This content comes to the Adirondack Almanack courtesy of Audubon New York.
These simple tips can ensure your feeder is a safe source of food for birds all year long.
Feeding birds is one of the great joys for winter birders. While setting up a feeder of your own can be fun, it comes with the responsibility of keeping your feeder birds safe. Follow these tips to make sure your feeder brings your local birds as much joy as it brings you!
You may not see as many birds in your woods in winter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t plan ahead. If you’d like to hear the sound of an Ovenbird calling “pizza! pizza! pizza!” while you hike your trails, or catch a glimpse of a Scarlet Tanager high in a tree canopy, there are actions you can take – for free or cheap, and mostly on your own – to increase the diversity of bird species in your forest.
Winter is a particularly great time to try these management activities, since it’s outside the nesting season.
NNY Audubon Society Sponsors Two Farm Grant Events in October
Northern New York Audubon (NNYA) is hosting two events, on the 7th and 9th of October, to benefit their new Farm Grant Program. The Farm Grant program, which aims to connect bird conservation and farming in a mutually beneficial way, will distribute grants to local farms to fund the development of bird-friendly habitats and agricultural practices. The program launched in July at a Trivia event at Hex and Hop Brewery in Bloomingdale, which raised over $1,100. NNYA is hosting two more events in October to wrap up their 2021 outreach and fundraising campaign.
As a Forest Program Associate for Connecticut and New York, Rosa Goldman works with local landowners to make their forests healthier for birds and other wildlife.
Growing up in semi-rural western Massachusetts, Goldman recounts the impact forests had on her childhood:
“I definitely took forests for granted,” she said. “I was surrounded by them all the time, and loved spending time in the woods.”
It was not until she received her bachelor’s in environmental studies and moved to New York City that Goldman realized just how powerful that influence was. “Suddenly the type of forest I’d grown up in wasn’t as accessible to me anymore. I started learning about urban forestry, but pretty quickly realized that I wanted to go back to school to study forests more broadly.”
As we enter spring and welcome the warm weather, we are seeing more birds come back from their wintering grounds. Many forest birds migrate long distances to their breeding locations in the spring. It is crucial that these birds have quality habitat so they can nest, feed, and raise their young to ensure the next generation of the species.
Most neotropical migrants leave the northeast in September and return in April and May. Each bird species has different habitat requirements, so it is key to have a healthy and diverse forest to fulfill all their needs. A healthy forest is composed of multiple age classes and species of trees, provides ecosystem services, and supports forest birds and other wildlife.
Below, we’ve compiled some of the most frequently asked questions having to do with bird migration, their journeys, and ways we can welcome them back.
(At left, a tree swallow, illustration by David Allen Sibley, courtesy of Audubon New York)
Few things are more heartbreaking than encountering an injured, sick, or orphaned bird (adult or chick) or other wild animal. It is in our human nature to want to help, but how do we make sure we do more good than harm? Follow these important guidelines.
By Suzanne Treyger
Generally speaking, most birds nest when the temperatures are warmer and food resources, like insects and fruits, are abundant.
Late spring and early summer are the busiest breeding seasons for birds, but there are several forest species that prefer to nest outside of that peak time. Let’s take a look at three odd-season nesters and their preferred forest habitat.
Just in time for sugaring season, Cornell University’s Uihlein Maple Research Forest is being recognized for managing its 350-acre sugarbush in ways that help declining forest birds.
Cornell University’s Uihlein Maple Research Forest in Lake Placid, a 7,000-tap research forest and commercial maple operation, has become an official Bird-Friendly Maple producer. Through the Bird-Friendly Maple project (a collaborative effort between Audubon, Cornell and the New York State Maple Producers Association), they will manage their 350-acre sugarbush—the forest area where maple syrup is produced—in ways that provide more resilient bird habitat. » Continue Reading.
By Zack Boerman
While it’s common for forest management activities to be carried out year round, seasons are an important consideration when working with birds.
In the summer, for example, you’ll easily notice if your forest is well-shaded by a large mature canopy, resulting in bare ground underneath. In this scenario, birds that need shrubs and small trees growing on the forest floor, like Ruffed Grouse and Black-throated Blue Warbler, may be absent.
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Why You Should Plan Your Harvest for Winter
Forest management is easier, safer, and better for birds in the non-breeding season.
While it’s common for forest management activities to be carried out year round, seasons are an important consideration when working with birds.
In the summer, for example, you’ll easily notice if your forest is well-shaded by a large mature canopy, resulting in bare ground underneath. In this scenario, birds that need shrubs and small trees growing on the forest floor, like Ruffed Grouse and Black-throated Blue Warbler, may be absent.
In order to reintroduce these species on your land, it’s necessary to alter the habitat by removing some mature trees to encourage growth on the forest floor. Doing so will also increase vigor in the remaining trees by allowing them more light and space.
However, the spring and summer breeding season is not an ideal time to conduct this management – which might disturb birds’ ability to nest and raise chicks. Instead, plan your harvest in winter!
» Continue Reading.