Ah, winter. The time to curl up by the fire with a good book and a cuppa.

But...what if you're a squirrel or a bird?

This squirrel defended its white oak burl and stayed snug. The White-throated Sparrow found a cozy spot within a small pile of branches. The Brown Creeper may have sheltered overnight on the trunk of a shag-bark hickory, under bark that fanned out from the tree. Can you find it working along the trunk of the black oak?

1-12-20 Find the White-throated Sparrow in cover 1-12-20 Find the Brown Creeper

A flock of 13 Red-winged Blackbirds have been seen a couple different days. The Yellow-rumped Warbler has been in as well, looking for food in the same places.

1-13-20 Red-winged Blackbirds 1-16-20 Yellow-rumped Warbler with larvae from leaf litter

We set up a replacement camera for the Bubbler area. The deer were sure curious about it that night!

1-16-20 Deer curious about new bubbler cam

This White-throated Sparrow was eating seed from the Cliff Goldenrod (Solidago drummondii) while the Red-bellied Woodpecker was after the bark butter. It sure is a popular protein and fat source on cold winter days for a number of species, including the Northern Cardinals.

1-17-20 White-throated Sparrow 1-17-20 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1-17-20 Northern Cardinal 1-17-20 Northern Cardinal female

We have seen this pair of Brown Creepers every day of the new year. They move so quickly, this was a lucky shot.

1-17-20 Two Brown Creepers   

This composite photo shows a pair of Downy Woodpeckers with the female (on left) and a male. The male has the red patch on the back of the head.

1-18-20 Downy Woodpeckers, female left, male right

One of the Barred Owls took a dip in the pond to catch a fish, just hours before the pond iced over. It shook itself off, then moved on.

1-19-20 Barred Owl at pond

Two female Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers have been coming in, the first one is an adult and the second is an immature. The young one spent quite a bit of time at the sugar maple (Acer saccharum). The bird had hammered away at the bark while warming itself in the sun. It was a cold day, but apparently just warm enough for the sweet sap to run and provide some nourishment. 

1-17-20 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker female 1-20-20 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, immature female 1-20-20 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
 

Here, one of the creepers came in as the female Downy Woodpecker was getting bark butter. This image is a good size comparison. 

1-20-20- Brown Creeper and Downy Woodpecker female

And, this fluffed-up creeper was caught cat-napping! Ever so brief was the nap, about a minute, but apparently just enough on a cold winter afternoon. 

1-20-20 Brown Creeper taking a catnap

1-20-20 Brown Creeper awake

Stay snug!

January, 2020

So, it has begun! The first week of the year brought in some mild weather, nice birds and many visitors to the blog.

We have surpassed 50,000 visitors now. Thank you for looking at our blog and galleries! 

We hope you've picked up a thing or two about birds, especially how to support them in your own yards 

with native plants, which are the very best bird feeders, and water features. 

Our year list is off to a modest start with 30 species seen as of today, 1-11-20. Heard only species have been a vocal Red-shouldered Hawk and Barred Owl. The first Yellow-rumped Warbler came in very briefly on 1-2-20. I was lucky to see it at all and only got one photo when it landed in a Spicebush (Lindera benzoin).

1-2-20 Yellow-rumped Warbler

American Crows were the second species on our yard list and third at the Bubbler. This family of crows has become pretty comfortable coming in to get a drink of water or look for a handout. Since our city now provides a bin to put trash in, these birds no longer can ravage the trash bags and scavenge. I thought I had fooled them by waiting to put out bark butter. With the trees nearly bare, they spotted me a mile away. 

1-3-20 American Crow 1-3-20 American Crows

May I introduce my new BFF?

1-3-20 American Crow

I re-learned my lesson and only put it out on a couple trees near the deck. They aren't so sure about coming in that close. So far, so good. This Dark-eyed Junco took advantage of the situation before getting some water.

1-3-20 Dark-eyed Junco

1-4-20 Dark-eyed Junco

A couple Eurasian Tree Sparrows were seen on 1-4-20. 

1-4-20 Eurasian Tree Sparrow

On Sunday, 1-5-20, I was able to get photos of the two Brown Creepers that have been coming in every day. Yes, they look virtually identical but it was a mild day and it was fun to be outside watching them chase each other in hide-and-seek fashion around this small oak. 

1-5-20 Brown Creeper #1 1-5-20 Brown Creeper #2

White-breasted Nuthatches, dressed in their tuxedoes, will go after the small sunflower chips in the finch feeders. Often, they chase off the American Goldfinches. The finches just swirl off to a branch and wait their turn again. Some of them are beginning to don bright yellow feathers.

1-5-20 White-breasted Nuthatch and American Goldfinch 1-5-20 White-breasted Nuthatch 1-5-20 American Goldfinch

Red-winged Blackbirds were still in the neighborhood and showed up on Monday, 1-6-20. At least I won't be holding my breath to get them again on the very last day of the year! They came in with a large flock of Common Grackles and European Starlings. One of the males went to the feeder and the starlings splashed away.

1-6-20 Red-winged Blackbird (left) and Common Grackles 1-6-20 Red-winged Blackbird

1-7-20 European Starlings

The Bubbler began to see a lot of action with the blackbird flock that came in. The next day, this Northern Cardinal had a turn before a flock of at least 60-80 American Robins showed up. The robins just kept coming, rotating in and dominating the bubbler from 10 am -3 pm.

1-7-20 Northern Cardinal

There were two Cedar Waxwings that really wanted part of the action. One was adamant, and stood up to the larger robin. If that waxwing was trying to impress a female, I think the bird succeeded! It gave the robin what-for as it held its ground.

1-7-20 American Robins and Cedar Waxwings

1-7-20 American Robins and Cedar Waxwing 1-7-20 American Robins and Cedar Waxwing 1-7-20 American Robins and Cedar Waxwing

Pecking order re-established, eh? 

1-7-20 Cedar Waxwing

We have been having our share of technical challenges lately. The Bubbler Cam has effectively given up the ghost, but we did manage to catch a fox on it again on the evening of 1-6-20 with these two clips.

1-6-20 Fox getting a drink 1-6-20 Fox getting a drink

The big rainstorm began on Thursday afternoon, 1-9-20. On Friday, for our FOY (first of year) Bird Species #30, a Sharp-shinned Hawk flew in, just an hour after we replaced the Bubbler Cam with the other one to try it out. (Watch the lower right corner.) This bird didn't stick around long and it had chased all the other birds into cover. It was one wet, bedraggled looking bird. I watched it as it flew out of the yard.

1-10-20 Sharp-shinned Hawk

The rain event has totaled 5.25" here since Thursday, when it started. Snow showers have now begun!

We've gained 12 minutes of daylight, but that's sure hard to appreciate on such a dismal day. 

Keep warm and stay dry!

Dan's Images from Our December 'Snowbird' Trip

Many of us like to get away for a winter warm-up, and we've been getting questions about what to do with bubblers when people have that opportunity. So, we have a new page added to our Bubbler Maintenance Guide. We'll cover the information at the end of this post, just email us from the contact page if you'd like a copy of the revised pdf.  Contact us

We thought we'd begin the year with some of Dan's beautiful photos from our own 'snowbird' time on Sanibel Island, Florida in December. The island is 2/3 protected habitat within the revered Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, one of the top ten places to see birds in the United States. We spent time watching birds wherever we were. On our beach walks and every time we drove through the refuge, it was different! Depending on time of day, tidal effects and winds, birds could be found feeding, squawking, flying or scampering about. We enjoyed the great opportunity to study birds we don't see every day, it is truly a special place. 

We chose a new complex our friends recommended to stay in that had a larger dune area to walk through as we approached the beach. I spotted a small falcon, an American Kestrel, on a fencepost the first morning. It was finishing off a meal. Mouse or bird? Too late to tell. It then flew to this shrub to digest its food, where Dan photographed it. The bird was out there every morning. We had never seen a kestrel near the beach before in all the years we've been there.

Ruddy Turnstones are common on the beach and we saw them every day. Osprey are paired up and beginning to build their nests. This bird was collecting some materials.

On our first trip through the refuge, we came upon a solitary Roseate Spoonbill standing alongside these 5 Wood Storks.

A Yellow-crowned Night Heron was resting after its early breakfast. Like the Green Heron in the next photo, birds find food and cover in the red mangroves.

Dan captured this pattern of windswept grass in the sand. A Snowy Egret caught fish at the shoreline at low tide while a lineup of Sanderlings worked in the shallows for the tiny animals inside coquina shells.

We went through the refuge on Wednesday, the high for the day had been at midnight with a heavy rain. By afternoon, it had begun cooling down. This Great Egret caught a tiny fish as Snowy Egrets hoped for the same. The size difference in the two birds is obvious and the larger bird has the yellow bill, black legs and feet.

We had not seen so many Snowy Egrets before. They are quite animated when they're competing with each other. This image is a favorite of ours. Not only does one see the yellow feet, usually hidden in the muck, but the plumage is so well-defined against the dark background of the mangroves. See the drops of water flying from its bill? Soon, these birds will be in full breeding beauty.

Another interesting image Dan got was of this Great Blue Heron, reflected in the pool.

The last day that we could go through the refuge was Thursday, it is closed on Fridays to give all the birds and animals a break from the human traffic. ​​The winds had really picked up and when we arrived, we found a 'super-low tide'. The conditions were forcing the birds into the channels where the water was still moving. It was also where the fish were concentrated! This Great Egret had speared a fish that looked  like a swordfish to us.

The lighting was beautiful, as you can see on this Yellow-crowned Night Heron, protected from the breeze.

A Brown Pelican watched a Snowy Egret carrying another small tidbit off to eat without interference.

A Reddish Egret was finally seen, 'dancing' as it caught fish. This is a distinctive behavior of the species.

Another Snowy Egret Dan captured had a sizable shrimp! Last but not least, two more Roseate Spoonbills were preening in the afternoon light with their prehistoric looking bills.

So, are you planning a trip to sunny shores?  You know your bubbler best,

but here are some things to consider for your bubbler while you're away. 

Bubbler Maintenance - When you’re away

Are you leaving town for a few days or weeks?  Are you concerned about what to do with your bubbler while you’re away?  First, trust your own experience when deciding what steps to take in preparing the bubbler for an absence.  To help in that process, here are a few ideas based on our experience and feedback from those with both pondless and pond type bubblers.

Fall / Winter

My usual recommendation is to leave the system ON.  Make sure the filter is clean, the reservoir is topped up and the heater is functioning properly.  As long as the water level remains above the top of the filter/pump, water should circulate.  The birds will appreciate having the “bubble” of water even if the usual water puddles aren’t there because the water level gets a little low.

If you decide to turn the pump and heater OFF, cover the bubbler with a tarp or heavy plastic sheet to limit evaporation and keep out debris.  Be sure to secure the edges of the tarp to prevent it blowing off.  Unless temperatures fall into the single digits (ºF) for several days, there is little chance of thick ice forming.  As long as the bubbler reservoir is a foot or more deep into the ground, residual heat in the soil will keep the deeper water liquid, and this is most likely where your pump is located.

The heater could be left ON with the pump OFF, but probably isn’t necessary.  If the heater is left ON, be sure there is no possibility of the heater going “dry” (no water around the heater); pond/trough heaters are designed to work either floating on or submerged in water.  

Spring / Summer

Evaporation is probably the main consideration during warmer weather.  There are so many variables that affect evaporation it’s difficult to make specific recommendations.  Any UL listed pump is thermally protected, so even if it runs dry, it will not burn up (that’s not to say it will still function properly, just that it won’t cause a fire or electrical hazard).  An “auto-filler” is one option if evaporation is a concern (search on-line for “pond auto-filler” and any number of options come up).  If it’s not obvious, these do require a connection to a water source.  And, of course, if you have a neighbor willing to look in occasionally and top-up the bubbler when necessary, that’s always a nice solution.

Please check back on Sunday, 1/12/20 for the first of January's highlights!