winter bird watching

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Wood Thrush Shop Notes

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Recent Feeder Activity

With the recent wintery weather a lot more birds have decided to visit feeding stations.  This week my feeders were frequented by over 50 Goldfinch at a time, a dozen or so Pine Siskin, over 20 Juncos (overwhelmingly males), and lots of White-throated sparrow. A few Red-winged Blackbirds appeared as did a few Grackles, birds I rarely see in my yard.

In weather like this I always anticipate something more unusual to appear, like Orange-crowned warbler, Ruby or Golden-crowned Kinglets, and Brown creeper to name a few, typically at the suet feeders.  One customer reported a lone Indigo Bunting which is very unusual to be seen in January. 

And with the freezing rain being forecast, which will likely have already occurred by the time you read this, birds that don’t normally visit feeding stations may recognize the bird activity at feeders and come in for a look.  My birdbaths, which have de-icer units in them, were extremely busy during the frigid temps.  Birds, of course need water sources even when it’s below freezing and will bathe to keep feathers clean and at their best insulating quality for survival. 

Many of you are surprised to see multiple Bluebirds visiting feeding stations and water sources.  Bluebirds are, of course, here year round and will travel about in small flocks in search of food and water. 

Seed Stock is Low for this Saturday

Because our seed supplier is located in Des Moines, IA sometimes weather will hold up our seed shipments as is the case this week.  Freight is backed up all across the U.S.   You may want to call first before you visit The Wood Thrush Shop on Saturday and Monday as we are low, or out of some choices of seed.  We are very well stocked with suet and live mealworms.  We anticipate receiving our load of seed early next week as temps rise to the 40’s. 

Next Week…The Great Backyard Bird Count

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Wood Thrush Notes.

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Open House Specials

Come on out to Westgate Center tomorrow and do a little Christmas shopping. The small businesses of Westgate are having an open house with some deals and special offers, and a visit from Mr. and Mrs. Clause at G&G Interiors starting at 12:30.

We are featuring deals on our favorite A-T-Z Bluebird box, Squirrel Buster Classic feeder, Bird’s Choice hummingbird feeders, and the always popular JJ Potts handcrafted ceramic mushrooms.

And speaking of deals and discounts, follow us on Facebook and Instagram for flash offers on select items, like Wind River wind chimes, birdbaths, and Heartwood birdhouses. These will be sales that only last a day or two so stay tuned.

Sparrows

Sparrows? Who cares!? All too often the average backyard birder dismisses sparrows as just some generic little uninteresting bird and doesn’t take the time to properly identify. This is likely a result of the much maligned House Sparrow that tends to be a major problem for Bluebirds in nesting season. Sparrows are, in fact, a very interesting family of birds, and here in TN you may, according to The Annotated Checklist of Birds of Tennessee, see up to 22 species of sparrows, 10 of which breed here. Many are considered rare, to uncommon, to seasonal, with a few as year round residents. This time of year we see Field Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Chipping and Vesper Sparrow, and Juncos are included in the family, too. I must admit my skills at identifying some of these birds require a tune-up. I often birdwatch at Gossett Tract in Cheatam Co. where the open field dense growth habitat is excellent for sparrows but makes for very challenging birding. They don’t stay in one place very long and will dive down into heavy cover in a flash. Pics of Chipping and Field sparrow

At our feeders in the fall and winter months we see White-throated and White-crowned sparrows, and of course Juncos, with the Fox sparrow usually appearing only when snow falls. All three of these lovely little birds feed on the ground almost exclusively so don’t forget to train your eyes for ground movements. Look at these birds through binoculars and note the beautiful subtle markings. They often move about near feeders flipping leaves in search of bugs and seeds.

Wood Thrush Notes

Winter Backyard Birds to Look For

A few weeks ago we mentioned Brown Creepers as one of the winter visitors to look for near feeding stations. Other more common visitors include White-throated Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Bluebirds get a mention because they are more likely to visit traditional feeding stations containing seed and suet during winter months.

This is the time of year I begin ground feeding to attract the sparrows mentioned above. This is a simple strategy of broadcasting some feed on the ground or in a low platform feeder to attract sparrows and Juncos. This group of birds prefers feeding on the ground and enjoys millet and shelled sunflower. Some of you might think “why do I want to attract sparrows”? There isn’t just one type of sparrow and because of the introduced House sparrow, which are so problematic for Bluebirds; I think “sparrows” get a bad rap. These sparrows are beautiful and one should really look at them through binoculars to see the evidence. By the way, you will find Cardinals and even Goldfinches love to feed on the ground, too. I often incorporate a brush pile for cover and protection near the spot I present the feed. If you’ve never tried creating a brush pile for birds you should try it. They are a bird magnet.

The Red-breasted nuthatch is a regular winter visitor although their numbers can vary greatly from one year to the next. Smaller than the White-breasted nuthatch they’re often seen visiting sunflower seed, shelled peanut, and suet feeders.

Yellow-rumped warblers are one of just a few warblers that can be seen in TN year round and at feeders. Look for them at suet feeders on very cold days.

The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is also seen at suet feeders on very cold days. You better have your binoculars handy, though, because they are very small and their winter plumage is a dull olive which can make them difficult to see. Oh yeah, they are constantly on the move, too, further challenging your birdwatching skills. Look for the black and white wing bars to help identify one. The “ruby” crown is often not visible but from the right vantage point you may catch a glimpse.

Of course, Bluebirds are here year round but they are more likely to feed at suet feeders and even consume seed but only if it is out of the shell.  Bluebirds do not possess the ability to crack open shells of a seed.  Especially during snow falls that cover the ground Bluebirds will be inclined to eat seed for survival.

How Birds Survive Winter Conditions

Although winter hasn't really visited yet we've had enough cold to prompt some questions and concerns from customers regarding how birds survive winter conditions. First, winter conditions here in the upper south are nothing compared to what birds encounter in the northeast. Even chickadees and kinglets, two of the smallest songbirds, survive the cold of Maine where temperatures often remain below zero for extended periods of time. How do they do this? It is a combination of physiology and strategy.

Chickadees are prodigious gatherers of food, hiding, or caching tidbits of food in hundreds of locations with the ability to remember them all for use later. But how can such a small creature stay warm enough to survive even one night at -20 below zero? Chickadees (like most year-round northern birds) endure the winter in their uninsulated legs and feet. Yet their toes remain flexible and functional at all temperatures. Our exposed toes would freeze and literally drop off. Why do they not freeze? Here's where physiology comes in. It's actually a special adaptation that many birds possess. The temperature in their feet is regulated and will cool down to about 30 degrees while maintaining a body core temperature of around 105 degrees.

A chickadees feet are provided with continuous blood flow. The warm arterial blood headed toward their feet from the body runs next to veins of cooled blood returning from the feet to the body. As heat is transferred between the outgoing and incoming veins, the blood returning into the body recovers much of the heat that would be lost flowing out. So, chickadees feet don't freeze and that's because their foot temperature is regulated near the freezing point even as their body temp stays high. Many species of gulls and ducks that spend a lot of time standing on ice do the same thing.

When you see a bird that looks really fat on a cold day it's not because it overindulged at the feeder but has "puffed out" the feathers increasing the insulating properties. Keeping feathers clean is serious business for birds and this is why you will often see more bathing activity at a birdbath in winter than in summer. Clean feathers mean better weather protection, keeping body temps warm, and creating a barrier to rain.

At night, chickadees reduce heat loss by seeking shelter in tree holes or other crevices. By reducing their body temperature—the smaller the difference in temperature between the bird and its environment, the lower the rate of heat loss. Still, the bird may have to shiver all night and burn up most of its fat reserves, which then must be replenished the next day in order to survive the next night.

Much of the information shared in this blog is from nature author, Bernd Heinrich. If you are looking for some fascinating nature information, I would recommend a few of his books, "A year in the Maine Woods", "Mind of the Raven", and "The Homing Instinct".

Wood Thrush Shop Notes

The “fall slowdown” appears to have come to an end as birds are definitely beginning to appear at feeders more regularly again. Usually an abrupt change in weather will trigger the increase in activity. We’ve certainly had that. Goldfinches are settling back into feeding stations wearing their dull winter plumage, Chickadees, Nuthatches, and Titmice are making repeated trips to feeders, sometimes to actually eat but sometimes taking seed to cache away for future use, and woodpeckers are showing interest once again in suet. And by now you may be seeing some of our winter visitors like Juncos, White-throated and White-crowned sparrows, and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers. No reports yet, however, of Purple finch or Pine Siskin.

American Goldfinch

Goldfinch in winter plumage.

It’s worth noting that caching seed is serious business for some species, like Chickadees and White-breasted Nuthatches. Studies have shown Chickadees have keen spatial memory, and can remember precise cache locations using visual cues like distance and direction from landmarks such as rocks and vegetation. In fact, scientists have concluded Black-capped Chickadees increase the size of the brain (in the area associated with memory) as caching ramps up in the fall. Most chickadees and nuthatches make hundreds of trips caching seed by seed in bark crevices and tree crotches. And they may cache food in hundreds of different locations about their home range. Why that many different locations? Instinctively, they know it does not make sense to put all their food in one place. Ever changing conditions and possible raids by other birds and animals ensure they will find food remaining in the many places they have stored.

We tend to underestimate our small backyard visitors but they are well equipped to handle extreme conditions. Tiny birds like Kinglets and Black-capped chickadees are able to survive 25 degrees below zero temperatures. A songbird’s feathers is an intricate system of layering and interlocking that creates a wind and water barrier, yet allows them to fly. For a more in depth look at bird’s feathers go to Cornell labs article on Everything You Need To Know About Feathers.

And…

In recent weeks many of you have seen Bluebirds frequently visiting nest boxes. This is a very common activity for Bluebirds and it is likely a reinforcement of a mating pairs’ bond, or perhaps a male showing a new potential mate a good nesting spot for the future.

We are often asked “when is a good time to put up a bluebird box”? Actually, every day is a good day to put up a bluebird box. In other words, there is no particular best time. After all, the sooner they have the opportunity to see it the greater likelihood for success next spring.

Fall, though, is a good time to put up a nest box because Bluebirds do show interest. Many people that had successful nesting bluebirds will see them return to nest boxes in the fall and actually go through some of the motions of courting and nesting. Sometimes Bluebirds will even put nest material in a box. What you are seeing is not a confused pair of Bluebirds trying to nest but likely just a bonding behavior. So, if you want to get a head start on attracting bluebirds now is a great time to put up a bluebird box. It’s also a good time to do a little maintenance on existing nest boxes. Clean out old nest debris now so Bluebirds don’t build on top of it in the spring. The old decomposing debris can attract insects that can pose a danger to developing chicks.

Specially designed Roost Boxes for Bluebirds are available. Roost boxes are different in that the entrance hole is at the bottom and there is a “ladder” like perching arrangement on the interior allowing several birds to be very close without being physically on top of one another, thus having shelter and cumulative body warmth. You can actually convert your nest box into a roost box by removing flipping the door of the box so the entrance hole is at the bottom, then placing some sturdy, branchy sticks vertically in the interior creating multiple “natural” perches.

Some other things to consider for fall and winter backyard birding include creating brush piles, keeping a water source available, and of course suet. Instead of dragging branches out to the street for pick up consider creating a few brush piles for the birds for the winter. They are excellent cover for all kinds of birds and they produce immediate results. A brush pile is a bird magnet. Keeping a water source ice free in winter is also a sure-fire bird attracter. Water is extremely important to songbirds even in the coldest temperatures. We have thermostatically controlled birdbath de-icers and birdbaths in stock. And of course suet is an extremely beneficial food source for many kinds of birds throughout winter and spring. Woodpeckers are the main consumers of suet but Chickadees, Titmice, Nuthatches, Wrens, Jays, and many others will be seen eating chunks of the high energy food source. For several winters now I have had Bluebirds visiting my suet feeders regularly. Suet is the food source most likely to attract a “surprise” visitor, like Orange-crowned warblers, Ruby or Golden-crowned Kinglets, or Brown Creepers.

Suet can bring in birds not always seen at feeders.

A heated water source attracts winter birds.

Brush piles are a great natural way to attract birds.

Enjoy the fall season and keep an eye on your feeders.  You never know what may appear.  

ALL Suet and Suet Feeders 20% Off

thru Friday Nov. 15

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