Pigeons' perch

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Pigeons that you see hanging out under bridges and on statues are the feral descendants of domesticated Rock Pigeons introduced to North America by early settlers.

In their native land of southern Europe, North Africa, and into South Asia, the  Rock Pigeons nest along coastal cliff faces.

In their non-native land, pigeons have adapted to nesting under bridges and artificial cliff faces created by tall buildings with accessible overhangs and perching on giant sculptures that serve as substitutes for natural ledges.

Rock Pigeons are a large, highly variably colored dove also called the Domestic Pigeon, Homing Pigeon, or Rock Dove. 

Now the Rock Pigeon is a year-round resident across the United States, seen in the city area, in parks, and in some backyards. They are ground feeders and will feed from bird feeders if possible.

Parent birds feed the young regurgitated liquid known as crop-milk for the first few days of life just like the Mourning Dove. A group of pigeons has many collective nouns, including a "band", "dropping", "loft", "passel" and "school" of pigeons.

 

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Robin song in the urban jungle starts really early

The best part of spring for me is waking up to bird song. But you have to wonder why the American Robin and Northern Cardinal start singing at dawn. Are they just early birds or perhaps think this the best time to sing a solo?

A recent article by Mark Blazis pondered the advantages of the early bird. He and ornithologist Andrew Vitz theorized that many female songbirds lay their eggs in early morning and that a male sings at that time to reinforce the bond with the female, while simultaneously dissuading other males from jumping into the nest.

Research by biologist Mark W. Miller also found that in 1929 the first robin songs began about 45 minutes before sunrise, but 84 years later with our neighborhoods flooded in artificial light, robins tended to break their silence more than an hour earlier.

I was watching a robin furiously gathering mud and dried plant litter at the edge of the drainage ditch at the Wild Birds Unlimited - East Lansing store yesterday. Females build cup-shaped nests from long coarse grass, twigs, paper, and feathers woven together and then line the inner bowl with mud, smearing it with their chest and later adding fine grass or other soft material to cushion the eggs.

In Michigan, American Robins breed once or twice yearly. The breeding season extends from April through July. Blazis writes that sex and singing are inextricably connected and once a robin’s second clutch has hatched, romantic courtship will be replaced largely by parental duties. Then the early morning passionate birdsong will drop dramatically.

But don’t worry, just as the robins end their courtship the American Goldfinches begin theirs!

Sources:
Outdoors: Predawn bird songs fading soon by Mark Blazis http://ning.it/LT6Xvk

American robin song by Patterson Clark http://goo.gl/ERk2f

Related Articles:

• What is the Difference Between a Bird Call and a Bird Song? http://bit.ly/KU7A4A
• How Do Birds Sing? http://bit.ly/LZdwhj
• Why are the Robins Attracted to Water? http://bit.ly/qP9aTs
• Fledgling Robins Find Their Way http://bit.ly/pqrhSL
• Fun Facts About The American Robin http://bit.ly/n9CSni
• Bird of the Week: American Robin http://bit.ly/pnUKqk

Photo Share: Feeding baby robins

"Good parents give their children Roots and Wings." --Jonas Salk

Poppa shows off his brood of three proudly!

The customers at the East Lansing Wild Birds Unlimited store were treated to the view of Mr. and Mrs. Robin and their three babies today.

When American Robins first leave the nest they can't fly. They are nurtured in their nest until they are about 2 weeks old. Then their parents begin a 2 week basic training course to teach their offspring to hop, sleep on sheltered branches at night, forage for food, and learn how to fly.

Baby robins are very vulnerable before they can fly. To help ensure that the baby robins in your yard are safe, keep cats indoors and don't use unnecessary pesticides in the lawn and garden.

It's a big world out there and it’s amazing how quickly these young birds learn to be independent.

They were eating some peanuts but then I offered them mealworms

and momma and poppa couldn't grab enough!

Fat and happy

If you spot a baby bird in your yard, the best thing to do is probably just leave it alone. Call for help before you do anything.

For a list of licensed rehabilitators click HERE. 

Or visit the Michigan Department of Natural Resources at: http://www.michigandnr.com/dlr/

Or to search for a local wildlife rehabilitation group by zip code at: http://www.wildliferehabber.org/ 

Related Articles:

• Why Robins are Attracted to Water http://bit.ly/qP9aTs
• Bird of the Week: American Robin http://bit.ly/pnUKqk
• Fun Facts About The American Robin http://bit.ly/n9CSni
• Why robins are called Robin Redbreast and not orange breast http://goo.gl/OB4iT
• Bald Eagle is the National Symbol of the USA: What are some other Countries' National Birds http://bit.ly/Ljxnow

I have a lot of bird baths

As you may know I have a lot of feeders; some for the finches, some for the woodpeckers, a couple for the cardinals and other seed eating birds and even one for the squirrels. What you may not know is that I also have several bird baths.

We all need water and the migrant bird species that I've seen taking a break at my baths are amazing! Some of the birds we are seeing now are the ones that go way north to nest and then turn around to winter way south. These hemisphere-trotting birds are remarkable in so many ways and one of the easiest ways to attract them is with a bird bath.

Adequate fluid replacement is important for endurance athletes. So it makes sense that the first thing migrating birds look for is water.

I have several baths and a pond at my suburban home. Do you need that many water areas? All my baths are always active. Some are low to the ground, some are tall, some are shallow, and some are deeper. It’s fun to watch which bath different bird species will choose.

And I can’t wait for the babies to show up! Many of our local mid-Michigan birds are feeding young in the nest which will fledge over the upcoming days and weeks. If you’ve bird watched long enough, you’ve noticed that often the first place parent birds bring their babies is to the bath.

The bird watching has been very exciting recently and the yard is about to get even busier. Anyone interested in birds has not been disappointed this spring. I recommend having at least a couple baths in your yard for the birds and for your bird watching entertainment!

 
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• What kind of bird bath is the best? http://goo.gl/tXz65
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• Why do crows and blackbirds dip their food in bird baths? http://bit.ly/zgpw2i
• Do Birds Sip or Slurp? http://bit.ly/yAHTTV
• Don't Forget The Water: Tips to Maintain a Birdbath http://bit.ly/zjg6Iv

Plant some milkweed

Milkweeds attract a wide variety of pollinators like hummingbirds and are the sole food source of monarch butterfly larvae and their relatives. Where you once saw milkweed along roadsides and in farm fields here in Michigan, today manicured lawns, and the herbicides used to prepare fields crops has created a shortage of food for the Monarch caterpillars.

You can find several varieties sold at garden centers. Their flowers produce a strong and beautiful fragrance in the spring and fluffy seed pods in the fall that the goldfinches love to uses as nesting material.

Common Milkweed is a perennial native to Michigan and much of the eastern half of the U.S. and Canada. It prefers well-drained soils and full sunlight and is very easy to identify with its big broad meaty leaves and tall stem and tight starry flower clusters that look like exploding pink fireworks. It also bleeds a milky white sap wherever broken much like dandelions.

Monarch caterpillars like Milkweed because it contains a variety of chemical compounds that make them poisonous to potential predators. The adult monarch and monarch larvae are both brightly colored serving as a warning to potential predators that they are poisonous. Unsuspecting predators only need to taste a monarch butterfly or larva once to learn not to eat them again. Most animals quickly spit them out.

Female monarchs may lay only one egg per plant, which hatches into a caterpillar in about five days. Tiny little larva or caterpillars emerge and begin eating milkweed. Once fully grown the caterpillar forms a chrysalis and emerges as butterfly two weeks later.

Spring is a critical time for monarchs. Their numbers are at their lowest point at this time of year. The old generation is dying. A new generation must grow and survive. You can track their migration on the Monarch Butterfly Migration Map.

Resources:

Attracting Butterflies tip sheet

Milkweed Species Beneficial to the Monarch Butterfly

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- How Fast Does a Monarch Butterfly Fly? http://bit.ly/ywhpZr

- Did you know butterflies have ears on their wings? http://bit.ly/x04qEi

Tiny brushes to clean hummingbird feeders

Mold is very bad in hummingbird feeders. Remember to change the nectar in your feeder every 2-4 days, regardless of whether the nectar has been used. In hot, humid weather you might even have to change the nectar every other day.

I find the more often I change the nectar the easier it is to maintain the feeder. You won't be battling any black mold and you'll have a lot more hummingbirds and orioles.

To clean the hard to reach places you can use a pipe cleaner or we have special little brushes for cleaning feeders at Wild Birds Unlimited.

Now that we are in the hot and humid weather, you should soak the hummingbird feeder for about 5 minutes in a Scoot, active enzyme cleaner once a week. Or use a one part vinegar to nine parts water solution to clean the feeders. Then rinse your feeders thoroughly.

Also make sure your nectar solution is the proper proportion.

 

Nectar (sugar water) recipe

1/4 cup white granulated sugar

1 cup water

And don't forget to keep your regular bird feeders clean as well!

 

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It's Hummingbird time

Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds begin migrating into Michigan mid-April and by Mother’s day they have probably settled into their nesting territories.

If you haven’t put your feeder up, what are you waiting for? It’s not too late! Hummingbirds don’t need your feeder to survive, but they might appreciate a reliable source of food with this cold spring we’ve been experiencing. Also these incredible little birds are fascinating to watch and a hummingbird feeder can bring them up close.

Only about 50% of all hummers survive their first year. Cold weather takes a toll on all hummer species because their high-energy requirements don’t allow them to go without food for long.

When they aren’t at the feeder, hummingbirds find nectar from a variety of flowers as well as sap from trees. Throughout the day a hummer drinks more than half its body weight in nectar. But that pointy hummingbird bill isn’t only for sipping nectar; it’s also made for snatching bugs out of the air.

Hummingbirds eat a lot of insects and spiders. They are excellent hunters. Hummingbirds can catch insects in flight, or pluck them from leaves, or catch spiders from their webs. (Sometimes I suggest throwing old fruit or banana peels near your hummingbird feeders to attract fruit flys for the hummers.)

When a hummingbird goes for an insect, it rushes at it with its mouth wide open, and the lower half of its bill can bend downward, even though it has no joint. But they're so fast it takes a camera that films 500 frames a second to capture the move.
 
PBS’s Nature produced an interesting documentary that explains how these tiny birds survive. You can watch the full episode, Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air, online at: http://video.pbs.org/video/1380512531/

Blue black and white bird with a white wing spot

Customers have been reporting sightings of the Black-throated Blue Warbler at the suet feeders. A common migrant through mid-Michigan May through the beginning of June, these birds are a treat to see!

Males look dark black on top with a white wing spot and white belly. But when the sun hits, the feathers on his back turn a dark blue. The female which is olive brown and tan with a faint black eyebrow, looks very different in appearance from the male.

Black-throated Blue Warblers nest in northern Michigan. We see them in the spring and then they’ll pass through mid-Michigan again mid-August to late September.

The Black-throated Blue Warbler forages in low vegetation, sometimes catching insects in flight. They eat mainly beetles, caterpillars, butterflies and moths, flies, bugs, and spiders.

They build an interesting nest using cobwebs and spit to glue bark together and line it with soft moss, pine needles and animal hair. The nest is usually constructed in a shrub 3ft off the ground in large undisturbed deciduous and mixed-deciduous forests up north.

Listen for their slow, wheezy, rising song of I’m lay-zeeee throughout the day during migration.

Related Articles:

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- Do we stop feeding suet in the summer? http://goo.gl/KM80C

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- Warblers in Michigan http://goo.gl/WMMGs

Tips to help choose the best backyard binoculars

Need help in selecting a good pair of binoculars. Basically for back yard. Can you help?

Answer these questions to get a better handle on what you really need:

How much magnification do you need?
Making the image 8 or 10 times closer with binoculars is the most popular choice.

8x binoculars work well in all terrain and in a wide variety of situations because images tend to be brighter with wider fields of view. The large view makes it easier to follow fast moving birds in thick woodland environments, scan for animals from a distance, and to follow action in sporting events or at the theater.

10x binoculars give you more detail for viewing raptors, waterfowl, and large wildlife, and are preferred for observing at longer distances and in more open terrain. Keep in mind that you need a steady hand. It takes very little hand tremor to affect your view.

Do your binoculars need to be waterproof?
Most standard binoculars will stand up to light rain and humidity. But if bad weather is a possibility, then get a waterproof binocular.

Will you wear eyeglasses or sunglasses?
Constantly taking your glasses on and off is not only frustrating, but it will slow you down when tracking fast-moving birds. Twist up eye cups allow you to twist the eye cups up to give you the perfect eye relief when you aren’t wearing glasses and twist down the eye cups when you wear glasses.

Full Size Binoculars or Compact?
Compact binoculars (like Vortex Vanquish 8x26 binoculars) are small enough to fit in a pocket while you're at work in the yard. These small binoculars will be bright enough for daytime use and, if light gathering isn't an issue, are easier to travel with and take along for walks, concerts and football games.

Full-Size Binoculars (like Eagle Optics Denali 8x42 or 10x42 binoculars) will provide better image quality than compact binoculars. Full-size binoculars will gather enough light to show good color and definition from dawn to dusk.

Our most popular binocular is:
Eagle Optics Denali 8x42 Roof Prism Binocular

Field of View: 408 feet/1000 yards
Eye Relief: 18 mm
Close Focus: 7.0 feet
Weight: 21.9 ounces
Dimensions (HxW): 5.4 x 5.0 in.
Weatherproofing:Waterproof/Fog-proof

The Denali's crisp, contrasting views work hard when scanning across open fields. Phase correction enhances resolution, contrast, and overall sharpness. Fully multi-coated lenses provide maximum brightness and true colors.

Denali is waterproof and fog proof for durability you can count on in any weather. Waterproofing seals optics against water damage. Fog proofing prevents fogging of internal lenses. Ergonomic styling provides comfortable handling. Twist-up eyecups adjust for full-field viewing even with eyeglasses.

The Eagle Optics Denali 8x42 Roof Prism Binocular comes with:
Rainguard, tethered objective lens covers, neck strap, carry case, and an Eagle Optics Platinum Protection Unconditional Transferable Lifetime Warranty.

Photo Share: Cute Canada Warbler

The Canada Warbler is little yellow and gray warbler with a white eye ring and black speckled neck. These warblers come in to mid-Michigan at the end of May and look to nest in wet low-lying areas of a mixed woods.

Hikers might see them pop up occasionally from dense shrubs. Females build a loose cup nest on mossy stumps or upturned trees. By August most are done nesting and are already on their way back to their wintering grounds in South America.

Listen for the song of this bird, a loud chip chewy sweet dichetty and low chup's calls.

If anyone would like to share a photograph of nature send it to bloubird@gmail.com and I'll put it on the Friday Photo posts.  

Related Articles:

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- Do we stop feeding suet in the summer? http://goo.gl/KM80C

- Best field guide for Michigan birds http://bit.ly/vPOMx1

- Warblers in Michigan http://goo.gl/WMMGs

Some good reasons to feed suet in the spring

Spring is a time when a lot of birds fly thousands of miles to return to their Michigan nesting grounds. When they reach your yard they are exhausted and looking for a quick high protein meal to help them recover. Some cold days in May, I've seen different warblers, wrens and my regular woodpeckers stopping to fuel up on my suet feeder. Another good reason to always keep that feeder full!

To choose a suet that attracts the widest variety of birds, the first ingredient should always be rendered beef suet. Some people feed straight suet only. Straight beef suet will deter starlings and blackbirds at the suet feeder if they become overwhelming.  If you want to offer more protein and flavor the next ingredient should usually be peanuts or tree nuts.

Never, never buy suet where milo, oats, wheat, processed grain by-products or artificial flavorings are in the ingredients. These filler ingredients are used to make a cheaper cake but the birds have to pick around and pick out all this filler to reach a little suet.

All of the suets at the Wild Birds Unlimited - East Lansing, MI store are made with only the highest quality processed beef kidney fat. It is the most concentrated source of energy you can offer wild birds.

Our best seller is the peanut butter suet cake, which has only three ingredients: rendered beef fat, chopped peanuts and peanut butter. Again, no milo, no wheat, no corn, and no millet - no filler ingredients!

If you have a problem with squirrels or other wildlife eating your suet try our Hot Pepper Suet. It has rendered beef suet, ground peanuts and capsicum pepper. Capsicum contains capsaicin, a chemical that that doesn’t harm but can produce a strong burning sensation in the mouth of squirrels. Most mammals find this unpleasant, whereas birds are unaffected.

Related Articles:

- Attracting Michigan Songbirds http://goo.gl/Gmn0b

- Do we stop feeding suet in the summer? http://goo.gl/KM80C

- Best field guide for Michigan birds http://bit.ly/vPOMx1

- Warblers in Michigan http://goo.gl/WMMGs