Becoming an amateur Ornithologist

For weeks I've been watching one of the three occupied birdhouses Fred built this spring and hung in the yard wondering what kind of birds are nesting in it. In house #1 (aka "The Tree House") the occupants are small, grey, have black beaks, longish tails, and shoe-button, black eyes. I searched Google images several times over but to no avail. Today I spotted one of the chicks for the first time and finally figured out what kind of birds they are!

See that little tuft on its head? That was the clue they are Tufted Titmice!

This is how I'd seen the parent birds for several weeks now. One is up on the branch to the left above the house as the other entered the nest box.

After sitting outside for quite some time with my camera on a tripod I finally got the most clear shots of the adult birds that I've been able to capture. While there are only a couple of images of Titmice on Google that resemble this bird, without its signature tuft coming off the top of its head, it was good enough to finally confirm their species.

What a cutie! Moments after I took this picture he or she leapt from the nest box and flew away following the parent that had just left and landed in a nearby bush.

In house #2 (aka "The Post House") the occupants are a pair of Tree Swallows. They are beautiful! One day several seemed to be competing for the same house. There was already one bird in the nest box while these two displayed outside.

I'm not sure if this is courting behavior but it seems like it could be. LOL. Actually, adult breeding age male and female Tree Swallows are identical in appearance. The one exception being second year females are more brown than blue. Which means the bird to the left is definitely a second year female while the two on the right could be males or after second year females. Confused? Here's where I learned the differences on the Tree Swallow Projects website.

This pair spent weeks building their nest bringing in one blade of grass at a time. Eventually I knew they were almost done when they began to show up with large white (most likely swan) feathers to line their nest with. I'm assuming the chicks have hatched but the house is so high up the post I'm not 100% certain.

And in house #3 (aka "Garden West") I do know this little House Wren's eggs hatched because yesterday I heard a cacophony of tiny "peeps" coming rom the house. I'd guess there are at least 5-6 chicks in the nest. And funny I would hear them before the Swallow chicks because the parent birds, most specifically the father Wren, often sits atop the garden posts and yells at me. LOL

He's a tiny little guy but so full of personality. I read the male House Wren will begin building up to a dozen nests then courts a female allowing her to choose the one she likes best. I'm definitely hoping to get pictures of the babies once they begin to peek out of the doorway.

Out of the five boxes Fred built three are occupied! It seems like that has to be a really good result! We'll move the other two and see if we get any new occupants if and when any of our neighborhood peeps decide to nest a second clutch of eggs this summer. In the meantime I'm learning so much more about the birds of Michigan, their courtship habits, how they nest, and what they eat and am loving every moment of it!

Edited to add: I can't stress enough to do your homework when building or purchasing birdhouses. Things I learned:

• Hole size matters: As little as 1/8" can deter some species from using your nest box

• Hole placement matters: Our holes are all at least 5" from the base of the house

• No perches: Birds do not like perches beneath the holes as they allow predatory birds to stand, reach in and eat their babies

• We used cedar but didn't know we should have turned the rough side inward on the front facing panel to allow the babies some traction when they're ready to climb out and fledge

• There is ventilation at the top and bottom of the house to allow heat and condensation to dissipate

• Make sure the roof or a sidewall opens so you can clean the box out between use

A pesticide-free, organic gardening idea

Living out in the countryside I would like to have chickens to eat bugs in the yard but don't want the responsibility of caring for them as I plan to travel around a bit this summer with The Glampette. I also don't want to ever use any pesticides that can harm the beneficial insects or tiny toads, frogs, and snakes that live in the yard. That got me to thinking the next best pest-control option is to attract more wild birds to protect the organic vegetable garden I'll soon be planting. Last year it suffered damage by caterpillars and grasshoppers in late summer. And soon the mosquitos will be back in full force. Hmmm. What to do? A birdhouse? A feeder? A birdbath?

Have I mentioned lately that Fred is pretty amazing? After discussing my pest-control ideas with him he went down to his workshop, took three cedar boards, and made 5 custom birdhouses. . . In one afternoon. Not only that, he also hung them around the yard. All in the same day! One side releases using a pin at the top and a single hinge on the underside (which has small holes drilled for ventilation) which will allow them to be cleaned between seasons by popping the wall open. We added some custom made pine shavings to entice our feathered friends into staying.

The weather has been gloomy and raining but that hasn't stopped the birds from coming out.

After inspecting the house on the post the same Bluebird took a peek at one of the other houses in a tree. I hope he comes back with a mate because Bluebirds eat lots of bugs!

While Fred researched building birdhouses (designs, dimensions, and materials) I Googled "birds that eat bugs" and "birdhouse entrance size" to learn the importance of the entrance hole sizes (different birds like different sizes and as little as an 1/8" can make them move in or move on), how high up the holes should be on the face of the house, to perch or not perch, and where and how to hang the houses.

No house in this picture but I happened to get a shot of a beautiful male Cardinal to share. They don't use houses for nesting preferring to build their own in shrubs and trees.

You can't see much of him but a Blue Jay also stopped to take a peek at a house this morning. They also build their own nests but I read you can build an 8"x8" platform and they'll build their own nest on top of it.

After the Eastern Bluebird stopped by a Black-capped Chickadee came to take a peek and try out the perch. I read some birds won't nest in a box with a perch because Blue Jays will come stand on the perch, reach inside the hole, and eat their babies!

My neighbor also warned that yellow jackets may move in so keep an eye out for them.

Spring is definitely in the air. Today I learned something about the birds, not the bees.

"Look!" I exclaimed to Fred, "Those Robins are fighting" as I took pictures of a pair that seemed to be battling in the yard. He took one look out the window and informed me they were mating. LOL.

So, we've had a few lookers but so far no takers. I'll keep you posted if any tenants move in. If not we'll try moving the boxes around a bit, as in space them further apart around the property, and most likely move some a bit higher.

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave any birdhouse tips you may want to share!

I found a frog!

Today I went out to my garden to check on how the pumpkins were coming along and chase grasshoppers out of the enclosure when I spotted a frog! I'm pretty sure it's a Pickerel Frog after consulting with Google and the Michigan DNR (Department of Natural Resources) website. It made me soooooooo happy! I'd seen him before outside the garden tucked under the framing but today there he was, just hanging out under the beet greens.

Seeds planted late, but not too late, on July 1st

By the way if you were to ask me "How does your garden grow?" I'd reply "Bonkers!" I'll do a post soon with pictures of veggies and things I've made with them but for today I took a break from my ArtPrize project to share this little guy with you.

Radish, beets, beans, parsley, and Hokaido pumpkin.

Do you see him? He's on the top edge of the side board in the center of the picture  under the beet greens. Can I tell you I'm over the moon happy with all of the beet greens I've been harvesting? I actually enjoy eating the greens more than the beets!

I ran in the house, grabbed my camera with its zoom and macro lens and raced back out to get these shots.

I didn't have to hurry. This little frog was perfectly happy to sit and pose, even for close ups. Another day, another frog. Michigan makes me smile so much :)

The toads and frogs are just one of the reasons why I am set on keeping an organic garden. Pesticides would definitely have an adverse effect on them and they're two of nature's best pest control methods if you're lucky enough to have them come live in your garden.

A gorgeous garter snake

Today I saw something special. A juvenile garter snake. Though it looks big in this photo it really wasn't. The diameter of its body at its thickest point was barely more than 1/4" wide. She just looks big in the photo because she remained so motionless trying to camouflage herself into the leaves I was able to get my iPhone just a couple of inches away from her to take this picture. I'm calling the snake a "her" because she was a beauty.

I've always loved snakes ever since I was a little kid. Seeing one out in the wild like this, whether in the woods or a garden, always gives me a bit of thrill. As I watched her I couldn't help but wonder why so many people are so afraid of snakes. To me they are living sculptures. Each overlapping scale, the patterns they create, and the coloration from vivid to muted are like canvases painted by nature.

If you see a garter snake please don't kill it. From insects to rodents they will catch and eat many of the pests you don't want in your yard. If you don't like them just turn and look the other way if you see one. They aren't lethally poisonous like a rattlesnake so there's no danger to you if you just leave them be :)

A reader's concerns: Safety comes first when photographing our backyard hummingbirds

This morning I awoke to a comment left on one of last year's humminbird posts that I wanted to share with you:

I truly appreciate Brandon's concerns and that he was worried enough that he left a comment. I created a very detailed response that I've decided to share as a new post because even though he's the only one who has written a message to me about his concerns, I'm certain he's not the only person who has had them.

---

Hi Brandon,

I do appreciate your concern. I too first worried that scent would prove to be stressful to a mother bird. After quite a bit of research I learned that that just isn't true. Mother birds will eagerly take back nests and baby birds that have been touched by humans because, with the exception of vultures, most birds do not have a highly developed sense of smell.

MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS
http://www.placeforwildbirds.org/myths.html#anchor1

Fact or Fiction?: Birds (and Other Critters) Abandon Their Young at the Slightest Human Touch
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=fact-or-fiction-birds-abandon-young-at-human-touch

What can birds smell? Sniffing out the facts
http://www.chron.com/life/article/What-can-birds-smell-Sniffing-out-the-facts-1611288.php

But I haven't just read it. Years ago I found a dove's nest on the ground and replaced it to the nook between a rain gutter and the side of the garage using wire to hold it in place so it wouldn't fall again. The doves used it again and again over the following years.

With nests 7' from the ground you can see the chicks even without a ladder.

The birds in my yard are used to my presence. Last year I observed long enough to know that the mother leaves the nest several times each hour to go find food to bring back to feed the babies so it's simply a matter of waiting for her to leave and knowing each time she does I have at least a fifteen minute window to take pictures of the babies until she comes back. When she does she's there for just seconds to feed them before taking off again.

The babies (for their part) tolerate all yard activity quite well. The lawn mower each week, our neighbor's gardner's leaf blower, and even my dog barking at things along the fence below their nest are no cause of alarm to them. Last year we had our house painted and it wasn't until the morning before the painters arrival that I noticed the babies had hatched. The painters used a lot of care not to damage or disturb the nest and the mother acclimated to their presence just fine. I think the birds know no harm will come to them from the people who appear in our yard or they wouldn't continue nesting here year after year.

As for myself losing my balance and damaging their nest here are two things I can tell you to try to reassure you:

1. Usually I'm at least 5-15 feet away from the nest but it seems like I'm closer because of the powerful telephoto lens.

2. Using a ladder when I do use my macro lens doesn't mean I'm teetering atop it. I'm only one to two steps up on our six foot ladder because the birds build their nests surprisingly close to the ground. This means I can use the remaining steps to lean against, bracing myself and creating far more stability than what would be possible standing atop a chair. Our neighbors across the street have a bird that nests each year in their rose bushes. In these instances falling from a precarious height while taking pictures isn't something one has to worry about when photographing Anna's Hummingbirds.

I hope this reassures you at least a bit that the birds are perfectly safe from human harm.

(End of response)

As an example, here's the close up I posted yesterday before and after cropping. The ladder was set up 4 feet from the nest, the mother nowhere in sight.

Here's another original photo beside the cropped close-up I used in yesterday's post. It illustrates I wasn't hovering above the babies when I got the close-up of their green back feathers.

Had I somehow managed to fall from the single foot I was elevated above ground level the only injury would have been most likely to my camera. The babies were safe from harm.

Another set or hummingbird babies in my backyard

A few weeks ago I went in the backyard to see if the Anna's Hummingbirds were back nesting. CLICK HERE to view the reverse chronology of last years chicks from day 29 to day 1.

This year I'd noticed a new nest but it was beneath a canopy of leaves that completely obscured it from view. Or so I thought. I guess with the weight of the babies and shifting of the branches things had changed and today I was able to see them right out in the open in the same tree I photographed last year's nest in.

Based on the beak length and feather development I'd guess this pair of chicks to be around 17 days old.

There are those tiny eyelash feathers that haven't broken through their casings yet and their beaks are elongating into the long thin beaks like the adults.

Their back feathers are already a shiny, iridescent green.

And they're just as cute as and precious as Itty and Bitty were last year.

Sleep babies, sleep. I'll start checking in on you tomorrow.

Last year the babies fledged on day 21 so we may see them for just a few more days.

Last year I first spotted the mom sitting on her eggs in July, so that means we may have a second clutch later this summer. Hopefully I can even get a photo of the eggs when the mom leaves to feed, something I wasn't able to do last year.

Creepy Cool: I found a snake's skin. Or did I?

So the other day I was doing more gardening. We have statice growing in our yard that is completely over grown. So I decided to thin out the dead leaves by stripping them from the stalk in the hopes it would encourage new growth. I was well into the task when I discovered this:

I thought to myself: "Ooooh a snake skin!"

Then I saw a second piece that went with the first. Later, I found one more piece that was more deteriorated than the first set.

I quickly realized that snakes must love the tightly packed leaves of the statice because the dead leaves and stalks dry hard allowing them to slide between them which helps them to literally crawl out of their skin.

I brought the skin inside to photograph ot because I thought it was beautiful and kind of creepy cool.

Which is when I noticed the snake had toes. Say what?

Toes!

Ah! It wasn't a snake skin, it was a lizard skin! LOL. That made sense too as we have Alligator Lizards all over San Jose and I've spotted them many times even in our backyard. I may have even met the lizard who left this skin as I  once found a huge lizard just lying on the back walk. I had to literally pick him up and move him under a shrub to keep Kitai from finding him. And probably eating him.

The moment I looked for more evidence that this was a lizard, not a snake, I found small humps that belonged to the lizard's hind legs.

The tail, could have been either. This must be the hardest part for the lizard to shed. It's tightly compacted and pulled inside out like when you take off your socks.

Now that I realize the lizards use those dead leaves I've decided to leave the rest. I think I'll get some nice rocks to pile up beside them in a grotto sort of manner to give them places to rest and plant some lower greenery in front of them. Maybe succulents. Succulents would be good there because it doesn't get a lot of water. It'll look great. I'll post about it when I get around to actually doing it.

My hat laid an egg!

I'd noticed my straw gardening hat wasn't on our patio table but I didn't bother really looking for it until I was going to spend an entire day out in the yard trimming back branches before the house painters arrived. I looked in the house but it wasn't there. Finally I noticed it had blown off the table and landed on one of the patio chairs.

When I picked it up I was shocked to see a small, blush colored egg sitting on the chair.

Just like that!

It only took me moments to realize that I must have left my hat on the table upside down and a Mourning Dove, notorious for being poor nest builders and very opportunistic layers, must have sat in my hat and laid her egg. Then the wind blew the hat over and the egg and hat fell onto the padded chair, protecting the egg from damage.

The sad thing is the nights have been pretty chilly and the egg must have been without its mother's warmth for days so if it was a viable egg, I was certain it wasn't any longer :(

See the second baby's face behind the first one?

But later that same day I discovered another dove had built a nest under the eave of our house and she had two babies that had hatched!

I'd have been happier about them if we weren't having our house painted this week. I even made a sign to remind our painters they were there. It has too much tape on it because I first taped it to the garbage can I put under the hummingbird nest when I thought I was hanging the hummingbird warning sign. LOL

So the house painter had to avoid power washing that section of the back of the house and will have to come back and finish that area after the babies have fledged.

Mama's back!

He's a really nice guy though. As soon as I told him there was a nest with babies he offered to work around them. 

Still on the lookout for baby hummingbirds. I'll keep you posted if they start peeking their heads out of their nest any time soon. ETA: They hatched!

An Itsy Bitsy Spider Altered My Dinner Plans

Warning: If you are afraid of spiders, skip this post because there are a few photos of a (super cool) spider that recently changed my dinner plans.

Hubby had decided to go out to eat somewhere I didn't feel like going so I decided to grill a Boca Vegan patty on our outdoor grill. We had buns, lettuce, tomato slices, chopped sweet onions, ketchup, mustard and mayo. Everything I would need to make a great burger.

So imagine my surprise when I headed out to the grill only to discover a spider had built its web along the grill lid and side tray area including on one of Kitai's dog toys I'd put on the tray area.

A Cross Orb Weaver is also known as an English Garden Spider

What to do, what to do. At first I thought I'd just break the web and send the spider scurrying. But then I took a closer look. It was a really pretty spider that had built a perfect web. *Sigh* I didn't have the heart to ruin all of its hard work.

It takes an orb spider roughly an hour to build a web which doesn't seem that long until you consider the average spider only lives 1-2 years. So that one hour becomes much more significant relative to spider hours. It's kind of like dog years but even shorter. I'd guess one spider hour is like 100 people hours.

If I were a math whiz I'd figure out the time equivalent between people hours and spider hours and the exact percentage of its life it takes a spider to build a single web. But I am not a math whiz.

ETA: Reader HiLLjO kindly did the math for me and says:

Each hour is two days to a spider!

I was a mathlete... :oP

Now I'm really glad I didn't break the web. Thanks for the math help HiLLjO!

It's scientific name is Araneus diadematus

So, when hubby got home the spider was sitting in its perfect web out on the grill waiting for dinner and I was inside the house frying mine in a pan.

At first he thought I was ridiculous but after going outside to look at the spider he thought it was pretty cool too so then (I think) he thought I was slightly less ridiculous but still ridiculous nonetheless.

I Cheated Death with a Little Help from a Friend

But don't forget, a spider once saved my life (literally) so I'll admit I probably go further out of my way to show them more consideration than the average BBQ'er or gardener.

Wouldn't you?