180 degree swivel

Cold, sub-zero windy day.  In the sun against dark tree bark was a safe place for this female Red-bellied Woodpecker to rest for a while.  Fluffed into a ball of feathery down, claws dug in and red belly against the bark, she was able to bask in the sun as long as she kept watch for predators  . . .  hence the head swiveled around over her back!

too many non-native HOSP

FeederWatch, the citizen science project with Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is one way to learn birding.  Along with learning the habits and characteristics of native species, I'm learning how and why these non-native House Sparrows Passer domesticus became very successful residents across this country.  They are messy, bully other birds at feeders, and harass other birds out of their nests.  Unfortunately, the flock in my neighborhood seems to number 25 to 30.

snow and rose

Now that snow cover is complete, the House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus are more visible . . . rosey red against the white of winter.  They are hardy little finches that nest early in the Spring here.  Their bright color is a joy on the sunny winter landscape.

suet choices

We have several types of suet feeders to accommodate different sizes of birds.  The male (red moustache) of our Pileated Dryocopus pileatus Woodpecker pair hangs onto the cage for big birds but leans over to taste the suet flavor in the offering next door.

winter water

 
A heated water bowl at the edge of the woods has been our bird oasis through several cold winters.  It keeps water available for the birds, even when the rim accumulates a crust of snow and long icicles around the perimeter.  It is close to the "woody tree" where many roosting holes provide avian accommodations on cold nights.

Northern Flicker

yellow shafted

A Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus has been coming out of the woods almost every day, to get some of the suet from our feeders.  We see this one is a male since he has a black mustache; female Flickers have a brown face.  This is a "yellow-shafted" Flicker, meaning the undersides of his wing and tail feathers are yellow.  In western North America, Flickers are typically "red-shafted".

At a distance, as they often feed on the ground for ants and beetles, a Flicker will appear brownish.  But up close, you can appreciate the black spots, bars, and crescent shapes that create the Flicker's rich patterns.

November Jays

Cold winds of November have all the birds hanging on with clenched feet and fluffed feathers.
They are beginning to look like holiday tree ornaments: feathers stuck onto foam balls.

berry buffet

This flock of Cedar Waxwings browsed through the viburnum, bayberry, black chokeberry, and dogwood shrubs looking for berries.  They gathered for a few minutes high up in the trees before taking off to find another buffet.

moth

A sunny late-summer afternoon at the edge of the woods . . .  this White-lined Sphinx Moth Hyles lineata joined the butterflies scouting nectar from the various blossoms.  At first we mistook it for a hummingbird; it gracefully flexed its body and "tail" as it moved among the blooms. 

garden buddies

 

The veggie garden at the edge of the woods has a mesh fence around it.  Although the deer walk over the fence and help themselves to my crops, the rabbits cannot get in.  They amble around the perimeter every morning, nibbling grass while longing for access to the lettuces.   

The chipmunks can go up, down, and around any obstacle except the feeder pole encased in a “slinky”.

juvenile bird training

Juvenile birds are quite visible this week, as they follow their parents to our feeders at the edge of the woods.  The young ones seem to be as large as the adults, but show their immaturity by flapping wings and frantic calls for food while the parents demonstrate how to find it.  One goldfinch had four young begging around him on adjacent branches.

Ruby

We watched this Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris over several days as it flew from flower to flower, taking an occasional rest on a bare tree branch high above the flower gardens at the woods' edge.

new feathers

Adult birds are molting now that they are finished with nesting season.  Most of them stay hidden in leafy branches and bushes while their old feathers have dropped and they are growing new ones.  Without a full complement of feathers, they may not be able to fly and maneuver well enough to escape predators.  This female Northern Cardinal cautiously peeked out among the branches outside my window.

sunflower snack bar

 

The sunflowers at the edge of the woods 

invitingly ripen seeds in the sunshine.  

This year, the goldfinches are the 

primary customers at this snack bar.

juvenile Grosbeak

This young Grosbeak has been coming to the suet feeder.  Juvenile Red-breasted Grosbeaks are streaked brown and white with a bold face pattern and enormous bill.  As an adult, it will have a stout triangular bill, and use it to eat a variety of seeds and crunchy insects. If a female, it will remain similar to this feather pattern and coloring; if a male, it will molt into a black-and-white theme with a brilliant rose breast.

gooseberries

Gooseberries Ribes hirtellum blossomed in the wild woods early June.
The berries developed but did not last long with so many hungry birds in this dry summer.

deep in the wooods . . .

The Red Baneberry Actaea rubra finished flowering in June and set berries (left).  When the berries are mature, usually by September, birds forage deep in the shady woods to enjoy them (right).

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.