Nesting Strategies

April is about to begin, which means that, here in the southeastern U.S., most of the year-round resident species—including phoebes, cardinals, Carolina Wrens, and bluebirds—have probably started nesting.  Several of these common, resident birds spend a lot of time around human habitation, so if you live in this region of the country, you may have noticed lots of interesting behaviors over the last month or so.  

In the spring and summer, Carolina Wrens will often build their small, domed nests in garages, outdoor furniture, or potted plants.  Here's a photo of a nest from several years ago.  As you can see, the wren parents used grasses, oak blossoms, mosses, leaves, and string in the outer layer.

Carolina Wren eggs

Finer grasses and various bits of fuzz—feathers and possibly fur—lined the nest, and, as the photo shows, the female wren laid five eggs.  This is normal for Carolina Wrens, which lay anywhere from three to seven.  The female wren incubated the eggs for several days.

Incubating

Wren nests are a familiar sight for me, and, apart from peeking into the nests every now and then during the roughly month-long process from incubation to fledging, I never really do anything that could disturb them.  For one thing, it’s generally illegal to disturb or damage the eggs and young of wild birds, and for another, I figure that interfering with nature is usually unwarranted.  The main exception I will make is for species that are endangered, or just generally imperiled.  Carolina Wrens, though?  Thankfully, they seem to be doing just fine.

The empty nest

The species is doing just fine, that is.  Unfortunately, these particular individuals had their nest raided by some sort of predator before the eggs could hatch.  Maybe a snake?  Several nonvenomous species, including gray ratsnakes, black racers, and speckled kingsnakes, are common in the Southeast.  I do not endorse killing snakes, by the way; they have a right to be here, and the benefits that they provide (e.g., rodent control) far outweigh any damage that they occasionally do to the birds that people love to watch.  Below is a picture of a large gray ratsnake that had taken up residence in the garage a couple of years before.  A raccoon is another possibility; although you may not often see them, they are extremely common in wooded areas, and their opportunistic feeding habits make them remarkably persistent.

Gray ratsnake

It was bad luck for the Carolina Wrens, but there's usually a chance for a second brood, at least.  

On a lighter note, even though the wrens failed, the Eastern Phoebes that year successfully raised at least three young over the garage entrance.  Phoebes typically don’t build low to the ground, so unless you bring out a ladder, you’re probably going to have a hard time looking into their nests.  Until they hatch and the young birds are large enough to stick their heads over the edge, I usually have no idea how many eggs there are.  The brood sizes of phoebes can vary fairly widely—from two to six.  Like Carolina Wrens, phoebes easily acclimate to human activity; as long as you leave them alone, they will nest year after year in the same spot on a ledge, over a porch, or under an eave or a bridge.  

The phoebes' nest

The phoebe nestlings in the garage nest grew rapidly, and eventually the concrete below became coated with bird droppings—yuck.  I expected the birds to fledge a day or two before they finally did; they had been looking very large and mature, but they weren’t finished developing yet.  On the day that they did wind up leaving, I was standing at one side of the garage entrance and peering at them through my binoculars.  My presence apparently agitated them, because they all blasted out of the nest at once and flew strongly to the row of hardwood trees lining the driveway.  Clearly, they were ready!  For many other bird species, however, the season was just getting started.

Phoebe nestlings

Shorebirds Quiz

Ready for a challenge?  The shorebirds in the following quiz are commonly found across much of the Gulf Coast.  See how many of them you can identify.

1.  Although some features of this resting bird are hidden, the relevant field marks are still visible.

2.  This tiny shorebird has a larger relative that is abundant across much of North America.

3.  After the first two, this next shorebird should be a relatively easy ID!

4.  A black-and-white shorebird flying low...

1. This individual is chunky with drab, brownish upperparts, a white belly, grayish legs, and a semi-long bill that droops at the tip: all features of the Dunlin.  This species spends the winter on the coast before migrating to Alaska and northern Canada for the breeding season.

2.  Piping Plovers are related to the Killdeer, an abundant and widespread plover species.  Unlike Killdeer, though, Piping Plovers have incomplete breast-bands.  They also have orange legs, unlike the slightly larger Snowy Plover, which has grayish legs.  Like the Dunlin (but unlike the Snowy Plover), Piping Plovers do not remain on the Gulf Coast to breed.

3.  The moderately short, slightly decurved bill; short, yellow legs; and warm-brown upperparts help to distinguish the Least Sandpiper from other shorebirds.  Its small size is a useful field mark, as well.  Like the Piping Plover and the Dunlin, the Least Sandpiper migrates north in the spring.

4. The American Oystercatcher is a large shorebird with bold black-and-white-and-brown plumage.  Its almost clownish-looking red bill makes it unlikely to be confused with any other species!  Oystercatchers are year-round residents of the Gulf Coast, and they do indeed eat oysters.

Sunset

I love walking on the beach near sunset, especially when the weather isn’t too warm.  The sand feels delightfully soft and cool, the clouds stretch across the sky in gorgeous pastel shades, and waves provide a relaxing soundtrack as they steadily lap the shoreline.

The seashore birds’ calls—some raucous, some guttural, and some piping—punctuate the sounds of the water and wind.  Black-bellied Plovers may look fairly drab in their winter plumage, but their plaintive, whistling notes are anything but dull.  These close relatives of the familiar, pasture-loving Killdeer remain on the Gulf Coast through the winter, but migrate north in the spring.  It amuses me that this bird doesn’t have a black belly at all during this time of year.

Black-bellied Plover at the shoreline

Like most egrets and herons, the Snowy Egret has a very unmelodious—even grating—call.  But few people would deny its elegance as it gracefully strides through the tide pools, hunting for small fish and invertebrates.  Although the water is a bit too cold for me, the Snowy Egret appears to pay it no mind.  Black legs ending in bright yellow feet are one of its identifying features.

Snowy Egret striding

While the egret moves off, the small, browinish Dunlin comes forward to prod the mud near the edge of the pool with its pointed beak.  The Dunlin is a common winter visitor and migrant on the Gulf Coast, and, on most beaches, only the grayish but equally small Sanderling outnumbers it.  These species may mingle with each other, but the Dunlin tends to feed in somewhat deeper water, as the slightly greater length of its bill would suggest.

Snowy Egret and Dunlin foraging

As I look up and slightly to the right, I see several more species of shorebirds, including Marbled Godwit, Willet, and Semipalmated Plover.  The larger individuals, such as the godwits and the willets, forage in the deeper water, while the smaller plovers and dunlins stay in the shallower sections.  The names godwit and willet may seem strange, but they were intended as transcriptions of the birds’ calls.  I hear neither of these species calling at the time, but the persistent chirps and whistles of the others more than make up for that.

Shorebirds foraging in the tide pools

The sun starts to drop below the horizon, signaling that it’s time for me to leave.  I will miss the sights, sounds, and sensations of the beach, and I hope that I can re-experience them soon.