Just For The Birds BlogPast and current articles by Kathy Coward of Just for the Birds in Old Town Spring
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In July we think of the fourth of July and the symbol of our country, the bald eagle. We think of strength, dignity and freedom when we see the eagle. The eagle is honored by American Indians and the Pueblo people believed that eagles were related to the Sun because they were able to soar high into the sky and disappear from sight. The dignified image of the bald eagle comes partly from its coloration-a pure white head and tail contrasted with a dark brown body.
If the bald eagle has feathers on its head, then why is it called bald? The name comes from an Old English word, "balde," which means "white." It was natural to call this pure white-headed bird the bald eagle. Their large size and fierce look in their eyes give eagles the appearance of strength.. The bald eagle has a wingspan of seven to eight feet. Eagles are "birds of prey," which means they eat meat. Fish is the favorite food of eagles. They eat many animals besides fish, including geese, ducks, rabbits, turtles and other animals. They also eat carrion- the decaying flesh of dead animals and this is especially important in winter when other foods are usually not easily found. Eagles lay one to three eggs in early spring in a very large nest which they make of sticks. Most nests are as big as your bed. Eagles that survive the difficult first years of life can live to be forty years old. Bald eagles are found only in North America. Recently the bald eagle was removed from it's classification as an endangered species. This was a wonderful success for conservation. We still do have a federal law, the Bald Eagle Protecion Act, to protect this beautiful and important symbol of our country.
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One of my favorite reference books is the Bird Gardening Book by Donald and Lillian Stokes. It gives a great overview on easy ways to help out the wildbirds while you get the enjoyment of watching them. In the book they mention the four needs of birds...1. Food..2.Water..3.Nesting Sites..4.Shelter.
Food... food for birds includes seeds, fruits, leaves, flowers, nectar, buds, insects, earthworms, and more. The easy one for us to provide is seed but there are many plants, shrubs, flowers and trees that we can plant to provide food for birds. Water...Birds need water for drinking and bathing. Birdbaths or pools should be shallow and having several will give the birds choices. They do not need to be elaborate, just a shallow dish placed on a stump and some rocks or bricks does the job. Birds love the sound of dripping water and are really attracted to it. A fountain is great but even a plastic bottle with a small hole placed in a tree over a birdbath does the trick. Nesting Sites...Birds need a place to build a nest and raise young. Some birds will use a birdhouse but many such as cardinals, blue jays, and mockingbirds will only use shrubs or trees to nest in. Shelter... Birds need shelter from the elements and from predators. Dense shrubs or trees will help and with our summer heat a place to get out of the sun is a must for our birds. Enjoy this summer , think cool and help out the birds and you will receive alot of joy. One of the birds I see most often in front of my shop and in my backyard is the Chickadee. It seems so small but bright and cheery in it's black and white colors and it's spritely movements. They make me happy every time I see them . Many times they are with a titmouse , the little small grey and white bird with the crest on top of it's head . As they are with each other so often I call them cousins.
Here in our area we have the Carolina Chickadee. The habitat for this bird is woods, farmland and suburbs. The Carolina Chickadee is about 4 3/4" long. It has a black cap and bib with a white cheek. The feathers on the shoulder are all grey and the lower edge of the bib is clean cut. You can see them up in the tree branches searching for insects, seeds and berries. They come to feeders and like sunflower seeds best. They nest in a natural cavity or excavate in rotted wood but will also use a birdhouse provided for them. Mosses or wood chips make up their nest material and they lay up to six eggs which are white and reddish speckled. In winter time they form flocks but in the spring they disperse into breeding pairs. The males sing and each pair defends its territory. They sing four notes with the 1st and 3rd much higher than the others. As Mr. Roger's use to say "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood" and if you see a little chickadee your spirits will be lifted and a little smile may come to your face. One of the most colorful birds we have all year round in our area is the Blue Jay. Both the male and female look alike. They are about 12" long and have a crested top head. Both have a black collar and neclace with wings and tail spotted with white and are blue above and grayish white below.
They eat acorns and other nuts, fruit, insects and come to bird feeders for sunflower seed and cracked corn. They are fiercely protective of their own nests which they place in bushes or trees. They have about 4 to 5 eggs that are greenish blue spotted with brown. One reason they are not the favorite bird of many people is that they will eat other birds eggs and nestlings. In the fall they form large flocks and in spring they form courtship flocks. These courtship flocks are believed to be composed of 1 female and a number of males and the female is always in the lead as the birds take flight. Blue Jays are one of the few birds that will mob and dive at hawks. Enjoy all our birds and take an extra look next time at our Blue Jays. Spring is the time of year (March in the Houston Area) when you should put your bird houses out to attract the birds and help them out. There are four basic nest locations. Some birds nest in cavities, such as tree holes, bird houses, or the nooks of buildings , some nest in branches of shrubs or trees, some nest on the ground and a few under the ground.
The cavity nesters use tree holes and will at times use a birdhouse. Common examples of cavity nesters are woodpeckers and chickadees. Many other birds build their nests in the open in branches or shrubs or trees. These nests are generally cup shaped and open to the sky. These birds are referred to as open-cup nesters. Examples of these are goldfinches, robins, mockingbirds, and cardinals. Most of the remaining birds build their nests on the ground, either by contructing an open cup or by scraping just a shallow depression in the soil. Common ground nesters are towhees, killdeers, pheasants and many sparrows. A few birds build their nest underground. A common underground nester is the kingfisher. You can build a birdhouse or buy one but remember you need the right dimemsions for different species of birds . The size of the hole and height above the floor are important as well as the floor dimensions and the total height of the box. Bird houses need proper ventilation, drainage and a overhang is desirable for the roof to protect from sun and rain. Perches are not needed and it does help to have a way to clean the box. If your bird house does not open for cleaning I have found that a bent coat hanger used through the hole will work well to clean out the old nest. Insides of bird houses should never be painted. This time of year is also the time of year to put up your Purple Martin houses. These are communal birds so a house of eight to twelve nests is most common. You need an open area so the birds can swoop in and out, at least 25 ft. away from trees or houses. The houses should be 12 to 15 ft high and the holes should be 2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter. The houses can be made of aluminum, wood or plastic. The birds don't care of which material but you should be able to get the house up and down easily for cleaning or monitoring. Enjoy Spring and our wonderful birds. Any time of year is a great time to attract birds to your yard with just a little effort. To have a bird - friendly habitat all you need is food, water and cover. Black-oil sunflower is a favorite of seed-eating birds. Many birds eat suet but be sure to use the year round suet for our area as it is less likely to melt (and I have to say in the middle of our hot summer I do not have suet out.)Year round suet contains animal fat but more dough so that it can be fed in hot weather and to this many things can be added such as seed ,berries, nuts and even hot pepper which the birds like but keep the pesky squirrels aways from the suet. Suet is put out in a little cage hanging on tree, fence, etc.
Birds need water year 'round for bathing and drinking. The sound of dripping or splashing water is irresistible and will draw species of birds that may not visit feeders. Blue Jays and Starlings seem to be the most frequent bathers at my bird bath. The Blue Jays are especially fun as the bathe 3 or 4 times and really seem to enjoy it. Many birds bathe in water only about 1/2 inch deep. If your bird bath is much deeper place a few thin flat rocks around the edge and submerge them at varying depths. This gives the birds choices. Be sure to clean your birdbath as it can get quite dirty with dropping, feathers and the algae that grows rapidly in our hot weather. You can use a little bleach to clean it out well but be sure to rinse very well . There is also a bird bath protector available, just a capfull in a clean bird bath will really help to keep the algae down. Cover can be many things in your yard such as trees, shrubs, bushes and anything that offers protection from predators and the weather and increases the chances for birds to nest. Enjoy yourself, take time to smell the roses and see and hear our wonderful birds. |
AuthorKathy Coward, Owner Of Just For The Birds Shop Archives
August 2021
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