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YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER EATS SUNFLOWER SEEDS

Jan5

       Those of us that regularly feed birds during the winter know that it is big news when a yellow-bellied sapsucker visits our feeders.  When one does appear, it invariably dines on sugar water housed in a hummingbird feeder poised to entertain a rare wintering hummingbird, grape jelly, or a bird pudding.  You can imagine how surprised retired wildlife biologist, John Jensen was when a male yellow-bellied sapsucker began dining every day on whole black oil sunflower seeds.

       We know that, on rare occasions, yellow-bellied sapsuckers will eat small bits of sunflower seeds, but never whole sunflower seeds.  It makes you stop and wonder why this particular bird has adopted this feeding behavior.

       John told me that he feels that it is possible that the sapsucker chose this feeder because it is fashioned from a log.  This indeed may be the case since yellow-bellied sapsuckers routinely feed while perched on the trunks and limbs of trees. 

       We really do not know much about the winter-feeding habits of this odd woodpecker.  We know that they drill holes in trees and eat cambium (inner bark) and the sap that wells up in these tiny reservoirs. However, the birds are also known cache seeds and nuts during the winter.  Why would they do this unless they eat them too?

       If you have a theory as to why this woodpecker is feeding on sunflower seeds, drop me a line.  In addition, I would like to know what yellow-bellied sapsuckers are dining on at your feeders this winter.

YELLOW-BELLIED-SAPSUCKER

 

PROTECTING HUMMINGBIRD FEEDERS FROM FREEZING

Dec21

       For days, the United States Weather Bureau has been warning us that severe cold weather in about to blanket Georgia.  If these prognostications prove to be correct, this weekend temperatures will plummeted into the teens.  For those Georgians that are currently hosting, or hope to host, a hummingbird in their backyard this winter, this is disturbing news.  Obviously, hummingbirds cannot feed on frozen nectar. In addition, if the nectar in feeders freezes the feeders often break.    A hummingbird feeding solution of four parts water to one part sugar typically does not freeze until the temperature dips below 25ºF. If the temperature drops lower, feeders can be taken in at night and replaced the next morning. Another option is to use a light to keep hummingbird food from freezing.  Many folks use a 150-watt bulb mounted in a light fixture attached to an alligator clip placed near a feeder to provide the heat needed to keep nectar from freezing on a cold winter night.

       If the temperature remains freezing for a few days, you might find that you have to change out feeders during the day.  In this way, hummingbirds will have access to an uninterrupted supply of sugar water.

 

SUPPLEMENT YOUR FEEDER BIRDS’ DIET WITH EGGSHELLS

Dec14

        A surprising number of the folks that feed wild birds in their yards include eggshells in their offerings.  As a matter of fact, Cornell University reported, in their publication entitled Birds At Your Feeder, six percent of the folks that participated in their annual Project FeederWatch fed birds this unusual offering.  Why would folks feed wild birds eggshells?

       The reason is quite simple—eggshells are a great source of calcium.  All birds require calcium in their diets; however, the need for this mineral is greatest during the breeding season and migration.

       There are a number of ways that you can feed eggshells to birds.  They can be ground or broken up and incorporated in suet mixtures.  You can add eggshell to mixed seed mixtures too.  Some people even simply spread them across the ground near the area where they feed birds on the ground.

       Whichever way you decide to use them, if you want to be sure they will not infect your bird clientele with a disease such as salmonella, bake them in an over for 10 minutes or so at a temperature of 480ºF. 

       It is well known that purple martins and blue jays dine on eggshells.  If you have seen other species of birds eat them in your yard, please let me know.

GOOD NEWS FOR FOLKS THAT FEED BIRDS

Dec11

        It is always satisfying to know that our efforts to extend a helping hand to our wildlife neighbors are actually benefitting them.  With that in mind, I thought you might like to hear what the prestigious British Trust for Ornithology has to say about the benefits of feeding birds.

       Their studies indicate that feeding birds throughout the year, improves their survival.  In addition, it also enhances their breeding success.  The reason for this is when birds have food readily available during all seasons of the year, they are able to stay in top physical condition.

       Now that is what I call good news!

 

WILL I SEE A GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET IN MY YARD THIS YEAR?

Dec4

       Although the golden-crowned kinglet winters in Georgia, I rarely see it in my backyard.  In fact, in recent years, I have not even heard one there. This is despite the fact it is located each year on the local Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge/Rum Creek Wildlife Management Area Bird Count.  In spite of this, I have high expectations that my backyard golden-crowned kinglet drought will end this year.

       I base my optimism on the fact that a couple of days ago I heard the golden-crowned kinglet’s high-pitched see-see-see call coming from the top of a tall loblolly pine growing in my backyard. Although, my efforts to catch a glimpse of the secretive songster failed, I have formulated a strategy to do so.

       Whenever possible I will look for the bird in places where it is known to forage.  Since I have most often seen the bird tirelessly moving about looking for insects and their eggs among pine needles high in the tops of pines, I will concentrate my search there.  Knowing they sometimes hunt for food among hardwood branches and brush piles, I will scan them too. In addition, since during the winter they will occasionally feed on tiny seeds gleaned from plants growing in weedy patches I will also checkout the untamed, weedy areas along my property line.

       Last, but not least, I will carefully study each tiny bird that visits my suet and peanut butter feeders.  More than likely, any that I see will by rubycrowns, however, there is always the outside chance one will be the golden-crowned because they will, on rare occasions, dine on these foods.

       Even if I am not successful in seeing one of these fascinating winter visitors, I am sure I will spot other birds that I would have otherwise missed if I was not spending so much time looking for this tiny olive-gray bird that dons a crown of gold.

       If you have seen golden-crowned kinglets in your yard, I would enjoy hearing about your good fortune.

      

BLOGGERS SHARE SUET TIPS

Nov30

       Two bloggers have taken the time and effort to share with us their tips regarding suet.   This information is very helpful.  With a dizzying variety of suets available to us, it is great to know what works and what doesn’t.

       Joan wrote to say that she makes her own suet.  Her suet recipe consists of lard and a mixture of sunflower and millet seeds.  She went on to say that her birds prefer it to commercial woodpecker blocks.  She also added that since her suet melts when daily temperatures begin rising at the end of winter, she stops feeding it to her birds in early spring.

       Brooks commented that he stopped stocking his suet feeders with peanut butter suet because hungry squirrels like it too much.  In an effort to remedy this problem, he now stocks his feeders with suet laced with hot pepper flakes.  The suet containing hot pepper flakes doesn’t seem to bother the birds, but the squirrels don’t like it.

       If you have found a suet that either works great or doesn’t work at all, let me know about it.

BACKYARD SUET PREFERENCE TEST

Nov27

        Surveys have shown that some 54 percent of those folks that feed birds feed suet.  Consequently, it is obvious that we are spending a lot of money on this greasy treat.  With that in mind, this past summer, I decided to conduct an informal test to see which of two flavors the birds in my backyard preferred.

       During the study, the birds that most often visited my suet feeders were hairy and downy woodpeckers, brown thrashers, mockingbirds, tufted titmice, Carolina chickadees, brown-headed nuthatches, house finches, and northern cardinals.

       I compared peanut butter flavored suet to one labelled as  berry-flavored.  I placed the suet cakes in wire suet feeders hung on a single Shepherd’s hook.  Initially I planned to conduct the test over several months.  However, after several weeks I ended the test after it became obvious that peanut butter suet was overwhelming preferred to berry-flavored suet.  Remarkably, I fed a total of 17 peanut butter-flavored suet cakes before the cake of berry-flavored suet was finally eaten.  Since then, I have purchased only peanut-butter flavored suet.

       It would be interesting to know if results would have been different if I ran the same test at other times of the year.

       However, before I expand by informal survey efforts, I am going to be feeding my backyard bird neighbors peanut butter-flavored suet.

WHERE ARE THE FEEDER BIRDS?

Nov23

       These days one of the main questions being raised by folks that feed birds in their backyards is, “Where are the birds?” We all know that late fall into winter is a great time to feed our feathered neighbors.  However, many of us are currently seeing few winter migrants at our feeders.

       In my case, those only migrants I have seen are one white-throated sparrow, two dark-eyed juncos, and a handful of yellow-rumped warblers.  Other bird enthusiasts have told me similar stories.  They also go on to say, the same thing has been going on for a number of years.

       There are undoubtedly many reasons why we are seeing fewer birds during the late fall and winter than we once did.  For example, weather has a great influence on the timing of the fall migration.  The milder the weather to the north of Georgia, the later migrants seems to arrive in the Peach State. However, there is more to it than that.

       In addition, since seeds produced by wild plants are more abundant now than at any time of the year, many birds prefer to dine on them while they last.   

       There is also a much more significant reason behind what we are seeing.  A study conducted by the National Audubon Society has found that the winter ranges of many birds have dramatically changed.  When the researchers compared data collected on Christmas Bird Counts for the past 90 years, they discovered that the winter ranges of scores of birds have changed in an apparent response to global warming-related changes such as both temperature and precipitation.

       These conclusions are based on an analysis of data concerning 89 different species of birds that were collected in

119 different count circles.  The biologist found birds are wintering further north than ever before. The same is true for woodpeckers, as well as passerines, and others. This trend appears consistent for species that live in forests, grasslands, mixed habitats, shrublands, and other habitat types.

       In other words, if this trend holds true, many of our favorite winter feathered guests will winter far north of Georgia. I suspect we will still see some northern migrants. For example, I was delighted that two dark-eyed juncos are currently feeding in my backyard.  While they were once a common sight around my Middle Georgia home, the birds that arrived this year are the first I have seen in my yard in a number of years. 

Another species that has been affected by these changes is the evening grosbeak.  I have not seen an evening grosbeak in my yard for decades.  However, at one time each winner I banded many of these showy, noisy birds in my backyard.

       I have heard many say that change is good.  However, I think you will agree that this is a change that is definitely far from good.   

YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE HOW MUCH A CHIPPING SPARROW MUST EAT TO SURVIVE THE WINTER

Nov16

       The feeding activity around my bird feeders has picked up over the past few weeks. One of the birds that is becoming more common with each passing week is the chipping sparrow.  Although it is small, weighing only 0.43 ounces, it has a hefty appetite.

       Ornithologists have found that a chipping sparrow must eat some two pounds of seeds to survive the winter.  In other words, a winter flock of 24 chipping sparrows will consume 48 pounds of seed before spring arrives.

       What is even more amazing is that much of their diet consists of tiny seeds.  Most folks offer chipping sparrows and other birds mixed seed.  Such mixes often include canary seed, white millet, and rape. I prefer to offer these petite winter residents white millet. 

       While I am certain that the chipping sparrows that visit my white millet feeders do not rely exclusively on food I offer them, I am glad my seed offerings are helping ensure I these birds will be visiting my yard for years to come.

CHIPPING SPARROW

CEDAR WAXWINGS HAVE ARRIVED IN OUR BACKYARD

Nov13

       For the past few weeks, winter visitors have been arriving in our Middle Georgia backyard.  Yesterday cedar waxwings made their first appearance.

       While my wife and I were checking out the plants growing in containers on our deck, I activated my Merlin Bird Identification App.  In in matter of seconds, the app detected the call notes of a cedar waxwing.  Once the bird’s name appeared, I looked for the bird(s) in the trees and shrubs growing nearby.   When I did not see one, I decided that Merlin had made a mistake.

       Seconds later, I was proven wrong when a flock of a couple of dozen cedar waxwings swooshed in from the northwest and landed in the top of a tall red cedar tree.  As the birds flew from limb to limb searching for the tree’s small berries, a slightly smaller flock joined them.  We watched the birds disappearing in and out of the cedar’s thick canopy, for a few minutes, when without warning the cedar waxwings took to the air and flew over the house.

       Although cedar waxwings visit our yard each winter, we do not consider them a feeder bird simply because they have never visited our feeders.  Here they feed exclusively on red cedar and mistletoe berries. 

       However, data collected through Project FeederWatch indicate they will dine on dried fruits. One of their favorite dried fruits is raisins. There are reports that cedar waxwings can devour a half a pint of raisins in a matter of minutes.  The birds will also eat halved and chopped apples and other fruits.

 

       Although these gregarious birds do not feast at our feeders, they do visit our birdbaths to both drink and bathe.

       If cedar waxwings do not visit your backyard, it could be due to the fact you are not offering them anything to eat or a place to bathe.  With that in mind, consider planting a red cedar and/or other native trees and shrubs that retains their fruit throughout the winter in your area of the state.

       In addition, keep your birdbath full of clean water throughout the winter.  This will benefit cedar waxwings and your other backyard winter guests.