Are Birds So Easily Fooled By The Weather?

So - from mid-November up until mid-December the temps here were way below average - like in the 30's during the day; teens at night. Then they moved back to normal/higher-than-normal - 40's-50's during the day; 30's at night.

So I almost couldn't believe my eyes when last week I saw a male English/House Sparrow hopping across my deck with a beak full of dried grasses & straw!!! And then just yesterday & today I've been treated to constant battles between several male cardinals - a sight that I normally don't see until the spring breeding season. This time of year they all share the feeders together without a hitch.

Are birds normally triggered into breeding mode so easily via weather patterns?

lol...

I'm kinda interested too.

Well, I hope they didn't make any serious headway, because we're pretty much dropping back to our November temps for the next several days at least: 30's-40's during the day; teens-20's at night. Brrrrr.

We're starting to see birds pairing up and some nest building going on, mostly the Osprey. The male Hooded Mergansers are following the females and displaying for them. The ducks are pairing up too.
All in all though, I thought that the length of daylight was the stimulus not the weather??

You'd think so, wouldn't you? But it's only been a few weeks since the days started lengthening (1 minute per day since Dec. 21st), & way too early for this sort of behavior here in northern Virginia. Heck, I haven't even cleaned out all my bird boxes yet - usually do that in February. (Always feel badly when I do it too, because several of them always seem to be hosting winter nests of white-footed mice. . . I'm definitely a soft touch - lol!)

Feels like spring here but hope the birds have a sixth sense as to what is really going on. I'm baffled but not complaining about our very mild weather here. I guess the birds want to push up springs arrival and they better avoid nesting anytime soon.

cuckoo

Or maybe the birds know something we don't.

I was reading in the paper today that owls would be laying eggs shortly, and that the bald eagles were soon to follow.

As for the sparrows; don't they build - or start to build - several different nests before they settle on one and "move in"? (That is when they're not stealing nests from other birds.)

Actually, January & February are the normal nesting times for large owls, followed shortly by eagles & hawks. In fact, I've seen picks of Great Horned Owls partially covered with snow while sitting on their nests.
They have to start early because it takes so long for their young to reach flight size.

Around here we'll be hearing the Barred & Great Horns start their mating calls in the next couple of weeks. The Barreds even go at it on cloudy afternoons!!

I've just heard our GH Owls have finally picked a nest...It is late for them this year but it'll be warm sooner here and they'll head north again til next year

In Missouri we have peek numbers of bald eagles in January near open water and the larger rivers such as the Missouri River. Our milder winter so far has keep various birds in the area longer because of adequate food,cover, and unfrozen water. The warmer weather I think would help trigger the birds to nest somewhat sooner than a hard bitter cold winter where food and cover are scarce. If they(adults) are having a hard time surviving winter then they may not try nesting sooner until there conditions improve.

cuckoo

But then what happens if we suddenly have winter and they have eggs or even babies?

If it drops below freezing they won't make it.

I'm reminded of the determined penguin ,the egg above its feet, and how it hatchs in the frigid Antartica. How in the world do some of these birds use the weather to trigger them to nest? Many just won't make it during flip flops of various weather systems.

cuckoo

Penquins have a system going that we can only envy. Sadly, southern birds would not be able to cope or copy. I've not seen any robins back here yet and they are the first sign usually. We have a yard full of chickadees and they are here every winter. Also the mourning doves that stay year 'round.

You have no robins yet, G.G.? They never left here! Been flocking around the park all winter. I can't think what they are living on.

Nope, not a single robin. They are my own personal first sign that spring is here. I love the little chickadees though. They look like their little bellies have been dipped in white frosting or snow.
I keep my feeders full of niger seed for them in the winter, except for one that I keep filled with safflower seed, as the squirrels don't like that. I throw some on the ground for the doves. Do your robins always stay all winter? It's so much colder there than here.

We've got lots of robins - and the other day - one was scoping out the nest used last year in the leafless tree. Was a really warm day - but they're thinking - scoping out that real estate!

Oh my gosh. I can't believe it. I sure hope these birds know what's going on. The good Lord does watch out for them.

Greetings all,
I noticed a house wren carrying nesting materials into of the many gourds I have.
It spent most of the morning doing so. Also noticed Blue birds checking out nesting boxes a couple of days ago, not to rare with the bluebirds as they scope out nesting sites in the winter and return in spring for nesting.
Back to the wren, It does seem very early here for that to be taking place. The earliest I can remember a wren building here is late Feburary. I really hope they know something we don't. I ready for spring!!!!

Gary

Well the wren got fooled after almost a month of spring like weather, WINTER returned. We've had our first measureable snowfall and temp olny reaching mid thirties for the past few days.

Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. We still just have sparrows and chickadees, but I have seen a new kind of very small bird the last few days. I'll have to get out my book and look them up. It's SO cold here, finally like winter, but the snow we were to expect by Thursday has vanished evidently.

Last week at dusk, while I was feeding the horses, I heard our first Woodcock of the season out in the field.

And of course this week day temps are only going to be in the 40's & night temps in the low 20's.

Poor guys.

My flock of cardinals are pairing up. I'm seeing cardinals, doves and jays at the feeder and have the hummingbird feeders ready for the Ruby Throats. Pileated Woodpeckers are usually here by now, but I haven't seen any in the pecan trees yet. No Robins yet though. When they arrive, I know Spring is truly here.

The Robins are on the move Ladibug, it won't be long now. They've just arrived here in the past few days. They are cleaning up the last berries on some of the trees that I now have to ID.

Floridian,
Tell them to hurry! I'm ready for Spring! :)

I'll let them know on my way home this afternoon...

This morning we had four pair of bluebirds in our backyard. I couldn't believe it, four pair! All were feeding from the ground and two pair checked out the nest boxes I just put up a couple of weeks back. I am pretty sure one pair approved of the box in the middle of the backyard. After they scoped out the real estate the males all perched on the fence. It was such a beautiful site that I didn't want to move to get the camera. Can't wait for their return!

Georgian, you are so lucky to have Bluebirds. I have never seen them in my area.

Oddly enough, even though sometimes our winter weather can be brutal, Bluebirds are year-round residents here.

The Blue birds here are also checking out the nest boxes, When I was a young lad and in 4-H My senior project was a Bluebird trail. A few of my friends and I talked to the county comissioners and were allowed to put up over 100 bluebird boxes through the county. It took off from there, lots of people still maintain them today. It really is great to drive alone our little country roads and see the bluebirds perched on the fence lines and dive bombing for insects. The year I did the trail we monitored the houses as to who were nesting in them and keep records of the numbers of baby blue birds we had 318 babies that year alone. To make a long story short, well shorter, I won the state project award and was on the local news. I LOVE BLUEBIRDS !!!!!!!

Gary

Wow, Gary. How cool!! It would be so neat to go back and see the results of a project like that.

I wish everyone would just put up one or two birdhouses. I am adding birdhouses to my yard this year for the first time. I've always fed them, but I had some birdhouses that needed to be moved out of the house. I can't wait to see if the birds use them.

Enjoying this thread alot. I feed the birds all winter and enjoy putting up bluebird boxes, wren houses, etc. each season. I put up a martin house last year and hope to get them to nest in it. The sparrows are a constant battle and I'm always having to clean up there mess to keep it more attractive for interested martins. I saw Redbellied Woodpeckers today showing off and chasing each other around the yard. The mild winter here in northwestern Missouri has everything out of rhthym. Some trees are showing signs of bud swelling and it's much to early here for that. Temps plunged to zero this weekend and can't be good for the birds waiting on spring and nesting.

cuckoo

Same thing happening here. We are to get a wintry mix (rain/snow/sleet/hail in any combination) for the next couple of days, with daytime temps only in the high 30s and low 40s and nights in the low 20s. I was afraid of that when I saw so much spring activity going on with my plants and the birds.

http://www.abc.net.au/science/scribblygum/july2005/ Interesting bit about some changes in breeding/nesting patterns. There's some info out there on changes seen in the US also, just not finding it at the moment.

Here we've had a very dry winter so I've been putting out extra food even for the quail.

Back to the original question on House Sparrows - they will breed at any time of the year, provided food of suitable nutritional quality is available. I saw a brood of newly fledged House Sparrows on 26 December a few years ago; they were at a pets zoo where a high protein diet (needed by the chicks in the first few days) was readily available year-round.

Resin

Interesting about the scarcity of robins south of us since we seem to have lots all winter. I wonder what makes the difference in habitat? We don't 'spray' our lawn for insects, so maybe they find it a bountiful source for worms and larvae...

Also interesting to read Resin's house sparrows post, since, of course Americans have categorized the English sparrow as a real pest and one bird 'not to be nurtured', one might say. I am always trying to think of ways to keep them away from our property. But we won't go there...

The seasons got away from me and I wonder if it's too late to put up Owl Boxes? And bluebird boxes?

Gary, maybe since you are an 'expert' on the BB boxes, it would be helpful if you started a new thread to explain how it's done. That could be interesting...

Tabasco,

Not to late for Bluebird boxes! The blue birds usually check out the nest boxes in Feb. And return in late march for nesting. However They will use boxes put up any time during nesting season.
If putting up boxes for Bluebirds, be sure it is the most open area of the yard or garden. Also needs to be about 4-6ft above ground level and facing south, although I have several that don't face south and the birds seem just as happy with those as with the one's that do.
Blue bird nest boxes are readily available at most garden centers and dept store's that have garden centers. If building your on make sure the enterance hole is no small or larger the 2 inches .

Thanks, gary, you really summed it up in a nutshell! Will look at Home Depot for some boxes tomorrow. Didn't realize that they liked their holes facing south.