A Carolina Wren's Strong Grip

Carolina Wrens have large strong, gripping feet.

These birds are so much fun to watch, especially their bouncing stance.  I feel fortunate to have a pair of wrens that frequent my garden and my patio area, flying in low to the ground to explore the garden, the logs around it, the edges of the house and any pots or plants tucked in the corners.

I've heard bird bander's comment on the strong grip of their feet, but not until I witnessed this wren bathing recently did I completely appreciate the strength of that grip!

Raccoons visit my yard at night and frequently turn over the bird bath.  I sometimes hear the "kerplunk" if I'm sitting in the living room reading.  I try to discourage them by putting a pan of water on the ground at the edge of the patio.  It worked last night. They triggered the movement sensor of the porch light, though, and I looked out to see two of the cutest fellows climbing the posts to the deck and peering over the cross beam, clearly in search of seeds or suet. They found none!

The last time I heard the bird bath fall over, the chimes also started ringing.  I looked out that time to see a raccoon hanging upside down from the cross beam checking out the chimes for food!  I have to admit they make me smile.

When I filled the bird bath the next morning, I filled it too full, even though there are some rocks in it, placed there for smaller birds.  The water was too deep for this determined little wren, but that didn't stop him from taking his bath just the same.   

As you scroll through the images below, notice that he never lets go of the rim of the bird bath!

He grips the edge, lowers his sides into the water and flicks his wings and tail to splash water over his back.

Needless to say, after watching his efforts, in the future, when the bird bath is actually level (which is rare), I won't be filling it so full!  

Below, Carolina wren sketches from my book,  Red-Shouldered Hawk Territory, A sketchbook journey through a nesting season.

Links and resources:

More Carolina Wren posts in this blog

Cornell on the Carolina Wren

Red-shouldered Hawk Territory, A sketchbook journey through a nesting season

Eastern bluebird juveniles bathing

More Fall Excitement

Have you seen the movie Bambi?  Remember the scene when all the birds and animals of the forest gather around to see the new baby?  That's what it feels like while I'm sitting on my patio sometimes, like a magical scene from Bambi. Of course, the birds and animals aren't gathered around me.  They're coming to the sunflower seed and suet feeders despite my presence.  That's actually my favorite interaction, the opportunity to watch them at close range as though I'm invisible.

I didn't have seed and suet feeders out while hummingbirds were migrating earlier in September and October, allowing plenty of space for nectar feeders.  But when the last hummer departed, the quiet and stillness around the patio was too much!  So I hung suet and sunflower seeds one morning and sat outside just to watch and enjoy.  And I was rewarded, Bambi style.

I had not expected the feeder to attract so much attention after so many days of absence, but when seeds are offered, action happens.  The number of chickadees and titmice arriving all at once in a very short time was surprising.  It was also nice to think that some of these foraging chickadees might be the youngsters that fledged from my nest box this past spring.

And then there are the mammals, the chipmunks and squirrels that come around.  I became annoyed with the squirrels in October as I watched them visit the holly bush over and over again, as many as three at a time, stripping it of green berries, sometimes tearing the tip of the limb off to carry away a whole clump.  A day ago, I saw a small cluster of berries that had actually been allowed to turn red.  It's at the end of a long limb at the top and probably hard to reach.  While European holly berries are not a primary food choice for our birds, last winter these clumps of red berries attracted many species, allowing me to enjoy them on our coldest, snowy days in January and February.  But the berries have all been harvested already.  There will be no holly berries this winter to attract birds.  Once that was settled and done, I managed to feel peace again with the squirrels. After all, they have to eat too.

Above you see another character that comes around frequently, especially when the seeds are out.  He/she has given me several laugh-out-loud moments.  Once, she came around the corner of the house, and upon seeing me, bolted in another direction.  I thought she was running away to hide, but instead, she scurried up the leg of the bird bath and perched there taking a long drink.

Another time, I noticed her out of the corner of my eye, and turned my head to get a better look.  Here she came, in my direction, cheeks bulging with food to the max, and an enormous acorn clutched in her mouth.  She was so comical I laughed out loud, which of course, sent her into hiding behind a plant container.  Not too long after that, she reappeared, and continued her path, scampering under my chair as she rounded the corner heading for her burrow.

Among the other birds that visited the sunflower seeds and suet, was this white-breasted nuthatch, above and below.  Ever since I noticed a titmouse holding a dogwood berry with its feet while eating it, I have been fascinated with bird's feet and how they use them.  At the banding station, I also discovered how beautiful they can be, with even their foot pads colorfully matching plumage.  Each bird species has its own unique feet, perfectly designed in size, shape and color to suit the bird's foraging habits and habitat.  The white-breasted nuthatch has enormous and powerful feet attached to that little body!  And these feet are well adapted to clinging and climbing tree trunks as it forages and hides seeds for later consumption.  When I saw the image below, I had the impression of this nuthatch sliding in on roller skates!

In addition to the size of his feet, notice that hefty claw in the back.

I'm currently in the midst of several art projects with very close deadlines, keeping me both close to home and very busy.  And this is good news.  I love creating.  Below, a preview of one of my paintings in a collection called, Autumn Birds.  I'll share more about these projects as I get them completed.

This is also my favorite time of year, a wonderful season to take a break from time to time, just to step outside on these beautiful autumn days and take in the changing colors and the sounds and sights of foraging birds.

Nature in all her beauty!

Links and Resources:

To see a tufted titmouse holding a dogwood berry visit:  It's busy under that Dogwood
More posts on bird feet:  A Nashville Warbler from Head to Toe and Bird Banding and Matters of the Heart.
More autumn posts.
In Time out for Woodpeckers find a red-bellied woodpecker foraging among fall dogwood leaves.

The Excitement of Fall

I love fall. I love the crisp air, the changing leaves, the migrating birds passing through. And I love my patio and my bird bath. The patio with the deck overhead provides a sheltered place for me to relax and take everything in, even when its raining. And I never know what I might see. Sunday, for example, the unexpected.

Already seated, I had looked down at something, then up again to find a male bluebird drinking from the birdbath right in front of me.  I caught my breath, feeling so excited to see a bluebird so close again.  My resident bluebirds hatched their second brood in late summer.  When the juveniles fledged, the parents only brought them back to the feeder area a couple of times, then they were gone.  I mean, completely gone.
Without the need to protect their nesting territory for another nesting attempt, they had no reason to stay once the second brood juveniles fledged. This movement to different hunting grounds is an important survival behavior. The longer the bluebird family stayed in the nesting area, the more likely predators would detect the inexperienced fledglings.    

The male flew up to a low branch and perched for a while, partially concealed by the leaves. I picked up my camera thinking he might return for another drink, but instead, his companion, a female, landed on the birdbath and drank.  What a pleasure.  It may seem like such a simple thing, but there are few things more beautiful or peaceful than sharing an intimate moment with a bird as it goes about its ordinary daily activities, seemingly undisturbed by your presence.  (All the Eastern bluebird images you see here are of the female.)  

And bluebirds are so quiet when they approach.  They land with no fuss, no scolding, utter silence.  And just as quietly, the female departed, joined in flight by the male as they flew in the direction of the front yard.  They did not visit the mealworm feeder even though it had mealworms in it.  I added them earlier when I first heard a bluebird singing near the yard.  Maybe this pair was not familiar with mealworm feeders or maybe food is too plentiful this time of year for the feeder to draw their interest.  But that's okay.  The mealworms are not wasted.  Most of the time, the titmice empty the feeder.  Sunday, Carolina wrens also shared in the feast.  It was while watching the Carolina wren at the feeder, that I spotted the hummingbird that also visited that morning.    

A shy visitor, female or juvenile, she came back to the feeders several times but did not linger very long during any one visit. I was glad I happened to see her since she was the first hummingbird I've seen since Oct 9th. There are fewer and fewer hummers coming through now, generally late juveniles and late nesting females.  It's easy to miss them and mistakenly think all the Ruby-throated hummingbirds have departed.  This sighting on the16th of October is actually the latest date I've recorded a hummingbird in my yard in east TN in the fall.  But even after November 1st, it is a good idea to leave at least one feeder out through the winter months.  Other species of hummers have been documented in the east in the winter, and there are even a few records of Ruby-throats. In all, fourteen species have been documented in the eastern United states: Ruby-throated, Black-chinned, Rufous, Allen's, Broad-tailed, Anna's, Costa's, Calliope, Buff-bellied, White-eared, Green Violet-ear, Magnificent, Broad-billed and Green-breasted Mango.  If you see a hummingbird after November 1st, contact Bob and Martha Sargent at Rubythroat@aol.com or 205-681-2888.

I certainly don't need three feeders out this time of year, but I think of them as welcome flags, along with the flowers that are still blooming, advertising an oasis for thirsty, late travelers.  Below, a female Rose-breasted grosbeak that visited my sunflower feeder a week ago.  She is just passing through, on her way to the West Indies, Mexico or South America to spend her winter. Many migrants are passing through our yards this time of year, both seen and unseen.  

Fall is a beautiful, exciting time of year!

Next post: Fall color and more fun around the bird bath.

Links and Resources:

Blog posts on the bluebird family that nested in my yard during the 2010 breeding season.

Visit these links to see juvenile bluebirds enjoying a bath and my experience with feeding mealworms.

Learn more about how bird banding helps us learn about hummingbirds.  

Visit the Hummingbird Study Group to learn more about hummingbird species.

Contacts for reporting sightings of hummingbirds during winter months in the east: Bob and Martha Sargent, Rubythroat@aol.com or 205-681-2888

Posts about Ruby-throated hummingbirds on this blog.

The Beauty of November's Berries

Covered with berries and leaves earlier in the month, the Dogwoods in my yard are now bare of both. (Click images to enlarge.)All that remains are their upreaching limbs and tiny white buds, reminders of the crowd of birds, especially the robins, that covered their branches one morning and boldly announced their arrival.

But there are plenty of other berries still around, among them this native American Beautyberry (below) that I found at Ijams Nature Park. Expecting to find very little in the way of color when I stopped by, it took me by surprise. I even double checked to make sure the brilliant orange leaves were attached to the same limbs as the berries!

Who but Nature would pair these luscious colors together in such a grand display?!

October is most definitely a glorious month for leaves. But as November begins to fade, I think it steals the show, hands down, for its bountiful display of berries. Just ask the birds and squirrels who are busy harvesting them!

Tufted Titmouse--Singing in the Rain

If someone were to ask me, why do you love birds so much? I might have to answer, have you ever met a Tufted Titmouse?

Today is a cold, rainy November day, the kind of day we expect to have this time of year in east Tennessee. But after yesterday's brilliant sunshine, who can complain. And this one was brightened for me by the colorful Tufted Titmouse family, one of whom landed on the empty feeding table outside my door and scolded loudly. (click on images to enlarge)

After I put the suet out, I noticed him happily singing on the holly. I stepped out with my camera hoping he would continue and let me get a few images. As you can see, he didn't seem to mind. Even when a couple of chickadees flew in, attempting to dethrone him, he just turned and sang some more.

A colorful part of every season, these little birds are so much fun to have around. If you haven't met one, introduce yourself!

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #65 at Birdfreak.com to promote the conservation of our world's birds.

Impressed with a Red-bellied Woodpecker's Tongue!

On the day that the crowd of robins visited, a parade of other birds joined them in the dogwood tree. Among them, this Red-bellied Woodpecker male. (Click images to enlarge.)

It's always a treat when he visits the dogwood tree, and this time was no exception. He flew into the dogwood limbs, hung upside down to pluck a berry, then flew to a nearby trunk to reposition it before swallowing.

It was this that surprised me. He used the trunk's surface to reposition the berry, so that he then held it at the tip of his bill.

With his long tongue extended, he used it in a lever-like fashion to move the berry into swallowing position.

Once the berry was gone, he scooted around the tree to forage some more. But then, paused, looked back at another dogwood berry, hung upside down and stretched his tongue out to pick up something from its surface.

A fun and intimate encounter. I hated to see him fly away. The good news--he's my neighbor!

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #63 at Birdfreak.com, to promote the conservation of our world's birds.

A Crowd of Robins and A Dogwood Tree

A cold front welcomed in our first day of November, so I set feeders out for the birds. Titmice, chickadees and cardinals gathered but it soon became apparent there were many more birds in the yard than usual.

When I walked over to the Dogwood to investigate, I found a crowd of American Robins in the tree eating the ripened dogwood berries.

Not a bit shy about their new surroundings, the robins, mixed with a few Cedar Waxwings, were hungrily picking berries in as many different ways as you and I might invent. Some hung upside down, others grabbed berries in a fly-by fashion, still others found a convenient spot and picked and swallowed them one by one. Sometimes as many as half-a-dozen gathered on a branch at a time. And all around, on nearby limbs, more birds waited their turn.

It was heavenly. They were so close, so busy, so accessible. As you might guess, I took a ton of photographs. And while I enjoyed the party, others came to dine--a male Red-bellied woodpecker (I will show you more about how he uses his tongue in a later post), two male Yellow-bellied sapsuckers, a Hermit thrush, an Eastern Phoebe, a White-throated sparrow, three Northern Flickers and a Northern Mockingbird.

Need I say what a fine party this was for me? (Last image, Northern Mockingbird).