Definition of a Backyard

With the sighting of another new visitor -- a boldly colored male Western Tanager in his vibrant breeding plumage -- I'm coming to question the definition of where, precisely, the boundaries of one's backyard are. This bird, for example, did not alight within the invisible property lines that border my backyard. Instead, several of the birds perched in a tree in an adjacent yard, barely across the fence and easily visible from both the upstairs and downstairs windows where I sought a better view. The bold red head, brilliant yellow body, and strong black wings with thick markings made identification easy, yet still, were the birds truly in the backyard?

So what, then, defines a backyard for birding purposes? At first, one might say feeding. If a bird regularly stops for a bite, it could be considered a proper addition to a backyard roll call. But what of the Cooper's hawk? I've yet to spot him having a quick munch in the yard, yet he's a regular visitor, perching on the fence as he calculates the likelihood of his next meal coming from the smaller birds who regularly visit my feeders.

Frequency might be another determining factor. Migrating birds, then, pose special challenges as they may only be seen for a few days each year as they pass by on their way to breeding grounds or winter homes. The dark eyed juncos, for example, have moved on to their more northern homes and won't return for months, if they even recall this small sanctuary. Yet I would say that they, too, are legitimate backyard birds even if they aren't always evident.

At this time, I'm considering the western tanagers to have been a fleeting visit and a wild confirmation rather than a positive backyard sighting, yet I'll keep a keen watch for them in the coming days and they may even be pleased to find dried and fresh fruit in my feeders to help tempt them to a longer stay.

Walking Observations

On a picnic near the Provo River at Mt. Timpanogos park, just at the mouth of Provo Canyon, I spotted a new wild friend with easy identification: a Bullock's Oriole, a brilliant orange and black bird somewhat smaller than an American Robin and a cousin similar to the Baltimore Oriole of the east. He has a sharply defined black mask with a chin stripe that does not continue to his chest, and his vibrant color makes him easy to spot. This one was foraging in trees, nibbling off the leaf buds far above our heads, chattering randomly as he enjoyed his own picnic.

Spotting birds while walking trails is a great joy, but one that takes some practice in order to identify the wild wanderers. I would recommend going at a time when the light is good so any color variations in plumage are easily spotted, and try to get as close to the birds as possible so you can see details in their markings. Especially note the bill size and shape, head colorings, body size, wing markings, and rear view. If possible, also note what the bird is doing and any sounds you can clearly identify as coming from them.

When possible, snap a digital picture of the bird, one that you can zoom in on at a later date in order to compare the bird to books, field guides, websites, and other identification resources. Binoculars can also be a help, particularly for more reclusive species, if you have them available. My camera and zoom has helped me discover new species on several occasions, though with the clear and distinctive markings of the Bullock's Oriole, it wasn't necessary. I wouldn't recommend taking field guides with you while birding casually on a trail, since you'll waste valuable behavior observation time flipping through pages and making comparisons you can easily make after the bird has moved on.

With care and practice, you can easily find new and remarkable species no matter where you are, if you're prepared to observe them adequately. The best observation tools you have are your eyes, and with them, new birds can reveal a world you may never have known existed, a world that you share with many other intelligent and remarkable species.

Memorial, Revisited

Sadly, another tragedy has struck, this time the victim being a male house finch who, in a fit of aggressive pique and fluttering, struck the patio doors not hard, but at such an angle as to cause devastating injury. A brief flurry ensued and a moment later, he was flying without wings.

It is a sad moment but serves to demonstrate the absolute necessity for protective measures. I have investigated different options and will be taking the strongest possible steps this week. As more birds are attracted to the bounty of my back yard buffet, it is apparent that this may become more of a concern and necessary measures must be taken. When the landscaping is resolved feeders will be slightly better positioned (they are already close to optimal), but in the meantime the windows must be concealed.

Until the protective films can be applied, I've positioned chairs immediately inside the glass doors to help disrupt the reflections that may cost more precious birds their lives. While this is not an ideal solution, any small assitance may save a bird, making it more than worthwhile.

Fly free, little finch.

Two New Species

Wonderful news to report today, confirmation of two new species now added to my lists. One is finally identified for the wild list, while the other is a new and unexpected visitor -- and voracious feeder -- to the backyard.

The newly identified wild bird is the Downy Woodpecker, whom I've seen regularly on a particular trail walk by the Provo River but whom I've been unable to identify without the zoom-and-freeze aid of a digital camera. While this is a common wild bird, identification can be challenging because of its similarity to the Hairy Woodpecker; truly they look like twins, though the downy woodpecker is smaller with a shorter bill. Because those are the only ways to truly distinguish this bird from its larger cousin, the camera was necessary to help freeze the moment and make the positive identification.

The new backyard visitor is a Lazuli Bunting, or rather quite a few of them. The beautiful blue, cinnamon, and white coloring of this songbird made him easy to identify, and it's apparent that they travel in flocks for in the course of less than an hour, the feeder was visited by at least three males and one rusty-buff female. Somewhat more skittish and hyperactive than the Cassin's finches and house finches that were feeding alongside, the Lazuli buntings appear to prefer niger seed and other mixed seeds (though not the black oil sunflower) on the platform feeder. This makes me doubly glad that I've opted to include niger seed in the custom mix I fill the large hopper feeder with, if it is indeed attracting such a stunning variety of visitors.

Welcome, all.

Adding to the Menagerie

A new visitor has appeared at the feeders with a vengeance: Cassin's finches. At first, they appear similar to the common house finches, but they have several distinct characterisitics that help with their identification. While house finches have a red forehead and red wash along their buff chests, Cassin's finches have a much brighter, more sharply defined red forehead and crown, while the red wash on their chests is less noticeable. House finches are streaked along their bellies, while Cassin's finches are not, though Cassin's finches have stronger, sharper markings along their backs, particularly the females.

Behavior-wise, the Cassin's finches appear to prefer platform or ground feeding with equal abandon, though they don't much care for the narrow tube finch feeders that the house finches happily balance on. Cassin's finches are also bolder and less skittish than many other of the backyard species currently enjoying my buffet, and they get along relatively well with other species, demonstrating less of the aggressive, territorial behavior some other birds exhibit.

There appears to be at least four pairs of Cassin's finches that have discovered my backyard sanctuary, and they're all welcome. According to my birding resources, the better the food supply the more that will attend, so in days to come there may be quite a flock present. The more the merrier!

Memorial

Sadly, feeding the birds is not always pleasant. Today, during the evening dinner rush, a female sparrow tragically collided with our patio door (plain glass), and seemed to break her neck in the collision. She didn't suffer, certainly, but the accident puts a pall on the joys of backyard birdfeeding. All backyard birders should be aware of the consequences of both highly reflective and clear windows -- both can be lethal for birds. They may be unaware the the window is there if it is so clear they can see through it, or they may see trees and plants reflected in the window that they believe they can fly to.

Studies indicate that as many as 100 million or more birds may perish as a result of window and building collisions each year, either immediately from the impact or shortly thereafter from injuries received during the collision. To prevent these accidents, backyard birders can do many things, including...

• Using soap, tape, whitewash, stickers, or other reflectors to break up the expanse of glass so birds are aware of the window. CollidEscape is a material that creates the appearance of a solid wall without obstructing the view - it is more expensive, but well worth the investment.
• Keeping feeders either very close to windows or greater than 10 feet from windows - if the feeders are close, birds can't gain the momentum necessary for an injury collision, and if the feeders are further away, they can avoid the glass more easily.
• Install exterior shutters, blinds, or netting to keep birds from contacting the glass. This has the distinct drawback, however, of obstructing the view and keeping you from enjoying the pleasures of winged visitors.
• Keeping windowscreens on windows throughout the year. While this cannot prevent collisions with patio doors, it can prevent window collisions.

I plan on installing CollidEscape as soon as possible to prevent other such accidents. It won't bring back the sparrow that has been lost, but today has been a lesson that won't be forgotten. For more information about bird window collisions and preventing such tragedies, I recommend this article from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as well as a detailed account from WildBird Magazine.

Fly free, little sparrow.

Golden Spring

Spring is golden, and so are the most recent visitors to the feeders: a pair of lesser goldfinches. While their spring coloring can be just as vibrant as the more familiar American goldfinch, their markings are a bit more blurred though no less distinctive. The surprise I've found is that they are happy to be guests at the platform feeder as well as the perching finch feeders.

When I blend seed, I typically use one part wild bird mix (the doves prefer most of those seeds), four parts black oil sunflower seeds, and one-half part niger or thistle seed, since the house finches are wildly attracted to the perching tube feeders despite the fact that they are just a shade too large for comfortable perching. Much to my astonishment, the lesser goldfinches have enjoyed probing on the platform feeder to find the niger seed that spills there.

You can see the size difference between the two species quite clearly, though both have voracious appetites and the feeders empty rapidly when they share the honors of dining at the backyard buffet. On the left is a female house finch, precariously balanced, and on the right is a male lesser goldfinch, eagerly enjoying the same treat. While the goldfinches can typically perch for long periods of time and nibble continuously, the house finches tend to perch briefly when they can maintain a few seconds of balance, snatch a bite or two, before fluttering to regain their position. They can be quite territorial and aggressive when feeding at the perches, particularly when larger numbers of birds vie for the same choice tidbits, though having added multiple tube feeders this year seems to have diminished the competition. Perhaps adding niger seed to the hopper mix has also helped foster cooperation between the species and bring everyone peacefully to the table.

Endangered Species

This blog will be an endangered species for some time to come, as other life matters intrude on my love of backyard birding. Nonetheless, I still plan on progressing with the work to create a bird sanctuary, however slowly.

I have continued to build a brush pile to provide interim shelter and safety to winged visitors, gleaning a wide variety of sticks and scraps from other people's spring prunings. Thus far, some birds have visited the brush pile, even seeking it out to hunt for insects. The other landscaping work, however, is seeing less progress as the estimates came in too far above budget to be accepted comfortably. Instead, we plan on doing much of the preliminary work ourselves in preparation for professional labor in about a year. This will also give us more time to plan the layout for the feeder island and specific plantings we are interested in, and it's better to take it slow and do it properly than to rush and be unhappy.

As spring progresses, more species have reappeared. The mourning doves have returned, and the first California quail was pecking about on the patio recently, eagerly searching for scattered seeds. The quail are most amusing to watch, with their butterball physique, skittish mannerisms, and perfectly straight running tracks when spooked. There are quite a few quail in the neighborhood, and hopefully more of them will be visiting soon. They enjoy scratching in the mulch for different seeds, and I'm happy to spread more to give them their favorite treats. The western scrub jays are still absent, but I have spotted them out in the neighborhood recently and in another week or two I'll put out the peanuts in the shell they love so much to hoard (I found four recently while working in the flower beds), so hopefully they'll be happy to return as well.

It is ironic that just as there is more to write about with regards to backyard birding, there is less time to craft the words. Much better to be out and enjoying the visitors while making their stay more pleasant, but updates will come when they are able. We all need to spread our wings, shake our feathers from the winter laziness, and take flight into spring!