Feathers and Fuzz

one woman's cure for the empty-nester blues

Feathers

Northern Flicker Return – Part 1

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Northern Flicker Returns

It amazes me how birds return, year after year, to a given location.  2019 marked the 5th annual Northern Flicker return for his winter roost.  I don’t know, of course, if it is the same Flicker but I believe it is.  He arrives between 10/13 and 10/24 as if he put on his calendar:

”Head to winter residence mid-October”.

Okay so, yes, in 2018 he had a conflict and didn’t arrive until January 1st 2019.

Looking at him sleeping, it is easy to understand how young Roger Tory Peterson thought the clump of grey Flicker feathers he encountered in the woods was a dead bird.  (Remember Roger's story?  The Northern Flicker Will Astound You).

There’s just something about seeing "my Flicker" come home and tucking himself in that warms my heart each winter evening.  He lifts my spirits, makes me laugh, when the weather is abysmal…heading back to his little wooden cabin to nap through a chilly downpour.  He can sleep through ANYTHING!  I admit, his antics and his stunning beauty make him my favorite winter resident.  (If you are new to this blog, there are several prior Flicker posts underscoring this admission:  Flicker in Flight, Didn't Read the Instructions, Done With the Rain.)

I Count the Northern Flicker Return Each Year as Among my Many Blessings

There are so many times during these past months God has blessed us.  One January day, January 15 to be exact, I was driving home and found myself thanking God for a whole series of blessing that were on my mind. When I sat down later that evening, and looked up at the bird camera images, I noted my Flicker was in for the night.  And then…it registered…there were TWO Flickers.  Mr. Flicker was in the east owl house…Ms. Flicker was in the south owl house.  Reach your own conclusion.  For me, it felt like a gift from God.  That night my worries about my dog, Drake, sure felt a lot lighter.

Female Flicker - Image 1
Female Flicker - Image 2

Unlike Mr. Flicker, who nestles down in the wood shavings to sleep, Ms. Flicker sleeps clinging to the wall of the house – always the wall where the entrance hole is.

Stand by for Part 2

Don’t get too excited…no shared nesting…no eggs…but we can always hope for a Part 3!

Night Crawler – Rat Snake on the Prowl

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In my last post, I presented the design of a “snake proof” Phoebe nesting platform. Several weeks later it was put to the test as the night crawler – rat snake – was on the prowl. Not to worry — no horrific images!

I had the nest cameras live view up on the screen while I was on a phone call. Suddenly, the 12-day-old Bluebird nestlings went into a frenzy — and I do mean a flapping frenzy! In spite of their frenzy, I saw no threat inside the nest box. When I logged into the exterior camera, however, I could see that the parents clearly identified a threat. I can only assume it was a Rat Snake on the prowl for dinner.

When a threat is observed, the parents fly, almost upright, in front of the nest box — flapping their wings violently — and, I assume, vocally sounding an alarm. My guess is the alarm translates to: “Get out now at ALL cost!” Unlike the docile nestlings I observed several years back, similarly warned, these nestlings reacted immediately.

As you will see in the video, 2 of the 5 nestlings actually “fledged”. Since they were only 12 days old (vs the normal fledging age of 18 days), they couldn’t fly. The best they could do is jump out of the hole and fall to the ground. (Obviously, the parents had no way of knowing the baffle on the birdhouse pole would prevent the snake from accessing the house.) I won’t know the “falling nestlings” fate for at least a few more weeks. Even then, I won’t be certain. It’s a matter of counting how many juvenile bluebirds show up at the feeders together.

Four days after the attack, the remaining 3 nestlings are faring well in the birdhouse. Hopefully they will endure the extreme heat we’ve been having here in Georgia for a couple more days — then fledge strong.

Meanwhile, over at the Phoebe platform — some 9 hours after the attack on the Bluebird nest — I was once again watching the cameras live. About 2′ under the Phoebe nest, I saw a snake climbing the brick wall (at that point, about 12′ above ground level). My heart was pounding as I watched the live feed. Would the “snake proof” platform design stand the test over time? The answer?  I can’t say for sure. Watch the video.  Judge for yourself.