tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62562232746062109642024-03-13T12:44:50.314-07:00The Feather FactorBirds are my passion..........my muse..........my inspiration to spread my wings..........and fly.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256223274606210964.post-78548558524529559902010-03-02T08:37:00.000-08:002010-03-02T08:38:23.052-08:00My freaky Flicker<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SIotAZZTJFI/AAAAAAAAABk/GD861gfHXz0/s1600-h/Flicker+2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227039802357130322" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SIotAZZTJFI/AAAAAAAAABk/GD861gfHXz0/s320/Flicker+2.JPG" border="0" /></a> These photos are of a <em>male</em> <strong>Northern Flicker</strong> that lived at our property in central British Columbia, Canada for approximately 2 years. <br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SJiDC1cAmrI/AAAAAAAAADA/YfBXElkDDXw/s1600-h/Flicker+3.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SJiDC1cAmrI/AAAAAAAAADA/YfBXElkDDXw/s320/Flicker+3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231075051918367410" /></a> The unfortunate bird had a horrible beak deformity that only got worse over time.<br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SJh8_gVI8ZI/AAAAAAAAACo/by6Aoj4qZiU/s1600-h/Flicker+5.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SJh8_gVI8ZI/AAAAAAAAACo/by6Aoj4qZiU/s320/Flicker+5.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231068397643035026" /></a> We did what we could to make it easier for him to eat & his ingenuity at doing so was amazing. Here he is pushing his beak under his wing in an effort to get the corn kernel closer to his mouth.<br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SJiBKShQqGI/AAAAAAAAAC4/JetEenBWEOI/s1600-h/Flicker+6.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SJiBKShQqGI/AAAAAAAAAC4/JetEenBWEOI/s320/Flicker+6.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231072980960847970" /></a> He was always pretty perky & ate lots. He never made a sound & other birds gave him a wide berth.<br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SJh4pdYvALI/AAAAAAAAACg/Z2NOcRebb4c/s1600-h/Flicker+9.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SJh4pdYvALI/AAAAAAAAACg/Z2NOcRebb4c/s320/Flicker+9.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231063620849172658" /></a> When using this wire cage suet feeder he would saw his beak back & forth then lick off the suet collected on his beak.<br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SJiJSknyt2I/AAAAAAAAADg/BOGzfcgnjJo/s1600-h/CCF00512006_00001.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SJiJSknyt2I/AAAAAAAAADg/BOGzfcgnjJo/s320/CCF00512006_00001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231081919352059746" /></a> In the end he finally did succumb to his huge beak, not because he couldn't eat but by becoming lodged inside of a tree cavity. I doubt we could have saved him even if we had known his predicament.<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SJiIdPw-ZvI/AAAAAAAAADY/CoT_TBdX__w/s1600-h/.......+021.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SJiIdPw-ZvI/AAAAAAAAADY/CoT_TBdX__w/s320/.......+021.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231081003220362994" /></a><br />Had the wind not blown over a Poplar in our front yard we would never have learned his fate. The Poplar is the tall, white tree with no leaves on the right. <a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SJiGsQ9WwZI/AAAAAAAAADQ/AudOAOvjy2Y/s1600-h/windy+FLICKER!!!+029.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SJiGsQ9WwZI/AAAAAAAAADQ/AudOAOvjy2Y/s320/windy+FLICKER!!!+029.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231079062215508370" /></a><br />While bucking up the fallen tree, a cut any higher & his remains would have been destroyed. Any lower & we would never have found him.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SKRP7uEo0YI/AAAAAAAAAKE/kLvhyGcMErI/s1600-h/windy+003.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SKRP7uEo0YI/AAAAAAAAAKE/kLvhyGcMErI/s320/windy+003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234396554309718402" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SKRRgX_lLiI/AAAAAAAAAKM/on0_Kwn5RUg/s1600-h/windy+008.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SKRRgX_lLiI/AAAAAAAAAKM/on0_Kwn5RUg/s320/windy+008.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234398283549716002" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SIopvd0Hp3I/AAAAAAAAABc/SaJvol2Oi84/s1600-h/windy+FLICKER!!!+053.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227036212950706034" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SIopvd0Hp3I/AAAAAAAAABc/SaJvol2Oi84/s320/windy+FLICKER!!!+053.jpg" border="0" /></a> This is what was left of him after being stuck in the tree cavity for so long. Talk about long in the tooth!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />After he'd been here a few months I joined an "<em><strong>e</strong></em>" bird group & posted information about the flicker. <br />It didn't take long for the birding community to want to know more about him. I was eventually asked if I would be interested in reporting on my observations & of course I jumped at the chance.<br />"<em>My</em>" bird & I became momentarily famous & I received correspondence from all over the world.<br />At the bottom of this blog installment are the 2 articles that were written about him, by me. Pretty cool! They even used my drawings & photos.<br />The articles were featured in a newly created journal called "<strong>Wildlife Afield</strong>".<br /><br />This malady is becoming more & more prevelant & so far the cause is unknown.<br />It's pretty scary though to think we are mostly likely the reason for these deformities.<br /><br />We have had one more bird with a deformed beak, a year or so after the flicker.<br />It was a female Black-chinned Hummingbird, it was the first time in 17 years at this location that I had seen one. The tips of her beak were spread apart at the ends much like a cocktail wiener fork. She had no problem fiting her beak in the feeder port holes though. We saw her most of that summer & have never seen her or another Black-chinned again.<br /><br />Below are the links to my published articles.Enjoy!<br />This first link is about when he was <a href="http://www.wildlifebc.org/UserFiles/File/1_2_Lidstone.pdf?PHPSESSID=31d89240f45c57c887e1b3d46395e2e4">alive</a>. <br /><br />This link is about <a href="http://www.wildlifebc.org/UserFiles/File/3_1_Lidstone.pdf?PHPSESSID=d41e352b48e4d80564553308ce96f8ad">finding his remains</a> several months later. What a fluke! <br /><br />Here is the link to "<strong><a href="http://www.wildlifebc.org/index.php?pageid=1">Wildlife Afield</a></strong>"<br />They collect data & report on all wildlife happeningsin British Columbia.<br /><br />This is a very interesting website. It is the <strong><a href="http://alaska.usgs.gov/science/biology/landbirds/beak_deformity/gallery.html">Alaska Science Center</a></strong>.<br />They are studying beak deformities in birds & are centered in Alaska where the majority of deformities occur. They have tons of photos & "<em>my</em>" flicker is also on there. They were one of the first to contact me after hearing about the flicker we had.<br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SJi1Z0nB4zI/AAAAAAAAADo/MB7vUEDdorY/s1600-h/flickerpair.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SJi1Z0nB4zI/AAAAAAAAADo/MB7vUEDdorY/s320/flickerpair.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231130422414533426" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256223274606210964.post-77497953516777635772010-03-02T08:36:00.000-08:002010-03-02T08:37:12.141-08:00Nature's Dark SideSitting here, watching the feathers fall gently on to the patio, I am reminded of the very first hawk attack I witnessed 21 years ago.<br />Twelve very tame jays were daily visitors to our feeders (seven Steller's & a family of five Gray Jays)<br />If I wasn't out the door by 9 a.m., the Steller's would run the length of the metal roof, banging relentlessly until I emerged. <br />The Chickadees, just as eager, would politely join in by tapping their beaks lightly on the windows. <br />Cute...or at least I thought it was. My husband wasn't so happy when they so rudely woke him up early on the weekends. The first time he heard it he said "what the hell is that!?!"<br />As I would fill the feeders, the Gray Jays would silently glide in & our dog would begin his search at the base of the tree for fallen tidbits.<br />I barely noticed the hawk but the birds did & instantly froze.<br />A flash of stripes, a single screech & it was all over.<br />A quick tally revealed all 12 jays & a handful of chickadees were perched safely in the feeder tree.<br />It was a full 10 minutes though before the "dee dee dee" started up again & another 10 before any of them dared move. <br />As I placed the last of the seeds and cookies on the platform, the tree emptied of all birds except for one lone Steller's Jay who remained, tightly pressed to the tree trunk.<br />Several minutes later when the jay finally shifted I was able to see the damage, most of it's right leg was gone! This was one tough jay though & it adapted fairly well to it's missing appendage, making use of branches & other objects for balance when it was perched. <br />Over time "<em>old no foot</em>" became the tamest jay of the bunch.<br /><br />Since then I have witnessed sever hawk attacks but none so clever as the antics of the male American Kestral that was a regular invader at our feeders. <br />At least half a dozen times I watched as he herded Pine Siskens & Evening Grosbeaks into our windows, occasionally even retrieving the lifeless bird before it hit the ground. Ingenious.<br />One grosbeak, forced into the patio window, dropped on to the back of our sleeping dog. Before the dog could move, the kestral swooped in & snatched the dead bird off the dog' back. It sure freaked the dog out! She remained motionless, ears down & her shock filled eyes staring helplessly at me for the entire split second event. <br />Only once did I see the kestral itself hit the window. <br />When it fell to the ground it still had a Pine Sisken in its clutches. After a few moments of recovery it flew off, having never lost grip of its prize.<br /><br />I've come to realize, reluctantly, that hawks have as much right in our back yard lanscape as any other bird.<br />A hawk, pursuing & capturing its prey is no different than the prey who only moments before killed an insect to satisfy its own hunger.<br />Such is the natural cycle of life.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256223274606210964.post-70846290497821683022010-03-02T08:35:00.000-08:002010-03-02T08:36:18.916-08:00A Bird in the handI’ll never forget the excitement I felt the first time a chickadee accepted a seed from my hand. <br />It took a lot of patience on my part but well worth every minute.<br />Much of my free time (of which I had a lot of way back when) was spent sketching, photographing & making friends with the birds.<br />As a result of this new found passion, I was able to amaze family & friends with my taming talents & was subsequently dubbed the “Bird woman of Goose Country Road’<br />In order to save you hours of trial & error, here are a few tips to help you along.<br />First, you need to establish a routine the birds will associate with food.<br />By wearing the same clothes or hat & feeding at the same time each day, you’ll soon be considered an unthreatening part of the landscape.<br />I always wore a pink flowery dress to feed the hummingbirds and have had up to 40 of these jewels hovering all around me, even following my dress & I in to the house to fill the feeders. My kitchen would be buzzing with hummers that would wait until I was done then follow me back to hang up the feeders. <br />Trying to take pictures of these little birds was next to impossible. Not only would they not sit still long enough but they would land all over me & my camera.<br />Making a distinct sound, singing or whistling when you set out to fill the feeders acts as a dinner bell & in time the birds will recognize you as a food source.<br />Try & stand or sit near your feeder as often as possible to allow the birds to become accustomed to your presence (10-15 minutes per day).<br />After a few weeks of this, remove all the food from the feeder except for a small amount in one corner. Stand by this corner, lay your seed filled hand flat on the feeder & ……….wait…..<br />When a bird arrives, speak softly & avoid sudden movements. Even turning your head to look can frighten them, as will staring them in the eyes. Swallowing is also something you should try & avoid, it warns the bird of a predator. I am usually so preoccupied when a bird is in my hand, I tend to forget to breath let alone swallow!<br />Eventually (don’t give up!) as more birds come to your hand, move farther away from the feeder until they come to you no matter where you are in the yard.<br />Several summers ago, the Pine Siskens were used to seeing Dale & I hunched over weeding in the garden & would often land on our backs & heads. While we found this amusing, not all the guests to our home did.<br />One unsuspecting visitor, when perched upon by half a dozen of the tiny creatures produced such a look of terror, I was certain Alfred Hitchcock’s horror flick, <em>The Birds</em> , was flashing through his mind!<br />Hand taming can be enjoyed by all ages, requiring little more than patience & a handful of seed.<br />Remember though, never try to catch a bird that has learned to trust you – it may never come back again.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256223274606210964.post-47326192444395615632010-03-02T08:34:00.000-08:002010-03-02T08:35:14.226-08:00And then there was LesterThere has always been a healthy Crow population in our community. The area has approximately 100 homes & is mostly agricultural. During summer harvesting the fields are littered with mouse bits that keep everyone fed.<br />"Lester" arrived on our property sometime in the spring of 2005.<br />In all probability <em>he’d</em> been here dozens of times with <em>his</em> parents & siblings as a normal, healthy juvenile.<br />For weeks, the only real difference between resident crows was the incessant squawking to be fed of the young ones. That is until we noticed Lester.<br />There <em>he</em> was, all alone, about 20 feet up in a Pine tree, so fluffed up we initially thought <em>he</em> was a young Raven. It was a couple of days before <em>he </em>finally flew down to the outskirts of the ground feeder. From the tell-tale red color at the corners of <em>his</em> mouth we could tell <em>he</em> was still young & while all the other juveniles had adults feeding them, no one was feeding Lester.<br />Poor thing, what a pitiful sight <em>he</em> was. <em>His</em> left eye was gone & <em>his</em> entire beak looked like an accordion. It was obvious that disaster had struck leaving <em>him</em> not only disfigured & an orphan but some what of an outcast as well. <br /><br />I have no idea how <em>he</em> became so injured. Best guess is that <em>he</em> & <em>his</em> parent were probably hit by (or they flew in to it) a train. We lived very close to the railway. How <em>he</em> ever survived with such an injury is beyond me. <br /><em>He</em> was part of a group of about 5o+ crows that I fed each day in my driveway. Talk about noisy! My neighbors definatly were'nt too happy with me!<br />I never knew if Lester was a male or female, very hard to tell with crows, especially at a distance.<br /><em>He</em> got his name because of his uncanny resemblance to my Uncle Lester. They both shared the same shape of schnozz, pushed in & downwards. <em>He</em> was a sorry sight for sure.<br />Lester tried in the beginning to get food from other adult crows but none fed <em>him</em>. I put out lots of feed to satisfy any type of birds so <em>he</em> eventually got the hang of it & fed <em>himself</em>.<br />Lester was a real loner compared to all the other young crows & stayed pretty much to <em>himself</em>...just on the fringes of the group. Sometimes <em>he</em> would be right in the thick of things but not often.<br />Every evening when the crows left to head for their common roost (I'll have to find that one day...it must have hundreds of bird each night, Lester would remain behind.<br /><em>He</em> would hop <em>his</em> way, branch by branch to the highest tree top & watch as they all flew north with out <em>him</em>. Poor Lester. With only one eye I think flying wasn't an easy task so <em>he</em> rarley more than a few feet at a time. Obviously this meant <em>he</em> was the first to the feeder each morning & got the best scraps. I purposly put out special treats just for Lester. I don't know where <em>he</em> slept at night but it was close. <em>He</em> stayed around the entire summer & my husband & I became quite fond of the little <em>fellow</em>.<br />Every day, early in the afternoon, all the crows would head across the highway & up in to the mountains where they would soar high in the sky. Lester never went with them, <em>he</em> would just sit in a tree & wait for them to return. One day <em>he</em> did leave with them & even managed to come back with them for the final feeding that night. Later when they all left for their roost <em>he</em> stayed behind as usual. The following day <em>he</em> again went with the group to the mountains but when they returned Lester wasn't with them & <em>he</em> never came back.<br /><br />I got hooked on crows while working at a slaughter house close to my home. <br /><strong>Hundreds</strong> of crows would swoop down to the "<em>pit</em>" where the remains of the slaughtered animals were stored. It was amazing to see all of them fighting for scraps. With over 73 Bald Eagles, a dozen or so Turkey Vultures & numerous other meat eaters it was quite the scene!A little eerie too.<br />My boss & I would spend our breaks mesmerized at their airial antics. One would drop a stick or a cone & another would catch it. They would dive bomb each other & how they averted a collision at times still baffles me.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256223274606210964.post-34118245785081430312010-03-02T08:33:00.000-08:002010-03-02T08:34:13.837-08:00More Attractive Than RoadkillAnyone with wood siding has no doubt heard that familiar ratta-tat-tat as <span style="font-style:italic;">winged hammers</span> excavate crater sized holes in the sides of our houses.<br />Contrary to public belief, they are not torturing us just for fun; they are really enjoying a gourmet dinner at its finest.<br />There’s nothing like a warm, fat bug on a chilly winter’s day. That’s right, long thought of as pests, woodpeckers & flickers are actually ridding our homes of the true pests; wood-boring insects.<br />I wouldn’t be too quick to rule out revenge though. After all, its us who rob them & other birds of their best high energy food sources every time we remove a dead tree, clear a weedy field or bury our dead livestock.<br />We could always offer up road kill at our feeders as a deterrent to pecking at our homes but somehow the sight of a dead something or other hanging outside the window doesn’t seem too appealing. Not to mention the cult rumors that would spread if the neighbors were to see dead, mutilated creatures dangling from your trees!<br />A more civilized solution is to serve suet, either pre-made cakes or beef fat (pork is too salty) obtained from the butcher cheaply or free.<br />Suet chunks can be nailed to trees or hung in commercially made suet cages or mesh onion bags.<br />For the more creative types, the fat can be melted & used in a variety of ways.<br />Pine cones make excellent & natural suet feeders.<br />Simply pour semi cooled fat over an upturned cone, fill the nooks & crannies, let it harden, attach a screw to the flat end & hang it from a branch with string or ribbon. Chickadees & nuthatches will love it.<br />Seeds nuts, cracked corn, millet, raisins & so on can also be added to the semi cooled suet.<br />Another method is to smear suet mixes in to the crevices crotches of trees.<br />My personal favorite & by far the most popular in our yard, is the suet log.<br />This particular feeder brings in the greatest variety of meat eaters, with as many as a dozen different kinds of birds dropping in for their daily dose of cholesterol.<br />We have three suet logs, each a foot long, about four to six inches around. The branches were cut down to two inch stubs to act as perches. Above each perch, a hole, an inch & a half wide & at least one inch deep has been carved or drilled & filled with suet.<br />A heavy duty screw & wire are needed to hang this type of feeder as a couple of flickers chowing down at the same time makes for a lot of extra weight.<br />Place all feeders out of reach of pets & prevailing winds but where you have the best view.<br />You may even be as lucky as I was to see a Hairy & a Downy Woodpecker sharing the same log feeder.<br />Real luck though, would be finding my camera in time to get a picture!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256223274606210964.post-34026431742648743312010-03-02T08:32:00.000-08:002010-03-02T08:33:06.178-08:00Bad Omen BirdsIf you were superstitious, you would probably be very uncomfortable in my home!<br />Every wall, shelf & window is filled with bird related items from vases stuffed with peacock feathers, skeletons to <em>abandoned</em> nests & eggs. Even my favorite hummingbird mug could be considered a bad omen.<br />Long before airplanes, birds, able to defy gravity, were thought to possess magic.<br />As they flew towards the heavens, home of the spirits, the souls of the dead were being carried with them. For this reason, a bird in the house could indeed be frightening.<br />If we adhered to these beliefs, our Christmas Bird Counts wouldn’t be for scientific reasons but instead to see what the future held.<br />For instance, in France, each call from the cuckoo predicted how many years a young girl must wait for marriage & in Scotland; its call foretold how long you would live.<br />The wise owl was the bearer of news in India, one hoot meant death, two & your project would be successful, three hoots for an imminent marriage, four spelled trouble & five hoots, a journey.<br />Native Americans believed the sight of two whip-poor-wills would lead to disappointment.<br />Observing a hawk seizing its prey led to a loss of money & if you spied a magpie upon embarking on a trip, well you might as well just turn around.<br />Not all bird sightings were bad omens, in fact a robin nesting near your home was very lucky & finding eggs in her nest was especially auspicious.<br />Swallows nesting under your eves also brought good fortune, along with a not so unfortunate mess!<br />If a stray pigeon landed on your doorstep, you would be very lucky indeed.<br />To have a peacock was also lucky but to display its feathers wasn’t. The evil eye depicted in its feathers could cause death to young children & babies. Parents will be pleased to know that their feathers can apparently keep unwanted suitors from their daughters.<br />Weather was also gauged by the birds. Low flying swallows meant rain, swans nesting on high ground forecasted floods, grouse gathered in flocks would bring snow & if they drummed at night you could expect heavier than normal snowfalls.<br />Some superstitions are reversible.<br />The caw of a crow near your house, announcing disaster, can be superseded by removing your hat or bowing to the crow.<br />The death hoots from an owl were reversed by tying a knot in your apron string & wearing it backwards, or by turning a pocket inside out.<br />You could also keep intruders from your home by tying, with red thread, the feathers from a blackbird’s wing & hanging it outside your door.<br />Disharmony in your home? Quails are a symbol of peace & if the husband wears the heart of the male around his neck ^ the wife wears the female’s heart, then you could be sure to agree on everything.<br />Ancient Greeks & Romans who could tell the future by bird sightings & behaviors were practicing the art of Ornithomancy.<br />Many people believe in superstitions & while I can’t fault them for that, I do wonder what they would make of the dead birds in my freezer!<br /><br /><br />Note…possessing birds, nests & eggs are considered illegal. Never disturb an active nest. Even seemingly abandoned nests might be used the following year & are best left where you found them.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256223274606210964.post-19847456758529645642010-03-02T08:31:00.000-08:002010-03-02T08:32:13.200-08:00Birchview NurseryThe 30 foot birch in our backyard may be dead but it's full of life!<br />Our first summer here in the North Thompson, five trees, including the birch, had a date with the power saw.<br />When I pointed out the woodpecker holes up & down the trunk, my husband reluctantly agreed to leave it standing until Fall.<br />By late July, the fate of the tree was decided. It would remain until it fell on its own.<br />There were thirteen cavities in the birch & almost all were used at some point for nests or shelter. That summer it was used as nesting sites for six species of birds, a family of squirrels & believe it or not....a family of bats too!<br />The "<strong>Birchview Apartments</strong>" were on a first come basis with mother squirrel & her babies claiming the penthouse suite.<br />The seventh floor was occupied by starlings. <br />We were a little concerned when they moved in as we'd seen them the summer before robbing the flicker's fourth floor home not only of eggs but hatchlings as well.<br />We need not have worried though. Once the starlings laid their eggs they seemed to leave everyone else's nests alone. In fact, because of harrassment from the flickers, the starlings seldom had the chance to even enter their own nest hole.<br />The clever, little Red-breasted Nuthatches in apartment six had a particularily ingenious method for keeping predators out, they smeared pitch all around their nest opening.<br />When I first spotted the pitch oozing out of the long dead tree I quickly scanned its limbs for signs of new growth. While pondering the unlikely, a nuthatch zipped staight into the hole with out even stopping to perch at the entrance.<br />Further reading on this subject revealed that other birds attempting to enlarge the hole would get their feathers covered with messy pitch & give up.<br />Rarely have there been reports of the nuthatches themselves becoming entrapped in their own device & perishing.<br />I wonder if this is where the idea for sticky fly strips came from?<br />A little lower on the tree, Mountain Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers & Red-naped Sapsuckers also maintained nest holes.<br />The bats moved in in mid July after the birds & squirrels left.<br />Not once did the bats cooperate in proving to my husband that they really were there! I was the only witness. Believe me, baby bats are not cute.<br />Our gnarled birch wasn't the only nursery in our yard that year. There were swallows in the barn, robins in the lilac, blackbirds in a pine, Chipping Sparrows in the gooseberry bush (she raised two of her own & one cowbird), more starlings in the side of our shop & Hairy Woodpeckers in another poplar.<br />Several other species nested near by & while we never actually saw their nests, dozens of fledglings showed up at our feeders.<br />A very prolific yard indeed!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256223274606210964.post-2076623147462819162010-03-02T08:30:00.001-08:002010-03-02T08:30:49.132-08:00And the list goes on & on & on & on....The first thing I did when we moved to our new home was put up a bird feeder. With in the hour six Mountain Chickadees, four Black-capped Chickadees, two White-breasted Nuthatches & three Red-breasted Nuthatches were busy chowing down at the neighborhood's newest feeding station.<br />It didn't take long for word to spread & by week's end eleven different species were enjoying the offerings at our feeders.<br />Since then, the number of bird species I've seen in our own yard is over 70.<br />Not all the birds actually eat at my feeders. Some only visit the bird bath for a quick drink, while others use our field as a short pit-stop on the way to somewhere else.<br />Any bird on my property makes it on to my backyard list, but of course only after I've made a positive identification.<br />I also keep lists of all the birds I've seen close to my yard & up & down the valley. So far I have very few game or water birds on this list & with their additions I could very easily top 100.<br />Any one can start a bird list. Children, senior citizens & even the housebound can add a whole new dimension to backyard bird watching by doing so.<br />The easiest list to keep is a "check list" where you tick off each species you see.<br />My own check list has extra columns to record whether I've seen the male, female or juvenile of each species, if I've found their nest, how many eggs, when they hatched & for seasonal birds, the date they arrive.<br />The dates help me know which birds I might expect at my feeder at a certain time of year & is especially useful for predicting when my favorites, the hummingbirds will arrive.<br />Another list I, & millions of other birder world wide have is a "life list". This is simply recording every bird you have positively over your life time.<br />My own includes over 176 species out of a possible 10,000.<br />Some bird watchers have been known to fly all over the world just to add another species to their list. We've been to three other vcountries (Dominican Republic, Mexico & Costa Rica) & I usually spend the majority of my time looking for birds. My "world list" is growing every year.<br />The world record for sightings is close to 7,000, all spotted by one <span style="font-style:italic;">very</span> serious birder!<br />Keeping a bird list is a fairly easy undertaking: actually identifying a certain bird can be much more confusing.<br />Many birds are so similar it's next to impossible to ID & even with a good field guide & binoculars, there are those birds that will forever remain unidentified.<br />Seasonal plumages can also create confusion.<br />For example, the drab olive coloured American Goldfinch transforms in to a bright, lemon yellow bird come spring. Some species sexes are so similar that you could only tell who's who by actually observing their courtship display &/or mating rituals.<br />In order to make a positive ID there are many factors to consider.<br />For instance, is it as big as a robin, small as a nuthatch etc? Take note of its shape, beak type, behaviour & colours. This will narrow it down somewhat.<br />Next look for wing bars, eye stripes & other important field marks. <br />Some field marks are visible when the bird is stationary & some are only observed when the bird is flying. A junco because of its size might easily be confused with a sparrow at first glance but when the bird flies away, the white outer tail feathers tell you that it is definitely a junco.<br />Listing birds is a cheap & easy form of entertainment. They are also invaluable, when combined with other birder's lists to keep track of abundance & varieties.<br />Vagrants from other regions or countries, swept in by storms may even adapt to our climate & remain or return year after year. <br />The past few years we have seen Turkey Vultures every summer & a few years ago three waaaay off course Cattle Egrets.<br />You could be very surprised who might show up at your feeder! I know I have been!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256223274606210964.post-5957431567402710152010-03-02T08:28:00.001-08:002010-03-02T08:28:48.085-08:00To Feed or not to feed...that is the questionI know some birders oppose all feeding, claiming this causes a bird’s dependence on us.<br />I personally see nothing harmful with <em>helping</em> our frosty, feathered, friends through our harsh winters, especially in times of natural food shortages.<br />Severe winter storms can kill up to 30% of the bird populations, but with our help, that number can be greatly reduced.<br />Properly handled feeding can ensure a larger number will survive while enriching our own encounters with wildlife.<br />Backyard bird feeding is so prevalent throughout North America that this form of support should not be abandoned.<br />Birding is no longer just a recreational activity that appeals t the free spirit in us all.<br />It is <em>the</em> <strong><em>single, largest practice of unorganized & unregulated wildlife management in the world.</em></strong> (author unknown)<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SJtJfkQ-1UI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/0r0bXiuzNbI/s1600-h/Pileated+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rIJAKjlYcmY/SJtJfkQ-1UI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/0r0bXiuzNbI/s320/Pileated+1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231856198780638530" /></a><br /><strong>Should <em>you</em> feed?</strong><br /><br />In order to avoid abandoning birds to the perils of winter, you need to ask yourself these questions......<br /><br />-Can you tend your feeder almost every day?<br />-Can you ensure you will leave enough food when you are away?<br />-Can you keep the feeders clean?<br />If you said no to any of these, then you probably shouldn’t put up a feeder.<br /><br />For those that do want to feed the birds, there are a few important rules to follow....<br /><br />-Do not feed excessively. Remember you are only <em>supplementing</em> their natural diet, not giving them an entire day’s food. Feed them smaller amounts through out the day.<br />-Use several smaller feeders to avoid over crowding & the spread of disease.<br />-Never feed moldy seed. Store it in a dry, covered container.<br />-Remove excess seed & debris from under the feeder as often as possible.<br />-Keep your feeders clean! Every 2 weeks or so, scrub your feeders with 1 part bleach to 9 parts water.<br />-Place your feeders out of reach of pets but where you have the best view. <br />They should not be in full sun or full shade or where wind blows continually. Feeders placed near the cover of trees & shrubs will attract more visitors & offer protection from predators.<br />-Stop feeding <em>immediately</em> if you notice sick birds at your feeder. Wait at least one week before you put the cleaned feeders back up. Encourage friends & neighbors to do the same.<br />-Sit back & enjoy <em>Mother Nature’s</em> show!<br /><br /><strong>NOTE</strong>....Bird feeders will also attract hawks (easy pickin’s) but this a common part of birding.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0