Black-Capped and Carolina Chickadee

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Black Capped and Carolina Chickadee

Basics: These two birds are extremely similar in looks, but across most of eastern North America, chickadee identification is simple. Carolina Chickadee occurs in the south and Black-capped in the north. The black capped tends to have a brighter and more contrasting overall appearance. The Black-capped Chickadee is the chickadee you will most likely see here.

Housing: Consider putting up a nest box to attract a breeding pair. A wren house will work for chickadees. Place the house from 8 to 10 feet high into a wooded area well before breeding season. Attach a guard to keep predators from raiding eggs and young. Black-capped Chickadees are especially attracted to a box when it is filled with sawdust or wood shavings. They also prefer an unobstructed path to the entrance hole, without branches and leaves in the way.

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Food: Offer suet, peanuts, peanut butter, and black oil sunflower seeds.

How to Attract: Provide food, water, and shelter. Keep cats and other pets indoors. Provide suitable perches near feeders so Chickadees can flit away to a safe spot to eat each seed.

Facts: Individual birds CAN become tame enough to hand feed. Black capped Chickadees are monogamous birds.

Tip:  Plant trees and shrubs of different sizes in mixed clumps to provide better foraging areas.


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Tips for the Garden - February 2021

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February is National Bird Feeding Month… this year the Audubon Society will continue making national awareness of the decline of birds in North America. This awareness of loss of nature began more than several years ago with bees, then butterflies, to pollinators and this year will focus on the loss of birds and their habitat. The next will be frogs. Our world is losing nature and it’s help for human survival at an alarming rate. I truly hope by now that these declines in nature have hit home with you and that you realize that now it is time to do something about it ourselves. You will hear much more about these environmental efforts throughout the year. 

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For winter care of birds one of the easiest things to provide is water. Providing shelter is another way to help. There is a shortage of nesting sites for cavity-nesting birds due to land development, and the use of pesticides. The use of birdhouses and nesting boxes has helped many species make a comeback. Landscaping that provides shelter can be a great help. Evergreen trees and shrubs provide a place out of the wind, snow, or rain. Birds gather in groups towards the inside and huddle together to create more warmth.

The final piece of the puzzle is providing food. Here in Missouri, winter is a difficult time for the bird species that have chosen to overwinter here. There is little to no vegetation, and most of the insects are dead or dormant. Most songbirds feed on insects and spiders during the spring and summer; however, the non-migratory species switch to fruit and seeds in the fall and winter. Black oil sunflower seeds are preferred by the largest number of bird species. Enjoy the birds this season with these simple tips.

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It is also time to think about starting any garden and flower seeds in the house that you may want to grow this year. Our last frost date is around May 1st, so back up the weeks on the calendar for seed starting so you know when the best time for starting seeds in the house would be (seed packets will note the timing for this). Ample light is very important for this task.

Another cold weather job is cleaning up any containers or planters that you have stored away. While doing this, make a list of the flower plants that you are going to need for these containers in the spring.


Until next month, 
Sandi Hillermann McDonald

 

Downy Woodpecker Favorites

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Bird of the Week 2/2/21 - Downy Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

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Basics: This bird can be identified by its white back, black nape, and black wings with white spotting. Another amusement on this species is its quick moves up and down the tree trunks. You’ll find Downy Woodpeckers in open woodlands, particularly among deciduous trees, and brushy or weedy edges. They’re also at home in orchards, city parks, backyards and vacant lots.

Housing: Naturally, these birds excavate nest holes in dead tree trunks that are 6-12 inches deep with an entrance hole around 1-1.5 inches wide. The cavity is wider at the bottom and packed with wood chips for nesting. You may be able to get Downy Woodpeckers to use a nest box. A bluebird house that will open from the top or on one side is a good choice. The only difference for the downy woodpeckers is that you need to pack the interior with wood chips, tamp them down firmly, and position the nest box on the edge of a wooded area.

Food: Downy Woodpeckers are the most likely woodpecker species to visit a backyard bird feeder. They prefer suet feeders, but are also fond of black oil sunflower seeds, millet, peanuts, and chunky peanut butter. Occasionally, Downy woodpeckers will drink from oriole and hummingbird feeders as well. You can get pretty close to these birds as they feed, due to their being quite brave. Add a suet feeder and suet to get a close up view of these beauties feeding near your home!

How to attract: Downy Woodpeckers are attracted to places where the foods mentioned above is abundant.

Fact: This is the smallest Woodpecker in North America.

Tip: Downy woodpeckers look very similar to hairy woodpeckers. However, remember that when distinguishing between the two, downy woodpeckers are smaller, with smaller bills.

Blue Jay Favorites

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Bird of the Week 1/26/21 - Blue Jay

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Basics: This bird is easily recognized by it’s perky crest and blue, white, and black plumage, as well as it’s noisy calls. The Blue Jay is a very aggressive bird at the feeders, because of its size and character. Even though some people do not like to attract Blue Jays, they are a beautiful addition to the winter backyard.

Housing: Open flat platform nesting is necessary, as in their natural habit they are attracted to flat spaces on tree branches.

Food: Offer a variety of food, to attract the maximum amount of Blue Jays to your area. Peanuts, black and striped sunflower seeds, elder berries, cherries, dogwood and acorns are Blue Jay favorites! Since the blue jay's bill is powerful and all purpose, it can handle peanuts either in the shell or out. Suet is also something that attracts jays.

How to attract: Install a bird bath, put out a variety of seeds, berries, and suet, as well as maintaining flat platform areas around your yard.

Fact: Dinnertime is all the time for birds. Birds have a high body temperature and a high rate of metabolism, and digest their food rapidly. Each day they have to eat a lot to store energy and body fat.

Tip: Use baffles or put up temporary covers to keep the feeders from becoming clogged with ice and snow.