[TN-Bird] Interesting Year
- From: Durwood Edwards <durwoode@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Tennessee Bird List <TN-Bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 08:29:04 -0500
August 20, Joelton, TN
Davidson County
It has been a very interesting season here by Marrowbone Lake, especially for
the breeding successes and habits of the birds who visit my suet feeder.
In addition to the usual suspects of Downies, Nuthatches, Red Bellies at the
suet feeder, I have watched a family of Brown Thrashers all summer as the
parents repeatedly made forays to collect food for each other and their
unfledged offspring. Finally I witnessed the parents bringing their young to
the feeder and feeding it, until it figured out that it could do this itself
and avoid all the crying and wing quivering. I have recently seen it chase one
of the parents away as it fed. These birds come to the feeder all day long
every day and are more likely to be seen that even the Downies, of which I have
many.
I enjoyed watching a pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers introducing their two
young to the feeder, and watched the male flying up to a dead limb on the
nearby red oak, where its baby waited to be fed. The adult would first chase
the begging juvenile away as he deposited the suet lump on a knot on the limb
and then would lightly hammer the limb a few times before picking up a bit of
suet and hopping down to feed the baby. I saw this happen numerous times and
wondered if it was some sort of avian instruction.
Yesterday (19th), I notice I had two baby Northern Mockingbirds sitting on my
deck railing calling for their parents!
Other interesting and unexpected visitors to my deck include a female Summer
Tanager, an Eastern Wood Pewee, and a Louisiana Waterthrush.
A season of unexpected activity to add to the annual delight of watching House
Finches bringing their noisy group of children to bird bath/swimming pool; the
adults seem to enjoy the relief from the constant begging as the juvies forget
their hunger and delight in splashing: so much like human children learning the
delights of a summertime dip.
Durwood Edwards
Joelton, TN
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