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NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 2006
It's Time to Begin Preparing for Winter
Invite Birds Now For The Winter!
It's difficult to think of winter during early fall when there is no sign of cold weather. However, in a very short time wild birds will begin preparing for the harsh winter ahead.
We suggest you take down all of your feeders and give them a good, thorough cleaning this month. Scrub all plastic tube and bowl feeders with soap and hot water, rinse thoroughly and let them dry. Wooden platform feeders should be scraped to remove all debris and also scrubbed thoroughly.
By now, wild birds that nest in houses (cavity nesters) have completed the breeding season. Thus, it's important to also clean nest boxes thoroughly. Be careful not to breathe the dust from the nest and handle any remaining nesting material with gloves. Use an old spatula to remove the nesting materials and scrape out the inside of the box. Carry all the material away from the nest so that it does not attract predators. When cleaning your boxes you may notice that woodpeckers or squirrels have eaten out ot enlarged the hole. You can quickly fix the problem and prevent future occurrences with our Copper Hole Protectors.
Think Winter in September
Although there are increased supplies of natural foods available during the fall, there are several reasons to keep your feeders full during autumn months.
Some wild birds begin feeding actively in September in order to begin building extra body fat to help them through the harsh, cold winter months. Having a consistent, ready supply of food for wild birds is the most effective way to establish a population of winter resident birds in and around your yard.
It is also important to offer a constant supply of fresh water. Wild birds rely on water not only to avoid dehydration, but also for bathing. It's vital that they clean their feathers frequently so they can maintain both effective and efficient flight. Enjoy the wild birds in your yard throughout the fall and oncoming winter!!
Titmouse - A Grateful Bird That's "Got an Eye on You"
The Titmouse is one of perhaps five dozen species worldwide in the family Paridae, others of which include the closely related chickadee varieties of North America.
Most people who feed birds east of the Great Plains are familiar only with the tufted titmouse. Since 1983 it has been lumped with the black crested titmouse of the southwest. Tufted titmice are among the most common and familiar songbirds of the eastern deciduous forest, especially oak woods. They are readily seen in Central Missouri.
A little more than six inches long, the tufted titmouse is easily identified. Male and female look alike, gray above, and lighter below with rusty/russet/buffy flanks. A black bill and forehead set off the gray crest. But the real give-away of a titmouse's presence is the big black eye, made larger by the black ring surrounding it.
At backyard feeders, titmice favor sunflower seeds, nuts, suet and live food such as mealworms. Like chickadees, titmice love black oil sunflower seeds, similarly holding them between their feet and pounding them open with their bills.
But two-thirds of their diet comes from the wild: seeds, invertebrates, caterpillars, beetles, ants, bees, wasps, flies, insect egg cases and spiders. On the job full-time, titmice rank with the best of man's allies in insect pest control.
During the fall and winter, they cache food for later use. Paired year-round, titmice nearly always nest in cavities, whether natural, old woodpecker holes or nest boxes. The female takes about four days to build a nest, by the end of April in most areas, then lays from three to nine white, speckled eggs. The male feeds her during the two-week incubation period. Nestlings fledge in 2 1/2 weeks.
Tufted titmice do not migrate, and they can be heard singing even on the coldest winter days. Their song is a loud, pure, one or two note whistle:
"Peter! Peter! Peter!" or "Here! Here! Here!" Among the extensive repertoire of call notes, the most familiar is not unlike a chickadee's.
Take note of the dominence hierarchy at the backyard feeders. In the winter flocks, males always dominate females and juveniles. The alpha male and female usually are the ones that bred in the area past season. Beyond that titmice are well down the ladder. For example, hairy woodpeckers dominate downy woodpeckers, downies dominate white-breasted nuthatches and these dominate titmice. Titmice have to settle for dominating chickadees. The dominant bird is the one that chases off others or takes their place at a feeder.
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