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Hummingbirds span the ecological gap between birds and bees

According to Birds of Michigan by Ted Black, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds span the ecological gap between birds and bees- they feed on sweet, energy-rich nectar that flowers provide and pollinate the flowers in the process.

Many avid gardeners and birders have long understood this interdependence and cultivate native, nectar-producing plants in their yards to attract these delightful birds. Even non-gardeners can attract hummingbirds by maintaining a clean sugar water feeder in a safe location.

Weighing about as much as a nickel, a hummingbird is capable of briefly achieving speeds of up to 62 miles per hour. It is also among the few birds that are able to fly vertically and in reverse. In a straight-ahead flight, hummingbirds beat their wings up to 80 times per second, and their hearts can beat up to 1200 times per minute!

Each year Ruby-throated Hummingbirds migrate across the Gulf of Mexico- an incredible, nonstop journey of more than 500 miles. In order to accomplish this, these little birds first double their body mass by fattening up on insects and nectar before departing in late October.

Source:
1. Birds of Michigan: by Ted Black
 
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Fewer hummingbirds this year

As summer heats up, young birds are all around us, some already making their own way in the world beyond their nests, others still learning from their parents the skills they’ll need to survive.

Several customers at Wild Birds Unlimited - East Lansing have inquired about a perceived lack of hummingbirds this season. This can be either good news or bad.

Last year we had an early spring, then a freeze and then a drought and the hummingbirds really found the feeders useful when the wild flowers were dying and the bugs just weren’t available in the heat. Then in 2013 we had a wet spring in mid-Michigan with lots of flowers and bugs available. Hopefully the hummingbirds in the areas where people are reporting lower numbers have just found lots of reliable natural resources and are not frequenting the feeders as much this year.

Hummingbirds need food, shelter and water to survive. Less visits may mean they are finding plenty of food available naturally. However, make sure you don’t use pesticides in your gardens. And remember to change your nectar solution of one part sugar to four parts water with no other additives at least once a week. Plant lots of native flowers to provide nectar and compost your old banana peels and apple cores to attract fruit flies for the hummingbirds to consume. Then keep an eye out for these jewels in your garden.

In July most of the female Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have finished nesting and adult males that have defended territories since early spring, leave their hard won territories and female, males and juveniles are all starting their pre-migratory wandering.

Counting the juvenile hummingbirds, numbers in our area should increase and continue to increase through August and September as birds from more northern breeding grounds make their way southward through our area. I usually see my last hummingbird mid-October and take down the feeder Halloween.

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Chipping Sparrows (The whole family)

Source: Chester A. Reed, The Bird Book, 1915.
I adore watching and listening to the Chipping Sparrows in the spring and summer. The smallest and friendliest of the sparrows, they are always busy, busy running around on the yard looking for weed seeds or bird seed under the feeders.

They arrive in mid-Michigan in May and leave early November to winter in Mexico, Central America or the southern United States. These bold little birds will perch high in a tree and sing to mark their territory. The loud, trilling songs of a chipping sparrow are one of the most common sounds of spring and easily identifiable. The song is often described as the sound of an electric sewing machine. To hear the chipping sparrow’s song, visit HERE.

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Baby birds at the feeders

Blue Jay just fledged from the nest
The best thing about feeding in the summer is watching the baby birds. Just as parents across the country will take their children on family adventures this summer, bird parents are leaving their nests to take their families out on vacation/survival training.

All this week I’ve been watching the jays. When the Blue Jay family first came to the feeders last week with their family in tow, their babies were about the size of an average apple. Little round blue fluffs of feathers followed their parents from feeder to feeder, snatching goodies from their parents’ mouths.

Big Blue Jay juvenile
Now these big, ten inch “babies” are still following their parents and giving the most pathetic cries for food, “but mom, just feed me, feed me, feed me,” flutter, flutter. No luck. They have to learn sometime and my feeders have some of the best Wild Birds Unlimited food in town. It’s irresistible and I’ve already caught some of the babies eating from the feeders between begging.

I’m also watching baby cardinals, woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, sparrows, starlings and more at the feeders trying to figure out what they were supposed to do with the food in front of them. This is the time of year when fledglings leave the nest and are taught how to forage for food by their parents. It's a fascinating interaction that is fun to observe.

The fledglings follow their parents and either wait quietly or call incessantly and flutter their wings until fed. After one to three weeks, the parents will stop feeding their fledglings and may even peck at them if they persist in begging for food.
Downy Woodpecker daddy feeding baby

You can make your backyard "bird family-friendly" by continuing to offer high-protein bird foods, such as WBU No-mess blend seed, Nyjer® (thistle), peanuts, suetand mealworms. These energy-packed foods will entice birds and their young back to your feeders so you can watch them up close. Make sure to keep all your feeders clean and also offer a water source to help them in the dog days of summer.

You can usually tell which baby bird belongs to which family based on the adult bird from which they are begging. Cardinals, one of the most sought after backyard birds in our area because they're so handsome, have some of the most ragtag looking children. Some customers are shocked by how dissimilar the babies look to the parents at first. The video below captured how even the ugliest baby is beautiful: http://youtu.be/H6h1ScdvkdU
Related Articles:
- Baby bird ID http://sheabirdno1.blogspot.com/2012/06/baby-bird-id.html 
- After chickadee babies have fledged http://bit.ly/yAYbP4
- Baby Starlings are big, noisy, brown birds http://goo.gl/yHR2m
- How baby birds in a nest get their drinks http://goo.gl/q8dkv
- Feeding and Raising Bluebirds http://goo.gl/MKRPn
- How Do I Know If It's a Baby Hummingbird? http://bit.ly/IHzCSh
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Fuzzy green grass seed head looks like a caterpillar

Is there such a thing as a cute grass? The mature seed head of the Green Foxtail grass looks and feels like a fuzzy caterpillar or as the name suggests miniature green fox tails. If you happen to be in a park in July you might see clumps of this cute grass on the side of a sandy baseball field and be tempted to pet the grass.

In the United States, Green Foxtail is also known as bottle grass, green bottle grass, green bristle grass, pigeon grass, and wild millet. Lots of birds, deer, rabbits, squirrels and other animals enjoy eating the sweet grass.

Green Foxtail Setaria viridis was introduced originally from Europe, probably as a weed seed mixed in crop seed and in the ballast of ships. The genus name Setaria derives from the Latin seta, meaning "bristle." The species name viridismeans "green."
 
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Robins with white patches

I came across a robin with white patches and was hoping you could tell me if it has leucism or albinism; or neither.
Young robins 2-6 weeks old have brown backs, dark brown cheeks outlined in white and a white breast speckled with black splotches. As they grow older the speckles disappear and they grow to look more like their parents with an orange breast.

The earth coloring and camouflage markings disguise babies from predators. When American Robins first leave the nest at two weeks old, they can't fly. If they are scared or want to avoid detection, they squat in on the ground with their head up. And they blend right in with their environment.

Their parents feed them at first and teach them gradually how to hop, sleep on sheltered branches at night, forage for food, and learn how to fly. If you watch longer, you'll probably see an adult robin nearby supervising the situation.

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Goldfinches choose their mates in July

There is a lot of excitement among the goldfinches in July as breeding season begins!

Cornell's website http://www.allaboutbirds.org/ writes that "paired-up goldfinches make virtually identical flight calls; goldfinches may be able to distinguish members of various pairs by these calls."

The female chooses her mate based on his bright coloring, song, and impressive flight displays. During courtship, the birds will fly in circles, with the male warbling throughout the flight.

After a male has been chosen, nesting territories are selected. Males will flit from one perch to another and warble around the perimeter of his territory. They will also perform flight displays. Look for the males as they fly in an exaggerated version of their normal undulating butterfly flight. 
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