Happy Women's Day
to all the wonderful ladies out there! I don’t know what the world would be like without women, and I am happy to be one myself. The weather is murky today, but here are some Robin photos to brighten the mood. Female Robins have a lighter head cap, more grey than black, whereas the males darker head colors are black. I think this one here is a male. The Robins have steadily started to reclaim their territory here, and it is awesome to hear their song echo across the yard in the evenings and mornings. Have a lovely day and weekend!
A fun visitor
arrived yesterday, a lone Robin. Today, I also saw one lone Grackle. Maybe there will be some fall migration sightings in this backyard after all. It is a weird fall, it is colder but the trees are not there yet, they are still all green! Calendars are still on the hold (except for desk ones) but I hope to get them all out by the end of the week.
Nesting news: All tucked in
The bird moms are ready for the night. The Robin baby is doing fine, and both Chickadee and Bluebird are still incubating. I love watching them in the evenings, they certainly do look cozy. And with so many birds nesting, feeder activity has slowed down a bit. Which is nice for the bird food budget.
Video: Hatch day for the Robins!
The Robins started hatching today! Mom and Dad share feeding and diaper duties, and they are such fresh parents that they still seem to be unsure how to do it. You can see Dad bringing some food and Mom wanting to feed it to the baby but then letting him do it when he seemingly insists. She's eating the diaper instead. You can watch this cam live here in my livestream section and on my Birdsy channel.
Video: Robins sharing duties
The Robins have three eggs now, and since the female did not lay another today, I am assuming that the clutch is complete. It is very interesting to watch them do their thing in the apple tree. The female sits on the nest most of the day, turning the eggs to incubate them evenly. Whenever she leaves, the male stands guard on the edge of the nest. I am livestreaming this nest on here and also in my birdsy.com channel.
Despite some more frosty temperatures,
the backyard has truly started to transform, and one of my favorite things in spring is when the fruit trees and the Serviceberry begin to bloom. The latter is a little early this year, it usually starts in May. Yesterday was beautifully sunny, a perfect occasion for happy spring portraits. The Hummingbirds, Orioles and Grosbeaks should start arriving soon as well, and milder weather is on the horizon. Finally!
We are having a nice week
ahead of us with very mild temperatures that will wake up gardens and wildlife from their winter slumber, while migration still continues. This weekend, female and nonbreeding male Redwinged Blackbirds arrived here. The females look distinctively different but if you pay attention to some details like beak shape and some color hints, you can tell what they are. The Robins are also frolicking around, and I would not be surprised to see them starting to build nests this week. I may even consider setting up the pond, if work time permits.
I have been busy
with work but not a lot is going on either while the yard is getting ready for #spring. Temperatures are not there yet but it definitely sounds like spring. And I love that I am seeing more Robins! When the ground is frozen, they are happy for dried fruit like raisins (make sure to keep your dogs away!), mealworms or suet nuggets.
Video: They are back!
Two days ago, fall really started, with leaves changing colors and temperatures dropping. I closed the pond for the season and have set up three heated baths this year, one on the ground at the pond spot, one on a pedestal, and then this one, which is mounted above ground. It is smaller than the others, and it took the birds a bit to find it but now it is in good use. There was a group of Robins passing through that took to it, the woodpeckers seem to like it because it allowes them easy access, and the smaller birds enjoy it as well. Like the Juncos that have just started to return too. I hope you have a wonderful Sunday. Check out the calendar shop as well - from today until the 14th, calendars are 10 % off.
The light is changing,
the evenings are getting cooler, and there is still not much going on bird-wise. Yesterday I saw the Bluebirds, which was wonderful because it’s been quite a while. At least two Redbreasted Nuthatches have emerged and are competing with the Chickadees for material that is worthy to cache for the winter. I like the light at this time of the year because it feels less harsh. Here are some of the current regulars, look at that Woodpecker, all nice and pretty again! Have a great Tuesday.
The end of the summer
is always bittersweet but when fall migration has started, the backyard becomes alive with flocks of travelers. Some are just stopping for a short break while others stay for a couple of days. This is the case with Baltimore Orioles right now. I have added an extra jelly feeder, and the cups need to be refilled several times a day now (I also clean the cups with each refill). It is always wonderful to see the full spectrum of color variations at display when indivisuals of various ages come together. And in between, the Robins, Woodpeckers and Finches (the one pictures has a very interesting molt going on) also get their share.
The backyard is starting to fill
with more baby birds each day, it is the best time of the year. They are following the parents, learning how to find food, get clean and feel safe. Here are members of the thrush family, a young American Robin and two Eastern Bluebirds, all checking out the grape jelly. Funnily enough, the Bluebirds resemble the European Robin, while the American Robin looks a lot like a European Blackbird. Come good into the week!
I find bird backs
really cool to see because they always seem like such a well-organized piece of nature. It is pretty amazing how neatly the wings fold and everything creates a beautiful, water-resistant surface with the most intricate patterns. Can you guess them all?
I keep saying
that this is a boring part of the season but it is not like nothing is happening, I guess I am just too excited for the migrants to arrive. However things are changing around here too. A Chickadee has checked out my other nestbox, there are several Robins patrolling the yard now, the Blue Jays have started to come in pairs, the Goldfinches are sporting a very adventurous look, the Juncos are still having fun here and the MoDos are beginning to flirt. The crocuses and narcisus are coming out and trees are starting to bud. I’d say spring has sprung.
The Robins
have multiplied in the last couple of days, and they found out that there are mealworms on the menu here. Now they compete with everybody else whenever a worm is available outside the cage feeder for the BBs. In the evenings, they are still strutting about, and since the day traffic is gone then, I throw them a handful as a good night snack. I love the details in their faces.
Video: It's been a wild week
with some really bad stuff happening. During times like these I am happy to have the birds because they keep me busy, hinder me from being glued to the news, and also make me happy. The American Robin’s German name is Wanderdrossel, “wandering thrush”, and this morning after a night of snow fall, this merry group wandered into my backyard. The Grackle is also still around, and while things still look and feel winterish, there is a sense of spring in the air.
Updating this post because just now, a flock of Redwinged Blackbirds showed up too. Things will develop slowly, but spring migration has begun.
Video: Another surprise visitor
The American Robin is the state bird of Michigan, and I have seen people complain about this because many Robins go farther south for the winter. However, some also stay. I heard a flock in the area for several days (there is a Mountain Ash, a Cedar and a Crabapple tree nearby - all bird magnets), and yesterday, this one came to the bath. I don't count this as a sign of an early spring, we are quite a bit away from that, but it was a fun sight. It's very cold this morning, stay warm and have a great Monday!
It's Friday, and that is a good day
to introduce the May bird of the Ostdrossel 2022 calendar. It is an American Robin, and I chose this bird and photo for May because it is my birthday month, and I am in love with the clarity and light here. You can almost see the trees awakening with all this fresh and vibrant green. The bird is sitting on a bowl with an orange half and a blob of grape jelly that I put out in spring. I do it for the Orioles mainly, but many other birds enjoy it as well. If you want to try it too, choose grape jelly as natural as possible. Mashed grapes will work too. American Robins are the state bird of Michigan, and while they usually leave my area late in fall, some will also spend the winter in the state. Come good into the weekend!
My calendars are available here: https://www.createphotocalendars.com/Shop/ostdrossel
Today when I went outside,
it sounded like spring, there were Robin calls, Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Cardinals and Starlings. There is a place nearby that has a mature Cedar tree, and I have checked it a couple of weeks ago to see how far the berries were, and I went there today again. The tree was basically covered in happy Robins, and it also had some Cedar Waxwings sprinkled in. I will go back to try and get some Waxwing goodness. Here is a photo of the teen Cardinal too, he posed just outside my window today, and a Whitecrowned Sparrow was at the bath!
Robins are the state bird of Michigan,
but they do migrate too, even if just within the state. I love Robins because they are a lot of fun to watch and listen to but also because they remind me a lot of a European bird I love, the Eurasian Blackbird. American Robins look basically like them but have a lot more color going on. I did not see any for a while but right now, a group is visiting, exploring the feeders, searching the lawn and taking baths.
