The Madman And His Birds

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The madman has his eye on the birds. We finally took the hummingbird feeders down last week. You may think that’s awful late. Normally it would be, but the madman says it’s been a strange year.

According to Journey North, some hummingbirds were late in leaving. There were reports of hummingbird sightings to the North of us through the end of October – not many, just a few stragglers. But, one is enough for us. The organization suggested leaving feeders up to catch any late fliers since most flowers had been killed by frost.

The madman taking his hummingbird feeder down. — *This year we left our hummingbird feeder up longer than usual to catch any late travelers.*

Changing Feeders

So, we just traded the hummingbird feeder for our bird feeder. And, you know what? The birds were back within a day. Surprised? We knew they were around because we heard them all summer. Some even ventured into the garden to pick bugs and, lately, the seeds. As you may remember, we mentioned that the town of Farmington passed an ordinance saying no feeding of birds from April to November. The madman reluctantly complied, but deep down, he was afraid his friends would abandon him.

wooden birdfeeder with seeds — *The madman’s wooden birdfeeder has seen a lot of use.*

Bad News For Birds

The return of our bird feeders happened at about the time the U.S. Committee of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (nabci) released their 2022 State of the Bird Report. The report identified 70 tipping point (quickly disappearing, but not yet endangered) bird species that have lost 50% of their population in the past 50 years. Under current conditions, they are projected to lose another 50% in the next 50 years.

A different study in 2019 showed that more than one-half of the United States bird species are declining – the U.S. and Canada have lost 3 billion breeding birds since 1970. This study appeared in Science magazine and was led by Cornell Lab of Ornithology conservation scientist Ken Rosenberg. The way things are going, bird species we take for granted may be rare sightings for our grandchildren.

Missing Species

Baltimore Oriole sitting on a branch. — *This year we did not have any Baltimore Orioles visit our backyard. Image by John Triana, Regional Water Authority, Bugwood.org.*

In just the past few years the madman has noticed some missing species in the backyard. For the first time this year, we saw no Orioles – neither Baltimore nor Orchard. It’s been several years since we last had the Cedar Wax Wings eat all our choke cherries in one afternoon. And the madman hasn’t seen the Brown Thrashers nearly as much as he would like.

Brown Thrasher sitting on a branch. — *We used to marvel at the Brown Thrashers at the edge of our woods, but not this year – we saw none. Image by Johnny N. Dell, Bugwood.org.*

At one time we would hear of endangered species, but they were usually from some faraway place or were rare creatures that we never saw. There was no personal connection. But the recent bird studies are hitting close to home for the madman and the other 41 million U.S. backyard birders. Interestingly, the birdwatching industry is worth more than $100 billion in the U.S. alone.

Bright Spot

Before you get too depressed, the recent report did highlight one bright spot. Numbers of waterfowl and water birds were on the uptick thanks to conservation policy enacted decades ago – policy that has protected our wetlands and cleaned our water ways.

Mallard duck with ducklings swimming in the water. — *Waterbirds like these Mallard Ducks are not experiencing the declines of the backyard birds. Image by Terry Spivey, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org.*

The madman and I can remember a time when no one would dare to stick a foot into Connecticut’s Rivers. But, thanks to conservation programs, a lot of volunteers and tons of money that has changed. We’ve noticed the waters are clearing and I guess the waterfowl agree. Authors of the 2022 report call the resurgence of waterfowl and water birds a “model conservation success story.”

Birds Need Our Help

Other North American birds could use the same sort of help. It’s going to take the efforts of all of us to reverse the birds’ decline. Yes, we need large scale and local government policy and funding, but just as important are individual efforts. Remember, according to the National Audubon Society, “birds are nature’s messengers and they’re letting us know that they are experiencing the devastating impacts of climate change and habitat loss.”

Black-capped Chickadee sitting on birdfeeder — *A Black-capped Chickadee visits the madman’s birdfeeder. Studies show that backyard bird numbers are in decline.*

So, we’d better get busy – our feathered friends need all the help they can get. Make your yard bird friendly. If you don’t have a yard, make your patio or balcony bird friendly with container gardens.

Getting Bird Friendly

But, how do you make your yard bird friendly? Start small, the madman says and think native. Birds need food, shelter, water and a pleasant place to raise their young, just like we do.

bird friendly garden — *In the middle of summer, our gardens invite plenty of birds. We started small, doing one bed each year.*

Everyone thinks birds eat mostly seeds and berries. As important as these foods are, that’s not all the birds eat. Birds need large amounts of protein, especially during breeding season and while feeding their young. A lot of this protein comes from insects and their larvae that are crawling on native plants.

Plant Natives

In Connecticut, our native oaks, willows, maples and birches provide a vast variety of these nutritious morsels. The oak alone supports hundreds of species of insects. But, native shrubs and perennials also provide their share of insects for hungry birds. And seeds provide a source of nourishment to get the birds through the winter so wait for spring to do garden cleanup.

seed heads left in the garden for the birds. — *We leave seed heads for the birds and do our clean up in the spring.*

In addition to feeding the birds, mature trees and shrubs provide ready shelter and nesting areas. Birds and plants evolved together, so birds have learned how to use these plants to their best advantage. How cool is it that a plant can both feed and shelter these guys. A quick note about non-native plants. Beautiful shrubs from far off places are often advertised as “pest free” – that’s because our native insects don’t know what to do with them. Planting non-natives doesn’t help our ecosystem.

Don’t Forget Water

All that’s missing is water. A simple bird bath or water garden can benefit both you and the birds. The National Audubon Society has a great article on how to become bird friendly, click this link to read it. As you invite birds to your yard, a wonderful array of moths and butterflies will follow.

birdbath in center of garden path — *Water is important for the birds.*

Get Involved

If you can’t garden, don’t fret. Instead, get involved in local conservation projects. Support local community gardens. Join a Nature Center and take your children or grandchildren for walks. Encourage your child’s school to teach kids about nature and get them familiar with the outdoors – there are also health benefits to this. Find a conservancy organization that reflects you ideals and donate to their cause. As we learned in the Master Gardening program, we are all stewards of the earth.

And, with that weighty thought, it’s time for a cup of hot chocolate –all of a sudden it got cold.

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Changing Feeders