Recent Bird News
The recent nearly 8” of snow we had certainly increased bird feeding activity to levels we are more familiar with. Many of you saw Purple Finch and Pine siskin, Red-winged Blackbirds, and lots of Juncos. Thanks to all of you who were patient with our freight difficulties and low level of seed inventory. It may interest you to know we sell in the neighborhood of 6,000 lbs of seed per week. So, when winter weather disrupts freight and the need for seed increases we can get into a bind. I’m happy to report we are well stocked and back to normal.
We have a customer in West Meade who has a “special visitor” coming to a suet feeder. This bird is not considered rare but more along the lines of uncommon. The bird is a female Baltimore Oriole and it is coming to suet. We always point out to people that suet is a great food source for wild birds and is the most likely food to appeal to a more unusual species, like this Oriole. It’s been visiting semi-regularly even before the winter storm. The Baltimore Oriole primarily passes through TN during its migration in the spring to areas more north of TN where they breed. March and April are the best months to see Orioles, the male with its bright orange plumage and black and white wings.
Every book I’ve picked up over the years about bird feeding strongly recommends putting out orange halves to attract Orioles but upon further research Orioles prefer ripe dark colored fruit. The darkest Mulberries, the reddest cherries, and the deepest purple grapes are on their preferred fruits list, and will ignore green grapes and yellow cherries. So, this spring I will be presenting some cherries and grapes rather than the oranges that have not worked for me. Orioles will visit hummingbird feeders, too, as they have a similar specialized tongue for extracting nectar and juices from fruit.
Another very interesting visitor to a feeding station in the Brentwood area, and more unusual than the Oriole, is a Black headed Grosbeak.
The BHG resides primarily west of the Mississippi River from Central America to as far north as southern Alberta and British Columbia during the breeding season. The lone bird was coming to a platform feeder for seed, sunflower and millet, I believe. Reported sightings of this species are few making it a rare bird.
The most unusual news to share, though, is a confirmed active House Finch nest with babies. The customer reported a nest and eggs in early January in a typical House Finch nest location, their front door on a wreath. I reached out to them to find out if the babies had developed and grown enough to fledge but have not heard yet. I will share that news in the coming weeks. I cannot remember ever hearing of an active songbird nest in January.