HomeMy WebLinkAboutMay, 13, 1999 - Wanted_ roost with a view4A • The Suffolk Times • May 13, 1999
Wanted: roost with a view
Every spring there's a ritual per-
formed out in my shop that hasn't
changed for many years. It's the building
and repairing of half of the 20 or so bird
boxes I've put up throughout our prop-
erty. Of course, the largest is that apart-
ment box I spoke of last week that had to
be put up in anticipation of luring this
year's martins.
I've already gotten three calls from
people who have
reported raccoons Focusintheirchimneys.
The reason I bring ON
this to your atten-
tion is that it has to
do with the culprit by Pahl
that is devastating Stoutenburgh
my bird boxes.
When will people learn we need to cover
the tops of our chimneys with appropri-
ate raccoon excluders? It's too late when
you hear "funny noises coming from
your fireplace." Then it's time to call in
the experts (at a cost) to remove them.
Like raccoons, many birds are looking
for a home at this time of the year to
rear their young and my job is to repair
the boxes put out of commission by Mr.
Raccoon. Seems he or she knows that
inside those square man -made boxes
lies a good meal..Usually the destruction
comes during the winter, when foods are
harder to come by. The scenario goes
something like this: A deer mouse and
others know that there is protection in
those neat - looking little square boxes
from the cold and rain of winter. After
spending the summer months foraging
around on the ground and doing what
mice do during the carefree, warm days
of summer, they look for a winter hiding
place and my bird boxes fit that de-
scription perfectly. They also know they
have to store up a good supply of food
to tide them over through the bleak
days of winter when they can't get out
and forage in safety. So now my bird
boxes become winter havens for mice
and their stored -up supply of nuts.
We all know Mr. Raccoon is a pretty
smart fellow and an opportunist of the
first order, so when he spots one of these
man -made boxes he knows there's a
pretty good chance of finding a meal
inside and naturally investigates. If his
clever ever - inquiring hands can't reach
the prize inside, he then uses his brute
strength and literally rips the roof off
the boxes or tumbles them to the
ground, where if he is still unable to get
to his prey, he'll gnaw away at the open-
ing until he is successful, leaving my
boxes completely wrecked. And so, the
annual spring repair starts up.
You might ask, "What birds are going
to use those boxes anyway ?" My answer:
A wide variety of birds could use them
but usually those who live "in town" will
find the common house sparrow is your
main occupant. These little sparrows
came from Europe
around the turn of
the century and are
now found
throughout the
whole of North
America. If the
openings in your
boxes are large
enough you might
well expect to find
another immigrant,
the starling, who,
like the house spar-
row, has become
widespread
throughott the
country and a real
opportunist in ac-
quiring houses.
He's a real bully
and will chase out
anyone that gets in
his way.
The farther
away from the
populated parts of
town, the better
chances of getting
birds like chickadees, nuthatches, tree
swallows, wrens, etc., and who knows?
Maybe you'll even entice a bluebird to
one of your boxes. Of course, there are
always the woodpeckers who enjoy their
own specially chipped -out cavities that
they alone make in your old, dead limb
or tree. Downy and hairy woodpeckers
along with the yellow- shafted flicker
and red - bellied woodpecker are the
more traditional cavity nesters and usu-
ally shun any of the man -made boxes.
There's another group of larger birds
that nest occasionally in specially made
nest boxes, the little screech owl and the
kestrel, our smallest hawk. Both can be
lured to a box providing the opening is
large enough (three inches). Some larg-
er birds like the barn owl will nest in old
barns and buildings and occasionally in
water towers, but these owls are finding
it harder and harder to find these out -of-
the -way places to bring up their young.
Some birds don't need any help from
man whatsoever, for they build right on
the ground. The bobwhite we hear call-
ing from the nearby fields is a perfect
the sharp- tailed sparrow that builds'its
capped -over nest out on the salt marsh.
Here's a bird that when you remove the
salt marsh you eliminate the bird, a per-
fect example of how extinction occurs
when you have a bird that builds only in
salt marsh habitat.
In the deep woods you often hear the
call "Teach -er, teach -er, teach -er" of the
ovenbird, who builds its oven - capped
nest on the ground. Years ago before
houses surrounded us, we had this oven-
bird build its nest in our woods.
Through hours of observation and
tracking I did finally find its nest hidden
under a canopy of leaves. Another rare
treat to hear is the call of the whippoor-
will. Forty or 50 years ago it was a com-
mon sound each spring, but as of late
you have to go a
long ways here on
the East End
before you hear
that familiar
whip- poor -weel,
whip - poor -weel"
call. They, too, nest
on the ground. It
hardly looks like a
nest for it's a mere
depression on - the
forest floor.
The brown
thrasher usually
nests in bushes but
not always, as a
nest I found out
among the pink
ground cover at
Orient Beach
State Park can
vouch for. It was a
rare treat to find.
Today the brown
thrasher is becom-
ing more and
more difficult to
find as its habitat
Suffolk Times photo by Paul Stoutenburgh
Some birds nest on the ground, others on the marsh, some even on floating
mats In lakes, while still others nest In trees and shrubs. Some prefer to
build In cavities in trees and man -made boxes. The picture above shows a
brown thrasher nesting on the ground at Orient Beach State Park.
example. All it needs is some shrubbery
or bushes.to help protect its nest. This,
along with its coloring, will camouflage
it in the leafy mass. So it is with the
female pheasant, who with her drab col-
oring blends with the leaves and grass.
Even the little song sparrow has its
brown coloring so it is not easily noticed
in its nest on the ground. No flashy col-
ors for these ground nesters.
One of the most difficult ground
nesters to find, that I've come across, is
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7881 is being taken over by
man. Probably the most common nest
that. people are acquainted with here is
the open tree or bush nest that both
the robin and cardinal build. You'll
find these around your home almost
any- where — in your evergreens or
the maple tree in the front yard. They'
ll build right under your window
some- times and you'll not even be aware
of their presence. The catbird and
towhee are a bit more secretive, and build
their nests in the woods away from
people. We couldn't leave without
mentioning the champion of all songsters, the
mock- ingbird. It, like the bluejay,
nests amongst the trees and shrubs
about your home: Often, they go unnoticed
for they, too, become very secretive
during nest time. By now the mourning
dove has built its flimsy stick nest in
your climbing rose bush or any other
spot that might fit its inclination. I
even found one building last year in my son'
s birdfeeder and another time one
built on the stern of someone's boat that
was stored in a
shipyard. Our not -too- friendly crow builds
its well - hidden stick nest in the tops
of evergreen trees. As we know, crows
are noisy but come nesting time it's a
differ- ent story. You'll not hear a peep out
of them around their nest. They, like
the bluejays, sneak in and out without
any- one knowing they're about. '?'heir
arch enemy, the great horned owl, doesn'
t even build a nest but uses an old
aban- doned crow or hawk's nest. This
largest of all our owls has already had its
young and is probably feeding its
fledglings away from the nest by now.
Remember, the great horned owl starts nesting
in late February and early
March. I've only touched on a few of
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