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THE TIMING OF THE FALL RUBYTHROAT MIGRATION

Aug30

       If you have been feeding hummingbirds, you have probably noticed that the number of rubythroats visiting your feeders has dropped significantly. This reason for this is rubythroats are heading south on their fall migration. Interestingly, the timing of their departure is dependent on their sex and age. Let’s take a quick look at the timing of the migration in Georgia.

       If you take a close look at the birds visiting your feeders, you will notice that currently few adult males are still using your feeders. The reason for this is adult males are the first to leave.  While some adult males will begin migration as early as July, most will leave in August.  The adult females are the next to leave they begin their southward trek in August.  The last to depart are the hummers that hatched this year. Most of these birds migrate in September.

BACKYARD SECRET – KILLDEER CAN FEED AT NIGHT

Aug26

       One evening this week my granddaughter called to ask me, Is it unusual see killdeer feeding in a brightly-lit parking lot at night?”  She posed the question because she and her friend spotted two killdeer feeding alongside puddles of water in a large well-lit parking lot.

       While killdeer do most of their feeding during the daylight hours, they do feed at night. Killdeer will hunt for food during the non-breeding season on moonlight nights.  In addition, they also forage for food at night in open areas such as parking lots and athletic fields that are bathed in bright artificial light.  It seems that the bright lights often attract a bounty of insects such as moths and beetles.

BACKYARD SECRET – BUTTERFLIES HAVE AN ODD WAY OF TASTING THEIR FOOD

Aug23

          We taste food by placing it in our mouths; such is not the case with butterflies. Unbelievably, butterflies taste food with their feet. It seems that when a butterfly lands on a flower, before it unrolls its straw-like proboscis and begins dining on the flower’s nectar, they taste the potential source of food through their feet.  They are able to accomplish this amazing fete because their feet are cloaked with cells (chemoreceptors) that let a butterfly know whether the flower contains sugary nectar.

     

BACKYARD SECRET – HOW MUCH NECTAR DOES AN ADULT E. TIGER SWALLOW EAT IN A DAY?

Aug19

         The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is one of the largest butterflies commonly seen in Georgia yards.  In spite of its relatively large size (wingspan -3.5 – 5.5 inches), this colorful butterfly consumes only 0.0014 – 0.0105 ounces of nectar daily.  To put this in perspective, a standard-sized paperclip weighs only 0.04 ounces.

THE BEST HUMMINGBIRD FOOD

Aug9

 

    During July and August Georgians typically feed more ruby-throated hummingbirds than at any other time of the year.  I know that is the case at my home.  For weeks, the demand of sugar water has been so great my wife has been making 20 cups of nectar every other day to keep up with the hummingbirds’ demand for the sugary treat. 

       Whenever you are feeding hummingbirds, you want to be sure that you are feeding them the right food.  With that in mind, here is the recipe for the best hummingbird food.  Boil a mixture containing 4 parts water and 1-part white table sugar for minutes.  Allow the nectar to cool and store in your refrigerator.

       During the extremely hot weather that has been roasting Georgia for weeks, it is best to replace the nectar in your feeders every 3 days or so.

FEEDING BIRDS SEEDS DURING THE SUMMER CAN BE CHALLENGING

Aug5

       Feeding seeds to birds during the summer can be more challenging than during the winter months.  One of the main reasons for this is in the summer the high humidity and heat encourages mold and bacteria to contaminate seeds. As a result, birds that dine on contaminated food are more likely to become infected by a number of diseases. Here are a few tips that will help you prevent this from happening. 

       During the summer, you often have to clean feeders every 3-5 days in order to discourage a buildup of dangerous bacteria and mold.  Clean feeders with soap and water. Follow this up by disinfecting them with a solution of nine parts water and one part bleach.  Dry the feeders before refilling them with seeds.

       Some seeds are safer to use in summer.  One of these is black oil sunflower seed.  These seeds can be fed shelled and unshelled.

       White millet also can resist mold and bacteria however, if you scatter it on the ground, the millet seeds will spoil quicker than they will if fed in feeders.

       Avoid feeding mixed seed during the summer. The reason for this is it contains ingredients that quickly become contaminated (e.g. cracked corn and milo). Peanuts also spoil quickly in humid, hot weather.

 

SHOULD I USE A LAZER WHILE BIRDING?

Aug2

       When you are trying to tell people where a bird is perched high in a tall tree, we all have use terms such as it is at 10 0’clock or is feeding near the third limb from the top of the tree.  While these directions sometimes help another birder find the bird through their binoculars, often the bird vanishes before they locate it.  With that in mind, some birding trip guides and everyday birders are using laser pointers to point out the exact locations of hard to see birds.  While these devices can indeed be helpful, should lasers be used for this purpose?

      The American Birding Association (ABA) states that these instruments should be used with caution.  Since lasers can be stressful to the birds and potentially harmful to birds and humans alike under no circumstances should lasers be aimed directly into the eyes of a bird or human. Instead, point the beam  at an object near the bird.

       If you choose to use a laser, use either a red or green low-power laser pointer rated in the -5mW range.  Using such a device lessens the chance of eye damage.

       In addition, refrain from using the device around birds that are nesting or easily agitated.

       It is also important to remember that under no circumstances should a laser pointer be aimed aircraft, or vehicles,

       Many birders feel the use of laser devices is unethical. As such, each of us has to decide if this potentially valuable bird tool is something they want to use.

      

BACKYARD SECRET – SILVER-SPOTTED SKIPPERS SHUN YELLOW FLOWERS

Jul30

       Sometimes a wildlife secret hides in plain sight.  A good example of that is, in spite of the fact that the silver-spotted skipper visits gardens across Georgia; it is not generally known that this handsome butterfly shuns yellow flowers. While the silver-spotted skipper occasionally nectars at yellow flowers, it by far prefers feeding at purple, red, blue and pink blossoms.

       If you want to see if this is true, closely watch which flowers silver-spotted skippers visit in your flower gardens this summer.

BACKYARD SECRET – THE BIRD THAT MAKES THE SOUND OF A SQUEAKY FAN BELT

Jul12

       From time to time, we hear sounds that sound like they are made by human devices.  For example, several years ago a mockingbird learned to imitate the ring call of my flip phone. When you hear such noises, it seems impossible that birds can make them.

       For example, I recently received a text from a friend that asked what bird makes the sound of a squeaky fan belt.  My first impression was it might have been uttered by a mockingbird.  When I told her this, she wrote back and said she did not think so.

       This prompted me to do a little research on the odd sounds made by blue jays.  To make a long story short, I discovered that blue jays often make sounds that mimic a variety of devices such as rusty pump handles, and gates, as well as squeaky fan belts.  I am now convinced that the sound my friend heard was probably vocalized by a blue jay.

       Whenever we hear unusual sounds such as these, we can never be sure what makes them unless we actually see the bird calling. Since she never saw the bird, it may have actually been produced by a vehicle with a squeaky fan belt.    

       My friend told me she is going to try to get to the bottom of this mystery.  I cannot wait to hear what she learns. In the meantime, I know it is a sound she will never forget.

BACKYARD SECRET – YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS RELISH TENT CATERPILLARS

Jul8

      Tent caterpillar nests built on tree limbs are common sights in yards and trees lining highways throughout Georgia at this time of the year. Each nest contains scores of hairy caterpillars.  While most birds shy away from dining on what appears to be an easy source of food, the yellow-billed cuckoo relishes them.  In fact, it is one of the few bird species that eat them.   They can consume 100 or more tent-building caterpillars during one attack on a tent caterpillar nest.

       The reason why most birds stay clear of the juicy caterpillars that reside in the web-like nests is the caterpillars that live there are covered with stiff spines. The yellow-bellied cuckoo, on the other hand, it is able to eat them because it is able to do so is periodically the bird sheds the lining of its stomach and hairs found there. When the bird expels its stomach lining and stiff caterpillar hairs form a mass that looks much like an owl pellet.