Wood Thrush Notes: First Migrants Arrive in TN.

Sale Continues and GBBC

Our February sale continues through this Saturday the 18th on all bird feeding related products. Seed and feed, and all bird feeders and accessories are marked down. Get ready for the Great Backyard Bird Count which takes place Feb. 17-21. Take part in this fun activity where your backyard bird data is used by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Visit www.birdcount.org for more information.

First Neotropical Migrants Arrive in TN

We naturally think of migration happening in “spring” and “fall”, however, spring migration has already begun and just last Saturday some of the earliest songbirds arriving from Central and South America were spotted in a couple of locations in TN by avid birdwatchers. One location, the Duck River Unit of TN National Wildlife Refuge in Waverly, is a very popular and productive birdwatching location.

Neotropical means relating to or denoting a zoogeographical region comprising Central and South America, including the tropical southern part of Mexico and the Caribbean.

Tree swallows were spotted in both Chattanooga and Waverly. Tree swallows are a beautiful bird that we see with regularity using Bluebird boxes statewide. We have had customers report having Tree swallows in Bluebird boxes for many years now. Tree swallows are primarily insect consumers, but unlike other swallows, can eat plant foods which help them survive potential wintery weather of early spring. Tree swallows are often seen in open field areas away from trees but get their name from commonly nesting in tree cavities.

Tree Swallow

The Swallow family in general is among the earliest migrating birds to return to N. Am. every spring. This family consists of Purple Martins, Tree, Cliff, Rough-winged, and Barn swallows.

Spring migration for Ruby-throated hummingbirds, as usual, is closer to April. It is not uncommon for a few hummingbirds to be seen and reported the last week of March, but the vast majority of Ruby-throated hummingbirds will arrive in, or pass through, TN between the first of April and mid-May.

Wood Thrush Notes

Reminder: Important Store Hours Update

We are closing for a couple of days. On Saturday, October 15 we will close at 2 pm and re-open Wednesday, October 19.

Hummingbirds and other Migrant

A few weeks ago we mentioned BirdCast, a project by Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Colorado State University, and UMass Amherst, to track bird migration using radar. Click here to visit birdcast.info

Mid-October is peak time for songbird migration through middle TN as neo-tropical migrants’ are going back to Central and South America. BirdCast estimates that while you were sleeping 3,675,600 birds crossed Davidson County last night. Yes, that’s 3 million from just after sunset until Friday morning just before 7 am. The high traffic count of birds in flight was 570,000. Across the country billions of birds migrate at night in spring and fall. City lights are a very real threat to bird migration as they are attracted to the lights and collide with windows. Bird Safe Nashville has begun a campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of city lights and to encourage businesses and homeowners to turn off exterior lighting during peak times of migration. For more information visit www.birdsafenashville.org

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are still being seen in small numbers. Even though you may not have seen any for a few weeks we suggest keeping a feeder up with small amounts of fresh nectar. My late date to observe a Ruby-throated hummingbird in my yard in Cheatham Co. is October 25. There is also a chance you may see a different species of hummer appear at your feeder. Practically every year we have a customer or two that gets a western U.S. hummer, like a Rufous or Anna’s at a feeder they have left out into the months of November and December. Maybe this year it will be you.

Adult Male Rufous Hummingbird

Adult Male Anna’s Hummingbird

Have a great weekend and wherever you go bring your binoculars.

Bird Bio: Summer Tanager

You’re walking in the park when you see a stunning flash of red in the tree canopy above you. You don’t get a good look, so you write it off as another cardinal. But something about it just didn’t seem right to you. Suddenly, you see the flash of red again up ahead, but this time the bird lights on a branch, sidles down, and grabs a large insect before it viciously begins to thrash it into submission. You look through your binoculars and this time get a good enough look to be certain it’s no cardinal, but what could it be?

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Male Summer Tanager. Photos by Eli Haislip.

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The Summer tanager is an eye-catching bird to say the least. These neotropical migrants call our deciduous and pine-oak forests home for the spring and summer months. During fall migration, they leave their summer breeding grounds behind and will travel as far south as the rain forests of Bolivia. When they aren’t traveling between hemispheres, they can usually be found in the tops of trees where they are more easily heard than seen. Listen for their robin like song, or their unique “pi-tuh-took” call. Once you are able to recognize these by ear, you will be amazed by just how common these beautiful birds are. To hear this birds call check out the Summer Tanager profile on allaboutbirds.org

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Juvenile male

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Female

During early spring, the males sing and aggressively chase one another in order to establish territories. Males will take only one mate per season. After the birds pair off, females will weave crude bowls out of dried grasses and other vegetation. Females incubate eggs while the males will busy themselves with important activities such as preening, foraging and getting a little rest. After an incubation period of 11-12 days, both parents will help to raise the young. After a period of as short as 8-12 days, it is time for the fledglings to leave the nest, despite being barely able to fly. During this period, they usually will hide themselves in dense vegetation, only calling on occasion to their parents who will continue to feed them for around 3 weeks.

While visits to feeders are rare, they are not entirely unheard of. They are known to visit suet feeders, and they might not rule out a plump mealworm if the opportunity presented itself. However, they are more likely to spend their time in the treetops where they specialize in eating wasps, bees, as well as other insects, and fruit or berries. Great places to see these birds include Edwin Warner and Bowie Nature Park in Fairview.

Spring Migration Notes

There is a lot going on right now in the bird world and in our backyards.  Rose-breasted Grosbeaks settled in this week at feeders as have Indigo Buntings.  Expect to see numerous RB Grosbeaks at feeders until around mid-May as they will eventually move along to their summer homes to breed, usually north of TN. East TN in higher elevations is also part of their breeding range.  RBG’s love most seeds offered at feeders and will compete with one another for a place at the table.  If you have a few more feeders stored away now is the time to put them out to accommodate as many as possible. They are really eager to feed during their long journey from Central and South America.   

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Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak

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Male & Female RBG’s

RBG’s are monogamous and both male and female build the nest.Males usually make the choice of nest site, however.The male Rose-breasted Grosbeak shares incubation duties with the female and is known to sing while doing so. For more info on the Rose-breasted Grosbeaks visit Cornell labs website.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds continue to arrive or pass through but don’t expect a lot of action at the feeders just yet. They prefer blossoms for their nectar source early in the season. Bluebirds, Chickadees, and Carolina wrens are either finishing, or somewhere in the middle stages, of their first nesting, and neo-tropical migrants are pouring through TN during these peak migration weeks of late April and early May. Birdwatching is at its peak during this time. You may want to join TOS birdwatchers at Radnor Lake Wed. mornings to learn a little more about this rapidly growing and rewarding hobby. Bring binoculars and be prepared to watch, listen and learn. Visit Tennessee Ornithological Society’s website at www.tnbirds.org.

Next to Bluebirds and Hummingbirds the American Goldfinch is perhaps the most discussed bird at The Wood Thrush Shop. We’ve been getting a lot of Goldfinch questions lately. This finch is a year round species here in TN and known for its bright yellow and black plumage in spring and summer while in winter dull and almost completely lacking in yellow.

Mostly what we hear from customers are questions like, “where have the Goldfinches gone” or “why can I not attract Goldfinches”? There are no simple answers nor is there much we can suggest to increase your chances of attracting more Goldfinches. When it comes to attracting Goldfinches patience and an understanding of their habits and seasonal movements is important. So, why are Goldfinches so different from the other backyard birds?

Goldfinches are exclusively seed eating birds which means they have a natural food supply everywhere they go and in almost every season of the year. This also means your feeders should be in tip top condition with a dry source of seed to entice them to visit. Goldfinches won’t visit your feeders if they are not providing something as good as they find in nature. In late summer when Coneflower, Zinnias, and Rudbeckia are in bloom and the seeds become ready I see great numbers of Goldfinch feeding there rather than on the feeders nearby. Sometimes they just prefer what nature has to offer. And really, shouldn’t it be that way?

To further complicate matters, unlike other backyard birds, Goldfinches are on the move much of the time, never staying in one area for very long. During the non-breeding seasons, winter, spring and fall, there are great movements by these birds which explain their inconsistent presence at feeders. Many of us see more at feeders in winter when northern populations have come here to escape harsh conditions.

Goldfinches love a variety of seeds, not just Nyjer, including sunflower and safflower, at feeders. I believe sunflower is their preferred seed. I use fine sunflower hearts in my finch feeder and do quite well attracting Goldfinches. Nyjer for finch feeders is not a seed native to this country. It is grown primarily in Africa, particularly Ethiopia and Kenya, as well as in India, Nepal, and Myanmar. This explains why it’s a little pricier. It is heat treated before entering this country so it will not germinate.

American Goldfinch feeding on sunflower chips.

Keeping your feeders topped off is always recommended as Goldfinches are social and prefer to feed as a group. Waiting for them to finish what’s in the feeder will backfire because if what’s remaining in the feeder accommodates only two birds they likely will move on. Many times customers will be fooled into thinking there’s’ something wrong with the remaining seed. Shake the feeder to see if the seed is dry and loose. If it is just top it off. Your results should be better.

Almost any kind of bird feeder may attract American Goldfinches, including hopper, platform, and hanging feeders, and these birds don’t mind feeders that sway in the wind

As mentioned, they like Zinnias, Coneflower, and Rudbeckia, so planting patches of them will likely bring Goldfinches.

Interesting Facts

• American Goldfinches breed later than most North American birds. They wait until June or July to nest when milkweed, thistle, and other plants have produced their fibrous seeds, which goldfinches incorporate into their nests and also feed their young.

• Goldfinches are among the strictest vegetarians in the bird world, selecting an entirely vegetable diet and only inadvertently swallowing an occasional insect.

• When Brown-headed Cowbirds lay eggs in an American Goldfinch nest, the cowbird egg may hatch but the nestling seldom survives longer than a few days. The cowbird chick simply can’t survive on the all-seed diet that goldfinches feed their young.

• Because of the nest material they use and how tightly it is woven a Goldfinch nest has been known to hold water which can obviously have dire consequences.

Managing your expectations when it comes to attracting Goldfinches is advisable. There are no guarantees when you consider their habits and preferences.

Keep the binoculars close and enjoy the birds.

Wood Thrush Shop Notes

Spring Birdwatching Excitement

Spring migration is in full swing which means there is a lot to see if you invest a little extra time looking in any of our wonderful parks and on greenways, and even in your own backyard. The first few sightings of Ruby-throated hummingbirds came in this week and over the course of the next 6 weeks many more will follow. Get your binoculars out and your ears ready because neo-tropical migrants are passing through middle Tennessee everyday headed to their summer breeding areas, which will take some of them as far as Canada. Over 30 species of warblers, 7 species of vireos, Scarlet and Summer tanagers, several different flycatchers, Orchard and Baltimore orioles, and 6 species of swallows are there for the viewing if you try. Mornings between 6 am and 10 am are best because many of these migratory birds travel at night settling down to feed and rest before resuming their journey.

For daily sightings reports you may want to subscribe to tn-bird@freelists.org or visit Tennessee Birding on Facebook. And if you would like to become a more active birdwatcher consider joining the Nashville Chapter of Tennessee Ornithological Society. For more information visit TNBirds.org

Your feeders may have been a little slow over the last few weeks but soon activity will increase significantly. Suet consumption will also increase, especially if you live in a wooded environment. Woodland birds like woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, and titmice, find suet to be a valuable commodity during their nesting phase. In my yard I find that suet consumption doubles from mid-April through the end of June.

At your feeders expect to see the always popular Rose-breasted grosbeaks and Indigo buntings. RB Grosbeaks are very fond of most seeds with sunflower, safflower, and peanuts being favorites. Platform feeders will accommodate several at once. Indigo Buntings may visit finch feeders as well as platform and tube feeders with sunflower and millet. Pics of RBG and Indigo bunting

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks

Indigo Bunting

Of course, American goldfinches are here in abundance year-round and are now putting on their bright yellow spring plumage. Goldfinch numbers can vary daily as they, too, are on the move.

Very few Bluebird nests have been reported so far which is quite normal. It's still on the early side of the nesting phase. There is still plenty of time to offer a Bluebird box and successfully attract them.

Happy Easter to all!