Meticulous yard-cleaning is going to get rid of birds

Olive Sparrows

Dark-eyed Junco

It's time we relegate the myth of "fall cleanup" to the trash bin. Many, many songbirds depend on "yard leavings" to find shelter and food during north Texas' cool months - much like a bird living in a natural forest.

The majority of north Texas' wild birds are attracted to an unkempt yard - Wrens, Juncos, Brown Thrashers, Towhees and all our 12 species of native Sparrows, to name a few.
Of course, some accommodations need to be made for the humans living there too. At our house we clean up a portion of our yard, and let nature take its course in the rest of the landscape. We're constantly rewarded with visits from birds of all kinds.



The Macaulay library at Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology has  collected thousands of bird sounds: they're accessible through their web site - www.birds.cornell.edu/macaulaylibrary . Their first recording of  birds was made back in 1929, and many, many have been added since.

Blue Jays can "squirrel" away several acorns at once

Blue Jay

The common Blue Jay we see in north Texas can pick up and fly with several acorns at a time.  Very efficient!!

He can carry one or two or three (depending on the nuts' sizes) in its mouth and throat.  Also, at least two more in expandable "pockets" on the outside of its throat.

The jay carries them away and hides them for later - just like a squirrel.


If you're thinking about buying a child a pair of binoculars for Christmas, that's a wonderful, lasting gift!! However, please avoid buying a toy pair, which has terrible performance, usually breaks right away, and sours the child on pursuing other "nature stuff" in the future. Keep these criteria in mind;

1. Choose binoculars where the distance between the eyes ("IDP") adjusts down to 50-55 mm.  2. Steer clear of choosing extra-high magnification, and toward a wider field of view, so the child can see a wider area.  3. Avoid a compact model made for an adult's hands. These almost always have smaller focusing dials.

Goldfinches are arriving; what are you feeding them?

American Goldfinch

American Goldfinch

Some Goldfinches are here already, more are on the way.  When they arrive they're a dirty-yellow color, and are hungry for thistle.  However, the small black seed they like is NOT the same thing as the "thistle" that grows here in Texas.    Some call it "Nyjer" (nigh-jer) a trademarked name for the common birdseed you really want. It comes only from overseas.

This real thistle (or Nyjer) has a freshness length of only 6 or 7 months, since it has to be heated at Customs (250 degrees for 15 minutes) to kill off any unwanted seeds, which starts the process of it going stale. So, when given this year's seed, Goldfinches should eat it all, instead of throwing it on the ground. That's not the case if they're given last year's seed, or locally-grown "thistle".

Rufous Hummingbird

Some north Texans have seen hummingbirds in their yards - during the winter!  It's rare, but possible.

Our "customary" hummingbirds (the Ruby-throated and Black-chinned species) left here in early October. But the Rufous Hummingbird summers in the Pacific Northwest, and comes south for the winter. (And Texas is the "south") .

The word "harvest" bothers Canada Geese and me

Canada Goose

Roughly 25-percent of the Canada Geese that are "harvested" from the wild each year in Canada are taken by native/aboriginal people. The others are taken for various reasons, including 'sport'.

They're among the top three species hunted (along with Mallards and Teal).

Canada Goose

By the way, they're "Canada Geese" not "Canadian", which you'll hear sometimes in the media.




The number of waystations for migrating Monarch butterflies has passed 1,000. Since Monarchs, like most butterflies, migrate each year to warmer climates like Mexico, they need frequent waystations to rest and refuel, especially in Texas. Size isn't a big factor; some waystations are just a few square yards.

The butterflies used to do this almost anywhere, but the U.S. is losing good butterfly habitat at the rate of over 3,000 acres a day. In this area, the most frequently-seen butterfly is the Gulf Fritillary. Now is the right time of year, in Texas, to prepare an effective butterfly waystation.

Monarch

Gulf Fritillary

Wild Turkeys vs. what's on our plates

wild Turkey

Unless we live under a rock, we realize that the turkey we eat at Thanksgiving is NOT the same as the wild turkey. They have a common ancestry, but it goes back hundreds of years.

The turkey was encountered by the Spanish conquistadors when they conquered the Aztecs in Mexico. The Aztecs had domesticated the bird for food and the Spanish brought it back to Spain.

In Spain and throughout Europe, it was bred and re-bred into the forerunner of the domestic turkey. It evolved into a very different bird from the original "wild turkey". The pilgrims brought it back to North America, and started the custom of eating it at Thanksgiving.

Since that time the domesticated turkey has been aggressively bred and hybridized even more, primarily to have more and more meat. These days, it can no longer fly, and has become what winds up on our plates each Thanksgiving.

wild Turkey

Lots of birds are in north Texas during cool weather

Some people are surprised to find out that there are more birds here during cool weather, than in the warm months. Many birds (like Chickadees and Wrens)  stay in north Texas all year long.  Also, lots of birds (such as Flickers and native Sparrows) come to Texas for the fall and winter - escaping the bitter cold and frozen ground up north. After all, this is the South!


Here's a short video I created showing some of the birds you might see in your north Texas yard during cooler weather.


Good birding attire should be durable, of course. The color is also very important. It should not be white, brightly-colored or dramatically patterned. In my yard the birds don't seem to mind earthtones, dark blue or dark green.

Why some birds are now singing BEFORE the crack of dawn

In a word (actually two); light pollution. It's the widespread use of intense artificial light when there should be darkness.

American Robin

According to a recent study, American Robins may start to sing 30-minutes to 3 hours earlier than they did in the past. The birds, quite simply, are confused. It's also evident in Mockingbirds, Wrens...all species. We can't see stars (or comets, meteor showers - all that neat stuff) in the night sky for the same reason - light pollution.

The Eastern Screech Owl is fairly common here in north Texas, and it "nests" throughout cooler weather - starting now. However, Screech Owls don't actually build nests. They simply find a safe place (unused birdhouse, old woodpecker hole, rotted-out tree trunk etc.) and lay eggs there.  The criteria are that it be hidden (so the owls can sleep during the day), the entry is at least 3 inches in diameter and the eggs won't just roll away.

In extreme weather the smallish owls may seek shelter in such a place (called "roosting"). If so, they're inclined to lay eggs there too.