the winter guild

Yesterday six male cardinals took turns splashing in the heated water bowl. Today, two robins enjoyed a short bath. These are two of the six or eight we've been seeing at the edge of the woods.

the winter guild

The Bluejay hides among the branches until he feels confident of being big boy at the feeder. Then, he swoops down to savor the suet and show us his beautiful blue wing pattern.

the winter guild

Among the birds in the wild woods this winter is the Northern Flicker. This one spent quite a while today seeking insects under the tree bark. Since the sun was shining on his tree, he took a break with feathers fluffed up, then demonstrated how far his neck could reach around back . . .

the winter guild

A few Mourning Doves show up among the guild occasionally, especially if we put out cracked corn. These three sat together warming their feet in dim sunlight.

the winter guild

We've been counting birds for FeederWatch every week. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/ The guild this winter in our wild woods includes black-capped chickadees like the one above. We offer black oil sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, thistle seeds, unsalted peanuts, suet, cranberries, and small pieces of fruit.

Christmas of white

Another snowfall last night. All the birds, especially the Northern Cardinals, are brilliant against the white backdrop.

hunting cat at the brush pile

This neighborhood cat, often seen scouting the edge of our woods, sat for a long time this afternoon staring at the holes in the snow beneath the bird seed feeder where the red squirrels come out from their tunnels under the brush pile. The cat finally stalked off, disappointed at the lack of activity. Soon after, a squirrel popped his head out to give the "all clear" . . .

. . . and later, another squirrel returned after enjoying seeds below the feeder.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Of the 4 types of woodpeckers in our woods, the Red-bellied like peanuts the best. The female enjoyed feeding at the tray earlier this autumn, and the male ventured close this week although he stayed among the trees. She looked more sleek with her feathers unruffled; with his feathers fluffed up for warmth he looks very much larger than he is.

sharp shinned hawk on the brush pile

The usual birds at the edge of the woods were suddenly scarce when this hawk swooped in to survey his hunting possibilities.

 

 

pumpkin lunch

The leftover pumpkins, split in halves, make a good lunch for the cardinals and bluejays. They seem able to share for a change.

winter guild is forming

The birds that stay in our woods through the cold winter months form a "guild" -- many birds of several species that share shelter and food for every one's sake. This female Cardinal, hovering in the woodland fringe at dusk, seemed to be enjoying another warm day in this unusual November.

dogwood

This fall has been warmer than normal; sunny and mid-50's most days even into November. The Cardinal Dogwood shrubs have mostly turned to their autumn colors and set berries. But a few branches on the sheltered side have sprouted new buds and blossoms. I've heard some lilacs are also trying to bloom, thinking it is Springtime.

maple spendor

The maples are at peak color this week. Weather has been dry, mild, a bit warmer than normal since mid-September.

young birds, new feathers

The cardinals have been bringing their young to the feeders, teaching them to find and crack open the sunflower seeds. The little male gaped and begged at the feeder tray and the little female caught on quickly, happily skipping through the fading hosta leaves for seeds from the feeder above.

juvenile cardinals

We've been seeing Northern Cardinals every day -- both young and adult birds -- at the seed trays. This little male gaped for food when I thought he would have been hunting on his own, but with such mild weather at both ends of summer 2010 theCardinals may have had an extra brood this season.

 

hummingbird

This Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris enjoys the nectar of red Lobelias

nesting success in the wild woods

Nestwatching has kept us busy, even more so once the hatchlings left the nests. Eastern Bluebirds, Downy Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Cardinals, Chickadees, House Wrens, Robins, Tree Swallows, Goldfinches, and House Finches -- all brought young birds to our various feeder stations this summer.

Bluebird hatchlings, day 5

In the open space near the wild woods, a pair of Eastern Bluebirds settled in one of the nestboxes. They produced five eggs; four hatched on May 26. We have not seen the male adult since a few days before then. The female is doing her best to feed all four hatchlings with worms, moths, and dragonflies. We try to help by putting out mealworms.

nesting downy woodpeckers

The "woodpecker" tree, on the south edge of the wild woods, is home to a pair of downy woodpeckers and their young. No clue yet to the number of hatchlings inside, but both adults are busy each day carrying worms and bugs to them. These may be the same downies we saw all winter as we surveyed for FeederWatch http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw

along the woodland path

 

Jack in the Pulpit

A quiet meander through the wild woods will bring you to the area where Jack-in-the-Pulpit blooms silently in the dappled light.

nestbox in transition

The 7 Chickadee eggs hatched on time, 5/5. The adult female tried her best to feed them all. Although the very warm Spring must have encouraged her to start early, a week of cold nights and the mysterious absence of the adult male left her on her own. She hunted and fed her hatchlings; we helped with mealworms from the pet store. But none of the chicks survived.  Now, a pair of House Wrens admire the empty nestbox.

After they put in a few twigs, the Chickadee came back for one last peek.

burning bush blooms

The "Burning Bush" Euonymus alatus is in bloom. In summer, when all green, its easy to forget how spectacular this shrub is -- pinky red leaves in autumn, then lovely tiny flower clusters in spring.

future chickadees

The front nest box is occupied by Chickadees. The female began laying eggs April 17, hiding them under the fluff lining her grass nest cup. On April 24, she arranged 7 eggs atop the fluff and began incubating them.

nestboxes ready

We are ready for the bird nesting season, with cameras giving us the possibility for a close view in 7 nestsites. This is a PVC tube converted into a "snag box" that offers the kind of cavity preferred by several species, including Black-capped Chickadees. Once the tree leafs out, the tube will be an inviting secluded spot for a nesting pair.

We'll participate again this summer in NestWatch http://www.nestwatch.org/ , helping to observe and document the impact of environmental change on bird populations.