Grackles

Even though the Common Grackles Quiscalus quiscula are more likely to hang around fields where they feed by stealing crops, this year they are a bother at the edge of the wild woods.  With a cool late spring season, the farm fields nearby may not provide enough food for fledglings like this one. 

He begged and gaped for the adult to feed him, and ignored all instruction on how to feed himself.

learning to find their own food

The male Downy Woodpecker  
Picoides pubescens demonstrated for his two fledglings how to get lunch at the suet dispensers.

The parent handed a bit of suet to the young male begging below him on the paddle (right), while the young female helps herself to the suet as she balances on the wire suet cage (left).

All three use their tails to balance, a characteristic of woodpeckers.

Catbirds on jelly

The Catbirds Dumetella carolinensis are very fond of the grape jelly we put out at the edge of the wild woods. 

Today one of these dark-capped gray birds turned around to reveal the rich rufous-brown patch of feathers that accent his tail.

cranesbill

Growing at the edge of the woods, the wild geraniums thrive in cool shade with dappled sunlight.  Their bright 1-inch blossoms show up well against the shadows.

insect control in the garden

The birds that hang around the wild woods are helpful as they eat insects in the nearby vegetable garden.  More food for the birds, fewer pests on the crops!

Above, a migrating Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Empidonax flaviventris stops for a few bites mid-day.

Right, a female Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis perches on the garden fence to  get a better view of the bug buffet.

new cones on evergreens

The evergreen trees at the edge of the woods are blooming and setting cones.  These tender buds will all grow out to encase the seeds that will be enticing food for the birds. Some may even be the seeds for new trees.

wildflowers in the woods

Early blooms in the woods -- Violets of blue and yellow, Jack-in-the-pulpit, among the Bloodroot, Solomon's Seal, Spiderwort, Wild Geranium, Sweet Cicely, and many more . . .

nestwatch 2013

The first nest we've spotted in the wild wild woods this Spring is in a nestbox.  A Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus is sitting on eggs.

She has cleverly hidden them among a deep mattress of moss lined with fur and feathers she scavenged from other critters the woods. It looks like there are seven eggs, but there may be more we cannot see.






There is tiny camera in the roof of this nestbox, so we can peek in every few days.  We always visit the nests quietly so we do not disturb the birds, and try not to leave a trail for predators to follow.

orange birds love oranges

Orioles have returned to our area.  These two Baltimore Orioles Icterus galbula slurped and gulped with great enthusiasm when we put orange slices out for them.

 

Indigo Bunting

More common around here than we think . . .  the male Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea usually sits high up in the trees; often too high up to be seen easily.  The female is basically brown, blending into the shadows.  They glean seeds and insects from various plants at the edges of a wooded area like this.

Brown Thrasher

The Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum hides out in the underbrush where it feeds by sweeping a long bill through leaf litter to uncover edibles.  They favor insects, seeds, and berries.  This one was skulking below the dogwood and black chokeberry bushes. 

Rose breasted Grosbeak

In the past we've seen fledgling Rose breasted Grosbeaks, but did not spot the adults.  This handsome male appeared at the edge of the wild wild woods and helped himself to seeds and fruit in the feeder tray.  We watched him for two days as he ate all day long.  Maybe he just arrived on migration, hungry from his travels.  Hoping he stays around to nest nearby.

Or maybe this is the grown-up bird we saw last year as a fledgling?
Yes, they do start out golden and change to a rose breast!

Trout Lily emerging

This native ephemeral flower is so anxious for Spring that it pushed right through a dried leaf to get some sunshine!  The Trout Lilies Erythronium americanum that grow in the wild wild woods are known by several names. "Trout Lily" comes from its gray-green leaves mottled with brown or gray, which allegedly resemble the coloring of brook trout.  "Dogtooth Violet" refers to the tooth-like shape of the white underground bulb. These wildflowers bloom in the wild wild woods in early spring.  They grow in large colonies; each bulb sends up one nodding one-inch yellow flower on a single stem with a pair of leaves. 

feathers close-up

Aren't they amazing close up?  The birds in the wild wild woods have their best feathers on for Spring.  These three -- European Starlings, Blue Jays, and Common Redpolls -- looked especially fine this week.

small den

Now that the snow has melted, we can find the small dens and hiding places of critters in the woods.

really red bellied

We've seen both the male and female Red-bellied Woodpeckers at the edge of the wild woods this winter.  Usually, their red belly is not easily visible.  However, on a recent morning the male came out of the woods for suet and showed us his full colorful plumage.  It is courtship season for Woodpeckers!

woody trees

Walking in the wild woods today, I checked on the woodpeckers' favorite trees.  Some of the excavations look fresh.  Woodpeckers in Minnesota do get started in late winter to build their nests.

earliest crop

The rhubarb stems push their way up through the mulch towards the light, intending to unfurl their beautiful textured leaves as the sun beckons.  Rhubarb is one of our first crops each Spring.

it may seem like winter . . .

Salix caprea Pussy Willow

Lonicera sempervirens 'Major Wheeler'

A sunny day . . .   welcome respite after too much late season snow.  With more heavy wet snow coming in the next few days, I took time to notice the buds on each tree and shrub.

Junco gathering

We remember being confused in January when it was 40F.  Now, in mid-April, we're even more confounded by several inches of heavy wet snow.  There are more Juncos at the edge of the woods --  probably the ones that wintered here as well as some on their way from southern Minnesota back up north where they usually nest.  I put out a plate of seed for them to eat heartily on their way.  One of them seemed to have a white tail, rather than the typical long dark one.  Looking closely, it seems to be missing those dark feathers and we are seeing only the white rectrices (Latin for "helmsman").  This bird may have trouble migrating without all his tail feathers which help the bird to brake and steer in flight.

Fox Sparrows

Among the Juncos and Chickadees, today there were two Red Fox Sparrows searching for seeds on the ground at the edge of the woods.  They find insects, larvae, and scale insects in leaf litter with a hop forward and an immediate hop back, during which they simultaneously scratch both feet backwards. Several inches of snow this week may be delaying migration of these and others birds who go back up north to nest and raise their young.

molting feathers

Another sign of Spring . . . 
the male Goldfinches Spinus tristis are beginning to molt into their bright yellow feathers, a few at a time, so they will be handsome for mating and nesting season in the coming summer.

water for birds

A pair of Red-Bellied Woodpeckers Melanerpes carolinus occasionally come out of the woods to eat suet and drink at the water bowl.  The female has less red on her head than this male, but the female has more red feathers apparent on her belly.

Cedar Waxwings

Flocks of Cedar Waxwings Bombycilla cedrorum wander together to find berries, their main food year around.  They typically feed while perched on a twig, but they’re also good at grabbing berries while hovering briefly just below a bunch.

These seven announced themselves mid-morning with high whistles and sat up in the elm trees to rest a while.  When no berries are available, they'll do acrobatics in the air to catch and eat flying insects.  Here, they may have been finding insects or larvae among the tree buds.

According to Cornell Lab of Ornithology's allaboutbirds.org, the Cedar Waxwing’s name comes from their appetite for cedar berries in winter.

nest boxes

When the time is right, birds in the wild woods will choose a spot to build a nest. 

We hope the species that like enclosed places (Chickadee, Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Wren, or Bluebird) will choose one of our nest boxes. 

Tiny cameras in the boxes will let us see the nests without disturbing the birds.