Add bluebirds to the list of birds that can see themselves as enemies.
But Joan Cullman of West Redding has come up with a different solution to the problem.
Joan recently reported a pair of bluebirds had settled in her bluebird box again this year. “Well, about a week ago, the male bluebird started attacking his own reflection in our garage window. We have never had this happen before.
“Our bedroom is above the garage and ‘Mr. Persistent’ would wake us at 6:15 a.m., flapping his wings on the glass and then he would sit on the sill for one or two minutes, while I was in the garage two feet away from him, taking pictures. He would fly three feet way to a trellis, sit for two or three minutes and start all over again. Occasionally, he would fly down in our garden or grass to eat and then back at the window again. He did this all day long.
“I was fearful that he would eventually kill himself so I called my neighbor, Rocky Rockwell, who is an ornithologist [with the American Museum of Natural History], and asked his advice. Rocky suggested I get a picture of a predator like an owl or hawk and put it on the window. The best I could come up with at the time was a picture of a black crow that filled one page in the March issue of National Geographic and bingo — it worked!
“Now Mr. Territorial Tough Guy is back at the nesting box, tending to his Mrs. and their eggs that are about to hatch.”
Two-house trick
Rosanne and Greg Macedo of Redding are having good luck with bluebirds, too.
“I had to write you about a first for my husband and me,” Rosanne writes. “We have finally attracted bluebirds to one of our bluebird houses. We think what finally attracted them was having two houses close to each other.
“We first spotted the male and female on April 16 and within three days she started building the nest. This past Saturday, May 3, we checked the box and were delighted to find five eggs. She has been staying in the box a good part of the day since then.”
Hummers
The Macedos also had their first hummingbird sightings, two males on May 1st.
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are arriving in sizable numbers now. Although the very first were sighted in the area a few weeks ago, those were the really “early birds.” Now the waves of hummers are arriving. We spotted our first Tuesday, April 29, but have not seen any since. That male was probably just passing through on its way farther north.
Grosbeaks arrive
Also in the area are Rose-breasted Grosbeaks.
“This morning, Thursday, we had a beautiful specimen of a male Rose-Breasted Grosbeak on one of our feeders,” writes Linda Maggs of Ridgefield. “A lovely sight to behold!”
A few miles away, Kay Ables of Ridgefield had a grosbeak party.
“Thursday night I was watching my bird feeder and saw an unfamiliar bird which I thought looked a little like the female Rose-breasted Grosbeak, when to my great surprise the male appeared. I went to record it in my bird book when all of a sudden I saw another male, and after a few minutes a third one appeared — all three at the feeder, so I didn’t miscount. All three have been eating all day long at the feeder. I’ve never had three visit, but each year have had one family stay. I hope they will all find mates and hang around.
“The bird pecking order is fun to watch — the big boy crows reign, followed by the Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jays, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, cardinals and then the little guys. I’m probably forgetting where the downies, titmice, finches and the others fit in, but they sure are fun to watch.
“The Red-winged Blackbirds are also hanging around. They usually show up in a flock in late winter and then move on to greener pastures.”
Orange arrival
Also in Ridgefield, on May 1, “I had my first beautiful orange arrival in the apple trees this morning,” reports Claire Gladstone of Ridgefield. “The Baltimore Oriole returns!! Still waiting on the Hummingbirds...should be any day now!”
Coming Up
Birding Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Mass. Trip, May 9 to 11, Connecticut Audubon, 1-800-996-8747, ecotravel @ ctaudubon.org.
Saturday Morning Bird Walk, spring migrants with Chris Field, Saturday, 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
Migratory Bird Day Celebration, including breakfast with birds, rehabilitation release, bird photo contest, scavenger hunt, and more, many programs involving kids, Saturday, May 10, 7:30 to noon, Birdcraft Museum, 314 Unquowa Road, Fairfield 203-259-0416 ctaudubon.org/visit/birdcraft.htm
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.
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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