J A N U A R Y. Bird Calendar

Transcription

1 J A N U A R Y Watch for winter flocks of cardinals at your feeders. Observe which males and which females are dominant. Chickadees will also arrive in flocks. What other tag-along species show up at the same time? How regular is the chickadee flock s schedule? Clean and well-oiled feathers are key to birds surviving cold winter temperatures. Provide open water with heated bird baths. Listen for Great Horned Owls calling as pairing and nesting begins.

2 F E B R U A R Y Winter flocking continues for cardinals and chickadees. Disputes over dominance may intensify. Waterfowl begin moving back into Ohio by the end of the month. Male Bluebirds begin defending nesting territories. Great Horned Owls nesting. Use tube-toppers to shield your finch feeders from winter elements. Visit a known eagle nesting site to observe early nesting activity.

3 Watch for traditional Harbingers of Spring including returning migrating species: Red Winged Blackbirds; large flocks of mostly female robins; Chipping Sparrows; ducks and other waterfowl. M A R C H Visit the Cuyahoga National Park Blue Heron rookery or attend the Hinckley Buzzard Day Festival celebrating the return of Turkey Vultures to Ohio. Watch for goldfinches beginning their changeover to bright summer colors. Cardinal and chickadee flocking behavior dissipates.

4 Spring Migration peaks. Goldfinches complete their transition to summer yellow plumage. A P R I L Watch for Indigo Buntings at your finch feeders, especially during inclement weather. Put out nesting material. Watch which birds come and where they go to discover robin, cardinal, chickadee and more nesting sites. Bluebirds begin nesting protect their boxes from sparrows and other predators. Listen for wild turkeys gobbling to attract mates. April 15th Pay your taxes and put up your hummingbird feeders. Mount House Wren and chickadee boxes. Notice the contention between same gender cardinals at your feeders no more winter flocks! Visit a birding hotspot like Magee Marsh to witness the warbler migration.

5 Watch for Scarlet Tanagers best observed in wooded areas in early May before tree leaves fully emerge. Watch for Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at your feeders. If you see them for more than a week, they are probably nesting nearby! M A Y Get Mom a new bird feeder for Mother s Day she loves to feed birds! Mount and open new Purple Martin houses by the end of the month. Hummingbirds and orioles have returned. Keep your nectar feeders full and fresh. Use nesting material to track these birds to their nest sites. Bluebirds are hatching. Use a bluebird mealworm feeder to bring them up close and personal. They will think you are doing it for them! Put out nesting material. Watch which birds come and where they go to discover robin, cardinal, chickadee and more nesting sites. Watch for Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at your feeders. If you see them for more than a week, they are probably nesting nearby! Mature cardinals rarely eat suet but cardinals feed lots of suet to their young. Mount a suet feeder with a wide landing platform that they can access. Put out your summer bird baths by the end of the month after the threat of late frost has passed.

6 J U N E Get Dad a new birdbath or fountain you know how he loves the patio! Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are nesting and visiting feeders. Bluebirds may nest 2-3 times a season. Clean out your bluebird boxes as soon as the last brood has fledged, or after a failed nesting to make them available again as soon as possible. Hang a Hummbug fruit fly feeder in a shady location for your hummingbirds. Keep your feeders full and watch for cardinal fledglings making their first feeder visit. They are easy to spot with their unsteady flight and mottled feathers, but Mom and Dad will be so proud to show them off!

7 J U L Y Observe non-feeder birds like robins, catbirds, bluebirds and other thrushes, warblers, and wrens stopping to drink and bath. Orioles and grosbeaks are in the final stages of nesting and getting ready to depart, but goldfinches are just getting started! Keep your bird nesting material out for them and other birds that are starting a second brood, and keep your finch feeders full during this season of hungry mouths to feed for Mom and Dad Goldfinch. Add moving water with a fountain, pond, or Water Wiggler, to make your backyard even more attractive for the birds. Hummingbird populations increase dramatically over the course of the summer. Keep your feeders full, fresh and clean. Hang another hummingbird feeder out of sight of your first one, so that female and young birds have a feeder protected from the dominant male in your area.

8 Migratory birds like orioles and grosbeaks complete their nesting and begin moving to their winter feeding grounds in tropical rainforests. A U G U S T Goldfinches continue nesting with a second brood. Goldfinches also continue heavy feeder activity. Adult and juvenile cardinals and other birds continue heavy feeding activity at sunflower/platform feeders. Watch for natural feeding on fruits and berries as these wild food crops mature. Keep your birdbaths and hummingbird feeders clean and fresh, especially if dryer weather prevails.

9 S E P T E M B E R Goldfinches begin their fall molt, changing to winter drab plumage. Migratory birds form fall flocks. Hummingbirds will be leaving by mid-month. Keep your feeders full to give them energy on their strenuous migratory trek. Hummingbirds that nested in Canada may still be on their way through the end of the month, so leave your feeders out for them! Purple martins have finished nesting and depart early in September. Bring in or invert and cover your summer bird baths before frost. Fall warbler and hawk migrations are underway.

10 O C T O B E R Ohio s snowbirds begin to return to our backyard feeders including Purple Finch, Pine Siskins, possibly Red-breasted Nuthatches, and certainly Juncos. Watch for the reassembly of the winter cardinal flocks and the winter chickadee flocks. Put out your ground feeders to welcome the return of the Junco.

11 N O V E M B E R Watch for sparrow activity under your feeder. Rusty-crowned Chipping Sparrows are on their way south; rusty crowned American Tree Sparrows are replacing them. Which one are you seeing? Both? Check your field guides to be sure. Look for White-Throated Sparrows as well. Are there any Towhees scratching for seed next to them?

12 Natural foods can be unavailable in snowy or icy conditions. Keep your feeders full of sunflower, safflower, or sunflower rich mixes and enjoy the view as cardinal flocks and chickadee flocks visit. D E C E M B E R If you have winter bluebirds, provide them with freeze-dried mealworms or bluebird nuggets. Use a heated bird bath to attract a wide variety of birds. Make sure your ground feeding tray is in place and full. Participate in a winter bird count at a local nature center or on-line.