Wild About Wild Life

Recently I came across a great birder site on the web and thought that I would share it with you. It is “Bird Life International Community.”

This site deals with many issues facing our hobbies and birds today. When visiting this site, you will find information on all things birds and how we can work together to help in natural preservation of our avian friends. The site gives global coverage of events that are going on in that part of the globe to include Africa, Asia, America’s, Europe, Middle East and the like.  New posts are shared weekly from around the world.  Topics like Regional Work, Global Protrammes, Action Takers, Publications, Updated Data, Partnerships and fresh News updates.  So instead of hitting 20 different sites to stay abreast of this information, this site offers a “One Stop Shop” of sorts for your review and research.

The site also encourages its readers to engage in their ideas, stories and information of all things bird life, with their Blog Posts drop down.  Here you will find information on policy, preservation, and other sites on what the global community is doing to help preserve the avian wildlife. You’ll find articles from organizational directors, conservationalists, enthusiasts and the like. A great resourse from a grass roots level. All of this on one site! Not to mention products, maps, adversiements and video. It even has a translator button. So if you speak another language, you can still be involved and informed by selecting the language you are most accustomed to.

And for those of you that like to bookmark and share, they have user friendly links right on the home page to click to Twitter, Facebook and You Tube to name a few. This way you can help to keep family, friends and fellow bird aquaintences informed and abreast on some of the latest issue and events going on in the birding community.

I hope that you will take a moment and visit Bird Life International Community site today at :  http://www.birdlife.org/community/. Words can’t even begin to express the great experience you will have when visiting this site. These folks truely are “Working together for birds and people.” Won’t you also be apart of this great mission? When you get there, tell em’ The Birdhouse Guy sent you and we will hope to see you there!!

Happy Birding,

The Birdhouse Guy!

How many times have you stayed in a great hotel that you told everybody about? The room was clean, the beds were comfy and well made. The decor made you fell right at home and had all the ammenities like cable, a fridge, microwave, hair blow dryer and coffee. Then you go down to the main area in the morning and what a breakfast spread! Biscuts and gravey, cereal, waffles, muffins, orange juice, etc. You get the idea. Not only all that but SERVICE!!! The service was out of site!!! You can tell that the hotel went way out of their way to give you the best hotel experience ever!

1. Try not to be too tidy:

Leave at least a corner to grow wild.

Don’t cut the grass as short or as often.

Leave leaf litter and seed heads until early spring, then clear up.

They will provide more winter interest than bare earth, especially

when you can watch birds foraging amongst them.

Let some herbs go to seed.

2. Break your chemical habit:

If you want to help wildlife remember they won’t appreciate your

slug pellets and insecticides. Why not let the wildlife do the pest

control for you?

3. Remember to use peat-free products in pots or in your garden:

Peat bogs are an endangered habitat for biodiversity.

4. Take positive action to provide homes for wildlife:

A compost heap will be a warm residence for many creatures, as

well as helping you to be more “green”.

Bird boxes and insect hotels are a fun addition for children of all

ages.

5. If you have space, a mix of trees, shrubs and flowering plants provides

the best all year round garden habitat.

6. If you have restricted space, try not to do it all:

In a small garden it’s better to grow more of fewer varieties than to

try to cram one of everything in.

Why not team up with neighbours? Together you can provide a year

round wildlife corridor – and make new friends as well.

7. All is not lost if you have paved/decked your garden:

Many shrubs and plants grow well in pots and will still attract

wildlife, especially if placed in a sunny spot. 

 

space wildlife friendly:

Plant nectar rich flowers to keep the local bees happy.

Think about potted herbs – great for insects and for your cooking.

9. Insects like flowers and plenty of them But choose plants with single flowers – they have more nectar:

In recent years many plants, especially bedding plants, have been

bred to produce spectacular blooms. The insects are not impressed.

Keep a look out in parks and gardens for the blooms that do attract

the insects. These are the ones for you as a wildlife gardener –

more likely to have scent and seeds/fruit too.

There is no rule that says wild flowers do not belong in the garden.

Many, such as primrose and meadow cranesbill, are every bit as

deserving of a place in your patch.

 11. In true Yorkshire style, try to get as much as you can for your money:

choose a tree or shrub that will provide attractive nectar-rich flowers followed by berries for birds, etc.

12. Look afresh at your approach to gardening. 

bees will be for the flowers, so much better than a green desert.

For more information on how you can supply your yard with birdhouses, baths, feeders and etc, simply

visit:  www.wildlife-houses.com

Ref : HDBAG, March 2010

People consider the Cedar Waxwing to be the most elegant of all the western birds.  With its slender form and intelligent face make it simple to spot, but most bird watchers know that the way to find the Cedar Waxwing is to listen for it.  The high-pitched zee zee is often the first indicator that these charming birds are nearby. Though they are inconspicuous in the summertime, in winter they travel in flocks of 40 birds or more. In our neighborhood, they flock to the winter fruit of the persimmon tree, which provides a generous meal.

A few cool facts about these little guys are:

• Latin Name: Bombycilla cedrorum
  Size: 6 1/2″ – 8″
  Color: Fawn colored with black mask and chin, yellow belly, white undertail.
  Voice: A high pitched, whistling zee zee zee.
  Habitat: Mixed forests, orchards, and city parks with berry-bearing trees.
  Range: Most of the United States.
  Bird feeder? Because the Cedar Waxwing feeds primarily on fruit, a seed feeder is unlikely to attract attention. Rather, planting trees and shrubs with winter fruit will be your best plan for inviting these birds to your yard.

The name “waxwing” comes from the waxy red secretions found on the tips of the secondaries of some birds. The exact function of these tips is not known, but they may help attract mates.  The Cedar Waxwing is one of the few North American birds that specializes in eating fruit. It can survive on fruit alone for several months. Brown-headed Cowbirds that are raised in Cedar Waxwing nests typically don’t survive, in part because the cowbird chicks can’t develop on such a high-fruit diet.

Building a nest takes a female Cedar Waxwing 5 to 6 days and may require more than 2,500 individual trips to the nest. They occasionally save time by taking nest materials from other birds’ nests, including nests of Eastern Kingbirds, Yellow-throated Vireos, orioles, robins, and Yellow Warblers.  

Cedar Waxwings with orange instead of yellow tail tips began appearing in the northeastern U.S. and southeastern Canada in the 1960s. The orange color is the result of a red pigment picked up from the berries of an introduced species of honeysuckle. If a waxwing eats enough of the berries while it is growing a tail feather, the tip of the feather will be orange.  Many birds that eat a lot of fruit separate out the seeds and regurgitate them, but the Cedar Waxwing lets them pass right through. Scientists have used this trait to estimate how fast waxwings can digest fruits.   Because they eat so much fruit, Cedar Waxwings occasionally become intoxicated or even die when they run across overripe berries that have started to ferment and produce alcohol.  There little bodies simply cannot handle such brew.

 

These little guys are quite a wonder. The best way to visually track the Cedar Waxwing is with a pair of good binoculars. Here are some good ones for your review:   http://www.wildlife-houses.com/index.php?cPath=22&osCsid=56905971c4905e0882f859f795d4b24f   As always, Happy Birding!!!

The American dipper, Cinclus mexicanus, are an all time favorite bird among many and it’s no wonder because  few birds are as fun to watch as these little guys, and you will not find them on polluted waters. Dippers are also called “water ouzels,” and their Eskimo name, “anaruk kiviruk,” translates to “old woman sunk.”

They are the only songbirds with the ability to dive straight into rushing water to feed on insects and not drown. They actually run and use their wings to “fly” along the bottom in search of insects and other tasty invertebrates. As their name implies, when perched on a rock of dry log above water, they do a funny little “bobbing” dance.

No, dippers do not have gills, they hold their breath while under the surface, and have flaps to cover their nostrils and keep water out of their lungs. They have to see underwater to seize the invertebrates they feed on. To be able to do this, dippers possess highly developed muscles in the iris of the eye that allow the curvature of the lens to change, accommodating differing refractive underwater conditions.

Dippers are also equipped with very heavy “coat” of down (insulation) between the rows of outer feathers, similar to ducks and other waterfowl. The down is excellent insulation and enables the birds to maintain normal body temperatures of more than 90 F when air temperatures are as low as -40 degrees F. 

 Usually, dippers’ nests are placed where water spray keeps the outer structures green and moist. The coarse inner grass resists moisture, so the inside remains relatively dry. Entrance to the nest is through a small hole, and some nests are used year after year.

The American Dipper’s nest is a globe-shaped structure with a side entrance, close to water, on a rock ledge, river bank, behind a waterfall or under a bridge. The normal clutch is 2-4 white eggs, incubated solely by the female, which hatch after about 15–17 days, with another 20–25 days to fledging. The male helps to feed the young.                   

It is usually a permanent resident, moving slightly south or to lower elevations if necessary to find food or unfrozen water. The presence of this indicator species shows good water quality; it has vanished from some locations due to pollution or increased silt load in streams. They even swim up-side-down.

**For more information on this wonder of nature, research here: http://www.wildlife-houses.com/product_info.php?cPath=13&products_id=306&osCsid=3e60af7a6c992d0c15ad6275fcdc8aef

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rencently I had someone ask me about the feeding frenzie at their local feeder! Activity at the feeder, whether you are a bird, deer, fish or HUMAN, the behavior before a storm, whether conscious of it or not, tends to result in eating. We are thankful for the inquiry, as this gives opportunity to share great information on our feathered friends that like to hang out and EAT in your neck of the woods.

Enjoy – The Birdhouse Guy!

 

Q: Filled hummer feeder Sunday-it’s already half gone! what’s up? do they feed more before storms? babies? never happened before?

 

A: The increased number of birds at your feeder at this time of year during or before a storm likely pertains to migrating birds that have been forced to stop en route. Warm weather in the NE recently may have coaxed such birds as White-Throated and Song Sparrows north. Blackbirds such as Red-Winged and Common Grackles are also moving north. Stopping at feeders is a logical place to feed and wait it out until the winds again become favorable to their journey.

Insects seem to become more agitated as the atmospheric pressure drops before a storm; when the pressure is high on a “nice” day they move about more lazily and are easier to approach.

In addition, ‘many birds store food and have exceptional spatial memory to relocate it, even a month later.’ (from the on-line resource, Birds of North America)

Other interesting facts: 

• Generally birds need more food in cold weather. Small birds need relatively more food than larger ones, and they generally eat smaller items, so they are more likely to be affected by a blizzard. A small bird’s survival may depend on how well it can conserve energy during a storm. A chickadee, for instance, will increase its feeding intensity during cold weather.
• In general larger birds cope with the cold better than smaller birds.
• Did you know that individuals of a species living in colder regions tend to be larger than individuals living in warmer areas!
  

  The Birdhouse Guy!

* For more information on how you can help house and feed birds, whether local or migratory, visit: www.wildlife-houses.com

Weaver ants (Oecophylla sp.) put the finishing touches on their nests in Buton Island, off the southeast peninsula of Sulawesi, Indonesia. As their name implies, they use living plants to “weave” leaves together to construct their nests, which they vigorously protect. Silk produced only by the larvae helps hold the nest together. 

Scientists are studying the ants’ ability to complete complex tasks in order to examine how these findings can be applied to applications for robotics. If ants can produce these intricate constructions, perhaps robots can be developed to mimic their productive behavior.

 (All respectable publications should have their holiday traditions. This evergreen post, first written in 2004, has become a 10,000 Birds staple. Merry Christmas!)

Everybody knows the Christmas carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Easily the most endless song this side of “99 Bottles of Beer,” this old tune has simultaneously delighted and horrified holiday celebrants for centuries. Of particular note is the song’s emphasis on avifauna. No Christmas carol features birds as prominently as this one. To the birder, this begs the question: what species of birds appear in the Twelve Days of Christmas?

The origins of this song, as so many things more than a century old, shrouded in mystery. A popular bit of religious propaganda making the rounds posits that this song is a “catechism song” written to help young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith. The partridge in a pear tree is said to represent the Christ Himself, and each other gift has a numerological equivalent in Catholic doctrine.  Still, although we know that this song is old, dating back to the 17th century or earlier, it’s true origin is unclear. Perhaps a French love ballad or maybe an English drinking song, this carol makes one thing perfectly clear: birds make festive Christmas gifts!

On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me: A Partridge in a Pear Tree
The partridge, a member of the pheasant family, has been a traditional game bird in England for centuries. The plump, hen-like bird perched precariously in the pear tree is probably, in this case, a Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix) although a Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa) might be a more festive tree-topper.

 

On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Two Turtle Doves
The Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur) is a common summer visitor to England. It is a dainty dove, smaller and darker than most other pigeons.

On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Three French Hens
Exhaustive inquiry turned up nothing about the distinctive qualities of Gallic galliforms. This gift is no doubt one of fancy domesticated chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) from France, cooked perhaps in the Parisian style.

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Four Calling Birds
One usually interprets “calling bird” to mean “song bird.” This could refer to any of the passerines, though most likely a canary or similar caged exotic. However, in this case, a bit of research paid off. It is widely accepted that the original gift was one of four “colly birds,” not four “calling birds.” The word colly means “black as coal.” Thus, the gift on the fourth day could be none other than the Common Blackbird (Turdus merula), ubiquitous in the UK. This discovery seems rather unappetizing in light of the realization that these gifts are meant to be enjoyed in a gustatory fashion. Suddenly, that bit about “four-and-twenty blackbirds baked in a pie” seems way too literal for my modern tastes.

 

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Five Golden Rings
This is another case where a literal reading of the verse obscures its true meaning. Why would the benefactor in this ballad vacillate from birds to jewelry to birds again? Another interpretation of this line introduces consistency to the offerings. The golden rings are actually ring-necked birds. Common (Ring-necked) Pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) were introduced to England from China and other parts of Asia in medieval times. Like so many of the birds of that era, pheasants were yet another source of sustenance.

 

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Six Geese-a-Laying
This line does not require inference or imagination to understand. The geese in question are probably domesticated, so we can cover our bets with the Greylag Goose (Anser anser), the ancestor of most domesticated geese. The Greylag Goose is a large, bulky native of the United Kingdom.

 

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Seven Swans-a-Swimming
At this point, the gifts seem to turn from edible to ornamental, since I’m not sure that any generation has come up with a decent recipe for swan. The graceful, white waterbirds meant to thrill the recipient of this yule bounty is probably none other than the bane of the Chesapeake watershed, the Mute Swan (Cygnus olor). This super-competitor, the bird that launched the Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act of 2004, is a Eurasian endemic and as lovely a swimmer as one is likely to find.

The rest of the song, with its lords-a-leaping and maids-a-milking, is inconsequential from an ornithological perspective and irritating from an aesthetic one. Those first seven verses, on the other hand, offer an astonishing insight into the extravagant gifting conventions and ravenous appetite for bird flesh in England during the Baroque era.

(*Special Recognition: All photos by Charlie Moores and Mike Bergin. )

“Hoo – Hoo – Hoo –  Ha Ha,  Hoo-Hoo – Hoo Ha Ha, Ha Ha Ha Ha Haaaaaa”!  Ah yes, we all remember the irritating laught of the old cartoon character Woody the Woodpecker. He was always into mischief, which is what really made the cartoon funny. He had the characteristics of real woodpeckers.

Now that was just a cartoon, but in real life, woodpeckers can be a real menace and better yet can damage your homes and trees on your property. Now if you have the spirit of Yosemite Sam, you probably reach for the old double barrel shot gun and attempt to rid yourself and your home, of this spreader of property damage and irritation. Ah, Ah, Ahhhh, not so fast Yosemite, you may be in violation of the Federal Law if you do that and may face some hefty charges if caught. I want to explore some safe and legal ways of ridding woodpeckers from your property which may save your home and may save you money and time in jail.

What Are The Federal Laws?
Woodpeckers are a federally protected bird under the North American Migratory Bird Act. Do not use lethal control on woodpeckers without contacting your Federal Wildlife Officer. You will need to institute non-lethal control strategies before you will receive permission to implement lethal control. And those are what we want to look at here.

1. Why In the World do Woodpeckers Peck Your Home?
   Woodpeckers damage structures for basically three reasons:
   1. Searching for insects;
   2. Creating cavities for nesting and shelter; or
   3. Marking territory (a common phenomenon called drumming primarily during the months of March/April/May).

Don’t give up hope!  In one study, the birds stopped drumming 50 percent of the time within two weeks or so whether the homeowners did anything or not.

What Are Some Non-Lethal Strategies to Control Woodpecker Damage ?
Unfortunately, there is no easy guaranteed solution. So with that being said, try the following strategies:

• 1. Cover all holes as soon as possible. Place aluminum flashing over the areas where the woodpecker is pecking. The flashing will stop the pecking at that spot because: 1) it is metal, 2) it changes the sound, and 3) woodpeckers don’t like shiny objects. Just make sure that the woodpecker is not living in your home.
• 2. Harass and scare the woodpecker causing damage, using one or more of the following techniques: 
  A.  Mylar tape: You can also try running some Mylar tape (1-inch-wide strips) around the area where he is pecking. Woodpeckers don’t like shiny objects. If you don’t have Mylar, use tinfoil or small mirrors. Remember, no harassment technique works all the time or in every situation. 
  B.  Distress tapes: There are machines that digitally recreate woodpecker distress calls. These are NOT ultrasonic devices, which do not work. When you turn on the device, it spooks the woodpecker. 
  C.  Scary eye balloons: These balloons mimic the look of an owl, which spooks the woodpeckers. 
  D.  Garden hose: One animal damage controller recommends placing a garden hose with a sprinkler set at an angle to reach where the bird is drumming. The woodpeckers leave after a few squirts because they don’t like hanging on to wet structures. There is an automatic sprinkler on the market called the Scarecrow which may be useful when the temperatures are above freezing. 
  E.  Attack spider: This is a relatively new (2003) technique. It activates using a sound detector to scare woodpeckers through sight and motion. 
  F.  Owl effigies: These are only effective if you are willing to move them around on a daily basis. Understand that at best the effigy will work only in the short term, if at all. 
  G.  Exclusion techniques: If woodpeckers are damaging your siding under an eave, hang some netting from the eave line down to the ground. If the net is extended away from the house wall, the woodpecker can’t get close enough to damage the wood. Some homes actually leave the hooks up year round and then hang the netting as needed.

Also, as soon as you notice problems, take action quickly before the woodpecker decides your home is a nice place to live.

When all else fails, apply for a depredation permit to remove the problem woodpecker.

If all else fails, What Are Some Lethal Control Techniques?

These techniques require federal and sometimes state permits.

1.  Shooting: Make sure you follow all relevant federal, state, and local ordinances. 
2.  Lethal trapping: Probably the safest and most effective lethal control method.

* Another way to deter woodpeckers is to set up their own feeders. You can do so by simply going to: http://www.wildlife-houses.com/product_info.php?cPath=4&products_id=107

Q. What should I do if I find a dead bird?

A. West Nile Virus and avian flu have raised everyone’s awareness and concern when they see a dead bird. Dead birds are sometimes of interest to health officials and scientists.

 If you’re aware of a disease outbreak or you are concerned about health issues, contact your local or county health department or the National Wildlife Health Center. Proceed in collecting or disposing of the dead bird as they direct you to. In many cases health departments will not be able to analyze a bird that has already started to decay, so you may be asked to double-bag it and put it in your freezer, or to take it to them immediately. If you do pick up the bird be sure to wear disposable gloves, and wash your hands thoroughly afterward.After any health and safety issues have been resolved, and especially if you know this bird was killed by a cat or in a collision with a window or automobile, or in some other way not associated with disease, you might turn your thoughts to collecting the bird for scientists at a university or museum. Start by contacting a wildlife professional that has a federal and state permit to collect birds or bird parts. (You may find such a person at a nearby university, museum, nature center, as well as some elementary and high schools.)

Remember the bird’s location. Do not pick up the bird without permission, because this is illegal. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 protects birds and bird parts (feathers, eggs, and nests) of all native American birds by forbidding anyone without a permit to own or handle birds or bird parts. Though at first glance the law may seem overly strict, it serves an important conservation purpose by allowing authorities to curtail activities that harm birds.

If you’re instructed to bring the bird in under the authority of someone else’s permit, remember to record your name and contact information, the date and location, the bird’s species (if known) and a description of the circumstances, including your best guess about the cause of the bird’s death. Use a pencil or permanent ink. If you’re instructed to freeze the bird until you can bring it to the facility, double-bag it in plastic, and put the paper with this information between the two layers.I hope this is helpful information should you, a family member or friend, come accross a dead bird. Common sense is also a plus when dealing with a situation such as this.

To learn more about birds in your neck of the woods and their behaviors and habitat, simply check out some of these great resources at: http://bit.ly/7h5ks2