RE: [cobirds] cool observations in hot weather (Bldr Cnty)

Interesting post, Linda.

 

Caching seeds from natural sources or feeders as a winter seed supply supplement is a major activity of all our nuthatch species at this time of year.  Two things strike me about this: (1) it has to be a strategy evolved as a hedge against the unreliability of local conifer and other seed crops that, when available, constitute the bulk of nuthatch winter food.  In the case of conifers, a “bumper” crop only happens every 3-5 years, and (2) amounts to a “throw stuff at the wall and hope some of it sticks” type of activity, given the amount of poaching from other seed-eating birds and tree squirrels.  I would love to know what % of seeds stored away by an individual nuthatch the providing nuthatch actually gets to eat.  I would wager it is very low.  Given that suspicion, I have often wondered if the frenzy of activity it involves for weeks and weeks, multiple trips from source to sink per hour, how this caching can be worth it.  One assumes it has to be or they wouldn’t do it but the “profit margin” can’t be large.  I think birds are like most of us living paycheck to paycheck and clipping coupons.  If you’re a gull that knows the way to the San Jose (or other) landfill, different deal.

 

As for the blue grosbeaks starting a nest at this time of year, that seems pretty normal for a double-brooded species.  I do not think it necessarily implies a problem with the first 2024 nesting attempt.

 

You mention Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus), which is native to the eastern U.S. and being planted more and more in Colorado urban areas.  It seems to do well here and I used to think it was one of these “plastic” trees with few insects or body parts fed upon by local birds or other wildlife (i.e., of little ecological value).  But in recent years fox squirrels are becoming increasingly fond of extracting beans from the seed pods, sort of the way they have been doing with honeylocust and other legumes for decades.  If anybody sees a bird eating coffeetree beans, I’d like to hear the details.  Of course, this tree is not related to the true coffee trees (Coffea caniphora variety arabica and C. c. variety robusta, mostly) but the beans were roasted by native peoples and early Europeans in N.A. as a coffee substitute.

 

Dave Leatherman

Fort Collins

 

From: 'Linda Andes-Georges' via Colorado Birds <cobirds@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2024 12:04 PM
To: Co-birds <cobirds@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [cobirds] cool observations in hot weather (Bldr Cnty)

 

Hello, birdwatchers (those who twitch and those who do not):

 

This past week as the heat continued despite blessedly cloudy late afternoons, I noticed two behaviors odd enough that I had to resort to the reference books to find out what was going on.

 

The first I'm sure most of you have already noticed, but I'm late to this party: Our local WB Nuthatch pair began raids on a fairly frantic level of the birdseed I throw on our deck (in my case, purely to establish the kitty-TV programming for the day-- and they also enjoy the mouse-watching channel).

 

The nuthatches were coming and going regularly and at first I thought maybe they were feeding chicks, but when I had time to observe closely, I could see that they took each seed to a favorite tree (Kentucky coffee with its nicely grooved bark), Japanese sophora, with its trunk cleavages, and plains cottonwood, also, groovy bark). Then they would march around on the branches until they found a fissure suitable for seed storage. Lots of noisy pounding, then a return trip to the deck. I had no idea they were such seed-eaters in winter, or that they dedicated their hunting in August to this degree.

 

The other odd behavior that made me consult the good ole CO Atlas, was that of a female Blue Grosbeak. On Aug. 20, no sooner, she was gathering nesting material among our wildflowers. I'm used to hearing the grosbeaks singing and chink-calling in late summer or early fall, but starting over with a brood? We speculated that the first nest had been blown down thanks to the high winds in these storm cells. 

 

Talk about resilient nature...

 

 

Linda

 

 

Personal landcape: Now known as Boulder County (CO). We nest in shortgrass prairie whose caretakers for centuries were the Hinóno’éí (Arapaho) and Cheyenne Nations. Colorado’s Front Range is also home to The Ute & many other Native peoples. Reconozco que vivo en el territorio de las naciones Hinóno’éí (Arapaho) y Cheyenne, según el 1851 Tratado de Fort Laramie; y que el estado de Colorado al esté de las Montañas Rocosas es territorio de Utes y muchos otros pueblos indígenas

 

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