Seasonal Bird News

Wood Thrush Notes

The Bufflehead

On a recent outing to Centerhill Lake we were treated to sightings of small flocks of Bufflehead.  The Bufflehead is a small duck measuring about 15 inches in length.  Males are mostly white with a black back. Males possess a purple-green iridescence that can be hard to see.  Females are dark with a white cheek spot and a white wing patch.  If you’re able to catch a glimpse of these birds descending onto a lake you will see that males have strikingly red feet.  Buffleheads are common winter residents seen on area ponds and lakes November through April and will go as far as Mexico.  In spring they migrate north to eventually reach their breeding grounds in mid to western Canada.  Locally, Radnor lake is a potential place to see Bufflehead

Buffleheads are mostly monogamous and are cavity nesters and will actually use nestboxes.

Fossils of these ducks from the late Pleistocene (about 500,000 years ago) have been found in Alaska, California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Texas, and Washington.

If you’re going for walks near water this winter look for these busy diving ducks as they forage for their primary food source aquatic invertebrates, crustaceans, and mollusks.

Rare Visitor and State Record in Chattanooga

Birders have been rushing to Chattanooga to see the first state record of an Ancient Murrelet, which has been found at Chickamauga Dam. This is a very small Pacific seabird that is really far out of its range which is typically the California coast north to the Alaskan coastline, and breeds in colonies along the shorelines of the North Pacific islands. Ancient Murrelet’s are divers as well and flaps its wings underwater for propulsion where they forage for a variety of fish. This bird is a burrow nester but will adapt to nest boxes, too. The lone bird was still there as of yesterday.

Holiday Shopping at The Wood Thrush!

The Wood Thrush Shop is stocked and ready for your holiday shopping needs. There are lots of gifts under $20, and of course, Squirrel Buster bird feeders, birdbaths, bluebird boxes, and hummingbird feeders. Get the bird lover in your life a new feeder so they can retire that old pitiful looking one.

Other gift ideas include:

Birdseed ornaments, Binoculars, Solar Accent lights, Owl statuary, Bat houses,

Windchimes, Christmas tree ornaments, Gift Certificates, Yard art.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to receive info about current and upcoming holiday specials we’ll be running.

Wood Thrush Notes

Bird feeding Slowly Picking Up

A couple of weeks ago I incorrectly proclaimed the end of summer with the impending cold front predicted and its arrival. Then temperatures returned to the 80’s this week. The warm temperatures are doing very little to inspire birds to return to our feeding stations. We continue to get phone calls from concerned people wondering why their feeders are so inactive. Again, the abundance of natural food sources available is too good to pass up at this time.

At my home this past weekend I did see some encouraging signs such as a small group of American Goldfinches consistently at the finch feeder. Remember, Goldfinches have now lost their bright yellow breeding plumage and have reverted to their dull winter appearance. Chickadees and White-breasted Nuthatches were quite busy making repeated trips from feeders to hiding places they have chosen to stash food. A few Red-bellied and Downy woodpeckers decided to partake of suet, and I saw a first of this fall Yellow-bellied sapsucker.

Cold Front Brings Some Interesting Visitors

The cold front did bring some interesting visitors to TN. Birdwatchers know to look at bodies of water more carefully after a cold front has passed as this often pushes shorebirds, wading birds, ducks and geese, and cranes into the area. Recently seen birds of interest include Limpkin, Red-necked Grebe, Common Loon, White-winged Scoter, and Surf Scoter. Straddling the border between Tennessee and Kentucky is Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. This 6-8 mile wide strip of land separates Kentucky Lake to the west and Lake Barkley to the east and forms the largest inland peninsula in the United States. From October through May, the entire area is an excellent hotspot for birdwatching. A noteworthy visitor to look for during this time is the American White Pelican. These birds are hard to miss, as they stand up to four feet tall and have wingspans up to nine feet. They are a communal bird and during the spring can be seen flying in flocks of several hundred individuals. According to L.B.L.’s lead naturalist, John Pollpeter, in recent years satellite images have shown upwards of 5,000 individuals. Bald eagles, Osprey, Double-crested cormorants, and Common loons are also common.

We would like to thank all those who have served our country this Veterans Day.

Wood Thrush Notes

End of Summer-Early Fall Notes

We have received more than a few calls recently regarding the very noticeable slowdown at feeders in recent weeks. The degree of slowdown may vary each year but without a doubt September and October are the two slowest bird feeding months of the year. My 28 years of tracking sales data backs this statement up. We always sell far less seed and suet during these two months. So why does it slow down?

There are two reasons why feeder activity slows down at this time. Feeder activity is at peak level during the breeding-nesting season, between the months of March and July. We get used to the abundance of birds visiting our feeders and many of us are filling feeders frequently, every other day if not more. While nesting and raising young birds take full advantage, but do not rely on our feeders. Raising young takes a tremendous amount of energy and rather than having to forage for food at greater distances they will increase their visits to feeders exponentially, thereby staying closer to the nest and their valuable offspring. And many of our feeder birds will nest twice per breeding season. So, the first reason for the slowdown is the breeding season for our year round and summer resident birds has long been over, for at least a month and a half. The need for “extra” food has passed.

The second reason is by the end of summer and beginning of fall plants are producing seeds, nuts, and fruit. Beneficial insects chocked with protein are still very much available. Instinctually, birds cannot pass up the abundance of natural foods and variety now available. Therefore, the feeders that were important to them in the spring and summer become less important now. With no young to attend to they have little to do but feed on what nature is offering and to cache food for later use. Sure, you will still get birds visiting your feeders but not like during the breeding season. This would also explain why we rarely see Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at our feeders in the fall on their return trip to the tropics, when they are such prominent feeder birds in spring. Natural food is everywhere and unless something occurs to prevent food production, like a drought, birds will gravitate to it before going to feeders.

As much as the business owner side of me hates to see the slowdown I also appreciate the opportunity to point out birds do not rely on or survive on our feeders, as many people mistakenly believe.

Experience says by mid-November, or earlier if there are a couple of good frosts, you will see a return to busy feeders. So, don’t think something has happened to our birds. It really is just birds being wild animals acting on thousands of years of instinct. They will return to your feeders. By the way, this slowdown is a great opportunity to give your feeders a thorough cleaning.

Molting

Have you been finding feathers around your yard, or maybe seen some really funky looking Cardinals or Bluejays recently? Seeing Cardinals or Jays with an alarming lack of feathers on their heads is quite common after the breeding season.

Molting is the process by which birds lose damaged or worn out feathers with new ones providing them not only with healthy new feathers but often a new look to their plumage in the form of new colors or patterns that may indicate a bird’s age, sex, or season of the year.  Feathers are comparable to our hair or nails made from the same basic ingredient, keratin.  

Molt is not a “one size fits all” occurrence.  There is great variation by species and even by individual from year to year.  While molt is associated with this time of year any time a bird loses a feather a new one will immediately begin to grow in its place. 

Occasionally, Cardinals and Bluejays will lose all their head feathers in a short amount of time and while it takes a while for the new ones to grow in the result will be a bald bird.  I’ve seen a number of male Cardinals recently that were in between bald and the emergence of new feathers.  They look rather odd as their heads under the feathers are dark gray to black.

Molting Cardinal

Hummingbirds Getting Plump

I’ve seen some chubby hummers at the feeders lately as they continue to feed heavily and store fat for their long journey.  There’s plenty of time remaining to enjoy hummingbirds as they prepare for their return to Central and South America.  While you may have already seen a reduction in numbers of hummers at your feeders keep in mind Ruby-throated hummingbirds continue to head south from as far as Canada.  These very birds may show up at your feeders at some point weeks from now so keep the fresh nectar coming and your feeders clean.  Earlier in September I was in Maine and had several sightings of hummingbirds.  Isn’t it amazing when you consider the distance traveled by these little dynamos?

Wood Thrush Notes

Store Schedule Alert

The Wood Thrush Shop will be closed Wednesday, July 26th.

Late Summer Bird Feeding Notes

Goldfinches are on nest now so if you are seeing more, or less at your feeders, that could be the reason. They of course begin nesting much later than other songbirds probably because they are exclusively seed eating birds. A lot of natural seed forage will be present about the time baby Goldfinches start leaving the nest helping them to sustain life for the first several months. Goldfinches can have 2 broods per year.

There are most definitely peaks and valleys to the bird feeding year and we have always recognized spring and the first half of summer as the busiest segment, even more than winter. Why? It is most certainly because during the spring-summer breeding season nesting birds take full advantage of our feeders. As they expend a lot of energy raising young they are able to feed themselves without the extra effort of having to search for food. But as the breeding season comes to an end and babies are now mostly on their own, feeders are not as important in their daily lives. Insects are the most plentiful food right now and this bounty will be present for the next several months to come. Without young to care for, naturally, our seed feeders will slow down from the torrid pace we’ve seen since April. Gradually, feeders become less important and when October arrives we will experience the slowest bird feeding month of the year. In October every plant and tree has produced nuts, seeds, and fruit. There is more food available at this time than they know what to do with. Well, actually, they do know what to do with it. They will feed mainly on what nature provides and many songbirds will begin caching food away in hiding places. Chickadees have been known to cache food in as many as 200 different locations and remember them. Insects are still available, too, which means our feeders become pretty uninteresting.

Anyone who thinks birds become dependent on feeders doesn’t really understand birds. While they take advantage of feeders during critical times of the year; breeding season, extreme weather, etc., they by no means become dependent and there really is no evidence to support that claim. If birds became dependent why do, for example, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks always leave us in the spring? We see them at our feeders for as much as a month, why do they not stay? Instinctually, they must go. They are, in a way, programmed to go to the breeding grounds they have gone to for thousands of years. Furthermore, because of all the natural food sources available in the fall Rose-breasted Grosbeaks rarely visit our feeders on their return to the tropics. Same thing with hummingbirds. They won’t stay here because we offer them sugar water. They do not become dependent.

Over the next few months as you buy seed you may want to buy smaller quantities knowing feeders will be slower, and avoid bug issues in the process. Storing seed for months in warm conditions can result in a buggy surprise in your seed container. The Indian meal moth is a common problem in all kinds of products, including dog and cat food. Storing smaller quantities of seed in a cool environment is the best way to avoid these troublesome insects. If you happen to notice some insect activity in your seed you can simply put it in the freezer overnight, or use the remainder of the seed immediately. The seed is not a danger to the birds and the little moths and their eggs are just another source of protein.

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Wood Thrush Notes

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Hummingbird feeder action increasing

This past week we saw a definite increase in hummingbird visits to our feeders in Cheatam Co. Like other songbirds Ruby-throated hummingbirds are nearly through raising young for this year. It’s no coincidence that more hummingbirds will begin visiting feeders more often for the next 2 months. August and September are THE busiest hummingbird feeding months here in Middle TN. With nesting responsibilities concluded hummers will begin taking advantage of feeders in an effort to pack on as much fat as possible in preparation for their migration back to Central and South America. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (RTH), like many migrant birds, go through hyperphagia prior to migration, meaning they eat almost continuously. They ramp up their consumption of nectar from plants and sugar water from feeders while consuming large quantities of tiny insects that are full of fats and proteins. The sugar is used up almost instantly during daily activities but the protein from insects helps strengthen their flight muscles. All the energy-rich yellow fat accumulates in little storage pockets which are visible when the feathers are gently pushed aside, like when a licensed bander has one in hand. 

Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Hummingbird fat pockets

An adult male RTH will weigh approximately 3 grams during summer but put on as much as 2.5 grams of weight by the time it is ready to head south.  They will nearly double their weight during hyperphagia.

So, if you haven’t been paying attention to your feeders because of lack of activity make sure your feeders are clean and you have fresh nectar made of a 1 part sugar to 4 parts water ratio. 

And if you get a chance visit Warner Parks while they are banding in August and September and see those little fat pockets for yourself.

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