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Showing posts with label Book of Note. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book of Note. Show all posts

Great New Children's Book: The Chickadee Spirit

The number of chickadees visiting your feeders varies. They tend to wander in winter, usually living within a mile-wide circle. After nesting is completed chickadee pairs form winter flocks which usually consist of six to eight members on average. They come together each winter in mainly the same area with mainly the same members. So, the chickadees using our feeders could be the same ones you’ve seen last year if only you could tell them apart.

Bill O. Smith, a former elementary school principal in Traverse City, Michigan came up with the idea for his first children’s book, Chickadees At Night, when he retired to care for his former mother-in-law and they would watch the birds, especially chickadees at the feeders.

Mr. Smith took the question “where do chickadees go at night?” and created a flight of fancy into the mysteries of the natural world.

Now his second book in the Chickadee Series, The Chickadee Spirit takes the reader into a curious winter community of hidden creatures and starry wonders not so far from the back door. The book draws children in with the rhyme and pictures and holds their interest as they participate in exploring the pages for hiding chickadees.

Both books are now available at the Wild Birds Unlimited - East Lansing store. Take a peek at the book: http://youtu.be/wlcFLk9M7kc

Related Articles:
- Best-selling hardcover book: Chickadees at Night http://goo.gl/kihc1t
- Where Do Birds Go At Night? http://goo.gl/bEl3h
- Not a Shy Bird: How the Black-capped Chickadee Communicates http://goo.gl/1rlnh
- Fun Fact Quiz on Chickadees http://goo.gl/0cI03
- Bird Guilds: How different birds band together to survive http://goo.gl/jAtN5
- How can birds survive this cold weather? http://goo.gl/4v2d4
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What do they mean by lifer birds?

What do people mean when they say they have spotted a lifer bird? ~ Lansing, Michigan

Some bird watchers compile a list of every bird they see. Common birds at the feeders make the list first. Eventually a list of all the bird species they see and identify with absolute certainty in their lifetime is compiled. And there may be some excitement when a rarer bird is added to someone’s personal list.

Some birdwatchers will also increase their life lists in competitions for the most birds spotted when they create a national list, state list, county list, or year list. Typically, the listis kept in a journal that notes the bird species, the date, location and any notes you want to add. Wild Birds Unlimited - East Lansing has a Birding Journal that helps you keep track of the birds you’ll see throughout the seasons. It also has tips, trivia and blank pages for notes and sketches.

If you are interested in creating your own life list, you can get a list of all the birds sighted in Michigan from the Michigan Audubon website or Wikipedia’s List of birds of Michigan.

Wikipedia also has a List of birds of Canada and the United States and the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) has a checklist of the 2,078 bird species known in North American.

Finally, for a list of the almost 10,000 bird species in the world go to http://www.birdlist.org/index.htmor check out the American Birding Association’s official list at http://www.aba.org/checklist/abachecklist.pdf.

Related Articles:
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Not a Shy Bird: How the Black-capped Chickadee Communicates

I have a Wild Birds Unlimited window feeder that my cats and I have been enjoying all winter. I especially like it when the Black-capped Chickadee stops by to tseet, tseet hello, pick out a seed that pleases him and zip away. At about a ½ ounce, these slight birds have no problem feeding with much bigger birds or asking me to refill the feeder.

Chickadees have a couple kinds of songs and lots of different calls. Songs are usually longer and used to attract mates or deter male rivals. Calls are usually shorter notes with a variety of meanings such as look out for the danger, hello, or foods here.

At the end of nesting season, young chickadees leave the territory they were hatched and join non-family flocks to forage for food together all winter. The flocks usually are equal in the numbers of males and females and pairs form.

In the Wild Bird Guides: Black-capped Chickadee, Susan Smith writes that the fascinating thing about the chick-a-deecall is that the dee notes of the chickadees that live together for a while meld to form a common dee for the group. Then chickadees can identify to which flock other chickadees belong. Studies also suggest that the proportion of each note type within a chick-a-deecall could encode information about what the caller is most likely to do next.

At the end of January chickadees begin to explore potential nest sites (bird houses) so that as soon as the flocks begin to break up for breeding, each pair can claim a territory within their home range. Flock ranges can be anywhere between 20-50 acres in size.

As chickadees dispute territory rights, the loud whistled fee-bee-beeyee songs become a familiar sound. You’ll hear male chickadees engage in prolonged fee-bees battles with their male neighbors.

Besides defending a territory a male must woo his mate by feeding her tasty treats. The female receives her gifts with a broken dees vocalization made exclusively by the females. The male continues to present the female with food while the nest is being built and during egg incubation. When the nestlings hatch, poppa bird is there with food for the babies too. With a little squawk call, he prompts the babies to open up. Squawk calls can be given by either parent to stimulate their babies mouth to gape for food.

If the parents feel threatened by the approach a predator near the nest, a chickadee can take a defensive stance and produce a loud hiss call along with a sudden forward and downward head movement that resembles a striking snake.

When babies leave the nest you may hear a begging dee call at your feeders that sounds a lot like “feed me! Feed me me!” The young chickadees continue to give the begging dees until their family flock breaks up and they disperse from their natal territory.

Listen to a sample of the sounds of the Black-Capped Chickadee: http://www.birdjam.com/birdsong.php?id=12
Source: Wild Bird Guides: Black-capped Chickadee available at Wild Birds Unlimited

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Best Illustrated Bird Identification Book

Sample page shows the revolutionary photo montage
used in The Crossley ID Guide by Richard Crossley.
The Crossley ID Guide is stunningly illustrated book available at the Wild Birds Unlimited -East Lansing, MI store that revolutionizes birding by providing the first real-life approach to identification. Richard Crossley is an internationally acclaimed birder and photographer whose love of the outdoors and interest in teaching resulted in the design of a new kind of bird book.

Whether you are a beginner or expert, Crossley’s bird identification book will improve your ability to name birds. Unlike other guides, which provide isolated individual photographs or illustrations, this is the first book to feature large, lifelike scenes for each species. Each scene is composed of 12-20 color images showing the bird in a wide range of situations--near and far, from different angles, in various plumages and behaviors, including flight, and in the habitat in which they live.

The Crossley ID Guide: Eastern Birds is a 544 paged book that all bird watchers will want for study and reference. Its large and detailed plates make it a great coffee table book or the best reference book when you see a new bird at the feeder.
 
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Hummingbirds in San Diego, California

I live in San Diego, CA and enjoy feeding/watching hummingbirds.  I assume most of the birds I see are Anna’s, but I thought I spotted a Black Chinned. My question is, do hummingbirds of different species nest, eat, etc. in the same location? Thanks, Steve

During nesting season hummingbirds never intentionally nest, eat, etc. in the same location but sometimes there is a slight overlap in territories. The average hummingbirds usually defend about a ¼ acre, but guarding the borders constantly can expend a lot of energy.

In order to conserve their strength, sometimes they narrow the defense down to a single feeder or flowering bush and allow other hummers to feed nearby. You might also witness air fights between hummingbirds or any birds that get in the way of their meal.

Hummingbirds can starve to death in a matter of hours, so they can be very protective of their food sources. You’ll see hummingbirds feeding actively during the day because they have a very fast metabolism. The nectar they consume at your feeder can be processed through their digestive system in as little as 20 minutes.

You may also be seeing an increase of hummingbirds at this time of year because the babies, which all look similar to females, are starting to visit feeders. From July to late fall, territorial claims can be overlooked, and competition at feeders increases greatly.

Migration is another reason to see different species. San Diego, CA has two hummingbird species year round, Anna's Hummingbirds and Costa'sHummingbirds and several kinds of hummingbirds that are migratory. According to the Calsbad, CA Facebook page: "The Black-Chinned Hummingbirds are  in San Diego all summer, however, they head south in September along with the other 3 hummingbirds that you only see at your feeders during migration time early to mid-September. These are: Allen's Hummingbirds, Calliope Hummingbirds and Rufous Hummingbirds."

Sources:
  1. Black-chinned Hummingbird photo from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Archilochus-alexandri-003.jpg 
  2. More about hummingbirds online: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/browse_tax.aspx?family=62 
  3. Amazing Hummingbirds by Stan Tekiela (available at Wild Birds Unlimited)
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Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk comes for a visit


I was told to send you these pics and video. I have been watching these 2 young - I think - red-tailed hawks for the last month - this morning the 2 were flying in and out of trees near our house when one took-off from a tree about 20 yards from the house and must have "miscalculated" his height and flew into an upstairs window and was temporarily stunned. I took these pics from inside about 2 ft. from the bird. Is this a young Red-Tailed hawk or a Cooper's? ~ Jim

It looks and sounds like a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk. I'm glad his first interaction with glass wasn't a fatal experience.
 
There is a new book out by Richard Crossley that we just brought in to the stores. It’s called The Crossley ID Guide. Next time you come in take a look. It is a different kind of book that features large photographs of birds compiled together in their common habitat. On the Red-tailed hawk page it shows the birds from juvenile to adult and regional variations. Each realistic scene on the page is supposed to help people train their brain to analyze and identify  birds seen in the field faster.  

Some characteristics of a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk:
  • Tail is dull brown with many thin tail bands
  • Moderately short, square tail
  • In flight tail is fan-shaped
  • Mottled white shoulder patches
  • Thick, dark streaks across belly
  • White chest
  • Bare yellow legs
  • Screaming call “Keeearrr”
I’ve been watching a couple young red-tails over by the East Lansing store too. They were calling and learning to ride the air currents. Sometimes they come to perch on our light posts outside the store. Magnificent! Thank you for sharing your photos and video. Do you want me to post it on our blog? (http://lansingwbu.blogspot.com/)
Sarah

Sarah - Thanks for your response. We've had Red-Tailed hawks around here in the past - so that was my conclusion about this one - last week I saw two juveniles - siblings I'm guessing "sharing" a squirrel. They fly around the woods around our house screeching at each other and probably "mom”! Feel free to post the pics and video on your site.

Thanks! I'm sure lots of people will enjoy a close up of this beautiful bird.
Sarah
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Attracting Bluebirds in the Winter

I live between Dayton and Cincinnati, OH and was blessed with attracting, for the first time, Eastern Bluebirds. They had 3 broods in 3 separate boxes in my yard this year. total of 12 babies. I didn't see them much the end of September, but now have had 8-10 of them show up in the mornings sitting on the fence next to my boxes. They go in and out and look at them, more of them appear to be male of the bunch. I went back and got dried mealworms for them to eat. I was hoping they would go ahead and migrate since the weather in my area can be harsh and I didn't really want to buy more mealworms.

Should I take the feeder down and stop giving them mealworms so they will move on? ~ Freda

Some Eastern Bluebirds migrate south in the winter and others can remain north. There is no fixed migration route for bluebirds. Like the American Robin they can overwinter anywhere as long as there is food, water, and shelter.

Photo by Freda
It’s natural for the bluebirds to disappear after they’ve fledged. Often parents take the young on what I call a family vacation to teach them about the world. It’s usually to a place that they feel is more secluded or safe and has an abundance of food.

The bluebirds then may return to their nest cavity briefly or remain throughout the winter. There is no way to force migration. Birds either migrate or don’t. If you don’t want to feed them, you don’t have to continue. However, if you can provide natural sources, you may enjoy a variety of exciting birds year round.

Bluebirds usually gather in the woods after their nesting season is done. There they forage for fruits, nuts, and berries from shrubs, trees, and vines. Some of those include dogwood, hawthorn, mountain ash, sumac, holly, bittersweet, pokeweed, grape, and honeysuckle fruits.

Once the bluebirds have joined their winter flocks they can forage for food together and wander about exploring possible roosting sites like your bluebird houses. Flocks can be as large as 100 but typically range from 5 to 20 birds.

Photo from Tom T. at WBU So. Yarmouth, Ma.
Bluebirds are also attracted to water. Because your area, like mid-Michigan, has freezing temperatures you can provide a heated birdbath for your birds. This isn’t like a hot tub. The bath just remains free of ice and open to the birds to get drinks or clean their feathers.

Feathers are critical for flight and insulation, birds must keep them well-maintained. A good part of a bird's day is spent just cleaning and grooming its feathers by bathing, scratching, and preening. The feathers covering the body give the bird a water resistant, aerodynamic shape for efficient flight. The feathers also provide insulation by trapping body heat close to the skin.

The only time it may be hard for birds to find food in the winter is during ice storms. Freezing rains or heavy snows can cover their food and make it almost impossible to feed. Survival then may depend on you feeding mealworms, suets, chopped fruit, nuts, or berries.

I hope that helps. I'm glad you want to learn more about your birds. There are also a lot of good books about bluebirds. The one we sell the most at our Wild Birds Unlimited stores is The Complete Guide to Attracting Bluebirds by Donald and Lillian Stokes.

Thank you for the information-- very helpful. I really enjoy them and have learned so much this summer just about the mating actions and teaching the young ones. I will get this book. I frequent the Wild Birds Unlimited store in my area a lot now. Freda
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Do Birds Sip or Slurp?

Mourning Dove at the bird bath.Image via WikipediaIf you have a bird bath I’m sure you’ve noticed a lot more activity this month. (I can’t believe it’s still so hot!!!!) I was backyard birdwatching last night when a lone dove sat in the middle of the bath, and love them or hate them, Mourning Doves have presence. My dove was just sitting there with its eyes closed and his crop bulging visibly with the best Wild Birds Unlimited bird seed.

After he quietly digested for about 10 minutes, a beautiful yellow goldfinch slipped in and took a quick sip and flit off. Lots of little birds like shallow waters that they can dip their bill, then tip it up to let the drops fall down their throat. Most birds use this dip and sip technique to drink.

After the goldfinch left, the dove perked up a little and stuck its bill in the water for several seconds. Mourning Doves and Pigeons like to suck up their water using a muscular pumping mechanism in their throat that draws liquid up. He took a couple of long drinks before he decided to move along. .

Right next to the bath is our hummingbird feeder. Now the long bill of a hummingbird looks like it’s made for sucking up water like a straw, but they actually lap up sugar water (nectar). The hummingbirds' tongues have grooves on the sides that collect nectar, and when the bill constricts, the hummingbirds can swallow the nectar from flowers or feeders. You may not have noticed this at your feeder because, as with everything else about the hummingbird, that tongue is fast, moving in and out 13 times a second.

So take the time to watch your birdbath today and notice if your birds sip or slurp?

Source: Secret Lives Of Common Birds: Enjoying Bird Behavior Through The Seasons by Marie Read
Related Articles:
1. Working Together: Pigeons Take Turns at the Water Fountain

2. Birds Don't Sweat: The Importance of Birdbaths

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Squirrels Like to Work for Their Food

Many animals prefer working for their food, rather than getting it for free, defying standard economic theory.

I just finished a couple of fascinating books by Dan Ariely that explain some of the positive effects irrationality has on our lives based on several old and new psychological experiments.

The following is adapted from The Upside of Irrationaity: The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and at Home by Dan Ariely, HarperCollins (2010).

"Contrafreeloading," a term coined by the animal psychologist Glen Jensen, refers to the finding that many animals prefer to earn food rather than simply eating identical, but freely accessible, food found in a dish nearby.

To better understand the joy of working for food, Jensen first took adult male albino rats and tested their appetite for labor. Imagine that you are a rat participating in Jensen's study. After a few days of having a nice man in a white lab coat giving you lab crackers precisely at noon, you learn to expect food at noon every day, and your rat tummy begins rumbling right before the nice man shows up -- exactly the state Jensen wants you in.

Once your body is conditioned to eating crackers at noon, things suddenly change. Instead of feeding you at the time of your maximal hunger, you have to wait another hour, and at one o'clock, the man picks you up and puts you in a box with bar that you accidentally press, and immediately a pellet of food is released. Wonderful! You press the bar again. Oh joy! -- another pellet comes out. You press again and again, eating happily, but then the light goes off, and at the same time, the bar stops releasing food pellets. You soon learn that when the light is off, no matter how much you press the bar, you don't get any food.

Just then the man in the lab coat opens the top of the cage and places a tin cup in a corner of the cage. You don't pay attention to the cup; you just want the bar to start producing food again. You press and press, but nothing happens. As long as the light is off, pressing the bar does you no good. You wander around the cage, cursing under your rat breath, and go over to the tin cup. "Oh my! It's full of pellets! Free food!" You begin chomping away, and then suddenly the light comes on again. Now you realize that you have two possible food sources. You can keep on eating the free food from the tin cup, or you can go back to the bar and press it for food pellets. If you were this rat, what would you do?

Assuming you were like all but one of the two hundred rats in Jensen's study, you would decide not to feast entirely from the tin cup. Sooner or later you would return to the bar and press it for food.

Jensen discovered that many animals- including fish, birds, gerbils, rats, mice, monkeys and chimpanzees-tend to prefer a longer, more indirect route to food than a shorter, more direct one. That is, as long as the animal doesn't have to work too hard, he'll frequently prefer to earn his food. In fact, among all the animals tested so far the only species that prefers the lazy route is the commendably rational cat.

The general idea of contrafreeloading contradicts the simple economic view that organisms will always choose to maximize their reward while minimizing their effort.
Watch the video: http://youtu.be/nWU0bfo-bSY
For more information:
3. NPR interview of behavioral economist Dan Ariely about his new book, The Upside of Irrationality.
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Hey Baby, Baby: Red Admiral Butterfly Finds a Girlfriend

Hey, I was just in your store and bought that beautiful red ceramic birdbath. Before I had a chance to fill it up this wonderful butterfly descended. Now I'm wondering if I should just leave the bath empty? What do you think? Do you know what you call these butterflies? Thanks, Connie

It looks like you have attracted a Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta). You can tell by the distinctive reddish orange forewing band. Red Admirals are named after the red chevrons on a naval uniform.

They are a seasonal colonist in Michigan. The population fluctuates considerably from year to year. This appears to be a good year. I've had lots of customers asking question about them.

Mature Red Admirals tend to feed on fermenting fruits, sap from trees and flower nectar. If you want to make your birdbath into a butterfly feeder you can soak a sponge in hummingbird nectar and place it in the bath.

Red Admirals are considered to be people-friendly butterflies that will approach and perch on human beings. But I think it would be alright to shoo the butterfly to another perch and fill the bird bath with water.

Source: Butterflies of Michigan by Jaret C. Daniels
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You'll Never See, Until You Look.


Why is that elephant sitting on a nest? As far as I know, elephants are not known to be tree climbers so I'm guessing it's a photoshopped image. I don't have any information about the source of this image but I thought it was cute and it reminded me of one of my favorite books Horton Hatches the Egg.
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I have a view of the parking lot at the Wild Birds Unlimited store in East Lansing. And besides watching the birds and squirrels, I watch people trudge back and forth to their cars. I say "trudge" because they seem to walk mainly with their head down looking at their feet. When I watch some of the regular employees at the other stores in our complex plod in to work I feel like running outside and telling them to look up or around. The natural world is a beautiful place full of miracles and you never know when you might see an elephant in a tree.
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Enjoy the day!
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