Get your Bird Eyes On

Hey dirty handers! We are right now on the threshold of a very special event in our spring season--the onset of the "warbler wave". Every spring, thousands of these chickadee size birds move north to their nesting grounds and we are along the migratory path. The "wave" refers to the fact that these birds move in multi species groups in large numbers. Often flying at night for thousands of miles, many of them come to rest and refuel in our area. A few species stay here and nest, but a great many of them continue on northward after a short stopover to eat everything they can get ahold of to replenish their energy.

Warblers are attracted to areas with very high insect populations and can usually be found in mature forests, especially if water is nearby. Many species are drawn to moving water like streams or rivers. They often stay high up in the tree canopy, and can be difficult to spot or identify for this reason. Birders often complain of "warbler neck" which refers to the many hours spent with your head cocked back as far as it can go while you scan the treetops for these little flying jewels. Fortunately, since nesting time is near, these birds are tricked out in their brilliant plumage, and usually sing like crazy. Often they can be spotted as their bright colors flash among the trees, or located and identified by their songs. Binoculars with the largest lenses are best for viewing this quick little birds--they let in more light and make it easier to get your eye "on the bird".

While places like Potato Creek attract huge numbers of warblers (and people to watch them), we can make our own gardens hospitable to them. If there are a number of mature trees in your yard and surrounding neighborhood, you can sometimes attract them with a source of moving water, like a gently flowing fountain. The first fountain we ever built (a watering can that spilled into a basin) was up and running for about an hour when a Scarlet Tanager came down from the trees to see it and get a drink. Suet--especially the kind with dead bugs in it--will sometimes attract a hungry Pine Warbler. Some warblers have a real affinity for certain conifers--the Bay Breasted Warbler is closely associated with Norway Spruce--and we have seen them in exactly those trees at our house.

So keep these beautiful little birds in mind at this time of year--and if you see a small bird moving quickly through the trees, get some bino's out and spend some time looking. When conditions are just right you will be treated to something you will never forget. We have seen as many as 10 different species in our yard in active years, and more than that at Potato Creek.

And did you know that cell phone towers are taking a very hard toll on migratory bird populations? Its something to think about.