Carolina Wren - Small but Mighty!!

Carolina Wren - Small but Mighty!!

I pulled into our garage after a long day of work, gathered my things and got out of the car to head inside, and – bam!!  A little brown ball of feathers dive-bombed me and made it clear that I had invaded HER territory!  I ducked and headed for the door, while she flew to the top of the garage door opener.  Then I saw the reason for her ferocity – She was building a nest there.  In OUR garage.  Wait – is it our garage, or is it hers?  She would have me believe that she had taken over the ownership.

Carolina wrens are the forceful but delightful personalities in our local songbird world.  These small brown birds are inquisitive, busy, and constantly moving.  They are fun to watch as they flit about on their daily activities.  They are the largest of the wrens (less common winter wrens and house wrens are also seen in our area at various times) and yet are only about 5.5 inches long and weigh an ounce or less.  A Carolina wren’s head and back are a beautiful honey brown color, and its underparts are white with a rusty wash.  These birds have long, slightly downturned bills, and distinct white stripes through their eyes.  And they have short stubby tails that are usually cocked at a 90 degree angle to their bodies.

And they are loud!  You likely have heard one even if you did not see it.  Their song is one of the brightest and cheeriest of the songbirds, usually heard as “TEA-kettle, TEA-kettle, TEA-kettle.”  They have other calls that also strongly announce their presence.  They thrive in town settings as long as enough trees and low growth in the area provide cover for them, and their rich melodic sounds will let local residents know that they are around.

These little birds will nest anywhere.  In addition to the top of our garage door opener, we have had them attempt to nest in a pocket of an old flannel shirt of my husband’s, and on a shelf in our storage room.  If we remove the beginnings of a nest, the wrens persistently attempt another one.  And another.  One year we had to leave the garage door shut at all times because of one particularly determined wren.  

Carolina wrens usually eat insects; however, they do come to feeders, especially in the winter.  They are attracted to suet more than to sunflower seed.  They will suddenly appear at the suet, get their fill, and then be gone again.  They are too busy to hang around socializing with the other birds at a feeding station.

The cheery behavior of Carolina wrens brings smiles to people’s faces.  Listen for their sounds, then watch for them in woods or in brush piles around more open areas.  They are a pleasant diversion in difficult times.  They are small but mighty in every way! 

Ospreys on the Nest

Ospreys On The Nest

I could sense my friend’s excitement even in her text.  “We think we’ve got a bald eagle nesting in the cell tower near our house!”  Knowing the nests that are present on several cell towers in our area, I suggested to her, “Are you sure you’re not looking at an osprey?”  Soon she sent another text:  “You’re right, we used our telescope and can see it’s an osprey.”  She may have been a little disappointed, but she needn’t have been.  An osprey may not be a bald eagle, but it’s still an unusual nature observation.  And they are large and beautiful raptors.

These birds, which used to be known as fish hawks, are about six to eight inches smaller than eagles and have white underparts, as compared to mature bald eagles which are all brown except for their heads and tails.  

Ospreys are known to mate for life and often return to the same nest, adding to it each year.  After hatching, the 2-4 nestlings are cared for by their parents until flight occurs at about seven weeks.  Young birds can be observed strengthening their wings by flapping until they rise above the nest and then sink back down.

A really fortunate observer at the lake can see an osprey swoop down and catch lunch or dinner.  We’ve seen that happening while enjoying the Galley Restaurant for our own dinner,.  When an osprey spots a fish, it hovers over the water, then plunges feet first to catch its meal in its talons.  The male usually does the fishing to bring food back to the nest when young are present.

I know of at least four cell towers or high platforms in Anderson where ospreys nest, and more are no doubt around.  This is a relatively recent phenomenon for which we can thank the presence of Lake Hartwell (and the DDT ban).  Ospreys used to nest only near the coast; however, they have followed water routes and are now nesting inland.  If you can safely pull over when you pass a cell tower, look to see if you see messy sticks poking out around the top.  If so, you are probably looking at an osprey nest.  And if you’re lucky, you’ll see birds, either adults or maybe little ones as well.  The nests are so high that you’ll need binoculars to get a good look.  The cell tower nest at the corner of Highway 24 and Alice Drive is a good one to study, because a pull-off provides a safe spot where watchers can park and observe the activity.

Looking up and seeing an osprey nest, and following the progression of the little ones as they mature, is a wonderful experience  for my friend, who is now watching the nest near her home.  She’s getting a great education in nature study.  And now that ospreys nest in our area--you can, too.  

Red-Headed Woodpecker - Uncommon but Regal

Red-Headed Woodpecker - Uncommon but Regal

My husband and I were enjoying a late afternoon breeze on our back porch one July afternoon, when we observed a highly unexpected event.  The woodpecker I most wanted to see in my yard finally appeared!  A flash of white, black, and red swooped through the air and lit on a tree trunk about a hundred feet away – a stunning red-headed woodpecker had finally made an appearance.  It was a red-letter day (no pun intended) for this bird-watcher.  We watched it peck at the trunk for several minutes and got a great look at it since it stayed in view so long.  I even got a good photo of this brilliant bird before it finally took off for other parts.  That was almost a year ago, and I’ve not seen one since that day.  

The red-headed woodpecker is classified as “uncommon” in most areas of the eastern U.S., including ours. I’ve spotted them in Anderson just a handful of times over the past few years – once on River Street, once at the intersection of West Whitner and Tower, several times on Moultrie Square, and more recently on Mar-Mac Road (we observed a nesting pair half a dozen times there a couple of years ago).   This bird is so striking that an occasional glimpse of one is very satisfying.

Large patches of black and white on its back, belly, and wings make the red-headed woodpecker’s appearance very dramatic.  And that head!!  It looks like a brilliant red hood was lowered onto its head and draped around its shoulders. This woodpecker is unmistakable and easily identified when seen.  Its coloration makes it one of the most beautiful birds around.

Many people confuse the red-headed woodpecker with the red-bellied, which is more common in Anderson and surrounding areas.  The two birds are approximately the same size, and the red-bellied does have some red on its head (as do most woodpecker species).  However, the red-bellied woodpecker does not have the broad white patches on its belly and wings or the intensely ruby shaded head and neck, and is thus not as striking in appearance as the red-headed.  Its black and white coloration is interspersed over its body, and is said to be ladder-backed.  It is still a bird to appreciate, but it doesn’t have the same dramatic effect on an observer as does its more flamboyant cousin.

Even though I won’t see one often, during travels I will always keep my eyes peeled for red-headed woodpeckers.  They seem to pop up at the most unexpected times and unexpected places.  Keep looking as you travel around town, and you may be blessed with a quick view of this stunning, beautiful bird - the uncommon but regal red-headed woodpecker.

Rare Birds in Anderson

Rare Birds in Anderson

One Saturday morning when out and about, Mike and I rode to the old Green Pond landing on Lake Hartwell, just to see if anything interesting was out there.  In the midst of about twenty Canada geese was a slightly smaller white goose, which I assumed was either domestic or was a snow goose - an uncommon find.  But while studying its features with binoculars, I realized that it was different than a snow goose--slightly smaller, with a different bill and head shape.  “I think this is a Ross’s goose,” I said after studying the field guide, “but according to the map they’re not supposed to be in this area.”

“Ann,” Mike said, in that patient but maddening tone men sometimes use when talking to their wives, “Birds are wild.  They go where they want to go.  They don’t read the range maps.”  Well, his logic, also maddening even if it made sense, was exactly correct.  So I added Ross’s Goose to my eBird report, and as expected, it flagged as a rare bird for our area.

Since the advent of the internet, finding rare birds has become much easier.  Notable bird observations in the Carolinas can be found each day by accessing carolinabirdclub.org/sightings/.  This website flags the unusual birds that observers have included on lists uploaded to the site eBird.org.  Last December, I checked the list one morning and found that a white pelican had been spotted the day before at the pond in Chris Taylor Memorial Park.  White pelicans, unlike the common brown ones found at our beaches, usually occur much farther west of here. I drove quickly to the park in hopes of getting a glimpse of it.  By that time, however, it had gone on its merry wild way.  

The Townville area, with its extensive fields bordered by thick scrubby woods, is sometimes home to rare birds.  Several years ago a short-eared owl wintered there.  Word spread, and many evenings people showed up to watch this beautiful but far out of range owl that flew out of the nearby woods like clockwork at dusk each evening.  Also, shorebirds that ought to be closer to the coast, such as a pair of black-necked stilts, occasionally stop by the ponds that dot the area.  Sometimes these rarities stay a few days, affording more people the opportunity to see them.

One draw that makes birding interesting is that no one can predict what might be passing through.  While most observations will be of birds that belong here, I’ve learned to be cautiously aware of the possibility of spotting that occasional rare bird.  And I’ve also accepted that “Birds are wild.  They go where they want to go.  They don’t read the range maps.”  True, yes.  But still maddening.

Pileated Woodpecker

No pics, because it was flying, but I saw a pileated woodpecker today for the first time since the mid-90s.  And right after I went inside, Mike saw the pair flying together right by our cabin.  Great experience.  Next time maybe I can get a picture.

Solitary Sandpiper

Seen 5/1/2020 at our farm property in Due West.  It was by the small wet-weather pond beside our driveway, and was not the least bit frightened by our presence.  New bird for both Mike and me.