Photo Credit TT Mac Flickr

I was both surprised and excited to see a new bird yesterday. I looked it up and identified it as a male yellow-rumped warbler. I was surprised as last year I moved to a more urban area and did not expect to see a warbler, especially one that I had never seen before. It was in a tree which is covered with pink cherry blossoms quite near to my window. I was happy that the warbler was content to explore the tree for a while which gave me time to get out my bird book  and find its name.

I live in south western Canada and my bird book informs me that the yellow-rumped warbler is also commonly called the Audubon’s Warbler in Western Canada, but is known in Eastern Canada as the Myrtle Warbler.

The National Geographic gives this identification description:

Spring male: crown and back blue-gray streaked with black. Yellow crown patch, distinct rump patch, and patches at sides of breast. White or yellow throat. Black streaks on upper breast and side. White wing bars. White spots in outer tail feathers. Spring female: similar to male, but brownish above with smaller tail spots. Fall adult: similar to spring adult, but generally browner above in both sexes with less black on breast. Immature: similar to spring female; some immature females very dull with indistinct streaking and much reduced yellow on sides of breast.

All about Birds describes the differences between the western and eastern species?

The Yellow-rumped Warbler has two distinct subspecies that used to be considered separate species: the “Myrtle” Warbler of the eastern U.S. and Canada’s boreal forest, and “Audubon’s” Warbler of the mountainous West. The Audubon’s has a yellow throat; in the Myrtle subspecies the throat is white. Male “Audubon’s” Warblers have more white in the wing than the “Myrtle” Warbler. Female Audubon’s have less distinctly marked faces, lacking the dark ear patches of the “Myrtle” Warbler. Intermediate forms occur where the two subspecies’ breeding ranges overlap, such as in the Canadian Rockies. Read more…

The yellow-rumped warbler frequents forested areas, particularly coniferous forests. There are a lot of coniferous forests in SW British Columbia, however the nearest one to my home is several kilometres away.

They eat insects and berries and have been known to come to bird feeders.

They nest in woodland areas. The nest is cup shaped and usually 4-5 eggs are laid.

Credit Dick Daniels http://carolinabirds.org/

This is the Myrtle Warbler and the photo was taken in Sunset Beach North Carolina

You can invite finches right into your yard if you have the right kind of feeders. Of course, your feeders shouldn’t be empty! It should have clean water supply as well as bird feed.

It takes a great deal of patience to attract goldfinches. Your bird feeders must be cleaned regularly ensuring that no molds have built-up in them. Your bird food should also be fresh and should be replaced daily to avoid the growth of these molds and seeds trying to sprout into plants.

If you follow this tip, you will surely be delighted and surprised to see goldfinches in your bird house. It matters how you deal with the birds and this is most effective not only for finches. Bird food should always be clean and safe to eat otherwise these birds will fly away from the feeder. Feed them with a
sufficient amount of good bird food that will not make them sick. It is worth noting that these birds are smart enough to know which is good and which is bad for them. They don’t want to get sick too, just like humans!

Another tip is to provide goldfinches with a thistle or nyjer and sunflower seeds in polycarbonate feeders. Position your feeders in an open area while making sure that you catch the bird. Purchase a feeder that can feed as many birds as it can like tube and platform feeders. In no time, you will be enjoying these lovely, colorful songbirds right in your yard.

You can read more details about the Perky-Pet® Copper Sip & Seed Waterer here.

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• Built from sustainably grown eastern white pine
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The Barred Owl is slightly larger than a barn owl and sounds like a typical “hoot owl.” This house can be mounted high in a tree with the two metal hangers. Bottom of side opens for ease in cleaning.

Habitat: Lives in low, wet woods and swampy forests.

Range: Resides from British Columbia east to Nova Scotia, and south to northern California, and to Texas and Florida.

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Additionally to this video (I forgot to mention), we prefer to mount the nestbox on the outside of the cage for easier access to the babies for checking/weighing them. That way, we don’t have to go into our breeders’ territory! For more info: www.trueloveaviary.blogspot.com
Video Rating: 0 / 5

• Size: 7.5″ X 7.75″ X 6.25″

Regular assembled nest convenient place for birds to nest. Exterior Grade Plywood.

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September 7, 2008: After the window washers left, the nest box and cam lenses were cleaned. The peregrines have made regular trips to the ledge and nest box. But who has entered the nest box today? Some Clues: Scout’s left leg band is black over green: P/72. Orville’s band is black over green: 12/P. They both have the letter “P” on their color band. The difference is that for Scout, the P is in the top, black field while for Orville it is in the lower, green field. Both have a purple USFWS band on the right leg. Orville’s legs, feet and cere (the part of the beak below the eyes where the nostrils are located) are more yellow than Scout’s.

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Attracts bluebirds, Carolina wrens, yellow-bellied sapsucker, tree swallows and the hairy woodpecker. Height 12in, hole size 1-1/2in x 2-1/4in. Droll Yankees nest boxes are designed with all the right features for cavity nesting birds. Exaggerated roof overhang – keeps rain and sun out, keeping eggs and birds dry and temperatures stable. Unique entry hole replicates a natural tree cavity. Side door – easy access for monitoring and cleaning. Ventilation – under eaves and in the floor, for proper air flow. Kerfs on inside front – help fledglings climb out of the box. Predator guard – increase depth of entry. Correct wood thickness – insulates against heat and cold. Nest boxes are made of pine, a resource that renews itself rapidly so that habitats are quickly restored.

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• White Shadow Box Features 6 Real Brown Speckled Eggshells
• Measures 15″ x 12″ x 2-1/2″ Deep
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Square Nest shadow box features 6 real brown specled eggshells. Measures 15″ x 12″ x 2-1/2″ deep. Neutral natural color scheme goes with many types of decor.

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• Size: 11.25″ X 11.25″ X 10″

Reverse assembled nest convenient place for birds to nest. Exterior Grade Plywood.

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