The Birds of Winter in the mid-Atlantic

As Sally suggested, it's time for a new thread! We came from here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1380032/

What kind of birds are you seeing in your yard? I started paying close attention to my backyard visitors after participating in Cornell's Project Feeder Watch one winter.

I often see Blue Jays, Cardinals, Carolina Wrens, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Carolina/Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated and Fox Sparrows, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, Robins and Mourning Doves. There are House or Purple Finches; a hawk interrupted my attempt to ID them.

Yesterday, I was thrilled to see Bluebirds for the first time in years! They seem most interested in the dried mealworms I mixed with suet. My youngest daughter gave me a can of wax worms for Christmas (does she know my passions or what?!), which I just put out yesterday for them.

My gardening is becoming more focused around "my" birds: I've been filling my yard with berry-producing trees and shrubs in the hope that they will be fed even if I move.

This message was edited Jan 3, 2015 12:47 PM

I've had bluebirds nesting in a "family" style birdhouse in the yard for years. Odd, because I always heard they only want to nest in the traditional style bluebird houses. No other birds join them, so they have it all to themselves, but still seems odd that they like it and return every year. I am always thrilled to catch the first sighting of them in spring. I never see them in the winter though, so I always assumed they were migratory. Maybe I'm just not paying attention.

Thanks for the new thread and introductory post.
I generally see all the same customers here- maybe missing one, or rare on a couple of those you named. Plus (you may have just forgotten) titmice, mockingbirds.. I hear towhees around but don't see them at feeders.

Bought a lovely new, all metal , yellow and black feeder at Lowes
http://www.lowes.com/pd_180890-89740-9304_4294610469__?productId=3572532&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1¤tURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=
and within an hour, the house finches have started eating.

I am thinking about some sort of homemade ground feeding platform using old window screen to let the seed drain if it gets rained on. but maybe I'll just put something under the picnic table, out of the rain altogether.

sally--Let me know when you come up with one......G.

I've joined the migration -- new year, new thread, new birds in our backyard? I keep hoping to attract resident blue jays, but so far we just get an occasional fly-by.

I'll get a photo tomorrow... we've been enjoying a cute new feeder shaped like a snowman. Like the green ball-shaped ones I had up last year, it's filled with sunflower seed, and the little songbirds all love it.

Ahhh, Jill--

We had that one at the HD along with all the X-mas stuff... $19.98 I think.
saw it somewhere else for $25.99.

i thought it was cute too. G.

I like that finch feeder, Sally...especially those goldfinch colors!

Using window screen to a make a ground feeder is a brilliant idea. You could nail or staple part of it to a wood frame or prop up the whole thing on bricks, pieces of wood, etc.

Aspen, you have some unique bluebirds there! I always heard they didn't want other nests nearby and were picky about nesting sites...guess not always.

Bluebirds only come to my yard in the winter, but I've seen them in the woods near me at other times.

I don't know what attracted bluejays to my yard in the first place, but I know they're hanging around for the peanuts. Several generations have grown up viewing me as a harmless source of food. I think they would probably take peanuts from my hands.

They are very loud when they want more peanuts, which is pretty much always, and sometimes I'd wish they go spend the winter somewhere else! I'd miss them if they did, though : - )

I think bluejays don't like me so much because I don't think I've ever seen them at the safflower.
We had a nice view of a hawk today, perched awhile, then down (hope it grabbed a vole) and up to another tree. I couldn't see much in the way of markings though, just a buff colored breast. Maybe Sharp shinned?

We've had a frequent visitor of late. I think it may be a falcon or young hawk. It is very elusive, when I run to get the camera, it usually leaves or decides to swoop and go. It is very streamlined and does not seem to have the stature of a hawk. Last week I saw behavior I never saw from a hawk before. It flew to the ground by the holly hedge, then proceeded to jump into it and move through it after the small birds that take cover there. I did have the camera out by then and attempted probably 10 shots, but he was just to fast. I only had 10 brown/tan blurs or spaces he had been. Even as it soared away I missed. It was likened to trying to pan a shooting star. The milder weather has freed the birds from the feeders, allowing them to seek more natural fare from the surrounding meadows, hedgerows, and woods. Our 2 pileated woodpeckers are the only birds present currently, feeding on the suet.

I put the 100mm lens on and slipped out to get a couple of pics of the woodpeckers only to find Holly had th SD card out of the camera. LOL So much for being a wildlife photographer.

This message was edited Jan 4, 2015 11:41 AM

It could be a Sharp-shinned Hawk; they're known to hunt like that.

Something flew out of one of my Rhododendrons this morning when I went outside; I wonder whether it was one of those hawks. The other birds were silent and not at feeders, usually a sign that a hawk is nearby.

I'm never able to ID hawks by sight because they move too quickly!

This message was edited Jan 4, 2015 12:08 PM

Ugghh...just saw the hawk again, hanging out in the same Rhododendron. I got a better look at it this time and am pretty sure it's a Sharp-shinned Hawk.

I've moved many of my tube feeders so they're spread about the yard; now I'm going to move the trays for awhile at least. I think the other birds will find them.

We certainly have an interesting hawk, that hangs around here. I'm on the phone and look out and there it is sitting on top of the Sunflower feeders. The squirrel that is trying to eat isn't too happy that the hawk is sitting on top of his resturant. So the squirrel is hopping up trying to chase the hawk away, the hawk doesn't want to go. Finally the squirrel is so persistent that the hawk moves to the top of the Holly hedge. Then he burrows down into the hedge for a few minutes you can see the holly branches moving around. Then he comes back out of the top and jumps to the ground and looks around for awhile and then takes off.

So today I am sitting here on the computer and I look at the bird feeders and there it is again. This time it is sitting on top of the other feeder and preening. It has it's self all fluffed up and it's tail feathers all spread out. My what a pretty hawk you are. Ric grabbed the camera but could only get a few pics thru the glass doors. Sorry this is such a bad pic but that's about what you get shooting thru the doors.

Here are a few more cropped but not much better,

Good enough! Looks like a juvenile Cooper's Hawk.

I def. thought hawk, it's just so sleek. He's been around for awhile.Def. a go getter. Perches anywhere. I've thought of dropping the Marti box as he uses that to oversee his territory.

He's not likely to catch many birds if he keeps hanging out on that bird house. I'd leave it up.

Edited again to say it could be a juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk, but I'm still leaning towards Cooper's.....or maybe not. I can see why birders say these hawks are so hard to tell apart.

http://birding.about.com/od/identifyingbirds/a/coopersorsharpshinned.htm

This message was edited Jan 6, 2015 9:45 PM

When it snowed last winter, I spread seed under the patio overhang so that ground feeders would have a mostly dry place to eat. I had to chuckle when I saw little sparrows and juncos start checking that area for seed last week, because I hadn't put any seed there since last winter. They must be repeat migrators! They got lots of seed today, heavy on the millet.

I haven't seen him catch much, but he does from time to time. I figure that Hawks need to eat, too. Watching the squirrel chase him off was so funny.

I'm surprised the squirrel was so bold!

it awes me how birds can find enough miniscule bits of food to survive, and those kind of memories or skills...

Holly, how big is your hawk? Blue Jay size or bigger like a crow? Really cute to see him all fluffed out like that. Thanks.

Around here there have been some sightings of 'unusual birds (like the snowy owls from last winter0 At Sandy Point State Park (foot of Bay Bridge) this Sunday, Audubon Christmas Bird Counters saw Snow Buntings which are usually an arctic species. Lol, they should feel right at home this week.

"I just blew in from the Windy City. The windy city is mighty pretty..." Maybe they got blown here, or moved ahead of this screaming cold front. I have to look up what they look like.

My ' amazing design' for a platform feeder today is just an extra window screen from the basement storage..

Weight of seeds and birds will stretch out window screen pretty quickly and then all seed collects in the middle. Of course it can be repaired or replaced. The old screens I have used I put a band of reinforced packing tape all across both sides, like wrapping a package with ribbon. The advantage to the platform feeders Muddy likes (Duracraft) is that they are rigid, much like the metal screen in your new yellow metal feeder.

When I emergency feed birds, I have used trash can or recyle bin lids and huge baking pans (cafeteria size) to set out on the snow, thinking birds will be drawn to a non snow covered area. I also clear top of picnic table and put piles of seeds there as well as the benches. Allows more than one bird or type of bird to feed at a time. My table is situated right next to several small trees so birds have a place to land and escape to if needed. If I put out the seed early in the day, most of it will be consumed by birds before the squirrels wise up. Since bird activity attacts more birds I also put out seed in other spots not too far from the main attraction.

Snow Bunting pic

OK good to know. The screening had started to come loose from the spline, I will probably upcycle the actual fiberglass screen part in or on a sturdier frame. I have heavier metal mesh I can use to support the screen. The doves are very happy today though.

Finch size birds like the yellow feeder but cardinals still prefer another one that may be easier for their bigger bodies to use. Red bellied woodpecker came today.

Ooh bunting- neato!

Coleup, Crow size or larger. Years ago the State Park nearby started a Hawk program. Which mostly consisted of piles of brush to make habitat for small creatures. Encouraging a growing population of small creatures, or in other words Hawk food. I think that is why we see so many in our area, plus the nearby creek provides us with the occasional heron.
I would love to see a snow owl in the wild. We get them in our area on the rare occasion.

This message was edited Jan 7, 2015 8:03 PM

That must be SOME creek!

No wonder bird watching can be so addictive.

The hawk photos were great. How neat to see them so close up.

Sally, just a small creek but there are a lot of bodies of water close as the crow flies.

SOME creek indeed!! Hehehe.

Lacking an old screen, I use flattened cardboard boxes as extra ground-feeding stations when it's cold outside. They don't work very well when it's snowing a lot, of course.

from Cornell Lab 'Tricky Bird IDs"

Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks
Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned hawks pose a real ID challenge, even for longtime birders. Throughout the year, there is great variation in plumage and in size for these two species. They look so much alike that no single field mark stands out to help bird watchers easily tell one from the other.

Size is the defining factor, but that’s sometimes hard to judge with a single bird. The rule of thumb is that a Cooper’s Hawk is about the size of an American Crow and the Sharp-shinned Hawk is more the size of a jay.

http://gbbc.birdcount.org/learn_about_birds/coopers_sharpshinned_hawks/

This bird is definitely not the size of a jay. I would say larger than a crow but crows are pretty sleek so I'm not sure if it is really larger but at least the size of a crow if not bigger.

The hawk visiting my backyard must be a Sharp-shinned. I had been seeing blue jay tail feathers on the ground recently and wondered why. I think the hawk wasn't large enough to catch them but that the blue jays lost a tail feather or two during the chase.

I haven't seen squirrels chase hawks away from food - that would be funny to see - but I did see a blue jay screech in a squirrel's face because it was hogging the peanuts!

Holly, how about measuring the bottom part of your martin house so you can figure out the hawk's approximate height?

I haven't been out to refill the feeders yet, but I did throw a quart or so of various seeds out onto the deck, so the birds are having a party out there. Easy pickings for the hawk, I suppose, but I haven't seen him today.

9 mourning doves were roosting in the mimosa tree at dawn. it's in the middle of the back yard, pretty exposed... wouldn't you think they'd find a more sheltered spot?

Surprisingly, mourning doves seem to hide themselves fairly well just by sitting still in trees. Often, when I see hawks outside, the doves are perched high in the trees.

There was a pair of hawks watching my birds today, not sure which kind because I scared them away.

A flock of starlings discovered my suet feeders. I don't want them in my yard, so I let them eat for a day then took them down. I'm off to the store to buy a starling proof one so the small woodpeckers (and hopefully the blue birds) can eat.

The last few times I walked past our Sekkan Sugi Cryptomeria that's next to the garage I've heard fluttering inside the tree. Every time it has been night. Well last night, the garage was open when I walked by and out flew a Junco. He zoomed right into the garage. I thought it was cute and he flew back out a few seconds later. I love these little guys. Right now, they are the only ones really coming to our suet feeder. I'm still seeing the downy woodpecker and occasionally a cardinal but that's about it.

What kind of seed are you putting out, Seq? Many of the birds who stick around for the winter like safflower (e.g., Cardinals and Doves) and/or millet (e.g. Doves, Juncos and Sparrows).

You can't go wrong with a bag of mixed seed from a grocery store; there will be something in it for almost all birds. Most of the birds interested in seeds prefer to eat on the ground, so you could scatter it on the patio, under shrubs, on screen-type trays, etc. The only down-side to these mixes is that squirrels, if you have them, will hog the seed until all of the sunflower seed is gone.

A top way to attract birds is to have a heated birdbath.

The Starlings left pretty quickly after I took down the suet feeders. A good thing, too, because the other birds weren't getting a chance to eat. A woodpecker found my new starling-proof suet feeder within minutes.

This message was edited Jan 8, 2015 5:47 PM