Bird Bio: Fox Sparrow

Sparrows are a family of birds that the backyard birder tends to overlook. All sparrows seem to be lumped into the same vague description of “little brown birds that mostly stay on the ground”. Sparrows, though, are a pretty diverse group. Yes, they have many similarities but upon closer inspection you can see just how beautiful and varied they are. The Annotated Checklist of Birds of Tennessee recognizes 26 species of sparrows, 10 of which breed here. Many are considered rare, to uncommon, to seasonal, with few as year round residents. This time of year we see with regularity Field Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, and Juncos are included in the family, too. This week we’re going to focus on the Fox Sparrow. Last weekend I was birding at Hidden Lakes State Park on McCrory Ln and really had fun looking for sparrows in the lower meadow area along the Harpeth River. I got several good looks at Fox Sparrows as they darted from cover to cover feeding on native plant seeds.

Fox Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

Song Sparrow

The Fox Sparrow is a large sparrow measuring up to about 7”, which is just a little smaller than a Northern Cardinal. It is recognized for its heavily streaked rusty colored breast, and a rufous, or orange-brown tail, which is more noticeable in flight. The rusty brown combined with gray around the neck gives it its foxy look. Its song is described by Peterson’s Field Guide as brilliant and musical; a varied arrangement of short clear notes and sliding whistles. Click on the picture above to hear their song and read more. Behaviorally it feeds similarly to the Eastern Towhee scratching with both feet on the ground while foraging. It is a very distinguishable hopping forward and back motion. Look for Fox Sparrows to appear on the ground below feeders during wintery, snowy weather. Millet is a food of particular interest to them. By April Fox Sparrows leave this part of the country to go back north to their breeding areas.

Bird Bio: Red-breasted Nuthatch

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Male Red-breasted Nuthatch.

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Females have browner caps and paler rusty underparts.

Hello backyard birders. The bird feeding action has gotten fast and furious with the onset of some cold, wintery weather. All over middle-TN there have been an abundance of great winter bird sightings. Pine Siskins and Purple Finch have arrived early and in good numbers. It is believed these species will show up here in greater numbers to spend the winter when certain food sources they require are lacking in more northern areas of the country. Look for them to go to feeders with sunflower, safflower, and finch feeders with nyjer or sunflower chips. The usual cast of winter characters is being seen around feeders as well. Look for White-throated Sparrow and Juncos feeding on the ground, and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Kinglets and Brown Creepers showing interest in suet feeders.

The bird we are featuring this week, though, is the Red-breasted Nuthatch. I consider seeing this beautiful, busy little bird as a real treat. It’s not every winter they show up in this area but so far this year is showing a lot of promise.

The Red-breasted Nuthatch is smaller than the more common White-breasted Nuthatch, about 4.5” in length, and has a broad black line through the eye and a white line above it. Its call is higher and more nasal than the White-breasted and has been described as being similar to a tiny tin horn. They are considered common in areas with lots of pine and/or cedar trees, so if you have any pine and cedar close to your home be on the lookout for these great little birds. They have been seen recently all around Nashville visiting seed and suet feeders. There have been lots of posting about the Red-breasted Nuthatch in the Tennessee Birding Facbook group. If you haven’t visited this group it’s one way to keep up on new sightings.

New seed crop is now coming in our deliveries. I always look forward to the arrival of the new crop. The seed is very clean and has a fresh, earthy smell. See you soon.

Fall Wood Thrush Shop Notes

Right on schedule we are beginning to see birds returning to feeders. Yesterday, I had a nice group of Goldfinches appear at a feeder with Wood Thrush Shop Finch Blend. Of course they were in their drab winter plumage. Be on the lookout for Pine Siskins mixing in with Goldfinch flocks. Downy and Red-bellied woodpeckers were visiting the suet, and Chickadees, Titmice, and Nuthatches were busily making repeated trips to the black-oil sunflower feeders. Cardinals are showing up, too, but usually very early and very late, before first light of day and just before night. If it wasn’t for their “chipping” calls indicating their presence they could easily be missed.

Goldfinch in winter plumage.

Pine Siskin can mix with goldfinch through the winter months.

We mentioned a couple of weeks ago to be on the lookout for some of our winter visitors. Sure enough we are seeing and getting reports of White-throated sparrows, Juncos, Purple Finch, Yellow-bellied sapsucker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Brown Creeper. Wood Thrush employee Eli got this great shot of a Brown Creeper in his yard. Brown Creepers are most likely to visit suet feeders. Suet is a great addition to your seed feeders and can attract some very interesting birds, particularly in winter.

You can follow Eli on instagram at lightorflight_photography

If you haven’t given your feeders a good cleaning in a while now would be a good time. And if your feeders need a little maintenance keep in mind we stock parts for quite a few of our feeders and can usually make repairs on the spot, or in a day or two. If you’ve had seed stored in a container for a few months a word of caution. Open it outside because it may be full of Indian Mealmoths and you don’t want them getting loose in the house. They don’t go after your clothes but prefer things like dry dogfood, flour, crackers, cereal, etc.

And speaking of seed we have been getting questions about a seed sale. Typically we wait until the harvest is in full swing and new crop begins to appear. This will give us a chance to see if seed prices are going to increase, or decrease. Seed is a commodity and prices are subject to change based on supply and demand. At some point we will announce a “Seed Sale “and you will be able to buy multiple bags at a discount and to be stored here.

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The holidays are right around the corner which means The Wood Thrush Shop is gearing up with new merchandise as well as some of the old popular standbys. As always we will be stocking the very popular

Mr. Bird Birdseed Ornaments and a variety of bird and wildlife ornaments. A new feeder or a Heartwood birdhouse always makes a great gift.

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And look for weekly special through the coming months. Between Friday Nov. 2 and Thursday Nov. 8 all Droll Yankee and Aspects products will be 20% Off. That includes seed feeders, hummingbird feeders, baffles, weather guards, trays, and accessories.

Product profile: Popular Nikon binoculars

This week we are profiling our most popular binoculars. Perhaps your old binos just aren’t providing you with a sharp, bright image anymore, or they’re out of alignment. Maybe your significant other has mentioned needing a pair of binoculars for hiking, birdwatching, canoeing, or ball games. Come in and let us assist you to determine which ones would be best for your needs.

Nikon Monarch 7

The Monarch 7’s are our top of the line stocked Nikon binocular.The 7’s are equipped with premium ED (Extra-low dispersion) glass, lenses, and prism coatings. ED glass improves resolution and brightness to extreme levels, but also enhances your viewing experience with a wide field of view, close-focus and comfortable eye-relief.

Customers that look through these usually say, “Oh, wow” because of the extremely bright, clean and crisp image. They are fantastic performers in low light conditions and have a nitrogen-purged housing making them fog proof/waterproof. These binoculars would satisfy for a lifetime. We stock the 8x42 and the 10x42. Available to order are the 8x30 and 10x30 models.

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What do the numbers, 8x42 and 10x42, mean?

The first number that you see (8, or 10) is the amount of magnification. So, for example, an 8 power binocular is magnifying the object you’re looking at 8 times.

The second number (42) is the measurement of the objective lens, 42 mm. The objective lens is the lens furthest from your eyes, while the ocular is the lens closest to your eyes. The objective lens is the light gathering part and influences the field of view.

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Field of view is how wide an area is encompassed in the binoculars' image. It can be expressed as an angle (8°), or as the width in feet of the image at 1000 yards (420 ft.) ... Field of view is a matter of eyepiece design. More magnification usually means a narrower field of view.

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Monarch 5

The Monarch 5’s have been a staple of The Wood Thrush Shop’s optics inventory for many years. In quality, they are just a notch below the 7’s and lack some of the extra features. The 5’s have ED glass producing a bright, crisp image. They have been recognized in birding magazines many times as a “best buy”.

Also waterproof/fog proof, the 5’s offer some of what the more expensive binoculars have but in a more comfortable price range.

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Prostaff 7

The Prostaff 7’s fit the difficult category of good optics, whether for home, out in the field birdwatching, or going to a game, at a price under $200. Multi-coated lenses, long-eye relief, and waterproof up to 3 feet of depth for 10 minutes.

The shop stocks the 8x30, 10x30 and also the 8x42 and 10x42 sizes. The 30mm size is not as physically small as a compact, but close. They perform, however, like a standard size binocular. Because of the smaller body these binoculars have become a popular choice for women who tend to have smaller hands. A binocular that is comfortable to hold is a very important factor.

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Long-eye relief defined. This is a term that every eye glasses wearer should pay attention to. It's all in the design of the eyepiece. For any binocular, there is an ideal distance that your eye should be from the eyepiece. This distance is called the eye relief. Some binoculars have eye relief of only 15mm or less. Even though the eyecups twist down to let glasses wearers get closer, it's not close enough. Such binoculars are suitable only for people who don't wear glasses.

Exactly how much eye relief you need depends on your glasses. If they are small and close to your eyes, you might get away with a binocular whose eye relief is only 15mm. Most glasses wearers need longer eye relief than that, at least 16mm or more.

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Prostaff 3

The Prostaff 3’s are available in 8x42 and 10x42 models. Known for a wide field of view, being very lightweight, and having a generous eye relief, the Prostaff’3’s fit the consumer looking to spend under $150. Other features include waterproof/fog proof performance, turn and slide multi-click eyecups to fine tune comfort, and rubber armoring for shock resistance.

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We stock compact binoculars as well. The Nikon Travelite’s are known for extremely light- weight portability and are available in 8x25 and 10x25 models. The Prostaff ATB are also 8 and 10x25 and are rugged and waterproof. The Trailblazer 8x25 is the smallest of the compacts but is rugged and waterproof, perfect for tucking in a coat pocket or day pack. It comes with a carrying case that conveniently threads onto a belt.

Trailblazers 10x25

Travellite 10x25

Prostaff ATB 10x25

Carson 8x22

And the best thing we offer for kids is the Carson 8x22 Sport Binocular. Most “kids” binoculars are so cheaply constructed with cheap materials that they are priced from $10 to about $20. From our experience with such binoculars any child is going to have a frustrating experience trying to see anything with them. And what they see will not be enhanced at all.

These little Carson’s are great for small hands, easy to use, and the optics are good enough that the image will enhance the object of their viewing interest. These are great to learn on before graduating to something more serious and valuable.

Attracting Warblers

Fall is a Great Time to Garden for the Birds

Fall is the best time to plant and perhaps you are thinking about adding something to your landscape that appeals to birds and wildlife. Fantastic! Adding plants is a great way to attract birds of all kinds but especially those that do not regularly visit seed feeders. I’m referring to the small tropical birds known as Warblers. This diverse and beautiful group of birds goes unnoticed by many backyard birders because their yards don’t have the habitat appeal necessary to pull them in. Each spring Warblers migrate into and through TN on the way to their breeding destination. As they travel they are searching for food, water, and suitable, safe resting areas.

Native trees and shrubs are critical to attracting birds of all kinds and especially warblers. Native plants attract native insects, an important food source to migrating birds. In spring when leaves are first opening the first caterpillars begin hatching which is an abundant and important food source for all migrating birds. In early fall native trees and shrubs are producing fruit that will help fuel their migration back to the tropics. The fruit also attracts native insects which then become an important source of protein. You can’t go wrong planting natives because they are, typically, less susceptible to disease and insect problems.

Male American Redstart

Yellow-rumped warbler

Here’s a short list of some of my favorite native plants and shrubs:

Devils Walking Stick, Berries

American Beautyberry

Serviceberry               Bottlebrush Buckeye            Devils Walking Stick

American Beautyberry  Redbud                                Dogwood

Hawthorn                       Persimmon                           American Holly

Winterberry                    Eastern Red Cedar               Mountain Laurel

Sumac                            Oak and Maple varieties       Viburnums

…and there are so many more great plants to choose from.

But Warblers need water, too, and from my experience water is the x factor.  It is probably that my water source is very easy to see from in my home that I have seen more Warbler species there than anywhere else in my yard.  Bubbling, moving water is much more appealing than the standard pedestal type birdbath.  Keep the water moving in some way and birds will be drawn.  There are drippers and misters that run on water pressure provided by a standard outside faucet, and waterfall rocks powered by an electric pump that are quite effective at keeping water moving.  I recently hung a plastic jug with a pin hole above a standard pedestal birdbath.  When filled with water the jug will provide a steady drip for a few hours at a time.  The dripping and subsequent rippling effect is absolutely more appealing than a still source of water.

So, if making your yard more appealing to birds is on your mind think about native plants and water.  It is a combination that most definitely works.

For more information about native plants please take a look at the TN Native Plants Society website, www.tnps.org, or check out a local grower like Growild located in Fairview, TN. Their website is www.growildinc.com