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!
Earth Day 4-22-20
~ Today is the 50th Earth Day ~
Here are some of the sights seen in our Shady Oaks Sanctuary in the last week. Finally, I caught a Ruby-throated Hummingbird sipping nectar from the flowers of Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia). Though we had frost two mornings, the flowers were not really damaged. Native plants are hardy, they have evolved with our Missouri weather!
Both male and female (sans moustache) Northern Flickers have been seen in the woodland lately.
Chipping sparrows came in a flock of about a dozen or so on 4-18-20. I'm still hearing and seeing a few each day.
There is at least one, sometimes two, Hermit Thrushes that are here right now.
The Eastern Phoebes have been more active in the woodland and more vocal. I'm beginning to think that they may still try to use the nest they built. Maybe they're just waiting for the Carolina wren nestlings to be taken on the grand tour of the neighborhood. Once they fledge, the adults teach them how to find food, and those babes will be ready for their first flights very soon.
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is still going to the bluebells. It does come to the feeder, but it seems to prefer the natural food. I'm so glad to see this because the nectar must provide something important to their diet. Some years, the birds have arrived too late for the blooms. Now that the birds know it's a reliable food source here, they look for it, as well as the tiny insects that hover near the flowers.
White-throated Sparrows are numerous now, and the white form birds are quite striking in their plumage.
This Tufted Titmouse grabbed a small caterpillar off the hydrangea by the bubbler. It's the perfect size to feed a young nestling.
An Orange-crowned Warbler was #60 for the year. This was the only photo I was able to get, but hopefully more birds will be arriving soon.
Those perky Ruby-crowned Kinglets are still frisking about at the Bubbler nearly every day! So exuberant! Yee-ha!
This photo was in the last post, but not everyone could find the bird. Believe me, I know how difficult it can be to find these tiny birds! It is the same species as the bird above, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Just wanted to give everyone an idea of this bird's tiny size in respect to its surroundings. It averages 3.5-4.3" long. A Ruby-throated Hummingbird is close to the same, but averages a bit smaller, 2.8-3.5". Look for the bird again...I'll add a 'show-me' photo at the end.
Warblers, warblers, that's what we're waiting for. The Yellow-rumped are here every day, both male and female.
I had seen my first Northern Parula on 4-15-20, and yesterday, 4-21-20 another beautifully marked male was here. It was singing its heart out in the largest elm we have, right over my head. "zreeeeee-up!" The bird kept working his way around and down through the canopy, preferring the elms. I finally was able to get a few images when it was working the tree just above the Bubbler. That joyful noise made my day!
The Northern Parula averages 4.5" in length, the same as a Carolina Chickadee. To hear the sound of the bird, here's a link: Northern Parula
This morning, a new bird for the year, #63 stopped in at the Bubbler, a Swainson's Thrush. It doesn't have the rusty tail like the Hermit Thrush, but has buffy-colored eye-rings.
Here are a few more of our native blooms: Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) at their peak and Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium reptans).
Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), like the Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia) is also visited by hummingbirds.
Cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum) has just begun to open. What a lovely color, too. That's a wood violet beneath it on the left.
Last but not least, the 'show-me' photo! Congratulations, you found the bird!
Stay healthy and safe out there!
Second week of April 4-16-20
Hermit Thrushes have been coming to the bubbler since 4-5-20. They are typically kind of shy birds, but like all thrushes, they do love to bathe.
One of the Red-shouldered Hawks has been coming in nearly every day. Sometimes it perches in the sugar maple by the pond to rest, or perhaps to digest a meal.
We had a couple hot days in a row. On Wednesday, 4-8-20 the temperature reached 90.3 degrees, and the first Eastern Three-toed Box Turtle was seen in the woodland. It dug in under the leaves to stay cool.
Hairy Woodpeckers have enjoyed getting bark butter more often since we moved the feeder to the back pole. The male will come down to get a drink at the basin. It seemed to be admiring the bluebells one day. A Brown Creeper stopped in, it had been a week since we'd seen one. Birds are on the move!
We've seen a Yellow-rumped Warbler over the winter, but now they are coming into their striking breeding plumage. Since they're more common, they're often not given enough credit as a 'beautiful' warbler. What do you think?
The Carolina Wrens have been very busy feeding nestlings and carrying away fecal sacs from the nest. This bird pecked away at a black cherry log until a larval tidbit was revealed. Easter morning brought the Easter Bunny, of course!
Easter evening brought us a new yard bird for #152. What a surprise it was to hear an Eastern Whip-poor-will right outside our back door. We used to hear them when we'd go camping as a family. It is a species in trouble, so we hope it found plenty of moths and insects to eat while it was here. If you're not familiar with its call, it can be quite loud and go on and on! Check it out:
Ruby-crowned Kinglets have been enjoying the 'bubble' and flashing that fiery crown!
The first 'humming-blur' arrived on 4-15-20. It paid no attention to the feeder, but worked the Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) all day long, for nectar and tiny insects. (Fourth photo - it's after an insect.) Ruby-throated Hummingbirds love tubular, bell-shaped flowers which do not need to be red to get their attention. The bird even perched in the smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), watching over its bluebell patch.
Also on 4-15-20, our first Northern Parula of the year was heard and briefly checked out the bubbler.
Back to the Ruby-crowned Kinglet with different views and more action shots at the bubbler today - they love to get wet even at 40 degrees!
This morning, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird stopped at the feeder for a full 'cuppa Joe' before heading to the bluebells. It was fun to see the flared scarlet gorget lit through the feathers by the sun!
One last surprise this morning was the appearance of a young female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. A few of us agree that these NW winds have hampered the movement of birds, creating a bottleneck to the south of us. We anticipate a big change in the next week, with many more birds showing up. Hang onto your hats! Migration will be in full swing very soon! You can always check the galleries, I try to keep them updated daily.
To see all the photos since the last post, begin here: Since 4-5-20
Nesting update: The Eastern Phoebes appear to have given up their nesting attempt here. I see them occasionally in the yard, foraging for insects. It's quite disappointing, but we cannot interfere with these processes.This is exactly why we need more good habitat, there's just not enough to sustain all of our native birds.
April has arrived 4-5-20
The hues, scents and sights of April are with us!
Rosy Red Buckeyes (Aesculus pavia) are budding, the sweet fragrance of Clove Currant (Ribes odoratum) wafts on the breeze, and fat little bumblebees are busy at Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica).
Warm days have brought birds in to freshen up and shake their tail feathers, like Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice and American Robins.
Even one of the Cooper's Hawks came in to the sump puddle to bathe, until it was rudely interrupted by harassing crows.
Two female Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers have been seen on several days. The Brown Creeper may have moved on, more are being seen elsewhere, finally making it to friends' yards.
American Goldfinches are nearly finished molting into their bright plumage, though some are shy about sitting still for a portrait.
The Eastern Phoebes are still busy at nest-building, constantly pumping their tails up and down, up and down when they stop to perch.
Carolina Wrens are still bouncing about. I saw one today fly to the nest on the left with a leaf in its bill, quickly tagged on the tail by the Phoebe! Nature is just full of interesting interactions, especially at this time of year.
We took the Eastern Bluebird box down for a few days to deter the Eurasian Tree Sparrows. They seem to have claimed a box in a neighbor's yard. Our friend, Cori suggested using the filament line to continue deterring them until bluebirds or other native birds take the box. Today, another sparrow approached, seemed confused by it, fluttered in front and did not go in! So far, so good!
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are getting closer, one has made it as far as Michigan! So, we have two feeders up and ready. Here's the map if you want to keep tabs on their progress:
2020 Ruby-throated Hummingbird map
We've consolidated our feeding stations into one at this point, serving black oil sunflower, safflower, bark butter and peanuts.
A Hermit Thrush showed up yesterday, our newest bird for the year, species #52. Today, I realized there were at least two here in the yard. The second one seems fine but is definitely different. It was easier to see why when it landed on the bluebird box!
"April is the cruelest month."
Nature is resilient, and adapts, even in the toughest of times. Perhaps we all could learn a bit from Nature.
First ten days of Spring 3/30/20
While you're staying at home and washing your paws,
take some time to get outside and enjoy nature in this wonderful season of Spring!
Here in our Shady Oaks Sanctuary yard, we're still seeing Brown Creepers that come in for a bit of bark butter in between forays up the trees for insects hiding in the crevices of the bark.
Eastern Phoebes are busy calling and catching insects. This one got a bit worried when a large predator swooped in above it. Yikes! It flew off to a higher perch as a Cooper's Hawk came down to the wetland to bathe.
Dark-eyed Juncos are still here, this one seen in soft afternoon light on Blackhaw(Viburnum prunifolium).
A female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker clung to small oak trees as little gnat-like insects emerged from the bark. The bird quickly snatched up as many as it could! This is the first time I've captured this behavior.
There is a lot going on in the nesting department around here! Eastern Bluebirds have been checking out the nest box. They have serious competition from the Eurasian Tree Sparrows, though.
We cleaned out the nesting material the Eurasian Tree Sparrows had put in and brought the box inside for a few days. They are not native birds like the bluebirds, and we want to support our native birds. We may move it to a different location. We will keep you posted!
While I was keeping an eye on the bluebirds and sparrows, a new bird for the year popped up onto the feeder. It was a Chipping Sparrow! It continued foraging in the mossy lawn. A female Hairy Woodpecker was spotted on the base of a Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), which has such warty bark.
On that busy day, Friday, 3/27/20 a Carolina Wren decided it was time to bathe enthusiastically in the basin.
On Saturday, 3/28/20 the Eastern Phoebes were busy at building their nest. However, which one? Been doing a bit of head scratching lately because it seems there may be two pairs of phoebes with nearby nests. I've seen the first pair chasing another pair, and some other squabbles. Typically, the female will not tolerate another so near. Perhaps the wrens are back in the first nest. I just don't know, time will tell!
About noon that drippy day, I had just come into the breakfast room and saw a little brown bullet shoot from the bluebells by the bubbler right up to the back door, not a foot from where I stood. It was a Winter Wren, popping up and down, up and down as if to say, "I'm BACK, I'm BACK!" It flew to the brush pile and then it foraged among the fungi on a log. I believe it had to be the same wren that was here last October!
Among the most beautiful of our resident birds right now is the Northern Cardinal, in its rich, scarlet breeding plumage.
The American Toads have been very noisily calling for mates the last few days with the warmup. Sleeping with earplugs has been required. Yesterday morning, 3/29/20 a Red-shouldered Hawk was spotted having a toad for breakfast. May the hawk enjoy many more meals of toad!
To view all the photos since the last post, open a new window here: Birds from 3/24/20
Spring has arrived! 3-23-20
SPRING!
It has arrived gradually, cool and wet. On 3-19-20 at 10:51 p.m. it was official. Earlier that day, I saw one of the Red-shouldered Hawks in the sugar maple by the pond. It was a drizzly day, but this bird looked VERY wet as it spread its feathers to dry! Later, I checked the gazebo cam for any activity. Well, no wonder! This hawk had gone fishing about 9:30 a.m. and fish are not their usual prey! It looks like the fish was the one that got away.
Read more: Red-shouldered Hawk
Since last Wednesday, 3-18-20, I've been hearing the high-pitched trilling of Pine Warblers. I caught a quick glimpse of one in a tree. Guess what kind of tree? A white pine tree, of course. They used to come to the bubbler more often in the spring, but I've only gotten photos once. Here are three photos that I took on 3-14-14 of the bird at the bubbler, in our pond cypress and on a white oak.
You can listen to the bird and watch videos here: Pine Warbler sounds
The Eastern Phoebes have been very active around the nest site. It has been just warm enough for small flying insects to be emerging, and these insects are a primary food source for flycatchers. I saw them chase away a pair of phoebes on two different days, another sure sign of this pair defending their territory. Nesting is all about location, location, location! The male is in the first and last photo, on the pond cypress branch and in the sugar maple. The female is in the middle two photos, on the pond cypress 'knee' in the swampy thicket and in the sugar maple.
Northern cardinals are also paired up and setting up territory. They may be waiting for it to warm up a bit more before building their nests.
Friday, 3-20-20 was our first full day of spring. I found these Virginia bluebells with their tiny, pink, star-shaped buds just peeking out!
The female Hairy Woodpecker has been coming to get a few bites of bark butter, along with its cousin, the female Downy Woodpecker. I put the two photos together and it's easier to see the size difference between the birds! The beaks are different, too.
Birds need water all year, and American Goldfinches have been coming to the bubbler to drink.
Brown Creepers are back again looking for insects moving about.
Dark-eyed Juncos will be here a while yet, leaving sometime in April to fly further north. Spring is the time when we still see birds of winter, like the juncos, and newly arriving migratory species, like the warblers.
The Carolina wrens were on the feeder together, looking about and making sure the coast was clear. The male and female look alike, though the male is the singer.
Yesterday, it started snowing with big, fat flakes. Sleet mixed in, too. It only lasted a few hours, not enough to build a snowman.
Here is an American Goldfinch changing into its bright coat of yellow, sitting in a blooming spicebush and being snowed upon.
Spring is about to get pretty boisterous now! Being out in nature is so good for us.
We hope you are finding interesting birds, insects and blooms in your yards, too.
