Vickie Henderson Art

Amazing Elephants

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 18:55:00 +0000

On my recent visit to Kruger National Park in South Africa in May 2023, I had the opportunity to visit the northern end of the park. An area less crowded and more peaceful, full of many scenic river views. And so many elephants! We spent hours watching the interaction of wildlife at waterholes, some man-made, some natural, all giving much information about the environment and its inhabitants.

This painting is of a young bull elephant, maybe three years of age, who came bursting onto the waterhole scene, growling and trumpeting, causing a heard of Cape Buffalo to scatter. What a surprise for me. I never imagined a young elephant would have so much power. He was so small, but so confident and bold.

Please join me at my art website, Vickie Henderson Art, where I have created a blog post that tells the rest of this story and how my visits to S. Africa are inspiring my art.

You are invited to subscribe to my website blog and newsletter so that we can stay in touch no matter which platform I am using! Vickie Henderson Art - blog. See you there!

Seventeen-year Cicadas: Watching a Nymph Transform

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Fri, 14 May 2021 19:12:00 +0000

Seventeen-year Periodic Cicadas have been emerging slowly and silently in my east Tennessee yard for the past week. No drumming music to attract mates. No sound at all. (See more about this in my previous post: Seventeen-year Cicadas Emerging in Tennessee.) But, for the past two days they have been more active, disappearing up into the trees. And today it is sunny and 69 F degrees. A moment ago, a cicada flew by me clicking.

This slow period has offered unexpected opportunity for me to see several nymph transformations. The adult insect emerges from its nymph shell in a soft white stage, before the exoskelton and wings have had time to harden and become the mature insect we normally see. If I had not seen Sir David Attenbourough's excellent video, Amazing Cicada Life Cycle, I would not have known I was looking at the same insect.

I encountered this change as it was progressing and photographed it intermittently for 79 minutes. These transformations are happening constantly as the cicada nymphs crawl out of the ground. It is the most magical part of the whole metamorphosis and most of the time we don't even notice cicadas until they begin their deafening song. That is, unless they are all over your garden.

Even when they are all over your garden, as they are mine, there is nothing to feel concern about. They aren't feeding. They fed like crazy on tree root sap under the ground for seventeen years. Now all they care about is mating and starting their seventeen year cycle all over again.

Notice the wings starting to increase. They expand rapidly as the cicada emerges from the nymph excoskeleton which then becomes an empty casing.

For a period of time they hang from their casing, drying and hardening the wings and exoskeleton. Then their wings fold over their back, still with a silvery look, until the process of hardening changes the cicada into the black, red-eyed insect we normally see.

As the weather warms both the ground and the air, the quiet will fade and the air will fill with thousands of flying and singing cicadas. For two weeks they will mate, lay eggs, feed wildlife and fertilize the ground. Their larvae will hatch, fall to the ground, burrow under trees in search of root sap, and start the life-cycle all over again.

This is the second in a two-part series on the seventeen-year cicadas in east Tennessee. To see the first post visit: Seventeen-year Cicadas Emerging in Tennessee

Seventeen-year Cicadas are Emerging in Tennessee

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Wed, 12 May 2021 02:46:00 +0000

You will seldom see posts from me about insects. I value them and appreciate their contribution to our natural world but they are not generally the focus of my art or my writing. This insect, however, has my attention. The Seventeen-year Periodic Cicada, also known as Brood-X, Magicicada septendecim.

An insect that spends seventeen years underground, feeding on the sap of trees, only to emerge seventeen years later, for only two weeks, to sing, breed, lay eggs, and begin this life-cycle all over again.

I've been through a seventeen-year emergence before, aware of it only because of the noise. Thousands of males, all at once, flexing a drum-like organ in their abdomen. It can be deafening. But right now there is no sound. There is just this slow, steady increase in numbers. Speculation is that the temperatures have been too cold and everything will change when the ground warms up to 64F degrees.

This emergence is different for another reason. It is happening in my yard. The quiet is eerie. Does it mean only females have emerged? Are the males just two cold to sing? East Tennessee's May has been unseasonably cold with many days hovering in the 50's F. These cicadas are lounging near the ground, on ferns, viburnum, coral bells, even the ginger, any plant that happens to be nearby when they exit the ground. They are also climbing the beech trunks and if you think to look over-head, you'll find them hanging out in the lower canopy.

According to science, these insects like to emerge when its warm, a ground temperature of 64 F degrees at least. But mine are emerging anyway. Quietly, almost secretively. Slowly. The sheer numbers are starting to feel creepy. And while we are waiting for the full effect, I want you to see what I refer to as the "fairy princess" phase of cicada metamorphosis.

I think this phase is magical, the beautiful, delicate wing pattern and lovely yellow trim. And yes, that other-worldly face. You can see more of that in my next post as I show you just how the cicada looks emerging from that empty casing we often see left behind.

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Red-breasted Nuthatches and a Hairy Woodpecker!

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 02:33:00 +0000

Juvenile Rose-breasted Grosbeak watercolor sketch by Vickie Henderson

For those of us who love birds and love to watch them, we have a ready-made source of enjoyment no matter where we are. Autumn, a season of migration, presents delightful opportunities to see birds that only visit our yards briefly enroute to wintering grounds. This season, the birds that caught my eye were the colorful Rose-breasted Grosbeaks.

Even though Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are feeder friendly, they are also shy, a shyness almost equal to our flighty American Goldfinches. Definitely not the boldness of the Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice or Northern Cardinals that frequent the feeders. I had snapped a couple of grosbeak images through the window, but did not find these very satisfying, especially since the red, brown and black patterns on each immature bird varied so greatly and were so much fun. Natural birdy watercolors. Splashes of color and unique shapes while feathers morph into patterns that more resemble parents.

Hoping to be as non-threatening as the stone wall behind me, I settled myself on my porch a distance away, camera in hand. Being still has its rewards! My first surprise was the arrival of our resident male Hairy Woodpecker. He alerts all to his presence with his loud chirps, much to my appreciation. I loved that he hung around on a trunk for a few photos while he checked out the rainy day crowd at the feeders.

Next, Red-breasted Nuthatches! An irruptive species that we only see in Tennessee when conditions bring them farther south for food. Fiesty little nuthatches with distinctive personalities, they fly in fearlessly and leave just as swiftly except when they want to display a nut meat?

This nuthatch held his nut piece high in the air and turned his head this way and that way, as though displaying it to other nuthatches?

Later I heard a "convention" of nuthatches over my head having a big discussion, everybody "talking at once"! "Toutie, tou, tou, tou, toutie-tou." I even searched for an owl as a possible reason for their excited vocalizations. I would have loved to have been able to count them. Just how many nuthatches was I seeing and hearing? Was it just two or a whole flock?

I did find a shy immature male Rose-breasted Grosbeak, hiding in the leaves near the feeders. Patience rewarded me with a clear view as he finally ventured more into the open after a few minutes.

Without a doubt, being still draws you deeper into the natural world around you, stirring renewal and wonder. For an instant, you are present, transported, and a part of it. Alive and curious. Armed with more questions than answers, you leave that moment reluctantly but satisfied and eager to do it again!

Migrating Thrushes are in Town!

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 21:40:00 +0000

In Knoxville, in the east Tennessee Valley, fall brings migrating warblers, thrushes and other species into open wooded areas for food. That would be a good description of my yard--a wooded edge. And when you think a rainy day takes away your birding opportunities, think again!

Gray-cheeked Thrush

I've been hearing thrushy "pit" calls for the past week, but searching for the owners of these voices has been a challenge. Even when I caught a glimpse of bird movement, it was too brief to ID the bird. I have enjoyed a brief Swainson's Thrush song and a "vree" like call over the week but still no visual IDs until today!

I definitely feel charmed when I walk by my dining room window and spot a bird fluttering in the dogwood. This time, I was doubly lucky. My first bird was the elusive Gray-cheeked Thrush. Last May this thrush was an accidental find and a life-bird for me in addition to being a new bird ID for the yard. Once again I found a Gray-cheeked thrush in the same location. Two of them, and now I feel certain they are regular visitors to the yard during migration.

A Swainson's Thrush flew in next (above) and displaced the Gray-cheeked Thrush. The Swainson's showed a nice contrast in the eye and in body color. In these two individuals, the Swainson's Thrush was more brown in appearance, but more importantly, the eye ring was distinctive.

Like many of our bird observations, my view of the Swainson's Thrush was brief. The Swainson's departed and was replaced by another Gray-cheeked Thrush. This one was darker in appearance and I assumed wetter from the rain. I believe it was a second Gray-cheeked.

This one reminded me of why the dogwood is a great place to watch for berry-loving thrushes.

A great moment of in-door, rainy day birding!

Juvenile Hummingbird Behavior

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Mon, 05 Aug 2019 14:15:00 +0000

Young hummingbirds leave the nest full of curiousity and uncertainty.

They have to figure things out quickly and innocence is short-lived, but their initial hesitation and confusion is easy to spot in the garden. The hummingbird population in my yard in east Tennessee more than doubled in mid July when the first broods of nestlings left the nest. A male Ruby-throated hummer dominated the five feeders on the garden side of the house, but he tolerated other hummingbirds in the garden.

This made juvenile-watching opportunities! How do you know you are watching a young hummingbird? Behavior. Before they become aggressive bombardiers, chasing each other with bad tempers, their behavior is tentative.

Still strengthening their wing muscles, they sometimes perch on stems to find nectar and insects or just to pause and look around.

Which part of this flower has the nectar anyway?

Hummingbird and Coneflowers. Original watercolor by Vickie Henderson.

Common Grackles Dining on Acorns

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Sun, 02 Sep 2018 21:01:00 +0000

If you happen to be outside when a flock of grackles arrives, you may want to take shelter! It may rain acorns!

When mature acorns are abundant in early autumn, flocks of grackles noisely move from tree to tree feasting on the juicy nut meats. The first time a roaming flock landed in the oaks over my house, it sounded like hail was pelting the roof. I looked out on the deck to see leaves, twigs and pieces of acorns falling like rain from Southern Red Oaks overhanging the house and deck.

Common Grackles noisily feasting in a Red Oak.

While we usually think of grackles as feeding in fields and on the ground, they also dine in trees. While most of the grackles were in the limbs, some were also foraging on the ground underneath, picking up fallen nut pieces. It was the nut pieces with their serrated edges that intriqued me. I wondered how they were cracking them open.

Some birds swallow acorns whole, like wild turkey and some species of pigeons. They can rely on their strong gullet muscle to crush them for digestion. Blue Jays pound the acorns with their beak to break them and eat the soft meat inside. Grackles, on the other hand, have special mouth parts and a strong beak that equips them for breaking acorns. Their hard palate has a projection referred to as a "keel" that extends downward. Bird beaks are hinged but they can also flex and move side ways slightly. Grackles push the acorn against the keel, scoring the shell until it cracks open and the soft interior is exposed. The edges of the broken acorn look a bit like they've been primatively sawed. The grackle eats part of the nut and the rest drops to the ground for flock mates to eat.

The acorns of the Southern Red Oak are bright orange on the inside.

The next time a flock of grackles lands in a tree in your yard, step outside to see what's going on. It's magical. Besides the sound of their calls and the energy of activity, they are also acrobats! Some will be hanging upside down to reach acorns!

Resources:
A. J. Marshall, Biology and Comparative Physiology of Birds, Vol 1: The Common Grackle (Quiscalus) has a hard keel projecting downward from the horny palate and regularly uses this in opening acorns or cracking corn.

Birds of North America/Common Grackle: Bill has hard, internal keel projecting downward from horny palate, which is sharper and more abrupt anteriorly. This keel extends below level of tomia [toothed projections along edge of beak] and is used as sawing adaptation to open acorns, which are often completely scored around shorter diameter and then cracked by adduction.

You may also enjoy these bird behavior posts:
Tail Signals from a Spruce Grouse
Delightful Limpkin

Hummingbirds and Hurricanes

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Sat, 09 Sep 2017 22:46:00 +0000

Ruby-throated Hummingbird male.

This morning I helped trap hummingbirds for banding at Seven Islands State Birding Park in east Tennessee where local Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are preparing for migration and others are stopping to feed enroute to their wintering grounds in Central America and Southern Mexico. At the same time, three hurricanes are churning in the south Atlantic, and as I write, hurricane Irma, originally a category 5 hurricane that has devastated many islands in the Carribean, is barreling down on Florida.

Above, Mark Armstrong demonstrates hummingbird banding at Ijams nature center, with Janie Kading assisting.

Knowing that Ruby-throated hummingbird migration is in full swing, I have wondered how these hurricanes have affected their migration. I asked my friend and east Tennessee hummingbird expert, Mark Armstrong, to share what he knew about storm affects on migration. He answered with these comments:
"Unfortunately I don’t know much about their [hummingbird] survival in a storm. I’ve heard of birds making landfall on the fringes of other storms and arriving thin and exhausted. I’ve also read that migration from an evolutionary standpoint is actually across a broad front and a prolonged period so that some part of the population may be affected by adverse weather the majority will not be and survive. I also keep thinking about Dr. Buehler’s Golden-winged warblers. They were at their breeding territories, left when tornados were heading their way, some went to the Gulf coast and one went back to Cuba. Then they returned to breeding territories after the threat passed. That is amazing and we really don’t know what birds may be perceiving and if they are capable of moving away from a danger like a hurricane. Any small bird I can’t imagine would survive a direct hit from a storm with extremely high winds."

I, for one, am glad that the local hummingbirds frequenting my yard are hanging around and hope they will wait to leave until the many storm threats pass.

Meanwhile, we had a fun surprise during our banding session this morning at Seven Islands. You may think that the hummingbird pictured above is a mature male Ruby-throat. But surprise--this is a juvenile! Normally, we expect to see juvenile males in their first year with scattered red throat feathers like the one pictured in image three or we might see small clusters of three or four red feathers as their gorget begins forming.

This first year male had an almost fully formed gorget, which Mark described as a rare occurrence in his experience. Mark has banded over 4000 Ruby-throated hummingbirds since he began banding hummingbirds in 2005. The juvenile pictured had white tail feather tips and other attributes that are the identifying characteristics of juveniles.

Most of our hummingbirds will leave Tennessee by the end of September with some late individuals departing by the second week of October. Remember to leave at least one feeder out to feed our wintering hummingbirds that come from the west. These birds often arrive from October to December. If you should have a hummingbird at your feeder after November 1st, contact Mark Armstrong at Woodthrush@bellsouth.net or 865-748-2224.

Photo credit for banding images: Mark Armstrong
Why do we band hummingbirds?
Mark Armstrong and banding at Seven Islands
Wintering Hummingbirds in Tennessee
Seven Islands State Birding Park

Hummingbirds and Jewelweed

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Fri, 26 May 2017 18:11:00 +0000

Recognize this watercolor? It's the hummingbird painting you see in my blog banner!

Maine's Wild Seed project contacted me earlier in the year to inquire about using one of my hummingbird paintings with their article on Jewelweed's beneficial relationship with hummingbirds. Life gets busy and after we made arrangements, I actually forgot about it! What a delight to see this beautiful spread of my "Hummer and Jewelweed" painting in the latest publication of Wild Seed, Returning Native Plants to the Maine Landscape.

Maine's Wild Seed project educates people about the important relationships between native plants and animals and how these relationships support each other. Their magazine is beautiful, a feast for the eyes and informative to read. They also have tons of helpful information and resources available on their website: http://wildseedproject.net/ Pay them a visit and plant native plants!

Maine's Wildseed Project
Hummer and Jewelweed prints on my website, Vickie Henderson Art

Watercolor Nature Journaling Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Sat, 11 Mar 2017 14:32:00 +0000

Join me for a fun day of exploring nature with watercolor on April 8th at the Chota Recreation Center, Tellico Village in Loudon, Tennessee.

Nature journals are the earliest source of information that we have about our natural world. Holding a journal in one's hand evokes emotion and awe because we innately relate to the sensory details captured in the artists words and images. The added bonus to creating our own journals? We see and enjoy more deeply and that comes with calming health benefits!

Join me for a relaxing day of exploring watercolor and nature. We will review helpful sketching techniques, use of values, basic watercolor washes, negative painting, representation of sky, clouds, rocks and trees, and choice of colors for the season. Using all our senses to enhance our observations, we'll leave our traditional artist fears behind and enjoy a day of exploring nature with watercolor.

The workshop is sponsored by the Art Guild of Tellico Village. Visit this link to sign up!
For more information about the workshop and the guild visit: the Art Guild of Tellico Village Workshops

Giving Baby Bats a Second Chance

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Sun, 06 Nov 2016 23:33:00 +0000

A young bat who began rehab at 4 grams, emaciated and full of parasites. In the above image she is shown weighing 19 grams just before release. Photo credit: Ceacy Henderson.

What follows is a moving essay by Ceacy about her work with bats in Colrain, Massachusetts.

Masters of the dark
By Ceacy Henderson

For them, it is all about the dark. Safety is in the dark, freedom is in the dark; the crawling out of their hiding places, taking wing, spreading out those amazing membrane-covered bones, the hand wing, those tiny elongated bones reaching outward into the night, catching air, lifting upward, carrying their furred bodies into the realm of sound and speed, echolocation bouncing back the “unseen” world in details unimaginable. They are high-speed hunters, up to 40 mph, eating a thousand insects an hour, a thousand heartbeats a minute. They are, of course, bats.

In that blackness of a moonless night, bats experience the world in ways I cannot fathom, but I see them up close now as I take care of my big brown bat babies in my new role as a wildlife rehabilitator specializing in bats. I have had them for a month. In the beginning, at just 10 days old when their mother rejected them and I took over, they had just emerged from the darkness of closed eyes. Nearly naked, utterly unable to care for themselves, unable to stay warm, vulnerable in every way, they still instinctively shun the light, hide beneath the cover of a cloth in the tiny mesh enclosure I kept them in.

Slipping into tight places, sometimes hanging from their hind feet, sometimes lying horizontal beneath the fabric on the floor of their cage, they wait for night. In the beginning, I fed them every 2-3 hours all day until midnight, then started again at four or five in the morning; then every three hours, stretching the time between feedings until now I feed them only three times a day. All day they are quiet, nearly silent, biding their time, until I disturb them to feed them, then back to their resting. In the daytime you can walk into a room full of bats and not even know they are there, a quarter of an inch is all they need to slip into a crevice out of sight, away from harm.

Now at night my babies are learning to fly, trying to master the essential skill that distinguishes them from all other mammals. At 38 days they are leaping from one side of their enclosure to the other, hopping across the floor, scampering hither and thither, practicing those all-important hunting techniques. Two nights ago I caught moths and released them into the bats’ enclosure. At first they evidenced just curiosity at this fluttering insect, then suddenly, as if instinct instructed, one pounced on the moth. I could hear the distinctive crunching of insect being devoured, a sound I know well having fed these growing bats mealworms as soon as they could digest anything other than formula, a substitute for mother’s milk made from Similac, water, powdered egg whites and organic flax oil. I was ecstatic despite the late hour; my babies were growing up.

I was in my studio at midnight, not to feed the “juvies,” but to feed the newest baby, every 40 minutes all night long — the surviving twin of a pair that I had picked up at eight that evening, newly rescued from the deck of someone’s house. Perhaps their mother could not care for twins, perhaps she had never returned from foraging, fallen prey to the numerous other species that includes bat on the menu — owls, snakes, cats, hawks, or perhaps a victim of violence at the hands of their most dangerous enemy, humans.

So many people do not like bats. A surprising number of folks involuntarily shudder when I mention that I rescue injured, debilitated or orphaned bats. They almost pull away from me physically, as if the bats might emerge from my sleeves at any moment. A look of suspicion, almost mistrust, as if to love bats is to fraternize with the devil. But I don’t judge them . . .well, maybe a little, but I actually understand that bats are as alien to most of us as if they were from another planet.

Most folks are more familiar with lions or dolphins or polar bears than they are with the one of the most numerous mammals on earth. There are more than 1,300 different species of bats in the world, living everywhere except the polar caps. Yet, even in New England, where there are nine different species, most of us think all bats are pretty much the same. And why not? They only come out at dusk, and unless one gets into a building, usually frantically trying to find its way out, we rarely get the opportunity to see one up close. That is the way they like it — secrecy, obscurity, hidden in safety in groups, 10s to 100s, sometimes by the millions, in large caves or under bridges, in abandoned buildings, making their nightly migrations out to hunt for insects or nectar or fruit depending on the species. There are even bats that eat fish and, of course, there is the one species of bat that eats blood from animals. Not people. Despite the sensationalism of the vampire myths, and despite the Transylvanian origins of Dracula, the vampire bat lives only in South America. Still we fear them, tiny as they are. We fear this flying wonder precisely because it is superbly unique among mammals, the only winged mammal in the world, finely adapted to high-speed flight at night, precisely when we are least able to see them.

As a new rehabilitator, I have had to overcome my own fear of handling the adults with their needle-sharp teeth and inherent dislike of being touched and restrained by people. Although I am also astounded by their tolerance, these wild animals held captive for their own protection have no way of knowing that I mean them no harm, and yet they seem to understand when someone is trying to help them. They suddenly stop resisting, refrain from biting, give a warning when they are frightened or are being hurt before defending themselves, if the warning is not heeded. I have experienced this already. I was holding an adult bat while learning to do a health inspection, which involved extending each wing, when the bat lightly bit me twice, not even penetrating the nitrile glove I was wearing, until in my inexperience I managed to hurt him, so he finally resorted to a real bite, a message not to be misunderstood. I felt awful, not because I was bitten, even though later I couldn’t even locate the place where his tiny teeth had punctured my skin, but remorse that, despite his warning, I had hurt him in my ineptitude. The curse of being a beginner at this.

What impresses me the most is this new baby. He looked nearly dead when he arrived, a naked little bag of bones in a practically transparent hairless skin. Half the length of my thumb and not nearly as wide, an anatomy lesson on display, every bone visible in exquisite detail, bulging, un-opened eyes on his skeletal head. I gave him no chance at all. I had to locate his mouth using a bright light and a magnifying glass. His first meal consisted of no more than a drop of formula on his lips. Then given a drop every half hour to 40 minutes, a frequent glance at the nearly transparent skin on his tummy evidence that he had in fact swallowed some because you can clearly see milk in their stomachs from the outside. Each time I went to feed the little guy I expected to find him dead, but each time I could see him still breathing, his bony ribs rapidly rising and falling as he lay prostrate on the heating pad wrapped in a little square of polar fleece. Until sometime in the middle of the night when I went to feed him, he was no longer in his papoose but instead I found him crawling along the floor of his enclosure exploring his new world. Later on I found him hanging upside down, sometimes by both feet, sometimes just one; toe nails hooked into the soft mesh — his life force remarkable. Now that he associates me with food, each time I go to feed him he clicks and squeaks, clasps my hand with every toenail clinging on for dear life, desperately latching his mouth on to the eye dropper as I feed him his miniscule amount of milk every two hours and check his tummy to make sure I don’t over feed him.

His frantic survival instinct speaks volumes about what has made bats so successful. They may be small, but they are mighty, and although they are mightily misunderstood, things are changing. We are beginning to understand how important they are to our ecosystems — dispersing seeds, pollinating fruits, ridding us of crop pests and disease carrying mosquitoes.

So here I am, decidedly not a night person, staying up to all hours, marveling at one of nature’s miracles, masters of the darkness, messengers of the mystery of this fabulous living world in all its many remarkable incarnations.
***************

Ceacy, shown below, is an animal rehabilitator specializing in bats.

Visit this Baby Warm link to contribute funds needed for an incubator to help save orphaned bats. Update! The total monies needed to buy an incubator for Ceacy's orphaned bats were raised soon after publication of this blog post! A big thank you to her generous contributors!

Resources:

Basic facts about bats

Advances in combating White Nose Syndrome

Hummingbird Days!

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Sun, 07 Aug 2016 02:43:00 +0000

Some days are hummingbird days! These are days when activity at the nectar feeders so captivates our attention that we don't want to miss anything. Watching is irresistible. Nothing else gets done!

Ruby-throat approaching Royal Catchfly Photo by Vickie Henderson

Today was one of those days for me! Yesterday, I brought home a new native plant species hummingbirds love--Royal Catchfly (Silene regia). A native prairie plant, it gets its name from glands that secrete a sticky enzyme that attracts and captures insects. Though the plant is related to carnivorous plants, it does not benefit nutritionally from the insects.

Hummer and Royal Catchfly

The new flower species was only one change that attracted my attention and the hummers. I added a new feeder. The two males guarding the four feeders I had out were chasing all the juveniles away. No sooner would an approaching juvenile escape one male, than it would be intercepted by the second. Not nice--but typical hummingbird behavior.

A juvenile male waiting to approach a feeder.

I added the new feeder around the corner near a small garden. Wthin minutes of hanging it, Wow! Juveniles! Sometimes two or three arriving at the same time, reacting to each other with tails flared, face-offs and chirps. Very shortly, however, another male showed up. A beautiful male, breath-taking to see at such close range. I was sitting only a few feet from the feeder.

The male, pictured above, was showing some molting, replacing old feathers with new ones, his feathers getting ready for fall migration.

The tenacity of one of the juveniles was surprising He did not want to give up his feeder and challenged the male repeatedly. In the image below, the male is watching the juvenile and balancing to face him as he hovers and threatens.

When the juvenile landed on the feeder after the male departed, the male was quickly on him displaying shuttle dives, short repetitive U-shaped dives, coming very close to the juvenile at its lowest point. I have seen this display during courtship but never before witnessed it during aggression at the feeder. Serious stuff. So far, warnings, but getting close to the real thing.

To my relief, the juvenile retreated to the garden and perched on the plant stake supporting the catchfly. For a while, he sat very still, looking like one of the leaves, blending in with the foliage. The male went about his business and the confrontation ended.

Male juvenile, above, hiding in the catchfly, showing developing red gorget feathers as he looks up. Every day of their fast-paced lives holds a survival story!

Juvenile Ruby-throat with Coneflowers Watercolor by Vickie Henderson

This is the height of hummingbird season, the best time to see and enjoy them. The first juveniles are out of the nest, second nesting has begun, and northern hummingbirds have already begun migration.

For an extra treat this season, join us at the Wonder of Hummingbirds Festival at Ijams Nature Center, in Knoxville, TN, on August 20th to celebrate these magnificent birds! More information is found in the link below.

Links and resources:

Photo credits: All the photos in this blog post were taken by Vickie Henderson

Ijams Nature Center website with festival information
Wonder of Hummingbird Festival

Links for hummingbirds in art:
Hummingbird art at Vickie Henderson Art
Hummingbird posts at Vickie's Sketchhbook
Sketching hummingbirds in flight
Hummingbird Studies in watercolor

Andrews Bald and a Perfect Day

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Sun, 03 Jul 2016 01:42:00 +0000

Some days are truely magical from start to finish. This July 1st hike to Andrews Bald in the Great Smoky Mountains with three friends had that quality.

No one expects to find a day in the 60's in July in east Tennessee! Nor do you expect to drive to the Smoky Mountains National Park on a holiday weekend without throngs of traffic. We managed to enjoy both--low traffic and perfect weather! (It was 69 F degrees when we finished our hike at 3:00 pm!)

We started at Clingman's Dome and hiked the rocky steps, some natural, most constructed for visitor comfort, leading down the slope to Andrew's Bald. The trail takes you through pristine forest along the ridge edge, lush with native vegetation in various stages of maturity, thriving in the rich forest floor.

There is something truely magical about the ferns, algea and lichen that line the trail edges and thrive in the shade and water that trickles down the mountain face in numerous places.

Part of the fun is the curiousity stimulated by these plants. We stopped to take photos of some of them and wondered about their identification.

Small Purple Fringed Orchid, above and below.

Our ultimate goal was to see the Flame Azaleas on the bald and enjoy the spectacular view. We enjoyed that and more!

Above, the view from Andrew's Bald through a rare and spectacular clear atmosphere!

Flame Azalea.

Though the azaleas are expected to be in full bloom in early July, their peek occurred earlier this year. Maybe that was due to our unseasonably warm May weather--I'm not sure how that works--but we were delighted to find blooms nonetheless.

The above beautiful blossoms were found on the shady side of one of the azaleas, showing a variety of color from pink to peach to orange.

The bald was a great place to relax for lunch and I checked out some of the bird activity around us. For the first time, I heard a breeding Dark-eyed Junco burst into song. Normally I see them in the winter months. The one below was hopping along the plank path and foraging along its edges. I also found Cedar Wax Wings and heard a Common Raven.

After lunch, Kara pulled a package of bubble blowing liquid from her pack! Of all the things I've seen someone pull out of their hiking pack, this was by far the most surprising. What happened next was delightful.

On the bald with us were two families from Houston, traveling together. The family members originated from Bolivia, France and Chicago. It was the children of these families that Kara invited to play with the bubbles. An unexpected entertainment for all of us in the higher elevation of the Smokies!

After the families started back down the trail, they encountered a bear foraging only ten feet from the trail! They also saw a deer! When we caught up with them only minutes later, the children could speak of nothing else. "We saw a BEAR, and a DEER, and DEER POOP!" I felt so happy for these children--an experience in nature they will never forget.

No, we didn't even catch a glimpse of a bear. I'm sure he was long gone by the time we passed the spot!

Links and resources:
Wildflowers
People and places
Hiking

Wood Thrush -- Singing Behavior

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Fri, 20 May 2016 16:45:00 +0000

I am blessed with thrushes in my woodland yard. Eastern Bluebirds have just fledged their first brood from one of my nest boxes. Migrating Swainson's Thrushes were singing a week ago while I planted my hummingbird garden and I spotted one this morning, resting on a limb before dropping to the ground to forage. Wood Thrushes are singing all around the yard daily, establishing breeding territories.

The habitat here is perfect for nesting Wood Thrushes--shade, shrubby understory, moist soil and leaf litter--all contributing to an attractive habitat for nesting and raising young.

The thick foliage often makes it very hard to find a Wood Thrush even when it is singing right in front of you. (It also offers poor light for early morning photography.) Luckily they often fly from perch to perch while singing and that's when you can sometimes locate them for a good look.

Yesterday morning, it was movement of a different kind that caught my eye and allowed me to locate my singing thrush. He was flapping his wings vigorously, then stretched his neck, producing his beautiful flutey song. This was followed by another series of wing-flapping while dropping down onto the limb on his stomach, straddling his legs on either side of the limb, remaining there for a few seconds, then bouncing back up again to sing another refrain of his song.

He repeated this sequence numberous times--a phrase of his song, followed by wing-flapping, down to his stomach, up again and another phrase of his song, This observation helped to explain the seemingly long pause between phrases.

I have checked Birds of North America for this behavior and could find nothing that resembled it. I eliminated "brood patch" related behavior because the female is believed to incubate alone. My thoughts were these possibilties: scratching his belly, mating display, pre-coital practice (if there is such a thing), energy discharge.

I am interested in what others may know or speculate about this behavior or if you know of this behavior occurring in other species.

There is always something new to discover while watching bird behavior. May is an exciting month for bird activity. Keep your eyes open and ears tuned in!

More about thrushes on this blog:

Wood Thrush
Eastern Bluebirds
Hermit Thrush

Bird Banding Surprises at Seven Islands State Birding Park

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Sat, 02 Apr 2016 02:47:00 +0000

Bird banding at Seven Islands State Birding Park sometimes brings surprises. Our banding session on March 27th, brought a special one. An American Woodcock was the first bird captured in our nets.

Above, Master Bander, Mark Armstrong holds the woodcock so the rest of the banding team can see him/her before release.

Mark described the woodcock's beak as "soft as a noodle" while he was removing him/her from the net, but as soon as he was free, the beak hardened again. The woodcock's beak is specially adapted for finding and digging earthworms in the forest floor.

This quote from Birds of North America describes some of the woodcocks unique qualities: "Several features help to distinguish this forest-dwelling shorebird from its more aquatic relatives (Scolopacidae): a long bill specialized for feeding on earthworms, a stout head with large eyes set far back for rearview binocular vision, a polygynous mating system, sexes monomorphic in color with females substantially larger than males, and plumage with mottled, leaf-brown patterns that blend superbly with the forest floor. Indeed, the body and behavior of this woodcock have given it many colorful vernacular names such as timberdoodle, Labrador twister, night partridge, and bog sucker."

The Woodcock is a game bird so we did not band or record this capture, we just admired it and released. No one expects to see a woodcock at such close range and this was quite a treat for all of us!

In addition to the their "penting" call during courtship, the male woodcock makes a rushing sound with its outer flight feathers.

Most of the rest of our banded birds were goldfinches, sparrows, cardinals and chickadees, but we did have one special catch at our last net run--a beautiful male Tree Swallow!

Tree Swallows have just returned to east Tennessee from their wintering grounds and they were flying in groups, all around the area, checking out the nest boxes.

It was delightful to listen to their calls and hear their chattering as they landed on the nest boxes and considered their options. Seven Islands has a nest box trail of about 50 boxes that provide homes for chickadees, wrens, swallows and bluebirds.

To see more posts on Seven Islands bird banding, click the link.

Eastern Bluebirds and Real Estate Decisions

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Sat, 26 Mar 2016 10:00:00 +0000

I have seen Eastern Bluebirds visiting the nest boxes in my yard throughout the month of March, but until a day ago, investigation behavior was all I had observed.

I noticed a female bluebird visiting the nest box but she wasn't entering the box. She repeatedly fluttered around the entrance and landed on top peering down toward the entrance. Her mate was on a limb above, singing.

When she did finally enter, I could hear screeching and the male bluebird flew down from his perch wing-waving, He was clearly prepared to come to her aid, but out flew a Carolina Chickadee followed by the female bluebird who landed on the top of the nest box.

I thought the matter was settled at that point, but apparently both the male and female chickadees were in the box when the female bluebird arrived. The female bluebird continued to flutter around the box entrance and sat on the top of the box for a long while watching and listening, with intermittent peering inside.

When she peered into the entrance, calls could be heard from inside. The female chickadee was standing her ground, refusing to leave the nest box.

In past years, I have had a bluebird build her nest on top of a nearly completed chickadee nest. Though, very brave-hearted, I don't think a tiny chickadee stands a chance when a bluebird decides she wants the nest box.

Ten minutes or so of the bluebird's repeated peering into the entrance and call exchanges and the female chickadee finally departed. I later checked the box and found that she had the floor of the box nearly covered in moss, a first soft layer for her nest in progress.

Once the chickadee left the box, the male and female bluebirds, in turn, went inside to investigate. The female of the pair will select the nest box, though the male is very active in finding boxes and escorting her to them to take a look.

Now it remains to be seen whether this pair of bluebirds will actually nest in the box. Since they've driven the chickadees away, I'm hoping that means they're staying.

More seasons with Eastern Bluebirds on this blog: Eastern Bluebird Family
Videos of an Eastern Bluebird family
Carolina Chickadee posts on this blog.
Eastern Bluebird art

Pileated Woodpeckers in My Yard!

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 19:36:00 +0000

Pileated Woodpeckers are more easily located when they're calling, but it was this male's leaf flipping that caught my attention and my excitement. He was in my yard!

Though I had heard Pileated Woodpecker calls several times since moving to my new home, this was the first time I had seen one!

I've moved to a habitat very similar to the one I had been living in previously--a suburban area with wooded edges and mature diciduous and evergreen trees. Among the birds I had hoped to find here were Pileated Woodpeckers.

This male is excavating a dead limb and likely finding beetle or ant larvae.

Pileated Woodpeckers frequently pause and look skyward while foraging on the ground. They are large birds, about the size of crows, and lift off slowly so this alertness is essential protection from predators. In this case, I think he is also watching and listening for his mate. She was close by and had landed on a trunk near him.

Pileated Woodpeckers stay on their home territory all winter and remain with their mates. In fact, the winter months are the best and sometimes the only time you can have this kind of intimate observation. When the leaves pop in the spring, trunks and limbs are harder to see. Even when you hear their calls or know where they land, woodpeckers disappear behind foliage.

Eventually, the male flew closer to where the female was foraging. The pair rapidly moved from tree to tree and deeper into the woods and were lost from view.

This sighting affirms that my yard is part of this pair's territory and opens the possibility that I'll have other opportunities to observe this family. Pileated Woodpeckers are very loyal to their territories.
Above, you can imagine how thick the foliage will be in the spring!

Visit my other Pileated Woodpecker posts on this blog.

A Pretty Rufous Hummingbird in Solway Tennessee

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 10:37:00 +0000

In the midst of this balmy December weather we've been having (in the 70's F) east Tennesseans have identified another Rufous Hummingbird, this one in Solway, Tennessee.
Mark Armstrong of East Tennessee Avian Research, Inc. and Master Bander of hummingbirds and songbirds, was contacted by the home owners to identify and band the hummingbird. On December 12th, Mark set up a trap and was able to capture the hummer minutes later. Above, Mark reaches through the trap door to capture the hummer.

Above, the hosts of this hummingbird watch with interest as Mark removes the hummer from the net bag prior to examination. The bag helps keep the hummer calm after capture.

Above, Mark takes wing measurements to help determine whether this Rufous is a male or female. Females have a longer wing measurement. This bird was a mature female.

Using a blunt darning needle, Mark counts the number of gorget feathers visible on the female's throat. Unlike female Ruby-throated hummers which have white throats, the females of the Rufous species often have a cluster of gorget feathers on their throat.

Photo credit: Mark Armstrong

Mark shows hosts and friends some of the characteristics that help to identify this bird as a Rufous female.

The female rests quietly for a moment before buzzing off to continue her foraging.

Photo credit: Mark Armstrong

Even though Rufous hummingbirds have been found in the eastern United States for many years, biologists still know very little about why they migrate to the east. It is also a mystery just what geographic characteristics determine their migration routes and choice of wintering grounds. What we do know, is they have good memories and often return to the same yard the next winter.

Keep at least one feeder out this winter and you may be lucky enough to spot a wintering hummingbird! In east Tennessee, report winter hummingbird sightings to Mark Armstrong at Woodthrush@bellsouth.net or 865-748-2224.

Thank you to Billie Cantwell for sharing her great images in this blog post! All of the images in this post that are not otherwise credited were taken by Billie.

Western Hummingbirds Wintering in Tennessee
Rufous Hummer in Knoxville
Other blog posts on Wintering hummingbirds in Tennessee
In recent years, fourteen species of hummingbirds have been documented in the east during fall and winter months.
Hummingbird banding
Hummingbirds in watercolor
Hummingbird art on Vickie's Sketchbook blog
Cornell's All About Birds: Rufous Hummingbirds

Another Western Hummer in East Tennessee

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 23:41:00 +0000

...a mature female Rufous at Musick's Campground in upper East Tennessee.

In the above image, the captured hummingbird is photographed to capture the details of her feather color patterns. When turned to the side, this female's orange-red cluster of gorget feathers appears charcoal or black. Photo credit: Mark Armstrong.

When facing the light in a different direction, the feathers shine a brilliant orange red. Photo credit Mark Armstrong

This change occurs because the color is not due to feather pigment but is created by the reflection of light on feather structures. A more detailed description can be found at Sibley's Guides.

Mark Armstrong, Master Bander of hummingbirds and songbirds, commented about this hummingbird's condition: " Something striking to me but difficult to explain is that she was just a really pretty bird. I’ve banded some young birds as well as adults that were in molt but this bird finished [her molt] and was in really perfect plumage and just looked good. The only thing left for her to finish was her primary molt. The last two primaries at the end of the wing were old everything else was fresh. She had a good fat load also. She weighed 4.3 grams and most of the female rufous that I band are in the 3.5 gram range. I’m hoping that the bird will stay a while but they don’t carry a fat load for fun and this usually means they are preparing for a move."

Above Mark Armstrong examines the hummer. Photo credit: Wallace Coffey

Wallace Coffey, of the Bristol Bird Club, was on hand to witness the hummingbird capture and examination in Sullivan County and posted the following on the Bristol Bird Club listserve:

Expert Confirms Musick’s Campground Hummer a “Rufous !”

If you needed to know the positive ID for the hummingbird visiting Musick’s Campground since the middle of November, then tic that one down for your life list or annual list as a Rufous Hummingbird. They occasionally frequent a lingering feeder, in appropriate habitat, during late fall or winter in our area.

Mark Armstrong, and his wife Jane, of the East Tennessee Avian Research,Inc. group out of Seymour, TN, headed up before daylight to capture and band the tiny creature which is en route from its breeding area along the Pacific coast in the northwest of the US and Canada, migrating to the gulf states for the winter and some to South America. Mark caught it in less than 10 minutes, just before 9 a.m. A careful study of the feathers, measurements and weight determine it was an adult
female. He is an authority because Mark and Jane have caught and banded more than 100 Rufous hummers and more than 3,000 Ruby-throateds. Mark is [the retired] curator of birds at the Knoxville Zoo.

This winter has been slim pickings so far. He has encountered only about three birds, mainly in the Knoxville area. That is very low for him. He does not always scrape the bottom of the barrel. In June of this year, he trapped a Ruby-throated in his backyard at Seymour which had been banded in September 2014 at Lake Jackson, Texas. Well, for that matter, he caught a Rufous at the feeders on Mae Musick’s porch at South Holston Lake in eastern Sullivan Co., 1 Dec 2009, which had been banded 10 Jan 2009 in Pass Christian, Mississippi, a bit west of Biloxi and Gulfport.

To capture the hummer, he took the South Holston bird’s feeders down and away from the heat lamps which prevent freezing. Then he hung a cage not too different than a typical bird cage but much larger. One of the feeders was placed in the cage and the door held open with a release “string.” The hummer soon came to the cage and went right into the feeder. Mark closed the door and safely placed a tiny band on its leg.

In the photo above, Nancy McPeak of the Bristol Bird Club, is holding the hummer in her hand where it left quickly at its own determination and effort. Photo credit: Wallace Coffey

Photo credit: Wallace Coffey

Mark and Jane are shown here as they prepared to leave the hummer/banding site. They carry lots of equipment to get their job done accurately. Jane is carrying the cage trap. They also documented the ID and details with many close-up photos of the bird. For the most part, only the capture and study of details,including specific feather study, is reliable for species determination. Most of us can fairly well judge some birds but only handheld counts.

Present for this morning’s capture and study were Mae Musick, Carol Musick, Nancy McPeak, Mark and Jane along with Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN.

Photo credit: Katherine Noblet

Keep at least one winter feeder out and you may find yourself hosting one of these rare winter visitors!

Hummers in Snow and Cold
Learn more about Wintering Hummingbirds
More on Rufous Hummingbirds

Western Hummingbirds Have Arrived!

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 22:14:00 +0000

Western Hummingbirds are migrating through Tennessee and some are arriving to stay the winter!

Above, a Rufous Hummingbird juvenile feeds on Pineapple Sage in Billie Cantwell's yard in west Knoxville before being captured for banding. Photo credit: Billie Cantwell

A hummingbird trap is shown above, set up by Mark Armstrong near the Pineapple Sage. The feeder is surrounded by the cage and a door is raised and lowered with fishing line to trap the hummingbird after he goes inside. Photo credit: Billie Cantwell

Friends Billie Cantwell and Colin Leonard have their third Rufous hummingbird visiting their yard, making this their fifth consecutive fall/winter season of hosting a wintering hummingbird. One male Rufous wintered in their yard for three seasons.

This year's hummer is a juvenile male rufous who was initially discovered visiting the red blossoms of Pineapple Sage while ignoring feeders.

Billie described him as "one smart cookie" as he foiled Mark Armstrong's first attempt to capture and band him on October 29th. Rather than feeding from a nectar feeders at their home, this juvenile preferred the natural nectar of the pineapple sage. Mark erected a mist net to capture him. The hummer flew up to the net, examined it, and then flew up over and around the net avoiding capture.

As time passed, the hummer became aquainted with the nectar feeders and began to use them. On November 10th, Mark, Master Bander of hummingbirds and songbirds, set a trap over a feeder near the pineapple sage and captured the juvenile. Above, Mark gets his banding equipment ready with Janie Kading's assistance.

Mark first examines the hummers legs to see if it is banded. This juvenile was not banded and received band K23381, shown below. Bands are issued by the Bird Banding Laboratory at Patuxent Wildlife Research Refuge and all banded birds are reported to the lab.

Once the band is in place, Mark takes measurements. The birds wing and tail are measured for general identification. These measurements also help with hummingbird species identification in some cases, and can distinguish males from females. The belly is examined for fat deposits which give the bander information about the general health of the bird.

Below, Mark measures the hummingbird's bill with a digital measuring device.

Through a loop and magnifying glasses, Mark checks the beak for grooving. Grooving or growth bands were found, confirming that this hummer is a juvenile. These grooves close as the hummingbird matures into an adult.

Banders must also distinguish the hummingbird species from other similar species. Rufous and Allen's hummingbird juveniles look very similiar and both have rufous in their tail feathers. Both have been found to winter in Tennessee. Examination of the shape and size of the tail feathers confirms that this bird is a young Rufous.

Above and below, the Rufous juvenile is shown just before release. He currently has three gorget feathers on his throat.

Janie holds the hummer for release. A few minutes after he flew, the hummer was observed feeding from the nectar feeder at the kitchen window.

Do you have your winter nectar feeder out?

All images in this blog post are credited to Billie Cantwell. Thank you, Billie!

First juvenile Rufous visiting Cantwell residence . The same hummingbird is shown as an adult in Hummers in Snow and Cold
Learn more about Wintering Hummingbirds
More on Rufous Hummingbirds

Migration Season--Fall Banding at Seven Islands

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 09:00:00 +0000

This is the second in a two-part series on the October 11th banding session at Seven Islands State Birding Park, Tennessee, with Mark Armstrong and Billie Cantwell banding. The first post can be found at this link: A Palm Warbler Kind of Day

Photo credit: Patty Ford

Fall is always an exciting season as migrants are moving through the area and wintering species are just arriving. Seven Islands provides a unique and exciting habitat for studying birds. Situated on more than 410 acres along the French Broad River, the park offers a combination of shrubby and native grassland habitat with food sources that attract many migrating warblers, wintering sparrows and other species.

Above, a female Hooded Warbler. Hooded warblers breed in eastern North America, including Tennessee, and winter in the West Indies, Mexico, to Panama. They live and forage in low, dense understory, often near water. Photo credit: Colin Leonard

Nineteen species were processed during the banding session with a total of 122 birds banded and 12 recaptures (birds previously banded), totaling 134. Among the warblers and sparrows banded were 13 Common Yellowthroats, 1 Magnolia warbler, 57 Western Palm Warblers, 1 Yellow Palm Warbler, 1 Hooded warbler, 17 Field Sparrows, 1 Chipping Sparrow, 2 Savannah Sparrows, 6 Swamp Sparrows and 5 Song Sparrows.

Members of the banding team go to the nets to extract birds at regular intervals beginning at 7:40 a.m. with the period for banding lasting until approximately 11:00 a.m. depending on weather conditions. When captured, each bird is placed in a small cloth bag while waiting to be processed. The bag helps keep the bird calm and safe until it is banded and set free again.

Above and below, images of a male Magnolia Warbler (Setaphaga magnolia). Magnolia Warblers breed in northern boreal forests and migrate to wintering grounds in Mexico and the West Indies to Panama. Their conspicuous bright yellow and black breeding plumage with distinct tail markings make them one of the most easily recognized warblers. The Magnolia warbler you see here is in his fall or non-breeding plumage. Black markings around his face have faded to gray, as well as the streaked black necklace that is present during breeding season.

The distinctive band of white in the outer tail feathers of the Magnolia Warbler is shown above and is unique to this warbler species.

Magnolia Warblers also has a bright yellow rump which often causes them to be confused with the Yellow-rumped Warbler, but their bright yellow breast is an obvious distinction between species..

Above and below, Magnolia Warbler

Banding team members return from the nets to bring birds back to the banding station.

Below, taking a break between net runs.

Above, Billie Cantwell places a band on an Indigo Bunting. Birds are banded and then examined for information that helps to identify their age, sex, and relative health at the time they were captured.

Wing measurements and tail measurements are taken.

If it is possible to determine the sex of the bird, this information is also recorded, along with the amount of fat found on the bird's belly. A large amount of fat during migration indicates a healthy, well-nourished bird.

All of the data collected is recorded on a banding sheet, shown above, and will be reported to the United States Geological Banding Laboratory. Photo credit: Colin Leonard

Age is determined by examining the wing feathers, including colors, length, and relative wear. The skull is also examined for ossification. Photo credit Colin Leonard

Above, you see the wing of an Indigo Bunting. The bird is being held in a "banders grip" during examination. This grip supports the birds body while it is being examined. Photo credit: Colin Leonard

In the image above, Mark Armstrong is about to touch an Eastern Phoebe's bill, but he gets a surprise. The phoebe snaps his beak making a loud clap. Phoebes are known to snap their bills during aggressive territorial interactions with other phoebes.

Birds have personalities and it is particularly delightful when they express them! Mark Armstrong is a Master Bander of songbirds and hummingbirds. He is the founder of East Tennessee Avian Research, a non-profit organization, and has been operating the banding station at Seven Islands for approximately eight years.

Eastern Phoebe Photo credit: Colin Leonard

Visit the first post in this two-part report on banding: A Palm Warbler Kind of Day

Visit my previous posts on bird banding

Bird Banding at Seven Islands State Birding Park

Knoxville Chapter, Tennessee Ornithological Society

Visit the Knoxville Chapter of TOS on Facebook

Seven Islands State Birding Park

Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge now Seven Islands State Birding Park

A Palm Warbler Kind of Day--Banding at Seven Islands

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 09:00:00 +0000

Banding at Seven Islands State Birding Park in the fall can be spectacular and our banding session on October 11th was just that. 122 birds were banded and 12 recaptured for a total of 134 birds processed by a great banding team.

Photo credit: Colin Leonard

Among the 19 species banded, 58 were Palm Warblers! I am focusing this post on this beautiful species and will show you more species in a second post to follow.

Palm Warblers (Setophaga palmarum) breed in bogs and fens of remote boreal forests of the northeast and are considered one of our most northerly breeding wood warblers. Migrating at night in small flocks, they winter in the southeastern and Gulf coast states, Mexico and the West Indies.

Photo credit: Colin Leonard

Our banding session was timed just right to capture this species during migration. They are found at Seven Islands because they like foraging on the ground in grassy and weedy areas and on small shrubs and trees, all plentiful in the park.

Above, a Western Palm Warbler, held in a bander's grip, showing rufous feathers on his head. The male Palm Warbler wears a rufous crown during breeding season and the visibility of rufous feathers this time of year indicates a male that has molted into winter plumage.

Above and below, Western Palm Warblers (also known as brown).

There are two subspecies of Palm Warblers, the Western Palm Warbler, also referred to as brown, and the Yellow Palm Warbler or Eastern subspecies. Among our 58 Palm Warblers, we captured one Yellow Palm Warbler which gave us an excellent opportunity to compare the difference.

In the image above, you can see a comparison of the lores (eyebrow area) and throat of the two subspecies of Palm Warblers. The Western subspecies has a more buffy appearance with buff-colored lores while the Yellow Palm Warbler has yellow lores, throat and belly, shown below. Photo credit: Colin Leonard

Above, the Western is on the left and the Yellow subspecies or Eastern on the right. The yellow tail coverts on this species are also distinctive field marks. In the field, the Palm Warbler is often seen pumping its tail while foraging. The two subspecies inhabit separate breeding grounds but overlap on their wintering grounds and during migration. Western Palm Warblers breed roughly west of Ottawa, Ontario, while the Yellow Palm Warbler nests east of Ottawa.

Only at the banding table do you have the opportunity to see little known features of these beautiful warblers--both subspecies have yellow foot pads!

Above and below, you can see a good overall comparison of the appearance of the two subspecies, the Yellow Palm Warbler above, and the Western Palm Warbler below. Photo credit: Colin Leonard

Photo credit: Colin Leonard

Banding was conducted by Mark Armstrong, Master Bander of hummingbirds and songbirds, and Billie Cantwell. Banding studies give scientists information about the relative health and abundance of bird populations, as well as, alert us to changes in the environment.

Thanks to Colin Leonard and Richard Secrist for their assistance in taking photos!

View the second post in this two-part report on our Oct 11th banding session: Migration Season

Visit my previous posts on bird banding.

Bird Banding at Seven Islands State Birding Park

Knoxville Chapter, Tennessee Ornithological Society

Visit the Knoxville Chapter of TOS on Facebook

Seven Islands State Birding Park

Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge now Seven Islands State Birding Park

Albino Ruby-throated Hummingbird in East Tennessee

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 16:20:00 +0000

On October 4th and 5th, Mark Armstrong, Master Bander of hummingbirds and songbirds, and Janie Kading traveled from Seymour, TN, to Oliver Springs, TN, to capture and band an albino Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Their second trip was successful!

The young female, hatched this summer and weighing 4.1 grams is pictured above and below in photos taken by Mark Armstrong to document her condition. In the image above you can see the dark red of her eye, and the lack of pigment in her beak, normally black in coloration.

Mark explains albinism this way: Albinism is a sex linked recessive characteristic and carried on the X chromosome. In birds males are XX and females XY, so if a female had the gene it would be expressed and if a male had the gene he could carry it as a recessive characteristic and look normal or if he inherited the characteristic from both parents the gene would be expressed and he would be albino.

"I think most likely our bird was the product of two normal birds but she would have inherited the trait from her father. There is a lot I don’t understand about the trait....This bird did have dark red eyes, pigment wasn’t present in the beak or feet. She did have dark bases to the feathers on the back however. In ruby-throats the trait is rare but there usually are a few every year. Leucistic is more common and those birds will have patches of white or overall a faded appearance. The genetics of that trait is more complex and involves the synthesis of melanin or turns it on or off in different areas of the plumage. It was 6 or 7 years ago I went after a white bird and asked Bob Sargent for some advice and if I should try to band it. He said sure, he had banded 100 or so but none have ever returned."

Mark adds, "They are pretty vulnerable. This bird reminded me of a cicada flying with those white wings flashing. Melanin actually strengthens the feathers so white birds tend to have worn plumage, this bird was actually in pretty good shape. She also weighed 4.1 grams so had a good fat load and was preparing to head out. I talked with the host yesterday and she did not see the bird the following morning."

The image above captures the fairy-like quality of the hummer's tail feathers absent normal pigment. The absence of pigment allows feathers to wear rapidly, as well as, makes the hummingbird more visible to predators.

Photo credit: Kathy Townsend

Kathy and Tom Townsend were the hosts to this beautiful hummingbird in Oliver Springs. Kathy called her. Angel, and she writes the following: "This is the picture [above] I took the last time I saw Angel on Oct. 6th. She was truly a blessing from God and I am so thankful for the experience. I sure do miss seeing her. She was at our home for 9 days. It was a wonderful experience that I will never forget and what made it more special was when Mark put her in my hand after he had done the measuring and weighing, and I was able to let her fly. She stayed in my hand, it seemed like a minute, but I'm sure it was several seconds and then off she flew. I didn't think she would be back. I thought maybe she was traumatized from being captured, but she came back to the same feeder that evening. Then I knew that it is a harmless procedure and so well worth it." Kathy also reported that after speaking with Mark the next morning and reporting the hummer hadn't returned, she then saw the hummer later that morning. That was the last day the hummer was seen at their home.

In 2013, Cyndi and Steve Routledge hosted an albino Ruby-throated Hummingbird in Clarksville, TN. The images directly above and below were taken by Cyndi Routledge in her yard. Since that time, Cyndi has also become a Master Bander and bands hummingbirds and songbirds in Middle and West Tennessee and northern Mississippi. To see more images visit: Albino Ruby-throat

Links and Resources:

Visit this link to read more about Mark Armstrong and fall/winter hummingbird banding
More about summer hummingbird banding.
Mark Armstrong, Master Bander of songbirds and hummingbirds

American Redstart Among Birds Banded at Seven Islands

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 12:32:00 +0000

A busy morning of banding at Tennessee's Seven Islands State Birding Park resulted in 66 birds banded and 10 recaptures for a total of 76 birds processed by Mark Armstrong and his banding team on September 6th.

Eleven species were captured including a lovely female American Redstart shown below being held in a bander's grip..

The female of the species has a gray head with olive back and wings. She is beautifully marked with bright yellow areas and has a white underbelly. The male of the species is black and marked with reddish-orange.

Above, Mark places a band on a female American Redstart, and below, a look at the yellow in her striking tail.

Redstarts, a species member of the wood warbler family, are frequently seen fanning their tails while foraging as illustrated in my sketch below.

The banding station is set up on the front porch of an historic farm house on the Seven Islands park property. Banding team members arrived at 6:30 a.m. to erect the nets before daylight.

The first "net run" occurs at 7:30 a.m. when members of the team check all of the nets to remove birds that have been captured. Each bird is placed in a cloth bag and held until processed at the banding station. Nets are checked at regular intervals through out the morning until the nets are taken down, usually at 11:00 a.m.

Above, Billie Cantwell (center) and Mark Armstrong process birds.

Birds are held in soft cloth bags that help to keep them calm while waiting to be processed.

After the band is attached to the bird's leg, the bird is examined for health and age. Measurements of the wing and tail are taken, the skull and belly are examined, and the bird is weighed before release. The information recorded helps to track the health and changes in the bird population at Seven Islands, as well as, contributes to grassland research.

Above, Mark opens a band before placing it on the leg of a Field Sparrow. 25 field sparrows were banded, along with 3 recaptured for a total of 28 processed. Field Sparrows are one of our year-around grassland species. The second most common species was the Indigo Bunting for a total of 15 banded.

Above and below, Billie Cantwell examines a female Blue Grosbeak. This bird was recaptured and originally banded in May of this year. Below, Mark and Billie discuss the molting pattern of the feathers to affirm the bird's age. Female Blue Grosbeaks are brown with a hint of blue in their shoulder feathers, while the males are bright blue with orange bars.

Below, Gar Secrist brings a bird back from the net, accompanied by park visitors. Visitors are welcome to observe the banding process.

Mark measures the wing of a Brown Thrasher, above, one of the largest birds captured for the day. The size and personality of a thrasher makes it a fun bird for children to experience.

Richard Secrist shows a young visitor the bright yellow eyes of the thrasher. Brown Thrashers have large curved beaks and beautiful rust plumage with a cream breast and belly with rust spots. Very striking birds.

Another highlight of the morning was the capture of a young hummingbird. Billie Cantwell banded the juvenile and recorded the details.

Above and below, she measures its wing and beak.

With a magnifying loop, she checks for grooving in the juvenile's beak. Grooving helps the bander to age the bird. The grooving indicates growth in the beak, a characteristic of juveniles.

For release, Billie places the hummingbird in the hand of one of our visitors.

An Eastern Kingbird was the second largest bird captured at the net. Above, Mark is measuring her tail. A flycatcher species that is always fun to see at close range, kingbirds breed in eastern North America and overwinter in South America,

Situated on more than 410 acres along the French Broad River, Seven Islands State Birding Park includes raparian zones (where land and water meet) and open grassland habitat planted with native grasses, wildflowers, shrubby fruit-bearing plants, and trees, providing favored habitat and food sources for many grassland species and migrating warblers.

Mark Armstrong is a Master Bander of hummingbirds and songbirds. Billie Cantwell is a banding apprentice and past president of the Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society.

Visit my previous posts on bird banding.
Blue Grosbeak
Bird Banding at Seven Islands State Birding Park
Knoxville Chapter, Tennessee Ornithological Society
Visit the Knoxville Chapter of TOS on Facebook
Seven Islands State Birding Park
Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge now Seven Islands State Birding Park

Wonder of Hummingbirds Festival Holds Outstanding Event!

noreply@blogger.com (Vickie) — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 09:00:00 +0000

Ruby-throated Hummingbird migration is in full swing in Tennessee making this an exciting time of year for hummingbird lovers!

The male Ruby-throated Hummingbird shown above is molting feathers, meaning the old worn ones are falling out and being replaced with new ones. Tiny white tubules, that become the feather's shaft, hold the feathers as they grow. Molting during migration is a sign of health, according to Master Bander, Mark Armstrong. It means the hummingbird has enough energy reserves, or fat stored, for both migration and healthy growth.

Photo credit: Jody Stone

On Saturday, Aug 22nd, the Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society and Ijams Nature Center hosted their fifth annual Wonder of Hummingbirds Festival in Knoxville and the crowd of people attending were enthusiastic and eager to enjoy the many nature activities offered by the festival.

Photo credit: Tom Howe

Organized by talented KTOS member, Billie Cantwell, the event attracted more than 1300 visitors who enjoyed hummingbird banding, nature walks, wildlife demonstrations, expert speakers, food and arts and crafts vendors and exciting children's activities!

Photo credit: Susan Baumgardner

The popular highlight of the event is the hummingbird banding demonstrations offered by Mark Armstrong, Master Bander of hummingbirds and songbirds.

Photo credit: Jody Stone. Mark Armstrong examines a hummingbird.

Below, volunteer Andy Troutman removes a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird from one of the bander's traps. Hummingbirds enter the trap to access the feeder and a door is lowered with an attached line.

Photo credit: Susan Baumgardner.

Once removed from the trap, the hummer is placed in a mesh bag and transported to the bander.

Photo credit: Jody Stone

Photo credit: Susan Baumgardner.

Mark first checks the hummers legs to be sure there is no current band. He then secures a numbered band around its leg and examines the hummer for age, sex and health. Measurements are recorded for the tail and beak and the belly is checked for fat to help determine overall health. If the individual is a juvenile male, he also records the number of red feathers on the throat.

Photo credit: Jody Stone.

Above, Mark Armstrong attaches a numbered band to a hummingbird's leg. The small stocking covers the hummers head and helps to keep it calm. Watch the video below to see banding in progress.

Video credit: Jody Stone

Photo credit: Susan Baumgarder.

Above, Patty Ford gives visitors a close look at a hummingbird before release and below, she gently places a hummingbird in a child's hand for the release.

Photo credit: Jody Stone.

The banding station banded 28 hummingbirds and had one male re-capture that was originally banded at the festival three years ago. The average life-span of a male hummingbird is 1.4 years and the oldest recorded male hummingbird was five years old. Our re-captured bird is doing well!

I was introduced to hummingbird banding in 2009 at the first banding demonstration held at Ijams Nature Center, sponsored by KTOS, and it has been exciting to watch this event expand and attract the large crowds attending today.

Photo credit: Warren Hamlin.

Above left, my exhibit table at the festival and (right) Stephen Lyn Bales, author, artist and naturalist discussing his natural history books.

"Hummingbird and Million Bells" -- watercolor by Vickie Henderson

Links and Resources:

2014 Wonder of Hummingbirds Festival

2013 Wonder of Hummingbirds Festival

2009 Hummingbird Banding

Tennessee Wildside video of 2013 festival

Knoxville Chapter of Tennessee Ornithological Society (KTOS)

Ijams Nature Center