Butter-Butts Are Back

The first sign of spring flew through my yard this week - or more accurately, through my neighbor's yard to feed on the leftover apples - a butter-butt, or for the less colloquial, a yellow-rumped warbler. I noticed the bird hawking around the tree a bit and its behavior wasn't at all sparrow- or finch-like, which are my two most frequent visitors this time of year. A quick peek through the binoculars was all that was needed, however, to see the distinct warbler profile, yellow flank patch, dainty bill, and eye ring. A quick turn of a pose and I saw a flash of its bright rump as well, and there's no denying what bird it is.

What an exciting moment it was, to realize spring is on the way and perhaps closer than believed. Yellow-rumped warblers are the earliest migrating warblers in North America, and in some places they may overwinter. Admittedly, they don't stay through Utah's bitterly cold winters, so this bird's persistent appearance is a sure sign that the weather is warming.

There is another lesson here: just how valuable fruit trees are in the spring. If this particular golden delicious apple tree had been thoroughly harvested and stripped of its fruit to avoid the "hassle" of fallen apples over the winter, there would have been no food source for this early warbler to take advantage of. Throughout the long cold season, I've also seen American robins, European starlings, Eurasian collared-doves, and house finches taking advantage of the bounty to varying degrees. Certainly some birds prefer the fruit while others may just be giving it an idle sample or searching for insects on the fruit, but nonetheless it is a critical resource for many winter and early spring birds. My crabapple trees, still new to the landscaping, haven't been getting as much attention, but I anticipate that in the next few weeks they too will be fed upon by returning birds, and all are welcome at the buffet.

Crowning Glory

On my recent trip to Powder Mountain - where I added the hairy woodpecker to my life list - I also added another bird, and given that I saw it last on the trip, it would qualify as my most recent tick. An elusive, high mountain bird with stunning colors, it really is a crowning glory to a successful bird outing: the gray-crowned rosy-finch.

I've rarely seen a bird so aptly named. This finch has some of the most stunning plumage I've ever seen - milk chocolate brown overall, with a bright pink wash on the wings, a silvery gray head, and a bold black crown. The white eye ring and yellow bill complete its rainbow.

While standing still these birds are beautiful enough, they're even more astounding in flight. As the flock of nearly fifty we were watching swooped in to the feeder and soared over the roofs of the Powder Mountain resort, their wings shown silvery-white, nearly glowing in the snowy sun. Combined with the glittery cold of the day, it was a breathtaking sight.

Too often, however, birders get absorbed in the breathtaking birds they see and fail to fully appreciate their surroundings. While walking around a small area of the resort, we came to an overlook by one of the ski trails. Looking out across the mountain range with the low-lying clouds that made it a drab day in the valley, I couldn't help having the feeling of being at the very top of the world. Birding is a beautiful hobby, not only in the diversity of color, shape, and style of the birds you see, but in the beautiful places you visit to see them. The next time you're out birding, take a few moments away from the binoculars to truly see where you are. The subtle play of light along a river, the ancient crooks and curves of tree branches, the aquatic waving of meadow grasses... A beautiful setting can be the crowning glory on a day of birding, with or without lifers.

A Hairy Lifer

I wrapped up January's birding with two fantastic new lifers, though one of them may not seem so spectaculary: the hairy woodpecker. Not an uncommon bird, the hairy woodpecker has nonethless eluded me whenever I'm in the appropriate habitat, but with this bird walk to Powder Mountain in northern Utah, it was an easy bird to spot.

First, the bird was in the middle of the road near the ski resort's lodge entrance, happily pecking away at some unknown source of interest on the icy surface. Later, it - and its partner - flitted among trees to forage, and occasionally dropped down to visit the suet feeder I was observing with a group of other birders brave enough to venture into the mountains' bitter cold.

Through my research, I knew of the similarities between downy woodpeckers and hairy woodpeckers, and how challenging it can be to tell the two similar species apart. Having now seen them both in the field, I can say it may not be as hard as believed, once you have the honor of seeing both yourself. The hairy woodpecker is noticeably larger, and the long bill stands out as a formidable tool, whereas the downy woodpecker's bill is little more than a pointed nub among its nasal bristles. While both species have black and white plumage, the hairy woodpecker is much darker overall, with less white mottling on the wings. The behavior of the two birds is also markedly different: while the downy woodpecker is more active and flighty, I found the hairy woodpecker to be very deliberate. It's a bird that knows what it wants.

And to that end, I know what I want: the opportunity to see even more lifers and observe their fascinating behavior as it should be - in the wild, doing what wild birds do. There is no comparison with books, field guides or secondhand sightings. Let's get birding.

Can you tell the difference between downy woodpeckers and hairy woodpeckers? These tips can help!

National Bird Feeding Month

If you haven't heard, February is National Bird Feeding Month, and this year the birds need those extra tasty tidbits more than ever. The extreme snowfall over much of the country and even the bitter cold here in Utah make it harder for birds to find food just at a time they need more calories to maintain enough body heat to survive.

I have over a dozen feeders around my two yards - front and back - as well as the new crabapple and hawthorne trees. Most of my feeders have hulled sunflower seeds for fantastic energy without any residual mess, and I also feed Nyjer, cracked corn and mixed seed. Even more important than just feeding, though, is taking care of your feeders even in the harshest weather conditions - keep feeding trays clear and snow away from feeding ports and perches so the birds can access the food easily.

Every step you go beyond just feeding the birds can also help them survive these harsh storms. Keep a heated bird bath clean and filled for fresh water, and provide shelter in a brush pile, roosting boxes, or sheltered niches for roosting birds. You'll be rewarded as even in the most wicked part of winter, your yard is alive with energetic, healthy birds. I know mine is, and even on the days when the weather keeps me indoors, I am able to enjoy that touch of nature as my birds flit back and forth through the yard.

It's easy to get started feeding birds with these tips!

Awarded

I generally don't pay attention to awards in the so-called blogosphere, as many of them are tacky gimmicks designed to do nothing more than to garner a few more visitors to the awarding website rather than the blogs supposedly awarded. This week, however, Backyard Birds Utah was included on what I truly believe to be an impressive list - 30 Terrific Bird Blogs - hand-picked and assembled by Guide to Online Schools.

Still a pessimist, I did check out the list, and was amazed by what I found. Not only are several birding blogs I myself follow included in this ranking, but there are a wide range of hidden gems that I could easily spend all day reading. I've been meaning more and more to get involved with other birding blogs - birders are a gregarious group and do tend to flock together - and this list is a key starting point that I highly recommend for all who enjoy bird blogs.

Just make sure you keep coming back to #10!

Shining Stars

I had some welcome guests in the yard a few days ago, guests that many backyard birders scorn and shun but who are always appreciated in my yard: European starlings. Colorful, energetic, and perky, they were amusing to watch as they poked through the exposed mulch from melting snow and their cacophony of chatter was a welcome din to mask the bland traffic noises to which I am so accustomed in this urban area. While part of the flock foraged in my yard, another part feasted on the bounty that is my neighbor's golden delicious apple tree and the leftover fruit that has nicely over-ripened through the winter (which is a fantastic reason to have fruit trees for birds as part of your wildlife landscaping).

I know I'm fortunate with European starlings; I don't ever succumb to the massive flocks that many birders face, and for the most part, my starling visitors rarely touch my bird feeders - even when they're stocked with tempting hulled sunflower seeds, as they are all winter. I can completely understand the frustration of putting out plentiful seed only to have it vacuumed up by these greedy gobblers, but even with their voracious appetites they're still fine birds to witness. At the very least, they were a welcome addition to my backyard for the little while they stayed, particularly when my local flocks are quite bland and predictable this time of year. Spring may be on the way, but until it arrives the starlings do tend to be some shining stars in my avifauna assembly.

Winter Sips

A winter wonderland may be filled with frozen water, but it's liquid water that birds crave. By providing water in your backyard via a heated bird bath all winter long, you'll see a wide range of thirsty birds visiting the bar for a quick drink.

I love my heated bird bath - a very simple plastic basin with a concealed heating element (to prevent shorts and increase the lifespan of the heater) mounted in a plain metal frame. The house finches, lesser goldfinches, and American goldfinches all enjoy simple sips, but it is the house sparrows that truly enjoy the bath - in every way. More than once this winter I've spied my sparrows happily splishing and splashing, even on the chilliest of days. Many backyard birders worry that bathing birds might freeze in winter, but in fact they're quite well insulated and moderately wet feathers are not harmful on most days. The birds themselves don't tend to bathe in the most severe cold, and after a bath they often sunbathe or otherwise dry themselves off and warm up.

Even in winter, never forget to clean your bird baths and keep them freshly filled. This is especially important with heated baths, since a dry bath can cause the heating element to malfunction. I need to remember to refill mine more frequently, but whenever I see the birds balancing nearly headfirst for a quick sip, it's a great reminder!

Check out more heated bird bath tips!

Playing at a New Pond

It's always nice to discover a new birding location, a great spot to see different birds with a different view than your very familiar local trails. Over the weekend, I joined a bird walk with Bill Fenimore of the Wild Bird Center in Layton, and we visited Beus Pond in Ogden. It's a nice, medium-sized pond with a rich riparian habitat: open water and flowing streams even in the winter, many nesting boxes for the local waterfowl, marshy and reedy areas for cover, and crabapple trees for winter food along the park's perimeter - all ideal for birds. The park is even well planned for birders: ample parking that won't disturb the birds, a well groomed path around the pond and through some forested patches, feeders kept filled to attract numerous songbirds to great views, and a small dock projecting slightly into the pond for excellent waterfowl views and interaction.

Over the course of the hour-long visit, we spotted more than a dozen species on even a drab winter day, with some remarkable views of wood ducks and mallards swimming and preening, black-capped chickadees stealing seeds from the feeders, spotted towhees foraging in the brush, a brown creeper flitting up tree trunks, and a sharp-shinned hawk poised for a hopeful lunch. It's a lovely spot, and I can't wait to visit again, particularly during migration seasons and spring, when the ducks are fledging.

Bill Fenimore is a wealth of birding knowledge and local history of wildlife management, and his bird walks are always a pleasure. On this occasion, he shared with us some of the history of Beus Pond and its magnificent population of wood ducks. Wood ducks are not widespread in Utah, and not much habitat is suitable for them locally. Beus Pond, however, is an ideal location, and about 20 years ago a group of wood ducks with clipped wings (to prevent them from leaving) was introduced to the pond. The birds were well cared for with the nest boxes and careful monitoring, and they have thrived. In recent years, reports of wood ducks have been confirmed in adjacent areas, proving that the introduction has been successful and the duck population is growing.

Beus Pond is a wonderful birding location, and I can't wait to go play again when even more birds will join the game.