ToddSpace: John's Birding Page

November Bird of the Month: Dark-Eyed Junco

The Dark-eyed Junco, also known as the Snow Bird, is the best-known species of Junco, a genus of small American Sparrows.

Adults are generally gray on top with a white belly. The white outer tail feathers flash distinctively in flight. The bill is usually pinkish. The males tend to have darker, more conspicuous markings than the female. Juveniles often have pale streaks and may even be mistaken for a Vesper Sparrow until they acquire adult plumage at 2 to 3 months. There is a regional variation:

The Slate-colored Junco has a dark slate-gray head, breast and upper parts. Females are brownish gray. It is found in North America in taiga forests from Alaska to Newfoundland and south to the Appalachian Mountains, wintering further south; it is relatively common in its range.

Their breeding habitat is coniferous or mixed forest areas throughout North America. They usually nest in a cup shaped depression on the ground, well hidden by vegetation or other material, although they are sometimes found in the lower branches of a shrub or tree. The nests have an outer diameter of about 3.9 inches and are lined with fine grasses and hair.

Normally two broods of 4 eggs are laid during the breeding season. They are incubated by the female for 12 to 13 days. The slightly glossy egg shells are grayish or pale bluish-white in color and heavily spotted (sometimes splotched) with various shades of brown, purple or gray. The spotting is concentrated at the large end of the egg. The young leave the nest within 11 to 14 days of hatching.

Northern birds migrate further south; many populations are permanent residents or altitudinal migrants. In winter, juncos are familiar in and around towns.

These birds forage on the ground. In winter, they often forage in flocks that may comprise several races. They mainly eat insects and seeds. However the bird will sometimes eat its own droppings.

The following is the song of the Dark-Eyed Junco.

Squirrels and Blue Jays

My feeders were quite busy today, but not with a lot of birds. Squirrels!

Two of them have been trying to raid the feeders for the past few weeks. This fella decided to help himself to the woodpecker feeder.

I watched as the squirrel would scurry to the ground and hide a seed under a leaf, tamp down the leaf with his little paws, and head back for more.

A few chipmunks have been keeping the seed cleaned up under the feeders, and it has been a chore shooing away pigeons.

These pictures were taken from the stairway window, which leads to the second floor of our home.

Blue Jays have been stuffing their bills with peanuts and sunflower seed. I have noticed at least 10 different Jays in our backyard at one time. They are very aggressive toward other birds, but the cardinals will have none of it. I saw a female Cardinal chase away 2 Blue Jays from the platform feeder. The male Cardinal sat nearby on a branch during all this, and then joined her when the Jays were gone.

Winter is near. Birds are fattening themselves up for the shorter days, the bitter cold, the howling wind and the blanket of snow that covers the land.

Please don't forget our feathered friends this winter!

Happy birding!

Islesboro, Maine: Bald Eagle

Birding in Maine during the fall season has its strong points, some of these being the crystal blue skies and cooler temperatures. And most important of all, bug activity is very low!

Species of birds are coming and going and squirrels and chipmunks are storing food for the long winter ahead.

This Columbus Day weekend was no exception. Mornings were frosty and the days were just cool enough for a light jacket.

We departed early Saturday morning for Lincolnville to take the ferry to Islesboro. Fog rose from rivers and inlets due to the October chill over the warmer waters, making one wonder what was lurking in the autumn mist.

We arrived at the ferry terminal in Lincolnville and drove aboard the ferry at 7:50 a.m. There was no more room, so I thought, but the crew had us work our car around until they could squeeze one more in.

The 20 minute ride across Penobscot Bay was uneventful, as the waters were nearly smooth, with a light northwest breeze.

Upon arriving on the island, we drove north, admiring the beauty of the spruce trees, inlets, coves and bays.

Our first stop was along the narrowest part of the island, with a cove on the west side, and the bay to the east.

We disembarked from our car, and immediately heard and seen sparrows flying in and around the triple spruce trees along the road.

This is the spot I photographed the Savannah Sparrow. At the time, I had an idea as to what this species of sparrow was, but was not quite sure, hence I ask for proper identification. Again, I would like to express my thanks to those of you who helped in the identification of this species of sparrow.

The sparrows would take flight from a small meadow, and visit the spruce trees, but trying to photograph them was a chore.

I shot 24 pictures to get two good enough for identification purposes! These fellas would not sit still long enough, and if they did, they were deep in the spruce bows.

I was set-up with a good sturdy tripod, so when one finally came into view, I started firing off shots like there were no tomorrow.

I thanked the little fella and we continued on our way.

One point of note: not many waterfowl were encountered on this trip, as was the lack of shorebirds. We did manage to see a few Double-Crested Cormorants and some unidentifiable Shearwaters. Hawks were plenty, but the height at which they flew made identification somewhat a challenge.

We continued to drive around the island in a clock-wise fashion, my wife hoping to catch a glimpse of John Travolta who has a summer home on the island. (We saw neither him nor Kirstie Alley who also has a summer home here.)

On the east side of the island, just a half a mile north of the fire department, we saw a gentleman along the road taking a picture of something in a spruce tree. I asked what he saw and he proclaimed a Bald Eagle was there.

I retrieved my camera and tripod and set-up on a dirt lane about 150 feet from the spruce tree the eagle was perched on.

What was unbelievable was that this eagle did not seem to mind the commotion going on around it. Cars going by, a few people stopping with the oohing and ahhing and the distant hammering of an unseen carpenter.

The eagle sat there perched on the spruce for just over an hour looking around, preening, being harrassed, at a distance, by a Red-Tailed Hawk, and he even let out a sneeze that I just missed capturing on my camcorder. And as luck would have it, I missed his departure. I was taking the camcorder off of the tripod and replacing it with my camera.

You can view the Windows WMV format video of the Bald Eagle in the Birding In Maine Photo Gallery. I have other videos of this eagle that I will upload in the next several days.

I recommend Islesboro as a day trip for those who want to get away from it all for the day or maybe do some leaf peeping. I plan to return in the spring, during migration, which I am sure will be a hot spot.

The rest of our trip was mostly uneventful. We caught the ferry back to the mainland and went to Rockland to walk the breakwater and visit the lighthouse which sits at its end.

I will post larger versions of the pictures in this post in the Birding In Maine Photo Gallery in the next few days.

Happy birding!

UPDATE: Larger versions of the eagle pictures in this post are now available in the Birding In Maine Photo Gallery. The direct link is here: Raptors

Preparing for winter bird feeding

Winter can be a difficult time for birds in New England. Days are short, windy and cold and nights are long and even colder. The abundant vegetation of summer and fall has withered or been consumed and most insects are dead or dormant.

If you don't already have a backyard feeder now is the perfect time to set one up. It will make your feathered friends lives easier and yours more enjoyable as you observe their beauty and antics.

What To Feed Them

Most songbirds feed on insects and spiders during the spring and summer months. However, in the fall and winter non-migratory songbirds must shift their diets to fruits and seeds to survive.
 
Black-oil Sunflower: Different birds prefer different types of seeds, but the seeds that attract the greatest variety of species are black-oil sunflower. These seeds are nutritious and high in fat plus their small size and thin shells make them easy for small birds to eat.

Thistle or Niger Seeds: Thistle seeds are a delicacy for goldfinches, siskins and redpolls. It is best to offer these seeds in a special thistle feeder which has tiny ports that prevent the seeds from spilling out.

Peanut Butter or Suet: You can attract insect-eating birds such as Chickadees, woodpeckers and nuthatches to your yard by offering peanut butter or suet. Peanut butter and suet are both excellent high energy foods.
   
Fruit: Thrushes, Mockingbirds, catbirds and waxwings will come to a feeder which offers fruit. Try dried fruits such as raisin and fresh sliced fruit on a platform feeder or plate.

Tips For Winter Feeding

Keep some extra feeders for use in bad weather. It will not only give birds more places to eat it will cut down on your trips outside to refill the feeder.

Make sure the seed is kept dry. Hopper and tube feeders will protect seed from wet weather and platform feeders should be swept of any snow.

Scatter seed in underbrush and sheltered places. Some birds prefer to feed in thicket and brambles so be sure to scatter seed in hedges, bushes and along wooded areas or even under your deck.

Use high energy food such as suet and peanut butter.

Use your old Christmas tree for shelter and as a windbreak near your feeder.

Prepare your birdhouses for winter roosting. Make sure the houses are clean and then use three to four inches of clean dry meadow grass or wood shavings. Then plug the air vent holes with removable weather stripping.

Keep your feeders clean. Take advantage of good weather to clean and disinfect your feeders.  Use one part bleach to nine parts hot water. 

Offer a fresh source of water and consider the use of a birdbath heater. If you do not have a birdbath heater, keep the water ice-free if at all possible. Empty the birdbath in the evening and fill again in the morning. NEVER use chemicals such as antifreeze to keep the water from freezing!

October Bird of the Month: Downy Woodpecker

Description : The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker of North America. It has black and white plumage, with white in the middle of the back, and also on the breast and belly, where white becomes grayish.

Wings are black with white spots. Tail is black, with white outer feathers, and sometimes barred with black.

The head is black, and we can see a white stripe above and below eyes. It has whitish feathers above the bill, black cheeks, and thin black mustache extending to the neck and upper sides of breast.

The male has a small red patch on the rear crown.
Bill is thick, short, black and chisel-shaped, but smaller than other woodpeckers. Eyes are dark. Legs and feet are pale Grey.

The female lacks the red patch on the head. She has a black patch. The juvenile male has a red forehead, but lacks a red patch on its rear crown. The juvenile female is similar, but lacks any red.

Voice: Downy Woodpeckers have a wide variety of sounds. During aggressive behavior, it utters "pik", introducing rattle calls. Young birds utter short "wad" and "chirp" calls, and also a longer note, the squeak. We can also hear scolding, squeak, screech and distress calls. Downy Woodpeckers also use drumming, a non vocal sound, to communicate. Here is a sample of the Downy Woodpecker call.

Habitat: The Downy Woodpecker lives in woodlands, deciduous forests in riparian areas. It is common in orchards, parks and urban areas.

Geographic Range: The Downy Woodpecker is found throughout North America. They are year round residents, except along the New England Coast where some populations are partially migratory.

Behavior: The Downy Woodpecker uses body postures to communicate, such as combination of bill pointing and waving, flicking wings, raising crest, wings and tail spreading, head turning  and swinging.

Drumming is used to establish territory, to attract a mate, and to communicate between them.
When feeding, the Downy Woodpecker gleans insects from tree trunks, shrubs and large weeds. It also probes into crevices, or excavates holes into wood to find food. Downy Woodpeckers are acrobatic foragers. They can hang upside down to feed.

It is a solitary diurnal bird, but sometimes, it forages in loose flocks. The male defends a territory against other males, and female against females. When an intruder comes into the territory, the Downy Woodpecker will perform a threat display, such as flicking wings, or a fan-tailed display, with erected crest, and trying to drive the intruder away, holding their bill high. It may attack the intruder, grappling with them in mid-air.

Downy Woodpeckers are monogamous. Once a pair is formed, they forage together until incubation begins. It is a form of mate guarding. They mate together for more than one breeding season.
To protect themselves from predators, Downy Woodpeckers flatten themselves against the tree bark, remaining motionless. It may also dodge a raptor, by darting behind  a tree branch, or winding their way around a branch to avoid the hawk.

Reproduction-nesting : The Downy Woodpecker's nest is excavated by both male and female, in a dead climb, or a living or dead tree. This work lasts between one and three weeks. The nest is lined only with wood chips, and the opening is concealed with mosses and lichens.

The female lays 3 to 8 white glossy eggs. Incubation lasts about 12 days, shared by both parents. Male incubates at night, and alternately with female during the day. Chicks hatch altricial, but they grow very quickly. They are brooded during the first four days after hatching, and both adults feed them. Young fledge at about 18 to 21 days of age. Parents feed them for at least three weeks more, and protect them against predators. The young reach their sexual maturity at one year. This species produces one single clutch per year.

Food habits: The Downy Woodpecker is omnivorous. It feeds mainly on insects (beetles, ants, bugs and caterpillars), but also arthropods, fruits, seeds and sap. It also consumes spiders and suet from feeders.