Blog by Wild Birds Unlimited of Grosse Pointe Woods

Tag Archives: Spring

Decluttering Your Bird Feeders… Or Not

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Much has been written about decluttering lately. And so, of course, my thoughts turn to bird feeders.

A common bit of wisdom regarding decluttering is to ask yourself if an item brings you Joy.

Cylinder Feeders

Blue Jay on Cylinder Feeder (Photo by Lisa Vreede)

When I fill my cylinder feeder with a new No-Mess seed cylinder, I notice Blue Jays coming in groups. Perhaps the first jay to discover the gleaming peanuts will stand atop the pole and give a little bounce up and down as he calls to the others in his tribe. Then the hammering begins; the birds’ feet holding on tightly, their heads moving back and forth, excavating each peanut with precision. Then off the Jay flies to a branch to eat its prize. Or maybe it plans to stash the peanuts. The flurry of blue from feeder to tree branches is so beautiful to watch.

Okay – Joy with the cylinder feeder… keep it!

Suet Feeders

Pileated Woodpecker on Double Tail Prop Feeder

Then I consider my suet feeders. I have a lot of those. Tail prop feeders – I have two of the extra-large version. Last time I filled them with Nuts and Berries Suet I was in Boyne City, and when I was done, I called out to the woods ,“Hey Buddy (my male Pileated Woodpecker’s  given name), I just filled the feeders for you!” And I kid you not; within two minutes, he flew into the woods along the road and hammered away at one of his favorite trees, doing some serious excavation. Then, as I backed away from the feeders, he came in on his landing tree. By the time I was in the house, I had the Pileated Woodpecker on one of the double tail-prop suet feeders, and a Hairy Woodpecker on the other one.

Okay –  true Joy with the double tail-prop suet feeders – keep them. All of them.

Finch Feeders

American Goldfinches

Next I reflect on my finch feeders. Yes, that’s plural as well. This past winter, it was so exciting to watch for finches of all varieties. The Winter Finch Forecast predicted we would have many irruptions into our area. This happens when seed crops are not optimal in Ontario, so irregularly occurring species move south in search of plentiful food sources. Pine Siskins can be identified at a distance by their very pointy beaks, looking like just-sharpened pencils. Careful observations need to be made to notice the potential Common Redpoll – such a dainty bird with the sweetest red cap. Of course, these winter visitors mix in well with American Goldfinches who visit the feeders all year long. As we move into spring, I watch my goldfinches carefully with binoculars to note when I see the first hint of yellow feathers as they molt into spring plumage.

Joy with the finch feeders – keep those too!

Hopper Feeders

Female Northern Cardinal at Hopper Feeder

Time to evaluate the large hopper feeder, which holds an abundance of seed. I am relieved when the birds visit first thing in the morning, proof they made it through another challenging night. I feel so fortunate to be able to provide them with readily available food that has no shells, allowing for quick energy. If it’s cold enough, birds can go through all of their fat reserves in one night just to keep alive.

More Joy with the foundational hopper feeder – keep it.

Specialty Feeders

Red-breasted Nuthatch (Photo by Bill Rapai)

Then there is the peanut feeder, a draw for specific birds. It is certainly a favorite of Red-breasted Nuthatches that cling on upside-down.  I love to watch their bodies teeter back and forth like little sledge hammers as they pound away to extract a peanut. They make the dearest sounds, similar to small squeak toys. It has been an irruptive season for Red-breasted Nuthatches and I wouldn’t want to miss a moment of them.

Joy with my peanut feeder – keep it!

Tufted Titmouse on Dinner Bell Feeder

Finally, my thoughts turn to the variety of foods I offer the birds when I’m in a time crunch. For example, I can simply open a bag of Bark Butter Bits and pour them into my Dinner Bell feeder. This feeder is the most versatile and I dare say one of my absolute favorites. I can lower the weather dome so just the smaller birds fit between the tray and the dome, even excluding House Sparrows if low enough. It gives the Black-capped Chickadees a place they can dart to, picking up the beak-sized Bark Butter Bit and flying off to a branch. It is so fun to watch as they hold it in their feet and eat it with dainty bites. The Dinner Bell is also great for mealworm feeding. Mealworms give birds the protein they need for feather production when molting and for calcium when they are ready for egg-laying season.

Okay – Joy with my Dinner Bell Feeder – keep them.  Both of them.

So much for ridding myself of the “clutter” of bird feeders. Anything that bring me this much Joy is a keeper!

Bird Spotlight: Green Heron

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Photo Courtesy: Valerie Gebert

“They look like a kindergartner that dressed for school, choosing bright pants that didn’t match the multiple colors they put on,” said my niece after observing a Green Heron at the shoreline of an inland lake. Technically, they aren’t truly green; they have more of a greenish-blue cast to their backs like velvet draperies in an English Manor; a deep chestnut body, a darker, capped head and bright yellow legs. They also have white underneath the tail, most evident when the tail is flicked in agitation.

Diet & Feeding Behavior

Green Herons wait patiently for prey to cross their paths as they sit perched in every imaginable yoga pose along the water’s edge. Small fish, crustaceans, frogs – all are on the menu. Watching these birds hunt is a lesson in patience and perseverance. They stand for many minutes with necks retracted, their stares fixated at the water in front of them. When prey comes within striking distance, they strike quickly, extending their necks to almost the full length of their bodies. Whatever the catch, the heron flips it down into the back of the beak, then down the hatch in one gulp!

Photo Courtesy: Beth Miller, as seen on Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s “All About Birds” site

If you are lucky enough to come across them in your outdoor adventures, sit and watch; you may see another behavior that is sure to blow your mind – a Green Heron using a tool to fish. Yes, Green Herons uses tools to lure fish, dropping insects, twigs and feathers onto the water’s surface. This is an amazing sight to see, and one that I have been fortunate enough to witness from the quiet of a kayak.

Photo Courtesy: Valerie Gebert

Habitat

Where can you find Green Herons? They prefer bodies of water with vegetation near the shoreline. Think of our inland lakes and all of the exploring you can do in early morning. Our Huron-Clinton Metroparks are great places for this type of birding. The Edsel & Eleanor Ford House is another likely spot. Use your binoculars to scan the water’s edges, as well as checking lily pads. Listen carefully for a loud “SKEOW!” – a likely sign of a Green Heron relocating. I have noticed they often verbalize while flying from one space to the next.

Photo Courtesy: Valerie Gebert

Nesting

Green Herons make nests from twigs which they situate in trees. Both parents tend to the young. To start, the female lays between 3-5 eggs, and both she and her mate incubate them for 19-21 days. The youngsters are then fed by both parents, who regurgitate food into their mouths. In another 21-23 days, they’re ready to fly. Finally, the young fledge at about 30-35 days of age, meaning they are no longer dependent upon their parents. Green Herons mate monogamously each breeding season, often changing mates from one season to the next.

Wintering & Other Fun Facts

After breeding in Michigan (as well as in other states), Green Herons spend their winters in Mexico and Central America. However, during the post-breeding season, they have been known to show up as far as England and France, which is as exciting for the people there as it is for us when we see a Snowy Owl – what a special treat!

Photo Courtesy: Valerie Gebert

The oldest Green Heron on record was 7 years and 11 months old. It was found in Mexico in 1979 and first banded in Oklahoma in 1971.

Did you know – a group of herons can be called a rookery, a battery, a pose, a scattering or a hedge?

Whatever you call them, I hope you see many Green Herons in your forays into the field this year!

 

Enjoy your birds,

-Rosann Kovalcik

Owner, Wild Birds Unlimited, Grosse Pointe Woods

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References

Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (2017). Green Heron Overview.

Retrieved from https://www.allaboutbirds.org/

guideGreen_Heron/overview

Northern Cardinal – A Crimson Jewel in the Garden

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male Northern Cardinal by Kathi Hince

One of the moments I like most about late winter is hearing the Northern Cardinal beginning to sing. Prompted by the length of day, the Northern Cardinal sings to mark its territory.

If we’re lucky, we can hear two male Cardinals calling in tandem in a hormonal duel. Unlike many other songbirds, the females also sing. Often in response to the song the male initiates, the female will sing from the nest. Many times, her song is longer and more complex than the male’s! During nesting season, this is her way of asking her mate for food, as she is the sole incubator and does not leave the nest. Cardinals have an amazing physiology within their syrinx which allows for their complex song. Click here for a link to recordings and explanations.

Northern Cardinals appeared in Michigan in the late 1800’s, expanding their range due to deforestation. Cardinals prefer the opening of forest edges as well as low shrubs, so our yards make great habitat for these birds!

female Northern Cardinal by Kathi Hince

Nesting

The female Cardinal is responsible for nest building. She bends twigs around her body and uses her feet to push them into a cup shape. There are four layers to the nest including: coarse twigs, a mat of leaves, thin bark, and a soft top layer of grasses, rootlets and pine needles.

In Michigan, Northern Cardinals start to nest in mid-April, laying 2 to 4 eggs. Incubation takes up to two weeks. After hatching, the young stay in the nest another few weeks fledging. The young are fed protein in the form of caterpillars and other soft-bodied insects. Adults are omnivorous, adding seeds and fruits to their diet of insects.

male Northern Cardinal by Kathi Hince

More Fun Facts

These birds are named for their bright red plumage thought to be reminiscent of the cleric by that name. The have the distinctive honor of being the State Bird of no fewer than seven states, which is more than any other bird.

Another endearing aspect of Cardinals is how the male feeds the female as part of courtship display. This is a change from their behavior in the winter, when it is every bird for itself.

Juvenile Cardinals look like the females, a warm brown with golden overtones, and a lighter belly color, sporting red in their tail feathers,  wings and crest. The difference between female Cardinals and the young is the females have a bright red beak, whereas young birds have a gray/black beak.

The males have a prominent black facial mask larger and more striking than the females’. The beak is a distinctive characteristic in Northern Cardinals. It is very short and robust – a true seed cracking tool. The cardinal holds a seed in the beak, with a crunch down to crack the shell, then a roll of the tongue to rotate the seed until the shell falls away. This leaves the nut “meat” for the bird to consume. This method of eating allows the Cardinals to stay at feeders and eat. Other birds like Chickadees must instead fly off to a perch where they can hold the seed in their feet in order to extricate the edible portion of the seed.

Window Strikes

Northern Cardinals are one of the species of birds that are known to attack their reflection in a window or car mirror, repeatedly striking the surface, much to our frustration and dismay. This behavior takes place because the bird believes it is attacking another bird, an intruder in the nesting territory. In order to stop this behavior, block the birds’ reflection on the outside of the window. A product aptly named Stop Bird Attack is sprayed on the outside of the window, easily removed when no longer needed (this product sold at Wild Birds Unlimited in Grosse Pointe Woods).

male Northern Cardinal by Kathi Hince

Attracting Northern Cardinals

To attract Northern Cardinals, offer black oil sunflower either in or out of the shell, safflower and shelled peanuts. All of these seeds can be place in a hopper feeder with a larger ledge or a tube feeder with an added tray, essential for their body size if they are to reach the feeding ports.

Take a listen for this beautiful songster, filling the days with sound that will lift your spirit.

Enjoy your birds!

-Rosann Kovalcik

Owner, Wild Birds Unlimited, Grosse Pointe Woods

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Attracting Orioles to Your Yard

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Graffius Oriole 3 small

Baltimore Oriole by John Graffius

In search of an adequate food supply to raise a family, thousands of Baltimore Orioles migrate from Central America to Michigan during springtime. What does it take to attract these vibrantly plumaged orange and black birds to our yard?

When the male arrives, he is in search of a territory that will provide the basics – food, water, shelter and places to raise young – those elements allow him to carry on his genetics, the sole purpose of migration.

Undoubtedly, you will hear Orioles before you see them. The male Baltimore Oriole’s song consists of a short series of paired notes, repeated 2–7 times, lasting 1–2 seconds. The pure, liquid, flute-like sounds have a full, rich tone. Once you accustom yourself to its song, you will be able to search for them visually.

Orioles can be found in open woodlands, woodland edges, and riparian woodlands and in our shade trees in suburban neighborhoods. They do not prefer deep forests.

Graffius Oriole 6 small

Baltimore Oriole by John Graffius

Because of Orioles’ habit of feeding at treetop level, consummate birder Pete Dunne nicknamed them The Eastern Arboreal Oriole. So why the nickname? This is a bird that is wedded to dense leaf canopy. Males sing from exposed perches to warn other males of proclaimed territory. Both the male and female land on the tallest point of a tree before slipping into the dense canopy to begin foraging for insects. These include caterpillars that emerge to eat unfurling new growth on trees.

Oak trees in particular offer more diversity of caterpillars than any other tree in Southeast Michigan. While an oak may not mature to full size during your lifetime, planting it for its food value to birds is an investment in the future of birds. Orioles eat many pest species, including tent caterpillars, gypsy moth caterpillars, fall webworms, spiny elm caterpillars, and the larvae within plant galls. Larger caterpillars are a challenge for some birds, but the Oriole has many strategies for eating them. The birds’ beak is quite pointed and is used to slice through the exterior of a caterpillar, allowing it to eat the nutritional insides. Orioles often have a feeding limb, a favored place to feed, as can be attested to by dried caterpillar skins accumulated on the branch. Orioles eat other insects as well including beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, moths, and flies and non-insects including spiders, snails, and other small invertebrates.

Graffius Oriole 5 small

Baltimore Oriole on a WBU Oriole Feeder, by John Graffius

Baltimore Orioles sometimes use their slender beaks to feed in an unusual way, called “gaping”: they stab the closed bill into soft fruits, and then open their mouths to cut a juicy swath from which they drink with their brushy-tipped tongues. Fruits that are especially attractive to Orioles are those that are dark in color. A variety of these plants can offer the high lipid fat that the birds need for fall migration – dogwoods, chokeberry, elderberry, and viburnums. Native plants grow native caterpillars in abundance and therefore, are the perfect choice when planning your bird-friendly yard.

Orioles also have an early spring feeding strategy– they drink from the wells of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers (related to the woodpecker family). These woodpeckers create purposeful holes to encourage sap to run, which in turn attracts insects, an additional food source for the birds.

Graffius Oriole 4 small

For a closer look at Orioles, you can place feeders in your yard that offer the same types of foods they find in the wild. Dark grape jelly can be offered in plastic and glass dishes, oranges can be placed on pronged feeders and nectar feeders will round out the offerings. Mealworms are another great food source to offer – the birds will take the worms back to their young as well as bring the young to the feeders once they are fledged. Your feeding station will be most successful if it is some distance away from other feeding stations. Your feeding station should be set up the first week of May to attract the abundance of Orioles that migrate at that time. Once migration is over and the local birds have established their territory, you may find that the mated pair (or two if you are lucky) near your home can be very skittish at feeders. As a bonus, other birds will enjoy these offerings including House Finches and Cardinals.

Oriole Father feeding baby

Baltimore Oriole feeding baby

Female Orioles are responsible for the building of the nest that will hold their eggs and resultant young, usually four in number. Long strips of plant material are the backbone of their nest. Most frequently they use milkweed and dogbane, clipping the plant at the base just above where they are holding it firmly in their feet. Pulling up, they create strips that are then flown to the nest site and tied in place. Leave last years’ milkweed and dogbane standing into the spring so that these birds can utilize them, or clip it and add it to your nesting material basket. Elms were the favorite trees of Orioles for nest building before Dutch elm disease took its toll on them. Now, they favor maples, willows, poplars and oaks. Placed at the tip of branches, the sock-like structure has the advantage of being difficult for predators to reach.

The nest is a work of art, a suspended pouch woven as two separate walls. The female uses a shuttling motion to create the walls and then stitches the two halves together. The inside plant material can consist of dandelion fluff, the downy material from willows and poplars and short strips of grape bark. Natural materials can be placed in a suet basket and placed where you can enjoy these beauties helping themselves. Short strips of natural fibers (avoid polyester), hair, and string may be used by Orioles in nest construction. Fishing line and dryer lint are two materials not to be used. The fishing line is too thin and can easily entangle the bird. Dryer lint has materials that will hold moisture and would cool eggs and babies instead of keeping them warm as natural materials would. The female builds the nest over a period of about eight days. Nests are not reused, although some of the nesting material might be used in the new structure.

Graffius Oriole 2 small

Baltimore Oriole by John Graffius

Males keep a watchful eye on the female as she works, mating with her when she allows. Incubation is done by the female entirely, lasting a period of 12 to 14 days. Both parents feed the young for the next two weeks, during which time the naked hatchlings develop into fully feathered adult sized birds.

Now it is the male’s turn to take over as the young follow him for lessons on where to look for food. The female spends her time eating to regain the weight she lost and preparing herself for fall migration. We are happy to share photos of a male feeding his youngsters mealworms!

Orioles leave early back to their southerly home, our yards quieter without their songs as early as the end of August.

Well worth the effort to attract, Orioles make our time in the yard a special time indeed!

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