WindStar Wildlife Institute Blog

Winter Feeders Draw A Crowd

IT’S 13 DEGREES and earlier this week we had our first “measurable” snow of the season.  The difference in my yard is startling. 

When I looked out the window this morning, the ground looked like it was moving.  It was crawling with Dark-eyed Juncos, easily two dozen under the feeding station in my side yard.  But they were also at the feeders, which they usually ignore in favor of their preferred ground feeding method.  They were competing with White-throated Sparrows for space at the feeding ports of my tube feeder.

Even more out of character was the little flock of Chipping Sparrows that joined them for a while.  Chippies seldom come to the feeders, though they often wander through the lawn area picking up weed seeds and other goodies in early spring. 

Then I walked past the kitchen window and was thrilled to see a small flock of Eastern Bluebirds drinking at our heated birdbath.  Another surprise!  We rarely see bluebirds in our yard, though they are in the general area.  But they tend to hang out by the farm fields and wood edges, seldom venturing into the more traditionally wooded residential areas.  But today it’s really cold.  Food, and especially water, are in short supply.  And today, these insectivorous/frugivorous birds are eating sunflower seed, peanuts bits and suet right from my feeders. 

Not only do we have unusual species today, we have lots and lots of the usual suspects.  While I have recently been seeing House Finches one or two at a time, today there are easily two dozen competing for space at their favorite feeders.  I have seen Ma and Pa Downy Woodpecker feeding on peanuts at the same time, half a dozen chickadees hauling off sunflower seed to nearby branches, and American Goldfinch everywhere I look.

The entire White-breasted Nuthatch family is crawling down and around an oak tree outfitted with a suet feeder, and there was a Brown Creeper there earlier.  The Tufted Titmouse population has exploded as well, and Blue Jays are decorating the pines, their feathers puffed out until they looked more like doves than jays. 

My guess is that the weather has concentrated all the birds into the most productive feeding areas.  When conditions are this harsh, they need to take in many more calories just to survive.  On a forty degree day, they can all afford to spread out, feeding casually and without competition or overcrowding.  But at 13 degrees, they need to use the areas where they can get the most food for the least effort, and if there needs to be a little squabbling, well that’s life in the woods.

Okay, well, I think I’m going to finish this up now.  I have to go fill the feeders, and maybe you should think about it, too.  Most of the time our feeders are a handy supplement to nature’s bounty.  But once in a while, like today in my yard, they can make a real difference.

Barbara R. Jones
Former Wild Bird Center Owner
Tabernacle, NJ

The Glass Is Half-Full!

TODAY, across the bright blue sky, flew a Bald Eagle.

It was not all that long ago that the sighting of a Bald Eagle would have sent me to the phone to call everyone I knew with the exciting news. Now it is becoming a regular occurance... and isn't that wonderful?

I started thinking about the Puffins in Maine and the California Condors in Arizona and, of course, California. I thought about the Eastern Bluebirds. They were in dire straights until the "Bluebird Man" realized that putting up artificial nesting boxes was the thing to do. (Barn Owl by Shaw Creek Bird Supply)

The Osprey...suffering decline, and near extinction, from DDT just as the Bald Eagle...are now more numerous than ever. The Barn Owl is on the come-back. The Perigrine Falcon is nesting on the ledges of bank buildings in Baltimore and on the superstructure of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

The Whooping Crane...Oh, what a great recovery story! Ultra-lights lead them to the Chasakawitska in Florida. Crowds gather to watch the procession. The Wild Turkey flourishes in many places where they haven't in decades thanks to the WTF with the assistance of many state Departments of Natural Resources.

Audubon and Cornell have partnered to perform magic in so many recovery projects. As you perhaps know, I was privleged to stand on the tiny island in the Gulf of Maine to see the Puffins. They were drawn there by a masterful combination of decoys and recordings of Puffin calls. There are about 40 mating pairs now.

Sometimes we bemoan the decreasing numbers of one bird or another...Bobwhite Quail comes to mind. But we forget to rejoice in the successes of the many folks, especially those at Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the hundreds and hundreds of volunteers that make these recovery programs the successes that they are.

Let's agree that the glass is at least half full and cheer those on who have made such wonderful recoveries happen.

Jack Lewnes
WindStar Master Wildlife Habitat Naturalist
Port Republic, MD

Not A Pyrrhuloxia...It Is An Albino!

A LOCAL LADY and her husband came into the Swamp (Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary) on Saturday with a picture that she had just taken of a bird at her feeder.

The bird was white with red wings, face and tail. On weekends, I'm the bird man, since Andy is off. (The wonderfully talented young naturalists are educators and have their own specialties...none of which are birds) So everyone looks at me..."Well, what is it?"

It is a red-crested bird and I remember seeing a similar bird pictured somewhwere that is native to the Southwest...Arizona or Texas. I looked up Pyrrhuloxia in several guides...one picture matched it just about exactly. Now I'm getting excited. I took the name, address and phone number of the couple and thanked them for the photo, then I got on the phone!

I tried to call Andy....no answer. Then I called a professor at St. Mary's College. I started to tell him what the bird looked like. Before I said 10 words, he said, "It's an albino cardinal. " I have pictures of this bird on my computer that people have sent, saying that they have spotted a Pyrrhuloxia...but they are really abino cardinals. No Pyrrhuloxia has ever been seen in Maryland. They are stationary birds and do not migrate or wander."

So a very pretty and very unusual bird is hanging out in our neighborhood...an albino cardinal.

Jack Lewnes
WindStar Master Wildlife Habitat Naturalist
Port Republic, MD

No Answers For Dead Bird Mysteries

AUSTIN, TX-- A week after a rain of dead birds closed two main streets in the Texas capital of Austin, animal health officials are no closer to identifying what killed them.

On January 8, the day the state Legislature opened, some 60 grackles, sparrows and pigeons fell to the ground. Preliminary tests for pesticides and other harmful chemicals have come back negative, said Dr. Adolfo Valadez, the medical director for Austin and Travis County Health and Human Services, who said it might be weeks before any conclusive results were known.

"We certainly take these kinds of thing seriously, especially following 9/11," said Valadez. "It may be a matter of time before we know what happened and why it happened. There is no threat to public health."

Halfway around the world, in Australia, thousands of dead birds fell out of the sky within the past 30 days--and again, animal health officials have no idea why.

Around 5,000 nectar and insect-eating birds have been found dead in Esperance, Western Australia, since mid-December, according to Nigel Higgs, spokesman for the state's Department of Environment and Conservation. (Among those killed were Wattle Birds like this one)

Pathologists at the Western Australia Department of Agriculture have ruled out the H5N1 bird flu virus and other infectious diseases, but they have not positively identified what is causing the bird deaths.

Dr. Fiona Sunderman, chief veterinary officer of the Department of Agriculture and Food, suspects the cause of death is some form of toxic poisoning, but no one is sure.

Environmental News Service

Ice Presents Problems Getting Food

YESTERDAY it rained all day.  Being early January, I was unhappy that it wasn’t snow, as I  have been looking forward to getting out on the trails to do some snowshoeing.  (Icy berries by Richard Nelridge)

The temperature stayed at 32 degrees most of the day, so the rain coated all the trees limbs with a layer of ice about ¼ inch thick.  As beautiful as it looks to us, this type of weather is very difficult for wildlife, especially if the temperature stays at or below freezing.

The difficulty in obtaining  a source of water to drink is a primary problem. Make sure that your birdbath is full and consider buying a birdbath heater to keep your birdbath ice free all winter long.  Look for one that has a built-in thermostat and an auto shut-off for safety.  If you have to go away for a few days and the water level in the birdbath drops, the heater will automatically shutoff.

If there is a natural or man-made pond on your property, be sure to keep a hole in the ice by the shore for easy access for wildlife.

Seeds, berries and insects may be very hard to obtain with a thick layer of ice coating the tree and shrub branches, so keep those feeders full and put out suet  to give a rich fat source for the birds to help them in getting through the frigid nights. 

Dense conifers and thickets provide a shield against the wind and a safe place for animals and birds to hide from prey ,along with a safe place for them to go to  enjoy the seeds and fat products that you put out.

Enjoy the beautiful landscape that nature creates and  the wildlife that you attract!

Jan McIntyre
WindStar Certified Wildlife Habitat Naturalist
Nashua, NH

A Singer and A Fighter

I NEVER SAW Mockingbirds where I grew up in New Hampshire. But when I moved to coastal Maine in the 1970s, I soon discovered I was sharing my backyard with one of these interesting birds.

At first, it sure was fun listening to its operatic arias. But sometimes this male’s rapid-fire medleys got on my nerves. This was especially true on hot days, when its solos seemed to come faster and faster. Talk about annoying!

“However, I saw a more endearing side of this bird one day in late summer. It all started when I heard a crowd of agitated birds jeering and complaining at sunrise. After grabbing a cup of coffee, I got my binoculars and went out to see what all the commotion was about.

“The culprit was a large Red-tailed Hawk perched high atop an electrical tower in a nearby hayfield. As I watched, a local gang of crows appeared. They’re pretty conscientious about chasing away predators, but this hawk ignored their efforts and refused to leave. So the crows settled onto a pine tree and waited.

“Just when it seemed like this avian confrontation would end in a stalemate, I saw the Mockingbird flash by me, shoot across the field and make a beeline for the hawk. It then proceeded to buzz the much-bigger bird, which again failed to react.

“Unfazed, the Mockingbird again dove kamikaze-like at the hawk, this time causing it to duck. That apparently was the last straw. The hawk finally spread its wings and took off. At this point, I figured the Mockingbird would soon be a morning snack. But to my surprise, the hawk beat a quick retreat.

“Then the Mockingbird zoomed past me and headed back to its nesting area, as if it knew its job was complete. Although it was late in the season and the bird had already raised a brood or two, it still took its duty as the neighborhood defense minister seriously. Click to hear Mockingbird.

Monica Winston
Eliot, ME

Kids Learn From Barred Owl's Dinner

TODAY, I asked a three-generation family group if they would like to come with me. Well, the delightful Grandmother immediately became the Nature Center's "town crier!" Before I knew what was happening there were more than 20 Moms, Dads, Grandparents and children gathered at the Barred Owl's cage.

Since our owl was struck by a car, as well as just about every owl you will see in captivity, I give a short "sermon" about throwing any sort of food out of the car window. French fries, apple cores, orange peels attract mice and mice attract owls. The result is owls being struck by cars. (Barred owl)

The owl is now frantic because he recognizes my voice and knows he is about to be fed. There are some nature lessons to be learned. The owl pounces on the large plastic plate that holds the mice. (He likes to think that he is capturing the mouse!)

I have already told the children that since the owl has no teeth he will have to either eat the mouse whole or tear off bites that are small enough to swallow...and I have explained that that an owl, once it has pounced on a mouse, will shift the mouse around so that the head goes into the beak first....and you will hear a little crunching sound. "That's because the front end of the mouse is the only part that can bite back." Then the owl throws his head back and swallows the mouse. "Notice that the owl closes his eyes when he does this...that's because he doesn't want to be smacked in the eye with the long mouse tail." Big, wide open, fascinated eyes from the kids at this point !

I spent some time on the special adaptations of owls..non-symetrical ears for "3-D" hearing, big night time eyes, fuzzy feather edges for silent flying..a perfectly designed mouse catching machine!

Many visitors have never seen a Barred Owl much less seen one eat a mouse or two...or three!  Just plain fun!

Jack Lewnes
Port Republic, MD

Readers Respond To Feral Cats

AS I EXPECTED, last week's article on free-roaming cats triggered lots of letters. All but two supported my position that pet cats belong indoors. Here are just a few excerpts:

• * Penny Miller, Director, Good Zoo, Wheeling, WV-- "On behalf of the birds, and on behalf of all of us who have to develop the funding, resources, veterinary expertise, and huge time commitment to rehab birds and other critters hurt by cats ... thank you, thank you, thank you! And on behalf of cats, threatened by the feral feline reservoirs of feline infectious peritonitis, leukemia, corona virus and a host of other diseases, thank you!"
• * Chris Rupert, 20 miles north of Pittsburgh-- "I commend you on your recent column concerning free-roaming cats. I take pride in the variety of birds that visit my feeders, but the feral cats in my area also know where my feeders are. Thanks for all of the great articles and keep them coming!"
• * Fannie Peczenik, Pittsburgh-- "My experience with companion cats for the past 40 years shows how much safer and better it is for cats to be exclusively indoors. They face none of the dangers you list, as well as two you omitted -- automobiles and garden herbicide/pesticides. And yes, they all have healthy, happy lives indoors. With a bit of ingenuity, anyone can find or make toys that fulfill the feline hunting needs, and a nice window sill provides plenty of sunshine, fresh air and safe bird watching."
• * Jean Minner, New Castle, PA-- "You did a great job on the cat article. I have had many cats in my lifetime and now have three indoor spayed and neutered and declawed cats. They don't suffer any problems from not being outside. I am tired of cats urinating on my porch and sitting under my bird feeders. My cats enjoy watching birds from our windows."
• * Lynne Soltis, Pittsburgh-- "If cat owners want their cats to have some fresh air and sunshine, they can put a harness on them, hook on a leash and walk them like a dog. That's what I do. We don't go far and on sunny days, he likes to just bask in the sunshine."
• * Juanita Riffe, Beckley, WV-- "You are absolutely correct in what you say about 'indoor cats.' I've had cats all my life [67 years]. I do not want the fleas and bugs coming into my home so my husband made a 'cat patio' for one of the windows. I put a pet pillow on the bottom and my 'baby' lies for hours by the window."
• * BetteAnn Axe, Youngstown, OH-- "Thank you for your column on 'free-roaming cats.' I am a cat lover and have four cats at the present time, and they never, under any circumstances, leave my home. This past Friday, a beautiful apricot-colored cat was dead in my neighbor's front yard, and it was probably hit by a car."
• * Bill Yockey, Linesville, PA-- "You have totally neglected an entire population of 'working cats' that actually contribute to the well being and good of their surroundings. Farm cats are essential in the control of vermin in the barn and around livestock. All of our barn cats are neutered and vaccinated; none are feral. Granted, we may be an exception, but the 'keep 'em inside' advice is just too simplistic."

Scott Shalaway
Cameron, WV

Bizarre Eagle Rescue At Red Rock

KNOXVILLE, IA--Recently I was kayaking on Red Rock Lake with friends Brian Lange and Scott Evans of Knoxville. It was an unusually mild, sunny, and beautiful day.

After we passed the Elk Rock Cliffs and as we were nearing the Elk Rock State Park ranger station, we spotted what seemed to be a Bald Eagle perched in a tree atop a low bluff. But as we drew closer, it did not flush. When we finally got to the shoreline beneath the bird, we realized in shock that it was hanging upside-down from a limb, dangling by one leg. Only the sudden movement of its head as it oriented to us showed us that it was alive.

We disembarked and walked closer to inspect this bizarre scene. It was too high up in the tree to see what was binding it to the limb, but our first suspicion was that it had become ensnared with a piece of fishing line. I had brought my cell phone with me and luckily I got a strong signal. I happened to have the printed phone number of the Red Rock office of the Army Corps of Engineers in my waterproof phone case, so I called it and reached a secretary. I told her the story and asked her to contact the DNR conservation officer. Given the location of the bird high in a tree branch hanging over a cliff, I did not know what we could possibly expect do except maybe perform a mercy killing with a rifle.

While I waited on site (walking downshore aways to keep from distressing the bird), Brian and Scott paddled the remaining quarter-mile to the Elk Rock ranger station. There they met Jason Sandholdt and four others from the Army Corps. Brian and Scott gave directions to the eagle's location and paddled back. We met Jason and the others in the woods a few minutes later, where they arrived via a horse trail. They came with a pair of guns, so they (like us) seemed to have anticipated that a mercy killing was probably needed.

We marched over to the tree and spent several minutes peering up at the bird through binoculars. There appeared to be no fishing line snaring the bird after all. Its front talon on one leg seemed to be inserted into a knothole on top of the limb and was now jammed in place with the bird's own hanging weight. The eagle must have landed on the top of the limb, inadvertently gripping it with one talon inside the knothole and then lost its balance, toppled off, and become trapped. Its leg was draped over the branch in what must have been an incredibly stressed and painful position.

Ideas involving ladders, ropes, hooks, and saws were discussed but quickly discarded due to impracticality and danger to rescuers (and to the eagle as well). Grim triage scenarios of amputating the stuck talon with a gunshot were being reluctantly considered (with the "best" outcome being a crippled bird living the rest of its life in a rehab facility) when the discussion turned toward nicking the knot holding the bird's talon with a well-placed gunshot. Maybe that would free the trapped talon?

A small tree was bent aside to give Jason a clear shot at the target branch high above. That knot looked awfully small to my naked eye. Jason took careful aim- POW!... the bird suddenly dropped from the branch and an instant later spread its huge wings and swooped out over the lake! As we all watched, amazed, the eagle flew swiftly down the bluffline and disappeared beyond a distant headland. None of us could quite believe our eyes.

Wow, now that's what I call sharpshooting!

After the eagle was gone, we celebrated our success, tempered with the knowledge that the bird's traumatized leg would challenge its survival, but we felt we had done the only and best thing possible by enabling its release from a certain death on the tree. Kudos especially to Jason Sandholdt for taking a nervy shot that saved the day!

John Pearson
Knoxville, IA

A Cat Call For Pet Owners

OUR WORLD faces many difficult ecological problems.

Pollutants foul the air and water, excessive use of chemicals poisons soils and the earth is warming at an alarming rate. These are all serious problems over which individuals seem to have little control. Of course, individuals banding together can work to solve these problems, but that's a story for another day.

There is one problem, however, a threat to many forms of native wildlife, that can be addressed one household at a time. I see it every day. Sometimes it stalks the edge of the woods. Sometimes it patrols rural roadsides. It even thrives in suburban neighborhoods.

That threat is a free-roaming cat. Free-roaming cats are no one's pets. They are at least one generation removed from domestication and they roam wild because someone has irresponsibly abandoned their ancestors. To survive, they prey on small birds, small mammals and even small reptiles and amphibians.

But what a toll these free-roaming cats take on small wildlife species, animals that would otherwise provide food for larger native predators such as hawks, owls, foxes, weasels and Bobcats.

Estimates vary, but a 1997 poll showed that only a third of the 90 million pet cats in the United States live exclusively indoors. And, according to the American Bird Conservancy (www.abcbirds.org), another 60 to 100 million cats roam freely and homelessly. So even by conservative estimates, that's 100 million cats roaming free, each killing at least one bird, mammal, frog or snake every week.

In one study in Wichita, KS, for example, 34 of 41 cats killed birds. And the cat that killed more animals than any other in the study had been declawed. In another study, six cats were presented a small live rat while eating their favorite food. All six cats stopped eating, killed the rat, then resumed the meal.

Ending this slaughter is simple--keep all cats indoors. Cats make great indoor pets and that's where they belong. Cat lovers counter that they only let their pets outside for a few hours each day, that they need fresh air, or that it's not natural for cats to be indoors. Hogwash!

Cats are domesticated animals. Indoors, they thrive. Outdoors, their life expectancy shortens considerably. Here's a partial list of the risks that even part-time outdoor cats face:

• Attack by dogs, other cats, raccoons, skunks and foxes that can result in serious puncture wounds, infections, rabies, distemper and other diseases.
• Death by coyotes, which find cats quite tasty.
• Cruel treatment by sadistic people; ask a local animal shelter worker how often her or she see cats that have been shot, stabbed, or set on fire.
• They might get lost.
• They might be stolen.
• They will pick up fleas, ticks, and other parasites, which can be passed on to family members.

The simple way to avoid these problems is to keep cats indoors. But what of those 60 million pet cats that spend at least some time outdoors?

The American Bird Conservancy, the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, the American Veterinary Medical Association, The Humane Association of The United States, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals all agree that outdoor cats are a social and ecological problem that needs to be addressed.

Solutions are available even for those who insist their cats must get fresh air. A caller to my Saturday afternoon radio show recently suggested enclosing the back porch in chicken wire and installing a pet door so a cat could move freely in and out of the house. Or consider a commercially available enclosure, such as those at www.cdpets.com, www.midnightpass.com or www.just4cats.com.

And then there are the countless millions of truly homeless, feral cats. But let's focus on getting all pet cats indoors; then we can address the free-roaming cat problem.

I've written about outdoor cats before and have always gotten indignant feedback from cat lovers. This time, save the paper. I love cats. My family's last cat was an affectionate cuddler that lived to be 17 years old. Keeping cats indoors is a no-brainer. It's what's best for cats, their owners, the neighbors and the environment. --Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Scott Shalaway
Author
Cameron, WV