Baltimore Oriole
The current Covid-19 Pandemic has given many people confined to their homes a new and increased appreciation for the birds all around us. With time on their hands and the opportunity to see what birds and other critters inhabit backyards, trees, shrubs and the surrounding areas of our human habitation, much of our self-isolating, work from home, tired of watching TV all the time, population has discovered the joy and beauty of birds. Bird feeder sales are sky-rocketing, bird seed is sometimes in short supply at the feed stores, and long-time bird watchers more frequently hear the age-old question, “What is this bird?” followed by a sketchy description of a bird the questioner has recently seen. Conversely, veteran birders have been maintaining bird friendly habitats and feeding stations for years. Ours in Pennsylvania has been established and growing for more than 30 years and is now a source of great pleasure for us.
Birds, like humans, need three things: food, water, and shelter. We supply a variety of bird foods, including black oil sunflower seeds, unsalted shelled peanuts, millet, two different types of suet blocks, one containing dried meal worms, and one low in fat but high in protein, and the most popular feeder of all: a grape jelly feeder so popular that the birds go through a jar of grape jelly every three days. Yes, we buy it by the case.
On the ground is a bird bath, which gets cleaned and re-supplied with fresh water every day, where birds both drink and bathe, sometimes at the same time. Finally, there is a large and growing brush pile just behind the feeding station refreshed each spring with the winter fallen limbs and twigs, many from our unfortunately dying Ash trees. It is amazing how many species of birds use that brush pile as a staging area to and from the feeders.
Finally, we had two lovely Holly trees that unfortunately died a number of years ago, but whose slender trunks we have not yet removed because so many birds continue to use them coming and going to the feeders. Many might regard our entire feeding setup as unsightly, but it is at the edge of our woods and we have enough beautiful flowers, gardens, and other bird friendly plantings that it is a relatively small part of our entire property.
The grape jelly feeder is our newest addition to the station. We installed it about five years ago after reading that Orioles really liked it. That has proved to be true. Baltimore Orioles {top of page) are constantly on the feeder, sometimes two at a time. Our surprise came when we discovered that Gray Catbirds, Northern Mockingbirds (photo 2) and this year, our first ever Orchard Oriole, (photo 3) a first-year male showing just a hint of his future chestnut colored breast. All four species will quickly dive into the brush pile, along with all the other birds, whenever a Blue Jay gives its loud alarm call, a technique the Jay sometimes uses to clear the other birds from the feeders so that it will have unlimited access.
Some species spend more time in the brush pile than others, as the Song Sparrow (photo 4) often seems to emerge from the interior of the pile on its way to the spilled seed on the ground under the feeders. Carolina Wrens (photo 5) search for nesting material in the brush pile, but also enjoy the suet feeders, and the Brown Thrasher mother (photo 6) hid her four babies in the brush pile while gathering food for them. The male Northern Cardinal (photo 7) and female Red-winged Blackbird (photo 8) use the brush pile as perches before going to the ground for food, while the Chipping Sparrow (photo 9) uses one of the dead Holly trees as a launching point for the millet feeder. Our two most unusual birds hanging in and around the brush pile are a Great Crested Flycatcher (photo 10) and a Wood Thrush (photo 11) both of which make daily appearances, but don’t really eat from the bird feeders. The Wood Thrush eats the dried meal worms that fall to the ground, but I suspect the Great Crested Flycatcher is just attracted by all of the other bird activity in the area.
In the three days in early June that I used my photography blind to take these photos I was able to record 25 species of birds coming to the feeders. In addition, we have set up a trail-cam to take photos of the brush pile and have recorded foxes, deer, rabbits, raccoons, opossums, skunks, flying squirrels, bats, mostly at night, and once, a Turkey Vulture late in the afternoon. It would stand to reason that perhaps mice or voles live in the brush pile and come out to feed at night which would attract the fox’s nightly visits, although we have never seen one or recorded one on the trail-cam.
While our brush pile bird feeder setup would never pass muster with any Home Owners Association in Florida, it works well for us on our Pennsylvania farm. Blending in with all the other vegetation in the area, visitors rarely even notice our unsightly bird paradise. And for a birder stuck at home it provides an excellent opportunity to photograph some common birds for a column. Now if this blooming pandemic would only end and allow us to get out in the field and search out and photograph those fabulous uncommon birds we all love to find. Note, I didn’t say that loud enough for all my good bird friends in the brush pile to hear.
