by JACK SANDERS
Crazy robin
Each spring we hear from at least one person suffering from what might be called the bird world’s “mirror madness.”
Roxane Witke of Wilton writes: “Over the past week a robin has been diving noisily into windows and sliding doors on the west and north sides of my house — not that the glass is ultra clean!
“He does this for hours, quits for hours, then resumes, usually at a place where I’m visible on the inside. Sometimes he strikes twice a minute. Or he pauses for several minutes between dives. For a while I thought he might be reminding me to refill the bird feeder on the back deck (as blue jays do), though the robin doesn’t use it. So I refilled it, and he resumed attacking the adjacent sliding glass door so hard that it remains permanently pitted. So does window glass, I now see with despair.
“Today, his staging area is on the phone line outside my study. His old chest is huffing as he works up energy for his next assault. Is his goal to get in here? Isn’t his beak sore or severely injured? Might it fall off? Is he crazy? Or am I ignorant of robin ritual?”
In the spring, most songbirds are territorial, staking out areas surrounding their nests and keeping out all potential trouble-makers. Ornithologists believe this is not only for the protection of the eggs, chicks and spouse, but also to protect the nearby food supply — in the robin’s case, worms and insects — because there will be many mouths to feed beyond their own and food supplies are critical for survival.
If the nest is near a house with fairly large sheets of glass, the right lighting will cause the window to become a mirror. The bird sees itself reflected in the glass, decides it’s a competitor for its territory, and attacks. The bird keeps doing it over and over because there’s been nothing to stop it from believing that hard surface it repeatedly hits is not another robin.
Cardinals are famous for doing this, too, but I’ve seen others, like Song Sparrows and chickadees go after windows — including small panes that were right next to a potential nesting spot.
What to do? Make the window less reflective. Use something like Glass Wax or plastic appliqués on the outside to break up the mirror effect during nesting season. Or try dangling pieces of foil or other objects in front of the windows that are under siege.
Parade on lake
Jean Linville of Ridgefield reports that “The past two months have offered a veritable parade of birds returning to or just visiting Fox Hill Lake. Ring-necked Ducks, mergansers, the often-overlooked mallard, swans, geese and Great Blue Herons have all paraded across the lake displaying their plumage and mating rituals. Today the grand marshal arrived and slowly made his way across the lake staying in the morning sun to best show off his markings, none other than the resplendent male Wood Duck.”
Yellow treat
Claude Morrissette of Redding sent the accompanying photo of a Pine Warbler “eating at our suet feeder these past few weeks on our deck in Redding.” Claude is an artist and plans to paint the bird from the photo.
Claude’s bird is a lot more yellow than the Pine Warblers portrayed in some popular field guides. Our expert, Ed Kanze, says that “They’re often very yellow — much more yellow than the one Peterson presents in his 4th edition, for example, although I think I’ve seen them that pale. The bird lacks the dark eyeline of a Blue-winged Warbler and the dark striping of a Prairie. Those bold white wingbars are typical of Pine Warbler.”
Ed adds that “Pine Warblers are usually very early to arrive. They’ve probably been in your neck of the woods for a couple of weeks.”
Coming Up
Bird walk, with Frank Gallo of Connecticut Audubon, Sunday, May 4, 7:30 a.m., free, Weir Preserve, Nod Hill Road, Wilton, 834-5066.
Saturday Morning Bird Walk, spring migrants with Chris Field, May 3, at Woodcock Nature Center; May 10 at Spectacle Swamp on Gilly Lane off Deer Run Road in Wilton, both 10 a.m., $9/$11, Woodcock Nature Center, 203-762-7280
Free Bird Walk, from Allen’s Meadows to Schenck’s Island in Wilton, Sunday, May 4, 8 a.m., Friends of Allen’s Meadows in conjunction with Wilton Conservation Commission. To register for the walk contact The Friends of Allen’s Meadow via email: friendsofallens @ gmail.com
Bird Walk in the Ramble, Central Park, with Peter Becker, Thursday, May 8, 7:45 a.m. Meet at the entrance at 72nd St. and Central Park West (Car pooling available from Katonah at 7 a.m.) Bedford Audubon, jebecker@bedfordaudubon.org or (914) 232-4806.
Birding Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Mass. Trip, May 9 to 11, Connecticut Audubon, 1-800-996-8747, ecotravel @ ctaudubon.org.
All about Bluebirds — and More, with naturalist John Rogers, Wednesday, May 14, 7:30, free, Bedford Audubon, at Katonah Library, 26 Bedford Road, Katonah, jebecker@bedfordaudubon.org or (914) 232-4806.
Doodletown and Iona Island Bird Walk, just south of Bear Mountain State Park and overlooking the Hudson River, considered an “Important Bird Area,” Saturday, May 17, 6:30 a.m., Saw Mill River Audubon office at 914-666-6503 sawmillriveraudubon.org
Bird Seed Sale, Saturday, May 17, 9:30-12:30, Saw Mill River Audubon, at Pruyn Sanctuary in Chappaqua (914-666-6503) sawmillriveraudubon.org
Early morning Bird Walks, with Tait Johansson, Tuesdays and Thursdays in May, 7:30 a.m., for schedule, email Joan Becker, jebecker@bedfordaudubon.org or call (914) 232-4806.
Bird walks with Luke Tiller, mostly Saturdays at 8 a.m.: May 3, Poverty Hollow; May 10, Saugatuck Falls; $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, May 4, 9 a.m., meet at the second concession stand, 203-637-9822.
Bird walks, first Saturday at 7:45 a.m., free, meet at Wild Bird Center of Norwalk, 335 Westport Avenue (Route 1), www. wildbird. com/ Norwalk, 203-846-BIRD.
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.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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