Wood Thrush Notes

This past week local birders reported some bird sightings worth noting. A report from Percy Priest Lake included over 150 Common Loon, at least 3 Pacific Loon, and a Red-thoated Loon. Loons are quite common on TN lakes during the winter months. A juvenile Peregrine Falcon was seen at Bells Bend park. The Peregrine Falcon once on the brink of extinction is making a comeback thanks to conservation efforts by organizations such as the Peregrine Fund, visit www.peregrinefund.org for more information. The Peregrine is known for its high rate of speed in hunting dives, reaching nearly 200 mph to strike prey, such as pigeons, in mid-air. And one other bird sighting of note this past week was an Indigo Bunting seen in Edwin Warner Park. Indigo Buntings, as you probably know, are common summer residents here and are often seen at feeders in early spring, about the same time we see Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. However, Indigo Buntings return to Central and South America for the winter months. So this bird apparently has decided to stay. There are only a few winter records of Indigo Bunting in mid-TN.

Many of you offer positive feedback on our blogs, and we thank you. Perhaps our blogs have fueled your interest and you have considered devoting a little more time to birdwatching in the coming year. Our special of the week may interest you.

Today thru Dec. 13

Nikon Prostaff 3 Binoculars are on SALE

8x42’s and 10x42’s

SAVE $20

Regularly $119 and $129

Now $99 and $109

Prostaff 3’s are a great introductory binocular for someone looking to get into birdwatching. Maybe you have a loved one that has expressed interest in birding and needs a little push to get started. They are very lightweight with a solid performance.

Prostaff 3’s offer a wide field of view, a lightweight body, and an impressive eye relief, which means they are a particularly good choice for eyeglass wearers. Prostaff 3’s are waterproof/fogproof, have turn-and–slide

multi-click rubber eyecups, and are rubber armored for shock resistance and a firm, comfortable grip. Quantities are limited.

For more info on other binoculars we carry read our past blog post on Popular Nikon Binoculars

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The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Wet Weather Bird feeding Help

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Male

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Female

This winter if you see a woodpecker that doesn’t quite look like any of the usual woodpeckers you regularly see you probably have a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. A little smaller than a Red-bellied Woodpecker at about 8 ½” in length , the Sapsucker gets its name from its telltale habit of creating evenly spaced holes around a tree trunk or large shrub to release sap to feed on. The drilling does not kill the tree because the tree is not being girdled. Note: I have a Viburnum at my home that is 25 years old and riddled with Sapsucker holes. It leafs out and blooms every year.

The Sapsucker is a fairly common winter visitor across the state of TN found in residential yards as well as in woodlands. It is a handsome bird known for its red forecrown on a black and white head; the chin and throat are red on male, white on the female. The back is blackish with a varying pattern, with a white rump and large white wing patch. The underparts of the bird are yellowish, paler on a female. They clearly stand out among our usual woodpeckers.

Suet is a good choice to attract Sapsuckers, although I do see them going to fine sunflower hearts presented in a finch feeder. I use mainly peanut butter suet and see sapsuckers feed there all winter. Video Other things to try are fruit and nectar. Nectar can be offered in a standard hummingbird feeder and sapsuckers may find this a suitable supplement to tree sap. After all, many of you see Downy woodpeckers feeding on hummingbird feeders all summer long. Sapsuckers have the same long tongue that can wick nectar out of the feeder. Sapsuckers generally leave this area by mid-April and head back north to their breeding areas. Look for this bird and let us know if you see one.

Notable sightings in TN this past week include Pacific Loon at Percy Priest Lake and a

Black-chinned Hummingbird in McMinn County, TN. I spent a day at Centerhill Lake recently and saw at least a dozen Common Loons.

Winter tends to be our wet weather time of the year. Soaking rains can present a number of problems at feeders, especially feeders that contain shelled offerings like sunflower hearts, Premium Blend, shelled peanuts, and suet. Everyone who’s fed birds for any length of time has encountered the awful experience of cleaning out a feeder full of wet, ruined seed. It’s really messy and it stinks, and your investment in the more expensive seeds is lost. Try protecting your investment with one of the many weather guards, or hanging squirrel baffles, available for a variety of feeders. Hanging Squirrel Baffles are just larger versions of weather guards thus offering optimum weather protection.

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Through next Friday, Dec. 6

All Weather Guards and Hanging Squirrel Baffles are 20% Off.