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Wild Wings Nature Store

December 2, 2008

 

In This Issue:
	Bird of the Month
	Holiday Hours
	Hampton Roads Bird Club
	A True Story

 

The Pine Warbler is one of our winter warblers here in Tidewater.  We here at Wild Wings Nature Store have received calls from people saying they have gold finches eating at their suet feeders, while this does occur; what I think most people are seeing is the seed-eating, gold finch look-alike Pine Warbler.  The Pine Warbler does resemble an American Goldfinch in winter plumage with its basic yellow color and white wing bars, which is why novice birders sometimes have trouble differentiating one species from the other.  However a closer look will reveal differences starting with the bill shape.  The Pine Warbler has a thinner, longer and darker pointed bill suited for insect eating.  The overall body form is also different.  The Pine Warbler is thinner than the goldfinch.  While both species have two prominent white wing bars, the Pine Warbler‘s wing is more gray in color, does not have the white tips on the front edge of the primaries (the long flight feathers), and has only white on the outer two tail feathers. The Pine Warbler has a light, faint yellow dye ring around its eyes.  I find that the Pine Warbler has a green-yellow look back to head

with more yellow throat and breast with blurry streaks on the side of the chest.  The female is very similar but much duller and with more brownish green to olive back and head.

 

If you have a pine tree in or around your yard, it is a good chance you have one or two pine warblers hanging around somewhere (and I mean hanging around somewhere) since one of their favorite activities is to hang upside down on a pine cone looking for insects and seeds.  However, its ability to change its diet when insects become scarce is the main reason this bird chooses to hang around our neck of the woods when other warblers leave.  The Pine Warbler particularly likes berries of the poison ivy, dogwood and Virginia Creeper, as well as sunflower chips and suet.  A pine cone filled with peanut butter and cornmeal mix will keep them coming to your backyard.

 

If you are a Pine Warbler it is probably good to hang out with the goldfinches in the winter.  Not because you may resemble them in hue and markings but because those heavy finch beaks make short work of those oil sunflower hulls at the feeder and undoubtedly leave behind a little sunflower meat for them to nibble on.  Such leftovers may be just the right energy source for any bright greenish-yellow warbler choosing to spend the winter in the Tidewater, Virginia area.  The Pine Warbler is one of the pleasures of winter and I hope you will be able to experience seeing one this year.

 

Let nature be your “stress reliever.”  I often think nature around us is God’s stress reliever. In these economic times many of us need a way to get away, refresh, recharge.  There is not a more cost effective way of observing nature and relaxing than that of watching, hearing and feeding the birds around your home or office.  Sometimes something as simple as one of our window feeders filled with no-waste mixes, or sunflower kernels will attract lots of beautiful and amusing songbirds. Watch as a chickadee picks just the right seed and flies off to enjoy his snack.  Titmice, Downey Woodpeckers and more will come up to your window to eat.  Do you know someone that needs a little stress relief this Christmas?  Give them a bird feeder for Christmas!  A bird feeder is a great gift that keeps on giving all year long.  And you will help a friend to experience nature and relax.

 

We are repeating our store-wide 20% off sale, excluding bird seed, Friday through Sunday, December 5-7, 2008 for those of you who missed our Open House over the Thanksgiving weekend.  This is a great time to pick up the perfect bird feeder you or a friend have been wanting.  You can stretch your holiday dollars while shopping at Wild Wings.  Remember we are open Sundays from noon to 4:00pm until December 21, 2008.  Come enter a drawing to win door prizes.  We have black oil sunflower seed on sale all this month, a 25 pound bag is only $17.99 and the 50 pound bag is $28.99.

 

Holiday Hours:

Wednesday, December 24, Christmas Eve – close at 5:00

Thursday, December 25, Christmas Day – closed

Friday December 26, normal hours 10 am – 6 pm

Wednesday, December 31, New Years Eve – close at 4:00

Thursday, January 1, 2009, New Years Day – closed

Friday, January 2, 2009, normal hours 10 am – 6 pm

 

Hampton Roads Bird Club Events:

Annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count is Saturday, December 20, 2008.  They can use more volunteers to help count from 7:00 am to 4:30 pm, with a tally at the end of the day.  There is a $5 fee for each participant, and you will learn so much.  For more information contact the coordinator, Clark White at (757) 875-7649 or cwbirds@cox.net.

 

Sunday Bird Walks in Newport News Park are held the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month at 7:00 am - meet at the Ranger Station.  Dress warm this time of year.

 

A Snowy Owl found in our area!  A snowy owl was admitted to WildLife Response, Inc in Norfolk. The rehabilitator reports, “He is thin, but standing.  He has a limp but no other trauma.”  The plan is to stabilize, deworm, x-ray and maybe do blood work to get him back in shape and shipped north.  To see his picture, go to i272.photobucket.com ori272.photobucket.com.

 

Cindy, one of our customers, sent me this email:

Hi Jim,

I had seen a hawk hanging around lately. Then a couple weeks ago I was astonished (and laughed very hard) to find it carrying away a realistic fake chickadee from my front feeder, which is a foot from my porch and no more than 4 feet from the front window!  I still haven't found where he dropped his intended meal after he discovered it wasn't what he thought, but better that than a real one (for the chickadees of course, but not the hawk!).

 

If you have an interesting, or unusual story to share, then send it to guests@wildwingsnnva.com.  We’d love to hear from you.