The resourceful nest builders

Written by Jack Sanders
Thursday, 02 October 2008 14:41

Mike Tschebull of Darien recently sent along a note that, “in our woods, near a grove of hemlocks overtopped by oaks, gum trees and hickories, I found a crashed nest, made up mostly of very fine hemlock twigs, not larger in diameter than grass stems. But in the nest remnants, there were also finely shredded strips of cellophane, not plastic, some of it slightly metallic and glittery. I’m guessing the nest was a warbler nest that fell out of one of the oaks.”

Many resourceful birds make use of modern trash in nest building. Among the many materials that have been discovered in bird nests are hairpins, roofing insulation, facial tissue, rubber bands, paper clips, pins, shoelaces, and even barbed wire!

Being strong and lasting, finely shredded cellophane or plastic may actually be an effective ingredient. Problems occur when bigger chunks of plastic, such as pieces of bags from stores, are used. These can wind up holding water that normally bleeds through an all-natural fiber nest. Puddled water in a nest can harm eggs and can kill hatchlings, and has been cited as a serious threat to larger birds, such as Ospreys.

More thieves?

Tom Cunningham Jr. who lives at Meadow Ridge in Redding, noticed the Sept. 19 column on “thieves” at nectar feeders.

“We have definitely seen birds other than hummingbirds at our feeder in the last couple of weeks,” Tom said.

“The feeder has perches to give the hummers a rest — on a hot day it was amazing how much the little ones would drink.

“The other birds, other than the Downy Woodpecker, that have tried without success to get our nectar, have been a chickadee and a robin. My guess is they were more using it as a perch for bird bath below than really trying to reach the nectar.

“On the insects, my observations (from about five feet away) have been that wasps really go after the nectar. The sugar bees clean up around the feeding holes, but the bumble bee-like wasps, really try to get into the feeder holes.

“The hummingbirds semi-dive bomb all of these insects and once in a while will grab a quick drink on the opposite side of the feeder.”

 

Gone

While on the subject, our Ruby-throated Hummingbirds seem to have departed several weeks ago. Those of you who are patient and able to replenish the nectar frequently may consider keeping up feeders to serve hummers passing through during the migration.

Ruby-throats were still being reported in Vermont on Sept. 26. And in 2006, someone in Canton, Conn., had a Ruby-throated Hummingbird hanging around at the end of October. “I’m not quite yet ready to jump on the global warming bandwagon when it comes to hummingbirds,” the Canton correspondent told a Connecticut birding hotline, “but it will be interesting to see if, over the next few years, we find that an increasing number of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are arriving earlier and staying later into the year.”

If you are really optimistic, you might watch for errant Rufous Hummingbirds. Every year, it seems, a few members of this Western North America species manage to get off track, and wind up in the East during autumn — sometimes as late as November.

Coming Up

Hawk Watch at Lighthouse Point Park, New Haven, with Joan and Richard Becker. Saturday, Oct. 4, Bedford Audubon, carpool from Bylane Farm at 9 a.m.; return around 3 p.m. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 914-232-4806, bedfordaudubon.org.
Fall Migration at Bear Mountain State Park, with Tait Johansson and Peter Becker, Saturday, Oct. 18, Bedford Audubon, carpool from Bylane Farm at 9 a.m. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 914-232-4806, bedfordaudubon.org.
Hook Mountain Hawk Watch, across the Hudson, includes half-mile hike, Saturday, Oct. 18, 9 to 2:30, Bring lunch, water bottle, hiking shoes, hat, and binoculars, Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, Greenwich, Ted 203-869-5272, x230 to register.
Selden Island, birding and exploring island in Connecticut River, Saturday, Oct. 25, 9 to noon, $40, Connecticut Audubon, 860-767-0660, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Allen’s Meadows Birds, many migrants, in Wilton, Sunday, Oct. 26, 7:30 to 11:30 a.m., $20/$15, Connecticut Audubon, 860-767-0660, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, trip, Saturday, Nov. 1, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, Greenwich, Ted 203-869-5272, x230 to register.
Field Trip to Jamaica Bay, with John Askildsen, Saturday Nov. 1, Bedford Audubon, carpool from Bylane Farm, 35 Todd Road, Katonah at 7:30 a.m., This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 914-232-4806, bedfordaudubon.org.
Winter Birds and Project Feederwatch, how your family can be “citizen scientists” to help count winter birds at bird feeders in the backyard, Saturday, Nov. 8, 1:30 to 3 p.m., Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, 203-869-5272 RSVP to store at x221.
Bird walks with Luke Tiller, mostly Saturdays at 8 a.m., $10 each; to register, www. sunrisebirding. com/ walks.htm; 203-981-9924, luke.tiller @ gmail.com.
First Sundays, birding at Greenwich Point with Meredith Sampson of Wild Wings, and other guides, meet at the second concession stand, 203-637-9822.

Copyright (c) 2008 by Jack Sanders. Send sightings or comments to: jackfsanders [at sign] yahoo.com, or to Bird Notes, Box 1019, Ridgefield, CT 06877; or call 203-438-1183, extension BIRD (2473), and leave a message with your report, spelling your first and last names and telling us your town. If you need help identifying a bird, try your local nature center. If you find an injured bird, call wildlife rehabilitator Darlene Wimbrow of Redding, 203-438-0618, Wildlife in Crisis of Weston, 203-544-9913, or Wild Wings of Greenwich, 203-637-9822. The columnist’s website is www. sandersbooks. com.

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