[TN-Bird] Molting hummers,et. al., ripe wild grapes & saving suet
- From: Dthomp2669@xxxxxxx
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2006 16:31:20 EDT
Greetings TN Birders,
Molting season is definitely here in Charlotte Park, West Nashville,
Davidson County, with the "stars" bring the male ruby-throated hummingbirds
with
forked tails, the forks varying from not very deep as in the broad-billed
hummers to strikingly deep as in the barn swallow. In all my years of
birding, I
do not remember ever noticing forked tails in ruby-throats before, so the
first one REALLY threw me. He was perched where he was backlit, so I could
see
no markings and thought I had a "rarie." I wrote to a couple of our experts
who assured me it was, indeed, a molting male hummer. Since then, there have
been several this week with some perched out in the light so that I could see
that they ARE gorgeous male R-T's. Right now, one is on a favorite perch on
a sprig of dead grape about 8 feet away where he is surveying the territory
and "watching me type." His tail is a medium deeply forked one.
Crestless cardinals, blue jays and titmice abound, so they really look
"undressed" and scruffy.
An abundance of wild grapes are the preferred food of many of my birds which
stay hidden deep in the foliage of the thick grape vine, so it is hard to
tell what all is in there eating the fruit. With over 90 feet of heavy vines
all around the deck and across the back wall of the house, there is plenty for
the robins, starlings, cardinals, blue jays and mockingbirds which leaves
plenty of peanut butter and other food for the titmice, chickadees, doves,
rock
pigeons and other birds. I haven't seen the immature Cooper's hawk take any
more birds lately. It does stay hidden in a tree quite often from which it
swoops down upon a mouse.
Since suet is rarely available from the butcher shops in winter, I have been
"hoarding" fat that I trim from roast meats that I do in the summer. I wrap
it in individual packets of Glad Press 'n Seal and freeze it to use this
winter. With those packets and by making recipes of Martha Sargent's suet
mixture, I think I can keep my birds pretty well fed through the coldest of
winters.
Cheers, prayers and super birding,
Dee Thompson
Nashville, TN
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