Feeders can be traps

Written by Jack Sanders
Thursday, 09 October 2008 14:46

One of the difficult aspects of designing toys for young children is safety. Because children chew on many things and think nothing of swallowing small items, manufacturers must make sure parts are not poisonous, and won’t break off and become a choking hazard.
Bird feeder makers have a similar problem: Feeders of both simple and complex design can unintentionally harm visiting birds, as Betty Flavin of Fieldcrest Drive in Ridgefield found out.
“Recently, I read in BirdNotes about hummingbird food being enjoyed by Downy Woodpeckers,” Betty writes. “In March, we noticed a ‘Downy’ who was spending a really long time on one of our hummer feeders. Finally, I went outside and noticed that he did not fly away as I got closer. Careful observation revealed that his foot was caught in the yellow center of the feeder.
“You see, our feeders had no perches this year as the ‘Downy’ friends drank so much of the hummer liquid last year. Very gentle and deliberate removal freed him from his trapped position, and off he flew. He has returned regularly ever since.
“By the way, we are back to using only hummingbird feeders with perches.”
It’s hard to imagine that the designer of a hummingbird feeder would think his device could accidentally snare a woodpecker, so it’s really up to us to monitor feeders of all kinds — especially new ones — to make sure they function safely.
Incidentally, Betty adds that, “today is Sept. 26 and our hummingbirds are still here. Many times they have left us on Sept. 25 so they could begin their long journey south. We’ll miss them.”

Day vs. night

Speaking of departing hummingbirds, we are well into the season of migration when many birds head south, both by day and by night. Why do some prefer daytime and others, the dark of night?
In general, birds that rely solely on “powered” flight — that is, constantly flapping their wings — tend to migrate by night while those that do some gliding or soaring like to travel by day.
Daytime would seem the simplest time to travel since visibility is good and most birds are active in the daytime anyway. But the sun that provides the light also creates heat, and a bird that is flying hundreds of miles is already hot from burning so much energy. The added heat of the sun could quickly dehydrate a bird.
Birds such as hawks, swallows, cranes, and storks, travel by day to take advantage of thermals, rising columns of air created by the sun’s heating the earth, that help keep them aloft. However, these same currents would be disturbing to a long-distance powered flyer, adding to the effort it takes to move through the atmosphere in a straight line. Thus, nocturnal flight tends to be smoother, with less energy wasted on combating currents.
Nocturnal flight also allows migrants time to find food in the daylight, their usual foraging time.
There have been other theories advanced about nighttime flight, such as that fewer predators are about and that the night sky offers better navigational aids in the form of stars. These have pretty much been discounted by scientists.

Shameless voyeurs

Strange birds at odd times of the year are exciting for bird watchers. Then there are strange Web sites devoted to supposedly excitable bird watchers.
A reader sent along a sticker found attached to a signpost at the Darien train station, warning: “Bird watchers are voyeurs! Groups of Bird Watchers seek vicarious sexual gratification. Shamelessly, they spy on God’s defenseless creatures mating in the woods. Leave the birds alone!”
The stickers are provided by stopbirdporn.org, a blog-style Web site that has a big tongue in its cheek, but still manages to make some folks wonder.

Coming Up

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.
“Falcon Fever,” special presentation by the author, Tim Gallagher — known as the person who sighted the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, Thursday, Oct. 23, 6 p.m., Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, Greenwich, 203-869-5272, greenwich.audubon.org
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 Meadow 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, greenwich. audubon. org
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, greenwich. audubon. org
Falkland Island & Patagonian Birds, penguins, albatross and more, presented by Gary Palmer and Tom Baptist, Sunday, Nov. 9, 3:30 to 5 p.m., free, sponsored by the Quaker Ridge Bird Club, at Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, RSVP to 203-869-5272 x221 greenwich. audubon. org
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.

Editor's Note: Previous BirdNotes columns may be found under Arts & Leisure Columns; click here.

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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