Welcome to our blog!
It's all about our discoveries in our private Shady Oaks Sanctuary for birds, pollinators and wildlife. We gauge our success by the diversity of species we observe and document with our photography.
We hope you are inspired to create your own refuge!
This Birder's Tale
This Birder’s Tale
Eighteen years ago on this day, a birder’s husband wanted to take her out for an early Mother's Day breakfast. She was somewhat reluctant because it was the first spring for their new bubbler, however, she agreed to go. After breakfast, they went on to a well-known park in the city to look for birds.
Now, her best birding friend had an open invitation to stop by and look for birds in their yard. The two friends had enjoyed watching many birds together, especially since the new bubbler was attracting warblers.
While the birder and her husband were at the park, her best birding friend called her and said, “You’ll never guess what’s hopping all around your bubbler…”
“what?… W H A T??? A MOURNING WARBLER???!!!”
And that is the reason why this birder never leaves her yard during migration.
It was another year before this birder saw this uncommon transient, a Life Bird, Yard Bird and eventually five years later, a Bubbler Bird, on 5-21-06. And, every year I wait for its return!
Happy Mother's Day!
First week of May, 2019
MAY!!!
It got off to a jump start with my second best day ever recorded on May Day, with 57 species of birds for the day. Highlights included another day with the singing Wood Thrush, an Ovenbird and Gray Catbird.
A Northern Waterthrush walked through the bubbler area, perfectly at home. A Black-and-white Warbler checked out the bubbler while a Golden-winged preferred to watch from above.
More birds were seen and heard than were photographed. The surprise came at 5:00 pm when a new yard bird flew over. It was a Black-crowned Night Heron for species #151 for our yard. This is an old photo of one that I took in Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in 2004. Perhaps the bird flew from the Meramec River area, where we've seen them before and now is flooded.
The birds continued to rest, feed and refresh themselves through the week. Other warblers began showing up on Friday, 5-3-19. American Redstarts and Magnolia Warblers were seen feeding high in the canopy trees.
There are times on these May days when things become very hectic during a fallout. Birdsongs tumble one upon another, birds are dashing from one plant to the next, up and down, wherever there is food. The heavy rains had washed oak tassels filled with caterpillars down onto the invasive honeysuckle shrubs in the neighbors' yards, easy pickings. Now, I had seen a bird in the morning that I had not seen in years here, with an unmistakable facial pattern. I needed further study to confirm what I'd seen. Later in the day, a little yellow bird zipped past me, around the hydrangeas and back into the neighbor's honeysuckle. I knew it was my bird. Sure enough, it was a female Prairie Warbler, species #100 for the year.
A brightly colored first spring Summer Tanager appeared on 5aturday, 5-4-19. A Blue-winged Warbler got in with a couple Black-throated Green Warblers.
A Palm Warbler and another beautiful Northern Parula also stopped in.
On Sunday, there were 3 Red-breasted Nuthatches that popped in, a calling Least Flycatcher and another tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
Tuesday was another good day with warm, dry weather, and 48 species. It started out with another singing Wood Thrush below my office window at the pond! I quickly went out to find it on the east slope, looking for insects in the leaf litter.
American Redstarts, Chestnut-sided, and Magnolia Warblers found their way to drink and bathe at the bubbler.
A lovely female Tennessee Warbler was seen along with a Black-throated Green at the bubble. Finally, a sweet little female Golden-winged Warbler felt comfortable enough to bathe.
A Baltimore Oriole has been calling for days, staying high in the treetops. I had not been able to even catch a glimpse of this bright and colorful bird. Finally, it stopped taunting me and came down low to get a closer look at the water feature.
If you still need more eye candy, all of the bird photos since May 1 begin here: May!
April is done and dusted! 4-30-19
The saying goes, "April showers bring May flowers." However, April has many beautiful flowers herself. The Red Buckeyes (Aesculus pavia) have been in full glory. Hummingbirds hover and gather nectar from them. That photo is still on my 'need' list.
The Cranesbill Geranium (Geranium sanguiineum) has been blooming for over a week, accommodating many tiny pollinators.
Round-leaf Groundsel (Packera obovata) also attracts many pollinating insects. It's a beautiful ground cover for shade.
One has to look closely, but even the Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana) is feeding tiny insects.
Mammals have also been busy finding food. An Eastern Cottontail had a salad of Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia). An Eastern Gray Squirrel climbed to the tips of branches to get the seeds of American Elm (Ulmus americana).
There have been numerous arrivals of migrant bird species. A Northern Waterthrush first arrived on 4-25-19. Yesterday, another was here all day, singing and foraging in the wetland.
This American Robin shows us the goodies that wait for the birds foraging in the wetland!
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have been at the flowers and the feeders. I have seen three males at once, two have been practicing their mating displays.
On Saturday 4-27-19 late in the afternoon, an Indigo Bunting investigated the Bubbler. It was FOY #76 and #41 at the bubbler.
Yellow-rumped Warblers have been coming in small flocks of 4-6 to forage and bathe.
A Palm Warbler visited the bubbler on Sunday, 4-28-19. It was a beauty, and I had not photographed one bathing in several years.
A lovely sound greeted me Tuesday morning, 4-30-19. It was the ethereal, flute-like song of a Wood Thrush! I stood by the back door for two hours before finally getting some photos. The last photo I took of one was in 2003! They are high on the conservation concern list, with a score 14 out of 20. What a thrill for me to know that it found its way here.
To watch a short video of one singing, go to this page: Wood Thrush singing
This is a video I took on 4-25-2012 when one came to the Bubbler.
Other singers right now are the Northern Cardinals, serenading their mates, calling before dawn until dusk.
The final surprise for April was seeing Yard Bird #150, an Osprey, fly right over me! I sketched it and finally figured out the i.d. from the field marks. We see them all the time in Florida, they live almost anywhere in the country near water, where they can fish. Here are two photos, the first flight photo by Dan and the second one by me, taken this past winter on Sanibel Island.
...and that's a wrap for April!
Happy Earth Day! 4-22-19
Today is Earth Day and we are so very fortunate to have beauty all around us. We just need to remember to look to nature and support it in our own backyards. What a difference we can make together!
Here is our Earth Day Parade of flora and fauna.
An uncommon Lincoln's Sparrow was here on the morning of 4-17-19. They're such a pretty little sparrow but not seen here every year.
Ruby-crowned Kinglets are here, sometimes two or three individuals each day.
This male Purple Finch has been at the feeder quite regularly over the past week. The last day that I saw it, it was high in a tree, singing its heart out.
I've been seeing two Hermit Thrushes lately, one worked between the Celandine Poppies, looking for insects while the second took a bath.
Eastern Gray Squirrels are living in a burl of our white oak snag. The young are about to emerge and find their way in the world.
Eastern Chipmunks fill their cheek pouches with seed from under the feeder. Where does it have room for water?
The new leaves of the Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) have a rich and ruddy tinge to them.
Yellow-rumped Warblers have finally started coming in to the Bubbler. Today, one took an early splash.
I happened to see the birds scatter and hear the Northern Cardinals making their 'tick-tick-tick' alarm call when this Cooper's Hawk flew in. It went after a squirrel, which escaped, and the bird flew elsewhere hoping for a meal.
An early arrival on Easter Sunday was this Nashville Warbler. Typically, they do not reach the southern border of the state until the third week of April. It popped in to look at the Bubbler and kept on going.
A Red Admiral butterfly chose Common Violets to nectar on.
My first sighting of a Nessus Sphinx Moth was also on Easter Sunday. 4-21-19. Two years ago, they were also nectaring at the Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica).
Today, a male Three-toed Box Turtle was methodically moving through the woodland. It is the first male I've recorded here.
The Bubbler is ready for "all and sundry" as the Brits say. Yes, we'll take them ALL! Every bird is welcome.
Dan checked the Trail Cam and found this video clip. He slowed it down so we could get a better look at this fast moving creature that was captured on 4-12-19. It sure looks like a mink to us!
One last treat, a short video for you to view.
Happy Earth Day!
New sightings 4-16-19
First Ruby-throated Hummingbird was seen for 3 seconds at our south feeder early on Friday, 4-12-19. It hovered and flew north over the house. Time to get those feeders up, more are on the way!
A Virginia opossum was seen in daylight for a few days last week. It looks to me like there may already be young in the pouch. Perhaps we'll soon see some babes. Did you know that opossums eat ticks, thousands in a week! Such beneficial animals they are, especially with the increasing deer population. I've heard that ticks are now out, too. Read a bit here:
Two butterflies have been seen at the Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica). They are both in the same genus, but different species. The American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) was seen on Thursday, 4-11-19.
The Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) was seen the following day. It's the first time I've caught these in the spring.
Marsh Milkweed is emerging so it won't be long before the first Monarchs arrive.
Now for the birds! Ruby-crowned Kinglets have been here for over a week now. These quick-moving tiny birds are challenging subjects, getting me ready for more warblers.
Likewise, the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher has been heard many days and finally photographed, first in Blackhaw Viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium) and secondly in Missouri Gooseberry (Ribes missouriense).
The female Eastern Towhee was seen coming to the swale at the back property line for a drink on a couple different days.
A bird that I hadn't seen here in at least nine years came pecking through the yard, a Wild Turkey, #59 for the year. It crossed the street and then I saw a second one ahead of it in our neighbor's yard.
After the storm on Sunday, a first of the season Purple Finch came in to the south feeder. Here it is on the right with an American Goldfinch on the left.
FOY #60 Chipping Sparrows popped out the same afternoon, there were two.
This morning, my FOY #61 was the Northern Parula, the smallest warbler we see at 4.25". I heard a snippet of its song and then it popped onto this branch in an elm. From there, it did not pass GO, did not collect $200 but went straight to the Bubbler to bathe and then preen.
Last but not least, the Red-shouldered Hawk that was taken to the World Bird Sanctuary is improving. Since its injury was a dislocation rather than a clean break, it is more serious because it tends to happen again. They take the bandages off every 3 days for some physical therapy and strengthening. We hope for her continued improvement.
Enjoy this beautiful time of year!