Birds of the mid-Atlantic (and other critters too)

It is your basic American Toad. See photo below for a comparison of American vs Flower Toad. Toad on left is an American Toad and looks just like the one in Gita's photo.

Thanks! The color looked much different on the American Toad in this link: http://dnr2.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/plants_wildlife/herps/Fieldguide_OrderAnura_Toads.aspx

Here is the wren nest that Pat has mentioned. It is in a pot within 3 feet of our front door and is rather unusual as it is more like a twig igloo like an Oven Bird makes. This configuration makes it difficult to see inside, even with a flashlight, let alone taking photos.

http://www.marshall.edu/herp/old/fowlers.htm

'twig igloo' is fun to say

Wow. a toad that sounds like sheep!

We have never heard any sounds from the baby birds. They just sit patiently with their mouths wide open. It was very difficult to try to photograph them deep inside the nest. Seem to be at least 3 of varying sizes and the unhatched egg.

Hope you all remember the nest a Wren made last year in my "Big Pot".
It was like a big hand-full of small twigs, grass, and all kinds of junk.

If you think of a Hornets nest--it was shaped, kind of, like that--just round--
but he entrance was just a hole in this whole mess.
I peeked once--and there were 3 newly hatched babies in there.
They must have fledged fast..as in no time at all--there was no one near the nest.

Then I pulled it out so my plants will have more open access to air and soil,
Simce I was always watering this pot--and the mama Wren was always bitching at me--
that was the best solution. Didn't want another nest there...

You never know where they will build one....

http://naturegirl7.hubpages.com/hub/Pictures-Birds-Carolina-Wren-Babies#

I wonder whether one or 2 of the nestlings are cowbirds, ecnalg and GT. That baby sort of looks like one, and I've read that cowbirds usually hatch before the host bird's eggs.

It could be, Muddy, but when there were just eggs in the nest, they all looked identical.

I had been wondering the same thing, but I have never observed a cowbird here and thought that the small, tunnel-like entry would deter such an event.

you'd think so... but apparently a cowbird found the little wren nest in the HB by our door!

I actually moved the hanging basket and then lifted the "roof" of the nest up a little to get photos. I was quick and put everything back as it was. The parents had no problem with this; they just rearranged the nest again to their satisfaction. They did cheep at me while I was messing with the hanging basket, but I guess they know me well enough to not be too alarmed. Mine are Carolina Wrens, although we do have house wrens in the yard also.

It's Fledging Day for the last 2 porch robins! We watched the last one go... as usual, he fluttered first to the little window ledge over the front door (we have little windows across the top as well as the sidelight windows), then hesitated there for many minutes, going -- oh, no, now what??

It'll be easy to tell soon enough what those nestlings are!

That's so exciting that you got to see the robins fledge, critter!

I just saw the flying squirrel and put peanuts out for it, but a raccoon must have been watching me because it was at the feeder less than a minute later. I guess I'll wait for it to leave then put more out.

Pat's continuing wren tale:

The larger of the wren hatchlings was out of the nest late this afternoon, but still in the pot of Mexican bush sage. Later it was up on the nest, and after dinner (ours -- it was being fed the entire time) it was on one of the branches. For the first time, the parents were very much in evidence with food in their beaks, and chattering up a storm. At this point the other nestling was more in evidence.

Very shortly after the last sighting of the larger baby on the branch, I took care of things elsewhere in the yard. Perhaps 15 minutes later, the fledgling was gone, with the parents chirping away on the gutter 10 feet or so from where the nest was. I think they are Carolina wrens.

So cute--David! Keep the pictures coming....
It is amazing how fast bird chicks grow!

Those are great photos! I'm glad to hear that Mama Wren didn't have to feed a monster Cowbird.

We're still not convinced that it's not a cowbird, Muddy. David didn't think it was the right size or shape to be a wren. It was fun watching it leave the nest yesterday, and the remaining one seems to have grown in just that short time, too.

Now that Momma has one less to feed.
Not sure that a cow bird would tuck it's eggs in a wrens nest. The cave like shape of the nest might be a deterrent for a cowbird, I would think they would like a more bowl shaped nest. Just a thought. We have had wrens here for years. They had a nest inside my potting shed for years then they were gone. One year they were in the window box and I had a devil of a time trying to water that box without disturbing the nest. This year they are inside my lamppost, I can't see the nest at all but I see Momma bird going in and out all day long and you can hear the babies in there chirping away. I think the original babies may have fledged and she might have another one started. As she is still here but there are no longer baby bird sounds. We have tons of hummers here. I have two feeders up and there are Hummers at them all day long not to mention the flowers.

Holly--

I have several Hummer feeders and I have the liquid concentrate
in my shed . Never have used any of them....I think what is deterring me is
the thought of all that maintenance--changing the syrup. I also don't have a proper
feeder-holder to hang the feeders from.
Then--there is the thought of all the ants...Also--I would never see them from
any window if the feeder was in this bed...I would have to go outside to see.
See how I talk myself out of things?

I have always tried to establish hummer-loving flowers in the small bed
by my A/C unit. The Cardinal Flowers are starting to bloom there.
So are the Tiger Lilies. I also have a lot of Heliatropes there.
Do hummers like Phlox?

My B&B Salvias are not doing anything yet. They are in my YUK bed.
The one year these bloomed so prettily, the Hummers were all over them.
G.

Planting flowers for hummer is at least as good as doing feeders. And flower nectar maybe has other nutrients. I haven't done hummer feeders in a long time. I'm not knocking it, just can't keep up myself. Maybe when I'm retired...where's my list of things to do when I'm retired?

Unlike sugar water people put in hummer feeders, plant nectars contain not only sucrose, but glucose and fructose as well as amino acids, trace elements and other nutrients. Kind of like the difference between Kool Aid and a nutrient drink.

Have been enjoying th tales of nests and hatchlings and the great pics! Thanks all.
Glad to hear of all the hummer activity. Sally, I agree on the flowers being as good as feeders. God bless those who keep up with them each year.

Wayne and I were standing outside by the back door and he asked me if we got any Hummingbirds in the yard. I said rarely as too shady here. Just then a hummer flew in and hovered not a fot from Wayne's face and then zoomed out of the yard! Lol, we decided that his red hat and bright orange tee must have looked like a giant nectar source. He said he could feel the air from its wings.

One of the greenhouses where I worked would get hummers caught inside whenwe oened them up for the day. To get them out so we could close up for the nite, we would take one of the pots of deep red flowered Cana, get its attention , and it would follow that flower out!

I saw a hummer enjoying my Cardinal Flowers last week. I'm at my daughter's house in Utah now and saw what I think was a Rufous-throated Hummingbird at her feeder....and a cute Quail family wandering around her backyard.

I just love seeing different birds when we travel.

I wish I had gotten a photo of the quails so I could ID them, but I only saw them the first day when I was still on East Coast time and awake on the early side. They might have been hanging around because the grapes were ripening.

Picked this Moth up on the floor in HD outside Garden today.
It was there--just quivering and fluttering its wings.
I brought it home. It is now in a small tray to do whatever it has to do.

I have been "there" with other beautiful Mohts. When I find one on the ground-
I believe it is on its "last leg"--having laid its eggs and is soon to die.
Is this a correct assumption--that is just waiting to die att his stage?

Here is a picture of it. David--i KNOW you will give me the name of it.
I have seen this one before....will add it to my collection...

Gita

Gita - that is a Royal Walnut Moth.

I thought it was already dead...I shook the little box...I bumped it....nothing.
Then I touched it's head and it still moved a bit....

It IS nearing death--is it not? Natural life cycle...right?

I just want it intact so I can save it in my collection.

Many of these large, attractive moths emerge, mate, live a few days , and die. Adults of some species have no apparatus for eating.

This says that the Royal Walnut Moth caterpillar gets as big as a hot dog!!
http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/bfly/regal_moth.htm

These are one of those species: "Adults of this family of moths have vestigal mouths, meaning their mouthparts have been reduced. Because of this, they do not eat and only live for about a week as adults." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citheronia_regalis

Guess what I saw while I was looking for wildflowers this past weekend?!

Yeah, the Hickory Horn Devils, caterpillars of the Royal Walnut Moth are huge and bizarre, looking a lot like palm-sized dragons. Once you see one you never forget it, but the "horns" are harmless.
https://www.google.com/search?q=hickory+horned+devil&biw=1600&bih=784&tbm=isch&imgil=1mub8Z7nLiX8WM%253A%253Bq8JRMyUd-FUmuM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.whatsthatbug.com%25252F2009%25252F09%25252F02%25252Fhickory-horned-devil-14%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=1mub8Z7nLiX8WM%253A%252Cq8JRMyUd-FUmuM%252C_&usg=__6z7Pt44k0ikM59iMc2CgoXXgNgY%3D#imgrc=_&usg=__6z7Pt44k0ikM59iMc2CgoXXgNgY%3D

From the link given above--
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Larvae have been reported from a variety of host tree species. They are commonly found on species of the family (Juglandaceae) including walnut (Juglans nigra), butternut or white walnut (Juglans cinerea), and a variety of hickories (Carya spp.) including pecan.. Other hosts commonly listed are persimmon (Diospyros virginiana), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), and sumacs (Rhus spp.). Of these latter three host plants, Worth et al. (1979 & 1982) reported that larvae grew faster and larger on persimmon. For detailed host lists
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I have NO idea why this Moth would be on the concrete floor of a HD garden where the traffic is
mostly heavy machinery to move palates around.
And--that is exactly where i found this Moth--my co-worker had just lifted a
palate-full of trash cans down from above and was putting them where they belonged.

Then--there it was.....crazy! g.
I don't think any of the host plants mentioned are anywhere near the HD in this area.
It is all concrete and parking lots, and a busy road nearby (Rt. #40)

WOW!!! That caterpillar looks horrendous!!!

holy moose, Muddy!!

holy cow, that caterpillar!!

Gita, I think it came to the big parking lot lights, and just fell in your HD garden.

It was mid-afternoon! NO parking lot lights on...

It IS possible that it fell on some of those palates-full of stacked trash cans
and was dislodged when they all got lowered down.

I was there the whole time--as I was "spotting" Glenn who was doing all the
machine work. Maybe I was just more observant to spot it......
G.

Hoping to see a few of those myself later this summer. (The Moose not the caterpillar) well I wouldn't mind seeing the cat either. LOL

Way cool moose photo Muddy! Moose always look so docile, but I've heard that they are pretty aggressive and nasty. There was youtube video I saw one time about a lady who stopped her car to "pet" the moose, and she and the car were the worse for wear. Sounds like you are having a great trip!

WHAT is a Moose doing in Vienna VA??????

The moose, its calf and I were in Utah...I was there this past weekend visiting my daughter.
We weren't very far away from it and I was glad that there was no chance of getting between it and its baby!

This message was edited Jul 22, 2015 9:01 PM

Gary Paulsen writes a lot of books about outdoorsy stuff, real experiences of his shape the stories. He says moose are insane, normally. He also says even deer are NOT to be considered pettable, and tells a horrific story to prove that. I'm sure you guys wouldn't try that!.

Terri--

My sister lives in Homer, Alaska and one day she had these visitors in her garden...
Seems the mother moose seek out safe areas to have their babies born...
Keeps the bears from eating them...
Cute??? g.