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BLOGGER HAS BEEN HOSTING A CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD ALL WINTER

Mar13

       Each winter, dedicated hummingbird enthusiasts maintain hummingbird feeders throughout the winter in hopes they will attract a wintering hummingbird.  Very few of us are successful in this pursuit.  However, since November a blogger that lives in the Atlanta area has been hosting one of the rarest hummingbirds ever seen in Georgia. This bird is a female calliope.

       Here is what hummingbird’s host has to say about this experience, “I have been hosting a calliope in my backyard since November 11 although she may have arrived earlier.  At the time, I had an abundance of late blooming nectar sources but immediately fired up my sugar water and put out a feeder for her.  During the artic blast we had a few weeks ago, I was able to keep the sugar water from freezing with rotations and hand warmers but have now purchased a heated hummingbird feeder should she somehow come back next year.”

       As late as a couple of days ago, the bird was still patrolling her backyard.

       The calliope is the smallest breeding bird in the United States and Canada. In addition, it is also one of the smallest birds in the entire world.  It weighs about as much as a ping-pong ball (1/10 of an ounce) and is only three inches long.

       The calliope hummingbird nests in the western United States and the southwestern corner of Canada.  The tiny migrant winters in southern Mexico.  Each year the calliope travels some 5,000 miles from its breeding grounds to its winter home and back again.  Occasionally some birds will winter in Georgia and other states.

       I think it is safe to say, the lucky blogger that has been hosting this fascinating hummingbird is one of the BIG winners in the annual Georgia Wintering Hummingbird Lottery.  Congratulations!

A SEED MORE OFTEN THAN NOT IGNORED BY BIRDS

Feb15

      When you feed backyard birds mixed seed, you quickly notice that the birds that dine at your feeder have definite food preferences.  Milo seeds are often the most numerous seeds left on the ground when it comes time to refill feeders.

       Milo is the seed produced by sorghum plants.  Milo seeds are easy to identify since they are round, and reddish brown in color.        Unfortunately, milo is not a favorite of most of our backyard birds here in Georgia.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Backyard Feeding Guide, states that no birds seem to like it. The Cornell University’s Laboratory or Ornithology notes that their bird feeding studies found, although the seeds were eaten by cowbirds, house sparrows did not eat them. 

       Oddly, the Laboratory of Ornithology reported its seed preference tests found that milo is a favorite of many ground-feeding birds in the western United States.

       Unfortunately, milo is a main ingredient in many of the least expensive seed mixes.  Since milo seeds are largely ignored by Georgia birds, it is false economy to buy those brands containing large among of them.  Instead, before you buy your next bag of mixed seed, read the label on the bag. If it states that milo is a key ingredient in the mix, consider buying another brand. When you purchase a mixed seed mix containing no or only a small amount of milo, the birds will waste less seed.  In addition, fewer seeds will be left on the ground below your feeders to eventually rot and pose a health threat to the birds you are trying to help.

Uneaten milo seeds

 

BLOGGER SHARES DIY SEED FEEDER TIP

Jan31

      One of our fellow bloggers saw this tip and shared it with me regarding how to make an inexpensive seed feeder.  It was such a neat idea I thought I would share idea with you.

Anonymous wrote…

    “Bird watching is a pastime of mine, but I don’t love going out and buying new suet feeders.  They’re not expensive but still, I like to DIY them by using peanut butter or coconut butter as an adhesive to stick the birdseed on a paper towel roll.”

EATING TO STAY WARM ON FRIGID NIGHTS

Jan17

       Last night when the temperature dipped to 14º F, I knew the birds in my backyards were facing a life and death struggle to survive the cold weather.  For example, the tufted titmice and Carolina chickadees that frequent my feeders throughout the day had to burn far more body fat than normal just to keep from freezing to death.  This meant these small birds could have easily lost 70-75% of their stored body fat between sunset and dawn.     

      To ensure that they had enough stored fat in their bodies to meet this challenge the birds, they could have eaten some 20% more fat-laden foods before sunset than they do when temperatures are higher.   This helps explain why we see them visiting our suet and black oil sunflower seed feeders more often when the weather turns cold. 

WHITE MILLET—BIRDS LOVE IT

Jan7

        The two seeds my wife and I feature at the Johnson Homestead bird feeding stations are black oil sunflower seed and white millet.  Although I have often touted the virtues of back oil sunflower seeds, I have not spent as much time praising white millet.

       White millet seeds are round and yellowish white. While we most often either scatter it on the ground or place it on bird tables, we also feed it in hopper feeders. Since birds such as chipping sparrows and cardinals are not reluctant to feed from elevated feeders, some ground feeding birds such song, fox, and white-throated sparrows, eastern towhees, mourning doves, and  dark-eyed juncos seem to prefer to eat on the ground.

       One thing we love about this seed is that it does not produce piles of seed hulls that accumulate below sunflower seed feeders.  Birds that feed on white millet leave behind a miniscule amount of hulls.

       While significant amounts of white millet seeds are a major ingredient in premium birdseed mixes, we prefer to buy bags of white millet. We buy white millet in 50-pound bags and store it in a metal garbage can.  Purchasing the seed in bulk is far more economical than buying in smaller bags.

       Finding white millet can sometimes be a problem.  It is rarely available at big box stores. However, you can locate it in stores that specialize in bird supplies.  We have also found that, while many stores deal in livestock feed may not have it in stock; they are often willing to order it for you.

       I hope you will try feeding white millet. It cuts down on the amount of wasted seed that often accumulates beneath feeders stocked with mixed seed.  In addition, you will find it attracts a surprising variety of birds.

      

      

MEALYCUP SAGE IS A GREAT WILDLIFE PLANT FOR CONTAINERS AND TRADITIONAL GARDENS

Dec10

     One of the many traits I like about gardeners is their willingness to share information with others.  A good example of that is this past week during a conversation with Jean O’Shields (she and Terry Waith coordinate the Community Wildlife Project for the Garden Club of Georgia). During our call, Jean told me about a plant that was still blooming in her Ft. Valley garden long after a recent freeze killed many of her flowering plants.  The plant is mealycup sage (Salvia farinacea).  She was impressed with the plant’s hardiness, beauty, as well as the fact that it attracts loads of pollinators long after most plants were dead or not producing pollen or nectar.

       I must admit that I had never heard of the mealycup sage. After doing a little research on the mealycup sage, I now wish that I had made an acquaintance with it years ago.

       Don’t be put off by the plant’s unattractive name.  Its name stems from the fact that the plant bears cup-shaped flowers covered with a dust-like substance.

       While mealycup sage is not a Georgia native, it is a native of North America.  Its range includes parts of Mexico, Texas and nearby states.  Horticulturalists have developed several cultivars that enable gardeners to choose plants that display flowers ranging from white, blue, dark purple, to two-tone blue and white blossoms.

       The plant blooms from late spring until fall.  Georgia gardeners will be pleased to know the plant is rabbit and deer resistant.  It also tolerates drought, is low maintenance, will grow in a broad range of soil conditions ranging from well-drained soils ranging from alkaline to acidic.  It will even grow is clay soil types.  The plant will grow in full sun to partial shade.

       Mealycup sage is an ideal addition to traditional gardens, borders, xeriscapes as well as containers.  If planted in containers, they do best in three-gallon or larger containers.

       Since the plant will attract hummingbirds, bees and butterflies, it is an ideal candidate for inclusion in wildlife-friendly container gardens.  Here it can be combined with other plants such as coneflowers and zinnias that are also attractive to wildlife.

       If you create a container garden for wildlife and would like to earn certification in the Community Wildlife Project’s Container Gardening for Wildlife Category, download an application found on the Garden Club of Georgia’s website (gardenclubofgeorgia.org).  When you visit the website, look at all of the other ways in which you can create a beautiful, wildlife friendly, backyard.

       The Community Wildlife Project is a conservation initiative sponsored by The Garden Club of Georgia, The Georgia Department of Natural Resources and The Environmental Resources Network (TERN).

A HALF DOZEN PLANTS THAT PRODUCE FOODS EATEN BY BROWN THRASHERS

Nov19

       The brown thrasher is a permanent resident throughout Georgia.  As such, if you have dense shrubs in or near your yard, it is possible that you can host one or more in your yard.  Shrubby habitats provide these handsome birds insects they uncover by scratching away leaf litter beneath shrubs and trees.  The birds also eat the fruits, berries, or drupes of a wide range of native plants.   

       Here is a list of half a dozen native plants that provide food for brown thrashers: flowering dogwood, sassafras, black gum, American holly, Virginia creeper, pokeweed and American beautyberry.

       I am fortunate that brown thrashers inhabit my yard throughout the entire year.  I believe this due to several reasons. To begin with, five of the six plants listed above are growing on my small patch of Monroe County. I also have a variety of cultivated and native shrubs that offer the birds places to feed, escape severe weather and cold, as well as places to nest.  I also supplement the wild foods grown in my yard with suet, and seed scattered beneath my feeders.  In addition, I provide brown thrashers with three separate birdbaths where they to drink and bathe.

       This formula is working for me.  If brown thrashers are not currently visiting your yard, or, you would like to see the birds more often, perhaps one or more of these elements will work for you too.  If your lacks native food plants, there is no better time to incorporate them in your landscape than this fall and winter.

      

RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS HAVE ARRIVED

Nov12

       For quite some time, the birds I have seen or heard in my backyard are those are permanent residents.  However, today one of the migratory birds that regularly spends the winter in my yard made its first appearance this fall. The bird I am referring to is the ruby-crowned kinglet.

       I spotted the tiny, greenish-gray bird flitting among the dark green leaves of a sasanqua growing near my garage. I was not surprised to see it there.  Most of the times that I see one, I spot it foraging for tiny insects, spiders, and the like in one of the many shrubs that are scattered around my backyard.  Although ruby-crowned kinglets are known to also dine on tree sap, and berries such as those produced by poison, dogwood, I have never seen them do so.

       I have never tried to attract kinglets to my feeders.  However, each winter I see them dining on peanut-flavored bird butter.  One year, I witnessed a ruby-crowned kinglet digging through white millet seeds; however, I cannot say I actually saw it eat one. However, others have reported them eating peanut hearts, chips of sunflower seeds and nuts.  They also dine on peanut butter.  Their winter diet also includes human delicacies such as cornbread and doughnuts.

       Since the birds are, in most cases, infrequent visitors to our feeders, even if you have never seen one feeding there, if you have thick shrubs around your home, chances are this tiny bird is a winter resident in your yard too.  

      

WHEN DID RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS LEAVE THIS FALL?

Nov5

       A few weeks ago, I asked if you would be kind enough to report when you saw the last ruby-throated hummingbird in your yard this year.  Responses to my request came from throughout the entire state.  Here is a brief summary of what they responses revealed.

       Departure days spread over 21 days extending from October 5 through October 25.

       A Monroe homeowner last saw a hummingbird October 25.

       Unfortunately, I do not have the name of the location where the earliest departure date took place.

       Interestingly, most of the departures (47%) took place during a four-day period extending from October 11-14.

       Most hummingbird watchers indicated that only one bird was the last to leave their yards.  However, one blogger saw two (an immature male and a female) the last time they sighted hummers this year. One blogger even spotted three hummingbirds on the last day of their hummingbird season. My wife saw the last ruby-throated hummingbird in our Monroe County backyard October 12. This bird was nectaring at Turk’s cap blossoms.

       While practically all of the rubythroats have now left Georgia, don’t forget we are in our second hummingbird season.  If you maintain at least one feeder throughout the winter, you just might attract a rare western migrant this winter. 

       One of the bloggers responding to the survey wrote that during recent winters, two wintering hummingbirds have shown up in their backyard.  One of them was an Anna’s hummingbird.

       I want to thank everyone that took the time to participate in this survey. I hope you found the results of this survey fascinating. I know I sure did.

THE SEED THAT ATTRACTS THE MOST BIRDS TO FEEDERS

Nov1

      Everyone has an opinion as to what is the seed favored at feeders.  Based on my experiences, I believe sunflowers seeds are favored by the most seed-eating feeder birds in Georgia.  Some 40 species including cardinals, tufted titmice, Carolina chickadees, brown-headed and white-breasted nuthatches, house and purple finches are some of the birds that dine on sunflower seeds.

BLACK-OIL SUNFLOWER SEEDS

       If you decide to purchase sunflower seeds, I recommend you purchase black-oil sunflower seeds.  Black oil sunflower seeds have thinner shells, which permits birds to open them more easily. In addition, their kernels contain more fat and calories than striped sunflower seeds.