Tag Archives: Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Male indigo buntings dazzle in bright summer sunshine

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Jim Hudgins/USFWSThe male indigo bunting in a quintessential bird of summer throughout the Eastern United States.

We’ve barely made it to mid-June and we’ve had some scorching days with intense sunshine and spiking temperatures.

It’s the kind of weather that wilts people, as well as many of our feathered friends, which would prefer to find shade when the mercury rises to the upper limits of the thermometer.

Not so for a few of our birds. Red-eyed vireos, Eastern wood-pewees and a handful of other birds sing even during the hottest hours of the day, albeit they’re often singing from deep shade.

An exception is the male indigo bunting, which can often be spotted singing from the top of a tall tree or shrub even under the brightest of summer sunshine.

Indigo Buntings thrive in the heat. While other birds go silent beneath the relentless summer sun, male Indigo Buntings perch on high, open branches or telephone wires. They belt out their lively songs to declare their presence to rival and establish territory.

The notes sound hopelessly jumbled upon first listen, but they eventually take shape into a recognizable pattern. These songbirds usually repeat their notes in pairs in a song that can be transcribed as “sweet-sweet, chew-chew, sweet-sweet.”

Heronworks/Pixabay • A male indigo bunting visits a feeder for a meal of bird seed.

Males, which do the singing, have an appearance to match their loud songs. They are simply stunning in brilliant blue plumage. The male indigo bunting is the only solid blue bird in the eastern United States.

Alas, 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 diffraction of light 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, this bird can even look unnaturally vivid blue. In poor light, however, an indigo bunting male can appear black. Fortunately, indigo buntings have both a characteristic body shape and song, so even if the birds are not seen in their best light, they can still be recognized.

For such a bright blue bird, indigo buntings are not always easy to detect. Males like elevated perches, often among a cluster of leaves. Learn the song — that burst of jumbled, high-pitched notes, and use that knowledge to help pinpoint singing males. Once you zero in on the singing bird’s location, it’s fairly easy to focus binoculars and enjoy peeking at such a pretty bird.

Like many species of songbirds, the male is by far the most colorful. In this instance, the male is also responsible for the species’ name. Indigo is a blue dye that was once an important crop in the South. The drab female may boast some blue highlights in her plumage. Juvenile birds just out of the nest also resemble the female. Pay close attention to any indigo buntings you observe as summer progresses. Juvenile birds will look mostly brown with just a hint of blue in the wings and the tail. These will be the young buntings that were hatched in spring and early summer. They will often accompany their parents to feeders.

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

The indigo bunting’s scientific name is Passerina cyanea, referring the color cyan. Cyan is a bright, deep, sky blue, leaning very slightly to the greenish side of blue on the color wheel. Cyan is the blue ink in 4-color process printing. Along with magenta, yellow and black, these four colors of ink can produce a wide gamut of colors that we see every day in full-color printing. The indigo bunting is a reasonably close match to this intense blue ink color. The species belongs to a genus of birds known as Passerina, which is included the family Cardinalidae.

Although they are often lumped into a group known as North American buntings, they are not closely related to such birds as snow bunting and lark bunting. The other members of the Passerina genus include lazuli bunting, varied bunting, painted bunting, rose-bellied bunting, orange-breasted bunting and blue grosbeak.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • Male indigo buntings look their best in spring and summer. By fall, they are molting feathers and look less splendid.

Worldwide, other birds known as buntings include such descriptively named species as slaty bunting, corn bunting, white-capped bunting, gray-necked bunting, cinereous bunting, lark-like bunting, cinnamon-breasted bunting, chestnut-eared bunting, little bunting, yellow-throated bunting, golden-breasted bunting, black-headed bunting, red-headed bunting and yellow bunting.

For me, the indigo bunting has always been a bird of the summer season. One of my earliest memories of being aware of birds relates to seeing this astonishing all-blue bird perched atop a blue spruce in my family’s front yard.

Indigo buntings linger into early October in the region, but later in the season these birds begin to molt feathers and take on a more shabby look. Enjoy them while they’re here and at their best under a bright summer sun.

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

Region’s 83rd Spring Bird Count tallies 155 species

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Hans Toom • A yellow warbler perches on a tree branch.

The 83rd consecutive Elizabethton Spring Bird Count was held Saturday, May 9, with 44 observers in 16 parties. The counters tallied 155 species, which is slightly above the average of 152 species in the most recent 20 years of this annual survey. The all-time high on this count took place in 2016 with 166 species tallied.

Although the day began on a slightly chilly note, temperatures soon warmed and skies remained clear and sunny most of the day. I counted near Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park and along the Watauga River in Elizabethton with Mary Anna Wheat and Chris Soto. We counted ourselves lucky to get some good birds on our list, including Northern waterthrush, blackpoll warbler and Kentucky warbler.

A total of 28 species of warblers made the list, as well as good sightings such as Northern saw-whet owl, sora, blue grosbeak, summer tanager and dickcissel.

Compiler Rick Knight noted that, as always, a few species got missed on count day, notably ruffed grouse, great horned owl, Virginia rail and prairie warbler.

The count group’s total list follows:

Canada goose, 391; wood duck, 71; American wigeon, 13; mallard, 69; common merganser, 11; red-breasted merganser, 1; and wild turkey, 25.

Mourning dove, 181; Eurasian collared-dove, 2; rock pigeon, 78; yellow-billed cuckoo, 2; common nighthawk, 2; chuck-will’s-widow, 8; Eastern whip-poor-will, 19; chimney swift, 101; and ruby-throated hummingbird, 15.

Sora, 1; killdeer, 32; semipalmated plover, 24; least sandpiper, 37; semipalmated sandpiper, 5; spotted sandpiper, 71; solitary sandpiper, 22; lesser yellowlegs, 8; greater yellowlegs, 5; common tern, 2; and Forster’s tern, 3.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A tree swallow checks out a nesting box soon after making its spring return. 

Double-crested cormorant, 136; yellow-crowned night-heron, 6; green heron, 8; great egret, 1; great blue heron, 61; black vulture, 86; and turkey vulture, 94.

Osprey, 16; sharp-shinned hawk, 1; Cooper’s hawk, 3; bald eagle, 8; red-shouldered hawk, 8; broad-winged hawk, 4; red-tailed hawk, 20; American barn owl, 1; Eastern screech owl, 7; barred owl, 3; and Northern saw-whet owl, 1.

Belted kingfisher, 17; Red-headed woodpecker, 6; Red-bellied woodpecker, 66; yellow-bellied sapsucker, 2; downy woodpecker, 39; hairy woodpecker, 8; Northern flicker, 35; and pileated woodpecker, 31.

American kestrel, 9; great crested flycatcher, 27; Eastern kingbird, 112; Eastern wood-pewee, 30; Acadian flycatcher, 47; willow flycatcher, 2; least flycatcher, 15; and Eastern phoebe, 59.

White-eyed vireo, 15; yellow-throated vireo, 6; blue-headed vireo, 72; Eastern warbling vireo, 19; red-eyed vireo, 310; and loggerhead shrike, 1.

Blue jay, 167; American crow, 291; fish crow, 15; common raven, 15; Carolina chickadee, 136; and tufted titmouse, 154.

Bank swallow, 4; tree swallow, 124; Northern rough-winged swallow, 90; purple martin, 42; barn swallow, 165; and cliff swallow, 785.

Ruby-crowned kinglet, 1; Golden-crowned kinglet, 1; cedar waxwing, 225; red-breasted nuthatch, 10; white-breasted nuthatch, 25; brown creeper, 3; and blue-gray gnatcatcher, 63.

Carolina Wren, 187; Northern House Wren, 35; Winter Wren, 5; Gray Catbird, 78; Brown Thrasher, 46, Northern Mockingbird, 131; Eurasian Starling, 630; and Eastern Bluebird 140

Veery, 18; Swainson’s thrush, 8; hermit thrush, 2; wood thrush, 70; and American robin, 717.

House sparrow, 55; house finch, 129; pine siskin, 2; and American goldfinch, 226.

Bryan Stevens • A male American goldfinch visits a thistle seed feeder.

Grasshopper sparrow, 4; chipping sparrow, 101; field sparrow, 41; dark-eyed junco, 45; white-crowned sparrow 1; white-throated sparrow, 5; Savannah sparrow, 1; song sparrow, 268; swamp sparrow, 1; and Eastern towhee, 142.

Yellow-breasted chat, 5; Eastern meadowlark, 48; orchard oriole, 43; Baltimore oriole, 28; red-winged blackbird, 272; brown-headed cowbird, 64; and common grackle, 280.

Ovenbird, 132; worm-eating warbler, 27; Louisiana waterthrush, 29; Northern waterthrush, 6; golden-winged warbler, 5; blue-winged warbler, 1; black-and-white warbler, 58; Swainson’s warbler, 23; Tennessee warbler, 10; Kentucky warbler, 11; common yellowthroat, 45; hooded warbler, 198; American redstart, 26; Cape May warbler, 12; Northern parula, 73; magnolia warbler, 4; bay-breasted warbler, 11; Blackburnian warbler, 12; yellow warbler, 19; chestnut-sided warbler, 40; blackpoll warbler, 12; black-throated blue warbler, 76; palm warbler, 2; pine warbler, 14; yellow-rumped warbler, 26; yellow-throated warbler, 42; black-throated green warbler, 104; and Canada warbler, 32.

Summer tanager, 1; scarlet tanager, 81; Northern cardinal, 239; rose-breasted grosbeak, 35; blue grosbeak, 9; indigo bunting, 152; and dickcissel, 2.

 

Nature’s showstoppers: Rose-breasted grosbeaks bring the wow factor

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Photo by Cheri Miller • A male rose-breasted grosbeak visits a feeder at the photographer’s home.

Cheri Miller posted on my Facebook page to share a sighting and a photo of a male rose-breasted grosbeak visiting a feeder at her home in Hampton. The bird arrived on May 1.

The bird’s arrival is right on schedule. Plenty of rose-breasted grosbeaks pass through northeast Tennessee, southwest Virginia and western North Carolina in late April and early May every spring. A sighting of a male in his best spring plumage is always a breathtaking sight.

Kaylynn Sanford Wilster, who lives in Piney Flats near Boone Lake, sought me out May 7 on Facebook for my help identifying a bird that turned out to be a male rose-breasted grosbeak.

She had taken some video and photos of the bird through her bedroom window with her phone and said the bird was eating sunflower seeds at her feeder. Grosbeaks love sunflower seeds, so keep those feeders stocked!

A few of these migrating grosbeaks will even decide to make their summer home on local mountains. However, these birds 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.

For the most part, however, the rose-breasted grosbeak is replaced in the western United States by the closely related black-headed grosbeak.

As fall approaches, the rose-breasted grosbeak migrates south to a winter range that spans central Mexico, Central America and northern South America. As they depart, many of these migrating birds will make autumn visits to again partake of offerings of sunflower seeds at backyard feeders. So, if you don’t get to see these showy birds in the spring, you do get another chance to see them in September and October.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A male rose-breasted grosbeaks stays in the treetops on Roan Mountain in Tennessee.

The male rose-breasted grosbeak gives this species its common name. Males are the epitome of the birds that make their home for part of the year in the American tropics. The contrasting black and white plumage is emphasized by a triangular slash of rosy-red color on the breast. Put all those elements together and the male rose-breasted grosbeak is not a bird that would be mistaken for any other.

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.

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 scientific study will tell you that rose-breasted grosbeaks can inflict a wicked nip. In Northeast Tennessee, bird banders frequently encounter rose-breasted grosbeaks in their mist nets — and some bear the scars to prove it.

With some birds, males play only a minor role in the nesting process. That’s not the case with the rose-breasted grosbeak male. The males help with nest-building chores and share responsibility with the female for incubating the eggs.

The female lays three to five eggs in a cup-shaped nest. It’s not easy to locate the nests since the birds usually place them in trees at least 20 feet above the ground. Within two weeks, the eggs have hatched and the parents are kept extremely busy finding enough food to satisfy the voracious nestlings. Well fed by both parents, the young grow quickly and usually are ready to leave the nest within 12 days. Often, when a first brood of young departs the nest, the male will care for the rowdy group of fledglings as the female starts a second nest to capitalize on the long days of summer.

Photo by Jean Potter • Male rose-breasted grosbeaks always look stunning.

Away from our feeders, rose-breasted 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.

Other grosbeaks that range the United States and Canada include the blue grosbeak, pine grosbeak, evening grosbeak and black-headed grosbeak.

The rose-breasted grosbeak is a cherished spring visitor that never disappoints observers. The handsome male brings a hint of the tropics to the mountains of Northeast Tennessee and beyond,

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Bryan Stevens has written about birds, birding and birders since 1995. Share a sighting, make a comment or ask a question by emailing him at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Photo Courtesy of Byron Tucker
A Rose-breasted Grosbeak joins a Red-bellied Woodpecker at a feeder in Atlanta.

Some birds make us shift focus from the showy to the subtle

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USFWS • Male summer tanagers are a rosy-red bird that pale somewhat in comparison to male scarlet tanagers.

Many of our summer birds have already returned for another nesting season. In the past week or so I have welcomed back chimney swift, common yellowthroat and red-eyed vireo.

I’m still receiving hummingbird arrival reports. April Kerns Fain had her first hummingbird of the year on April 13 at her home in Unicoi.
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Tom Brake in Abingdon, Virginia, reported his first hummingbird on April 16.
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Phyllis Moore in Bristol, Virginia, noted that her first spring hummingbird sighting involved two of these birds returning to her home.
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Anita Clemmer in Boone, North Carolina, saw her first spring hummingbird on April 17.
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Pam Seely saw her first hummingbirds of spring on April 18 at her home near The Laurels.
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Sue Schreiner saw her first hummingbird of spring on April 19 at her Bluff City home.

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Amy Tipton in Erwin reported her first spring hummingbird on at 7:30 p.m. on April 21.

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Spring is a great time to enjoy some truly vibrant birds that catch the eye, including scarlet tanager, Baltimore oriole, chipping sparrow, rose-breasted grosbeak, indigo bunting and more. Of course, some of our summer birds keep a low profile. Without showy feathers, they are more than able to fade into the background. They’re worth seeking out, but they do lack the “wow” factor of some of their more spectacular kin.

Here’s are some profiles on a handful of birds that live in the shadows of some much better-known relatives.

USFWS • The warbling vireo is a “plain Jane” among the region’s birds.

Warbling Vireo
The warbling vireo is one of the true “Plain Janes” of the world of birds. In the vireo family, which is known mostly for species that are largely “little green birds,” the warbling vireo lacks even that color. These are small, plain birds with gray-olive upperparts and white underparts occasionally tinged with faint yellow. They have a mild face pattern with a whitish stripe over the eye. It would never be described as colorful. They remain high in the treetops foraging for caterpillars and other prey. This habit makes observation of this bird difficult. Compared to the red-eyed vireo, blue-headed vireo and white-eyed vireo, it’s easy to see why the warbling vireo is named for its song, not its appearance.

Summer tanager
If not for the fact that the related scarlet tanager boasts an appearance that screams tropical beauty, this is a bird that cannot fairly be described as subdued in appearance. But male summer tanagers have a rosy-red plumage and lack the brilliant crimson feathers of the male scarlet tanager. Females of both species are dull birds with yellow-green plumage. These birds are more common in the southeastern United States. They’re not rare, but it isn’t easy to see them due to their tendency to remain in the upper branches of tall trees, especially oaks.

USFWS • The orchard oriole is the smallest member of the oriole family. This species is also notably less showy than some relatives.

Orchard oriole
The Baltimore oriole is an unmistakable bird. The bright orange and black plumage of the male reminded early North American settlers of the livery colors of Cecil Calvert, or Lord Baltimore, an important founder of Maryland and the namesake of the Baltimore oriole. The smaller orchard oriole is a charming bird, but its burnt orange and black plumage lacks the intensity of its better-known relative. The smallest of the orioles, it is outclassed in that regard by its more showy relatives, which include Bullock’s oriole, hooded oriole and Altimara oriole. The orchard oriole can be tempted to feeders that offer sugar water, orange slices or grape jelly, as can many other oriole species.

Ryan Dziedzic USFWS • Great crested flycatcher perches on a branch. Despite a grandiose name, this bird is not particularly showy, but it’s definitely an interesting species.

Great crested flycatcher
The largest family of birds, the tyrant flycatchers, consists of about 400 species. Most are drab birds in appearance, but some stand out. The great kiskadee, scissor-tailed flycatcher and vermilion flycatcher offer some “oomph” to a family of birds with plumages dominated by gray, black and white. In appearance, the great crested flycatcher has a shaggy brown crest and yellow and warm brown coloration in its plumage. It’s mostly the expectations of a name like great crested flycatcher that tends to fall flat when people see this attractive but not showy bird. This bird is different than other flycatchers in one respect – a cavity-nester, pairs of great crested flycatchers claim tree cavities or nesting boxes when it comes time build a nest and raise young.

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

Unseen wood thrushes still make lovely music

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Photo by Jake Bonello/USFWS • A wood thrush sings at dusk from dense woodland cover.

The wood thrush, one of the most talented avian songsters in North America, returned this past week. I guess it’s now safe to plant corn. I’ve heard that many area gardeners hesitate to plant their corn until this native bird has given the “all clear” to signal that danger of a late freeze is past.

I haven’t seen a wood thrush yet, but I know that several of these birds have taken up residence in the woods around my home. I know because I’ve been hearing them singing mornings and evenings.

The wood thrush has a well-developed organ called a syrinx, which is the human equivalent of a larynx or voice box. For many songbirds, such as the thrushes, this specialized organ is more like a double voice box that permits a bird to produce two notes simultaneously while singing its song.

I think more people would take up the challenging pastime of birdwatching if not for the intimidation of trying to identify dozens of species that often demand attention to some specific details to contrast some birds from similar species.

But it is possible to enjoy birds even with looking at them. The wood thrush produces an elegant song that I never tire of hearing. Many other birds are vocal. They’re not all as musical as members of the thrush family, but its’s not necessary to ever lift a pair of binoculars to enjoy the birds in your own backyard. The sweet serenade of a wood thrush from woodland shadows is one of my favorite front porch evening activities every summer.

The wood thrush is one of the larger brown thrushes, which also includes such related birds as Swainson’s thrush, veery, gray-cheeked thrush and hermit thrush. Other less closely related members of the thrush family in North America include the American robin, Eastern bluebird and Townsend’s solitaire.

Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service • The Wood Thrush often sings its flute-like song from deep under cover in dense woodlands.

The wood thrush is a fairly common bird in the region from April to October. Wood thrushes migrate south in the fall, dispersing to Mexico and Central America for the winter months, and then they reverse the route to return each spring.

The shy wood thrush does not usually venture too far from its preferred woodland habitat, but freshly disturbed soil in a garden will attract these birds as they seek out earthworms and insect larvae. Wood thrushes also feed on various fruits and berries, which means they can be attracted by plantings of suitable trees and shrubs.

The wood thrush, like many of its relatives, sings mainly in the early morning and again in the evening hours. They will also often sing after the tumult of an afternoon thunderstorm in the summer. I encourage anyone who lives near woods to pull up a comfortable seat outdoors and let the relaxing song of a wood thrust provide a great conclusion to the the day.

Naturalists often point to one of the wood thrush’s close kin — the hermit thrush — as the most gifted singer in this clan of gifted songsters. For discerning listeners, the hermit thrush’s flute-like notes are somewhat more melancholy, haunting and ethereal than even the incredibly enchanting notes of the wood thrush’s song.

The poet Walt Whitman employed a thrush as a symbol in his poem, “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d,” a moving pastoral elegy in honor of the assassinated President Abraham Lincoln.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A hermit thrush perches on a wooden fence rail. The bird’s rusty-red tail is evident in the photo.

Whitman evidently knew his birds, and it’s not difficult to identify that he referred to the hermit thrush when he wove this songbird as a symbol into his stanzas honoring Lincoln.

“Sing on there in the swamp,” Whitman wrote in his poem. “O singer bashful and tender, I hear your notes, I hear your call. I hear, I come presently, I understand you…”

Whitman and many other Americans have been made fans of this gifted songbird. In fact, the citizens of Vermont even proclaimed the hermit thrush as their official state bird.

In Northeast Tennessee, hermit thrushes are mostly a winter bird, but the wood thrush stays with us from spring to early fall. Enjoy the free music of resident wood thrushes this season. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
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To learn more about birds and other topics from the natural world, friend Stevens on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ahoodedwarbler. He often posts about local birds, wildlife, flowers, insects and much more. If you have a question, wish to make a comment or share a sighting, email him at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Photo by Jean Potter • The wood thrush is a common summer resident of woodlands in Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Western North Carolina.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds return to region

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By George/Pixabay • A ruby-throated hummingbird sips sugar water from a feeder.

The hummingbirds are back, although they’ve been slightly late returning this spring. My first report of a sighting came from southwest Virginia this year.

Bobby Andis reported an arriving ruby-throated hummingbird on April 9 in Abingdon, Virginia.

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Edison and Emma Jean Wallin saw their first spring hummingbird at 6:10 p.m. on April 11 at their home in Unicoi. Their daughter, Amy Tipton, reported their sighting to me via Facebook messenger. Amy, like me, is still waiting for her first spring hummingbird.

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Lynda Carter emailed me to share her first spring sighting of a male ruby-throated hummingbird at her feeder at 8:45 a.m. on Saturday, April 11. She said that she lives near the end of the Embreeville Mountain in the Lamar community in Washington County.

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Brookie and Jean Potter welcomed their first spring hummingbird at 7:40 p.m. on April 11. The Potters live near Wilbur Lake in Elizabethton.

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Michele Sparks • The photographer got a quick shot of the first spring hummingbird at her feeder in Bluff City.

Michele Sparks had her first spring hummingbird arrive at 6 p.m. on April 13 at her home in Bluff City. Michele shared a photograph of the visiting hummingbird and noted that this year’s bird beat last year’s arrival date by two days.

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Joe McGuiness saw his first spring hummingbird on April 15 in Erwin.

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After feeling twinges of impatience with their expected arrival, I finally saw my first ruby-throated hummingbird at 7 p.m. on April 16. I had stepped onto my front porch and within seconds heard the familiar buzz of hummingbird wings. Some careful observation detected the tiny bird weaving in and out of the branches of a nearby shrub. After some more waiting, the bird flew to one of my feeders for a quick drink of sugar water.

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Dianne Draper in Jonesborough saw her first spring hummingbird on April 17.

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Every hummingbird’s arrival at our homes after an absence of nearly six months is nothing short of a miraculous achievement on the part of this tiny bird. According to the website hummingbird.net, most ruby-throated hummingbirds make a daring journey across the Gulf of Mexico to return to their summer homes in the United States and Canada. They typically depart at dusk for their nonstop Gulf flight of up to 500 miles, which takes 18 to 22 hours, depending on the weather.

Now that we’ve welcomed them back into our yards and gardens after such a harrowing journey, it’s important as good hosts to make sure these tiny wonders are kept safe.

Plant flowers! Many people have been told that red flowers are best, but the fact is hummingbirds sip nectar from a variety of blooms in all sorts of colors. The benefit of flowers is that nothing beats natural, and flower nectar is about as good as natural gets.

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 minute amount of any harmful substance to sicken or kill one of these little flying gems.

Feeding hummingbirds is easy, but many people try to complicate the process. Only common, pure cane sugar, mixed to a ratio of four parts water to one part sugar, is a safe choice for these birds.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • Put sugar water feeders out early to attract the “early birds.”

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Rich Hall emailed me, not about a hummingbird, but about another exciting sighting.

On the morning of April 13, he saw two yellow-headed blackbirds. “I live in Goodlettsville, outside of Nashville,” he wrote. “Do you ever hear reports of them coming over this way?”

I emailed him back and let Rich know that the yellow-headed blackbird is considered a rare to uncommon visitor to the Volunteer State, but they do surface occasionally. The species often mingles with flocks that also include red-winged blackbirds and brown-headed cowbirds. Yellow-headed blackbirds are slightly more likely to travel through Middle and West Tennessee than in East Tennessee, but there have been reports from every section of the state. I saw a lone yellow-headed blackbird several years ago in Jonesborough. A town resident alerted the birding community to the bird’s presence.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • This yellow-headed blackbird mingled with flocks of brown-headed cowbirds and European starlings at a cattle pasture near Jonesborough, Tennessee in February of 2018.. The bird, the first of its kind seen in Northeast Tennessee since 1994, has generated excitement among birders. Some people have traveled from as far as Knoxville, Tennessee, and Roanoke, Virginia, to see the bird.

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

Cliff swallows have returned to nest beneath new bridge

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Carole/Pixabay • Cliff swallows traditionally built their mud nests on the sides of cliffs but in recent times they have adapted to nesting beneath bridges and other man-made structures.

From Washington County comes another Helene recovery story, this time of the feathered variety.

When raging floodwaters rushed through the Nolichucky River in September 2024, many area bridges got swept away, including the Taylor Bridge in Washington County.

In this instance, the loss of the bridge also left hundreds of cliff swallows homeless. In 2024, these birds had already departed the region. Not until they returned in the spring of 2025 did the resident cliff swallows discover that their dependable nesting location beneath the bridge had been claimed by floodwaters.

Jonesborough resident Lynda Carter reported the news to me that the restoration of the bridge has also resulted in the swallows returning this spring.

“I was delighted to discover the cliff swallows are rebuilding their colony underneath the new Taylor Bridge on the Nolichucky,” Lynda wrote in an email. “Their massive colony was lost along with the old bridge during the Helene flooding.”

Cliff swallows have greatly expanded their numbers in Northeast Tennessee in the past few decades. Once somewhat rare, their adaptable nature has made the cliff swallow one of the most abundant swallow in the entire region. Even with setbacks from the loss of bridges in Helene, the species has stayed common.

It’s not difficult to fathom why they’re so common. These birds nest in colonies and area concrete bridges have proven an acceptable alternative to cliffs for this graceful, aerodynamic bird. I’ve visited bridge in the region that provide a summer nesting location for hundreds of cliff swallows.

The cliff swallow is the same species celebrated in natural lore for returning annually to Mission San Juan Capistrano in California. There’s even a local California celebration every year on March 19 to mark the return of arguably the world’s most famous species of swallow.

The migration was immortalized in popular culture by Leon René’s 1939 hit song, “When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano,” which almost overnight transformed the historic Mission into a global tourist destination.

Local lore credits a local priest with championing the swallows. He witnessed a shopkeeper destroying cliff swallow nests and supposedly invited the birds to move to the Mission.

Pairs of cliff swallows build exquisite gourd-shaped nests entirely out of mud that they collect in their beaks. Their nests are amazing structures, especially considering the birds can only build the mud nest chambers one beakful of mud at a time.

Cliff swallows are long-distance migrants. They winter as far south as Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina before they make the trip back each spring to spread out across North America.

The birds have been publicly celebrated in Capistrano, California, since the 1920s, but there are records documenting that the birds returned annually to the Mission from the time of its establishment in 1776.

Today the Mission functions as a museum and welcomes 300,000 visitors each year. The structure was built of stone and adobe bricks, which are made water, dirt, sand and straw. Adobe structures were once common throughout the southwestern United States. In the United States, New Mexico can claim the most adobe buildings with more than 59,000 such structures located in the state. Adobe buildings are also common in California, Texas and Arizona. Building with adobe is common around the globe in locations such as Mali and Iran.

Cliff swallows do line their mud nests with dry grass and feathers to offer a softer cushion for eggs and chicks.

Other swallows that spend the nesting season in Northeast Tennessee include tree swallow, barn swallow, Northern rough-winged swallow, purple martin and bank swallow. Bank swallows are rare and more likely to be found in the western part of Tennessee along Mississippi River bluffs.

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I’ve heard from a reader about a first sighting of a ruby-throated hummingbird this spring. I’m still waiting to see my first spring hummingbird. I’ll reveal more details about the first sighting in next week’s column. There’s plenty of time to share first spring sightings of hummingbirds. I’d love to share details in next week’s column. Email me at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com to share you own first-of-spring hummingbird sighting. Please include the date and time.

Bryan Stevens • Ruby-throated hummingbirds have been spotted in the region.

Yellow-throated warbler sighting on April 2 is first of season

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Susan Young/USFWS • The yellow-throated warbler can be a challenge to observe due to its habit of remaining aloft in the tops of tall trees.

You have to admire our feathered friends for always keeping a surprise or two tucked under their wings.

My first warblers of the spring season arrived on April 2, and neither was one of the species I fully expected to be this year’s “early bird” at my home.

A yellow-throated warbler and a pine warbler, both singing from a stand of pine trees, took this year’s early arrival status. This is the first time either of these two warblers has gained that distinction.

The Northern parula has in recent years claimed this honor, which in years past went to species such as hooded warbler or black-throated green warbler.

In 2025, an ovenbird beat all of other warblers to arrive on Friday, April 7, in the woodlands around my home. followed a few days later by a black-throated green warbler.

Technically, I noticed the yellow-throated warbler first, so it gets the honor of being the spring’s first returning warbler. Only a few minutes passed, however, before I also took note of the singing pine warbler. At press time, no other warblers have arrived.

Nikolaus Schultz/Pixabay • Pine warblers can become regular feeder visitors if fare to their liking is available.

I’m still waiting for my first ruby-throated warbler of spring. I’ve not yet heard from any readers, but I fully anticipate hearing about these tiny flying gems arriving any day.

Last year I welcomed back the season’s first ruby-throated hummingbird at 4:14 p.m. on Sunday, April 6. I’m hopeful I can shave a few days off that arrival time this year, but that’s entirely up to the hummingbirds.

As I have for many years, I am asking readers to share their first sightings of hummingbirds. 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.

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

Regardless, spring has sprung. Dogwoods are blooming, and their blossoms are beautiful, but it’s also a reminder that our traditional “dogwood winter” with its accompanying dip back into cooler temperatures, is around the corner. Other birds have also been arriving.

A blue-headed vireo put in an appearance on March 29. A chipping sparrow did the same on March 30. When the dam finally breaks, dozens of birds will return or, in some cases, migrate through the region on their way farther north. April and May are exciting times for birders.

As for the two warblers that arrived on April 2, they represent species that have made only occasional appearances at my home. Perhaps the affinity for pine trees that both of these warblers share could have drawn them to visit. There are several stands of large pines thriving on the property.

As its name would indicate, pine warblers are almost always found near pines. These birds have white bellies, two white wing bars, dark legs and thin, relatively long pointed bills. Yellowish “spectacles” around their eyes help contrast them from other warblers. Adult males have olive upperparts and bright yellow throats and breasts; females and immatures display upperparts which are olive-brown.

Bryan Stevens • A pine warbler visits a feeder for a helping of suet.

Pine warblers feed mostly on insects, as well as some seeds and fruit. They tend to forage by probing in crevices on tree trunks and branches, or by poking their beaks into pine cones. Pine warblers spends a great deal of time on the ground, often in the litter of pine needles beneath large trees. They turn over leaves and clusters of pine needles to search for insects concealed beneath them.

The pine warbler doesn’t make the longer migrations of some members of the warbler family. In fact, some pine warblers are resident in the southeastern United States year-round. Visits to wooded suburbs in Atlanta in almost any season is sure to feature sightings. Many pine warblers have also included visits to backyard feeders into their daily routines. They’re fond of offerings such as mealworms, suet cakes and sunflower chips.

The only real requirement needed to attract pine warblers is the presence of pines. These birds utilize various pines, including loblolly, shortleaf, longleaf and white pines.

The yellow-throated warbler is also fond of pine trees. Not quite as common at feeders at pine warblers, the yellow-throated warbler has shifted its behavior to take advantage of the extra resource that a well-maintained feeding station kept supplied with diverse offerings represents.

Photo by Bryan Stevens A Yellow-throated Warbler makes a migratory stop in my yard on the first day of September.

The yellow-throated warbler is also commonly associated with mature trees that extend above the canopy. They also prefer that favored trees are located near a water source. Some of the favored trees for the species include sycamore, shortleaf pine, Virginia pine and bald cypress.

I’ll be interested to see if these two species linger or if they’re passing through and simply using my home as a stopping point to forage and rest before continuing on their way.

It’s a great time of year to stay alert to new arrivals. Keep a pair of binoculars at the ready, and don’t forget to share those sightings, especially as the return of ruby-throated hummingbirds is imminent.

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Bryan Stevens has written about birds, birding and birders since 1995. Email him at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com to make a comment, ask a question or share a sighting.

 

Treetop Treasures: Five warblers to seek this spring

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Alan Schmierer/USFWS • The golden-winged warbler is listed as a species In Need of Management in Tennessee due to significant population declines.

I’ve not glimpsed my first hummingbird of spring. I’ve not even heard that telltale buzz from a rapidly beating pair of wings that signals the arrival of one of our most annually anticipated birds.

Of course, hummingbirds are not the only returning birds that I await with eagerness. In fact, my favorite family of birds consists of about 45 species of warbler reliably found in the eastern United States. The warblers, from my perspective, are in a class of their own compared to other birds. Here’s a list of warblers that I fully hope to see in the coming weeks.

Photo by Howard Walsh/Pixabay • The black-throated green warbler nests in local mountains in coniferous and mixed woodlands during the summer months. Once the nesting season concludes, these warblers wing their way back to wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America, as well as the West Indies and southern Florida.

Black-throated green warbler: Males of this species have a bright yellow face with olive-green cheeks, crown and back. Only adult males have the namesake solid black throat. These warblers like the treetops where males repetitively sing a breezy, buzzy song that sounds sort of like “zoo-zee-zoo-zoo-zee.”

Photo by Jean Potter • A male hooded warbler flits through the foliage of a rhododendron thicket.

Hooded warbler: Find this shy warbler close to the ground. The species is a specialist of the understory. In Southern Appalachia, they’re quite at home in rhododendron thickets. The markings of males consist of a lemon-yellow face and underparts framed by a jet-black hood and throat. Females are mostly olive-green above with yellow underparts. Most females lack a hood, but some older individuals show a faint or incomplete black hood. Males sing a loud, ringing series of musical notes that are often described as “weeta-weeta-wee-TEE-o.” A fun mnemonic translation of the song has the male hooded warbler singing “I want to rent a video.”

Black-and-white Warbler: This aptly named warbler’s plumage consists of only black and white feathers. Females are less vibrant than males but are still striking birds in a black-and-white ensemble. An early arrival, this bird returns to the southern United States by late March. In behavior, they are more like nuthatches or creepers, sticking close to the trunks and branches of trees as they forage in crevices for insect prey. Male black-and-whites produce a “squeaky wheel” song that sounds like “weesee-weesee-weesee.”

Photo by Diana Lynn Tucker • A worm-eating warbler perches on the edge of a flower pot.

Worm-eating warbler: This species is not named for its appearance. Being saddled with the phrase “worm-eating” is also not entirely accurate. While fond of caterpillars, they do not consume earthworms. Its diet also consists of a range of small insects and spiders. Males and females are similar in appearance, blending in well with an “earth-tone” plumage of olive-brown with a warm buffy wash on their underside. Four bold black stripes border a buffy face. This warbler has a sharp bill that is longer than the bills of most other warblers. Don’t listen for any semblance of a musical song from this bird. Males produce a distinctive dry trill that could easily be mistaken for a sound produced by an insect.

Golden-winged warbler: This is not a species I expect to see at home, but I did once see one during fall migration. The male golden-winged warbler features a distinctive black throat and eye patch, a bright yellow crown and prominent yellow patches on its silvery-gray wings. The female is a “washed out” version of the male. Males produce a “bee-buzz-buzz-buzz” song that is often helpful in locating this bird in its favored successional habitats of shrubby fields and regenerating woodlands. Because such habitats are fleeting, this warbler can be rather sporadic in distribution. Although its population has drastically declined, the species is not officially listed as endangered on a federal level, although many states have designated it such. One hates to think pessimistically in terms of birds, but this might be a species that you should seek out while it is still present in Northeast Tennessee.
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As I have in years past, I await notices from readers to let me know about their first hummingbird sightings of spring. Share a sighting, or ask a question or make a comment, by emailing me a ahoodedwarbler@aol.com. I’m also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ahoodedwarbler.

Start getting ready to welcome returning hummingbirds

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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.

It’s late March and some of the early arrivals among our feathered friends are already back. As the calendar turns the page from March to April, a steady stream of spring arrivals will kick off with the return of birds like rose-breasted grosbeak, indigo bunting, Baltimore oriole, wood thrush and a dazzling array of warblers.

The most anticipated returning bird for many people is the ruby-throated hummingbirds. These tiny, feisty bundles of sparkling green feathers are sorely missed from after their departure in October to their return to Northeast Tennessee in early April.

These tiny flying gems are back in the continental United States. Their migration requires an annual spring crossing of the Gulf of Mexico. Once they arrive along the coasts of Gulf states, they need a bit of time to recuperate before resuming their relentless migration northward.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A male ruby-throated hummingbird perches at a feeder for a sip of sugar water.

Journey North, a website and project that tracks the yearly advance of ruby-throated hummingbirds as well as other birds, monarch butterflies and other migrants, received reports of ruby-throated hummingbirds in Louisiana as early as March 1.

People in Florida have also been seeing them in early March, but because some ruby-throated hummingbirds may winter in Florida, telling the overwinterers from the true migrants is difficult.

As of March 16, the northernmost report of a ruby-throated hummingbird came from Conyers, Georgia. A woman reported her sighting to Journey North on March 15.

I anticipate this season’s 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 arrivals of hummingbirds in the region with this religious holiday falling on April 5 this year.

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.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • Male ruby-throated hummingbird show the namesake red throat. The feathers on a male’s throat are iridescent, which means they can change when seen from different angles. In poor light, the ruby-red throat can look almost black.

As always, spring migration can be a challenging time for hummingbirds. Temperatures, 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.

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.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • Only adult male ruby-throated hummingbirds have the vibrant red throat patch.

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. Let the mixture cool and then bottle it. 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 or two.

Last year I welcomed back the spring’s first ruby-throated hummingbird at 4:14 p.m. on Sunday, April 6.

As I have for many years, I am asking readers to share their first sightings of hummingbirds. 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.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • Ruby-throated hummingbirds such as this male are returning to the region.