Feeding Birds in an Apartment

Red-bellied woodpecker
at a backyard feeder.

Question from Reader:  I live in an apartment.  Can I feed birds from my balcony?  Should I participate in Project Feeder Watch?

My Answer:  Long ago before I met Kathy and when I was a young man, I used to live on the third floor of a "luxury" apartment complex and had the same issue with rules you have. Basically, I just broke the rules. Fortunately, the apartment managers (all female!) thought I was a wonderful tenant, so I got away with breaking the rules---one of the privileges back then of being young and dashing.

But I did use cracked sunflower seed that left no hulls or mess on the balcony---Kathy and I use the same kind of seed in our yard. You can purchase it at any of the Wild Birds Unlimited stores in the Houston area, or you can order it online at http://www.shopwbu.com/products/. Get the "No-Mess Blend Bird Seed." They also sell suet cakes specially blended for warm climates---order the "No Melt" variety. (I have no financial interest in Wild Birds Unlimited; I simply like their products and customer service.)

We also travel quite a bit, so we record birds when we're home and leave it at that.

Project FeederWatch has no hard-and-fast rule that you have to count birds every week. If you sign up for the project, it will take about two weeks to receive the kit. But you can download the tally sheet on the website at www.FeederWatch.com and begin keeping tallies right away.

Strange bird at feeder

Baltimore oriole at water bath.

Copyright: Kathy Adams Clark 

Question from Reader:

Several weeks ago a very beautiful orange and yellow bird, about the size of a mocking bird, lit on one of my humming bird feeders.  I was mostly orange with yellow on the breast.  The closest thing I found in my Texas books was the Altamira Oriole.  I don’t remember the dark wings and tail, but I only saw it for a few seconds before it gave up on the feeder and flew off.  Any Ideas?

Dave 

My Reply:

The orange bird at your hummingbird feeders was probably a winter plumaged Baltimore Oriole migrating to Southern Mexico or to Central or northern South America.  Altamira Orioles are a Mexican species that occur in the Rio Grande Valley, and I know of no records of that species showing up much farther north.  

Carolina Wren in the Backyard

Carolina wren with characteristic cocked tail.

Copyright: Kathy Adams Clark 

Carolina Wrens typically remain on or near breeding grounds throughout the year and return to the same location to breed throughout their lives.  Their offspring and even relatives generally reside in the same neighborhood but don't compete with each other for space.  

The Carolina's Wren's song, or I should say, songs are among my favorite bird vocalizations.  

Trumpeter Swan in The Woodlands

The latest information I have about the Trumpeter Swan is that it was found on the Spring Creek Christmas Bird Count on Dec 20th.  I have no recent information about sightings.

Trumpeter swan photographed early December, 2014,
at Lakeside Park in The Woodlands.

Monarch Butterfly Question

Question from a reader:


Dear Mr. and Mrs. Clark,

    I am a kindergarten teacher in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  My class and I have raised Monarch butterflies from eggs that I've collected in a nearby meadow.

While feeding the caterpillars, I inadvertently brought in more eggs.  Two went through the five instar stages and made chrysalises.  They are due to emerge on the 29th of October.  One is still a fifth instal and about to make a chrysalis.  

    I know the migrating population of Monarchs that went through the Midwest had trouble finding sources of nectar due to the drought.  I saw on the internet that 

southeast Texas still had nectar-rich flowers in abundance in early October.  Do you think their will still be such flowers available in early to mid November? This is where my Monarchs would be passing through, if luck is on their side. I would appreciate your opinion.  

    The Durham Museum of LIfe and Sciences has a a Magic Wings Butterfly House and will take the Monarchs butterflies if I bring them in. I know this generation is programmed for Mexico.  The weather prediction is for a warming trend in this area next week.  My inclination is to send them on south if their is a source of food along the way.  If their isn't, I'll probably take the Monarchs to the museum.

     I would appreciate your considered opinions.  

     Thanks in advance,

     Patricia

My Answer:

Hello Patricia,

First, I deeply admire what you're doing.  The educational value to your young students will pay dividends for Monarch butterflies and for nature throughout the 21st century.  

I am not sure what I would do.  We do have plenty of milkweed along the Texas Coast.  I wrote a column urging people to plant milkweed in their yards.  I was swamped with emails from readers who asked where to get the milkweed or from people who had gone out and bought milkweed.  Most gratifying.  

You are correct that Monarchs are "hard-wired" to migrate to Mexico.  I'm sure they would do fine at Magic Wings Butterfly House; and, I am also sure that if kept in the facility, their progeny would migrate to Mexico next year.  What I can't be sure of is that they would make it to Michoachan this year.  It would depend on weather and supplies of milkweed.  They would certainly move down the Texas Coast as you know, and they should find mild weather and plenty of milkweed. But Chappell Hill to the Texas Coast might be a precarious journey. 

I've always been a proponent of letting nature take its course.  As you know from evolution, nature favors the most adaptable over the least adaptable. Which means, at least theoretically, if your Monarchs or at least some of them make it to Michoachan, their progeny might be more adaptable than if left in Chappell Hill.  

All that said, we humans have so disrupted the environment that my old saw about letting nature take its course may or may not allow traditional adaptabilities.  Nature will take its course, but that course may not be quite as predictable as it was a long time ago when I was young.  

So, after all my ranting, here's my advice.  Do what your brain tells you is best.  

Leucistic Birds

Irv wrote:  I found your article in the Houston Chronicle on leucistic birds very interesting and informative.  We live in Conroe in Stewart’s Forest and fortunately still have lots of trees around us.  We feed the birds black oiler sunflower seeds and have bird baths  in our yard so we have a good variety of birds who visit our back yard.  One of the birds is a cardinal with a white head.  From the rest of the coloring I assume it is a female cardinal.  You stated in your article that some birds with luecism have a hard time attracting a mate due to lack of their specific species color.  I believe that this cardinal may have mated because on occasion I have seen one or two other cardinals with white plumage on their heads although their unusual coloring is not quite as obvious as the one we see more frequently.

My Answer:  Well, apparently your leucistic female cardinal has beat the odds and attracted a mate.  If she did mate, she would have passed on her defective genes and potentially produced the one or two other leucistic cardinals you've seen.  Hard to know for sure without genetic analysis , so we can only guess.  Be on the lookout for other leucistic species.  If you see more birds with leucism other than the one or two cardinals, that could indicate some contaminate in their environment (it would not be in your sunflower seed.) 

December Travels to Texas

Tim wrote:  I am a Florida birder and I am bringing the family to the San Antonio area for a 4 day stay in mid December.  Might make a day trip to Corpus Christi.

We will be doing the usual tourist things as a family, but I can't resist to see if there are any potential lifebirds in the area.  Do you have any leads on: Yellow Rail, Mountain Plover, Sage Thrasher, Sprague's Pipit, Harris's sparrow, or any of the 3 Longspurs?  If I thought the chances were decent I would try to workin an outing or two to try and grab one or more.
         
Thanks in advance for any thoughts which you can share.

My answer:  All the birds can be found in winter in Texas, but in most cases you'd have to drive hundreds of miles to different parts of the state and have a lot of luck on your side.

Yellow rails are in the coastal marshes, but nigh to impossible to see unless you trudge through a cottonmouth invested marsh.  They don't normally call during winter.

Mountain Plovers can show up anywhere, but most likely in farm fields around Austin and west of Rockport.

Sage Thrashers are possible in the Hill Country  north of San Antonio in the Kerr Wildlife Management Area west of Kerrville.

Sprague's Pipits are a sure thing at the Atwater Prairie Chicken NWR near Sealy, TX.

Harris's Sparrows tend to show up in hedgerows along farm field roads between Houston and San Antonio; the farm roads of the Katy Prairie west of Houston is a good place to look.

(Smith's Longspur found in eastern Harris County, Texas in 2011)



Longspurs are reliably found in the Texas Panhandle north of Amarillo and especially around Dalhart in the grassy fields of ranches---but you have to do a lot of driving around those roads to spot them.  In fact, of all the birds you listed, the longspurs are the surest thing if you have the time and patience to look.  It can also be brutally cold and windy in the Panhandle during winter.

Why do bird congregate in large flocks?

Question from Doug: Every day at sun down, 100s of black birds congregate and the utility lines at Kirkwood and Westheimer. My questions are, what kind of birds are they, where are they during the day, and where do they spend the night?

Good question. People have advanced several theories as an answer, although no one knows the answer for certain. At any rate, the blackbirds congregating on power lines are usually a mixed flock of European Starlings, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Great-tailed Grackles. During the day, they forage over a large area that may include farm fields, marshes, grasslands, suburban yards, and city streets, The reason they congregate and perch at night on power lines is due to complex social behavior that 1.) helps them keep warm by huddling together, 2.) helps them avoid predators because it's easier for a group to spot predators and protect each other than it is for a lone individual, 3.) helps them find food because members of the flock can lead other members to the best feeding locations, and 4.) helps them locate food around the utility wires because the wires are usually at lighted traffic intersections with waste food from humans scattered on the ground and with insects attracted to the street lights.

The social interaction of birds that includes flocking behavior is an ongoing topic in ornithological research, and I'm sure we will learn more about the reasons for social interaction as research continues.

Barred Owl

Here's my reply to a reader who found a barred owl in her backyard:

Yes, that's indeed a Barred Owl, a rather common owl where you live but not commonly seen because it occupies the temporal zone of the night when people are asleep.

I normally do several articles on owls, the last one was this past October and was about Great Horned Owls. You can read it at here.

Owls get unfairly blamed for the disappearance of small pets. It's really coyotes that are getting the pets. (Yes, our urban and suburban neighborhoods have coyotes.) For an owl to pick off a small pet, the pet would have to be the size of a rat or small rabbit. But pet owners should never leave a small pet or any pet outdoors by itself at night or during the day. Packs of wild dogs also roam neighborhoods, and larger feral cats roaming can harm defenseless house pets. Pet dogs and pet cats should be kept indoors and only let out on a leash for their safety and health. (It's a lesson I learned the hard way.)

Owls go after rats and other rodents, which is a good thing or else we'd be overrun with those vermin.

Cardinal Sees His Reflection

Question from Tonie: We have a cardinal that keeps crashing into our front window then he flies to the back where he crashes into a glass sliding door! He must be knocking himself silly! What can I do for him? Why is he doing this?

The Cardinal sees his reflection and thinks it's an intruding male on his territory. For our birds here in Texas, breeding season in terms of staking out territories has already begun. The thing to do is to put up window decals of falcons, the natural predator of birds, or leaf decals that distract birds from windows. You can buy the decals online at any number of places (just type in "Window Decals for Birds" in a search engine like Google. Even Amazon.com has the decals. They're not expensive.

Winter Hummingbirds in Texas

I received a number of emails from readers regarding my January 7th article about winter hummingbirds in the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express News. Here's a sample:

One reader wrote: "I read your article in today's paper. I too have two hummingbirds in my back yard in Clear Lake. This is the second year that I see some around. I always keep a feeder or two in the winter. In the fall I have 8 feeding stations that I refill twice a day. This is fun to watch them.
Now they have to share their feeder with bees and I do not know how to chase the bees away.
I am glade to see that I am not the only hummingbird feeder in the winter.
Thank you for your article."

Backyard Bird Feeding Tips

Question from reader: I am an avid reader of your nature column and an avid bird lover as well. I was wondering if you could tell me how to increase the species at my home bird feeders. I have several feeders in my back yard, two with standard millet/sunflower seed mix and a new one with finch mix. They are at this time about 6 feet apart on my patio. I attract thousands of house sparrows and different species of doves. I also get frequent visits from mockingbirds, cardinals, and blue jays. However, I never seem to attract any of the migratory thrushes and warblers described in your column. Could you give me any advice on how to get more diversity at my feeders?

Answer: It doesn't sound like your doing anything particularly wrong. Warblers and thrushes are insect eaters and only visit feeders in winter. The three warblers we routinely have in winter at our feeders are Orange-crowned, Yellow-rumped, and Pine. Hermit warblers spend the winter here and often hang around platform feeders. Warblers and thrushes are also attracted to suet cakes in almost any season. Come spring, you might want to put out orange slices to attract migratory orioles and resident woodpeckers.

Other suggestions: Use a "No-Mess Blend of Bird Seed" available at Wild Birds Unlimited Stores in Houston or online at http://www.shopwbu.com/products/. Also, get the "No Melt" variety of suet cakes from the same store. Both products should attract more varieties of birds to your yard, but there's no guarantee because many factors such as trees, bushes, and plantings are at play in attracting birds to a yard. I've seen "perfect" yards for birds, but the poor home owner gets few birds. We don't always no what's keeping birds away or what's attracting them. Obviously, if you have feral cats coming to your yard, that could be a deterrent. Still, backyard bird feeding is not a science. (By the way, I have no financial interest or reward in recommending Wild Birds Unlimited; I simply like their products and customer service.)

Hope this helps, and thanks for being an avid reader of the column.

Birdwatching, Nature Study and Photo Tours in 2012

Panama--Birds and Photography Along the Isthmian Route March 9-16, 2012
Journey with me and my wife Kathy to Panama. We'll stand atop a canopy tower to see birds and wildlife that live high in the tree tops. Walk the Achiote Road and Pipeline Road to search for birds. Visit the Cerro Azul Foothills and San Lorenzo Park for feeding stations and a chance to study and photograph bird at close range. Limited to 12 participants.

Close-up views of wildlife including three-toed sloth, white-necked jacobin, speckled tanager, blue cotinga, and slaty-tailed trogon make this an must journey for photographers, birdwatchers, and nature lovers. Native guide with us throughout the trip.

$3195 includes lodges, ground transportation, and some meals. Air to Panama is extra. Request a brochure or Strabo Tours for details.









Tanzania, Africa May 19-June 3, 2012

Intensive game viewing wiht only 5 people per vehicle. Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, and Lake Manyara National Park.

Ideal for photographers, birdwatchers, and nature loving traveling companions.

$7895 lodges, ground transportation covered plus most meals. Airfare extra.
Request a brochure

Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands July 16-26, 2012

10-day land and cruise program with Gary and Kathy to the Galapagos Islands, including one day in the lowlands of Ecuador. Price includes Quito/Galapagos Islands airfare, Galapagos National Park fees, and tourist card. 7-nights aboard the 16-passenger motor yacht Daphne. Limited to 14 participants.

Close-up views of wildlife including red-footed booby, great frigatebird, waved albatross, and Galapagos tortoise make this an amazing journey for photographers, birdwatchers, and naturalists. Native guide with us throughout the trip.



Optional day with me to hunt for the Andean Condor and highland birds in Antisana

$4995 includes lodges, boat, ground transportation, airfare from Quito to Galapagos, tourist card, park fees and some meals. Air to Ecuador is extra. Request a brochure or Strabo Tours for details.


Peru Photography: Machu Picchu and Amazon Wildlife October 4-14, 2012
Explore two diverse parts of Peru with Kathy Adams Clark and your camera. Visit the Manu area of the Amazonian lowlands for scarlet macaw, parrots, monkeys, 110-foot canopy tower, tapir look-out blind, and canoeing for marsh birds.

Then fly to Cusco for the Sacred Valley, markets, and Machu Picchu. We'll get two days in Machu Picchu so we can photograph this amazing site in different light and weather. Limited to 12 participants.

Photographers of all skill levels are welcome. Great trip for non-photographing spouse, friends or companions. Native guide with us throughout the trip.

$5195 includes lodges, transportation to Manu, and some meals. Air to Peru is extra. Request a brochure or Strabo Tours for details.

Where have our house finches gone? Mockingbird is gone too.

House Finches are rather odd in how they move from place to place throughout the year. We don't fully understand their shifting populations (they're not migrating, just shifting locations back and forth.)

Not sure why you'd didn't get hummingbirds. They were certainly abundant this year, but as always, they show up in some places and not in others.

I'd be surprised if you didn't get a mockingbird back before spring.

Bird Study Workshop Oct 7-9

Join me for a Bird Study Workshop at Block Creek Ranch in the beautiful Texas hill country. We'll observe birds in the field, learn about them in classroom sessions, spend time in quiet observation, and work on journaling.

Those who use a camera to help them identify birds in the field are welcome to bring that along. You'll enjoy the fabulous photo blinds.

Oct 7-9, 2011. $950 covers lodging, meals, and instruction.

Email me for more information and to reserve your spot. Workshop limited to 5 people.




Resident birds:

Green Kingfisher, Rio Grande Wild Turkey, Belted Kingfisher, Eastern Bluebird, Lesser Goldfinch, House Finch, Eastern Phoebe, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Carolina Wren, Bewick’s Wren, Canyon Wren, Northern Mockingbird, Northern Cardinal, Carolina Chickadee, Black-crested Titmouse, various Sparrows including Lark and Chipping, Inca Dove, Mourning Dove, White-winged Dove.

Possible winter birds: Winter Wren, House Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Hermit Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, Spotted Towhee, Pine Siskin, various Sparrows including White-crowned, Song, Savannah, Lincoln’s, Fox and Field. Various raptors and owls. Waterfowl might be visiting ponds.

Purple Martin Roost

I got word from a reader that the big roost of purple martins in Houston is still active.

The martins gather around sunset at The Fountains shopping center. That's off US 59 in Stafford. There are large power lines behind the shopping center and a pond. The birds gather on the lines and drop over the pond to drink before they gather in the shopping center trees at nightfall.

Take your children and family. Thousands of purple martins gathering at sunset is a sight to see.

Feeding Hummingbird

Reader Question: Should we use hot water to mix the sugar when we make hummingbird solution? You didn't mention it in a recent article. What about adding red food coloring?

We boil the water before adding sugar because it more completely dissolves the sugar and helps keep bacteria from growing in the mixture. Not necessary to boil the water, but we do it. I've mentioned boiling the water in previous articles, but just did not have enough space in the recent story.

Adding food coloring is rather controversial, but here's where I stand.
The red dye (food coloring) is totally useless because the hummers are
attracted to the red ornaments on the feeding portals rather than to the red liquid. Natural (flower) nectar is a clear liquid, not red, and
flower petals that contain the clear nectar are red, yellow or some other bright color. Some people suggest that the red food coloring may cause intestinal harm because it is not digested or absorbed as a nutrient. The jury is still out on that issue, but my thought is why take the chance? The food coloring certainly offers no benefit at best, and if it may harm the birds, I won't chance it.

House Finches

A reader asked: Could we have a house finch that is orange?

My answer: House Finches do vary greatly in the spectrum of red-orange tones, as you have noticed. We don't know as much as we'd like to know about why that happens, except that it has something to do with diet. Anyway, I trust some Ph.D. student will someday make that topic his/her dissertation.

This finch was photographed in southern Arizona last spring.

Barred Owl: Questions from a reader

Your Barred Owls are behaving in classic fashion. They'll roost and nest in close proximity to people. Cherish them. They'll keep your rat population down.

1) is it normal for them to hang together like this during the day?—Yes. Mating pairs roost together.

2) how big is their territory (and is it just one pair to an area)?---Hard to say as evidence varies. Some estimates go to about 200 hectares per breeding pair, but the owls have a great deal of overlapping territories. The reason they call to each other is to declare their territory.

3) do they leave the area at all during the winter (we only heard one hooting during the winter while now they usually answer each other)?---Some disperse, but most stay within the breeding territory, although they're not as defensive as during nesting season.

4) if the female is going to nest, when will she start and will her first choice be the place she nested last year?---Barred Owls in Southeast Texas can begin nesting in December, although most will probably nest in March. Most males begin staking out territories in January. Many breeding pairs show fidelity to original nest site for several years in a row.

5) how far away will their offspring go when grown (and do they establish their own territory)?---Yes, they'll establish their own breeding territory. Some first year non-breeding birds may remain near their parents.

Twitchy Warbler

Question:I have a twitchy warbler that is light green in color. Can this be the pine warbler you were writing bout today a harbinger of spring?

Answer: Probably an Orange-crowned Warbler. Broken yellow eye-ring, diffuse streaking on the breast, yellow under the base of the tail (crissum), and lack of wingbars are indicative of Orange-crowned. Many of these warblers spend the winter here, so this is not likely a migrant. Its song is similar to the Pine Warbler, but the song is a steady trill that doesn't vary much in rhythm or pitch unlike the noticeably descending trill of a Pine Warbler.