Birdfeeding

[ysabetwordsmith]

Today is sunny, breezy, and cool -- a beautiful fall day.

I went out with the wheelbarrow earlier and saw two black-and-orange birds.  At first I thought they were Baltimore orioles, which we've had occasionally, but they were much too small for that, barely bigger than sparrows.  So I looked online, and now I believe they were male American redstarts.  Back at the end of August, I think I saw a female redstart, so that makes sense.  These things are small, fast, and acrobatic which makes it hard to get a good look at them for ID purposes.  I'm mostly going on color and size.

EDIT 9/12/23 -- I fed the birds.  I've seen several house finches and a lady cardinal at the hopper feeder.  I may have seen a female redstart in the trees at the east edge of the south lot.

I put out water for the birds and watered a few plants.

Blackberry lily seeds are ripe near the barrel garden.  I've been picking those to scatter at the base of trees.

EDIT 9/12/23 -- I gathered seeds.

EDIT 9/12/23 -- I gathered more seeds.

I saw the redstarts flitting around the south lot again.  Such lively, pretty little birds!  :D

EDIT 9/12/23 -- I gathered more seeds.

EDIT 9/12/23 -- I watered the septic garden and patio plants.

I saw one of the redstarts again in the birdgift apple tree.

EDIT 9/12/23 -- I watered the telephone pole garden, wildflower garden, notch in the prairie garden, tulip bed and its grass patch.  Another gladiolus is blooming pink in the telephone pole garden.

Crickets and cicadas are singing.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

EDIT 9/12/23 -- There is a great-horned owl hoo-hooing outside the house.  :D

Comments

[pameladean]

Oh, redstarts are among my favorites! They migrate through here in huge numbers in the spring, when you can see them better because the leaves aren't out. Later on we just hear the "see-see-see-SEE-IT" call. Though at some point I remarked that it sounded like somebody squeezing one of those squeaky dog toys, and now if one of us wants to point out a redstart, we just make a squeezing motion with one had. What a nice fall treat for you, and yet another reward for providing such good habitat.

P.

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

There have been many changes over the years.

When I was little, there was a hedgerow south of us. We had bluebirds occasionally, and regularly had chickadees, nuthatches, and titmice. Redheaded woodpeckers and barn owls were common.

After people cut down the hedgerow, there were no more chickadees, nuthatches, or titmice.

Over time, woodpeckers changed to downies and sometimes common flickers or red-bellied woodpeckers. Barn owls have mostly changed to great-horned owls.

I think the bald eagles are an effect of Grand Prairie Friends having over 1000 acres of refuge (mostly forest, ironically) near a local lake and river.

I've also seen orioles, rose-breasted grosbeaks, house finches, rufous-sided towhees, this spring a hooded warbler, now the redstarts -- these are birds I never saw when I was younger. I saw an indigo bunting just once, but those are more common now too. Based on looking up some of the newer birds, they are described as liking the kind of environment my yard has, and it's much more planted than it was when I was little. Not all of that is intentional, but I have put in a lot of things that birds like, plants with fruits or nuts, and they certainly appreciate the extra cover.

Re: Yes ...

[pameladean]

That is really fascinating. I've noticed fewer changes, mostly (before the trees were cut down by the neighbors) the frequency with which cedar waxwings would come to eat the berries. The berries do vary year by year according to climate, but mostly the supply increased as time went on, yet the waxwings became less frequent.

Chickadees are regular residents here, but nearby neighbors do have a small hedge, so maybe that helps. House sparrows and house finches also like the hedge.

I think we're in a far denser urban environment than you are, so the variety is smaller, but during migration there are really a lot of different kinds of birds. I provide water and, the yard being so overgrown, shelter as well, plus last year's random seeds and berries.

P.

Re: Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

>>That is really fascinating. <<

There are lots of changes happening.

https://www.greenmatters.com/news/bird-migration-climate-change

https://northernwoodlands.org/discoveries/changes-ranges-birds

https://earthsky.org/earth/bird-ranges-shifting-northward-says-new-audubon-study/

https://science.ebird.org/en/status-and-trends/trends-maps


>> I've noticed fewer changes, mostly (before the trees were cut down by the neighbors) the frequency with which cedar waxwings would come to eat the berries. The berries do vary year by year according to climate, but mostly the supply increased as time went on, yet the waxwings became less frequent.<<

It's not just about food, but other types of habitat, such as cover. Cutting down trees or bushes makes many species of birds decline, although it may attract others who like more open space.

I have an advantage because my yard is big enough for forest, savanna, prairie, and lawn areas so this helps diversity.

>>Chickadees are regular residents here, but nearby neighbors do have a small hedge, so maybe that helps. House sparrows and house finches also like the hedge.<<

Hedges and hedgerows are great not just because of their habitat, but their linearity. They're all margin, and many birds like margins (e.g. between forest and field). Also it's easy for birds to section off territories along the line. I have some hedges here and my cardinals love them.

>>I think we're in a far denser urban environment than you are, <<

I am in farming territory, so yes, that's very different.

>>so the variety is smaller, but during migration there are really a lot of different kinds of birds. I provide water and, the yard being so overgrown, shelter as well, plus last year's random seeds and berries.<<

Those are good steps.

In urban areas, one very useful tactic is connecting the dots. Look at the parks in your city, especially the big parks, and any waterways such as lakes or creeks. Is there a path that birds and wildlife could travel from one to another? This is where linear features such as greenways come in (some cities use them along bike paths, under raised highways, for water control etc.), and also individual yards can form a dotted path. If wildlife has hospitable waystations then they are much less impeded by urban territory. Look at the map, walk around your neighborhood and see who's doing wildlife-friendly yards. Maybe talk to your neighbors about connecting the dots.

In my area, for instance, my yard is an oasis in a desert of monoculture. There used to be more habitats nearby, but there are still some like the drainage ditch a mile or so away. About 10-15 minutes away (by car) is a local lake and near that over 1,000 acres of Grand Prairie Friends refuge (we have a bunch of them scattered around but that's the biggest, ironically most of it's forest). I'm pretty sure that's the source of the bald eagles in the area. :D This spring I spotted that hooded warbler and they are really forest birds, so it may be influenced by that too.

Connect the dots.