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BACKYARD SECRET—GEORGIA IS HOME TO THE SMALLEST ORIOLE IN NORTH AMERICA
The orchard oriole is the smallest oriole in North America. Since the bird nests throughout the entire state, we get to enjoy it in our backyards from spring into the summer.
Orchard orioles are early migrants. My first orchard oriole of the year arrived in my yard just a couple of days ago. Unfortunately for those of us that enjoy watching the colorful birds, many begin migrating southward as early as late July.
Due to its small size, orchard orioles are sometimes mistaken for large warblers. Orchard orioles measure 7.25-7.5 in length. A photograph of an adult female accompanies this blog. The adult male has a totally different plumage. Its plumage features a black back, hood and chest and chestnut-colored underparts.
One thing I really like about the orchard oriole is that it sings a lot. I cannot adequately describe the song. However, the Father of Bird Watching, Roger Tory Peterson, described the song as, “… a fast-moving outburst interspersed with piping whistles and guttural notes.” Once you see and hear an orchard oriole singing it is easy to identify from then on.
Although the bird’s primary foods are nectar, berries, fruit, and seeds, it will also consume white bread, cut fruit, and suet. It also often drinks nectar from trumpet creeper flowers. In addition, it also feeds at hummingbird feeders.
I have been fortunate to have orchard orioles nest in my yard a number of times. Whenever this happens I get see them on a daily basis. I hope a pair decides to nest in your yard so that you can become better acquainted with this fascinating bird.
DOES RAIN DILUTE NECTAR IN HUMMINGBIRD FEEDERS?
Recently severe weather has been sweeping across the Peach State dropping heavy rain in our backyards. The last front that passed over my home dropped almost three inches of rain in just a few hours. When such an event occurs, you cannot help but wonder if heavy rain dilutes the sugar water in our hummingbird feeders.
Although many hummingbird fanciers are convinced that heavy rainfall can dilute the concentration of sugar in a feeder, I do not know of any studies that corroborate this claim. However, enough people believe this to be the case that some manufacturers of hummingbird feeders offer feeders that are less susceptible to rain flowing into the food reservoirs on their feeders. In an effort to hinder rain draining through feeding portals, some hummingbird fans place a plastic dome over their feeders. Others simply shroud their feeders with plastic plates. Others address the problem by purchasing feeders featuring very small feeding portals. If water pouring into a feeder is a problem, it makes sense to use feeders equipped with small feeding ports.
If you find that hummingbird use of your feeder drops off significantly after heavy rain, this could be an indication that your hummer food is diluted. It has been shown that when given a choice hummingbirds prefer flowers that produce nectar with the a high sugar content. Since that is the case, it is understandable that they would also prefer hummingbird food with at least a 25 percent concentration of sugar.
The best advice I can offer is until we know for sure if rainfall can dilute hummingbird food, if feel your food is diluted, go ahead and replace it.
CEDAR WAXWINGS EAT FLORAL TREATS
The major portion (70%) of the cedar waxwing’s diet consists of fruits, berries and other fruit-related items such as sap. In fact, the bird’s name reflects its fondness for cedar berries. However, cedar waxwings also dine on buds, flowers and young leaves. In fact, cedar waxwings seem to eat blossoms most often during their spring migration back to their breeding grounds. In fact, spring-blooming plants are more apt to be eaten by the birds that flowers that bloom later in the year.
Some of the flowers most often eaten by blossom- eating birds such as the cedar waxwing include pear, apple, plum, crabapple, cherry, and red maple.
You might be wondering why in the world cedar waxwings would even want to eat buds and blossoms. The answer is simple – They are nutritious. In fact, some experts claim that flowers have more food value than buds.
Another reason is, by this time of the year, birds that dine on fruits and berries have an extremely hard time finding anything to eat.
With that in mind, should you spot a flock of cedar waxwings eating flowers and buds in your yard this spring, I hope you won’t mind sacrificing some blossoms to the cedar waxwings whose beauty adds so much to the colorful spring pageant being played out in your yard.
BACKYARD SECRET—RUBYTHROATS MIGRATE CLOSE TO THE GROUND OR SEA
There is much we do not know about the ruby-throated hummingbird. For example, most of what we know about how high rubythroats fly when they are migrating is based on anecdotal evidence. With that in mind, it appears that ruby-throated hummingbirds migrate much closer to the earth than many other feathered migrants.
What sketchy information available suggests ruby-throated hummingbirds migrate close to the land. In fact, many appear to migrate very close to the tops of trees. It is believed that this enables the tiny migrants to spot places where they can refuel before resuming their journey.
This is not to say that some hummingbirds don’t fly much higher. Hot air balloonists have reported seeing rubythroats cruising along upwards of 500 feet above the ground.
Once rubythroats reach the Gulf of Mexico, they appear to wing their way along just above the tops of the waves. This conclusion is based on sightings made by men and women working on oil and gas platforms far from shore in the Gulf of Mexico and fishermen seeing these tiny, feathered dynamos zipping along close to the waters of the Gulf. These sightings appear to indicate ruby-throated hummingbirds migrate closer to the earth than many other migrants.
Most small birds migrate at altitudes ranging from 500 to 1,000 feet. Raptors migrate anywhere from 700-4000 feet up whereas waterfowl migrate to and from their breeding grounds at altitudes of 200-1450 feet high.
However, a mallard was once struck by an airplane flying 21,000 feet above the earth.
IN SPRING, REDBUD TREES FEED MORE THAN POLLINATORS
The redbud trees growing around my home are now in full bloom. These native trees are pleasing to the eye and are currently feeding a surprising number of my backyard neighbors.
One thing that is impossible to notice is that redbud blossoms attract an amazing number of bees and other pollinators. In fact, on a warm late winter or early spring day my largest redbud seems to buzz. The buzzing sound is made by the countless numbers of bees foraging among the dark pink blossoms that cover the tree’s branches.
If the redbud blossoms do not fall before the year’s first ruby-throated hummingbirds arrive, I will have a chance of spotting a hummer or two visiting the trees flowers. Although redbud blooms are not the greatest source of nectar for the birds, when it is one of the few nectar plants that are blooming at this time of the year, they will make feeding forays to the tree.
Birds such as northern cardinals and cedar waxwings sometimes visit redbud trees in full bloom. They are not there seeking nectar or pollen. To the contrary, they actually eat the redbud’s buds and flowers. Although these birds might seem to eat more than their share of these tasty morsels, there are more than enough blossoms to feed the birds and pollinators.
Since the redbud’s blooms appear before its leaves, while I am admiring the tree’s floral show, from time to time I sometimes spot tufted titmice, Carolina chickadees and downy woodpeckers hunting for insects and their eggs hidden on the bark of the tree. Once the leaves appear, it is far more difficult to see these birds foraging for food.
My only regret is that the redbud’s floral show is way too short. When redbud blossoms litter the ground, I know I must wait 12 months to enjoy its next stunning floral show and the wide variety of animals drawn to it.
MYSTERIOUS WILD BIRD DISEASE SEEMS TO HAVE VANISHED
Last May a mysterious illness that affected songbirds suddenly appeared in the eastern states. By the time the illness finally abated, it had killed thousands of birds in the District of Columbia, Delaware, New Jersey, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and West Virginia. This prompted state wildlife agencies and conservation groups, to urge the public to cease providing wild birds with water or food. Then, for some unknown reason, the songbird illness suddenly disappeared this past July.
The birds affected by the outbreak displayed the same symptoms: swollen, crusty eyes, paralysis, are tremors.
The birds that were most affected were young common grackles, blue jays and European starlings. However, the roster of birds that showed symptoms of the disease included Carolina wrens and chickadees, red-bellied woodpeckers, eastern bluebirds, American robins, house finches, northern cardinals, and house sparrows.
The outbreak prompted the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab and the National Wildlife Health Lab, as well as wildlife disease labs across the country, to try to diagnose the cause of the illness. Their efforts methodically ruled out all of the known wildlife illnesses. This left them at a loss to explain what was causing the problem.
However, the scientists found the sudden appearance and decline of the disease closely mirrored the Brood X cicada emergence. This leads many of the scientists to theorize that mysterious bird illness that plagued birds across a vast swath of the east this past summer is linked to the cicadas. According to this theory birds may have been affected the cicadas in a number of ways. For example, they could have eaten cicadas poisoned by homeowners trying to eliminate the insects from their yards. Some birds may have also become sick from eating the cicadas themselves. It is also possible that a toxin produced by a fungus commonly found on cicadas could have poisoned the birds.
While this theory seems plausible, more research is needed before wildlife disease experts will definitively say this was indeed the cause of the problem.
In the meantime, many states have lifted bird-feeding restrictions implemented during the outbreak. However, they are urging that homeowners keep their bird feeding areas and feeders clean. While we were fortunate that the mysterious songbird illness did not crop up in Georgia, we should all strive to keep our bird feeders and the ground around them clean.
BACKYARD SECRET–A CHEMICAL IN AMERICAN BEAUTYBERRY CAN HELP REPEL MOSQUITOES
American beautyberry is a native shrub that is gaining popularity among Georgia backyard wildlife enthusiasts. Sometimes called French mulberry, clusters of round magenta berries festoon the plant from late summer into winter. The berries are not only beautiful, but also serve as food for hungry gray catbirds, northern mockingbirds, cardinals as well as other birds and mammals.
Now it seems we have another reason to admire American beautyberry. Researchers with the United States Department of Agriculture have discovered that the beautyberry’s leaves contain a chemical that repels mosquitoes.
American Beautyberries
This remarkable finding is due to a conversation Charles Bryson, a botanist that works for the Southern Weed Science Program in Stoneville, had with researchers with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Products Utilization Unit at Oxford, Mississippi. Bryson told the researchers that his grandfather, John Rives Crumpton, related to him that back in the day farmers in Northeast Mississippi were able to keep worrisome biting insects away from mules and horses by placing crushed beautyberry leaves beneath the leather harnesses of their animals. This led folks to crumple beautyberry leaves and rub them on their own skin.
This fascinating story led chemists to attempt to isolate the chemical that seemingly had the remarkable ability to repel pesky insects. One of the chemicals they were able to isolate was callicarpenal. When the efficaciousness of the chemical was tested, it was found to be just as effective in repelling mosquitoes as the popular repellent DEET.
Indeed the American beautyberry is more than an attractive native food plant.
WHY DO BLUE JAYS MIMIC HAWKS?
One of the first things beginning birders learn is when they hear what they are sure is a red-shouldered hawk, they cannot be certain the call is that of a red-shouldered hawk. The reason for this is blue jays often mimic the call of this well-known predator.
Recent research has revealed much about the mimicry practiced by the blue Jay. For example, we now know blue jays do not just mimic red-shouldered hawks. The truth of the matter is they also mimic other predators such as the osprey and Cooper’s hawk.
It is apparent that blue jays mimic the call of the red-shouldered hawk in an effort to warn other jays living nearby that a predator is in the neighborhood. However, some ornithologists believe that blue jays may also mimic the call of a hawk in an effort to scare other birds such as grackles enough that they drop their food as they make a hasty flight to cover. Once the bird leaves, the blue jay can fly down and consume the acorns or other food left behind by the startled birds.
If you have a theory that helps explain why blue jays mimic hawk calls, I would love to hear it.
BACKYARD SECRET–RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS DON’T REQUIRE MANY CALORIES TO SURVIVE
Although I have studied wildlife my entire life, I find that my thirst for knowledge regarding these fascinating animals is far from being slaked. In fact, I honestly believe it has increased. One reason for this is that the nuggets of information I uncover constantly amaze me. For example, I recently stumbled across a fact concerning the ruby-crowned kinglet that is nothing short of unbelievable.
The ruby-crowned kinglet is a winter resident in Georgia. However, due to the habitat it occupies while it is spending the winter here, unless you went out looking for the bird, you might not realize that it is one of your backyard neighbors.
The ruby-crowned kinglet spends its time foraging for food among the limbs, branches, and foliage found from the tops of trees to thick shrubs looking for its favorite winter foods such as tiny insects and other invertebrates as well as their eggs. They also dine small berries and seeds. These tiny birds seem to be full of energy, constantly flitting about from spot to spot on their endless quest for food. As such, you would think that they are constantly burning up huge amounts of energy.
According to the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, such is not the case. Studies of the ruby-crowned kinglet’s metabolism have revealed these remarkable birds suggest that it may only use approximately 10 calories a day. This is unbelievable! I do not know of any other backyard bird that burns up so few calories per day.
I am now determined to learn more about this astounding claim.