Backyard birds – Page 4 – Vermont Birder

Why Are Hummers So Mean To Each Other?

As I try to heal from a torn meniscus or two from my birding mishap, I have had a lot of time to sit and quietly observe the many birds at our feeders. We have dozens of young Purple Finches along with more sparrows than I’ve seen before — chipping, white-throated, song — many little brown jobs.

Hummer1W — Let’s try this before Mr. Macho chases me off.

The woodpeckers and nuthatches hit the suet, as do the chickadees. Mourning Doves clean up the deck while Common Yellow-throats and an occasional warbler also hang out in the nearby crabapple tree. Sitting and just observing is much better than TV, and there is the undertone that most of these guys and gals are trying to add weight for the journey ahead.

Many are in molt and some come looking pretty ratty. This is particularly noticeable after some of the many rains we’ve had. It makes the ones with new outfits, some of the male American Goldfinches and Purple Finches, really stand out.

But why can’t the hummers get along? All day long, they seem to be chasing one another off a feeder. Sitting there reading, you get one buzzing by pretty close, with another right behind. We have two feeders and usually no more than three hummers at a time, but it is bothersome. The males seem to be the harrassers but I’m not sure the gals don’t reciprocate. Mating season is long gone and it seems like they all need to tank up and get ready to head southward before two long.

I guess, as I get my knee back in shape, I’ll have plenty of time to do some reading on this subject – right now it just makes me want ask them. “You’re acting like seventh-graders. Why can’t we all just get along.”

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A Morning Delight

Most of our land is White Pine and hardwoods but our neighbor to the south has a delightful meadow that the dog and I visit several times a day on our walks. We cross an old stonewall and enter into a clearing which is getting overgrown with pine seedlings and bushes. It is a great place for seeing hawks, White-throated Sparrows, Song Sparrows, and Common Yellowthroats. The morning sun hits it early so even in winter, it is a nice stopping spot.

There is a berry bush there which I always check for birds, especially now that the fruit is ripe. Yesterday morning, I heard the Cedar Waxwings above me before I saw them and sure enough, one started working the bush, popping up for a morning photograph. What stunning birds they are — and they seem to know it. One of my favorite birds.

Mid-July Birds

After a nice cold front passage, the dawn chorus this morning, starting before five, was lovely. Several very persostent and loud American Robins sang non-stop, nearly drowning out the other singers. Song Sparrows tuned up as did Common Yellowthroats and Purple Finches. A ways off, a White-throated Sparrow sang the “peabody, peabody” tune. Then, about 5:30, it got very still except for the quiet cooing of a Mourning Dove. What a lovely way to start a summer Sunday in Vermont.

I put out the bird feeder and suet about six and a Hairy Woodpecker shows up right away with a “it’s about time” attitude. Four finches hit the feeder as does a chickadee. I hear our first Chestnut-sided Warbler and Blue Jay.

On our early morning walk, the dog and I took our time, she checking new smells, I listening for bird calls and enjoying the cool morning air. A sweatshirt felt good — a little unreal after the 90+ temperatures of last week. I heard a Brown Creeper and then an Ovenbird. The bird activity picked up again as the sun rose.

I heard a Black and White Warbler and then a Yellow-rumped Warbler began singing right overhead. I chased it around with the binoculars and then the camera but it moved pretty erratically. I grabbed a couple of lousy shots including this one:

Down in the meadow, things were hopping in the dew-soaked goldenrod. Several Common Yellowthroats and about a half dozen Song Sparrows cavorted. The foliage and weak morning light made photos tough. Here are a couple:

Yellowthroats love to hide in the underbrush -- and are a challenge to photograph. — Yellowthroats love to hide in the underbrush — and are a challenge to photograph.

There were several juvenile Song Sparrows like this chasing each other around.

I happened to look up just as a hawk, likely a Broad-winged, flew over with a rodent in its talons. It was being harassed by a group of smaller birds. It returned, empty-handed, a bit later and I suspected it might have youngsters to feed. Several Red-eyed Vireos started up in the tall sugar maples, singing their seemingly never-ending song. I could spot them but they were way up there and moving a lot.

As I headed back, I thought about how precious these days are, filled as they are with bird song and many youngsters learning the ropes. They’ll be heading out soon — I haven’t seen our Rose-breased Grosbeak pair in about a week and suspect they are easing southward. I was encouraged, as I poured another coffee, to see one of our juvenile hummers tanking up. They have a long trip ahead of them.

HummerAW — Drink up buddy, you’ve got a long trip ahead of you.

Wren’Streamer

My brother Barry and his wife, Mica DeAngelis, have restored two vintage Airstreams and have travelled to the South and Southwest for Habitat For Humanity builds and general travel. They have always been watchers of birds but recently have sort of caught the birding bug. Barry got a new camera a few months ago and has been testing it out here and there — and captured this wonderful shot of a House Wren in their backyard.

Barry and Mica originally thought that this birdhouse was a gag gift but Momma wren has called it home for the last two years. photo by Barry K. Mansfield, Burlington, VT — Barry and Mica originally thought that this birdhouse was a gag gift but Momma wren has called it home for the last two years. *photo by Barry K. Mansfield, Burlington, VT*

Planning a House Wren Party

I have made and put out bird houses for the last three years, hoping to attract a pair of Eastern Bluebirds, but I have not even attracted a Tree Swallow. Zip.

This spring, I took down the houses I had scattered throughout our woods, cleaned them up and changed some fronts where red squirrels had gnawed the holes. I then mounted them in the open around my bee yard, hoping that the openness and light would make up for a few lost bees.

About two weeks ago, I spotted a House Wren checking out a couple of the boxes and bringing a twig to one of them. Then, nothing. Last week I checked the boxes and there was no activity in any of them. However, two days ago, I noticed a House Wren again checking one out, and as I watched, she brought all sorts and sizes of twigs to the box and proceeded to build a nest.

Some of her twig selections were on the optimistic side.

"Is this more like it, oh critiquer?" — “Is this more like it, oh critiquer?”

"And by the way, that hole you cut isn't round, ol' wood butcher!" — “And by the way, that hole you cut isn’t round, ol’ wood butcher!”

So, Cornell lists the gestation period from 9 to 15 days. Hopefully in a week or so, we’ll have a hatch of little wrens. Of course, I’m bringing to new hives with about 60,000 bees to her front yard today. I suspect, if she’s on the nest, there’ll be no conflicts.

In the 13 years we have lived here, we’ve only had a few nests here and there that we knew about. We’ve never had one in a bird house. Hope springs eternal for a few new HOWR’s as neighbors in late May.

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Local Birding With The Vizsla

I decided to stay close to home today as I work through a partial recovery of my pinched neck nerve. Walking and exercise seems to help while driving can be problematic.

Just before we started out, this White-throated Sparrow was chowing down on thistle seed.

So, Penny and I trucked down to the Wrightsville Reservoir where she can run free and where there are few visitors this time of year. She did her best, running to and fro, to scare off every bird in Washington County. There were plenty to satisfy her and me.

The first birds we saw on the water were these Common Mergansers.

As Penny raced up and down the paths and along the shoreline, the Mallards and mergansers just moved out a little further, while a couple of Canada Geese honked their displeasure, from a distance. The whole area is flooded all winter and spring (this a flood control dam) and only now is drying out. Dozens of Song Sparrows sang their hearts out and chased one another in the morning 40 degree temperatures.

You can't see me here. A Song Sparrow watched us pass by. — You can’t see me here. A Song Sparrow watched us pass by.

There were many Swamp Sparrows singing their “sewing machine” song and I got wonderful looks at several. My fingers were numb from the temperatures and they keep moving, and are in the brush, so they made photography impossible. They are my 70th County bird.

Later in the day, we birded our property and the adjacent forest. One of the highlights was a pair of Brown Creepers working on our white pines. I heard them first and then laid on the forest floor to watch them (easier on the neck). We have a couple of pairs that seem to be in residence and it is always a treat to hear and see them.

I love Hermit Thrushes. They don't seem to be vocalizing yet but we have a few that I hope are nesting here. — I love Hermit Thrushes. They don’t seem to be vocalizing yet but we have a few that I hope are nesting here.

We came home to an array of birds in our backyard, both at the feeder and in surrounding trees. Here is a shot of a Dark-eyed Junco and a pair of Purple Finches on the same branch of our old apple tree.

The Song Sparrow to the right looks too red and the Dark-eyed Junco looks too light but it was just the afternoon lighting angle. — The Dark-eyed Junco to the left looks too light but it was just the afternoon lighting angle.

Here are the eBird reports from today.

Wrightsville Reservoir – East Montpelier (190 acres), Washington, US-VT
Apr 26, 2013 8:25 AM – 9:44 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments: Northern end by swimming area <br />Submitted from BirdLog NA for iOS, version 1.5.3
17 species

Canada Goose 2
Mallard 6
Common Merganser 5
Downy Woodpecker 1
Eastern Phoebe 2
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 3
Common Raven 1
Black-capped Chickadee X
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
American Robin 4
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Song Sparrow X
Swamp Sparrow X Numerous singing lustily
White-throated Sparrow 6
Red-winged Blackbird X
Purple Finch 2

Dick’s Backyard-woods, Washington, US-VT
Apr 26, 2013 3:00 PM – 4:28 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.5 mile(s)
Comments: Dog walk – long <br />Submitted from BirdLog NA for iOS, version 1.5.3
13 species

Mourning Dove 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1
American Crow 2
Black-capped Chickadee X
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Brown Creeper 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
Hermit Thrush 2
Song Sparrow 4
Dark-eyed Junco X
Purple Finch 2

Birding on the First Day of Spring

We got about a foot of new snow Monday and all day, the birds hit the feeders pretty hard. It was interesting to see some of them pause under the feeder’s eaves to take a break out of the snowfall. One Red-breasted Nuthatch sat there, nearly motionless, for about 15 minutes before finally flying off with his sunflower seed.

So Tuesday, the first day of spring, was beautiful but not too birdy. Chickadees, like this one, were active as usual and doing all their spring calls as we took our first walk.

Nothing stops chickadees from getting their breakfast.

As the dog and I started out to the drumming of a Hairy Woodpecker, we headed up into the red pine grove. I was on snowshoes and Penny ranged ahead — until some gusts of wind started dumping snow off the trees. Here she is heading back to me all a dither. It only lasted for five minutes.

The Vizsla does not like surprise snow dumps like this one.

We weren’t seeing a lot of birds but it was a good workout in the new snow. We made a long loop and came out on a west-facing slope where I found several birds’ nests that overlook the Shady Rill brook and road. Here’s my favorite with an old barn below.

When we returned to the house, about an hour and a half later, we found the thistle feeder and feeders covered with Common Redpolls.

Great Backyard Bird Count is Coming Up

From February 15-18, take part in a free, family-friendly educational activity that is loads of fun and supports bird conservation! Tens of thousands of volunteers participate in the annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), counting birds in backyards, local parks, nature reserves, and wherever they happen to be.

After 15 years of success in North America, this year birdwatchers of all ages and birding skill levels from around the globe are encouraged to participate. The GBBC provides a great opportunity to learn more about birds and connect with nature – whether from your living room window, or by hiking a local trail. The GBBC is also an ideal way for more experienced birders to introduce friends, family, and others to the wonderful world of birding.

Snow Buntings will be one of the target birds for Central Vermont GBBC birders. photo by omarrun

Visit the GBBC website to explore the species seen in your community or state. Make the birds in your neighborhood count as part of the big picture in continental bird conservation. Join in this year’s Great Backyard Bird Count. The GBBC is a joint project of Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology with Canadian partner Bird Studies Canada.

If you are looking for a special GBBC outing in Vermont:

Huntington
Saturday, February 16, 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Green Mountain Audubon Center, 255 Sherman Hollow Rd.
Join us at the Green Mountain Audubon Center for a bird monitoring walk in the morning. Then visit the Birds of Vermont Museum bird feeding station, explore the museum exhibits, drink some bird-friendly coffee, and learn more about the Great Backyard Bird Count. All ages welcome!
–8:00-10:00 a.m. Bird Monitoring Walk; Meeting Place: GMAC Office Building; Free
–10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. GBBC open house; Meeting Place: Birds of Vermont Museum; Museum admission: adults $6, seniors $5, children $3
Contact: Charley Wilkinson

For GBBC events in your state, check here.

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County Big Year – Goal Setting

As I plan for a Big Year for the county, I’ve been looking over the data on eBird for Washington County for counts of birds for the last few years. This year’s reports have new records — 196 for the county and 167 by the top individual, the team Fred & Chris Pratt. They are gone three months of the year which makes the feat even more impressive.

The Hairy that hits our suet daily should be an easy New Year's Day county tick. — The Hairy that hits our suet daily should be an easy New Year’s Day county tick.

We had finch irruptions this year but few if any rare species like the Northern Hawk Owl or Varied Thrush of former years so based on about 200 species for the county, I’m going to to set a personal target of 170 species in Washington County for 2013. (I have only logged 132 species for this year although we were gone from the state quite a bit.) So, off we start next week.

I'm hoping that the Common Redpolls that are overrunning our feeders will stay for another week -- or longer. — I’m hoping that the Common Redpolls that are overrunning our feeders will stay for another week — or longer.

I decided to set some monthly goals as well based on past arrivals of species on eBird. I took a look at January bird records and set a target of 35 species for the month. Many of them will be easy (crow, chickadee, blue jay, nuthatches,etc) but I’m hoping to see Bohemian Waxwings, which I’ve missed this year, a Northern Shrike, which is a nemesis bird for me, and a return of Pine Siskins and Pine Grosbeaks. The waterways have pretty much frozen up so the Mallard and mergansers I have on the list may have to wait until later. I also need the Common Redpolls to hang around for another week.

White-breasted Nuthatches, like this one visiting today, are here all winter (along with their red-breasted cousins.

The next step in my planning will be to spend more time with maps of the county, putting together a list of hot spots and areas that have potential that I’ve never visited.

Given the new two feet of powder, I have a feeling that much of my January birding will be on snowshoes or XC skis. Oh Darn!

Birding Once Again

I’ve been laid up after last Thursday’s surgery and while I have enjoyed watching birds coming to our feeders, it was nice to get out in the woods early this frosty morning for my first outdoor outing in nearly a week. Mary has done a great job with keeping the dog exercised but I was ready to take back that duty — carefully.

There’s not a lot out and about at daybreak aside from the chickadees, nuthatches, blue jays, and crows but they were nice to hear and see as I trudged up the crusty frozen path. I’ve been reading up on birding by ear and looking into recording and analyzing calls so I brought my iPhone along. Even though we live in the country, the background noises can be loud in the early morning. We have a noisy rooster a mile or so off and there’s always a dog or two barking in the distance. The traffic noise, even though the road is a half-mile off, can get loud and of course, I have the Vizsla tromping back and forth “helping” me bird. I think recording will be a work in progress for a while .. but an interesting aspect of birding to look into.

BlueJayW — A Blue Jay eyes our suet package.

Since I had to take it easy and pause periodically, it was fun to remember past sightings as I moved along our trail — the trees where three Brown Creepers were calling to one another as they foraged, the dead snag where a hawk sat until the dog spooked it, the little meadow where a couple of Common Yellowthroats drove me nuts as I tried to get them to settle for a photograph. We then flushed a partridge and the dog was off and running again.

I find that this “virtual birding” is enjoyable — recalling specific birds you have seen at given points along a patch that you frequently bird. It’s a diversion on days were there are few birds but it also is a reminder that hey, it won’t be long until we start seeing ______ again.

RedPollW — A group of Common Redpolls made their first visit this morning.

And sure enough, as I returned and thawed my hands out, I noticed a new bird at the feeder. It was our first Common Redpoll of the season. We’ve been expecting them and it was great to see them again.

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