Early Summer Hummingbirds

A day doesn’t go by at The Wood Thrush Shop that we are not asked “what’s wrong with the hummingbirds?” “I don’t see any coming to my feeders.” “Are they here”? 

All of our summer resident Ruby-throated hummingbirds are here and well into their first or even second nesting of the season by now.  Like Bluebirds they all don’t start nesting at the same time.  There could be as much as a month difference in the first nesting phase of the earlier arrivals in March and April and the later arrivals in late April to mid-May.

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The nesting phase is the reason people generally see far less of hummingbirds now as opposed to mid-July through September when they are seen so readily at feeders.  One must remember hummingbirds do not come all the way from Central and South America for sugar water.  It’s of little need to them during the first half of their summer residency. They are very satisfied with nectar from flowering plants, and insects for protein. Hummingbird feeders are not in high demand at this time and will serve only for quick visits and a brief drink.  When nesting is near conclusion in mid to late July and early August that is when hummers begin visiting feeders with frequency and intensity to fatten up in preparation for the long migration back to Central and South America. 

With that in mind keep fresh nectar in the feeder but do not fill to capacity.  Small amounts are recommended now to decrease waste and major cleaning of feeders.   In warmer weather with temperatures near 90, nectar is only good for 2-3 days at a time.  If your feeder is getting full sun you may want to adjust to a shadier situation or be prepared to change the nectar even more frequently.

Remember to only use plain white table sugar to make nectar, no brown or raw natural sugar, no honey, and no color.  A 1 part sugar to 4 parts water ratio is the perfect solution.  Making it sweeter is no more appealing or beneficial to the birds. 

Be patient, hummingbirds will begin visiting feeders when they are ready.  We should see an uptick in activity around mid-July.

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We will be closed Monday, June 19th.

We will see you on June 20th!

Wood Thrush Notes: Yellow-throated Vireo

This morning while having coffee on my back porch waiting and watching for the first Rose-breasted Grosbeak to appear at my feeders, I heard a bird call that I quickly identified as a Red-eyed Vireo. Much to my wife’s delight I was wrong. She had opened up the Merlin app to use the Sound ID feature and it identified the bird as a Yellow-throated Vireo. The songs of the two vireos are similar but different enough, too, that I should not have gotten it wrong. Identifying calls and songs is the most challenging part of birding.

Upon locating where the sound was coming from and using my binoculars it was indeed a Yellow-throated Vireo. I blamed my incorrect song ID on the nearly 50 male American Goldfinches that were in full chatter mode descending on all my feeders.

The Yellow-throated Vireo (Y-TV) is a spring migrant arriving from Central and South America. Practically the entire eastern half of the U.S. is in their breeding range. One could easily miss this bird if there is a strong presence of Goldfinches around, although you won’t see them at a feeder. Y-TV’s are insect eaters and will be seen in deciduous forest areas where they tend to nest, hopping slowly from branch to branch looking for prey. 

Yellow-throated Vireo

Males will find potential nesting areas and even begin placing some nest material in a few locations waiting on the arrival of a female. She will choose one of the locations and give approval. The male will begin the actual nest building only to hand over the duties to the female after one day. The nest material is comprised of bark strips, dry grasses, rootlets, pine needles, and perhaps hair, held together with spider web or some other insect silk.

Y-TV’s are mostly solitary and shortly after chicks leave the nest the pair will separate.

Just a reminder! If you are interested in placing a special order with us for our Campania cast stone concrete pre-order sale you have through the 18th to place an order. For more information read our Campania pre-order sale blog post from last week. Thank you!

Wood Thrush Notes: Birds to look for.

Coming Soon! Look for these birds at your feeders.

Within the next two weeks you should look for Rose breasted Grosbeaks (RBG) and Indigo Buntings to visit your seed feeders. At feeders RBG’s are the more common of the two migrants and show up in greater numbers, eat more, and maintain a longer presence, usually lasting until mid-May before moving northward to their summer breeding areas. RBG’s winter as far as northern Peru.

Adult male RBG’s are very easily identified with their black and white plumage and big red V on the chest which really stands out against the stark white underside. The head is hooded with black and the wings are black with two white patches, one at the shoulder and one closer to the wing tip. The beak is large enabling this bird to crack open all kinds of seeds and capture insects which are a significant part of their diet during the breeding season.

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Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak

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Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Female RBG’s are primarily brown and white with a pale yellowish breast and belly, heavily streaked above and below, and have a prominent white eyebrow.

During their migration through TN, they will stop at feeding stations with sunflower, safflower, peanuts, and even suet.

RBG’s have a beautiful song but you may not get to hear them perform as they likely wait until they reach their summer destination.

Indigo Buntings may appear at feeders briefly in small numbers. Middle TN is part of their breeding range so it is possible to see a presence throughout the summer. They like a variety of seeds and seem to be most comfortable feeding on the ground. I have seen them on finch feeders.

Indigo Bunting

Indigo Bunting

We are hiring

We are looking for someone to fill a part-time position. Job requirements include customer service and sales, restocking seed which requires lifting up to 50 lbs., and general shop duties, 3 to 5 days a week with a maximum of 30 hrs. per week which includes 2 Saturdays per month. Starting wage is $15 per hour. Reliability, effort, and good work will be rewarded. It is a pleasant atmosphere to work in and customers are very nice. If you are interested, please email John with a resume if you have one, or thoughts as to why you would like to work here. woodthrushshopth@bellsouth.net

Wood Thrush Notes: Native plants & Hummingbirds

Consider Native Plants

Many of you, including myself, experienced loss, or at least significant damage, to plants with the rapid temperature drop and freezing weather this winter. Most leafy evergreens really took a hit as wind and subzero temperatures caused leaves to turn brown and drop off. This does not mean the plants are dead, and one will have to wait to see if new growth emerges. But if you are planning on replacing some plants, I suggest choosing native plants.

Habitat loss is the number one reason for species decline as development continues to reduce land once occupied and utilized by insects, birds, and animals. Vast amounts of natural habitat are now becoming islands of habitat. Scientific studies confirm wildlife thrives in greater numbers where gardens are planted with native plants that provide seeds, nuts, fruit and produce valuable blossoms for nectar. Spring is nearly here and gardening will be on your mind. Give some thought to replacing those cultivated varieties of plants with natives and the rewards will be great. Aside from attracting birds that do not visit feeders native plants require less watering, attract pollinators from bees to butterflies, do not require pesticides, survive tough TN growing conditions, and they are beautiful. A great local source and recognized as one of the leading native plant nurseries in the U.S. is GroWild in Fairview, TN. www.growildinc.com

The Perennial Plant Society of Middle Tennessee is another good resource for plants and information. They will be having their annual plant sale on April 8th from 9 am to noon at the Nashville fairgrounds. Visit their website for more information. www.ppsmtn.org

Another organization you may want to be familiar with is Habitat Connection. Habitat Connection is a non-profit organization made up of a small group of people sharing a passionate interest in improving habitat on a small scale, namely our yards. Their goal is to improve the health of our ecosystem in yards and to create connectivity for birds, wildlife, and us. They can help you implement a plan specifically for your yard. Check out their website to learn more, www.thehabitatconnection.org

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When are the hummingbirds coming?

It’s a question we hear a lot in the store beginning in February. We are just 2 ½ weeks away from some of the first sightings of Ruby-throated hummingbirds. Ruby-throated hummingbirds (RTH) are in fact moving this way as they do every year at this time. Male RTH’s begin arriving along the Gulf Coast in February preceding females by as much as a week to ten days. There are no exact arrival times but year to year observations suggest they are quite punctual. For 30 years I’ve noted the first siting of a hummingbird at my home. It’s never been earlier than April 4 and never later than April 11. And it has always been an adult male. It's often thought if it's warmer here they will arrive sooner. Perhaps warmer weather will aid them in their migration but it doesn’t mean they will get here that much earlier. After all they do not know it’s warmer here. Migration is triggered by the lengthening of daylight hours, and instinctively they have made this journey from Central and South America for thousands of years. The very earliest hummingbirds may be seen in the last week of March with the bulk of them arriving or passing through from mid-April to mid-May. Many of these birds will continue to their breeding areas as far north as Canada and all areas in between while some settle here for the summer.

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The other question we answer regarding hummingbirds is “when should I put a feeder out?” You may put one out as early as the last week of March but do not expect late summer-like activity. Feeders are of assistance but certainly not like they are prior to fall migration. This year may be different in that plants that provide blossoms for nectar may be in short supply from winter damage. We shall see.

Wood Thrush Notes: All About Goldfinch

Why You May Not Have Success Attracting Goldfinches

Next to Bluebirds and Hummingbirds the American Goldfinch is perhaps the most discussed bird at The Wood Thrush Shop.  Goldfinches (GF’s) are a year round species here in TN.  Males, in their spring-summer breeding plumage, are bright yellow with a black forehead, black wings with white wingbars, and white patches above and below the tail.  Adult females are duller yellow beneath, olive above. In winter both males and females are a drab olive, with hints of yellow, and the ever present black wings with pale wingbars.

Non breeding male Goldfinch.

Breeding male and female Goldfinch.

Customers ask, “Where have the GF’s gone” or “why can I not attract GF’s” and “why are they not eating my nyjer-thistle”?

Understanding the Goldfinches habits is important. GF’s are exclusively seed eaters and they search for food as a flock. This fact is most important. It explains their preference for fields and meadows where there are lots of native seed producing plants, and why feeding stations with multiple seed feeders and choices of seed options tend to be more appealing and productive than a feeding station with one seed feeder and one finch feeder. Their desire to feed as a flock is the most important factor.

Because of their unique food requirements Goldfinches are on the move much of the time. During the non-breeding seasons, winter, spring and fall, there are great movements by these birds which may explain their inconsistent presence at feeders. Many of us tend to see more at the feeders in the winter when northern populations have come here to winter.

Goldfinches feed on a variety of seeds including sunflower, safflower, nyjer and millet. I believe sunflower is their preferred seed at feeders, whether in or out of the shell. I use the fine sunflower hearts in my finch feeders and always attract Goldfinches.

Nyjer for finch feeders is not a seed native to this country and is grown primarily in Africa, particularly Ethiopia and Kenya, as well as in India, Nepal, and Myanmar. This explains why Nyjer is a little pricier and perhaps why it may not be as appealing to Goldfinches as we once thought.

GF’s will go to any type of seed feeder including platforms. They will feed on the ground, too. During wintry weather I have spread sunflower and millet on my driveway and been treated to a flock of 50 or more Goldfinches.

Here are a few things to keep in mind to have more success with GF’s 

• Keep your finch feeders topped off. Waiting for GF’s to finish what’s in the feeder will backfire because if what’s remaining in the feeder accommodates only two birds they will move on. Often customers will think there’s something wrong with the remaining seed but probably not. Shake the feeder to see if the seed is dry and loose. If it is just top it off. If it has gotten wet and is now clumped remove it and refill.

  • Employing other seed feeders is helpful in three ways. It provides more feeding opportunities and a variety of seed choices. As GF’s search for available seed sources they will notice other seed eating feeder birds and investigate what they are feeding on.

  • If you have multiple finch feeders keep them fairly close to one another promoting the “flock feeding” preference.

  • Keep your feeders clean and the seed in good condition. I can assure you GF’s have plenty of food choices in nature so your feeders need to be at their best to compete.

Understanding the habits of GF’s and following some of the suggested tips should help you attract this beautiful bird with more consistency.