I Love Crows!

The American Crow is an intelligent and interesting bird. I first learned of this bird’s intelligence from the book Wild Animals I Have Known (by Ernest Thompson Seton). Writing over a hundred years ago, Seton devoted one chapter to a crow named Silverspot. (Read “Silverspot: The Story of a Crow” online at the Baldwin Online Children’s Literature Project.)

As you’ll learn in the chapter on Silverspot, crows are extraordinarily intelligent, organized, social, and attentive to young. I love how they communicate with one another. For instance, whenever I go outside with the dogs, there’s always at least one crow, acting the role of scout, who alerts the others to my presence. I often see pairs perched closely together on tree branches, sharing affection. And who hasn’t heard a flock of crows squabbling amongst themselves or following a leader’s call to head out this way or that. They’re extremely gregarious, which is why I like them.

Yet another reason I like crows is that they can alert me to the location of owls and/or hawks. Crows are fearful of these predators and devote themselves utterly to agitating the lone owl or hawk who wanders into their territory. For even more interesting info on the American Crow, check out this black beauty on the Web site All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s online birding guide.

Next time you hear a flock of crows in the neighborhood, pay close attention. You'll be surprised at what you might learn just by watching and listening.

Till next time . . . happy birding!

Georgia Anne

Tufted Titmouse

Another year-round visitor to my feeder is the Tufted Titmouse. Its big black eyes remind me of buttons, as if too cute to be real. Other notable traits include its “tuft” or gray crest and a black patch between its eyes. According to Cornell Lab of Ornithology (on its All About Birds web site), the titmouse doesn’t join a flock during the non-breeding season like other chickadees, but stays on territory with its mate. This then explains why throughout the winter I have many more Black-capped Chickadees (who flock together) and only a few titmice, maybe three pairs. (Photo is courtesy of Charles H. Warren.)

Like the Black-capped Chickadee who has a very recognizable call "chickadee-dee-dee," the song of the Tufted Titmouse is easy to identify and often written as "peter peter peter peter." Of course the clear whistled song of the titmouse is much more rapid and melodic. Listen to an audio file online to see if you can hear "peter" in this bird's song.

Until next time . . . happy birding!
Georgia Anne

A Pileated Woodpecker

Yesterday afternoon, driving through the woodland adjacent to my property, I saw a Pileated Woodpecker. It flew across the road and into a tree. You can never mistake this woodpecker for another because of its size and markings. According to Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “No other living North American woodpecker is large and black with a red crest” (All About Birds web site).

In this photo (by Charles H. Warren), we see a male, who can be distinguished from the female by a red mustache and forehead. Both sexes have the bright red crest; however, only in the male does the red flow down onto the forehead.

In the spring and summer, I often hear the Pileated’s distinctive territorial call (audio file at All About Birds), though in the cold of winter, this woodpecker needn’t be so vocal. But whatever the time of year (the Pileated is a year-round resident), I’m always delighted to see this striking, large bird in flight—its brilliant red-crested head on extended neck and the flash of white with each upstroke of wings: simply stunning.

So keep your eyes open; you never know what you might see!

Until next time . . . happy birding!

Georgia Anne

Starlings in the Snow

The snow is falling heavily here today in Clearfield County, and many different birds are rioting beneath my feeder. I've still a huge flock of goldfinch, many pine siskins, lots of juncos, several blue jays, a few cardinals, many ever-patient mourning doves, and arriving today, a band of European Starlings.

European Starlings (introduced into U.S over a century ago) are considered a nuisance by many because they compete with native species for food and nesting cavities. But life in the wild is all about competition, so I don't begrudge them that. Starlings are here in large number this morning, fighting over the hanging suet bar and poking at the sunflowers seeds I've scattered over the ground. But for the mourning doves, who are of similar size, the starlings look huge beside the much smaller siskins and goldfinch, both relunctant to give ground since they, too, are hungry on this cold, snowy day.

In their winter (non-breeding plumage) these birds appear mostly black with creamy white specks. However, in the warmer months of breeding, their feathers acquire a beautiful iridescent sheen of green and purple. Today, with their feathers puffed out against the cold, these stocky black birds make quite a contrast to the snow. The photo provided here (courtesy of U.S Fish & Wildlife Service) clearly shows the creamy spots of their winter plumage, though I'm sorry there's no snow.

I'm off to do some shoveling and to scatter some more sunflower seeds for visitors.
Till next time . . . happy birding!

Georgia Anne

Black-capped Chickadee

Of all the year-round birds that frequent my feeder, I most enjoy the Black-capped Chickadee. This beautiful little bird seems braver than most. When all others have flown from my approach to the feeder, the stout-hearted chickadee stands his or her ground, sometimes awaiting the new seeds before flying off with one. (Photo courtesy of the Digital Library System of the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service.)

Today during my morning walk with the dogs, many chickadees were in the trees singing their sweet whistling song fee-bee or fee-bee-ee. These soft, lyrical notes are different than their more strident call: chickadee-dee-dee, which to my ears sounds like a sweet scolding. Whatever its music, the Black-capped Chickadee makes my winters a lot more cheerful. In the summer, when their tastes turn from seeds to insects, I miss their constant company.

Until next time . . . happy birding!

Georgia Anne

Happy New Year with the Dark-eyed Junco

Happy New Year! And what better way to start than with my frequent visitor, the Dark-eyed Junco. Known as a “snow bird” for his winter visits, the junco is actually a sparrow, albeit one dressed unusually (and more formally) in a slate-gray “tuxedo.” Most sparrows are brown and streaked. And there are actually five distinct forms of junco, the slate-colored one being shown here (photo courtesy of photographer Ken Thomas).

You can see photos of all five forms and hear the lovely trilling song of this pretty gray bird with white belly and tail feathers by visiting my favorite bird Web site http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds
Once you’ve visited All About Birds (sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology), you’ll return again and again to expand your understanding of birds.

To become a birder, you need your eyes (and binoculars!), ears, and a guide to identify the bird you see in your yard, along the roadside, in fields, woods, by water—or wherever you go. For the beginner, I’d suggest a guide that includes actual photographs of the birds rather than colored illustrations. But be sure it includes photos of both the male and female since these are mostly different in plumage. Such guides are often published by state and organized by the bird’s color, allowing you to begin the identification process without prior knowledge.

As you’ll discover, the process of identification is a discipline that must be learned. So don’t get discouraged if you can’t quickly and easily identify the birds you see. Keep on looking. You’ll learn soon enough.

Until next time . . . happy birding in the new year!

Georgia Anne