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!
New first of the year birds as of 4-10-16
Things are picking up. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are still coming in. A female was working this young oak and found a tiny insect.
The holes she drilled were pretty obvious.
A female Northern Flicker looked in the base of this Little Bluestem (Schizacrium scoparium) for a meal on Wednesday.
As I scanned the garden, I realized there were several Chipping Sparrows there and in the natural lawn path, new arrivals for the year.
About a month ago, we had cut up the two Christmas trees by the feeder and made a small brush pile. The White-throated Sparrows have been taking cover in there. I had seen three other sparrows foraging in the muddy area nearby. They have white throats, too. They are coming into their breeding plumage and not quite so dingy now. But, every time I've tried to get a photo of one, they would skedaddle into the cover of the brush pile.
A cold front came in late Friday night and the temperature dropped to 28.3 degrees. Saturday morning, a brave sapsucker decided to take the plunge once it got up to 36 degrees.
BRRR...
It was still cold and those sparrows were still hiding out in the brush pile, only coming out occasionally to feed. There must have been a bit of warmth in there from the sun.
I had scattered some freeze-dried mealworms in a few places to help the birds get through the cold spell. Sunday morning, one of the takers in Groucho Marx style was that mysterious little bird, a Swamp Sparrow.
They are a pretty little bird and as the guidebooks say, "somewhat shy."
Another "somewhat shy" creature is the Hermit Thrush. This bird is another first for the year. I haven't seen one since October, although in some years, I've seen them more often through the winter.
Its breast is quite marked and does aid in its camouflage.
The distinctive behavior that says this is a Hermit Thrush is the way it raises, then slowly lowers its rusty tail.
Finally, a White-throated Sparrow popped out onto this limb, surrounded by Mayapples, Virginia Bluebells and the opening leaves of native Hydrangeas. The white-throats will be around for a while before they fly on to Canada to breed. Next week looks like there will be a warming trend and winds from the southeast may bring in more migrants.
4-4-16 Update on the Barred Owls
On Saturday morning, while eating breakfast, I happened to look out and realize that there was an owl in the neighbor's Norway spruce. Once I checked with my binoculars, I could see both owls were together on the same branch. It was a perfect daytime roost for them. Limbs above to protect them from Blue Jays, pendulous branches surrounding them and a bit of sun to warm them in the early morning as they faced east. But, I still wonder why they are not nesting. The female should be sitting on eggs by now.
One of them turned around and they started preening each other. They clearly have a strong bond. Why can't they settle? We've had a lot of work being done in the neighborhood with noisy machines. Could that be part of the reason?
The winds began to pick up and they both decided to face west, into the wind.
I think they might have stayed all day but the winds were gusting strongly. Or could there be another reason?
In studies done by the National Park Service, it has been found that man-made noise does have direct effects on natural peace and tranquility. Birds and other animals need to hear each other to communicate, find a mate, catch prey and in general, live their lives.
http://www.nature.nps.gov/sound/effects.cfm
The noise sure bothers me when I try to work in the garden or photograph these beautiful creatures. But, what about them? They need peace and quiet, too.
Food for thought...
Speaking of nests, camouflage and predators on 3/28/16
The Red-bellied Woodpecker was hard at work this past week on the nest cavity. The female would come in and check on his progress as if to urge him on. Her bill isn't large enough or strong enough to help him carve, but she gave him encouragement.
Now, I am sorry to report that on Thursday, a pair of European Starlings took over the nest. If only the woods were larger, deeper and not just edge habitat, the woodpeckers might not have been evicted. The pair still comes in and the male calls from further up the street. Perhaps they will yet succeed, but it will be a lot of work to start over.
The Carolina Chickadees seem to be holding their own at the nest box they used last year. The Eurasian Tree Sparrows still bother them but they can't even get into the box. Fingers crossed. Here, the female calls for her mate to bring her a morsel.
A large flock of Rusty Blackbirds came in around 5:30 on Friday afternoon. I estimated 50-60 birds in a flock with some Common Grackles and a couple female Brown-headed Cowbirds.
That evening, around 6:30 pm, we saw one of the Barred Owls fly up to a branch with some prey. On closer inspection, it seemed to be a rabbit, well, half a rabbit. It may have shared the rest with its mate.
The American Goldfinches have certainly been transitioning into their breeding plumage. The bright yellow attracts the females, but it can also make these males easier to find in the woods by the larger predators.
At lunchtime on Easter Sunday, one of the brighter males was on this same feeder which hangs off the deck post about 2 1/2 feet from the small oak in the background. All seemed quiet, when a rush of commotion ensued! A Cooper's Hawk swooped in, nabbed the goldfinch and maneuvered like a stealth bomber through the trees and up to the same branch the Barred Owl had used on Friday night. Shock and awe! The hawk's wingspan is 3 feet and yet it had calculated precisely how to pick off this meal.
The entire episode lasted nine minutes. I can't tell you how many times I said, "WOW".
3-20-16 The Big Fluffy Vernal Equinox - Happy Spring!
We were awake for just a little while when big fluffy flakes of snow started flying about. It wouldn't last for very long. Dan mixed up some big fluffy waffles to celebrate the official coming of spring. We had just sat down to enjoy them when I realized one of the big fluffy Barred Owls was perched in the rough-leaf dogwood near the deck. The bird had been there long enough to acquire a dusting.
A spicebush (Lindera benzoin) near the gate had acquired a bit of snow, too.
By 3:00 p.m. it was melted and the blossoms perked up.
Earlier in the week, I was outside with the camera for a bit. On Wednesday, an Eastern Phoebe was catching insects in the woodland and calling. It paused on a branch and took a stretch.
The Red-bellied Woodpecker continued working on the nest cavity and churred repeatedly, proclaiming it his own. The bird raises its bright crown feathers for emphasis when it calls.
A Brown Creeper came in to the closest oak tree looking for food. This bird almost disappears into the oak bark. It pulled out a tiny spider from the roots of the Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia).
And, then it found a tiny curled larvae for another bite. This is the first time I've photographed a Brown Creeper finding a meal and in another creeper, no less!
The Virginia creeper hosts at least 32 species of moth and butterfly caterpillars, which are the most important food for our native birds.
Yesterday, a bright and sunny day, one of the Barred Owls was roosting in an Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus).
One of the Blue Jay sentries kept watch from a Pin Oak (Quercus palustris). The days of spring come in fits and starts, but spring is here at last!
3-9-16 More signs of spring!
We are not quite there yet, but we have been seeing more signs of spring this week. Pine Siskins and Rusty Blackbirds continue to show up in small numbers on various days. Here are two Pine Siskins with an American Goldfinch at the feeder near the garden.
This female Rusty Blackbird is well-camouflaged amidst the pond cypress knees in the swampy thicket. The male turned over leaves a few feet away.
Two Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers were chasing each other about on Wednesday. They are getting brighter every day.
A female Purple Finch showed up briefly at a feeder on Friday.
Two Brown Creepers were nibbling at the bark butter on Saturday.
It was fun to discover this nest cavity being excavated by a Red-bellied Woodpecker. It's a lot of work to hollow out an oak tree, but the bird is a determined engineer. What a perfect hole! I just hope the European Starlings will leave the woodpeckers alone. The alien starlings are known to evict these native birds. I'll be keeping an eye on this snag.
Dan spotted our first Eastern Phoebe on Saturday while I was with my friend. Another came by on Tuesday just long enough for me to photograph it. I love to hear their call and hope a pair will decide to stay around this spring.
On Sunday evening, the Barred Owls were having quite a hootenanny in our front yard, one in a pin oak and the other in a sugar maple. They flew to their former nest tree, checking it out. We're hearing them regularly and yesterday, I was able to get some photos and video of the female. She was resting in the Shagbark Hickory.
A pair of Blue Jays found the owl and brought in reinforcements to harass her, making it five against one.
Here's a short movie of the interaction between them. The Barred Owl indignantly fluffed up to look bigger, eliminated and then clicked her beak to warn them off. One Blue Jay still dive-bombed her. They finally left her alone and she called for her mate. The male answered from a distance but her call was also answered by Teddy, a black lab who belongs to our neighbors. It took all of my self-control not to chuckle into the microphone at his response!
The light was waning, it was time to come in. I left the owl watching for her mate.
