If hummingbirds were no-shows at feeder, it's worth trying again

Q: I didn't see any hummingbirds last summer, so is it even worth it to put out a feeder for them this year?

A: I'd say it's always worth it to try to attract hummingbirds. Some years I don't see any of these busy little birds, other years there'll be a female hovering at my nectar feeder and around the salvias blooming in my garden beds. Like most birds, they're pretty picky about the habitat they choose for nest building, and generally prefer being near water, whether a stream, wetland or lake. It's always so rewarding to discover a pair of young hummingbirds (short bills, short tails, green backs) exploring feeders and flowers in the late summer, even if you hadn't been aware of a nest. So, I'd advise giving nectar feeders another try.

Window battering birds

Q: I'm just praying that the male cardinal who spent weeks battering my windows last spring doesn't return this year. If he does, how can I make him stop? It's unnerving and very messy.

A: Robins, cardinals, blue jays, bluebirds, chickadees and other species can be window bashers in the spring, when their elevated hormone levels make them very combative. A bird catches a glimpse of itself reflected in a window and confuses this with another bird trying to take over its territory. They may spend hours attempting to drive it off, striking the window over and over again. They'll relentlessly attack a window, car mirror or shiny hubcap — any reflective surface that has caught their eye. And while doing this, they often poop a lot, a sign of stress.

The behavior often ends after nesting is well underway and a bird's hormones have subsided. But in the meantime, it's no fun for homeowners or car owners. The key is to stop the reflectivity of whatever surface a bird is attacking, and the usual recommendation is to place cardboard on the outside of the window the bird is attacking (or a sock over a car's rearview mirror). If the bird moves to another window, move the cardboard, which stops him/her from seeing a reflection. Quite often, closing curtains or blinds makes little difference, since there'll still be a reflective period, at least for part of the day.

The cardboard thing is actually a kindness for the poor confused bird, which is wasting energy and may even harm itself in its relentless attacks.

No summer feeding?

Q: I feel a need to feed birds in the wintertime, but how about in summer and fall, when there's so much natural food around for them?

A: Good question, and the answer depends on what you want to accomplish. Birds are able to keep themselves fed without human help throughout the year, except on the coldest winter days — this is the time when our feeders can make a difference to their survival. But if we don't offer food for birds, we won't see many birds: Feeders bring the birds close so we can observe them. So, if your yard lacks feeders in the warm months, when fruit and seeds are abundant in the wild, then you'll miss out on seeing parent birds grabbing a quick meal during nesting duties. And you won't see parents bringing their youngsters to feeders to show them the ropes. I feed birds year-round because I want to see birds every day.

Bald vs. golden eagles

Q: I'm sending you photos taken by my trail camera that show two eagles fighting over a carcass in a field. They're so big and dark that I'm calling them golden eagles, what do you think?

A: It's easy to confuse young bald eagles with golden eagles. My first thought, in looking at the photos, is that they show young bald eagles that haven't yet molted into adult plumage, with white heads and tails. Instead, they're covered in dark feathers, which can be confusing. Just to nail it down, I sent your photos to Scott Mehus, the education director at the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minn. He noted two features that clearly identify them as bald eagles, not goldens: They have dark beaks all the way to the tip, unlike the golden eagle's tri-colored beak. And the size of the beaks is a good indicator, too: "If you have to 'look' to see a beak, then you're probably looking at a golden eagle," Mehus said. "But a bald eagle beak is just massive and really stands out — I tell people to think of Jimmy Durante."

No crow river

Q: I don't see the long river of flying crows in the late afternoon anymore, what's up with that?

A: Crow behavior changes as the seasons change. In winter, they fly in from all corners of the metro area to gather in large communal roosts at night. This helps protect them from predatory owls and it might also be a way for the group to share information about good daytime food sources. But in early spring the night roosts break up as crow pairs head off to build nests and raise their young.

Is grape jelly OK?

Q: I know orioles like grape jelly, but when I put some outside, other birds eat it, too. Is it harmful to them?

A: Not at all (unless they fall into the container and become covered in jelly, which is why you should only offer it in shallow vessels, such as jar lids). Turns out many songbirds in addition to orioles have taste receptors that allow them to enjoy sweet things. These include house finches, goldfinches, chickadees, robins, grackles and many others. Woodpeckers and nuthatches have been known to enjoy a slurp, too.

'Dees bathing in snow?

Q: After one of those heavy March snowfalls, I saw a chickadee doing something odd: It jumped into a snow clump on an evergreen and fluttered around, before jumping out and shaking himself all over. He did this over and over, as if he was taking a snow bath. Have you ever seen anything like this?

A: I have seen a chickadee bathing in snow on a tree branch once before, but I think this behavior is fairly rare. I checked with Duluth's renowned author and radio host, Laura Erickson, and she's observed 'dees engaging in snow bathing several times, in snow clumps on tree branches or in snow on rain gutters. Those little birds are full of surprises.

Odd nest site

Q: Reader Dot Landis sent in a chickadee tale: "Your recent piece about chickadees nesting got me thinking about something I observed a few years ago. The neighbor had cut off the horizontal pole between a set of washing line poles, leaving two open-ended pipes. One day I noticed a chickadee drop into one of the open pipes. Over the ensuing weeks I heard cheeps coming from the pipe and it was clear they had a nest in there. I'd sometimes see a parent bird drop down, but I never saw one of them emerge, so I don't know how they managed that. I always wondered why the infant birds didn't drown in a heavy rain and how they got out when it was time to leave. While this site may have provided some protection from predators, the entry and exit certainly seemed challenging."

A: I love this story, because it so points up how adventurous, adaptable and athletic chickadees can be.

St. Paul resident Val Cunningham, who volunteers with the St. Paul Audubon Society and writes about nature for a number of newspapers and magazines, can be reached at valwrites@comcast.net.