Blog de Puree » nature

Giving a Cat-Thrashed, Black-Capped Chickadee a Helping Hand

paul — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:35:43 +0000

I haven’t been helping birds or wildlife in the Gulf region, but I did my small share for birds yesterday by saving a Black-capped Chickadee from the clutches of the nasty cat that lives across the street.

At about 6:30 a.m., I looked out my office window and noticed the neighbor’s black and white cat batting something around in the backyard. Thinking it had a House Sparrow, I wasn’t too concerned. (They are an invasive, non-native bird species and not federally protected) But on closer inspection from the kitchen door downstairs, I saw what looked like a gray bird with a black head.

The cat dashed when I opened the door and there on the ground was a pitiful looking Chickadee, missing some tail feathers, some of it’s belly skin showing and it was face down, breathing heavily. It was still alive! I gently scooped it up in my hands and noticed that its eyes were still open and alert. The poor little critter was pretty well mauled and traumatized.

Not knowing what to do with it at first, I put him in the seed tray on the bird feeder pole. Then I ran inside and got a small box and lined it with soft rags at the bottom. I also dropped in a handful of black oil sunflower seeds from the bird seed bucket and ran back outside to get the bird. The little critter was still laying on the tray and when I tried to lift it up again, it was clutching at the grate with its toenails. Gently, I pulled his toenails out, cupped it in my hand and lay it into the box.

The injured Black-capped Chickadee resting on soft rags after being saved from the neighbor's cat. (Photo by Randye Kerstein/Kerstein Creative)

I thought about bringing it in the house, but there at the screen door was our cat, Bouche, eye-balling the activity with much curiosity. (Bouche is an indoor cat and only watches birds for sport) Inside was definitely not an option. So, I placed the box on the back porch between our grill and the wall of the house, where it was protected from the misting rain.

A call to the local animal control was a no-go because they don’t take in injured wild animals. In fact, it’s illegal to do so. A call to the local Audubon Society also proved fruitless and I left a message. But a quick search online yielded that I was right on track: Box, soft towels or rags, some food and a quiet spot for the animal to recover.

Sure enough, within about 20 minutes, the little bird was munching on sunflower seeds and looked a little better. Fifteen minutes after that, it was fluttering its wings and preening. Randye got a good photo or two at that point. Ten minutes later, it was gone leaving sunflower seed shells and a poop.

The Chickadee starts to recover and munches on sunflower seeds. Note the seed in its mouth. (Photo by Randye Kerstein/Kerstein Creative)

Before I went to work, I checked outside one last time to make sure it wasn’t face down in the dirt beside our back deck and saw it sitting on the middle of the chain link fence on the side yard staring at me. As if to show me it was OK, the Chickadee fluttered up one chain rung, then another. Then it flew to the top of the fence, and subsequently to a high branch in our neighbor’s Japanese Maple tree.

The little Chickadee was saved and that was a great way to start the day.

A House Finch Couple Becomes Regulars at Our Feeders

paul — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:59:37 +0000

There’s a pleasant House Finch couple that have become regulars at our backyard feeders. They can be seen in the mornings and evenings eating sunflower seed.

A male and female House Finch. (Photo by Will Elder, NPS via nps.gov)

I started noticing the male finch about three weeks ago. Since then, he and his mate have been visiting almost daily.

Year-round residents, the House Finch is a small-bodied, convivial bird that flies in from high perches in surrounding trees to sit and eat seeds on our feeders. The House Finch is a Western United States and Mexican finch and not native, however, it is not invasive like House Sparrows or European Starlings. According to AllAboutBirds.org:

In 1940 a small number of finches were turned loose on Long Island, New York, after failed attempts to sell them as cage birds (“Hollywood finches”). They quickly started breeding and spread across almost all of the eastern United States and southern Canada within the next 50 years.

The House Finch is similar to the Purple Finch, which we also see from time to time. The key to telling them apart is that the House Finch is a brighter red, while the Purple Finch has a darker, richer purple/red coloration that covers more of the chest, belly, wings and back.

The Purple Finch. Note the darker red hues and that are prevalent on a larger portion of the bird's body. (Photo by Brandon Green via AllAboutBirds.com)

Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds Visit Our Window and Hanging Feeders

paul — Thu, 20 May 2010 17:38:39 +0000

I finally had a chance to hang my two hummingbird feeders late this April to attract some hummingbirds this season. And filling them with a homemade sugar and water solution was easy. (See recipe below)

My efforts at refreshing the sugar/water solution every week paid off last week. A Ruby-throated Hummingbird visited our window feeder late one afternoon and now visits every couple of days.

A ruby-throated hummingbird hovers at the kitchen window. (Photo by Randye Kerstein/Kerstein Creative)

It’s amazing to see how tiny it is when compared to the small American Goldfinches that frequent daily. Thankfully, the hummingbird is not afraid of the larger birds.

The hummingbird zips in and perches at our hanging feeder in the backyard. (Photo by Randye Kerstein/Kerstein Creative)

Glug, glug! The hummingbird drinks sugar water from the hanging feeder. (Photo by Randye Kerstein/Kerstein Creative)

The coolest part is watching the hummingbird hover, then dart in and out from the feeder. We’re going to try and snag some video at some point this summer.

Hummingbird Sugar and Water Recipe

2 Cups of tap water
1/2 Cup of white processed sugar

Boil the water, then measure and add the sugar. You can decrease and increase the amount of water and sugar, but be sure to keep a 4 parts water/1 part sugar ratio. Stir the sugar into the boiling water until it is completely dissolved.

Let the mix cool and store any excess in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it. Don’t add artificial coloring or sweeteners.

Clean your feeder and refill about once per week or more frequently in hot weather.

The National Audubon Society recommends rinsing your feeder in a one part white vinegar to four parts water mixture. Follow the vinegar wash with 3 thorough rinses with warm to hot water before refilling.

Grassland Bird Study Continues to Third Year in Amesbury

paul — Wed, 05 May 2010 11:26:13 +0000

Researchers from Tufts University will be spending their third year of a study on grassland birds at Woodsom Farm in Amesbury, MA, this summer, the Newburyport Daily News reports.

The research will include casting nets to tag and draw blood from birds, as well as figure out why species such as the Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark prefer large fields instead of small ones. The students will be looking at nest density of the different birds at the 350-acre farm, vegetation structures, physical attributes of the birds, predator avoidance, bird alertness and their overall condition, as well as insect populations within this habitat.

The Bobolink is the only American bird
that is black underneath and white on top.
(Photo by Marie Read via AllAboutBirds.com)

A press release from Mayor Kezer’s office asks visitors to Woodsom Farm “not to approach or tamper with the nets as this may endanger the birds and impact the research.” Visitors with dogs are also asked to obey Amesbury’s leash laws and keep dogs away from the nets.

The research will start in May and continue through autumn. It will be follow strict principles to keep down the disruption to the birds.

Birds of Britain: A video spoof

paul — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:50:07 +0000

Here’s an amusing spoof of a 1970s birds documentary, taken from the “Look Around You” series, a parody of the old British school science programs.

(Thanks to the Birdchick blog for pointing this one out.)

New Bird Sighting: Gray Catbird

paul — Sun, 03 May 2009 11:57:05 +0000

This has been a good week for new birds at our feeders. This morning, I saw another new visitor, a Gray Catbird. A year-round resident, it’s the first time this bird has been seen in our yard.

The Gray Catbird is mostly slate gray with a small black cap on its head and a black undertail. It also has rufous (reddish) undertail coverts (base of the tail). No other eastern bird has this distinctive gray color.

It’s called a catbird because of its common call sounds like cat’s meeow.

New Bird Sighting: Eastern Towhee

paul — Sun, 03 May 2009 11:39:30 +0000

Randye gets a big rousing golf clap for sighting and identifying a new bird visitor to our backyard feeders, an Eastern Towhee.

A male bird (see picture below) started visiting in the mornings about two days ago, and has been somewhat regular to our backyard since. He mostly forages on the ground for seed and bugs, and according to our handy Sibley’s guide, the Eastern Towhee is a summer visitor to these parts.

Gearing up for the 2009 GBBC (Great Backyard Bird Count)

paul — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:13:16 +0000

Brace yourselves for birdwatching excitement and drama! (OK, so allow me to be a little hyperbolical)

We’re just over a week away from the Great Backyard Bird Count, and this household is primed with plenty of bird food, ‘bins’ (cool bird watcher slang for binoculars), and not one, but two bird identification books. And heck, I may break down and buy iBird for my iPhone!

Check out the website linked to above and start your own bird count tradition on Feb. 13.

Human Hunters are Genetically Shrinking Their Prey

paul — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:40:17 +0000

Human hunting and fishing practices are forcing an evolutionary shrinkage of prey species, reports the Wired Science blog.

Kind of a no-brainer. Throughout time, life has adapted to its environment, as well as to avoid becoming tonight’s dinner. Now that humanity has such a massive impact on the Earth, “forced” adaptations will likely increase more quickly in many ecosystems.

1st-Time Visit From a Red-Bellied Woodpecker

paul — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:42:18 +0000

Our peanut feeder had a visit from a Red-Bellied Woodpecker for the first time this morning.

At first, we thought it was the chipper Downy Woodpecker that likes to drop in from time to time for peanuts, but the red nape that extends from its shoulders to its beak was unmistakable. The Red-Bellied Woodpecker’s bill is also longer than the Downy’s.

We did not see a red belly, however, the picture above shows the faintest hint of a non-white belly. According to our handy-dandy Sibling’s Field Guide, there is “a faint wash of red on belly rarely visible, but bright red nape always conspicuous.”

One interesting fact to note is that our neck of the woods represents just about the farthest reaches of the Red-Belly’s typical year-round range. Go about 50-75 miles farther north and the bird is considered rare. Also of interest is that the Red-Bellied habitat is typically mature deciduous woods, and we have some about a quarter to half-mile away, so I wonder if the day’s snowstorm had anything to do with its visit.

To round out the snowy morning, we also had a visit from a Tufted Titmouse, a female Cardinal, a flock of Dark-Eyed Juncos, a Blue Jay and a smattering of European Starlings.