rose breasted grosbeak

Wood Thrush Notes

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks Visiting Feeders

What a pleasant surprise to see 6 to 8 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks on my feeders this morning. They were really getting after the Woodland Blend in my platform feeder. And we have heard from a number of you that have Grosbeaks, too. Not one of them was an adult, however, but juveniles just born this past spring-summer. How do you tell? The adult male, of course, is very distinctive with black and white wings and back, a black hood, and white underneath with a blazing red v on the chest. The adult female plumage is less distinctive being primarily brown and white giving the appearance of a large female Purple finch. The most recognizable feature of the adult female is the prominent white eye brow. The juveniles are a mix of these plumages, especially the males. Juvenile males can look quite different from one another even as they may possess more or less of various adult male and female field marks.

Adult Male RBG

Adult Female RBG

Juvenile RBG

It’s not every fall that Rose-breasted Grosbeaks take advantage of bird feeders. We know that they converge on feeders for roughly a month from mid-April to mid-May as they migrate to their breeding grounds from Central and South America, but in the fall they seem to be satisfied with seeds that have been produced by nature. It’s been a few years since I have seen them at my feeders in the fall. I can only surmise that the dry conditions this year did not produce an abundance of what they typically forage on, making the feeders more appealing. It’s nice to see them but I think I would rather have the rain.

Don’t forget we have begun distributing Rewards Cards in store. There’s no signing up or providing personal information. Just bring your card to be stamped with purchase and save. Easy.

Wood Thrush Notes

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Indigo Buntings Visiting Feeders

April and May are two of the most enjoyable months at feeding stations. Part of it is that trees are putting on their new leaves and the burst of green is beautiful. But these two months bring to our feeders Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Indigo Buntings. Just this morning I had my first RB Grosbeak visit a feeder, an adult male in his black and white plumage and brilliant v-shaped blaze of red on its chest. Like most springs I will see upwards of a dozen at a time. The females are brown with a white wing bar and a prominent white stripe above the eye. They have a large heavy beak that aids them in cracking open all kinds of seeds. It doesn’t seem to matter whether you offer sunflower or safflower. They like both.

Indigo Buntings are drawn to feeders, too, but may be a little more discriminating.  Although I see them at feeders they often show a preference for ground feeding.  I use white millet on the ground to appeal to these brilliant blue birds, similar in size to a Goldfinch. They will also feed on sunflower, especially out of the shell, and even nyjer and a finch blend.  Indigo Buntings usually visit feeders now but not so much as they settle in to breeding areas which are grown fields adjacent to forest and very much around river bottom areas.  The Harpeth River Greenway and Hidden Lakes Park are always well populated with them. 

Suet is still one of the best foods to continue presenting during the spring months.In fact, suet consumption will be at its greatest between now thru July. Adult birds raising young find it particularly beneficial. Suet will also attract some of the more unusual feeder birds. For example, the past week I have had a male and female Summer Tanager and a Yellow-rumped Warbler visiting my suet feeders.

Mr. Bird Woodpecker Feast 20% off.

Mr.Bird Bugs, Nuts, and Fruit 20% off.

Mr. Bird Safflower Feast 20% 0ff

Many of you that use Mr. Bird products know we were experiencing delays and shortages. I’m happy to say we are well stocked again.

So to jump start sales again all Mr. Bird products will be 20% off through next Friday May 6th.

And we’ve introduced a line of wildflower seed packets from Roundstone Seed Co.  We have three different packets to choose from: Pollinator Conservation Mix, Butterfly and Hummingbird Mix, and Monarch Milkweed.  10% off through Friday, May 6th!

Don’t forget we are having our Campania birdbath, fountain, and planter pre-order sale! For more information read our last blog post!

Have a great weekend! Remember to look for spring migrants!

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

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!

Wood Thrush Notes

To my surprise my birdfeeders have been quite busy for the first week of October. We routinely see feeders reduced to about half, or less, of the usual activity during October. However, I have seen considerable activity from Chickadees, American Goldfinch, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatches, and even Red-bellied woodpeckers that may be almost non-existent around feeders this time of year. A bright spot has been the presence of several Rose-breasted grosbeaks in various plumages. There have been adult male and female, and juveniles in small groups of 2 to 4 at a time. Of course we see these birds by the dozens at feeders during their migration in the spring but not so much in the fall when there are more natural food sources available. Although numbers are fewer with each day that passes Ruby-throated hummingbirds are still being seen. Just yesterday I saw 3 very chubby hummingbirds sparring over some salvia. The latest I have seen a RT hummingbird in my yard is Oct. 28.

Adult male Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Adult female Rose-breasted grosbeak

Juvenile male Rose-breasted grosbeak

This article was brought to my attention just this morning and I thought it was interesting, timely, and worth sharing. Have a great weekend. Click here to read the full article.

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Happy Easter Everyone!

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Good Afternoon All,

The staff at The Wood Thrush Shop hopes you are well, at home, and enjoying the birds. We continue to serve with curbside service and, if needed, delivery. It is extremely helpful to us if you call in your order in advance so we can pull the items together, process the payment, and have it ready for you to pick up when you arrive. Checks and cash are accepted, too.

If you are looking for birdfeeding, bluebird, or other backyard birding advice, or certain types of product, emailing your questions is best so we can keep the phone line open and answer your questions thoroughly. Our email address for orders and inquiries: thewoodthrushshop@gmail.com

Please understand we don’t always answer emails immediately and sometimes the phone line is full. We will get back to you as promptly as possible. Thanks very much for your understanding and cooperation during this challenging time.

Going forward in the current state of affairs we are going to attempt to significantly reduce inventory by offering discounts on lots of different merchandise. No worries, we are simply trying to move merchandise. Every day we will post on Facebook, Instagram, and our website, thewoodthrushshop.com, various specials. This will be fun because in some cases we have only one or two of a particular item and it will come down to the first caller winning.

Happy Easter and Enjoy the Birding to Come

This is the most rewarding time of the year for birdwatchers. You may have noticed a bit of a slowdown at your feeders recently but keep in mind that birds on the nest tend to gravitate to insects for a while to feed young. I have seen about a 50% slowdown at seed feeders in the last two weeks, but that will change soon. Activity at suet feeders, however, picks-up significantly. Suet consumption nearly doubles during the spring months, particularly if you live in a wooded environment. Woodpeckers, Chickadees, Nuthatches and Titmice, and even Bluebirds really take advantage of the suet at this time.

Sightings of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Indigo Buntings are just days away which means feeder activity will again pick-up with their arrival. These two species, like hummingbirds, have been migrating from Central and South America to their breeding grounds in the U.S. Typically, we have an opportunity to see the RB Grosbeaks for about a month at the feeders until all have passed through TN to areas north of here. See Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Indigo Bunting in the video below. They appear 30 seconds in.

And yes Ruby-throated hummingbirds are beginning to arrive and pass through TN. My first sighting at home was April 6.

Pileated Woodpecker Dance

While at home a few days ago I witnessed and got on video the courtship display of Pileated woodpeckers. There are birds with more elaborate displays but this is still very interesting. I have seen this a few times before but haven’t had the opportunity to share until now. To tell the difference between male and female one must see them through binoculars to see the red “mustache” on the male. A small red slash extending from the beak to the cheek.

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