Along with the warming temperatures, the greening of the landscape, and the
blooming wildflowers, the songs and colors of birds are one of the intense
delights of the spring and summer. As I write this on June 7, some birds have
raised one brood already (bluebirds, mourning doves, tree swallows, robins,
meadowlarks) whereas others are in the process of rearing young (Baltimore and
orchard orioles) or still sitting on eggs (catbirds) or still making nests
(willow flycatchers).
Tree swallows nest in many of our 25 nest boxes (a male is shown here on top of
one) and are constantly flying around our yard and ponds. The back of the male
alternates between appearing bright blue or green depending on the angle of the
light since this is a structural color without any pigment involved. They are
dominant over bluebirds competing for the same boxes but the bluebirds manage
by producing more broods and starting earlier.
We have Baltimore and orchard orioles nesting in the same large maple tree in
our front yard. It is interesting that they seem not to squabble over
territory, perhaps because their preferred habitats and diet are only partially
overlapping. The orchard oriole is unusual in that it is specialized for
collection of flower nectar including the piercing of the base of larger
flowers or those with long corolla tubes. This photo shows a male orchard
oriole perched on the flower stems of red hot pokers from which it has been
drinking nectar.
A most unusual and the largest of the woodwarblers is the yellow breasted chat.
It is found primarily in early successional habitats and thus must move
frequently to find new nesting sites. The seven acre field where this and
another chat were singing was clearcut three years ago and is now filled with
shrubs. This is a poster bird for the advantage of making clearcuts in some but
by no means all forest habitat. Maximizing biodiversity requires a maximum
heterogeneity in habitats, a fact that all land managers need to recognize. The
grasshopper sparrow is a bird that requires open grassland breeding habitat,
and is thus often found in cattle pastures. Before the advent of humans, one
wonders how many short grass prairies would have been available to them.
The pileated woodpecker would have fared well in the unbroken forests that
covered much of the eastern US before the advent of humans. This male returns
regularly to a rotting stump in our front yard to chop away in its hunt for
wood grubs.
One bird I do not encourage to linger around our ponds is the Canadian goose.
This adult with young goslings in tow is a cute picture, but bad ecology. These
geese should be breeding far to the north but individuals that were originally
wing clipped and allowed to breed far south of their normal range have become
established as transplants. They foul the shores of their new homes in yards
and golf courses and can be aggressive in defense of their young.
Two wetland species that I am very happy to see in our yard are the spotted and
solitary sandpipers. It is interesting to see spotted sandpipers with their
breeding plumage with a spotted breast. This is one breeding season
transformation that does not make much sense since the male and female are
identical and the transition does not seem to affect their visibility to
predators. They breed locally along river banks. In contrast solitary
sandpipers pass through our yard every year on their way to breeding grounds in
Canada.
I highly recommend leaving your bedroom windows open at night so that you can
hear the early morning chorus of the birds that will thrill your heart. Learn
the common songs and follow the movements and breeding of your favorites. This
time of year is one of the highlights for those who enjoy birds and each of us
only has a limited number of such opportunities, so do not let them slip by
without enjoying them to the max.
Bill Dunson
Galax, VA and Englewood, FL
http://lemonbayconservancy.org/news-blog/nature-notes-by-bill-dunson/
http://pieenvironmental.blogspot.com/
http://www.galaxgazette.com/blogs
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Tree swallow male at VA farm 5.3.15 Bill Dunson IMG_6425aa.jpg
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Baltimore oriole male VA farm 5.6.15 Bill Dunson IMG_6524 aa.jpg
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Orchard oriole on red hot pokers farm 6.6.15 Bill Dunson IMG_7158 aa.jpg
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Chat Matt S Forest 5.27.15 Bill Dunson IMG_6907 aa.jpg
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Grasshopper sparrow farm 6.1.15 Bill Dunson IMG_7022 aa.jpg
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Pileated woodpecker farm 5.16.15 Bill Dunson IMG_6667 aa.jpg
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Canada geese NRT 5.5.15 Bill Dunson IMG_6471 aa.jpg
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Spotted sandpiper Byellsby Dam 5.24.15 Bill Dunson IMG_6787 aa.jpg
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Solitary sandpiper at VA farm 5.3.15 Bill Dunson IMG_6436 bb.jpg
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