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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.
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January reflections 2-1-24
We begin with a short video of clips from our Stealth Cam near the garden, taken in January.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Fog helped disguise this Cooper's Hawk as it flew through the woodland.
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
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!
Like the sapsuckers, there have been several Yellow-rumped Warblers around, too.
Usual suspects, like the Red-bellied Woodpecker and Northern Cardinal are enjoyed daily. Late afternoon sun shows off their brilliance.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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!
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.
That day was also the first time this year that a N. Mockingbird came to the bubbler.
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:
1-9-2024 A Good Start to the New Year
We're off!
First little snow has fallen with a bit more to come soon. Thirty species of birds have checked in for January.
A Cedar Waxwing stopped in at the bubbler, waiting for a turn with a large flock of American Robins.
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.
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.
Pine Siskins are around every day now, visiting the bubbler or when temperatures drop, the feeders, too.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
The Ruby-crowned Kinglet was back after the snow, and so were the Pine Siskins.
The White-breasted Nuthcatch came down to get a good bath one day. That doesn't happen often with this species.
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.
It got the full seal of approval from the Carolina Wrens, Dark-eyed Juncos and White-throated Sparrows.
The Kinglet keeps checking food sources, like the bark butter on this oak tree. Today, I saw it back on the suet cake.
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.
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
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!
An immature Yellow-bellied Sapsucker bathed vigorously on 12-2-23. We'll hear it calling so it's still in the neighborhood.
Eastern Bluebirds also come in and bathe after cruising over the leaves for insects, or stopping at the feeders.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
This Downy Woodpecker was one of many visitors at the Grab 'n Go table today.
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.
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.
A Yellow-rumped Warbler also came in with the crowd, wary of the possibility of a Cooper's hawk.
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!