Guarding the bird(s)

We have an emergency routine that fortunately doesn't get implemented too often. The "bird hit the window, watch for cats" alert system. Yesterday, during the sleet storm that was making a mockery of April, the alarm was sounded.

It was Friday afternoon and I was working in my office, in my sweats. Nice and comfy. My wife came running in and said a Goldfinch was down under the bay window. I swung into action immediately. Boots on, jacket and hat (it was sleeting) and for some reason I grabbed my point & shoot.

Our bay window is problematic. It's our preferred watching window for birds and general garden viewing. We've tried various items in the window which help but still we get 4 or 5 strikes a year. I see that there are new products out, so I'll have to look at those. A great site for bird strikes is FLAP; Fatal Light Awareness Program.

Anyhow, out the door. I grabbed an old cardboard box on the porch and skidded carefully along the slippery walk. The bird was lying next to a planter so rather than adding to its stress I put the flattened box over the planter overhanging the bird to provide shelter from the elements. The bird was conscious and breathing and even moving its head. It wasn't a goldfinch so I took a couple of pictures and later identified it as a yellow rumped warbler in non breeding plumage.

 

The guarding routine is important because we have many cats in the neighborhood and our yard is the most wildlife friendly in the area. Thus it's also a favorite of cats. The task is simple, stand not too near the bird and keep cats away. Of course I was in a spring jacket, lightweight cap and thin sweat pants. And hiking boots. Who says I'm not fashion aware?

I got cold very quickly so I did a quick scan around the area and found no sign of cats outside. (Cats are smarter than me.) I made it about 20 minutes and ducked inside. I found that the bird was visible from the window, as was the immediate area. Since the front door was only steps away I decided that this was an acceptable compromise.

I've done this watch a few times and usually the recovery time is from 20 - 40 minutes. After an hour the bird was still there. I went back out to check and the bird seemed to be more active. The head was moving, the eyes blinked and the bird even preened. But it didn't fly away. I was concerned but I figured the bird was taking advantage of the sheltered position to rest. I decided to let the bird be and went back in.

Over the next two hours we kept an eye on the bird as it preened, fluttered it's wings, moved it's head and in general looked like a healthy bird. By this time it was getting dark and I figured I was going to have to intervene. I located a dry box and some lining and thought about where to keep the bird. As darkness got deeper I waited and watched and then I noticed the bird looking around. It seemed to be noticing the darkness too. Then it very casually hopped out of the sheltered spot to the walk, looked around and took off and flew easily towards the trees.

I hope that the bird made it through the night and found the food and strength to continue on its way. I'm going to look at some of the new window distraction items on the FLAP website and hopefully I won't be standing around watching for cats in the future.

Restart

I want to start doing this blog again also. In some ways this is the "easy" blog for me because it's recreational. It's late winter so the most visible animals are birds and the neighborhood cats. But I do see tracks in the snow so I know we have other visitors. Recently a possum traveled through the area. (S)he came up the bluff from the river plain, through a couple of yards and I lost the trail a street away.
 I regularly see fox tracks when I walk along the city trails that are just up the road. On occasion I have seen fox in my yard but it has been a while. Skunks should be showing up but so far no signs. I'm sure that it's just an oversight on my part. Spring is on the way so a lot will be happening. I'll try to keep recording what I see.

Hummingbirds on the move

It's been a long time since my last post so I thought I should put something up here.
The hummingbird feeder has been going down very slowly. The regular contingent has moved on, the only use is from other migrants passing through.

The other day I was at the sink cleaning up after a session of tomato sauce production. A female hummingbird flew to the feeder outside the kitchen window and had herself a very long drink. I don't know if she had just flown into our yard or whether she had been around for a while. It was about 4:45PM so I tend to think she was ending a day of travel. She took off into the arborvitae for shelter and about 30 minutes later she came back for more, although this time it was not as long a meal.
I wonder how the migrants find us. What is it that brings them in? Can they see the feeder and the thick stand of arborvitae and balsams? Do they remember from year to year?
Whatever the answer I'm glad they stop. It makes me feel a little useful in the grand scheme of things. We humans do so much that impedes our wildlife, it's nice to think we can give a little back.

Garden rewards

Yesterday I indulged in one of summers best treats.

I was in the vegetable garden eating Sungolds (cherry tomatoes) when I realized that it was the perfect day for a truly fresh tomato. I searched and found a couple of likely candidates. I selected a Black Krim that was in the sun and warm to the touch. I picked it, admired it and bit into it. No tomato will ever taste as good as one that is perfectly ripe, warm from the sun and seconds off the vine.

It was so divine that I found an Old German (it’s a tomato) and had that too.

Next time I want to try a Valencia and a Fritz. Those are the only varieties I am growing this year, so I will have a complete sample.

The Fritz is a tomato I will certainly grow again. Large and meaty, good flavor and ideal on a tomato/cheese sandwich. The Valencia is a probable repeat as well. A medium sized orange tomato with good flavor and again pretty meaty. Tastes good in sandwiches and in salads or as a garnish on potato salad.

The Black Krim and Old German go on the maybe list. Both are good but not spectacular. Both have a tendency to crack, although not as bad as some I have grown. The Old German is a good salad tomato but seems a bit small for sandwiches.

The Black Krim has a dark skin, flesh and flavor. I enjoy the taste but that is not an opinion shared by all. Also the fruit ripen unevenly, if you wait until the green is all gone on the top the lower part is over ripe. I usually cut off the green top and use the lower 4/5th of the tomato. It’s a watery tomato as well. I think this helps the flavor but it is messy and unmanageable for sandwiches.

When I get a freezer I will expand the tomato selection again. I will use the excess tomatoes for sauce and freeze it. I would love to have room to grow 15 – 20 varieties a year, but I have a feeling that Jan won’t give up the space where the flowers and shrubs grow. I guess the animals wouldn’t appreciate it either.

Preparing for change

Although summer can seem to be one long season of sameness (especially August) things are changing all the time. Nestlings have fledged, flowers have come and gone and the days are gradually shortening.
But now the pace is beginning to quicken, the change to fall isn't that far away. Temperatures will drop and birds will migrate (some have started already). The tempo of life adjusts as preparations for the next season begin.
One of the most obvious changes in my yard is the activity at the hummingbird feeder. It is in constant use and each bird tries to defend it for herself (The males have left my yard). I have to fill it every day as the tiny creatures bulk up to prepare for their impressive journey to Central and South America. These thumb sized birds make the trip twice a year and it includes a 5-6 hundred mile leg over the Gulf of Mexico. Absolutely mind boggling.
Soon other migrants birds will appear for a day or two to rest and use the feeders. Mammals will be checking out the space under the porch and salamanders will be burrowing under the leaves. Finding shelter is a prime survival strategy.
The animals have had a good year. I see lots of offspring, but that will increase the competition for food and shelter. I'll do my part, but nature will make the final decisions.

HAWK!

My wife was sitting at the table this afternoon and spotted something large at the bird feeder. There was a hawk perched on the metal crossbar that holds the bird feeders. My wife doesn't wear her glasses and she isn't very familiar with hawks in general but based on her description and estimate of the size it was probably a sharp shinned hawk.
Despite the number of birds we have we don't seem to have a lot of hawk activity, partly because there is not a good hunting perch for the hawks to use. By the time this one had landed on the feeders all the smaller birds were long gone.
Some people get upset when hawks take birds around their feeders. My feeling is that it is a true part of the natural order of things and who am I to interfere with that? Usually hawks don't spend an entire day hunting in one location. They may make one or two passes a day through the yard and they aren't always successful.
One thing that I noticed was that all the squirrels scattered too. Maybe if I could talk the hawks into concentrating on the squirrel population we wouldn't lose so many of our flower bulbs.

Nuthatches

I would never declare a favorite bird, they are all interesting and worthy of attention. But I have to comment on the entertainment value of nuthatches. The "heads down" approach to everything makes them seem like little clowns at times.
We had a family of white breasted nuthatches nesting in an old nest box on the back of the garage. They seem to have found it to their liking as there seems to be more of them around lately. The increase in numbers has led to more entertainment, we both win.
The other day I saw one approaching a hanging squirrel "resistant" feeder, the kind with the horizontal bar for feeding. It perched on the hanger pole and swiveled its head back and forth as if trying to figure out the best approach. It flew to the bar and hung upside down, unable to reach the seeds. Back to the hanger and then another failed attempt. Back up to the hanger and a pause with lots of head swiveling.
Third time's the charm, it landed on the moving metal piece that is supposed to cover the feed slot under a squirrels weight, tipped its head back(down) and helped itself to the sunflower seed prize.
After that all was well, success after success for the nut hatch, lots of entertainment for me.
One other thing about nuthatches is the distinctive nasal voice. I particularly like the red breasted nuthatches 'neep neep' which always makes me smile.

There are downsides too

While I will continue to extol the benefits of a wildlife friendly yard I have to acknowledge that all is not perfect in Eden (or Penacook, as the case may be). Last night around 9PM I heard my wife in the kitchen go "EEEEEWWWW"!! Skunk!
It was close, right by the back of the house I'm sure. This is a season of transition for skunks. The young are moving out and finding their own territories and that often leads to conflict, either with another skunk or with some other critter that feels ownership in the area. And when a skunk conflict evolves to a certain level the results are unpleasant for all.
I have a certain affection for skunks. They are beautiful creatures and for the most part quite calm. A few years ago we had a pair of youngsters that would visit the bird feeder spill in the early evening. The newly independent youngsters seem to be less rigorously nocturnal than adults. I could be within a few feet of them with no incidents. One time one of the neighbors cats was hiding under the bird feeder within inches of the skunk. Again, no conflict.
The good news is that our bedroom wasn't seriously impacted by the odor and by morning it had dissipated. So all is well in the yard again and I hope our skunk and rival have reached a long term agreement on property rights.

Evening rewards

Last evening the cool dry air came in and it was just a delightful time to be outside. I grazed on the sungold tomatoes and picked some green beans, just enjoying the heck out of the garden.
While I was at the bean bed I noticed a chickadee in the dogwood about 10 feet away. He was flying to the strawberry towers next to the beans and picking bugs out from among the leaves.
Further down the back flower bed a male cardinal was perched on the tall phlox. He seemed to be going after bugs among the sunflowers and dill.
Then I saw a humming bird working around the red runner beans and checking out the underside of the cardinal, I guess because he is red!?
I kept going with the beans, they're producing at a tremendous rate right now. Then I saw the male cardinal chasing a grackle around the beds. He was clearly in pursuit, but I didn't know why.
I moved to the next bean bed (we always plant to many) and I could hear a rapid chip chip chip in the dogwood. A small brown bird that didn't look exactly familiar was raising a ruckus and hopping awkwardly around the branches. Suddenly (s)he made an equally awkward flight to the beans I was working at, it was less than three feet away. Then the male cardinal showed up, also making a racket. Then I recognized the first bird as a fledgling cardinal. The chipping was similar to the familiar sounds of the adult cardinals, just higher pitched and about twice the rate.
The adult herded the youngster into the neighbors burning bush and took up a vigil, obviously trying to keep the fledgling safe. I heard a lot of noise at one point and saw the neighbors cat under the burning bush. I chased the cat away, although the cardinal didn't appreciate my intrusion either.
As I continued working a round the garden I saw the adult cardinal hanging around for over 20 minutes. Later when I went back the area was quiet, I guess the adult got the fledgling to move to where ever it was he wanted him.
All in all I think this sums up why I love our yard and gardens.

Personalities of all sizes

Having watched the generations of animals that have inhabited our yard I notice behavior differences among individuals. Often that behavior reflects their tolerance of humans.
In the past we have had resident humming birds that used the feeder outside the kitchen window no matter what we were doing at the sink. In fact at one point one was so used to me that even when I was outside within 3 feet of the feeder it would feed readily.
Our current group range from shy to downright skittish. The female in the picture above is the least wary. She will use the feeder if we are still, but much movement will drive her away. The rest of the several that use the feeder will barely tolerate our presence in the room. As a result the kitchen blind is frequently closed when we should be enjoying the view.

Water for all

Our yard is experiencing a localized drought this year. In general there hasn't been a steady rain around for ant least a couple of months. But there have been some hard rains in other parts of New England and even within a couple of miles of us. My rain gauges show a total of 7/10ths of an inch of rain since early May. The official totals for Concord are taken several miles south of here and are quite different from mine.
So we water the gardens (not the lawn) and keep the bird baths full.
I should call them critter water sources, not bird baths. We have three right outside the dining room windows. The one that is fairly shallow and flat is the one the birds use. The other two have deeper sections in the middle that hold more water but the birds don't find them very user friendly for vigorous splashing sessions.
The other creatures find them very useful. Wasps and other insects are regulars, as are squirrels, cats and all the nocturnal visitors. I think having water sources is at least as important as food sources for keeping wildlife coming back to your yard.

The Grackle invasion

There are always grackles about, but this year we seem to be having a greater concentration. They are spending a great deal of time hogging up our feeders, and the neighbors have had trouble too.

I don't know what made them suddenly like our yard so much. Any ideas?

She's watching back

Sitting at the dining table looking at one of the feeders I notice a female rose breasted grosbeak sitting on the bar. She eats a few sunflower seeds and then turns sideways on the bar and looks toward me. Pretty soon it's obvious that she is indulging in a little human watching.
I wonder if they keep life lists?

A celebration of urban wildlife

While it is great to see impressive and unusual animals I am growing more and more convinced that it is the everyday interaction with wildlife that are vital to our connection with nature. So here's to the mourning doves and squirrels and all the other everyday wild critters that provide so much pleasure.