Have a safe, enjoyable Labor Day weekend.

Delights and a discovery 8-21-23

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 02:02:48 GMT

Daylight is waning, but the heat is on!

We've lost an hour and 25 minutes of daylight since the Summer Solstice. But, that hasn't stopped the heat dome that is now over us. This week, the temperatures are hovering at 100 degrees with much higher heat indices. Ugh!

Let's look at some of the bright spots and discoveries.

8-5-23 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 8-4-23 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 8-11-23 Ruby-throated Hummingbird

So, who owns the place? Right now the hummingbirds are everywhere, chasing each other from the flowers and feeders. Birds are constantly looking in every direction to hold their ground for another sip.

8-5-23 FOS Monarch at Purple Coneflower 8-16-23 Monarch at rest

We've been seeing 1-2 Monarchs in the garden on different days, just males so far. Like the hummers, when there are two, they chase!

I had just finished photographing some flowers when I heard a soft flickering of wings. This moth took shelter outside the screen of the gazebo on a post. Oh, I had not seen this moth here before, a beautiful Banded Tiger Moth. I couldn't find photos of the caterpillar, but check out other photos of open-winged adults at this link:

Banded Tiger Moth

Again this year, we have a white Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis alba) in the garden. This is a naturally occurring variety that self-seeded.

One of the last clusters of Coral Trumpet Honeysuckle was in perfect form. The following morning, an immature Ruby-throated Hummingbird had its nectar for breakfast while I had my own.

Summer fruit! The Rough-leaf Dogwood berries (Cornus drummondii) are still attracting attention from many species of birds. Even two immature American Crows have been in to grab some. The black Elderberries (Sambucus canadensis) are the first fruits from seven plants we installed two years ago. The largest plant had two large flower heads, and this one still has berries. Robins found them quickly!

Three male Northern Flickers were in a small dogwood by the driveway. 'Papa', on the right, was showing the younger ones how to get the berries.

8-13-23 Northern Flicker immature

The younger one flew off to check out the bubbler, but the older one was a quick study! Look at the 'mustache' on the young birds. The bird with berries has a darker one, that's why I think it is just a little further along in getting new plumage.

Another successful nesting pair has been the Red-bellied Woodpeckers. One of their young was working up the trunk of this black oak, and found ants to eat.

8-15-23 Eastern Phoebe immature 8-11-23 Alder/Willow Flycatcher 8-11-23 Alder/Willow Flycatcher

Flycatchers have been very active! The young Great Crested Flycatcher was seen low in this spicebush on a very breezy day. Eastern Phoebes continue to hunt at the bubbler area, splash-bathing, too. The bird in the last two photos was a bit challenging to ID.

Not only are fall warblers confusing, but so is the genus of Empidonax flycatchers. They rarely sing in the fall, and the only way to be certain of some of this group is to hear a chip call. Well, there are two that are almost impossible to tell apart in fall plumage unless they are 'in the hand'. These are the Alder and Willow Flycatchers. They once were lumped as one species. So, after asking two experts and reading up on them, that's how I've marked this one on my year list: Alder/Willow.

Stay cool and safe in this heat wave!

August already! 8-1-23

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 16:29:21 GMT

August has arrived!

According to my calculations, we have now given up 43 minutes of daylight since the summer solstice.

Summer has peaked!

The Rough-leaf Dogwoods (Cornus drummondii) were covered in white flowers in May, attracting small pollinators. Now, the berries are ripening and birds have really been after them. Thrushes, woodpeckers, catbirds and flycatchers all come in for the bounty.

7-24-23 E. Phoebe immature

Younger birds, like the speckled Eastern Bluebird, have to figure out the best approach, as the ripest berries are out on the furthest tips of the branches. Sometimes they can reach from a branch above. Often, they swoop down and pick them off on the fly. The robins and flycatchers, like the Eastern Phoebe will usually grab and go. We didn't plant these small trees, they were waiting in the seed bank to grow up after we removed all the bush honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) many years ago. They are an important plant in our woodland, supporting 94 species of Lepidoptera, or moth and butterfly caterpillars, vital food for birds.

7-26-23 E. Phoebe immature

On these hot days, the birds have been taking time to refresh themselves at the Bubbler.

6-22-20 Eastern Phoebe juvenile

One way to tell an immature bird is to look for the gape hinge at the base of the bill, which is usually a lighter color.

7-27-23 Tufted Titmouse

This Tufted Titmouse appears to have the pinkish gape, and it pants as it bathes to cool its body.

7-27-23 Eastern Bluebird

There is usually a mix of birds coming in around noontime. A Mourning Dove, Eastern Bluebird and American Robin find their space. At least for a while. This young bluebird scrambled out of the way until the larger birds finished. Ah, relief!

We've had many young birds around and this immature Great Crested Flycatcher was confirmation of another successful nesting this year.

This is a photo from a few summers ago of an adult Great Crested Flycatcher. They've been nesting here for nearly a decade.

7-27-23 Carolina Chickadee 7-27-23 Tufted Titmouse

Birds are constantly looking for food, and often in this small oak hybrid, they look for insects. This tree was keyed out to be a natural hybrid of a black and chinquapin (or chinkapin) oak.

7-29-23 Mourning Dove 7-29-23 Mourning Doves

This trio of Mourning Doves have been seen together lately. I suspect they are all young birds. The pair on the right hang out together and the larger bird on the left wants to be with them, or perhaps is trying out 'moves' for the next breeding season.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are taking nectar at the few remaining blossoms of the Coral Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) and the 'Black and Blue' Salvia.

Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) is just beginning to open a few blooms, but will be in full swing in another week or so.

7-31-23 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 7-31-23 Ruby-throated Hummingbird

The dominant male or 'Flash', is protecting one feeder as best as it can. That's right! I noticed a real uptick in hummingbird numbers on Saturday, 7-29-23. They are right on time! Birds are on the move, and now you know to be ready with freshly filled feeders! It helps to fuel their insect catching ability so they can be ready to cross the Gulf of Mexico.

Check out the Migration Tools at: BirdCast

Click on the map for Upper Midwest and Northeast to check species arrival and departure dates. Fascinating!

"After a wild spring of some intense flights, what will this new season hold for migration? Will the top 10 states for spring, in terms of total birds overflying the state in a season, see the same ranking and name: 1) Missouri, 2) Oklahoma, 3) Kansas, 4) Nebraska, 5) North Dakota, 6) Wisconsin, 7) Minnesota, 8) Texas, 9) South Dakota, and 10) Florida?"

7-30-23 Water lilies (Nymphaea odorata)

Enjoy our water lilies and think cool!

7-13-23 How well do you know the Thrushes?

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 17:45:03 GMT

1-23-03 Varied Thrush

A rare Varied Thrush was seen at our bubbler back on 1/23/03, only for a few minutes. It was gorgeous! This sighting was just the tenth record for Missouri. This bird convinced me to begin documenting birds here with my photography, and I have never looked back.

1-4-06 Townsend's Solitaire

Another rare thrush for our area, the Townsend's Solitaire was found on the Meramec campus of St. Louis Community College by my friend, Anne McCormack. She first saw it on December 28, 2005, and it was seen by many observers through February 28, 2006. Yes, it stayed for two months. These rare birds will show up sometimes in late fall and winter, arriving on a strong cold front from the northwest.

Most people, even if they're not really bird enthusiasts, will recognize our Eastern Bluebird and American Robin! They are plentiful this year in our yard, successful in raising their young. This is the first time we've had two broods of Eastern Bluebirds.

These are the thrushes that migrate through our area. The first four are related and are in the same genus, Catharus. They are confusing unless one learns their specific ID traits and behaviors. Even then, without a photo it can be tricky to identify them! I've certainly made some mistakes with this bunch. One of them is seen mid-September through April, a rare but possible winter resident. The other three are just arriving as it moves north so timing can help with identification.

The fifth bird is a bit bigger and more strongly marked. It also has the most beautiful song of them all! So, let's take a closer look at these birds.

The Swainson's Thrush is the most common Catharus thrush during migration, typically arriving in late April. The second photo is part of my documentation of the earliest record date of April 10, 2017. They frequent a wide variety of woods, including residential areas. Thrushes love the water and prefer having the place to themselves!

#1 Swainson's Thrush: "Olive-backed thrush", buffy eye-ring, buff cheeks and upper breast. On first spring birds, the eye-ring may be narrow.

5-9-23 Gray-cheeked Thrush

The Gray-cheeked Thrush is an uncommon transient, much less common than the Swainson's Thrush. It is typically not seen until the last week of April in woods and forests, including residential areas. All thrushes eat insects and fruit.

#2 Gray-cheeked Thrush: Dull grayish brown with grayish cheeks and a less conspicuous eye-ring.

5-8-23 Veeries 5-9-23 Veey

5-9-23 Veery, brownish

The Veery is also a thrush. Its song is like its name, a liquid, descending "veer-u, veer-u, veer-u". This is the least common of the thrushes to be seen in our area in the eastern part of Missouri. This year was exceptional in that on a couple days I had three, maybe four Veeries. Usually, I'm lucky to see one. This last photo had me scratching my head and checking the Cornell website to look at more photos. I believe it's a 'brownish' Veery.

Photos of Veeries

In the Fall, the majority of these birds make an overnight flight of the state. This bird visited our bubbler on 9-25-03. In researching for this post, I now realize how rare it was to see one in the Fall!

#3 Veery: The least spotted of the Catharus thrushes, it has a warm cinnamon brown color to the head and back. The spots are often indistinct. It may have a dull whitish eye-ring.

Hermit Thrush 4-29-19

The Hermit Thrush is a winter resident some years. It is very like the Gray-cheeked Thrush except for its distinctive rusty red tail. When perched, it has a habit of cocking its tail and slowly lowering it.

Hermit Thrush auduboni 4-10-16 Hermit Thrush faxoni 4-22-16

There are two groups, differing in plumage and their breeding locations. The Western Mountain Group will nest in trees, whereas the Eastern Group nests on the ground. Usually, the Hermit Thrushes are rare here by late April when the other Catharus thrushes begin to arrive.

#4 Hermit Thrush: Grayish to warm brown with dark spots on the breast, distinctive rusty tail that it cocks when perched, then slowly lowers. An uncommon transient and uncommon winter resident in south and central Missouri, usually moving north by mid-late April.

5-3-22 Wood Thrush 5-3-22 Wood Thrush

#5 Wood Thrush: It has an ethereal, flute-like song that echoes through the woods. This bird is smaller than a robin, and a bit larger than the Catharus thrushes with a rusty head and rusty brown color to its back and wings with dark, rounded spots on the breast. It is a summer breeding resident in mature, relatively continuous woodland and forest areas in Missouri, most common in the eastern Ozarks. It is on the Watch List, and I feel so fortunate whenever I see one.

Provide native habitat and support our beautiful thrushes!

6-22-23 Another report for Spring Migration

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 20:59:55 GMT

5-10-23Screenshot

Birdcast 5-10-23

Look at that spike! It was remarkable, the birds were just held back and then burst upon the scene all at once. It was definitely a strange spring in that regard. Some males dropped by to feed and kept on moving north. Others...well, there is a story here to tell.

There are some warblers that are renowned for their tendency to hide in cover, to skulk about, foraging for insects and to be just plain difficult to see. They are also just plain difficult for me to photograph.

4-27-23 FOY Kentucky Warbler

The common Kentucky Warbler is one of these and it kindly obliged me this year by hopping through the violets and coming out in the open for a brief view.

5-8-23 Common Yellowthroat

Another noted skulker is the Common Yellowthroat. It also found safety in the cover of gooseberry and dewberry brambles, poppies, bluebells and violets. This male was here for several days and got comfortable enough to get into the bubbler to bathe.

5-8-23 Common Yellowthroat 5-8-23 Common Yellowthroat 5-8-23 Common Yellowthroat

It's so fulfilling to be able to show you the eyes of these bright and beautiful birds. It's also rewarding to know that they're finding enough insect food to boost their energy reserves so they can be on their way. Yards with habitat like ours are crucial to the survival and recovery of the populations of these birds.

If you follow this blog, you may remember that there is one species that I've often called my nemesis, the uncommon Mourning Warbler. Every year around Mother's Day, I anticipate its arrival. Some years, no bird arrives. One year, in 2006, it actually got into the bubbler to bathe. Last year, it popped out briefly, surveying the bubbler area.

5-16-22 FOY Mourning Warbler

Well, on Wednesday, 5-10-23 there was a lot of activity with birds around the bubbler. I was enjoying the time until the inevitable man-made machinery made it unbearable for me. I moved inside, though the birds continued coming to the bubbler, their safe place. Keeping an eye on things with the camera nearby, to my surprise, a Mourning Warbler came out of cover, bold as brass!

5-10-23 Mourning Warbler 5-10-23 Mourning Warbler 5-10-23 Mourning Warbler 5-10-23 Mourning Warbler 5-10-23 Mourning Warbler 5-10-23 Mourning Warbler 5-10-23 Mourning Warbler 5-10-23 Mourning Warbler 5-10-23 Mourning Warbler 5-10-23 Mourning Warbler 5-10-23 Mourning Warbler 5-10-23 Mourning Warbler

Well, knock me over with a feather!! It got out, it got back in, it got in with other birds like the Nashville Warbler and White-throated Sparrow.

5-10-23 Nashville and Mourning Warblers

What a striking specimen!! It was gorgeous!! I mean, I've only waited 17 years for this!!

5-10-23 Mourning and Nashville Warblers

5-10-23 Mourning and Nashville Warblers 5-10-23 Mourning and Nashville Warblers

It certainly gave the American Redstart a look, but kept on bathing. The longer it stayed, the longer it imprinted our location and the bubbler into its genes. How cool is that!!

5-10-23 Mourning Warbler 5-10-23 Mourning Warbler 5-10-23 Mourning Warbler

There are so many more birds to talk about, but for today, enjoy the Mourning Warbler. I sure did!!!

6-6-23 Finally, out of the woods!

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 22:11:28 GMT

"Life is what happens when you've made other plans."

So many birds, my friends, and I'm still catching up. Finally, I can share the highlights from the first full week of May!

5-3-23 Orange-crowned Warbler 5-4-23 Orange-crowned Warbler

Both of the first two birds are Orange-crowned Warblers. A first spring female is duller blue-gray and the adult has more yellow plumage

5-3-23 Yellow Warbler 5-6-23 Yellow Warbler female

Yellow Warblers are next, male and female.

5-4-23 Northern Parula

A female Northern Parula found a tidbit on the waning bluebells.

4-30-22 Pine Warbler

These photos are of Pine Warblers. The first two photos are of a female, still in late winter/first spring plumage. I had never seen this plumage before and the bird didn't sit still long! The last image is a male, taken last year.

5-4-23 Palm Warbler

The Palm Warbler in the first image was soon joined by the Northern Parula and a Yellow-rumped Warbler.

An interesting thing about this spring is that males have been heard, some seen but they have been in a hurry to get to the breeding grounds since they got a late start. As a result, I haven't photographed as many of the males as usual.

5-6-23 Golden-winged Warbler female 5-7-23 Blackpoll Warbler 5-7-23 Black-throated Green Warbler

Next is a female Golden-winged Warbler followed by a Blackpoll in the swampy puddle, and a Black-throated Green Warbler near the bubbler.

5-7-23 Blue-winged Warbler female 5-7-23 Wilson's Warbler

5-7-23 Black-and-white Warbler female

A female Blue-winged Warbler visited the bubbler often. A Wilson's Warbler and a female Black-and-white Warbler were also seen several days.

5-7-23 Common Yellowthroat

A Common Yellowthroat spent quite a bit of time in hiding, but it got more comfortable the longer it stayed around. More images next time.

5-7-23 American Redstart

An American Redstart is often challenging to photograph because it's so dark. It was joined in a splash fest at the bubbler with the female Blue-winged and three Tennessee Warblers.

5-3-23 FOY Scarlet Tanager 5-6-23 Scarlet Tanager female

Scarlet Tanagers are so striking! The male is bright red, the female more yellow-green with darkish wings.

5-6-23 Summer Tanager Red morph female

5-10-21 Summer Tanager female 5-7-23 Summer Tanager 1st spring male

4-30-21 FOY 89 Summer Tanager

Another plumage I had not seen before was this red morph female Summer Tanager in the first image, brownish with patches of red feathering. Typical females are orangey-yellow, like the female from 4-30-21. The young males remind me of Neapolitan sherbet! The plumage transitions to the deep orangey-red of the adult male in the last of this series.

5-4-23 Baltimore Oriole 5-4-23 Baltimore Oriole female 5-7-23 Orchard Oriole female

Orioles! Baltimore male and female are in the first two images, then a female Orchard Oriole is in the third photo.

5-4-23 Wood Thrush

This is the only image I managed to get of a Wood Thrush. I heard the lovely singer several days. More thrushes will be shown next time.

5-3-23 E. Chipmunk

We all need a little cool relief on days like today!

Stay well in this heat, we wait for a significant front to move out the unhealthy air mass!

To see all the photos, begin here:

Birds of May

Meet some of the migrants! 4-30-23

Sun, 30 Apr 2023 19:16:11 GMT

This is a screenshot from BirdCast showing the current migration status for St. Louis County, Missouri as of 4-30-23.

It seems that birds have come in fits and starts, and we're seeing migrants, but not as many species as we've

typically recorded by now. Southerly winds later this week will be a welcome change and help bring in the birds.

4-18-23 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 4-18-23 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglets have been regular visitors, note the insect leg poking out of the bird's mouth in the first photo! They love to get in the bubbler.

4-19-23 Eastern Towhee female 4-27-23 E. Towhee female

For the first time, we've seen a female Eastern Towhee get in and bathe, and it's been back on half a dozen days now.

4-15-23 Swamp Sparrow with larvae 4-21-23 Chipping Sparrow 4-24-23 White-throated Sparrow

Sparrows include Swamp, Chipping and White-throated. It seems like everywhere I look I see the White-throated! They are the most numerous right now, singing their plaintive songs all day long.

4-21-23 Swainson's Thrush

A Hermit Thrush is occasionally seen, but Swainson's Thrush now predominate.

4-27-23 Purple Finch female 4-24-23 Indigo Bunting 4-24-23 Rose-breasted Grosbeak foraging

Migrating finches are well-represented. Female Purple Finches, Indigo Buntings and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks have been here for days.

4-23-23 Red-breasted Nuthatch 4-26-23 Red-breasted Nuthatch

Red-breasted Nuthatches can be seen again through mid-May since it was a good irruption year for this species.

4-22-23 Ruby-throated Hummingbird

They're back! Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have been seen at the feeders and checking out the coral trumpet honeysuckle.

4-27-23 Warbling Vireo

Vireos love to splash-bathe, but this is the first time we've seen a Warbling Vireo enjoy this behavior. This bird hit the pond, the bubble and even dive-bombed a Cardinal that was in the basin!

NOW...for the warblers.

4-23-23 Yellow-rumped Warbler 4-29-23 Yellow-rumped Warbler pair

Yellow-rumped have been most numerous, male and female are in the second photo.

4-21-23 Northern Waterthrush 4-21-23 Northern Waterthrush

A Northern Waterthrush found tiny larvae in the algae, as the Swamp Sparrow had done.

4-21-23 Tennessee Warbler 4-23-23 Nashville Warbler 4-24-23 Nashville Warbler

Tennessee and Nashville Warblers typically show up about the same time.

4-28-23 Orange-crowned Warbler 4-28-23 Orange-crowned Warbler 4-27-23 Orange-crowned Warbler

Orange-crowned Warblers have been at the sump puddle and at the bubbler. It makes my day to see one show its crown!

4-28-23 Palm Warbler 4-27-23 Palm Warbler 4-27-23 Palm Warbler 4-29-23 Palm Warbler 4-29-23 Palm Warbler

Palm Warblers are attracted to our cypress tree and to the swampy thicket. There have been a couple of them around.

4-27-23 FOY Kentucky Warbler

My breath caught when I saw this yellow-throated bird climb onto the bubbler rock from the cover of the Virginia creeper and celandine poppies. It slipped back into cover and hopped out onto the little path between the violets!

4-27-23 FOY Kentucky Warbler

KENTUCKY WARBLER!

That, my friends, is the promise of Spring migration!

We just never know what might have dropped in the night before

and will surprise us in the morning.

To view all the images since the last post, begin here:

April Migrants

Mid-April, warm and windy. 4-14-23

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 22:04:53 GMT

April in Bloom!

So many beautiful natives are blooming now, here are a few.

Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) have been feeding bumble bees and offer nectar to butterflies, moths and hummingbirds. Some blooms are decidedly pink, a natural variation in color determined by a higher pH in the soil.

4-11-23 Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia)

Red Buckeye blossoms (Aesculus pavia) are opening and beckon Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, due to arrive any day!

4-8-23 Redbud (Cercis canadensis)

Eastern Redbuds are at their peak, attracting tiny pollinators.

This plant takes many forms, and though not blooming, it pays to be aware of it and give it a wide berth. Do you know it? Poison Ivy! (Toxicodendron radicans) "Leaves of three, let it be!" (Not good for us, however, it does attract insects and provides berries, both food for birds.)

4-2-23 Mining Bee (Andrena sp.)

Tiny native mining bees (Andrena spp.) are ground nesters and pollinators of Blue Violets. I finally took time to watch them go head first down into the flower to gather pollen, then back out quickly and fly to another.

One breezy day, I followed a small Black Swallowtail to where it landed and sheltered out of the wind, on a Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum).

4-1-23 Sharp-shinned Hawk

An immature accipiter came into the woodland on 4/1/23 and stayed on this branch for just over an hour, likely digesting a meal. It gave me time to study it and identify it as a Sharp-shinned Hawk.

4-1-23 Sharp-shinned Hawk 4-1-23 Sharp-shinned Hawk

It is in the same family as the Cooper's Hawk, and this composite photo shows how similar and confusing they can be. The Sharp-shinned are migrating through in April, whereas the Cooper's are year-round residents. A pair has begun a nest in a white pine in an adjacent yard. Birds will need to be on alert now.

4-4-23 Eastern Bluebird 4-10-23 Eastern Bluebird eggs

Eastern Bluebirds have been busy and now have five eggs in their nest. The female takes very quick breaks to come and get a drink while the male watches the nest box.

4-10-23 Carolina Chickadee at nest box

Carolina Chickadees also keep close to their nest box. Soon, they'll be bringing inchworms and tiny moths to feed their young.

We moved box #2 to a different location. There has been interest by another pair of bluebirds and this Downy Woodpecker.

4-10-23 Downy Woodpeckers sparring

This female Downy Woodpecker was not pleased with that male. "Mine!" We have at least two pair of this species around, there's always competition for food and nesting sites.

4-10-23 Mourning Doves
Mourning Doves display affection for each other throughout their courtship period, and they mate for life. They seem very comfortable here.

4-7-23 FOY Ruby-crowned Kinglet

The first Ruby-crowned Kinglet of the year popped in at the bubbler on 4/7/23. It was a quick look around.

4-13-23 FOY 58 Yellow-rumped Warbler

Just the other day on 4/13/23, our FOY #58 Yellow-rumped Warbler finally showed up at the sump puddle in the swampy thicket. It was not seen again. I've also heard Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and Northern Parula singing, but no photo opportunities as yet. Birds are in a big hurry right now! Here's a look at peak migration dates. Global Big Day is Saturday, May 13, 2023. Birds will be moving through for the next six weeks.

April 2023 Cornell Lab Migration Map

Migration Map courtesy Cornell Lab

Our sanctuary is feeding residents and ready to welcome the migrating birds! Is yours?

Thanks to everyone who watched my program in the Partners for Native Landscaping Series.

There are a few in-person events yet on the schedule.

Find a way to get more native plants into your landscapes, help regenerate diversity and get on the map!

I'm On the Map Social Sharing

March, out like a lion? 3-31-23

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 20:13:02 GMT

Tornadoes possible tonight - stay safe everyone!

3-31-23

Last time, you were all left hanging with a puzzle. How did you do?

3-6-23 Carolina Wren feather detail

So, the little details I had noticed were the hearts in the undertail feathers! In the lower left is a new shoot of the Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), which is also what the wren is perched on. Yes...it does favor a snake in a way.

Night Visitors 3-31-23 Night Visitors 3-31-23

The video above shows a few of the critters recorded by our cams during the night.

3-26-23 Clove Currant (Ribes odoratum)

The lovely scent of the Clove Currant (Ribes odoratum) fills the air now.

Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) are in bud in several places in the garden and woodland.

3-30-23 Bloodroot

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is also in bloom and with winds like today, they won't last long.

3-22-23 Swamp Sparrow 3-22-23 Fox Sparrow 3-22-23 Song Sparrow

A Swamp Sparrow bathes, a Fox Sparrow scratches for seed and a Song Sparrow perches on Spicebush (Lindera benzoin).

3-23-23 Eastern Phoebe 3-23-23 Eastern Phoebe 3-23-23 Eastern Phoebe 3-26-23 Eastern Phoebe 3-30-23 Eastern Phoebe nest

Eastern Phoebes have claimed their spot under the gazebo and the nest is near completion. This pair chased off another to keep the prime location. More habitat is really needed for birds.

3-29-23 Eastern Bluebird nest

The Eastern Bluebird nest looked nearly ready the last time I checked. Both birds have been busy catching insects, and the female may soon be ready to lay eggs.

3-25-23 Carolina Chickadee leaves nest

Carrying feathers is a sure sign that the Carolina Chickadee nest must be nearly ready, too. The joint is hopping with activity!

The last few weeks, I have been busy preparing a program entitled, "Our Garden is for the Birds", to share through the Partners for Native Landscaping Series, hosted by the St. Louis County Library. The webinar was recorded last Tuesday evening and it was very well received. It's heartening to know that so many people want to convert a portion of their yards to native plants. We are all needed to help the birds, bees, butterflies and more! All of these programs in the series are free and open to the public.

To register for remaining programs and more information about upcoming in-person events:

https://partnersfornativelandscaping.stlouisaudubon.org/webinar-series

If you'd like to view my program as well as others in the series, check out this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIcv1-AS-bk

Thanks for watching!

Margy

Spring is here! 3-20-23

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 19:02:04 GMT

Spring!

Today at 4:24 pm CDT. Officially.

3-1-23 FOY#42 Eastern Phoebe

An Eastern Phoebe arrived earlier than usual, on February 28, picked up by our Haikubox bird call detector. I saw the pair the next day.They went AWOL for a while but returned on March 15. Time will tell if they choose the same nesting spot again.

3-2-23 Carolina Chickadee nest box 3-4-23 Carolina Chickadee

We put up the chickadee nest box on Thursday, March 2 in the afternoon. The next day we had 2.8" of rain which put a damper on activity. But on Saturday morning, March 4, a Carolina Chickadee got pretty excited and began preparations!

Big hugs and thank you's to D.A.W. and L.A.W., two of my favorite comic (and comical) consultants,

for helping with descriptive bird language for the Chickadee video!

3-7-23 First winter Chipping Sparrow 3-7-23 First winter Chipping Sparrow

The first winter Chipping Sparrow has been seen regularly through Monday, March 13. Here it was taking a bit of a nap on a breezy day.

3-9-23 N. Mockingbird

3-10-23 N. Mockingbird

For many of you, a Northern Mockingbird may be a regular in your yard. Here, I'm lucky to have one each year. This bird arrived as FOY #44 on March 8 and has been seen 11 days in a row, a record!

3-18-23 Fox Sparrow Bubbler Bird #126

3-18-23 Fox Sparrow 3-18-23 Fox Sparrow 3-18-23 Fox Sparrow -3 3-18-23 Fox Sparrow -3

Another infrequent winter visitor/migrant is the Fox Sparrow, FOY #46. This year, one to three birds have been around and it was new bubbler bird #126 on St. Patrick's Day. They are often in the leaves, looking for small insects and under the feeders for seed.

3-18-23 Fox Sparrow

Another beautiful sparrow that is quite at home foraging in the leaves is the Swamp Sparrow. This one certainly has great camouflage.

3-12-23 Red-breasted Nuthatch 3-12-23 Red-breasted Nuthatch 3-12-23 Red-breasted Nuthatch 3-12-23 Red-breasted Nuthatch

A Red-breasted Nuthatch is still here, caching food and on this day, it checked out the new bubbler perches, bathed and preened.

3-11-23 Eastern Bluebird 3-11-23 Eastern Bluebird 3-17-23 Eastern Bluebird female

Eastern Bluebirds are seen daily, still visiting the birdbath and window box for a quick tidbit or most often flying down to catch insects in the leaves. They are still checking out every box option, even one with an entrance hole that is not quite their size!

3-17-23 Red-shouldered Hawk

"Pale Male", our resident Red-shouldered Hawk, was in the woodland a couple days ago, hunting hopefully.

Just moments ago, one of the Carolina Chickadees carried moss into the nest box. We are hopeful for a successful breeding season!

3-6-23 Carolina Wren

It has been a busy few weeks of watching webinars on different topics and preparing new programs, so I'm a bit behind schedule. But every day, it's important for each of us to spend some time in Nature, time to look, listen and breathe it in. I saw something in the photo of this Carolina Wren that I'd never noticed before. Can you spot it?

The details of Life are exquisite! Happy Spring!