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Tiny kinglets, gnatcatchers lead the charge among spring’s returning birds

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Photo by Pixabay • The blue-gray gnatcatcher’s diminutive size belies its defiant attitude. These birds are intensely territorial and brooks no intruders.

The ruby-crowned kinglets, which passed through last fall in October and November, have returned, retracing their migratory path for the spring season and making their presence felt at my home with their jittery call notes and songs.

Most of the more recent returning birds have been on the smaller side. In addition to ruby-crowned kinglets, which arrived on April 1, I saw and heard a tiny blue-grey gnatcatcher on March 31.

As their name suggests, kinglets are tiny birds. In fact, about the only North American birds smaller than kinglets are some of the hummingbirds. The kinglets, known outside North America as “flamecrests” or “firecrests,” belong to the family, Regulidae, and the genus, Regulus. The family and genus names are derived from a Latin word, regulus, which means “rex,” or “king.” The name was apparently inspired by the colorful crown patches, often red, orange or gold, that resemble the royal “crowns” of kings. In addition to the two North American species, four other species of kinglets can be found in North Africa, Europe and Asia.

The gnatcatcher is also one of our smaller birds. I’ve always though that blue-gray gnatcatchers resemble a shrunken mockingbird. Like quarrelsome mockingbirds, gnatcatchers are noisy, scolding songbirds.

They are also determined to protect their nesting territories at all costs and will attack much larger birds. In North America, the gnatcatcher ranks in size with birds like kinglets and hummingbirds. Despite its diminutive status, the gnatcatcher acknowledges no superiors. According to the All About Birds website, blue-gray gnatcatchers are “fiercely territorial” and use vocal displays and postures to in intimidate other birds. They may chase a rival as far as 70 feet. If all this fails to deter an intruder, a gnatcatcher will escalate to midair confrontations.

Gnatcatchers don’t hesitate to call for reinforcements when warranted. With persistent squeaking they will drum up a brigade of feisty, feathered fighters to repel intrusions by potential predators too large for a gnatcatcher and its mate to handle on their own.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

There are two species of kinglets in North America.

Although similar in size and overall coloration, the ruby-crowned and golden-crowned kinglets are easily distinguished from each other. Side by side, the two North American kinglets are easy to identify. The golden-crowned kinglet has a striped facial pattern formed by bold black and white stripes. The ruby-crowned kinglet, on the other hand, has a bold white eye ring but no striping. The golden-crowned kinglet has an orange crown patch, while the ruby-crowned kinglet has a red crown patch that is, more often than not, kept concealed. Both sexes of the golden-crowned kinglet possess a yellow crown patch, but only the male ruby-crowned kinglet boasts a scarlet patch of feathers atop the head. Observers can expend a lot of energy trying to get a look at the crown patches, which are typically only displayed when the bird is agitated.

There are 17 species of gnatcatchers. Most of these species reside in Central and South America. Some of the other species found in North America include California gnatcatcher and black-capped gnatcatcher.

Kinglets are very active birds. If warblers can be described as energetic, the kinglets are downright frenetic in their activities. The kinglets almost never pause for long, flitting from branch to branch in trees and shrubs as they constantly flick their wings over their backs. These bursts of hyperactivity can make them difficult to observe. Although small in size, these birds more than compensate for it with a feisty spirit that does them well through the harsh winter months.

Gnatcatchers are also constantly on the move, flicking their tails and darting through the branches of trees just starting to put out new green leaves. They glean caterpillars and small insects from the undersides of leaves to help fuel their demanding metabolism.

Kinglets and gnatcatchers often join mixed flocks comprised of other species of birds, some of which are regular feeder visitors. Perhaps by observing their flock counterparts, some kinglets have learned to accept feeder fare such as suet, meal worms and chopped nuts. Away from feeders, kinglets mostly feed on a range of small insects and arachnids. Gnatcatchers are strictly eaters of insects, but while a feeder holds no attraction for them, their curious nature often makes these tiny bird quite approachable.

Normally, kinglets have a rather fleeting lifespan. These tiny birds can be considered old if they live three or four years. There are always exceptions. The oldest golden-crowned kinglet on record was six years and four months old. That individual, a male, was documented by a bird bander in 1976, according to the website All About Birds.

Likewise, gnatcatchers live brief lives. The oldest known blue-gray gnatcatcher was a male, and at least four years, two months old, when it was recaught at a banding station in Pennsylvania and rereleased, according to the All About Birds website.

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I’m still waiting for the smallest of the small to make its spring appearance. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are back, although I haven’t seen one yet. To share your first hummingbird sighting of spring, email me at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

 

Fish crow is the new bird in town at locations across region

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Fish crows painted by John James Audubon.

Sharp-eared birders may be detecting some unfamiliar crow calls in downtown Erwin during strolls around town.

While the caws of American crows are rather harsh and raucous to the ear, the smaller and related fish crow has a caw with a higher, more nasal tone that is just different enough to stand out.

Fish crows have been expanding their presence in the region for several years, joining some other newcomers such as common mergansers and Eurasian collared doves.

The fish crow is a native species of the southeastern United States that has been pushing its range farther north and west.

I first got to know fish crows on visits to coastal South Carolina starting in the 1990s. These small crows can be quite abundant along the coastline of the Palmetto State.

It’s only been in the last six years that I’ve added fish crow to my list of birds observed in my home state.

I began to hear fish crows around the campus of East Tennessee State University in Johnson City during daily strolls while teaching in the literature and language department at ETSU back in late fall of 2018.

For months before that sighting, I’d begun to notice postings about the presence of fish crows on the campus of the Mountain Home Veterans Administration adjacent to the ETSU campus. I’d heard about the fish crows from some of my birding friends, too. I had not stirred myself to look for these slightly smaller relatives of the American crow. So, when I heard a familiar “caw” that was a bit too nasal for an American crow, I stopped for a closer look.

Photo by Pixabay • The American crow, pictured, is larger than the related fish crow and has a more raucous caw.

I heard the vocalizations again and found a couple of fish crows perched atop the parking garage behind the Carnegie Hotel, which is located between ETSU and the VA campus. With some surprise and delight, I realized that the birds were fish crows.

Fast-forward six years. In recent weeks I’ve been hearing fish crows in downtown Erwin on a fairly regular basis. This past week I heard the nasally caw of this crow as I approached the back door of the offices of The Erwin Record. I looked up and spotted a fish crow perched in one of the trees bordering the parking lot. I wonder how long before I get one of these small crows paying a visit to the fish pond at my home.

As I mentioned earlier, I’m familiar with fish crows from trips to coastal South Carolina, where these members of the corvid family are quite common. Fish crows have expanded inland away from coastal areas in recent decades. Fish crows showing up here in Northeast Tennessee originated from that expansion, which likely followed river systems like the Tennessee River.

The easiest way to detect a fish crow’s presence is to keep your ears open. Fish crows make a distinctive vocalization that is quite different from the typical “caw” of an American crow or the harsh croak of a common raven. The website All About Birds describes the call as a “distinctive caw that is short, nasal and quite different-sounding from an American crow.”

The website also makes note of the fact that the call is sometimes doubled-up with an inflection similar to someone saying “uh-uh.”

Although their name suggests a fondness for fish, they’re not finicky about their food and will eat about anything they can swallow. Fish crows are also known for raiding nests to steal the eggs of other birds. They will also dig up sea turtle eggs, which are buried in sand dunes by female turtles.

Fish crows don’t scruple at stealing food from other birds and have been observed harassing birds ranging from gulls to ospreys. Fish crows also harass American crows and, if they are successful, don’t hesitate to skedaddle with any morsel that they’re able to “persuade” their slightly larger relative to surrender.

The fish crow ranges in various coastal and wetland habitats along the eastern seaboard from Rhode Island south to Key West, and west along the northern coastline of the Gulf of Mexico.

It’s been fun to find these birds closer to home in Erwin and Johnson City.

It’s not been easy for crows in recent years. The West Nile virus has been particularly hard on American crows, which seem to have very little immunity to this mosquito-spread disease.

According to the research I’ve conduced, the fish crow, however, is more resistant to the virus, with close to half the birds exposed to the disease able to shake off the effects and fully recover.

According to the website Tennessee Watchable Wildlife, the first recorded sighting of a fish crow in Tennessee took place in 1931. Half a century later, the first nest record was documented in 1980. Both of these records took place in Shelby County.

The oldest known fish crow in the wild reached an age of 14 years 6 months old. Visit tnwatchablewildlife.com for more information about fish crows and other state birds.

Fish crows and other crows around the world are sometimes regarded more darkly than is usual for our fine feathered friends. We invent lore and superstition, mostly inspired by the crow’s dark plumage and some rather unsavory eating habits. Some people even consider crows a bad omen.

I’ve never been concerned personally with keeping crows, or any bird for that matter, at a distance. I always try to stay alert for any surprise these winged creatures bring my way.

Worldwide, there are about 50 species of crows in the Corvus genus. Some other crows include carrion crow, hooded crow, rook, small crow, white-necked crow, Eastern jungle crow, large-billed crow, violet crow and white-billed crow.

Why have fish crows expanded their range in recent decades? The answer is not clear, but it’s good to have them here. I’m glad to welcome them to the Valley Beautiful.

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To share a sighting, make a comment or ask a question, email me at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com. 

No shortage of contenders to vie for most beautiful bird status

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Karen Burke/Pixabay • A Baltimore oriole feeds from a dish of grape jelly. Male orioles show off vibrant feathers during the spring season.

Last week’s column focused on rose-breasted grosbeaks. Males of this species are a stunning sight every spring. People seeing them for the first time are always blown away.

After a link to last week’s column was posted to Facebook, Daisy Scism in Damascus, Virginia, commented that she had a visit from a rose-breasted grosbeak at her feeder recently.

The arrival of rose-breasted grosbeaks got me to thinking of other colorful birds that spend the summer months in Northeast Tennessee, Western North Carolina and Southwest Virginia.

Here’s my list of must-see birds sure to knock your socks off with their dramatic appearance.

Scarlet Tanager

In late April and early May, once the oaks, the maples, the poplars and other tall deciduous trees begin spreading out new green leaves to create a concealing woodland canopy, a familiar song can be heard coming from the treetops. Upon first hearing it, listeners might mistake the hidden singer for an American robin. Listen a little closer, however, and the song sounds as if it is being delivered by a hoarse robin with a sore throat.

Photo Courtesy of Jean Potter
A male scarlet tanager brightens shadowy woodlands with a flash of tropical colors yet remains mostly inconspicuous in the forest canopy.

The producer of the hoarse but melodic song is a scarlet tanager, one of the most showy birds of Eastern woodlands from April to early October. The scarlet tanager also has an easily recognized call note, best described as a distinctive “chip-burr” or “chip-churr.”

Photo by Bryan Stevens • Despite the brilliant scarlet and black feathers, tanagers are more often heard than seen,

The male scarlet tanager boasts a brilliant plumage of crimson red paired with black wings and tail. Of course, this describes only the male. The female tanager makes no real claim to the common name with her comparatively drab greenish plumage. However, the scientific name, Piranga olivacea, gives a nod to the olive-green plumage of females, young males and even adult males when molting their feathers.

Baltimore Oriole

The Baltimore oriole would stand out among North American birds even without its colorful plumage and its long association with the city of Baltimore and its affiliated Major League Baseball team.

For instance, few other birds can match the Baltimore oriole for the sheer elaborate nature of the woven nest these birds construct for the purpose of sheltering eggs and young. The nests resemble hanging baskets that the female oriole weaves from a variety of collected strips of grass. The lining inside is even more elaborate and features soft materials such as plant down, feathers or even wool that can insulate and cushion the eggs. The nest itself is anchored securely in the fork of a tree branch.

Again, credit for being on a list of stunning regional birds goes to the males. The adult male Baltimore oriole is orange on the underparts, shoulder patch and rump, with some individual birds appearing a very deep flaming orange and others appearing yellowish orange. All of the rest of the male’s plumage is black. Adult female are yellow brown on the upper parts with darker wings and dull orange yellow on the breast and belly. The juvenile oriole is similar looking to the female, with males taking until the fall of their second year to reach adult plumage.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • The male indigo bunting is a resplendent bird.

Indigo Bunting

The indigo bunting is one of the reasons I love to pay attention to the clientele visiting my feeders. This small songbird likes to reside in the boundary region where forests and woodlands meet fields and pastures. Personally, the indigo bunting has always been a bird that is suggestive of the long, hot days of summer.

One of my earliest and still quite vivid birding memories is a recollection of a shockingly blue bird atop a blue spruce tree in my yard. Several decades later, the tree is no longer standing, but these beautiful birds — I now know those long-ago summer visitors were indigo buntings — still return each year to my yard and gardens.

The male indigo bunting is the only solid blue bird in the eastern United States, but it’s all an illusion — literally a trick of the light. The indigo bunting’s feathers are not really blue; the male’s brilliant azure plumage is caused by the process of ;right diffraction around the structure of the bird’s feathers. This process scatters all but the blue light, and the resulting color shifts from black to blue to turquoise as the angle of reflected light changes. In bright light, it can even look unnaturally vivid blue. In poor light, however, an indigo bunting male can appear black.

Indigo buntings usually arrive in the region in late April, and I’ve seen them linger until late October, although most indigo buntings have left the region by late September.

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Do you have your own candidates for most beautiful birds. Feel free to email me your choice at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com. Share sightings, ask questions or make comments as well.

Male rose-breasted grosbeaks are always a stunning sight

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Photo by Edbo23/Pixabay • A male rose-breasted grosbeak is arguably one of the most impressive of the migrating birds making spring stops at lucky households offering feeders stocked with an ample supply of sunflower and other seeds.

Susan Westall emailed me on Sunday, April 21, for help identifying a new bird at her feeders.

Susan wrote, “We spotted this bird today (April 21) around 2:45 p.m. This bird has never been to visit that we’re aware of. We didn’t find the identity.”

Susan, who noted that she resides in Marion, North Carolina, asked if I could help identify the bird. She helpfully enclosed three photographs.

Photo provided by Susan Westall • A male rose-breasted grosbeak at a feeder at the Westall home.

One glimpse at her snapshots of the feathered visitor showed me that her mystery bird was none other than a rose-breasted grosbeak, one of the many splashy and impressive migrants that travel through Northeast Tennessee, Southwestern Virginia and Western North Carolina every spring.

Other than ruby-throated hummingbirds, the one bird whose return in the spring is guaranteed to generate excitement is the rose-breasted grosbeak. Every spring, I get phone calls and emails from people wanting to share the thrill of seeing these vibrant birds in their back yards.

A few people, like Susan, are completely stumped that such a flamboyant feathered visitor has landed in their own yard like an out-of-place inhabitant of a tropical jungle.

For most of us, these spring visits by rose-breasted grosbeaks is a fleeting and temporary stay. After finding the local arrangements, which can consist of well-stocked feeders and perhaps a convenient water source, to their liking, these migrants may linger for several days.

However, rose-treated grosbeaks nest at higher elevations and are usually impatient to continue the journey to where they will spend the summer months tending to their young.

Single birds are occasionally the first to arrive, but rose-breasted grosbeaks do form flocks when migrating. Even if a scout shows up alone at your feeders, he will often soon be joined by other grosbeaks.

Photo provided by Byron Tucker • A male rose-breasted grosbeak has a showdown with a red-bellied woodpecker for access to a feeder.

Plenty of rose-breasted grosbeaks pass through the area, and a few even decide to make the region’s mountains their summer home. Rose-breasted grosbeaks spread out widely across the eastern half of the North American continent, ranging from northeastern British Columbia to Quebec and Nova Scotia in Canada. They also range south from New Jersey to Georgia. The rose-breasted grosbeak also reaches Colorado, Oklahoma and Kansas.

Farther west, the rose-breasted grosbeak is replaced by the closely related black-headed grosbeak. I saw black-headed grosbeaks on a trip to Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2006.

In many bird species males and females differ considerably. This is certainly true of male and female rose-breasted grosbeaks. The genders in this species are considered dimorphic, which is a scientific term which means that certain male and female birds of the same species may vary widely in size, plumage coloration, song or other secondary sexual traits.

They also have some things in common. Both sexes have a massive bill, which they use to hull sunflower seeds at feeders or glean insects from leaves and branches. It’s the heavy, blunt bill for which the term “grosbeak” is derived. “Gros” is a German term for large or big, so grosbeak simply means a large-beaked bird.

People who band birds to further the study of them will tell you that rose-breasted grosbeaks have a wicked bite and are capable of delivering quite a nip. Bird banders frequently encounter rose-breasted grosbeaks in their mist nets — and bear the scars to prove it.

Only the male rose-breasted grosbeak displays the namesake splash of rosy-red feathers across a white breast. The rest of the male’s plumage consists of a dramatic contrast of black and white feathers. The female grosbeak, however, doesn’t stand out in the same way. She is much less colorful than the male. With her brown and white plumage, she is often mistaken for a large sparrow or finch.

At our feeders, this bird’s extremely fond of sunflower seeds. Away from our feeders, grosbeaks feed on insects, seeds, fruit and even some leaf buds and flowers. I’ve seen these birds satisfying a sweet tooth — or should that be sweet beak? — by feeding on jewelweed flowers and apple blossoms. If sugar’s good for hummingbirds, I am sure it is a valuable energy source for rose-breasted grosbeaks, too.

The rose-breasted grosbeak is a cherished spring visitor that never fails to impress by bringing a hint of the tropics to the mountains of Northeast Tennessee. If you are disappointed in hopes of seeing the species this spring, take heart. The rose-breasted grosbeak migrates through the region again in the fall, often from mid-September to late October. The males sometimes look less vibrant by autumn, but it’s always a treat to see this bird.

I’m hoping many readers are also enjoying their own opportunities for hosting this delightful songbird.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A male rose-breasted grosbeak perched in a tree on Holston Mountain in Tennessee.

Other songbirds are also on the move. Warblers, vireos, tanager, flycatchers, orioles and more are migrating through the region. Some will stay and make a home in the region for the summer. Others will push on beyond the Southern Appalachians. Keep your eyes open for what may show up next.

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Mark this on your schedule: Bristol Bird Club will host a presentation by Kera and George Brewster of Wild Birds Unlimited in Johnson City on Tuesday, May 21.

They couple had been scheduled to give a program at the club’s January meeting, but a snowstorm prevented it.

The club meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at The Summit at 1227 Volunteer Parkway in Bristol, Tennessee. Attendees can also join the meeting and view the program on Zoom. For a Zoom invite, email Larry McDaniel at bristolbirdclub2022@gmail.com.

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Share a sighting, ask a question or make a comment by emailing me at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Photo by Pixabay.com • A well-stocked feeder is a first step toward attracting more birds to your yard.

More readers share their hummingbird arrival stories

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Photo by Bryan Stevens • A male ruby-throated hummingbird perches on a branch. These tiny birds returned to the region earlier this month.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are back in the region for another season. This male takes a sip of nectar from the blooms of a potted plant.

I reported last week on a handful of people who saw the “early bird” ruby-throated hummingbirds making their return to local yards and gardens. Many more readers have contacted me this past week to share more hummingbird sightings.

For those who haven’t seen a hummingbird yet, just remain patient. They’re definitely arriving for another season with us. 

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Gina Kinney emailed me on behalf of her mom, Ginger Brackins, as she has done for several years, to share news of her mom’s hummingbird sighting.

“She said she saw her first hummingbird on Saturday, April 13, at around 5:30 p.m. in Erwin,” Ginger wrote.

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Only the male ruby-throated hummingbird shows the bright red throat patch.

“I put my feeder out on April 1 and took it down this morning (April 14) to clean it and put new feed in it,” wrote Joan Chipokas in an email. “About 30 minutes later, a male hummer came to the feeder. Didn’t see him again today, but I was busy so really wasn’t watching. Hopefully I’ll start seeing him on a regular basis and the female will show up too.”

Joan wrote that she lives on Suncrest Village Lane in Gray.

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Kingsport resident Ray Chandler reported a sighting of a first spring hummingbird on April 14 . “They are regular visitors to the feeders now,” he shared in an email.

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Lonnie Hale reported a first of spring hummingbird sighting in an email to me.

“We saw our first hummingbird yesterday (April 14),” Lonnie wrote. “I put the feeders out in the morning, bought four hanging baskets of flowers and BAM.”

Lonnie lives near Big Stone Gap, Virginia. “Love these little guys,” Lonnie added.

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April Fain in Unicoi also saw her first ruby-throated hummingbird of the season on April 14. “We had our first hummingbird this morning,” April wrote in a Facebook message to me. “I saw him three times.”

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Photo by Bryan Stevens • Despite a perceived disadvantage of size, ruby-throated hummingbirds are quite capable of thriving in a giant world.

Amy Tipton sent me a message on Facebook to report that her parents had observed their first spring hummingbird.

“The hummingbirds are back in Unicoi County,” she wrote. “My parents, Edison and Emma Jean Wallin, spotted their first one of the season this evening (April 14) at 6:30 at the feeder on their front porch in Limestone Cove. Mama just put her feeder out today.”

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“My first hummer just came in,” Karen and Bobby Andis of Kingsport reported via Facebook Messenger on April 14. “A small female…very hungry.”

I got a followup message the following day. “A male showed this morning,” they wrote.

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Erwin resident Donna Barnes Kilday shared a post on my Facebook page to report the arrival of her first hummingbird. “Saw my first hummingbird today,” she wrote on April 15.

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Priscilla Gutierrez shared in a Facebook comment that she saw her first hummingbird of spring on April 16.

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“I’ve had my feeder out for 2 weeks,” Virginia Martin commented on a Facebook post. Virginia, who resides in East Carters Valley in Scott County, added that she saw her first ruby-throated hummingbird on April 13 at 3:15 p.m.

“I believe they are a couple of days behind schedule for my area, possibly weather-related since we’ve had a spell of cooler temperatures and a few very windy storms recently,” she added.

Virginia noted that she has fed hummers for years, and use only the homemade sugar water in a common inexpensive feeder.

“It’s located just outside my dining area window, so I have literally a ‘bird’s eye’ view,” she wrote. “There’s a dogwood tree close by, and other good perching places for them to monitor and protect their territory.”

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Jan Bostrom sent me an email to share her first spring hummingbird sighting. She wrote, “I saw my first hummingbird yesterday (April 17) around 6 p.m.” Jan wrote that she been on the lookout because her neighbor saw her first hummingbird on April 15.

“I’m thrilled to be retired and to have time to enjoy God’s beauty around me,” Jan shared.

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I’ve finally joined the ranks of those who have welcomed hummingbirds back for another season.

The hummingbirds returned to my own home on April 17 at 7:15 p.m. I heard the telltale buzz of the bird’s wings before I spotted him. I stayed still and he zipped to my feeders for a quick sip. He returned a few times before dusk. When I posted my success on Facebook, several other people commented to let me know that hummingbirds had returned at their homes on April 17.

The following day I enjoyed watching two male ruby-throated hummingbirds in a prickly standoff about control of the front porch feeders.

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Vivian C. Tester in Bristol, Tennessee, posted a comment on one of my Facebook posts to let me know of her first spring sighting.

“Just saw my first hummingbird of spring,” she wrote on April 17.

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Rosalie Sisson in Jackson, Tennessee, commented on my Facebook page that she saw her first hummingbird of the season at about 6 Central time on April 17.

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Lauri Sneyd Garland in Unicoi, also on April 17, noted in a comment on my Facebook page she has been seeing hummingbirds for the last couple of days.

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Tina Jefferson Reese in Bristol, Tennessee, reported via a comment on my Facebook page that she also saw her first hummingbird on April 17.

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Linda C. Robinette wrote, “Ours fluttered in around 11:30 this morning (April 17),” in a comment on my Facebook page.

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Kaylynn Sanford Wilster at Boone Lake saw her first spring hummingbird on April 18. “Saw my first one yesterday,” she wrote on April 19 in a Facebook comment on a post of mine.

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Spring migration is in full swing. At least six different species of warblers have returned to the woodlands around my home. A broad-winged hawk has also returned to a favorite field less than a quarter of a mile from my home. Keep your eyes open for new arrivals. Chimney swifts have been zipping over the rooftops of downtown Erwin since April 17.

To share a sighting, make a comment or ask a question, email me at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

 

Ruby-throated hummingbirds mark their spring return

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Photo by Bryan Stevens • A male ruby-throated hummingbird surveys his surroundings.

I am still waiting (at the time this post was written) for the first ruby-throated hummingbird of spring. Every year I hope they will make an early appearance, but I am almost always disappointed. These tiny birds always arrive in their own good time and my home is apparently not located within their primary migratory path.

As a consolation prize, however, I have welcomed the first of the spring warblers. I had two black-and-white warblers singing at home on April 9. The black-and-white warbler sings a repetitive song that has been described as a “squeaky wheel” based on the rising pattern of the song’s notes.

Other recent arrivals have included brown thrasher and tree swallow.

Photo by Ken Thomas
The Brown Thrasher is an alert, sharp-eyed observer of its surroundings.

While I cannot claim to have seen my first spring hummingbird – yet – I can report that hummingbirds are officially back. Some of my Facebook friends have reported their first sightings. Other readers have emailed me to share their sightings.

Nancy Light welcomed back a ruby-throated hummingbird on Sunday, April 7. “I have my sugar water feeders hanging off my fruit trees in the front yard,” Nancy wrote in an email. “I live in Kingsport, but this sighting was at my farm in Duffield, Virginia, in the Fairview community.”

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Patricia Faye Wagers in Kingsport saw her first hummingbird of spring on April 8.

“With one, I know more are on the way,” she wrote in a Facebook post announcing her sighting.

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Dianne Draper in Jonesborough reported her first hummingbird sighting of spring on April 9 in a Facebook post.

“Never did get a picture of the bird,” she wrote. “Also saw the first broad-winged hawk in the yard,” she added.

Broad-winged hawks, like ruby-throated hummingbirds, are migratory and return to the region in late March and early April.

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It’s in Central and South America where the world’s more than 300 species of hummingbirds reach their greatest diversity. In Eastern North America, the only hummingbird known to nest is the ruby-throated hummingbird.

The western half of the United States and Canada can claim about a dozen nesting species, including rufous hummingbird, Allen’s hummingbird, Anna’s hummingbird, broad-tailed hummingbird, black-chinned hummingbird, calliope hummingbird, buff-bellied hummingbird, broad-billed hummingbird and violet-crowned hummingbird.

Hummingbirds, regardless of species, occupy a tough spot in the food chain. A bird not much bigger than many large insects is going to be a target for opportunistic predators that will attempt to kill and consume anything small enough for them to make the effort.

To make matters worse for ruby-throated hummingbirds, some large spiders and mantids, as well as bigger dragonflies, have also been documented as hummingbird predators. When ruby-throated hummingbirds retreat to Central America for the winter months, they also face threats from lizards and snakes.

The list of predators that have been known to eat ruby-throated hummingbirds extends to bullfrogs, as well as many raptors, including kestrels, merlins and sharp-shinned hawks. Blue jays and other birds will raid hummingbird nests for eggs or young. Squirrels and chipmunks are also nest predators.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • Every hummingbird that arrives at your feeder is a survivor.

In essence, every hummingbird visiting your feeders and gardens is a survivor.

And evading an assortment of predators is not their only obstacle. These tiny birds make an awesome yet grueling migratory flight – twice a year – across the Gulf of Mexico. This achievement is a grueling finale for such a tiny creature’s migration. This direct flight alone can take 18 to 22 hours of non-stop flying before reaching land on the other side of the Gulf in states like Mississippi and Texas.

Hummingbirds have fascinated for centuries. Early European explorers sent back reports of amazing little birds that seemed halfway between birds and insects.

In the 1550s, French explorer Jean de Léry published a journal of his travels in Brazil. His account provided the first written description of hummingbirds to reach readers back in the Old World.

This painting, “The Inspiration of Christopher Columbus” by José María Obregón, was painted in 1856 well after the explorer sailed the ocean blue. It’s a reminder that from the moment that European explorers arrived, they were amazed at many discoveries in the New World, including tiny birds that buzzed and hummed around their heads like insects.

Of course, the natives of North America also knew about hummingbirds. In fact, many native tribes held hummingbirds in high regard. Some regarded them as healers. An Aztec deity by the name of Huitzilopochtli had a physical form supposedly comprised of hummingbird feathers that fell from the sky. The Aztecs also believed that fallen warriors were reincarnated as hummingbirds, no doubt because of the feisty and often downright militant attitudes of these tiny birds. Anyone who has ever witnessed hummingbirds dueling at their feeders will know what I mean.

It won’t be long before we have these tiny flying jewels back with us. Once they return, their antics will entertain us for several months before it’s time for them to head south again this fall.

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Feel free to continue to share hummingbird sightings with me. Provide the time and date of their arrival. Email me at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com to share a sighting, ask a question or make a comment.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A ruby-throated hummingbird sips from a sugar water feeder.

 

Sounds of spring remain one of the season’s pleasures

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Photo by Bryan Stevens • Blue-headed vireos, such as this bird, are high-elevation summer residents in the region. In the fall, they are also common migrants.

In modern life, it can seem like we’re always looking for ways to relax and de-stress. For me, nothing works quite so well as letting nature’s sounds, as well as sights, provide some measure of relief from stressful situations and anxious thoughts.

I instantly notice when a new vocalization is added to the usual mix. Such occurred on March 26 when I heard the syllabic song of a blue-headed vireo from the upper reaches of a large tree near the fish pond.

The blue-headed vireo’s song has been described as “Hear me! See me! Here I am!” It’s similar to the song of the related red-eyed vireo, but it’s slower and the paired syllables are separated by a brief pause.

În a couple more weeks, the songs of blue-headed vireos will ring out all over the high-elevation forested slopes of many of our local mountains, but these are just starting to get back to the region after an absence during the colder months. Many other feathered singers will be arriving in their wake, including warblers, tanagers and grosbeaks.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • The tufted titmouse is a backyard bird with an impish personality and a loud song.

The mornings around my home often begin with a loud, insistent “Peter! Peter! Peter!” uttered from the woods or even from shrubbery just outside my bedroom window. Male tufted titmice, little gray relatives of chickadees with a distinctive crest and large, dark eyes, sing their urgent “Peter! Peter! Peter!” as a constant refrain in their efforts to attract mates now that they feel spring in their blood.

A series of rat-a-tat-tats echoes from deeper in the woods as woodpeckers tap their sturdy bills against the trunks of trees. The three most common woodpeckers at my home are red-bellied, downy, and pileated, and they all have their own unique vocalizations, as well.

The pileated woodpecker produces clear, far-carrying resonant piping sounds that can last for a few seconds each blast. The much smaller downy woodpecker produces a whinny of high-pitched notes that descend in pitch toward their conclusion. The red-bellied call is probably the one that stands out the most. The call’s a harsh, rolling “Churr, churr, churr” given almost like an expression of exasperation as they circle tree trunks and explore branches.

Since their return earlier this month, the resident red-winged blackbirds are often some of the earliest singers these days. According to the website All About Birds, the male red-winged blackbird’s “conk-la-ree!” is a classic sound of wetlands across the continent of North America. According to the website, the one-second song starts with an abrupt note that transforms quickly into a musical trill.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A male red-winged blackbird sings to attract mates and ward off rivals.

Some birds helpfully introduce themselves with a song that repeats their name. One such common bird is the Eastern phoebe. In recent weeks, a pair has been checking out possible nesting sites. In past years, they have made use of the rafters of my garage and blades on a porch ceiling fan for potential nest sites. The male spends much of the day producing his strident “fee-bee” call, which is a perfect phonetic rendition of the bird’s common name.

Then there’s one of my favorite songs of spring, which is produced by the Eastern towhee, also known by such common names as “ground robin” and “swamp robin.” These birds, which are actually a species of sparrow, also have some instantly recognizable vocalizations. With the arrival of spring, the males seek elevated perches for extensive singing bouts to attract mates and establish territories. Their song has been interpreted, quite accurately, as “drink your tea!” They also have some alarm notes, such as “€œChew-ink”€ and “€œToe-Hee,” of which the latter provides the basis for this bird’s common name.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • Male Eastern towhees are persistent singers once they establish  a spring territory.

Towhees occasionally spend the winter, but I’ve not noticed any during the winter of 2023-24. They are back now, and have been keeping a high profile for the past couple of weeks.

Of course, other wildlife is keen to join the springtime chorus. I have so many spring peepers at the fish pond and in the wet fields around my house that the noise from these tiny amphibians can reach deafening levels. The chorus is bound to grow more diverse and louder as spring advances. Take some time to enjoy the sounds of nature at your own home.

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To share your own sighting, make a comment or ask a question, send email to ahoodedwarbler@aol.com. I’m also on Facebook.

Hummingbirds due to make spring return

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Photo by George from Pixabay • A male ruby-throated hummingbird obtains a dainty perch on a feeder offering sips of sugar water.

On March 4, Nancy Sheehan, a program coordinator for the Journey North website that tracks the migration of hummingbirds, as well as other wild creatures, posted on the project’s website.

“A small number of reports indicate that spring migrating hummingbirds are slowly arriving in southern regions of the United States,” she wrote.

In her post, she also wondered how weather patterns are impacting the pace of migration along the west coast?

That’s an interesting aspect of Journey North. The project tracks migration in both the eastern and western halves of the nation.

Sheehan noted that in the eastern United States, the annual migration of ruby-throated hummingbirds is proceeding pretty much on schedule.

“A small number of reports indicate that spring migrating hummingbirds are slowly arriving in southern regions,” Sheehan wrote. “It is time to put your feeders and potted nectar plants out. These nectar sources provide crucial energy for migrating hummingbirds. Depending on your location, start planting brightly colored native flowers to provide pollinator habitat for hummingbirds and other species such as monarch butterflies. Don’t delay – hummingbirds are here in many locations in the southern U.S.”

It’s fun to monitor hummingbird progress at Journey North, which also tracks the arrival of different hummingbird species in the western United States. There the first arrivals could include Allen’s, Anna’s, Broad-tailed, Black-chinned, Costa’s, Rufous and Allen’s hummingbirds.

I fully expect that ruby-throated hummingbird migration will bring the first individuals to Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Western North Carolina in early April if not late March. It’s even possible there will be some Easter arrival of hummingbirds in the region.

Most first spring observations of hummingbirds are males, although a few females are also early arrivals. Male hummingbirds arrive first so they can find and defend a territory.

As always, spring migration can be a challenging time for hummingbirds. Temperature, wind patterns and storms can influence the pace of migration.

Even once these tiny birds make their epic spring crossing of the Gulf of Mexico, they will need time to rest and refuel before moving northward.

By mid-March, the advance of ruby-throated hummingbirds has usually reached states such as Georgia and South Carolina. By the end of March, these tiny flying gems have reached states such as Tennessee and North Carolina.

It’s time to get those sugar water feeders outside and waiting for the early arrivals. Once the chance of late-season freezes has passed, consider planting some colorful native flowers to provide nectar sources for hummingbirds. In addition, some hanging baskets of flowers can be purchased from garden centers with the benefit that these baskets can be brought indoors during unseasonable cold snaps.

Northeast Tennessee usually gets its first spring hummingbirds the first week of April. If you’re seeing hummingbirds, I’d love to know. I have tracked arrivals for several years now. To share your first spring sighting of a ruby-throated hummingbird, email me at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com or contact me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ahoodedwarbler. Please include the date and time of your sighting. I also welcome the sharing of other details about your sightings.

In the meantime, take steps now to welcome hummingbirds back and keep them safe during their stay.

Most experts also suggest avoiding red dyes or food colorings, which are often found in commercially marketed hummingbird sugar water. Don’t risk the health of hummingbirds for a little convenience.

It’s easy to make your own sugar water mix, which can be stored in the refrigerator in an empty plastic juice jug. Boil some water and then add one cup of sugar for every four cups of water in your pot. Stir thoroughly. Bottle the mixture until it cools. Fill your feeders and store any remaining sugar water in the fridge in the aforementioned jug. Refrigerated, the mix should stay good to use for at least a week.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A male ruby-throated hummingbird surveys his domain.

In our milder spring weather, changing the sugar water in feeders can probably be done on a weekly basis. When hotter summer temperatures prevail, it’s usually necessary to change the sugar water every two or three days.

Some ways of ensuring that our hummingbird guests are kept healthy and secure are simply common sense. For instance, don’t use pesticides, herbicides or any other sort of toxin anywhere close to the vicinity of a sugar water feeder or a flower garden. Hummingbirds are such tiny creatures with such intense metabolisms that it only takes a small amount of any harmful substance to sicken or kill one of these little flying gems.

For emphasis, I’ll repeat again that only common, pure cane sugar is safe for hummingbirds. There are no safe substitutes. Do not use organic, raw or brown sugar. Confectioner’s sugar, which contains an anti-caking substance (often corn starch, silicates or stearate salts), is also hazardous to hummingbirds.

The ratio of four parts water to one part sugar utilizing pure cane sugar most closely duplicates the nectar that hummingbirds obtain from some of their favorite flowers. Why try to mess with nature’s perfection?

I cannot imagine why anyone would supplement sugar water for hummingbirds with such human beverages as a sports drink or Kool-aid, but there have been reports of people doing so. Be aware that such additives will only risk the health of these tiny birds.

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Remember to send me those first sightings of returning spring hummingbirds. I’ll be doing my usual roundup to share who gets graced with a visit from one of these tiny beauties.

Blue jays bold, bossy backyard visitors

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Photo by edbo23/Pixabay A blue jay grabs a peanut from a feeder.

At my own home, blue jays have an easy life. They’re so much bigger than most of the other birds that visit my feeders that they can be a little bossy toward their smaller kin. All are welcome, though.

The blue jay is the smallest member of the Corvid family in Tennessee. This bird’s larger relatives in the state include the American crow, fish crow and common raven.

The blue jay, which is typically 10 to 12 inches long, is one of the largest songbirds to visit our feeders. They’re fond of sunflower seed, peanuts, suet and other feeder fare. Blue jays are quite noisy and produce a variety of vocalizations. They’re also capable of mimicry and can mimic in convincing fashion the calls of red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks.

While they are primarily woodland birds, blue ays are very adaptable and capable of thriving in suburban parks and other less wild areas. In the fall, acorns are a favorite food. There are times in autumn when almost every blue jay I see has an acorn n its bill. They also tend to stash food for future days, and this habit has also helped re-forest oak woodlands.

Jays are social birds and form flocks, which offers some protection from predators. It only takes one sharp-eyed bird in a flock to sound an alarm to protect the entire group.
Other birds can also detect blue jay alarm calls and react accordingly.

Accipiter hawks — Northern goshawk, Cooper’s hawk, sharp-shinned hawk — are the primary predators on blue jays. They share some of the same habitat and the agile hawks are usually able to outmaneuver the slower flying jays.

I was a little surprised to discover that the blue jay has never been chosen as an official state bird, although it does serve as the official bird for the province of Prince Edward Island in Canada.

Blue jays are undeniably striking birds. They are bright blue on top and white to gray on its throat, chest and belly. They have white wing bars and black and white banding on the tail. Its bill, legs and feet are black. The bird also has a black collar on its lower throat. At a glance, all blue jays — male and female — look alike. However, experts have determined that the black throat collars are subtly different from bird to bird and may help members of a flock recognize each other.

Larger birds typically have longer life spans than small ones. The medium- sized blue jay will probably live longer than a wren or sparrow. The oldest known wild, banded blue jay was at least 26 years, 11 months old when it was found dead after being caught in fishing gear, according to the website All About Birds. It had been banded in 1989 around Saint Pierre and Miquelon, which is a French archipelago south of the Canadian island of Newfoundland. He dead individual was found in the same area in 2016.

There are other species of jays in the United States, including the Steller’s jay, which is the western counterpart of the bue jay, as well as Western scrub-jay, Florida scrub-jay and pinyon jay. Worldwide, there are about 50 species of jays, which are closely related to crows, magpies and other species in the genus of Corvidae.

Some of the descriptive names for other jays include white-throated magpiejay, gray jay, green jay, purplish jay, azure jay, violaceous jay, turquoise jay, beautiful jay, silvery-throated jay, azure hooded jay and black-headed jay.

The smallest of the world’s jays is, appropriately enough, named the dwarf jay. It is eight to nine inches long and weighs about 1.4 ounces.

During two visits to Salt Lake City in Utah in 2003 and 2006, I added a couple of jays to my life list, including Western scrub-jay and Steller’s jay. I also saw black-billed magpies, a close relative of jays.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A Steller’s jay found at Snowbird, a ski resort town near Salt Lake City, Utah.

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To share sightings, ask a question or make a comment, email me at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.