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!
12-31-24 Out with the old year...
...and in with the new!
On this last day of 2024, here are some highlights!
Many individual Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers were in our yard last winter. Males have the red throat.
Eastern Bluebirds were present all through the year and raised three broods with five young in each.
Eastern Phoebes returned late in February and raised two broods. The young were fed cicadas when they were at their peak!
Periodical cicadas were everywhere on the plants for about six weeks. These insects were a feast for many birds and mammals.
Chickadees (Carolina x Black-capped) had at least one successful nesting, and fed the young fat, juicy caterpillars.
Pine Siskins were here last winter and stayed into April. The Green Morph type in the photos is a rare plumage that shows in 1% of males.
Further study needs to be done to understand why this happens.
An impressive male Pileated Woodpecker came in to the suet feeder one day.
In this composite photo, it's easy to see the size difference compared to the Northern Flicker.
When the Rough-leaf Dogwood berries were ripe, both Brown Thrasher and Northern Mockingbird juveniles came in to eat them.
In these photos, we see adult and young birds.
July was a busy month! Fish Crows investigated the bubbler for species #127 there.
The comparison photo shows size and plumage variation between this species and the often seen American Crow.
Another cool observation was seeing this young Mississippi Kite as it hung out in a nearby yard, begging for food from the adult bird.
Of course, it was fed a diet of cicadas!
In May of 2023, a male Mourning Warbler came to the bubbler for the first time in 17 years.
I have to wonder if this young male seen in August might not be an offspring!
Twenty-six warbler species were heard and seen this year.
If you'd like to see those that were photographed, a new page will open here:
One last sighting of note was on 12-13-24 when a Bald Eagle,
our national bird, circled over the yard twice for species #115 for the year.
Here is an archive photograph of a Bald Eagle from a sighting on 1-22-19.
On Christmas Day, we drove to nearby Simpson Park to look for eagles.
It was a dreary day, like today, and we did not see them,
however we did document the nest in a large sycamore. We'll be back!
Happy New Year to you all!
May you find awe in nature each day of the year.
It's Winter! 12-22-24
“...This is the solstice, the still point
of the sun, its cusp and midnight,
the year’s threshold
and unlocking, where the past
lets go of and becomes the future;
the place of caught breath, the door
of a vanished house left ajar...”
― Margaret Atwood, Eating Fire : Selected Poetry, 1965-95
Tasks of the season have kept me occupied.
Thought I'd share this little video of clips from the trail cam and the bubbler cam.
Even in these long nights there is a lot of activity out in our garden!
Happy Winter Holidays to you all,
however you may gather and celebrate!
Margy and Dan
Lucky Friday the 13th of December
After Thanksgiving, we returned home in time to fill feeders, refresh the ponds
and get ready for the first snowfall of the season!
A female Hairy Woodpecker got first dibs on the roasted peanuts.
A White-throated Sparrow and Eastern Bluebird drank at the bubbler.
A Downy Woodpecker found the bark butter on a small white oak. Time to feast before the snow falls!
Rudy returned, ready for all the hungry birds that would come in.
American Goldfinches were at Rudy's table, chowing down scattered sunflower chips.
American Goldfinches took turns eating seeds from Cliff Goldenrod (Solidago drummondii). This plant fills the pockets along the driveway wall. It is a top Keystone native perennial, supporting 97 different species of moths and butterflies, as well as other native pollinators such as bees and tiny flies. Cliff Goldenrod also feeds sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos, which take cover in these planting pockets.
These photos are from mid-September in different years. It is a beautiful, long-blooming plant and so beneficial to pollinators and birds!
In this photo, a cucumber beetle and a native masked bee (Hylaeus species) forage for the pollen and nectar of the tiny blooms. These flowers attract a lot of people asking me about them, too!
Back to December! This male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker came in to drink at the bubbler. I just happened to see its head pop up! The glare from the low sun was challenging for photos that day. Oh, well, if I'd stepped outside the bird would have flown and we can't have that! Birds come first here.
Water is important to birds all year round. These House Finches and Eastern Bluebirds took advantage of an opportunity to get in.
This week has felt a lot colder than the thermometer reads, and that means the bird activity is high. American Goldfinches and House Finches are regulars.
A female Northern Flicker came in and the House Finches took off to give the larger bird some space.
A female Eastern Bluebird took a mealworm or two.
Blue Jays go for bark butter bits and peanuts.
This White-throated Sparrow grabbed a safflower seed.
A fussy White-breasted Nuthatch tossed a few before choosing a larger bit of bark butter to cache.
This female Northern Cardinal nibbled on sunflower chips.
The heated bird bath is convenient and popular with the birds. It also gives them a minute to soak up a little warmth with their water. There are usually two American Robins around.
Tufted Titmice are also frequent visitors.
This is our resident Northern Cardinal, 'Bam-Bam'. This guy is still challenging his reflections on bright days. He owns the place!
And the Eastern Bluebirds come in. I never realized how quickly one could fall for them until they started coming around. Too sweet!
The first of Fall Rusty Blackbirds have shown up. Yesterday, three were spotted and finally photographed. The first male found several dark caterpillars in the leaves by the garden edge. Later, the female came in with another male and they were near the pond and in the sugar maple (Acer saccharum).
About 12:25 pm yesterday, lucky Friday the 13th, I went out to refill the feeders by the driveway. American Crows were upset and calling, but I wasn't sure why. Then, a large bird came into view from the northeast and circled over me, over our yard, banking left and continuing in a lazy circle again. My jaw dropped and I stood in awe, watching this beautiful adult Bald Eagle! This is not a bird I see every year! And, I had never had one so close and pointedly over our sanctuary before. What a thrill! As it finished the second circuit, it banked to the right and continued on to the east. How lucky to be in the right place at the right time.
Birds and awe. Sigh... both good for the soul!
11-22-24 November's parade
November has been slow to cool down. Drippy days turned to gusty ones.
Annuals have been removed from their pots and the last bright colors of fall natives are fading.
It really looks like November!
Bald Cypress fronds guide the raindrops on a brisk morning.
Bright coral trumpets of Fuchsia x "Gartenmeister" were still blooming this past week. Scarlet leaves of the native Cranesbill (Geranium maculatum) were on fire in mid-morning sun.
House Finches, Chickadees and Cardinals were soon joined by Red-winged Blackbirds at the feeders, flaring their epaulets.
Cedar Waxwings have been dropping in briefly at the bubbler before being chased by robins.
Robins have come in for water despite being chased by the Northern Flicker!
And Red-winged Blackbirds had to get in on the action.
In quieter moments, American Goldfinches, Dark-eyed Juncos and Carolina Wrens take a turn.
Crested beauties like the female Northern Cardinal and Tufted Titmouse also bask in late afternoon sun.
Clinging birds forage for food in the bark, like the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and smaller Brown Creeper.
Thrushes like the Eastern Bluebird and American Robins have been eating the Beautyberries and deciduous holly berries. Getting a berry can be a tricky balancing act!
The parade of deer have been captured on our Stealth Cam out by the garden. November is the season of the rut, when bucks are out and about, stamping their hooves and making their presence known to other males. They tangle with each other, and winners breed with the does. Be careful out there!
The candles are lit in our windows each evening to brighten the coming winter nights.
Winter Solstice falls on December 21, 2024.
As we look forward to time with family and friends,
we remember those who've gone before us and wish you all a...
11-3-24 Fall back has come!
In anticipation of the time change, we decided to get away for a few days. The chosen spot ticked all the boxes for us: peaceful atmosphere, acres of woods with trails for birding, good restaurants and art galleries within easy driving distance, and a fudge shop. What more could we need?
Fan Clubmoss with Sassafras, American Beech and Sugar Maple Leaves on the trail
Upon our return, the chickadees started fussing immediately, letting the other birds know that the wayward crew had finally shown up! "Where's the grub?" "The bubbler is full of leaves, we can't bathe!" and on they went. We remedied the situation at hand, and chuckled at their insistence.
The birds made us feel good to be back home. As luck would have it, this poem was shared in a newsletter from Haikubox staff the same day. I'll definitely be researching this poet's work for more inspiration.
For the Bird Singing before Dawn
Some people presume to be hopeful
when there is no evidence for hope,
to be happy when there is no cause.
Let me say now, I’m with them.
In deep darkness on a cold twig
in a dangerous world, one first
little fluff lets out a peep, a warble,
a song—and in a little while, behold:
the first glimmer comes, then a glow
filters through the misty trees,
then the bold sun rises, then
everyone starts bustling about.
And that first crazy optimist, can we
forgive her for thinking, dawn by dawn,
“Hey, I made that happen!
And oh, life is so fine.”
Copyright © 2022 by Kim Stafford
Poet Laureate of Oregon 2018-2020
“Many times in my life I’ve been told by serious people that I must be very naïve to be happy, to have hope, to celebrate this little life I’ve been given when, actually, they say, everything is pretty dire. There’s war, poverty, crushing injustice all over—what right do I have to talk back to all that with flimsy little poems about the good?
What can I say? The birds are my teachers, my elders, my guides. Every day before dawn, in silence and darkness, I’m at my desk making poems on the page. And then, before light, I hear the first bird outside begin to sing.”
—Kim Stafford
And now, here's the birding update.
A Tennessee Warbler was seen at the bubbler on 10-20-24, and another was feeding in a black cherry a week later.
This Black-throated Green Warbler stopped by on 10-21-24.
This Red-shouldered Hawk has been frequenting the woodland, in search of voles and other possible small prey.
Both Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets get very excited about the bubbler!
Yellow-rumped Warblers are the warblers we're seeing right now.
The first Yellow-bellied Sapsucker of fall was this immature bird, seen on 10-24-24. It was seen again yesterday morning.
Eastern Bluebirds are coming by often for water, berries and suet.
Dark-eyed Juncos round out the late fall picture now.
Brown Creepers are also part of the scene.
This little Hermit Thrush has been at the bubbler at least twice today, between the sprinkles.
We are very grateful for the rain and the birds!
May the birds bring you joy, peace and hope ~ all good for our mental and physical health.