Are they Black-capped Chickadees or Carolina Chickadees or Both? Plus Pale Male, Another Snowstorm, And Bird Bath Cat Turns Out to Be Twins. What???

After checking out the latest refurbishments of the nest on 927 Fifth Avenue,   Pale Male surveys his domain.  Photograph courtesy of www.palemale.com

 

 

Yes, folks it must be February in Wisconsin because it is snowing.  Maybe we'll have a winter after all.  Perhaps Purple Finch is thinking the same thing.

As many of you have no doubt noticed House Sparrows appear to relish a good squabble.  This squabble has already begun over at the feeder but sparrow on the right doesn't appear to have the least compunction about joining the fray. Or as the O'Mealy side of my family used to say, "Is this a private fight or can anybody join in?"

And yes, the squirrels are still getting what they feel is their fair share of sunflowers even with the baffle on the feeder pole.  How?  They're squirrels.  How not?

  Hi Donna. I need help!

I have watched my feeder chickadees for years. I SWEAR I have both-- at least one black-capped (recently I have seen 2) AND two Carolinas. The one is much "stockier", has a bigger head, fluffier appearance I guess, just looks bigger and stouter with a bigger cap and bib. The other two are more streamlined, appear much smaller.  I have tried and tried to catch them on the feeders and they are NOT cooperative little things, and light tends to be bad when they are active. I've attached a few snaps from a cloudy but busy day at the feeders.  Am I nuts or do I have both? I some head shots from the back as well but they all seem to have black “stripe” on the nape. Am I being fooled by posture? Sexual dimorphism perhaps?  In my area they could be either or both.

Sally is in Kentucky and she's right.  During the winter Black-capped Chickadees can be seen with Carolina Chickadees in their territory.  In actuality as the two species have been known to interbreed they obviously have mixed somewhere during breeding season as well.

The bad news is  that the two species are virtually identical.  Black-caps size in at four and a half inches to five inches and Carolinas overlap Black-caps at the four and a half inch mark.  

Not much help there.

According to my ever handy Peterson's Field Guide, the only real visual difference is that you can see the white edges of the wing feathers more clearly on Black-caps than Carolinas.  More clearly compared to what? 

I dug around my photos.  Look up at the bird on the pot.  She is a Black-capped as where these were taken the species seldom if ever overlap.  See the whitish area on the wing? I believe that is what we are talking about.

Now look at this shot.  See the white edges?  Now don't think this is all that easy. Remember you can see them on the Carolina's too but they are more evident on the BCs as they sometimes appear to merge together to make a definite white streak.

How about on this one?  I know, I know, from the underside the whole feather looks pretty pale. But isn't the edge a little lighter?  Looks that way to me.  Could be power of suggestion.  Next!

Okay here we go.   In this photograph the edges of the wing feathers are close enough together and staggered just right to see the block of white that one is supposed to see in a Black-capped Chickadee.

Here are some of the snapshots that Sally sent in for our perusal.  Look carefully.  The Chickadees weren't being particularly cooperative and Sally had to shoot in low light.  Does the bird above look a half inch longer than the bird below?

Or not?

Sally asked that we compare the bird above and the bird below.  Unfortunately we can't see the possible white streaks on these particular birds wings.  But to my eye these two birds appear to be different in size.

Fascinating!  Sally could you perhaps try again when the light and the birds might be more cooperative and go for the wings so we can look at any possible difference in the wing feather tips? 

 There is a none visual way to tell these  two species apart.  Their vocalizations are different but, sigh, you'd likely have to know the song and whistle of one well to pick out a difference.The Carolina Chickadee call is higher pitched and faster. But ah ha!  The Black-capped's two syllable whistle, fee-bee-ee is replaced by a four syllable whistle fee-bee, fee-bay in the Carolina.  Start listening carefully Sally and let us know what you hear.

                

It was near zero, the snow was coming down and blowing around like crazy.  I was in the bedroom when a heard a rather quiet kitty yowl from the kitchen or outside the patio door.  It made me wonder if Pyewacket had gotten outside somehow (usually she runs the other way if you even open the door.) so I made my way into the kitchen, turned the back light on and WOW, Bird Bath Cat was upright leaning against the patio door.  With Pye directly behind the glass on the other side.  Were they making friends?  I went to grab the camera and when I got back BB Cat had gone into a more hunkered down position.  Hard to see but Pye is on the floor this side of the glass.  Decided to try the flash though with low expectations that the flash wouldn't just reflect.

Well you can see Pye and also note the heating register under Pye which is squirting hot air out and warming the glass making it attractive to the poor kitty in the cold.  The kitty, who we now can't see in photos with flash. So it's back to no flash.

There is a low cat vocalization, not sure from whom. Pye is still there- see her ear against the white wood?  Okay look at the cat outside.  Bird Bath Cat looks round.  I'd recognize those muscular cheeks anywhere.

 Interesting that Pye isn't chasing him from window to window, maybe she is succumbing to his charms  But wait.  Look to B B Cat's left.  Is that the shadow of his head or what?  Now B B Cat hasn't run away after looking at me which he usually does. It is really cold and I wonder if he'd like to come in the house?  I get a handful of cat chow, open the door slowly a crack saying kitty, kitty, dribbling kitty chow on the step by the door and WHOA!!!!!  That isn't one Bird Bath CAT.  It's TWO Bird Bath CATS!!!!  They are VERY very similar.  

One heads for the the corner of the house and the other runs under the picnic table and beyond.  It was fast.  Sometimes you have to decide to actually watch what is going on so you'll know rather than diddle with equipment and possibly miss it.  Pye looks up at me and meows with extreme grumpiness.  What?  Before you hated the cat(s) outside but  now if you can have a seraglio you're deciding that might be a good time?  

 No doubt the saga will continue...  

Head's up!  A possible lurking Red-tail may have replaced the Cooper's.     Earlier today there had been a feeding frenzy outback with 19 Mourning Doves , 14 Juncos, two pair of Chickadees, heaven knows how many sparrows, nuthatch, Downys,  and finches when they all flushed and the squirrels in the trees all looked over the house and began to scold like maniacs.  Squirrels could care less about Cooper's.   They don't eat squirrels, but a Red-tail is quite another story.  We'll see what tomorrow brings. 

Donegal Browne

Amaze Your Friends! Spout the Scientific Name.

Photo Karen Anne Kolling
Blue Jay, Cyanocitta cristata
A species with few problems in the self-esteem category.

Photo Karen Anne Kolling
Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis
Does this guy look grumpy or what?

Photo Karen Anne Kolling
Eastern Chipmunk, Tamias striatus
Just like Chewy, my resident Chipmunk, Karen says of hers, "He's been out there off and on for hours ."

Photo Karen Anne Kolling
House Sparrow, Passer domesticus
(This name has changed. When I first learned it, the scientific name was Passer domesticus domesticus.)
As to Mr. Cardinal, he's still looks pretty annoyed.


Photo Karen Anne Kolling
Black-capped Chickadee, Poecile atricapilla
Though tiny, or perhaps because of it, these fellows rarely look frightened. Rather, their tendency is to look alert and plucky.


Donegal Browne

KAREN'S HERON, SALLY'S KENTUCKY BIRDS, AND THE WI LOCAL REPORT

Photograph by Karen Anne Kolling

Karen, who lives near the water is attempting to protect the verge area from human modification by documenting the wildlife. She sent this photo in for a positive identification. Now I've not dealt with shore birds in decades, raptors having filled my life for the most part, but I ID this bird as an immature Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodius. Any nays from out there?



Photograph by Donna Browne

Dear Donna,

I am not a great birder but I do love them and every year I have several feeders outside on my deck, and I enjoy watching the activity there. I was thrilled to see a pair of orioles early this summer and went out and bought a feeder and stocked it up but never saw them again. I have seen a pair of scarlet tanagers (a first) and two male indigo buntings in the early summer, and one stayed around but I never saw mate or babies.

The usual suspects were here this summer: a pair of chickadees, a pair of titmice, 2 pair of cardinals, a bunch of house sparrows, 6-8 gold finches, a pair of hummers(and now I have a bunch of hummers that have air wars above my feeders); at least one pair of house finches; a new guy, a very lonely chipping sparrow who hung out with a pair of white throats who have come and gone all summer, and a Carolina wren who never seemed to have mate this year; I don't know what happened to her, they have nested every year and fed young in a box on a little tree outside the house, but I have never seen the babies fledge to my feeders or anywhere else. They stay very close to the spruce tree so perhaps I just never have seen them, and they do nest out of my regular view. Mr Wren-I love his song- stays around all year and occasionally comes near the feeder, more often he sits in the flower pot or chair back nearby and sings, but the female is not seen except in the spring of previous years.

The cardinals have had at least one clutch, a late one by the looks of the scraggly offspring that are still begging. The house finches had 2 babies with them at the feeder, but I have never seen baby chickadees or titmice although I have seen them making trips back and forth to the spots I think they are nesting in as if feeding young.

There are also a bunch of house sparrows and they had some young, too, I don't even try to keep track of them. My downy woodpeckers have not been around since winter, I miss them. I have a white breasted nuthatch and a brown creeper on occasion also.

This year and last year the birds had very late clutches, I assume 2nd clutches as I have no nests to observe but the begging scruffy fledglings are hard to miss in August-September. I thought that was really late for babies last year but I have them again this year, too. We had a very dry early summer last year; this year it was quite wet at that time but we have had a 3 week dry spell and are just now getting rain.

The Robins had 3 clutches last year but I have seen no activity this year; perhaps they moved their nest. I have a mature red shouldered hawk that feeds rarely at my ornamental pond (overgrown this year and has only frogs and lilies) which the deer also enjoy.

There has been a juvenile Cooper's on occasion out in the edge of the woods. It got something gray with flashes of white earlier this spring, and I hoped it was NOT one of my chickadees!. I see a juvenile every year but never the adult coop, so I do not know if they are nesting nearby or not. Mama deer showed up with two brand new tiny spotted fawns about 3 weeks ago, also late I think, but I have seen other moms, all with two babies with spots, along the highway in the past few weeks so it isn't just at my house! I have not seen any baby squirrels this year.

Don't know if that is of interest or not. I haven't noticed much change except the wren and the robins. The late clutches are what I find odd the past two years. I just am not used to seeing begging babies in September for goodness sake!

Sally Seyal, Prospect, KY (wooded suburb outside of Louisville)

Sally,

I often see the juvenile Cooper's Hawks that predate the feeders but the adults are a different story. They have learned far more stealth and I rarely see an adult unless I come round a corner and they and I surprise one another over the wood pile for instance or the Crows and squirrels spot the hawk and their mobbing brings it to my attention.

I too see Orioles, both Orchards and Baltimores for a few days in early summer, and then they disappear. They prefer a more woodsy environment, than mine, though I have numerous mature trees, as do the neighbors, but evidently not enough. Or we don't present enough privacy for them, one never knows their individual criteria. I assume they are on their way through to woodlots and luscious local orchards. That may also be the case with yours, or perhaps they move into your near-by woods and stay there to protect the location of their nest. In that case you may yet coax them out in a hard year.

Young Black-capped Chickadees? They are so tiny and are supposed to stay hidden being fed by their parents while they learn to fly from the ground up. Though I always have one or two pairs that breed nearby, the young tend to go unseen.

In 2007, I heard from a neighbor that one Chickadee fledgling had taken refuge in her garage, cared for by her parents, and stayed until it looked like one of the adults. Therefore who would know that she had just been recently fledged.

In 2008, I found the Chickadee chick pictured above and featured in the blog, begging his brains out from the rhubarb patch. His parents were desperately attempting to lure her to a small sheltering evergreen across the park path. After numerous adventures, they eventually succeeded and I presume he survived as there are currently more Black-caps visiting the sunflower seed feeder now, than when the season started. They are tough to keep track of as they tend to be virtually identical, not to mention teeny. D.B.

I too have been seeing evidence of fewer and later young this season. For instance, last week a mixed flock of migrating birds blew in following the trailing edge of a storm.

Within the flock was a male Robin with juveniles, one of which he was still feeding. Obviously the youngster was not fully weaned yet (up right in photo) but also obviously as of the sighting he was keeping up with the other migrants, at least so far. Fascinating.

In 2006 the local Robin's nest had a perfect season: 3 clutches with 4 young each who fledged. In 2007, their success was also respectable. In 2008, there was Garage Boy, (see Wednesday, June 11, 2008 http://palemaleirregulars.blogspot.com/search?q=Doorstep+Dove) but by late July as things became very dry, there wasn't a Robin to be seen in the area. They had moved on.

The Cardinals produced one male fledgling in the territory that I saw. Though in 2007, as a first year pair, they produced none successfully.

Doorstep Dove and Friend, the Mourning Dove pair who have been featured on the blog since they first bonded in 2006, raised 3 chicks to maturity that year. In 2007, by the end of the season, they and 5 well grown young could be observed. The family group could be seen gathered together every evening at sunset, sometimes for as long as an hour--grouped round the edge of the birdbath, taking in the last rays of the sun.

In June 2008, Doorstep and Friend had an unusual rare brood of three young though they weren't nearly as apparent as their young had been in previous seasons. Now Friend and Doorstep briefly appear at the bath come evening for a drink and then briskly depart. Though two or three other Doves visit the feeder with them during the day. The change of behavior may well be due to the lurking Cooper's Hawk that arrives in late afternoon. I don't have a true count of their success this season as they, like most of the breeding birds in the area have become far more wary of foraging in the open due to the hawk. I tentatively put their count at 3 surviving young.

Unfortunately there is a hunting season on Mourning Doves in Wisconsin which makes me quite heartsick. The report from the Wisconsin DEC for hunters, reports the Mourning Dove population is far lower coming into hunting season than it has been for the five previous seasons. I do so hope Friend and Doorstep will still be there when I return to Wisconsin.

The Chipping Sparrows who ordinarily produce a brood before being heavily predated by Cowbirds for the rest of the breeding season, missed their first clutch. One Cowbird chick was fostered and then they produced five chicks of their own in late August when the Cowbirds had already moved on.

(Interesting how nature deals with this sort of thing isn't it?)

The Wisconsin Turkey observers report that many first clutches were unsuccessful and some hens have second clutched, with the poults being currently only the size of Grouse as opposed to the almost mature sized young that would be usual for September.

As in Kentucky, the deer were still on the move in late Spring and young arrived much later than usual with a high incidence of twins.

The White-breasted Nuthatch has returned from breeding and is busy hatching sunflower seeds into the bark of the Maple trees in the backyard.

One of the winter WI birds, a Dark-eyed Junco, came by for one day, fed up and then continued on his way.

Photograph by Karen Anne Kolling

And the mammals?

Fluffy the Opossum, hasn't been caught under the feeder in the middle of the night all summer. I fully expect her/him to return to the feeder come cold weather.

Though "someone" is yet again eating the ripening tomatoes before I can. The still growing 8 inch watermelon that was on the vine disappeared a week and a half ago.

It occurred to me that I may have been unfairly blaming Fluffy for all these garden predations. Last week before by return to NYC, I flipped the back light on in the middle of the night looking for him and what should I see? A very fat raccoon bottom complete with lush tail heading rapidly out of the circle of light. A first! I turned off the light, whipped out the door, and heard raccoon claws scrambling on tree bark. I then took photographs, blindly in the dark of course, of all the trees in the direction of the sound. Bringing them up later with the adaptive lighting mode of the photo editor, brought no joy. That chubby bottomed mammal had eluded me.

Squirrels? The breeding female in the territory produced two broods this season. Of the initial litter on first appearance, the three young had very very sparse fur. Their skin was completely visible through their coats. It was unclear as to whether the issue was some kind of parasite that had infested the nest, a dietary deficiency or what? The afflicted squirrels would appear and lay flat on the picnic table in the sun for long periods. Unable to pin down the problem, beyond the usual fare from the feeding area, I began offering more nuts, and fruit. Eventually, for whatever reason, their fur slowly began to thicken and now their coats look normal, though their tails are still on the skimpy side.

The second litter of four appeared with normal fur and proceeded in maturation.

New this season is the appearance of the resident Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel, Pancake. And now and again, a new phenomena, one of the shrews periodically goes for something on the ground of the feeding area.

Chewy the Chipmunk is still in residence and another smaller Chipmunk has also appeared sporadically to feed. I did not see a sudden influx of a Chipmunk litter under the feeders but that doesn't mean there wasn't one. Litters have occurred before and the only reason I realized they had occurred was that two young did themselves in by youthful indiscretions. Chipmunks tend toward the solitary and are seldom seen together, at least in my feeding area. Though I did see a group coming out of the hedgerow to feed at Thresherman's Park.

Nature tends to take care of herself if allowed what has unfortunately become the luxury of being allowed to do so.

Donna Browne

Saturday Miscellany

I hadn't realized just how chunky Pancake the Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrels nose is. Here he is using an almost vacuuming seed technique in his quest to gain the extra weight for his winter hibernation. Most of Pancake or any other Ground Squirrels burrow isn't that far underground but his hibernation chamber is very deep. When the time comes he'll go down there, roll into a stiff little ball, reduce his metabolic rate severely, sleep the winter away, and slowly use up the calories he's vacuuming up today.

Also today, I caught him twice in the traditional ground squirrel/gopher/Prairie Dog stance. Which is on his haunches, body elongated, alert, and in one case just beside his burrow, so he can scurry in at his top 8MPH at any sign of trouble.

Speaking of his burrow---


Here's the entryway. It goes directly under the concrete patio. Also note that he's been helping himself to sunflowers from the garden and leaving the immature heads at his doorway as evidence.

Also in residence, was Toupee Goldfinch, looking a touch molty around the head and neck.

Chickadee too appeared and selected a sunflower seed.

He than eyeballed it, while holding it securely between both feet to shell and eat. Notice, that usually it's quite difficult to see a Chickadee's eyes other than a gleam as they blend so well with his cap. But today for whatever reason he has his eyes so wide open to scrutinize his seed that you can see the white of his eye at both corners.

While watching Chickadee I heard the familiar short staccato, same pitched whistle, of the White-breasted Nuthatch. He's not been around during breeding season but having that all wrapped up at this point he's back to cache sunflower seeds in the bark of the Maple trees as insurance against winter hunger

And within moments, there he was, looking like he'd never left , back in his rather startling position of looking like, even without the benefit of a bracing tail, gravity means nothing to him.

Has anyone had trouble with Japanese Beetles? Before I left for my most recent trip to New York City, I'd noticed a couple of Japanese Beetles but nothing to write home about. When I returned they'd nearly defoliated two trees, were getting to work on the hedge, and anything else they could get their mandibles into.

That was it. I went to the garden store to track down some Japanese Beetle traps. I'd not used them before and didn't know how well they worked but the use of pheromones and an oddly shaped plastic bag was certainly worth a try, particularly as I don't use poisons and the beetles are stripping the foliage off the trees at a mind boggling rate.

The deal is, scientists figured out the pheromone scent that attracts the beetles into mating mode and to the supposed position of the opposite beetle sex. At which time upon arrival they go down into the hourglass shaped bag and then find themselves unable to get out. Why they can't fly out, I'm not sure, but they can't.

I pounded a short pole into the yard, put together the trap, stuck the pheromone wafer on it, hung it by it's tie and went back into the house.



I looked back. Wait a second there seems to be an insect circling the bag already.

And in under three minutes there was an absolute swarm of them circling the bag, attempting entry, and acting like sex-crazed Japanese Beetles should.

The beetles have started compulating, which seems rather rude as they're outside the trap. Drat! I do wish they were doing it in the no-exit bag but time will tell on it's efficacy.. And here comes an interloper.

Or several for that matter. All to the good! And indeed it was, because within 45 minutes there were more than an inch of beetles within the trap. Whether they'll make a dent in the infestation remains to be seen but it can't hurt. And if two traps isn't enough, I can always get more.

Donegal Browne