[TN-Bird] Poke flowers--field sparrow food!
- From: Dthomp2669@xxxxxxx
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2004 13:46:07 EDT
Greetings from the Charlotte Park area of West Nashville just a little east
of the old Cleece's Ferry.
For years, I have had a nice, big poke berry plant that comes up under the
area where I put the peanut butter for my mockingbirds. This poke berry plant
is now about six feet tall and it's top is visible from my kitchen window on
the deck level of the house. Yesterday, my field sparrows were perched on the
poke, which is in full flower again after producing a crop of berries. These
sweet little creatures were actually eating the flowerettes from the poke. I
watched them for several minutes as they gorged themselves on poke flowerettes
before they went back to eating the seeds scattered on the deck floor. Since
the poke is such a large plant, there seems to be plenty of flowers left to
produce berries for everybody.
My humongous all-around-the-deck grape arbor now has grapes in every phase
from bloom to ripe, and it is full of birds hiding within its confines eating
away to their little hearts' content. Lots of cardinals, jays, the
mockingbirds, Carolina wrens as well as starlings and the other usual suspects.
The pair
of house wrens finished their family chores and left, so the Carolina wrens
moved back to my area. It was funny to me that the Carolina wrens did not come
around as long as the house wrens were occupying the gourd under the deck or
while they were feeding their young. Maybe it was due to the house wrens'
constant singing and/or fussing. While the bird was sitting on the nest, the
other
sang constantly. Once the babies arrived, there was a constant fuss from
both parents. Two years ago, the Carolina used that gourd for a nest.
By the way, with 7 mamas and 7 papas, my cardinal babies have been almost
nonexistent this year. After one pair brought their three babies to feed
earlier
this year, I have seen VERY few more. I DID have a horrific insurgence of
baby cowbirds instead, and I think the probably had occupied all the cardinal
nests. I DID NOT see any parent cardinal feed any baby cowbirds, BUT, by the
time the baby cowbirds came to the feeding area, they seemed to be totally
capable of taking care of themselves. After a week or so of growing and
strengthening themselves at my feeder, a big flock of mama & papa cowbirds came
in for a
couple of days to claim their children who flew away with the cowbird flock
when it left. My cardinal couples feed here constantly and seem so alone with
NO little "black-billed cardinal babies" to feed. It has really made me sad
because I have always loved watching the baby cardinals as they developed beaks
strong enough to pop the hulls of the sunflower seeds. For some reason, it
seems that I have had fewer "babies" of any kind this year than I have in the
past even though I've had as many parent birds as always. Anyone else noticing
this?
By the way, my deck has become a real solarium for the doves, rock pigeons
and a few other birds who perch out there and stretch their wings out on the
deck where they take sunbaths until they are sun sated. Right now, there is
one
mourning dove and two rock pigeons sunning with wings and tails totally
aspread in utter relaxation! I did find the very decomposed body of a pigeon
back
under the grape canopy at the corner of the deck a few days ago. It had been
there awhile as it was down to feathers & skeleton, and I hadn't know about it.
Cheers & prayers,
Dee Thompson
Nashville, TN
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