It really does, I will need to stain the pole so it looks as good. We had Blue Jays today, we always have them in the winter but they disappear during the summer. Lots of LBB and a couple of Black Cap Chickadee. Need to pick up some suet cakes.
Mid-Atlantic Bird Watching - Fall 2013
Saw something today I didn't recognize.
I think it was a Blue Headed Vireo?
Could it have been? There are SO many birds that have similar olive drab coloring. This was smaller than a robin but bigger than a sparrow. So many of those olive drab colored birds are so tiny!
Anyway - it was jumping around on the back porch looking for bugs. I'll keep an eye out for it. The birds are also desperate to get at my black swallowtail chrysalises which are in netted containers. They will have to go into the closet on the back porch to keep them safe for spring.
Amanda--
I allowed so many Black Swallowtail Cats to feast on my 2 patches of parsley.
Over and over--they just appeared...and then, as cooler weather came,
they slowly disappeared. I am SO curious WHERE they went to pupate???
I had them in my raised bed backed by a 6' tall wood fence. No shrubs close-by.
How far will they crawl to get to an appropriate pupating site?
How did you get the chrysalises into containers?
Just musing here..but very interested...Gita
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/red-eyed_vireo/id
amanda? has a bluish grey cap
That might have been what was at my house the other day. I just couldn't place it.
Sally
we have a southeastern Audubon field guide that has different birds than the typical north American guides. The set of birds are the vireos and flycatchers where all these confusing olive drab birds overlap. This was bigger than a sparrow, maybe the size of a cardinal. Right up in my face on the back porch looking for bugs, same behavior as the Carolina wren. The Cornell guide shows that I would be in what is considered the winter/non-breeding territory for this species. So it fits, but I'll be on the lookout. Will also be rigging more weird feeders on the porch for bugeaters with mealworms and such. Cat food/kibble has been good for this crowd. I also like to put out old dried up grapes from the bottom of the crisper drawer. :D
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/blue-headed_vireo/id
Gitagal:
I garden for wildlife, including for butterflies, which means obviously planting nectar and larval host plants.
I collect the caterpillars and raise them in containers to protect them from predators. This has more to do with my fascination of the Monarch species and its dwindling numbers and threatened migration than the black swallowtail, but they are as likely to be eaten as any other bug in the garden.
Their chrysalis will be camouflaged per time of year and what it might be hanging from. The ones that Pupate in September/October usually over winter wherever they are. This is why I leave the dead plants standing till well Into spring because there could be anything just hanging out ready to wake up for spring.
They can travel a bit to find a spot. Can't remember numbers for that species, but their behavior is pretty well
Documented. This past spring I had five over winter and lost one. I now have sixteen chrysalis in four containers that will be stored on shelves in a closet on the back porch with louvered doors that let in air, light and humidity. It's fun. Another harbinger of spring. They start coming out in April/May.
When I took these photos--I counted 20 Caterpillars on this one parsley bunch.
Gita
I have a black swallowtail chrysalis now that pupated in early October. Here is a photo right after he shed his final skin. Right now he is hanging from his twig in a mason jar under the celosia in the backyard.
I am wondering where some good locations are to leave a chrysalis for overwintering?
I also garden a lot for wildlife, with special attention to plants that attract the pollinators e.g. as larval host plants or nectar sources. I also have several shrubs and vines that produce berries that birds are supposed to love.
This message was edited Oct 25, 2013 8:57 PM
Cat--
In the early years in my development, before when all the surrounding areas
were developed, and we still fields of wastelands--I used to go hunting for
Praying Mantis chrysalis(?) or nests??
They were all about 4' off the ground on some wasteland type weeds and growths.
I would cut the stems off that they were attached to and bring them to my garden
and attach them to some stems of things i had growing.
It was interesting watching the new Mantis babies emerge--they would hang from
each other in a chain.
Then i read that even at their young ages--they would devour each other....YUK!
Nature never ceases to amaze me... Gita
Here are a few pics from our Fl. and S.C. trip.
I like it !!! Think I will keep those for this winter , (about flying south , warmth , sunshine ) while it is cold here ..
My oh my ,,,
You might notice that I have a "thing" for brown pelicans. LOL
Thanks, A few more Brown pelican pics.
Brown pelicans! Have you spent time in the nesting grounds in Louisiana? It is pretty amazing.
1960'S I use to watch Florida Fisherman , feeding fish parts to them (Pelican) , while cleaning the fish at the boat dock.
Holly--
My favorite picture is #3 in the 1st set...It is SO elegant! Beautiful!!
I would crop off some of the water, keeping just enough around the
bird to accent it--and then--FRAME IT!
G.
They are fun to watch.. nice pics! Thanks for sharing.
About where to keep your chrysalis over winter?
If you're going to keep it best you can do is try to protect it somewhat from the elements and from predators. In a jar under the celosia a hard rain could be disastrous. Bring it up on the porch and allow air flow and exposure to temperature and humidity and filtered not direct light.
Although, the first year I tried to over winter one I had it on a twig stuck in a flowerpot. Something happened when I moved it ...I forgot all about it and when I remembered to look it was gone. It must have fallen to the ground in my closet on the back porch. Imagine my amazement when one April day I opened the closet door and a black swallowtail butterfly came walking out on the floor. :D
Moral of the story is ... they're pretty tough!
Amanda--
I have not really looked for any. Maybe when I clean out my beds--and do some digging--
I may come across one.
They must know where to "hatch'..... Gita
I haven't been to the nesting site in Louisiana, sounds like I would love it.
I think the 1st picture of the 2nd group is a Ibis. We saw a Roseate Spoonbill but didn't get a shot of him.Then we saw him in flight, that sure was neat. Here are the last of the pictures. Took these while lounging on the beach.
great photos!
Thanks.
Operation Migration-reintroducing the Whooping Crane to the eastern U.S. inspired.
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/crane/13/wcep_highlights_102813.html
How cool. There was a movie quite a few years ago about a young girl and her flock of geese. She taught them to Migrate.
Yeah, Fly Away Home. I cry like a baby . . ..
LAST two above -- OH NO !!!
Great bird photos from your trip Holly!
I love Snowy Egrets!
Karen
Thanks Karen.
I'm happy that I got some safflower this week so I can feed the birds thru the storms. 5 pounds for $6.99 at Gambrill's General Store, independent business.
Our birds are in a feeding frenzy with the snow fall, and the squirrels are making it a mad house chasing each other and startling the birds. It's like having a small 3 ring circus in the backyard.
We loaded up on bird supplies the last time we were at Tractor Supply.
Remember when i wrote that the English Sparrows had emptied 2 if my
big, 3-tube feeders?
I stopped filling it for a couple weeks. Then it got cold--and I opened my BIG bag of
seed from Costco last year. I bought some mixed seed with cracked corn
from Big Lots and mixed all the seeds together....Filled up the feeder again.
Wanted to cater to ALL birds....
It is now sitting for almost a week--untouched!!! Whassup????
Will see tomorrow. With all this snow--maybe there will be some takers....
Do sparrows migrate away? Do they hide in the woods?
I also hung a couple of suet cakes. No one has found them yet.......:o(
Surely some birds will be there tomorrow with the snow and ice. I hope the sparrows DID go elsewhere.
There were several there yesterday. Looked like slate-colored Juncos???
Size of a sparrow--solid dark charcoal--longish tail with 2 white lines (feahters??)
when tail slightly opened.
What do you think?? G.
hope the birds find your tasty treats again, Gita!
Juncos, Gita; I don't know another with that solid even grey. Yay!
Well--looking this morning--they do have a lighter belly--not quite white--
kind of dirty white.
Some doves hanging around....I better toss down some more millet---
IF I can find a way out there without snow all over my pants..
The squirrels are chowing down on all the Sunflower seeds...
Sally--I hung up the upside down suet feeder the other day--with your fancy
suet cake in it. had it in my freezer all summer...
Now to see if any woodpeckers find it.
Still not much traffic at my feeder....just ground feeding.
G.
Not a lot of activity at our feeders this AM. Mostly cardinals and a few wee birds.
It's been so wet!
I do have a pretty awesome new bird feeding "station" outside my kitchen window.
You know the steps outside leading down into a basement (sometimes - older houses have this) and some just have a trap door on top to open - this house has a wooden fence around it - I guess the owners had children. Anywho - I had been trying to figure out how to use that space to grow something there. I'd lined the inside and tried to grow vining vegetables up towards the light and across on some wire fencing with the 2" x 4" rectangles stretched all the way across the top of the wooden fence and supported by 2 bamboo poles.
Well the vegetable project was a bust - not enough light there I guess - but over the summer I threw an old window screen up there and started feeding the birds there. Put a shallow dish of water there and it's the best show for me - all of them come to it. Well, except maybe the crows (thankful). Depends on what type of seed, but even the ground feeders get up there because it's not really a hanging feeder. Water just drips right thru. There is a mess on the steps to the basement, but we don't use them so it's no concern to me. Court says he will clean up the steps with the shop vac one of these days.
We get a few juncos when it starts snowing up in the NC mountains. I've seen them for about a month now.
I feed year round because I don't want to disappoint the few migratory birds that come thru looking for grub. The American Redstart is one bird that I identified here first last summer/fall on its trip thru my yard on its way elsewhere.
Otherwise, traffic is kind of slow and regular. This time of year I get a lot of doves. This morning I threw an empty vitamin bottle at the sharp shinned hawk that was sitting on the fence hoping to catch a meal. Jerk. I have some barriers - natural and man made - that make flying thru the feeding area not a thru zone. I just can't have predators in my yard when it's supposed to be a haven.
On rainy days like today, I wonder where they go to get warm. We have a giant privet hedge between the house and the neighbor's driveway. I know there's a lot of activity in there. So I'll get back to it. :)
Enjoy yours - and thanks for reminding me to put out my suet cakes.
A.
snowy owls are in the news
http://www.wbal.com/article/104332/3/snowy-owls-descend-on-maryland
We've also got cardinals, sparrows, and a bluejay or two. I tried to get a photo of a cardinal this morning perched in the snow on my back porch, but he saw the movement through the window and flew away.
The neighborhood cat who wanders freely in and out of my backyard has been a big deterrent for the birds.