Critters Archives - Page 28 of 33 - Betty Hall Photography

Northern Flicker

It was a special treat last week to watch a northern flicker (Colaptes auratus) on the silver maple. We only see them occasionally. The black “mustache” indicates this one was a male.

He was hunting for insects among the many cracks and crevices of the bark. It’s hard to imagine there was much to find, but I understand there are lots of winter insects hidden in tree bark, under leaves, and in dead plant stalks. I’m amazed to think that eggs, small caterpillars, chrysalises, and adult insects can survive the cold.

I enjoyed a recent article on winter insects by Dr. Douglas Tallamy published in the Wild Ones Journal. It reminds me of the importance of insects and how I can contribute to their chances for surviving the winter months. The growth from last year’s garden looks scraggly now, and that’s OK with me. I appreciate it as a nursery for next summer’s butterflies and other insects.

Watching birds at close range

We have five different bird feeders but my favorite is the shelf feeder directly outside our dining room window. We enjoy watching the birds while we eat. Safflower seeds attract birds and discourage squirrels; peanuts attract blue jays.

Most of our year-round residents visit the shelf, including cardinals, doves, house finches, wrens, and titmice. It’s a special treat to see them up close.

White-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) are a favorite that we see only in winter.

Tiny Carolina chickadees (Poecile carolinensis) are with us year-round, and I never tire of seeing them with their dapper black caps and bibs.

I recently learned that chickadees only nest in tree cavities or nest boxes, and I plan to put up a chickadee bird house by early spring. It would be exciting to have a pair of them nesting in the back yard.

A “Christmas” tree for the birds

It’s been another challenging week for the birds in Lexington. We went from single-digit temperatures to ¼ inch of freezing rain. Five days later much of the yard was still covered with ice.

The day before the freezing rain, our friend Carmen once again put up the birds’ freshly-cut cedar tree (Juniperus virginiana). We’ve done this for the past few winters, and we leave the tree in place until March.

This year I put extra cedar branches at the base of the tree and near the vine ball (left of bird feeder). I put some safflower seeds in both locations and the birds, including these cardinals, quickly began using the new feeding places.

The cedar provides shelter from winter weather and cover from predators such as our neighborhood Cooper’s hawk (Accipter cooperii). This one perched in the red maple for a couple of hours last week, and scared the birds away for a while.

The hawk is a beautiful bird and I accept it as an important part of nature’s web. I also understand that songbirds are an important part of its diet, but I’m not wild about it getting “our” birds.

Fortunately, the songbirds are vigilant and typically disappear before the hawk arrives. And the cedar tree and branches are one way I can give them a little extra help.

If you’d like to try this, cedar trees are native and rural landowners are often glad to give them away. Or use a discarded Christmas tree. You can stake it upright, or simply lay it on its side. Add some bird feed and you have an effective winter bird feeder.

Winter bird bath

It’s a challenging time for Kentucky birds. We’ve had three snows in three weeks and unusually cold temperatures – wind chill of -1° predicted tonight.

For several years, we’ve put an electric heater in the bird bath to keep it from freezing. It’s used by a wide variety of birds – including cardinals, blue jays, doves, finches, and chickadees. Recent visitors included these four thirsty robins.

I’m amazed that these small warm-blooded creatures can survive, and I’m glad to do what I can to help. And in return for the food and water we provide, we get to watch an everchanging bird show.

Winterberry – a different kind of holly

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is a native holly that, unlike other hollies, loses its leaves in early winter. In early November the leaves were still green.

A few weeks later the leaves are gone and birds are feasting on the abundant showy red berries.

The day after Thanksgiving, snow on the berries created a bit of winter magic.

I have often enjoyed these bright red berries along roadsides this time of year. Now it’s a special treat to see them from my kitchen window, and it’s been fun watching the robins, cardinals, and mockingbirds having a feast.