No Hopes for Adoption

  Since our mid-days are now seeing temperatures in the high 90s, it seemed far more comfortable outside than in the Little Bayou House. Even with all of the windows open and fans turning, it felt almost stifling. So, I toted my project outside to work on the little deck.  My "project" is part of the upcoming Clue Hunt on the Bayou and consisted of quite a large piece of plywood, a dozen or so tubes of paint and a handful of paintbrushes.  Of course, I could not step foot outside without sneaking the camera out, too!  As I whiled away the hours painting, I kept a close eye on the bird feeders.  Something was just bound to happen!  I knew it!

  Sure enough, I eventually heard the plaintive calls of a baby woodpecker.  Ahh, I thought...a mother was teaching her little one to come to the feeders!  I peeked up from my work to find the little tyke. Sure enough, there was a small woodpecker in the far feeder but the parent birds could not be found.  Hmmm.   This was strange.  The little one kept calling but received no answer.  Then a gorgeous Redheaded Woodpecker lit on the old driftwood post that held a makeshift feeder. Perhaps this was the mom?  Nope...wrong family of woodpeckers.  The baby was a Redbelly Woodpecker.  The adult Redheaded picked up a sunflower seed and proceeded to crack it open.  It then called and its little one flew in from the oak branch above my head.  That baby made all sorts of screeching as it begged for food.  The adult bird dutifully poked the shelled seed into the open mouth and picked up another.  This went on for some time with each seed being given to the baby.  Meanwhile, down the hill a ways, the baby Redbelly watched.  Poor little one was hungry and had no parent bird poking food in its open mouth.  It decided to beg for food from the only adult there and flew up next to the baby Redhead. 'My heart broke a little because the adult Redheaded Woodpecker literally smacked the little intruder hard enough that the bird fell to the ground.  That parent was not about to feed the offspring of a rival woodpecker!  The little Redbelly made a wobbly flight to the fence post and cried. 

  We hear all sorts of lovely tales of how even different species of animals adopt orphans but here one woodpecker would not help out an innocent babe.  Not once did any bird attempt to feed the hungry tyke. Not once did the true parents come to rescue their little one.  Not once was any mercy exhibited toward the hungry tyke.  It makes me wonder about all of those stories....were they forced adoptions?  It definitely did not happen by chance here!

  After a bit, I noticed the little Redbelly Woodpecker was back in the far feeder.  It was attempting to forage through the seeds for something smaller and softer than the sunflower seeds.  At least it was eating! Hopefully, the little one will be ok.  If it is truly on its own, it will have to be extra vigilant of the hawks that are constantly patrolling the area.  I wish it well.

Band of Thieves

  While I love the critters that inhabit the Bayou, Creek and wooded area around here, I have to admit that occasionally I get a tad irritated at some of them.  Just last week, I observed the squirrels munching the peaches. Three of them would slip into the garden, each grab a peach and scoot up the nearby Black Gum Tree.  There, they would gnaw the peach and toss down the pit.  Five nights ago, it was different critters in the same tree.  The coons riddled the peach crop.  It would not be so bad if they helped themselves to a few and then were so kind as to leave a few for us, but...NOOOO....they have to taste-test each and every peach on the tree.  What they do not eat, they simply bit and dropped.  One night and about half of the peaches were lost.  Son and I went out the next day and picked the remaining fruit even though they were not quite ripe.  Better to get what we could before those were ruined.  Peach jam can be very forgiving when it come to ripeness.  

  Three nights later, the same thing happened to the plums.  Two trees of fruit were eliminated by the same process.  Bite and drop seems to be the norm for coons.  We got six plums.  Those were thrown in the pot with some of those green peaches.  Jam is good.

  Now I have had it with raccoons!  I am so over their thieving ways.  Between those and the birds stealing the Boysenberries, it is amazing that we have any fruit whatsoever.  Then...yesterday morning....while I sat drinking my coffee. I noticed a wiggle outside the window in the tomato patch. A Redheaded Woodpecker was hammering away at my nice red tomato!  Geez!  I grabbed a bucket, picked every tomato that was remotely changing color and brought them inside.  There, bird! Take that!  I made gallons of tomato sauce today.  Tomorrow will be the same as I shall pick more in the morning.  It is hard to believe that this pretty bird would stoop so low as to be a tomato thief!  Then again....he does have sneaky eyes....just look at him!  Thief!!!

  It seems as if the critters are thinking my gardens are there for their pleasure.  I would not mind so much if they lent a helping hand...errr...paw, talon, claw or whatever...but for them just to take is totally uncalled for.  Pops always used to say that we just had to plant more the next year to make up for what the critters (and unscrupulous people) stole from his fields.  I never remember him becoming upset over the thefts.  Maybe I just need a bigger garden.....or high fences.....or a pack of large watchdogs...or maybe I should just count my blessings and forget about it.

Always On Guard!

  Lightning seems to love striking the tall pine trees that dot the hillside and the marsh edge.  For the past few years, every summer two or three trees are struck and consequently die.  If the tree is situated in an area that can do no damage when it falls, it is not cut.  We are not in the habit of mucking around in marsh to gather firewood.  The tree stands until nature takes its course then it becomes part of the Bayou itself.  In the meantime, though, those dead trees house any number of critters.  I watch one tree in particular since it seems to be more active than others.  

  This morning as I slipped down to the marsh edge to check on Friend Owl, movement in the tall pine caught my eye.  The Redheaded Woodpecker was up early, too!  The bird seemed uneasy which I figured might have something to do with the daily visits from the owl but when I searched, I found no owl.  With that, my attention once again turned to the woodpecker and its possible cause of anxiety.  It was not long before another bird came into focus.  In another dead pine just down the marsh from the woodpecker's home, an Osprey rested from its hunt.  Surely this was not the cause of the woodpecker's woes!  As a fish-eater, that Osprey had no intentions of raiding the woodpecker's nest!  So I watched a bit longer.

  Nothing else came into view that could be causing the smaller bird to be upset.  Unless a snake had made its way up into the hollows of the tree, I have no idea why the woodpecker was standing vigil.  It did keep eyeing the Osprey as if it was the culprit making me think that earlier the birds clashed in some way.  Perhaps the Osprey wished to use the woodpecker's tree as a perch and the woodpecker was having no part of that idea or perhaps having little ones just had the smaller bird on edge. Woodpeckers are highly protective and territorial so either could be the case.  

  After a bit, both the Osprey and I left the scene so I imagine the Redheaded Woodpecker was more at ease....unless there was a snake. Then I am sure things were much worse.  Life as it is on the Bayou...always on edge...always wary.

The Hole in One?

  Nope, not talking golf here!  Down near the marsh edge there sits what is left to a Longleaf Pine Tree.  This thing was struck by lightning several years ago but since it stands in water at high tide and mud during low, there was no cutting the tree for firewood.  Instead, it became a favorite daytime perch for several birds of prey, a night roosting spot for a large Blue Heron and a full time home to any number of critters.  Everything from flying squirrels to centipedes inhabit the rotting tree but the most obvious residents are the woodpeckers.  The year after the lightning did its damage, a pair of Redheaded Woodpeckers hammered away at the remains of the tree.  Numerous holes were drilled over the next few years making the thing look quite perforated.  Some of these holes house the flying squirrels but each year, the pair of woodpeckers choose a different cavern as their new home.  There, they raise a couple of broods each summer and the juveniles overwinter in the surrounding holes.  Next spring the young head out for new territory and the cycle starts anew.

  I happened to be prowling the hillside between the torrential downpours of the day when I spied the pair of Redheads taking turns popping their heads into one of the holes.  A parent bird would fly to the hole, poke its head in for a few seconds then fly away.  The other bird would then take its spot and do the same.  Aha!  Their first brood of the season had hatched and were demanding food!

  What fun it is to find that the birds are doing well here on the Bayou. What fun it is to see that in an old, dead tree, life returns.  What fun it is to know that one of those holes is the doorway that leads to a happy family.  Sometimes it is best to leave dead trees if they are far enough out of the way that they can do no harm.  Life carries on.....

And Life Goes On....

  I am not one to overlook the smaller things around me.  I have a keen interest in most things of nature and, even though I am bewildered by most occurrences, the continuation of life marvels me.  I am just as intrigued by seed pods as I am baby rabbits, birds' eggs and crab moltings.  It is just the process of living and how Mother Nature sees to all of her wards that leaves me awestruck.

  Today's bit of happiness was found in a single fledgling bird.  A pair of Redheaded Woodpeckers had nested in the dead pine over the Bayou. This pine has been standing strong through most squalls coming in off the Gulf for the past seven years.  It was then that lightning struck the pine rendering it lifeless in its own accord but shortly thereafter, full of life of others.  A dead tree houses so many creatures.  Flying squirrels, wrens, woodpeckers, insects of all sorts and a dozen or so other residents readily moved into their new dwellings.  The woodpeckers were in the upper most section of the tree.  They did well with their brood bringing all three to the feeders shortly after their leap of faith from the treetop abode.  Sadly, the resident Cooper's Hawk made a meal of two of the tiny birds but one has been going strong despite the dangers of the world.  The hawk has since moved on to the much slower doves.

Papa Redheaded Woodpecker standing guard over the nesting hole.

The sole survivor of the brood of baby Redheaded Woodpeckers.

  The little woodpecker is learning fast that the feeders give a ready meal.  Mama and Papa are teaching him to reach in the small hole, snatch a sunflower seed, place it in a hollow of the driftwood post and then crack the shell.  The small inner seed is plucked from the outer shell.  Little Bird was trying his hand at shelling the seeds this afternoon.  A few, he dropped.  Those were immediately devoured by the doves waiting beneath the feeders.  A few, he cracked successfully. With each triumph, he let loose a shriek of joy and the parent birds bobbed their heads in approval.  The family is doing fine.  The next generation is learning well albeit only one.  I do know of three other Redheaded Woodpecker nests in the area so this one will carry on the species for a bit longer.  I smile as I think that perhaps my grandkids will know the joy of these birds.  Yep...I smile.

 

Demolition Time

  Rat-a-tat-tat!  The jackhammer started work about six o'clock in the morning.  Ugh!  Why can't noisy work be done a bit later in the day and not at the break of dawn!  With my mug of coffee in hand, I had just settled into the comfy lawn chair when the racket began.  Contrary to what some may believe, this was not some construction crew but rather a demolition one at work.  That "work" was being done on my house!  Yep, the Little Bayou House was in the process of being demolished or at least damaged by this one-man, er, one-bird crew.  I have had my time with Redheaded Woodpeckers as of late and this one was being a royal nuisance! Between his being bossy at the feeders and his raiding the Red-bellied Woodpeckers' nest, I am fully beginning to think this bird has an attitude problem.  Now, he has decided to "de-shingle" my house!  I rose from my chair and shooed the bird away.

  This bird has been pounding away at the roof for the past few weeks.  I was worried that it was termites but now have decided that it is the Carpenter Bee larvae that the bird is seeking.  Close inspection of the roof edge showed the neatly drilled holes of the bee not the erratic tunneling of termites.  Whew!  Not termites in my rafters....but....I suppose I should be just as worried about those bees.  Still, the damage at hand is being rendered by that woodpecker!

  His pounding is not the only way he is damaging the roof.  I noticed today that he is literally tearing off the roof!  The edge of the shingles have been pulled back and the metal edging has been pried away from the board.  I did not know these birds were that strong!  If I do not find a way of keeping the bird away from the housetop, I may not have protection from the rainstorms much longer!  Silly bird!  

Home, Sweet Home!

In the dying Black Gum Tree that sits just outside the front door, I noticed a good bit of activity over the past few weeks.  There has been construction (or destruction) of sorts happening in the very tiptop of the tree!  The Redheaded Woodpecker has been quite busy excavating a new hole.  In and out..in and out..pieces of rotten wood flying everywhere.  Then last week, the activity stopped.  No more pounding or scraping could be heard.  I began to think the bird had cleared the tree of all critters that might have infested the rotten wood.  It was also at about this same time that I noticed one of my pair of woodpeckers seemed to have disappeared.  Only one bird hung around the feeders and in the nearby oak tree.  Not being able to distinguish between male and female woodpeckers, I have come to the conclusion that one of my birds is about to become a mother!  She must be setting on her clutch of eggs in the newly formed hole!

Last evening as I sat outside with Ms. Ez, I saw one Redhead fly into the top of the tree.  No, it did not go into the hole but rather sat just a few feet away. So..Daddy Bird keeps watch over the nest! While I watched the hole, I did catch one glimpse of Mama Bird but nothing more.  She was safe and secure inside her cozy nesting cavity!

As I sat staring at the dead tree, I began to see strange things!  My imagination led me to an entirely different view of the tree.  This was not just a dying tree that was full of holes but a creature!  I could clearly make out a face!  The Redheaded Woodpeckers had carved a likeness of a human..or at least in my crazy imagination it was a human! Perhaps my birds liked me enough to pay homage to me!  Ok...enough of the imagination running amok, it could not be me!  The mouth is far too large!  Still, the tree did bear a striking resemblance to a face.

Today, Mark and I watched the lone woodpecker make his rounds to the feeder and oak trees.  He never strayed far from the Black Gum Tree housing his mate and future kids.  All was right with his world!

My "Brown-winged Red-headed Woodpecker"!

Something is up with the woodpeckers here on the Bayou.  A normal Red-headed Woodpecker is noted for its tuxedo-like plumage.  Other than the bright red head, the bird is normally black and white. Both the male and female look exactly alike in that there is no distinguishing features to be seen in their feathers.  Now, I am seeing one Red-headed Woodpecker that has a good bit of tan on its wings.  This should not be!  The difference in plumage colors has me pondering the cause.  Is this a mutation from perhaps some crossbreeding or is it some change in the bird's diet that created a change in coloration?  I find the diet thing a bit hard to believe since this bird seems to be feeding a lot at the sunflower seed feeder which attracts the most woodpeckers of all sorts.  As for the other option, crossbreeding seems a bit ridiculous since there are plenty of other Red-heads inhabiting the area.  I am at a loss.

Red-headed Woodpecker with its black, white and red plumage.

I watched this bird a good bit today as it worked the feeders.  There appears to be only the one and it has chosen a nesting site within view of my front door.  This made me happy as now I can observe the offspring to see if the tan-wing trait is passed to the little ones.  Of course, I will have to wait for the birds to fledge since the nesting hole is a good thirty feet off the ground!  There is no way for me to peek in that nest!  For the moment, I cannot tell if this is the mother or father Red-head.  Both birds are entering the nesting hole.  Once some serious setting occurs, I will be able to make the assumption that the one staying in the hole the most is the mother bird.  The dad will hang close to keep a protective eye on the nesting site.  Other marauding birds will be chased away with a vengeance.

Red-headed Woodpecker with unusual tan markings on its wings.

If the trait is passed on to the chicks, I will contact some experts to see just what is up with my woodpeckers.  I am thinking that this is not something to cause worry but, then again, I would hate for there to be some problem in the area.  Hopefully, I will be told that this occurrence is not that rare and I can leave well enough alone.  I worry that with all of the construction going on in the area, my Bayou might be coming polluted with runoff from new yards.  This would effect not only the birds but every critter that calls the place home.  I hope not.  I truly hope that I am wrong and my "Brown-winged Red-headed Woodpecker" is of the norm!

Whatzit??

Ok, so I am throwing this out there for anyone that would like to identify a bush for me. This shrub grows right along the marsh edge of the Bayou with its roots sometimes completely covered with salt or brackish water. This in fact does not seem to hinder the growth of the shrub at all. It has reached the height of about 20 feet and a width of about the same. It is doing quite well and blooms profusely each year. This year it has bloomed almost a month ahead of schedule as the blooms usually appear around the first of June. These blooms are tiny creamy white flowers that grow in a tassel formation. Each tassel is approximately 8 to 10 inches long and maybe 3/4 of an inch in diameter. There are anywhere from 5 to 12 of the tassels to each cluster. The blossoms have a slightly sweet smell and the honey bees seem to love them! The leaves are bright green and about 3 to 4 inches in length. The trunk of the tree has a reddish bark. It is quite a pretty little tree or shrub and makes an interesting focal point on the Bayou edge. So..any takers? Can someone identify my shrub? I have gotten several answers..Virginia Sweetspire or Virginia Willow, Marsh Alder and Tag Alder. Some of these seem to be close but there are some small differences. I would love to hear from anyone that might know the answer!   *This has finally been truly identified as Swamp Cyrilla! 

After finishing several (daunting) tasks today..cleaning under refrigerators and the washing machine (ugh!)..I spent nearly thirty minutes making friends with a pair of Redheaded Woodpeckers. For the past several weeks, a pair of the woodpeckers have been causing a tremendous racket each time they visit the feeders. This raucous pair always manage to make enough noise to scare away most of the other birds. I think this might be a technique they have developed so that their dining time won't have to be shared with the other birds. Although, most of the other birds have come to recognize me as their food source, I have not been able to get near these two. So, today, I filled the feeders and parked myself practically right underneath them. I waited. The smaller birds such as the titmice and chickadees immediately started feeding as did the blackbirds. Then the commotion started! The fussy pair entered the area loudly announcing the others needed to vacate the feeding station. I sat. I was surprised when the woodpeckers flew in to feed regardless of my presence. Even when I would move to take pictures, they had no fear. I talked to them and they would cock their heads as if to listen to each word. I am making progress! Thirty minutes of wonderment! Now if I can just convince them to share the seed!

Birds and Birders!

Today when I was taking a break from peeling the mountains of grapefruit to be canned, I wandered outside for a bit. It was a beautiful sunny day with just a light breeze..just the perfect day for a stroll. As I walked, I thought..pondered anything that popped into the head. Then..oh, my goodness! A redheaded woodpecker! This bird has to be my all-time favorite! It looks as if it is dressed in formal attire! A bright red hat topping off its tuxedo! I love this bird! It tickled me to watch as he would try to stay on the opposite side of the tree from me. He would peek around the side to check if I was still there then..rat-a-tat-tat..he would hammer into the tree. Perhaps he thought that Ezzy, the dog, and I might steal his grub worms! Yes..this has to be my favorite bird..but no..I do not want his grub worms!

Like I said..I pondered things while I was out and about. The redheaded woodpecker made the thoughts turn to birds. I remembered another bird that wears a tuxedo..the rose-breasted grosbeak. Oh, yes! Another lovely bird! I think perhaps the grosbeak is my all-time favorite bird! It is a bit early for them yet..but come the first part of spring, they will be here. They will only here for a short visit as they migrate through. I wish they would stay for a bit longer but I know they must be on their way. The male grosbeaks, too, wear the black and white formal wear but instead of a bright red top hat (their's is black!), they opt for the crimson ascot! A little patch of red on their breast..hence the name! Add a few splashes of white and their outfit is complete! They usually intermingle with the indigo buntings making for some pretty colorful gatherings at the feeder.

Then a flash of crimson..ahh..my all-time favorite bird..the cardinal!! Yeah..I know..this one does not wear a tuxedo, but it is just so pretty that I had to throw it in here! The brilliant red of the cardinal does something to brighten up an entire winter. It can be the most dreary, grey day out, but if the cardinal makes his presence known..the day does not seem so bleak. This one will devour every black oil sunflower seed in the feeders all the while tossing the other seeds to the ground. The doves do not seem to mind this one bit since they are ground feeders and with the cardinal above, they are literally showered with feed! I do believe this must be my sister's favorite bird..she has several paintings of cardinals in her house. What a gorgeous bird!

Well, now that I think about it, I have an awful lot of "favorite" birds! Perhaps all of them are favorites. Ones like the red-bellied woodpecker, the blue jay and the summer tanager..lots of favorites! This reminds me of a comical thing happened about a month ago. I have a cousin that is an avid birder. She prides herself on being able to identify most birds with just a glance. I stand in awe of her ability to do this and truly wish that I would take the time to learn a bit more about my feathered friends. She has all the trappings of a serious birder..the binoculars..birding scope..bird identification books..and much more..too much to tote! Anyway, last month, this cousin had a houseguest that she wanted to take birding. She called to ask if it was ok to visit the Bayou to view any unusual birds that might be around. I agreed and immediately set to making this visit a success. I filled the feeders to the brim, scattered a bit on the ground and filled the birdbaths. That should help. Then, since both of these ladies are in their 80s, I lugged two of my wicker lawn chairs to the end of the pier so they would have sturdy seating. No hard benches for my guests! Two lap-throws were added to the chairs to shield them from the icy winds. (Which I thought was a nice gesture!) All was set..birds were flocking to the yard..waterfowl had settled in on the bay..the ladies arrived. By the time we got them settled in to watching for birds..there were no birds. No birds..anywhere! It seems that every bird within a quarter mile had gotten wind that some one was there to look at them. They hid!

No ducks on the bay, no osprey in the dead pine, no chickadees on the feeders. Where had they gone?? The ladies did see on osprey in the distance and a beautiful egret but nothing out of the ordinary. The bird-watching trek was a bust! I must say that the house guest and I had quite the amusing time but my cousin was miffed. Then to top it all off..I was told that it was the lap-throws that scared all the birds away! hehe..It is funny how navy blue throws were deemed "too loud"! I can just imagine all of those fine feathered friends sitting in the bushes, giggling at their successful joke!

Not a Red Headed Woodpecker!

Today, I watched as a woodpecker busily attacked the branches of the popcorn tree (Chinese Tallow Tree). It would go from limb to limb searching the seed pods for the round, white "popcorn". Once it would find a filled pod, it would work at pulling out the seed more oft than not dropping it to the ground. If it was successful in getting the seed, off it would fly to the nearby pine tree. At first, I had no idea what it was doing, then a thought as it pounded against the pine tree..maybe it is using the pine tree to crack the seeds! I could not be more wrong. I watched curiously as it did this over and over again. Extract a seed..fly to the pine tree..work a minute..then pound, pound, pound..then back to the popcorn tree. I nonchalantly moved closer to the pine tree. Pretending not to notice the bird, I managed to get relatively close so I had a much better view. It grabbed a seed and flew just above my head. To my surprise, it was not eating the seeds at all! Rather it was storing them in the bark of the pine tree! It would work at tucking the seed well behind a loose flap of the bark and then pound on the tree as if hunting for bugs. I believe all of the pounding was merely a diversionary tactic. This smart bird was trying to make other birds think it was searching for food not hiding it! I watched for quite some time as I weeded a flower garden. This Red Belly Woodpecker must of made nearly fifty trips back and forth between these two trees. Storing up food for the winter..and they say birds don't think! Ha! This bird is smarter than a lot of people that I know!

The Red Belly Woodpecker is quite common here on the Bayou. I see quite a number of them around the feeders daily. They have black and white stripes on their backs and gleaming red caps on their heads. Now these are not to be confused with their cousins. Please do not call them Red Headed Woodpeckers as this might totally offend the true Red Head. The Red Belly does indeed have a bright red cap, but it is not a total red head. The Red Headed Woodpecker does not have the stripes on its back and is smaller than the Red Belly. Its head is totally covered with

red feathers. It is also not as common as the other and its population has declined in recent years due to deforestation. The Red Headed Woodpecker is known to store food for the winter, but I have never observed the Red Belly Woodpecker doing this. Ahh..you learn something new every day!