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| TRR photo by Sandy Long | |
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(Click for larger version) |
Swiping: unique bird behavior observed
It’s called swiping, and it’s happening just outside Barbara Leo’s kitchen window. As coordinator of the Upper Delaware Region’s Audubon Christmas Bird Count, Leo knows a bit about birds and their behaviors. When a pair of white-breasted nuthatches began eyeing up the hole left when a limb broke off Leo’s cherry tree, she recognized the early signs of nesting behavior.
The female built the nest and assumed occupancy as the male began bringing food for both. Then the swiping started. “They collected beetles and other insects, mashed them and dressed the entrance to the nest with the stinky remains of the bugs,” said Leo.
The practice is believed to ward off potential predators like squirrels, who might be interested in consuming the five to six eggs laid during successive nights. The birds repeat the swiping procedure, smearing the crushed insects throughout the nesting period to create an offensive odor at the nesting cavity entrance.
Other current bird activity includes the return of ruby-throated hummingbirds, which arrive in April and early May. After wintering in Central and South America, the miniature birds fly across the Gulf of Mexico, then work their way to northern nesting grounds by fueling up at feeders and flowerbeds along the way.
Track the migration at the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s “Backyard Hummingbirds” section on its website ((www.pgc.state.pa.us)), which includes a link to a map updated by citizen participants.
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| TRR photo by Sandy Long | |
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(Click for larger version) |
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| TRR photo by Sandy Long | |
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(Click for larger version) |
