Wild birds love wild food; our offerings supplement

Written by Jack Sanders
Thursday, 09 September 2010 14:11

”We sometimes tend to think of our busy feeders as the center of food supplies for the neighborhood birds. The fact is, even frequent feeder visitors get most of their food from the wild. Mike Tschebull of Darien has noticed a great example of a wild food source.

“A common, late-summer, yellow composite flower found in this area along woods edges is Helianthus strumosus, commonly called the Woodland Sunflower,” Mike writes.  “Finches, especially goldfinches, flock to eat the seeds, which are now beginning to mature, and will clean out every last one before it gets very cold.  The feeding spectacle is fully as interesting to watch as that of robins eating winterberry fruit in February.

“Woodland Sunflower is rugged, capable of blooming heavily and over a long period, and is available from nurseries that sell native plants.  It will grow five to six feet tall under good conditions, meaning moisture and light, and spreads rapidly but not invasively by rhizome.”

In the book, The Secrets of Wildflowers (by this column’s author), the chapter on sunflowers notes these plants bear  very nutritious seeds. “Sunflower seeds have a high food value, containing vitamins A and B, calcium, phosphorus and other minerals. With 16 percent albumen and 21 percent fat, the seeds have been valued for feeding and fattening chickens, hogs and milking cows.”

It’s just one plant that’s great for a bird-friendly yard. Audubon has much information at its “Audubon at Home” website: web4.audubon.org/bird/at_home/

Incidentally, if you enjoy wildflowers and want to learn more about their relationships with birds, insects and other creatures, I would shamelessly recommend The Secrets of Wildflowers, which is still in print. Alas, with its many color pictures, it’s not available in e-book format.

HummerNotes

At the risk of being accused of turning this column into HummingbirdNotes,  here’s another report about what may be our most popular summertime visitor.

“This summer we were blessed with many hummingbirds at our nectar feeder, especially starting about Aug. 11 and until last Monday, Aug. 30, during the peak of which I saw about six to eight per day,” writes Janet Crawford of Ridgefield. “My nine-year-old was particularly delighted when, on two occasions, a curious females flew right up to us — not two feet away — to check us out while we were having lunch on our deck. It probably helped that we were both wearing red shirts that day....

“Now, however, they seem to be gone.  I can’t be sure, because I’ve been running around more this week than usual, but I haven’t seen one since Monday...

“Is there any way to keep bees away from the feeder?  I’ve heard the warnings against making the nectar too sweet (or, for that matter, not sweet enough), and have been using the usual 4-1 ratio of water to nectar mix.”

In early September, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds begin leaving to return to Central and South America. I had a bunch; as of Sunday, maybe one was still hanging around.

But leave up the feeder with fresh nectar for a few weeks to serve hummers that may be passing through from parts north.

I know of no way to keep away yellow jackets (they are not “bees” but wasps — bees are not attracted to these feeders). However, hummingbirds respect wasps, and seem to patiently wait for them to leave.

Finally, Anne Tracey of Ridgefield passes along the link to an amazing video about a couple who rescued a baby hummingbird:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7xBLvMIBZU

Coming up

Autumn Morning Bird Walks: Saturdays, Sept. 11, 18, 25, Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Wednesdays, Sept. 22, 29 and Oct. 6, 13, 7:30, free, Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, Greenwich.audubon.org, 203-869-5272 x221.

Hawk and raptor ID during Migration, with Luke Tiller, Saturday, Sept. 11, 10 to 1, $5, Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, Greenwich.audubon.org, 203-869-5272 x221.

Hawk Identification Tutorial with Bedford Audubon’s Hawk Counter Arthur W. Green, Sunday, Sept. 12, 2 to 3:30 p.m., Westmoreland Sanctuary, 260 Chestnut Ridge Road, Bedford Corners, N.Y., 914-666-8448, bedfordaudubon.org

Fall Migration at Chestnut Ridge Hawk Watch, bring binoculars, Saturday, Sept. 18, 9 to 11:30 a.m., Bedford Audubon at Arthur Butler Sanctuary, Chestnut Ridge Road, Bedford Corners, 914-666-8448,  bedfordaudubon.org

Breakfast with the Hawks with Hawk Counter Arthur W. Green, and Naturalist Adam Zorn Sunday, Sept. 19, at 8 a.m. at Chestnut Ridge Hawk Watch Arthur Butler Sanctuary, 261 Chestnut Ridge Road, Bedford Corners, 914-666-8448. bedfordaudubon.org

Copyright 2010 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.