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!
Mid-July! 7-15-22
Time flies, it's already mid-July!
We've lost 15 minutes of daylight since the Summer Solstice.
Blue Jays have raised a healthy brood. Seven have been coming to the bubbler, chasing each other and the last fledging is still begging.
This is the first young male Northern Parula at the bubbler this year, with a meal! It is one of the smallest warblers, averaging 4.5", about the same as a chickadee and a bit larger than a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, which maxes out at 3.5".
This Red-shouldered Hawk became bubbler bird species #125 on 6-30-22. It is larger than both American Crow and Barred Owl and can be 24" in length with a wingspan of 32"-50". So, it takes the prize for the largest bubbler bird yet. On 7-5-22, it came in shortly after the Northern Parula. The next photo is a composite of both birds to show their size difference.
From the smallest to the largest, the bubbler delivers!
It is always amazing to watch how quickly birds take to the bubbler. They feel comfortable here and know they can get water on these hot days. The adult has already shown its offspring that this is a safe refuge.
Yesterday morning, I saw the young bird catch a vole to eat on its own!
Eastern Phoebes have been actively catching insects, drinking at the dripper baths and splash-bathing in the stream bed. For the first time, the pair that nested under the gazebo raised two broods.
Eastern Bluebirds are back for water and food again. There were at least five young ones that came in with this male. It looks like the male is pretty fascinated with the dripping water.
Two ladies walking by waved the other day and told us how much they love our yard. "Don't you have deer? They're eating my hostas!" said one. "Oh, yes, we have deer!" I replied. Day and night, we have deer. No hostas, though they forage on violets, hydrangeas, and one doe even waded into the pond to eat water lilies. Yes, eating water lilies for two.
We fenced the pond, the water lilies recovered and we had our first bloom a few days ago. Let's face it, we all need a healthy environment, so we're doing our best to live with nature by providing native habitat and spreading the word about the benefits to all of us. Perhaps you just need a nudge to take the plunge? If you missed the Native Plant Tour in June, there's another way to see some inspiring native gardens!
Royal Catchfly (Silene regia) in the Woldum Garden, Certified "Gold" with Bring Conservation Home
Last Saturday, we visited our friends, Dennis and Katherine Woldum to see their lovely garden. They are participating in a relatively new program called St. Louis Open Yards, aka Native Gardens for Charity. Dennis and Katherine learned about the program from Mitch Leachman, co-founder of St. Louis Audubon Society's Bring Conservation Home Program. Mitch is now co-ordinating this new program with assistance from some great volunteers so more native gardens can be seen in their prime. Owners choose their favorite charity and in this case, Dennis and Katherine chose Caring Solutions which offers 24-hour care for adult developmentally disabled in the Metro area. Katherine said, “After the age of 18, there is diminished assistance from Missouri. As the parents or relatives age, it is important to have help in place. They do a wonderful job with the limited resources they have. We are proud to help them.”
If you live in the St. Louis Metro area, check out Open Yards! For a modest fee, you can visit gardens by registering in advance on the website calendar. The homeowners choose the days when their gardens will be open and you pick a time that's available. There are several search Categories, such as shade, rain, bird-focused or pollinator gardens to name a few. Different sized gardens are included. With this opportunity to walk through some beautiful, life-filled gardens, you’ll get lots of ideas on top-performing native plants and design tips as well. Many of these gardens are certified through the Bring Conservation Home Program. Read all about it, sign up for some visual treats and give back to our community at the same time! It's a win-win!
It's a steamy Fourth of July 7-4-22
Hope you all had a safe and pleasant Fourth of July!
This tiny Praying Mantis was within the bouquet I had picked from the garden, but it was safely taken to another plant so it could continue preying on small pests. A Praying Mantis is an Insect, in the Order of Mantids.
Yesterday, Dan noticed this critter on the screen. Neither of us knew what it was or what was happening to it. Was it an insect, a spider or a true bug? Spiders have eight legs, and they are Arachnids, a separate class of animals. Boy, it's time to take a class again. "All bugs are insects, but not all insects are bugs!" So much to keep straight. Looked like six legs on this one at first.
Aha! As this true bug molted from its last nymph stage into an adult, we recognized it as a Wheel Bug. Believe me, the one thing I do know is that they will bite if handled and provoked. An entomologist once told me that a Wheel Bug's bite is worse than a hundred hornet stings. Lesson learned. That experience is not on my bucket list!
I have had encounters with this true bug which can be impressive at 1 1/2" long. Once, I almost put my hand down on the stone wall before I realized it was there. And, then there was the time it was inside the lens hood of my camera setup. I was able to use a soft broom and help it to fly off. They are the largest true bug, and a beneficial creature because they eat garden pests. We don't use insecticides because we know that these helpful critters are part of our natural world, keeping the ecosystem in balance.
"Live and let live!"
Birds have been coming to the water features often on these hot days. A young female Northern Parula has visited several times.
Juvenile Northern Cardinals still have their little dark beaks.
Two young Northern Flickers, both males, usually come in together to forage and learn about their world.
An adult Northern Parula seems to prefer the pond for its bathing.
This Gray Catbird came out into the open, making all sorts of calls one morning.
An American Goldfinch seemed entranced by the dancing sunbeams on the water.
We're getting more frequent views of the Brown Thrashers, though we still haven't seen a young one.
On 7-1-22, not a Brown Thrasher but a Wood Thrush was at the bubbler again. This is the only photo I managed, it's the first time I've had one in July. There were several robins trying to bathe and the Wood Thrush couldn't muster the courage to get closer to the basin.
Here is a 2 minute video of the Wood Thrush which you'll see front and center in the beginning. As you can see, the bird keeps looking at the pond but wisely assesses that it's too deep.
Finally, we are seeing the Red-shouldered Hawks come in again. The adult (top) has been in several times and we've also seen the immature one. It's wonderful to know there has been a successful nesting this year. Helping breeding birds and migrants is the goal!
Stay safe, stay cool!
Summer Days now 6-24-22
Quiz answers first!
Thank you all for being patient, hope you had fun and did well!
1. Orange-crowned Warbler
2. Blue-winged Warbler, in front
3. Golden-winged Warbler, in back
4. Magnolia Warbler with "tail dipped in ink" which is diagnostic for this species
5. Blackburnian Warbler, female
6. Bay-breasted Warbler, female
Now for the latest summer update...
Nesters have been busy finding food for their fledglings. A Hairy Woodpecker teaches its young about suet and a Downy Woodpecker feeds hidden insect morsels to its offspring.
American Goldfinches have been eating the seeds of Eastern Beebalm (Monarda bradburiana). It was in full bloom on 5-17-22. By not cutting back the spent blooms, the seeds feed the birds and help to enlarge the patch. This plant has done better here on a dry slope than anywhere else I've tried it. It attracts hummingbirds and other pollinators and also is a host plant to 9 different moth and butterfly species.
From the young House Wren and Song Sparrow to larger birds like the Gray Catbird, traffic has been constant at our water features.
Northern Parula warblers have been at the pond and bubbler on several days now. I've heard the male singing the last couple weeks and I think they nest in the neighborhood, possibly high in a neighbor's sycamore. The last few years, they've been coming in for food and water in June.
Brown Thrashers have been seen almost daily, foraging and looking for a drink or bath.
Blue Jays and American Robins love to cool off, even if it means a confrontation to get their way.
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers have been heard and seen a lot lately. One day, I noticed the female preening and the male apparently taking a dust bath in the garden. It's a behavior we've seen in species like hummingbirds, titmice and flycatchers. The male then flew into another small tree and began singing. The following day, I just caught the female as it bathed in the bubbler.
Interested in Adding Moving Water to your garden? Look at this page:
Simple Ways to Add Moving Water
If you'd like information about Bubbler Maintenance and more, check out this page:
Stay cool...
Let's talk about warblers! 6-13-22
WARBLERS!
It's miserably hot here and over much of the country,
so like many of you, I'm trying to stay cool inside today.
Post-spring migration, we birders tend to feel bereft of 'our' warblers! We can never get enough of them in their breeding splendor. So, how many warblers can one hope to see in spring in our area? There are three references that help determine this, links will open in a new tab.
First, the checklist: Birds of Missouri Checklist
Scroll down to #386 Ovenbird to look at the warbler species. There are 42 species listed, but we sure won't see them all. You can click on each name to see a photo and more information from All About Birds. You can view the Seasonal Status and Abundance Status. This is important to help understand when a bird should be here and whether it's common, accidental or even extinct.
Second, obtain a free download: The Status and Distribution of Birds of Missouri, 2nd Edition
This is the most in-depth, go-to reference on all bird species seen here in our state. It has records of early and late dates, habitats where it is most likely to find certain birds and so much more.
Third, get a free publication from the Missouri Department of Conservation: Enjoying Missouri's Birds
This recently revised booklet, mentioned before, is great to have on hand to check the charts on when and where a bird is most likely to be seen and how rare it may be. You can obtain this free 42-page booklet in several ways. Just go to any of the MDC regional offices or nature centers and ask for it, or you can call or email to have it sent to you. It's a hot item!
Call MDC: 573-751-4115 and ask to be connected with Publications and ask for #W00002
Email MDC: [email protected]
OR, join the Missouri Birding Society and this booklet will come as part of your new member packet! Missouri Birding Society
Here in our Shady Oaks Sanctuary, we have documented 35 species of warblers over 25+ years. Some are identified by song, some by sight, some have been photographed. Even though species may have ancestors that have been here and put our location into their genetic code, there is no guarantee that offspring of that species will show up every year. And that is the pure and simple reason we keep looking, we never know what may drop in with a mixed flock and forage through our layered canopy or drink at the bubbler!
Ovenbirds are typically seen every year, though they are not always as cooperative as the bird you see in the photo above.
This year was exceptional for Yellow Warblers because we saw at least one on each of 12 different days. It is a common transient.
Pine Warblers are more often heard in early March as they forage in pines in our neighborhood. This long-tailed warbler was here on several days, 4-29-22 thru 5-1-22 as a northbound migrant. I was surprised to see it then and it is rare at that time but regularly seen in the St. Louis area. I discovered this detail when I checked my copy of The Status and Distribution of Birds of Missouri.
I enjoyed watching a Worm-eating Warbler on 4-23-22 while it was singing in a Redbud (Cercis canadensis), but I was unable to get on it quickly enough to photograph. The one above was foraging in an American Elm (Ulmus americana) on 4-29-20.
On 7-30-14, a bird that was considered a wood-warbler at the time visited our garden, a Yellow-breasted Chat. Its status in the wood-warbler family was frequently questioned for many reasons. "It had many traits atypical of wood-warblers--large size, eclectic vocal repertoire, behavior and certain anatomical features. In 2017, it was elevated to its own family, Icteriidae." So, I wanted to share this story because with genetics, more is being learned all the time about where birds should be placed in the taxonomic order. So, it is not included in our wood-warbler count.
(Quote paraphrased from Birds of the World, subscription reference through Cornell Laboratory)
This bird is a rare migrant, especially in spring when it is considered the 'holy grail' of migration here in our area. A male came to the Bubbler on 5-13-05, I could barely catch my breath it was so exciting to see! I called my dear friend, Tina Weyman. Somehow, she understood me during that early morning call when I said, "Buh-buh-buh-Black-throated Buh-buh-Blue!" And, Tina made it here in time to see it, too.
Years later, a female came by in the fall on 9-13-17 and I followed it for a couple hours. This species is rare anytime, maybe 1-2 are seen each year in the eastern part of Missouri. Most springs, this species goes unrecorded in the west.
From the uncommon Bay-breasted Warbler to the rarer species, birders feel the need to see every one each spring. And if we don't see them, we start looking again in late summer with hopes of adding them to our year lists in the fall! Welcome to the obsessive life of birding!
REVIEW AND QUIZ?
To review the warblers of this past spring, begin here: Warblers beginning 4-20-22
All the photos are now in the galleries, so here are a few if you want to quiz yourselves. Answers will be posted next time!
1.
2. In front
3. In back
4.
5.
6.
Stay cool, stay safe!
Migration wanes, into June now 6-4-22
Most migrating birds have moved on to breeding grounds, though species are still coming through!
Check out Birdcast for movement just last night: St. Louis County, June 3, 2022
Species that nest here have stayed in the area.
Resident breeding birds have been busy raising young!
All of these species need the same things: cover, places to raise young, insect foods and fresh water.
Birdcast had predicted a high influx of birds on Saturday and Sunday nights, 5-7-22 and 5-8-22. Sure enough, Monday, 5-9-22 was my personal 'big day' with 53 species for the day, including 15 warblers. Blackpoll Warblers fly the longest overwater journey of any songbird species - nearly 1,800 miles non-stop over the Atlantic Ocean to their wintering grounds in South America.
This species is rarely seen in the fall in Missouri because of its route over the Atlantic. Birders know they better see it in spring to be sure to get it for the year. However, our yard hosted a young female that took the shorter route and this sighting became the third fall record for Missouri. This event was covered in our very first blog post on October 14, 2013. Time sure flies like the birds!
Yellow Warblers have been seen here more this year than ever before. They nest over much of North America, including in Missouri, and prefer habitats like wet woods or areas with trees like willows near streams. That's where they'll find the most insect foods. See if you agree that their song says, "sweet, sweet, sweet, I'm so sweet!" It's an easy one to learn.
Years ago, I was determined to learn bird songs. It was a struggle to begin, but slowly, they started to stick. Start with the birds you hear every day, then prepare over the winter for the deluge of new birds that arrive with migration. It's still a struggle, but there's a FREE app for that!
Listen to birds using an app called Merlin Bird ID: Merlin
Merlin is another tool to add to your toolbox, so to speak. We still need to use our own ears and eyes to confirm the songs recorded. But this app has improved tremendously since it was first introduced, and it's fun to help you be aware of the birds around you.
This spring we had our first nesting pair of Eastern Bluebirds. They managed beautifully and were attentive to their feeding and housekeeping duties. The male is shown with a fecal sac which was carried far from the nest site. On 5-12-22, it was time for the young birds to fledge. Once they leave the nest box, they will not return. It's a day when everyone is nervous and excited!
One by one, they left the box. The female was calling to them. I could imagine something like, "Keep your heads down! Watch out for those big birds! Stay low!"
One fledgling managed to fly up into a spice bush (Lindera benzoin). Well-camouflaged, it waited for an adult to bring more food.
How all five of those little birds managed to have room to exercise their wings before their entrance into the big wide world, I'll never know! The male returned once to the box on 5-29-22 and called a few times, then flew. According to my sources, that would have been the earliest day to begin a new nest, seventeen days after fledgling. Maybe this is their first brood and they're taking a well-earned break! Will keep you posted.
While I was weeding in front one day, I heard the familiar buzzing of a hummingbird flying by. I looked up to see it enjoying the sweet nectar of the Coral Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens). Those of you who have this plant must enjoy their visits, too. It's a bit more gratifying to see them at a natural food source that you've planted and nurtured!
As I worked up the front walk, I saw a broken egg shell from a Northern Cardinal's nest. Were the young just hatching? I had been so busy watching birds in back that I had missed this nest being built! The female and male scolded me for getting too close. So, no more weeding will be done in that area for a while! Minimal disturbance, that's our motto here.
There are at least two other pairs of Northern Cardinals that have young. One nest is in the other Coral Trumpet vine that has been around much longer with more cover. The other nest, well, I'm not sure where it is, but the adults bring their young to the bubbler area and have me babysit while they look for food!
Back in February, 2011, I had the first opportunity to meet Doug Tallamy, mentor and author of Bringing Nature Home, Nature's Best Hope and The Nature of Oaks. I couldn't wait to tell him all the work we had been doing to create habitat and how many birds we had seen in our yard. Then, he zinged me with, "Yes, but how many nesters do you have?" "Oh, um, not sure..have to think about that," was my weak reply. Since my awareness has been raised, we've both learned what we need to do to make our yard more receptive to nesting species. Below is our current count of 34 native species.
Now, perhaps I stretch this a bit because the birds may be nesting in a tree across the street or two doors away. However, these species are foraging here or coming into our yard with young and feeding them here. Oh, how I wish we had 100 acres sometimes! At this point in our lives, that is not feasible. I share ideas with all of you to compensate for that. Each of us can do more to support breeding birds and migrants and help bring back the birds, bees, butterflies and more.
Learn more about Doug Tallamy's books and his big idea, Homegrown National Park and get on the map, too!