Comings, Goings, and Stayings
by Julie Amato
Every night, they leave. One at a time, but in increasing numbers, they get restless, and begin to eat more and more, fattening themselves up for the journey, until one night, they fly away, heading north by the light of the stars. Their absence is in the soundscape too - no sweet three-note song of the Golden-crowned Sparrow, no jazzy, breathless whistle of the White-crowned Sparrow to open and close my day. I feel a light sadness at the sparrows’ departure, even though I know that the birds will be back later this year to spend the winter with us.
Pine Siskin in our backyard earlier this year
Like the crowned sparrows, Pine Siskins, those small brown finches with the lemony wing stripes that have been so ubiquitous this winter, are also heading out of town for their breeding grounds farther north; most should have departed by the end of the month (a small number can still be found here in the summer months). Much as I love these delightful, gregarious birds, I confess I’ll be relieved to see them go, since they have been the source - and sadly, the main victims - of a serious salmonellosis outbreak this past winter. Be well, little birds.
While walking my neighborhood recently, counting birds for SCVAS’s spring Birdathon, I heard an unfamiliar bird singing in my local park. Following its periodic, ascending, wind-up toy whistle from tree to tree, I finally caught a glimpse of the singer – a Yellow-rumped Warbler, in full breeding plumage, yellow patches blazing in the sun. I was familiar with the regular chuck call of the birds during the winter, but hadn’t heard their song before. By the end of April, most of these birds will have departed for breeding grounds farther north or at higher elevations.
Bon voyage, my friends, and see you in the fall.
At the same time that many birds are leaving our area, others are showing up to spend the breeding season here. April usually sees the arrival of large numbers of Hooded Orioles and Brown-headed Cowbirds, migratory members of the blackbird family that are often found in backyards.
On April 7, I saw my first Hooded Oriole of the year, on a morning walk through my neighborhood. I rounded a corner, and there he was, in plain view on an overhead wire. The bird was a glorious, sunny color – somewhere beautifully between yellow and orange, not quite one or the other – with a black splash on his throat, extending to the eye and bill. He preened a bit, then flew to a nearby tree, softly chittering. Faintly, I heard a chitter in response. Could that have been his mate? I waited, but no second bird emerged.
Male Hooded Oriole, gracing the top of a tall palm tree in my neighborhood
About ten days later, I returned to the spot where I’d seen the bird, hoping to catch another glimpse, and perhaps even to find the female. I didn’t find her, but the male popped up again, flying to the top of a tall palm and obligingly posing for my camera (read all about the Hooded Oriole, our backyard bird of the month for May, here).
Brown-headed Cowbirds, on the other hand, have proven unexpectedly elusive this spring, maybe because I haven’t had my feeders up (the birds love to crash-land on them, scaring the other birds away). In early April, I discovered a small group of cowbirds perched on an overhead wire in my neighborhood. I haven’t seen them again, but from time to time, I hear one sing or call from deep within the dense foliage of trees.
Brown-headed Cowbirds at Shoreline Park, female on left, male on right, May 2018
Adult male cowbirds are a perfect match for the species name, with black bodies and strongly contrasting chocolaty heads. The females and immature birds are more subtly colored, of varying shades and streaks of a duller brown. Listen for these birds – like orioles, they have a chittering call, but the males also have a loud, ascending, bubbly song that’s hard to miss (you can hear both here).
Juvenile cowbird with its host parent, a Dark-eyed Junco (photo by Dave Zittin)
Cowbirds are “brood parasites”, a somewhat grim term for a fascinating reproductive strategy – they lay their eggs in other bird species’ nests, and leave the incubating and parenting to these other birds, called “hosts”. This spring, keep your eye out for young cowbirds being fed by their host parents - the cowbirds often dwarf their hosts, like the Dark-eyed Junco shown above!
Year-rounders
Spring is a busy time for all birds, and our year-round backyard species are also actively building nests and families.
On a recent morning stroll around my neighborhood, I watched an Anna’s Hummingbird fly to a street tree and perch on a limb hanging over the sidewalk. I lifted up my binoculars for a closer look and made a delightful discovery - the bird was sitting in a snug nest, using her bill to rapidly tidy up and rearrange the outer shell. Female Anna’s Hummingbirds build nests, incubate eggs, and raise their young on their own. Did she have eggs in the nest already?
Male House Sparrow on a neighborhood lamppost
There is a particular hedge in my neighborhood that is home to several House Sparrows, but this spring, I’ve discovered even more local haunts. These include a lamppost down the street, where a male House Sparrow likes to perch and sing his heart out. House Sparrows are an introduced species in the United States, originally brought here in the 1850’s and released in New York City.
California Scrub-Jay with nesting material gathered from a palm tree
On a recent neighborhood walk, I was startled when a California Scrub-Jay made a noisy, graceless landing in a palm tree right next to me. It skated and thrashed around on the slippery fronds until it finally got a purchase, then hopped around the tree, pulling long brown fibers out of the leaves and bark with its bill. The bird gathered a good number of strands, then flew to a nearby tree, where it spent some time rearranging the material. While I watched, another scrub-jay appeared nearby and flew across the street. The first jay then disappeared into another tree, carrying its bundle of fibers.
Among California Scrub-Jays, each member of a pair contributes to building a nest, often with its mate guarding it from a nearby perch. Were the birds I saw a pair, gathering nesting material? It looked like that to me, and in the next month or two, I’ll be keeping an eye out for young jays - and baby birds of all kinds.
Happy spring birding!
What birds have you seen in your yard or neighborhood lately? Write to us at backyardbirds@scvas.org and share your stories!
References:
All About Birds: Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology website: www.allaboutbirds.org
Birds of the World: S. M. Billerman, B. K. Keeney, P. G. Rodewald, and T. S. Schulenberg, Editors. Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/home
Banner Photo: White-crowned Sparrow by Chris Johnson
All other photos by Julie Amato, unless otherwise noted