Showing posts with label for the birds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label for the birds. Show all posts

For the Birds: Red-breasted Nuthatch - Our local tin-horn player

Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Red-breasted Nuthatch belting out its
tin-horn sound. Photo by Craig Kerns
By Christine Southwick

There’s a small blue-slate colored bird with a striped head moving quickly along the trunk of my cedar tree - sometimes headfirst, then zig-zagging sideways then downward again. 

It repeatedly stops and energetically pokes into crevasses looking for bugs. The tree and the bird like each other - the bird finds its meals while helping to keep the tree healthy.

The Red-breasted Nuthatch is sort of a noisy bird - its contact calls sound like a tiny tin-horn. It doesn’t really have a song as most people think of bird songs. When it gets excited it makes a series of yank-yank calls.

Female feeding nestling. Note the resin around
 the nest hole. Photo by Craig Kerns
Their nest is exceptional. They peck their own eight-inch-deep nest holes - one of the few non-woodpecker birds to do so and the only local non-woodpecker bird. 

They try to find softer or dead parts of trees for their excavations (you can help by creating a wildlife tree from a dying tree). 

After lining the nest with grass, pine needles, fur and feathers, for some reason the pair will smear tree pitch around the opening.

These birds have been known to use a piece of bark to spread this resin - crows aren’t the only birds that can use tools. The adults fly directly into the nest during brooding to avoid contact with their applied nest protection.

The male feeds the female while she sits on the eggs
Photo by Craig Kerns
The pair are usually monogamous, with the male feeding the female while she sits on the 5-8 eggs for about 2 weeks. 

Both feed their young for the 18-21 days in the nest, and then for the first two weeks after they fledge.

When the female is on her nest she is mostly silent. When the nestlings fledge, those tiny tin- horn sounds abound. A person can locate the newly hatched brood by following their calls.

In the wintertime these short-distance flyers join chickadees and other small birds for successful winter foraging. These nuthatches eat seeds and insects (like spiders and earwigs) and will store winter supplies in bark crevices.

Male eating suet. This is a typical pose.
Photo by Craig Kerns
They readily come to seed feeders and suet. They love black oil seeds and mealworms.

They will use nest boxes but are fussy about size and aging. It is better to put out a nest box in the fall so that it will age over the winter (and local birds can use it for winter shelter). 

A preferred nest box mimics a cavity like the nuthatch would excavate.

See previous For the Birds columns by Christine Southwick HERE



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For the Birds: A Yellow Bird in the Winter? Here?

Monday, February 28, 2022

Male Townsend's on branch. Photo by Craig Kerns

By Christine Southwick

Who’s that small warbler-sized bird with yellow and black on its head feeding on my suet, here in the dead of winter? That’s a Townsend’s Warbler!

The male’s yellow head with the black ear patch and black throat, plus the blackish cap really make the yellow pop. The male has a black throat above his yellow breast, and black streaks on the sides of the breast. The female has similar markings, except her black is so pale it looks almost greenish, and her throat is bright yellow. Both males and females have a yellow spot directly under their eyes.

Female Townsend's photo by Craig Kerns
Townsend’s Warblers thrive in old growth forests but can be found in tall evergreen forests with mature, not open, understories. 

They are at home from sea level to subalpine forests, building their nest for 3-5 eggs more than 30 feet up (third-story building height) on a main limb of an evergreen.

The brightly colored males sing their buzzy territorial songs from the top of tall evergreens, making it frustratingly hard to see them while hiking amongst tall conifers.

Townsend’s love caterpillars, especially spruce budworms. They glean lots of insects from conifer needles and buds, plus occasionally catching insects on the wing.
Female Townsend's on suet. Photo by Craig Kerns

Most Townsend’s Warblers migrate to Mexico or Central America during the winter, but a smaller population stays year-round in western Washington and Oregon. 

These hearty warblers come down lower to find wintering bugs, and will readily eat suet, mealworms and peanut butter. 

They still need lots of evergreen cover, and liquid water, so only come to yards that supply those requirements.

Why don’t you see them much in the summertime? 

Male watching. Photo by Craig Kerns
They are here, mostly high in the canopy, although they will come down for a drink of water, and while hunting lower bugs to feed nestlings. 

Yellow is a surprisingly effective camouflage coloring, especially if a yellow bird is pursuing bugs in trees with yellow in their leaves, like weeping willows, and alders.

Habitat loss is the number one cause of species declines, and logging of old growth, and the cutting down of large, tall neighborhood trees seem to be affecting some Townsend’s populations.

Watch your suet feeders, put out mealworms and peanut butter, and you may see these warblers in your yard all year long. They don’t stay long, but they will return repeatedly once they have found a reliable food source. Enjoy—you should be so lucky.



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For the Birds: Bewick’s Wren – Our local Bug-eater Extraordinaire

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Bewick's Wren with two spiders. Photo by Craig Kerns

By Christine Southwick
 
If you have a small boisterous ball of feathers flitting through your shrubs, stopping every so often to belt out lovely warbles, whistles, and trills, you probably have a resident Bewick’s Wren. 

If it repeatedly flicks its tail over its back, has a distinctive white eyebrow, and scolds you if you get too close, you definitely have a Bewick’s Wren!

Consider yourself well pleased. Your yard is being used by one of the best insect and spider exterminators.

Male Bewick's Wren singing his territorial songs.
Photo by Elaine Chuang

The males have the guard duty, and take it quite seriously, loudly protecting their territory with up to 22 different songs in their repertoire.

One example of a Beck's nest.
Photo by Christine Southwick
They also have the house-hunting gene, often making three or four starter nest-sites, with the female finishing her selected nest site. 

The nests start with a lot of twigs which the female tops with moss, feathers and hairs to make a soft and warm cup for her eggs. 

Nests are placed in cavities, ledges, and other hidden places. They don’t like high-traffic area, and don’t make nests out in the open.

Right now these early nesters are already chattering back and forth, and it won’t be long until the female is sitting on 3-6 eggs, while the male brings her food.

These mainly insect-eaters forage in shrubs, trees and the ground, and especially like brush piles and leaf-covered ground where they uncover their insect and spider meals. 

Bewick’s Wrens can be seen moving through local native plants such as dogwoods, elderberries, snowberries, salmonberries and blackberries, ocean spray, and rhododendrons to list a few.

They love willows, cherry trees, Indian Plum, serviceberries, viburnums and trees in general where they easily find their insect morsels and the males can watch their territory.

Bewick's Wren with large moth as babies get older.
Photo by Craig Kerns

Bewick’s Wrens are smaller than song sparrows, are acrobatic and can forage upside down when necessary. They like to eat suet and mealworms, but they usually won’t come to your seed feeders. They readily use nest boxes, and now is the time to put them up.

Since these birds eat the bugs in your garden, don’t poison them by using pesticides. Wrens and other birds will rid your yard of most bugs, and you can always use water to spray off remaining bugs.

Just a fun note: Birders in this area say if you can’t identify a bird song, since the males can sing so many songs, it is likely a Bewick’s Wren.



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For the Birds: Barred Owls — Denizen of Long Winter Nights

Friday, January 21, 2022

Photo by Elaine Chuang

By Christine Southwick

Barred Owls are noisy owls, frequently making contact calls with their long-term mates, or maybe just making comments. They have a distinctive “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all…?” call, but they will often make kind of a barking sound, and other sounds that vary upon their mood.

They are a medium-large owl, with dark eyes and a smooth head, and require lots of trees. They prefer old-growth forests, but readily move into second-growth forests, especially damp ones which have more prey. Their preferred meals are voles, shrews and mice, rats, young rabbits and moles. They will eat small fish, frogs, and larger insects.
 
They have large, feathered talons.
Photo by Elaine Chuang
Females are larger than males and may weigh up to a fluffy two pounds. So no, they can’t take your dog.

They prefer to sit on a prominent branch and wait for prey to come into their visual range before silently swooping down and capturing the prey with their strong feathered talons.

Owls hunt silently due to the noise-canceling evolution of their feathers. The leading edge of their wing feathers has comb-like serrations, and the trailing edge has a soft fringe to break up the sound produced by their large wings. Additionally, all owls have a unique velvety feather texture.

Give owls space. Photo by Elaine Chuang
Their large eyes and sensitive hearing allow them to locate their small prey. Dark cloudy days they may be seen hunting before dark, especially once breeding season begins in about March.

The female lays two-three eggs, two-three days apart, and starts brooding them as they are laid, unlike most birds which don’t start brooding their clutch until all are laid. 

The significance of brooding from the first egg means that the nestlings are different ages- in a nest with three eggs the first would be six-nine days older than the youngest.

"Here's lookin' at you, kid!" Photo by Elaine Chuang
The male brings food to his mate and nestlings until the youngsters leave the nest at about four weeks, but they don’t fly for a week or more after “branching,” the term used when they crawl out on a nearest branch using their beaks and talons. 

Both parents care for their offspring for usually four months, which is much longer than most owls.

Cavity nesters, Barred Owls need large old trees with holes. They will use nest boxes (unlike their only natural enemy the Great Horned Owl).



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For the Birds: Your Bird Muse for 2022

Thursday, December 30, 2021

This Song Sparrow has fluffed its feathers to trap warm air around itself.
Photo by Craig Kerns

By Christine Southwick

The first bird you see New Year’s Day is traditionally your guiding bird for that year. It is a fun way to connect with nature and to watch, learn, and embrace your local birds. What does “your” bird eat? Where does it nest — on the ground, in shrubs, planters, trees, or cavities in trees?

Every bird has some enduring qualities that allows them to thrive in this area, despite environmental challenges. Lessons and guidance can be gained from watching any specific bird.

Bewick's Wren alert and looking for its next meal
Photo by Craig Kerns
But what if it is a starling, or a robin, or shudder, one of those little brown jobbies?

European Starlings are smart, social and follow group dynamics. Closely-knit wheeling-flying displays called murmurations are an amazing sight to behold.

American Robins are the quintessential Early Bird belting out their cheery song. Since they eat worms and insects, they won’t come to your feeders, but will eat bugs from your yard.

“Little Brown Jobs” in our area includes Song Sparrows, Lincoln Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, and even juvenile White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows but each has a distinct song, niche, and trait, just waiting for you to discover it. These are all great bug and weed-seed eaters.

Black-capped Chickadee, cold and trying to stay warm
Photo by Craig Kerns
Anna’s Hummingbird
Speedy with great precision

Band-tailed Pigeons, our native species, roost and nest near others — the basic group-lover. They require tall conifers.

Barred Owls, Great Horned Owls, Screech Owls are night creatures that see things often overlooked. They like to eat critters that roam at night. Keep those tall trees.

Bewick’s Wrens are inquisitive, talkative, eat your garden bugs, especially spiders, and fill your yard with liquid songs

Black-capped Chickadees often hang upside down, follow the rules, and have a strong mate-bond

Bushtits share well with others and communicate within groups

Cooper’s Hawks and Sharp-shinned Hawks survive by their wit and athletic prowess

Crows (American Crows) are highly intelligent and communicate with each other

Hairy Woodpecker Photo by Craig Kerns
Dark-eyed Juncos
keep in contact with each other verbally, and alert others about danger by flashing their white tail feathers.

Spotted Towhees will come if your yard is healthy. These birds scratch through leaves and duff to find their arthropod meals. If your yard is blown clear of leaves and sterile, you won’t have these pretty natives.

Varied Thrushes - eye-candy plus inspiring songsters arrive in healthy yards in wintertime, when they come looking for shelter, seeds and arthropods.

Woodpeckers—Downy, Hairy, Pileated, Northern Flicker and Red-breasted Sapsucker all visit yards with trees — the bigger and taller the better. They rid your trees of bugs, and work hard to create a home site for themselves and other cavity dwellers

See previous For the Birds columns HERE



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For the Birds: Pacific Northwest Christmas Bird - the Varied thrush

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Male in snow photo by Craig Kerns
By Christine Southwick

Much of the U.S. recognizes the Northern Cardinal as the Christmas Bird due to its bright red coloring.

But we in the western US do not have Northern Cardinals. Southern Arizona has some, but that is as close as they come to the rest of the West.

When an area doesn’t have the most recognized U.S. Christmas bird symbol in their area, what is the alternative? 

We could pick one that does hang out in our area during the winter months.

We don’t really have any winter birds with much red, or green for that matter. Sure, we have Spotted Towhees with their rufous sides, Pileated Woodpeckers with their red caps, Red-breasted Sapsuckers with their red heads, even some American Robins, but a distinctive bird that is just a winter visitor would be preferable.

Female in snow photo by Craig Kerns
Varied Thrushes fit the bill. Their coloring is so impressive they could be a Christmas ornament, and their ethereal winter song can stop you with delight. 

They are in the same family as American Robins, but more vividly colored.

The male has a burnt-orange stripe above his eyes that match his vivid breast and belly. 

He has a wide black necklace, and his head, back and tail are a bluish slate color. 

If that isn’t enough to make it look like an ornament, the wings are a bold pattern of slate, black and orange.

A male Varied thrush forages on the ground
Photo by Craig Kerns
The females have the same pattern, but her back is brown rather than slate-color, so the overall impression of the female is “What is that orange-ish bird?” 

The necklace on some females is hard to see — but it is there.

Varied Thrushes breed at higher elevations and come down to our area during winter months looking for seeds and berries.

As a Pacific Northwest bird, they particularly like dense forests and bushes, especially near streams, but they will sometimes dart out into yard opening during the winter.

In the wintertime Varied Thrushes will eat from ground feeders. Planting native fruiting shrubs is also a good way to attract them into your yard. 

Male and female foraging on the ground
A yard with native plants will often have a pair
Photo by Craig Kerns
Snowberries are an easy plant to grow. The white berries throughout the winter add interest to an otherwise drab yard, and once there has been a frost, Varied Thrushes and Spotted Towhees will eat those berries. Often while foraging you’ll hear a cute little “Chuck,” “Chuck.”

Maybe your yard will have our PNW Christmas Bird this year.



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For the Birds: Turkeys are a North American Species

Sunday, November 21, 2021

Female wild turkey stock photo
By Christine Southwick
 
Wild Turkeys are native to North America and can be found wild in every state except Alaska (Hawaii even has some wild turkeys, brought by ships, but then Hawaii has Red Jungle Fowl (wild chickens), so I’m not really surprised.

Turkeys are related to grouse, pheasants, and chickens. 

Wild Turkeys can fly up to 55mph for short distances, and can run as fast as 25mph, so don’t try catching one in the wild. 

They can see three times better than we can, and can see those orange hunting vests, since all birds can see color.

A group of related male Wild Turkeys will court females, but only one member of the group gets to mate. The female will usually have a clutch of 12 eggs.

Wild Turkeys eat acorns, seeds, insects, and even frogs and lizards.

Wild turkeys - stock photo

At sundown they roost in trees. When startled while on the ground the females usually fly away, while the males usually run. Males are bigger, about four feet long, females are about three feet long, and don’t have spurs on their legs, which males do, otherwise they look alike. Both genders have a snood (a dangly appendage on the face), a wattle (the red dangly bit under the chin) and the reddish color on the head is their skin, since they only have a few feathers there.

 If you really need to determine their gender, look at their poop: female poop is shaped like a letter j, while males produce spiral-shaped poop (I wonder who funded that study…)

There are 5-6 species of Wild Turkey throughout North America. Washington State has three species which WDFW keeps stocked for hunting purposes. Wild Turkey hunting is second only to deer hunting throughout the US.

The Aztecs domesticated a species, which the Spanish brought back to Europe, and some of these turkey descendants came back with European settlers.  Wild Turkeys have 3,500 feathers, and if you ever had to pluck a Wild Turkey it is a real chore.

And no, Benjamin Franklin didn’t propose the turkey for the symbol of America. What he said was that the Turkey was a much more respectable bird (than the Bald Eagle), and a true original Native of America.



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For the Birds: Not all Sparrows are Little Brown Jobs

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

 

Fox sparrow in leaves. Photo by Craig Kerns
By Christine Southwick

When most people hear the word “sparrow”, they usually think of hard-to-identify brown birds, “LBJ’s” in birding parlance (little brown jobs) and many people look for other more colorful birds.

Song Sparrows are probably our most common resident bird — almost every yard that has trees and/or shrubs has a Song Sparrow or two that eats insects, especially ground insects and weed seeds. These birds really do help keep your yard healthy and should be encouraged into your yard. 

Every spring and fall they belt out their delightful song for which they were so aptly named. They are one of those “little brown jobbies”.

Song Sparrow eating blackberries. Photo by Elaine Chuang
Fox Sparrows come down from breeding in higher elevations to winter in our milder weather. 

Their favorite winter locations are in/under protecting Himalayan Blackberries. 

Blackberry brambles always have bugs, seeds and old fruits to eat, provide the dense habitat that they prefer, mitigate cold temperatures, and keep out most predators.

Our sub-species, Sooty Fox Sparrow, is such a pretty bird with its two-toned bill, a solid brown back, and chevron-marked breast. 

To find this usually solitary bird look for a slightly larger, dark sparrow under the edges of shrubs or deep in thick leaves with a chocolate colored back, not a streaked brown back, doing its two-footed-leaf-kicking activity, and you have likely found a Fox Sparrow in your yard.

White-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Craig Kerns
Two delightful sparrows that migrate through our area are the White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows. 

Both species actually stay in open areas in the Puget Sound area, but they usually aren’t in our yards during the winter. I hear them passing through every late spring and late fall. 

Their heads really do have white-crowns or yellowish-gold crowns (at least on the adults), and most people don’t think of them as being LBJs once they take a good look at them.

Dark-eyed Juncos and Spotted Towhees are also sparrows, but no one would call them LBJs.

Golden-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Craig Kerns
Planting shrubs and berry bushes in your yard help provide sheltering bird-friendly habitat, a much-needed resource. 

Keeping your leaves under your shrubs enriches your soil and provides bird food stockpiles. 

If you make even a small brush pile it will invite birds to over-winter in your yard.

High fat suet (and nectar for hummingbirds) help provide life-saving energy for our local wild birds, especially during cold temperatures. 

And it is satisfying to know you are helping make a difference.

Read previous For the Birds columns HERE



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For the Birds: Create Bird Habitat, Now

Sunday, October 3, 2021

Pileated Woodpecker excavating nest. Photo by Doug Parrott

By Christine Southwick

You may already know that loss of habitat is the Number One cause of bird species decline and the direct cause of their exhaustion and death.

Since you and I can’t affect most habitat loss directly, it often seems like a hopeless state of affairs. Sure, you can write to your Senator and Representative, but that may be a long-delayed effort. 

Additionally, you can become members of conservation groups like Nature Conservancy, and the Iocal and national Audubon Society. There are several local and effective Washington conservation groups like Forterra, and Mountains to Sound Greenway.

Bewick's Wren feeding grubs to nestlings. Photo by Elaine Chuang

But, if you want to be effective immediately, create bird and wildlife friendly habitat in your own yard and neighborhood. How?

Here in the northwest October is a good time to plant shrubs and trees. Start by planting NATIVE plants and trees. Plants and trees from other parts of the US or the world do not add habitat value.

Wildlife tree sign (available at Wild Birds Unlimited in Lake Forest Park)

Why? you ask
. Bugs, which birds need to survive, only live on plants that they recognize. Those plants that never have holes in their leaves because local bugs don’t nibble on them are basically lifeless as far as birds are concerned. Caterpillars, grubs, and bugs are bird-protein meals, needed all year long, especially for feeding their young, and during cold and wet times.

Create more prime bird-friendly habitat by making that dead, dying or over-powering tree in your yard into a “Wildlife Tree”. For many people a tree perceived to be dead or dying is ugly and therefore needs to be cut down.

To birds, a dead tree or one with dead branches is a thing of Habitat Beauty.

These snag trees are called “wildlife trees” since they can provide many layers of habitat for all kinds of birds and other wildlife.

Snag with juvenile Merlins here in Shoreline. Photo by Barbara Deihl

Most any species and size of tree may be used as a snag. Chickadees can nest in snags as small 4 inches in diameter and 6 feet tall. Snags 12 inches in diameter or larger, and at least 15 feet tall are great perches for hawks, eagles, owls, and even smaller birds.

“Birds, small mammals, and other wildlife use snags for nests, nurseries, storage areas, foraging, roosting, and perching. Live trees with snag-like features, such as hollow trunks, excavated cavities, and dead branches can provide similar wildlife value.”

Read more on the WDFW website. Most arborists in our area will create snags.

See all previous For The Birds columns here



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For the Birds: Spotted Towhee — Our Resident Skulker

Monday, July 12, 2021

 

Spotted Towhee (male) on rock. Photo by Christine Southwick

By Christine Southwick

Spotted Towhees, formerly called Rufus-sided Towhees (their breasts and bellies are white), are gorgeous birds. If you have shrubs and leaves under them, then you probably have towhees, if you can spot one.

These “larger than Song Sparrows but smaller than robins” birds are masters of lurking under bushes and low branches as they vigorously scratch and double-kick through leaves and other duff searching for their meals of seeds and invertebrates.

Young Spotted Towhee first juvenile stage. Photo by Craig Kerns

Starting as early as February male Spotted Towhees claim their territories by belting out their buzzy songs— they sound similar to Dark-eyed Juncos, only louder.

These are ground nesters, with the females constructing the top edge of the nest level with the leaf litter. Watch for and avoid their nests which are usually in secluded areas. Both parents feed their 3-5 young, and often only have one brood.

They mainly feed their fledglings insects they find using their loud two-footed backward-hopping- insect-seeking rustling, but they eat predominately seeds and berries the rest of the year.

Juvenile Spotted Towhee in second stage -- body feathers are changed to appear more adult. Note the brown flight feathers. Photo by Craig Kerns

The juvenile towhees at first glance look like over-sized Song Sparrows with long dark tails. They start replacing their body feathers into the rufus sides like their parents about 3-4 weeks after they have left their nest, but their wing feathers will be dark brown. If you see only the male feeding his young — the female is probably hatching a second brood.

If a second brood fledges, you may see Spotted Towhees with three distinct feather patterns:
  1. beginning juvenile plumage,
  2. 2nd stage of juvenile plumage (these feathers will be kept until the following summer), and
  3. the shiny, black wing (flight) feathers of the impressive adults.

Three colors of eyes as Spotted Towhees age. Photo by Elaine Chuang

Another clue is eye color. Juvies have grayish eyes; first to second year birds have orange eyes; and adults over two years old have bright reddish eyes.

Right now you might not be seeing them under feeders too much, but they are skulking around under those shrubs and digging through to the leaves.



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For the Birds: The Swallows are back!

Thursday, June 17, 2021

Barn Swallow note the long forked tail
stock photo
By Christine Southwick

Every spring Tree Swallows, Violet-green Swallows, Barn Swallows and Northern Rough-winged swallows wend their way back to our neighborhoods. 

They usually start showing up here in the March-April timeframe. Their early morning chattering, while they are waiting for the bugs to rouse, and the dizzyingly fast movements of these aerial foragers is a clear sign that they are back!

Tree Swallow stock photo
These bug-eating machines are a delight to watch as they zoom overhead catching all sorts of flying bugs. 

Swallows are gregarious birds and will usually be seen pursuing their bug meals with several others, often mixed swallow species, all darting, turning, and reversing their courses without colliding with one another. 

Here near water and open areas, it is common to see Violet-green Swallows and Tree Swallows hunting in the same areas. 

Barn Swallows can often be found flying with these birds, especially at Green Lake. Northern Rough-winged Swallows are also in the area, more often in areas where there are sandy banks suitable for nesting.

Tree Swallow feeding young. stock photo
Violet-green Swallows and Tree Swallows are cavity nesters and will use old woodpecker holes in dead and dying trees. They will use nest boxes if suitably located in an area with few branches.

Violet-green usually have 4-6 eggs, Tree Swallows 4-6, and Barn Swallows have evolved into using man made structures onto which they mud nests for their 4-5 eggs. Northern Rough-winged Swallows use sandy banks in which to nest.

On the wing, Violet-green Swallows have white patches visible below their backs—birders have nick-named this diagnostic clue as “saddlebags”—Tree Swallows do not have these patches. Barn Swallows have long forked tails which none of our other local swallows have.

Violet-green Swallow stock photo
The violet is hard to see on a flying swallow
The easiest way to ID individual species in these mixed flocks is to look at telephone lines or fences passing through wetland and open areas.

Because of wide use of insecticides/pesticides these aerial insectivores are declining, often unable to find enough bugs to sustain their populations. 

Pesticides drift and fertilizers make their way into streams and lakes contaminating otherwise healthy bird, bee, and wildlife environments. 

It has been documented that lawn fertilizers applied by homeowners have been detected in OUR local streams, lakes, and the sound. 

Please find other healthier ways to have pretty yards (vinegar is an effective weed killer). I will thank you, and so will our birds, bees, beavers, otters, and other critters.




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For the Birds: Watch for Nesting Birds

Sunday, May 23, 2021

Bewick's fledgling photo by Elaine Chuang

By Christine Southwick

Song Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, Spotted Towhees, Dark-eyed Juncos and Bewick’s Wrens are nesting right now. These birds are ground or near-ground nesters.

Watch where you walk and look for fledgling birds running on the ground, flying haphazardly, or not knowing to be afraid of humans yet. Fledglings are especially vulnerable right after bathing—it’s hard enough for these youngsters to fly with dry feathers.

Be cautious about weed-eating tall grass, pruning dense areas (especially ferns) and clearing brush piles. These are favorite nesting sites for these resident birds. Nesting will go on for all of spring, and much of the summer if these birds have a second brood, or try again because their first brood failed or was destroyed. 
Dark-eyed Junco nest photo by Craig Kerns

It also means controlling cats and dogs out of these areas. Dogs search interesting smells, and dog noses and paws have broken many eggs, and inadvertently injured nestlings and their parents. Cats enjoy hunting, even when not hungry, and are the second leading cause of bird deaths in the USA.

As our cities get denser, there are fewer and fewer safe places for nests. Even parks, which offer more open vegetation and what should have safe nesting spots, are not always safe due to dogs not staying on the paths.

Baby Song Sparrow in grass before it can fly
Photo by Elaine Chuang

White-crowned Sparrows nest in low bushes or clumps of weeds, and the parents watch from above. The hatchlings leave their nest four-five days after hatching — about two weeks before they can fly-because the nest is such a vulnerable location. 

Juvenile Spotted Towhee photo by Craig Kerns

There used to be a plant nursery in Shoreline on Aurora that had tall trees for sale, and for at least three years in a row, White-crowned Sparrows made a nest in a tray of bedding plants, and those babies would scurry out of their nest as soon as their little legs would carry them, and they would go outside the nursery to an uncultivated area where their parents would feed them until they could fly and fend for themselves. 

Sadly that nursery, and open area is gone, replaced by a tall building.

How can you help? 
  • Plant native plants so the birds can find native bugs to feed their babies. 
  • Don’t use pesticides. Poisoned bugs kill bird parents and their nestlings. Weed killers like Round-up get on ground birds legs, and poison spiders and worms that American Robins, Bewick’s Wrens, and Dark-eyed Juncos eat and take to their young.


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For the Birds: The Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin’ Along

Wednesday, May 5, 2021

Note the distinctive black and white striped throat. Both males and females have that look. Females are generally lighter in coloring all over

By Christine Southwick
All photos by Elaine Chuang

The Robin’s early morning wake-up song really does sound like “Cheer up” “get out of bed.”

The American Robin is so well known that a saying was created after seeing them in parks, fields and yards; “The early bird gets the worm.”  Robins are a familiar sight running across lawns tilting their heads hunting for worms. Recent research has proven that they hunt by sight, not sound.

Robins routinely eat fruit -- many fruit growers have to put up nets to prevent birds from eating the fruits.

The American Robin is so familiar that its size is used by birders as a size-guide; “Is it larger or smaller than a robin?” Even a color has been named after robins — Robin’s-egg blue.

The name “American Robin” was given to local birds in 1703 by homesick English colonists who were reminded of a red-breasted bird from England. The American Robin belongs to the Thrush Family — the bird that it was named after belongs to the Flycatcher Family.

American Robin fledgling -- barely out of the nest -- both parents will feed it for several  weeks at  least until after it can fly

Robins eat worms, grasshoppers, bugs, fruits and berries. They will not fly up to a seed feeder, though they will use a fly-through feeder containing fruit.

They build their nests in trees, eaves or ledges. They will not use a birdhouse but will use an open-shelf-design positioned where a crow can’t get to it.

An ideal nesting site - up under an eave which is too cramped for crows to swoop in and nab a nestling

They are seasonally monogamous. The female builds the nest and has 3-6 bluish eggs, and both help with the feeding. The juveniles start out with a spotted breast for camouflage which changes to the red breast during the summer.

American Robins form flocks in late fall / early spring and migrate latitude-ally, meaning that the robins you see breeding here in the summer usually fly further South in the winter, and the robins you see in the winter probably nested in Canada, and reverse their locations in the spring.

Robins really are a striking bird with their distinctive white / black striped throats, incomplete white eye-ring, distinctive red breast, and large size. Take time to really look at the next ones you see.

And like the song say, “Live, love, laugh and be happy…”



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