Plant Talk

The Birds Are Back - Including the Singing Wilson's Warbler

They're baaaack! Wilson's Warblers. Thanks to Ellen Blackstone at BirdNote for letting me know these lively bright yellow birds aren't the Goldfinches I'd no doubt mistake them for. The sporty black cap of the male Wilson's Warbler is distinctive and hard to miss. And males are the first to return each spring from the tropics.

You may hear them -- but can you see them? With all their flitting about, foraging for insects in the trees, flicking their wings, and hopping around, Wilson's Warblers can be hard to spot despite their vivid color. But you can identify them from their song...listen here, courtesy of the Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds.

Learn more about Wilson's Warblers' a story on BirdNote.org.  And remember that buying shade grown coffee can help warblers and other song birds...

Thanks to Gregg Thompson for these beautiful photos....

The Art of Spring Nesting - Bushtits use Spider Webs, Lichen, Grass and Feathers

Springtime is deeply, profoundly layered, from that smell of fresh grass to showy tulips blooming, and the sweet haze of leaves opening on deciduous trees. And up in those trees, there's another layer of activity, as busy little Bushtits weave their sock-like nests.

Ellen Blackstone of BirdNote tells me that you can tell it's spring when pairs of Bushtits break from the flock to get to work on nest-building. And it's no small task, for they must forage for a variety of materials.  The tiny birds begin by attaching spider webs to a forked branch until there's enough bulk to create a kind of platform. Now, one of the Bushtits sits on the springy platform and stretches it downward, eventually expanding the nest into a foot-long pendulous sack. The birds add grass for strength and lichen for camouflage and line the whole thing with feathers and downy plant material. Truly, a miniature, aerial down sleeping bag to enclose and protect their eggs and babies.

By mid-summer, when all the baby birds have fledged, the bush tits will again be traveling in sociable flocks of 20 or more again.

Thanks to Mike Hamilton for these enchanting photos... you can tell the male bush tit by his dark eyes; the female's eyes are yellow.

Such skill and determination in a bird that weighs a fraction of an ounce - these clever nest builders are equal in weight to about four paperclips...

This architectural prowess is no doubt going on in your garden right now, hidden away in the branches of trees newly leafed out...

It looks as if this femail bushtit is building her sock-like nest where two rose canes intersect...thorny but probably a safe spot.

You can easily see the female's yellow eye as she peeks out of her newly woven nest. What an accomplishment...

Is there room for the babies in there?? I think you can see bits of the spider web here that is the first material used in nest construction...

The Bird Chorus Begins, with Chickadees Singing "Hey Sweetie"

I love waking up to birdsong, the harbinger of springtime. It's worth leaving the window open all night, even when it's still dropping into the 30's, just to hear the birds begin stirring as the sun rises.

My friend Ellen Blackstone of BirdNote says that it's the Black-capped Chickadees that are singing that sweet series of notes that sounds like "Hey Sweetie".  It's the male mating call of springtime. I've been so enchanted by the evening frog chorus, I'd forgotten that the birds are in the midst of courting too.

If a string of "dees" follows the bird call, it might mean there's a predator nearby. Ellen writes "Chris Templeton, former researcher at the University of Washington, broke the chickadee code. He found that a relatively small threat, such as a slow-to-maneuver Great Horned Owl, warranted only two 'dee' notes. But a far greater threat, perhaps a small, agile Northern Pygmy-Owl, elicited an emphatic five 'dees'. Don't you just love it that someone is studying, and understanding "chickadee codes"?

Through the winter, chickadees call to one another as they move around the neighborhood, as a way of remaining in contact. It's as if they're saying, “Okay, I’m over here now.” You can learn more about chickadee songs and calls here.

Thanks to Mike Hamilton for the photo of black-and-white Chickadee set off by camellias...not only a beautiful composition, but a reminder of how tiny these garden sweethearts are...

 

It's Starting To Sound Like Spring In The Garden; Song Sparrows Sing All Year

My friend Ellen Blackstone from BirdNote tells me the American Robins are starting to scold out there in the garden...they're gearing up for the nesting season ahead. I love how ruffled up they look this time of year, keeping warm as they hop about, collecting materials for their nests (less-than-tidy gardeners are a nesting bird's best friend...they use the fluff off spent ornamental grasses, and bits and pieces of not yet composted perennials).

Did you know there's one bird that sings all year long? Ellen describes Song Sparrows as "drab and furtive litte things." But how amazing to hear them sing in the dead of winter, and continue on into spring when they're joined by a chorus of different birds welcoming longer, warmer days.

"Interesting, too, that male Song Sparrows take almost a full year to learn the songs that will serve them for the rest of their lives," writes Ellen (That's from a study by local Sievert Rohwer http://birdnote.org/show/song-sparrows-learn-sing). Learn more about Song Sparrows on BirdNote

You can see the difference between the Fox Sparrow (top photo) which is more spotted, while the Song Sparrow (below) is more clearly streaked.

Thanks to Mike Hamilton and Tom Grey for the photos.. and Ellen for sharing her knowledge and love of our local birds...

An alert Fox Sparrow

And a Song Sparrow in full-throated song (I have to admit I dont' see much difference between the spots and stripes. I guess I'm more of a bird appreciator than a bird distinguisher...)

And a juvenile Song Sparrow, looking slightly bewildered...

Bushtits from BirdNote - When These Little Birds Pair Up, You Know Spring Is On Its Way...

I love the companionship of little birds in winter, like this flock of Bushtits on a suet feeder. Birds bring the garden alive and connect us with the natural world in this season when we're indoors too much....and remind us our gardens are their own  ecosystems, of value to species besides ourselves...

Ellen Blackstone of BirdNote writes "Okay, full disclosure....Bushtits are some of my favorite birds...they're endlessly amusing." Wouldn't the wild wind we've had lately blow these little birds to smithereens? I saw a flock of at least 20 Bushtits this morning, and they looked sturdy, hardy, and perfectly content despite the windy weather...

Ellen suggests adding a little suet to your backyard bird banquet, and you will probably be visited by Bushtits. They may travel in large flocks now, but when you start seeing just two Bushtits at a time, you can be sure spring is on the way. These feathery little romantics pair off in spring to prepare for nesting season.

Birds seem to be the eccentrics of the natural world....every kind of bird seems to have some curiousity about it. With Bushtits, it's  their surprisingly large and complex, bag-like nests, unexpected for such tiny birds. Ellen sends us a a funny story about a Bushtit searching for nesting material; it came from a BirdNote listener in Seattle. Don't you love birders? I'm afraid I'm getting to be one myself - not the kind that records and studies, but maybe more of a bird appreciator....

Photos courtesy of Mike Hamilton..

A fierce-looking female Bushtit - can you see the distinctive yellow ring in her eye?

And a male with his solid black eye

 

Save the Pine Siskins - Wash Your Birdbath, Prevent the Spread of Disease

The first rule of birdfeeding is to do no harm. That is, if you can't promise to keep those feeders clean, the birds are better off without them.

Ellen Blackstone of BirdNote writes "Sick and dying Pine Siskins are once again being spotted at feeders and birdbaths around the area. They are prone to salmonellosis, seemingly more so than some other birds. But all birds are at risk. People need to clean their feeders and baths regularly, every few days."

We're trying to help birds by feeding and watering them, but instead we're killing them! It's all too easy to forget to clean birdbaths and feeders this time of year when we aren't outside much...but the birds are still out there eating, and, sadly, falling ill...

What if you see a fluffed up, lethargic, sick looking bird in your garden sitting around on the feeder, eating or not. "You should take down the feeder entirely for several days," advises Ellen.  "Rake well under the feeder, because salmonellosis is spread through droppings. Also, spread mulch over the area." Learn more here.

Remember, you can create a bird buffet of a garden, by planting berryng plants and leaving plenty of seedheads standing in fall and winter to feed this little beauties well and safely...

Thanks to Mike Hamilton for these Pine Siskin photos.

 

Wing Flash and Bird Song - The Varied Thrush Graces Us With its Winter Presence

I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.
A magical thing
And sweet to remember.

"We are nearer to Spring 
Than we were in September,” 
I heard a bird sing 
In the dark of December.    by Oliver Herford

Well, the world didn't end yesterday - we survived the 2012 solstice and here's a cheerful thought from BirdNote to help balance out the gloom of these short, dark days.

We see and hear much more of the Varied Thrush in winter than at any other time of year. While this thrush is usually solitary bird, in winter it gathers in flocks in the Puget Sound lowlands. You may well hear its eerie, metallic song (and might not even recognize it as an avian voice) more than you actually see the bird.

BirdNote host Ellen Blackstone tells me that the Varied Thrush (don't you love that name? Varied how? Compared to what??) is related to bluebirds and Swainson's Thrushes and robins. You may spot it hanging out with robins, eating mushy apples from the ground.

The song of the Varied Thrush has been described as "cool, dark, and secretive." Hear its song and learn more about this somewhat elusive garden resident on BirdNote.

Thanks to Tom Grey for the photos, and to Ellen for keeping us updated on birds...if birds are out there enjoying the garden, surely there's hope for spring...

The male Varied Thrush (top photo) is more colorful than the more subtle female...

 

Ruby-crowned Kinglets Brighten Our Gardens - Yes, in December

Could these gorgeous green-and-red birds pick a better time to flit through Seattle? Just now, when the garden is getting truly soaked and turning brown, the flutter, life and animation of little birds is so very welcome.  And we could take a lesson in holiday decorating from their showy yet slightly subdued coloration. Skip the glitz and be inspired by a feather palette this year...doesn't their innate and natural beauty make glitter and sparkle look, well....tacky??

Ellen Blackstone of BirdNote (you can find many more beautiful bird photos and videos on BirdNote's website) - sent these photos along. She saw a female Ruby-crowned Kinglet at her suet feeder the other day. "The female in particular could be confused with a Golden-crowned Kinglet or a Hutton's Vireo, both of which you might see in Seattle in the winter. Check the eye-ring and consult a field guide to be sure which you're seeing," advises this expert. 

Another great charm of these birds is their amazingly long, complex song, which we won't start hearing until early spring. (Not so much to sing about in the dark days of winter?).  By summer, Ruby-crowned Kinglets have mostly moved on, nesting at higher elevations. So use bird-watching as your excuse to get a dose of fresh air, get out there and keep your eyes peeled..

Learn more on this BirdNote video about the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. And enjoy Gregg Thompson's photos of this jaunty bird -

The male with his red buzz cut...

And a quizzical female..

There's a New Bird in Town....Update from BirdNote

Ellen Blackstone of BirdNote is taking it upon her very kind self to update Plant Talk readers on birds arriving in town.. thanks, Ellen.

I so appreciate birds at this time of year when we're indoors so much it's easy to lose our connection with nature. And let's face it, there's less and less to look at in our gardens this time of year. The leaves are off the trees, perennials are mostly mush, and the hellebores are not yet in bloom.

But more birds are arriving weekly, thank goodness, right when we need them most to animate the garden and remind us that life is still going on out there...

This week, Ellen has sighted Red Crossbills in North Seattle...They make a sweet, twittery little sound and you can see flocks of them hanging out high in conifer trees...hear a BirdNote story about Red Crossbills here.

So you'll recognize these beauties when you see them....here are photos, from Gregg Thompson, of a male (more red) and female Red Crossbill.....they definitely earn their name, look at those delicately crossed beaks, which help them to bite the seeds out of cones.

 

The First Townsend's Warbler Is Back in Town...a Harbinger of Winter to Come...

I received an email first thing this morning from Ellen Blackstone, writer and web editor for public radio's popular "BirdNote" series:  "Saw the first Townsend's Warbler of the season yesterday on my suet feeder...Winter is a comin' on...."

Read more about which birds you might spot over the winter outside your windows, and how to attract more birds to your garden (hint: organics only, don't be too hasty to clean up out there, and keep your cat indoors) in my column this morning "Invite the Birds Over for Fall and Winter" in Pacific NW magazine.

Thanks to Ellen for the bird arrival update and to Mike Hamilton for this photo of a Townsend's Warbler going after suet.