Audubon trip to Leaser Lake on October 7

Waterfowl and woodland species are migrating at Leaser Lake, and now is a good time to watch them. The Lehigh Valley Audubon Society is sponsoring a field trip to the lake on Saturday, October 7, from 8 to 11 a.m.

You are apt to see a wide range of passerines, a category of birds that include orioles, cuckoos, videos, warblers, tanagers, buntings, finches, mockingbirds, thrushes, flycatchers and wrens.

Meet at the North Launch at the lake, the parking lot closest to the ridge. The lake is located off Ontelaunee Road in New Tripoli, Lehigh County. Carpooling is a good idea. Participants will drive around the lake, stopping at key points for walks. The terrain is relatively flat, making walking easy. Bring a snack if you wish.

If you have a spotting scope, please bring it. If you don't, you can always borrow a peak through someone else's scope. 

Frank Dickman will lead the event. To RSVP, visit the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society's meet-up page. The event is free and open to the public.

Lehigh Valley bird sightings for September 10

Golden-winged Warbler

Here are the Lehigh Valley bird sightings through September 10. The list was compiled by Dave DeReamus of the Eastern PA Birdline, which is sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society.

Lake Minsi, Northampton County
Sanderling, 3 on August 29.

Monocacy Nature Center, Northampton County
Gold-winged Warbler, 1 on August 30.

Little Gap, Northampton County
Northern Bobwhite, 1 to at least September 4 (probably an escaped bird).
Connecticut Warbler, 1 on August 31.

Beltzville State Park, Carbon County
Sanderling, 1 on September 6.

Lehigh Gap Nature Center, Carbon County
Blue Grosbeak, 2 on August 28.

Bake Oven Knob, Lehigh County
Bald Eagle, 6 on August 30; 21 on August 31; 6 on September 7; 8 on September 9.

Sanderling

Leaser Laker, Lehigh County
Caspian Tern, 2 on September 2.
Blue Grosbeak, 1 on September 1 and September 5.

Wescosville, Lehigh County
(along Krocks Road)
Little Blue Heron, 1 to at least August 30 (immature).

Deep Creek/Knight Lake area, Montgomery County
Little Blue Heron, 2 to at least September 4; 1 immature bird on September 9.

Lake Towhee, Bucks County
Trumpeter Swan, 1 on August 28.

Lake Nockamixon, Bucks County
American Pipit, 2 on September 6.

Peace Valley Park, Bucks County
Golden-winged Warbler, 1 on September 1.
Connecticut Warbler, 1 on September 4.
Blue Grosbeak, 1 on August 29.

To report bird sightings to Dave DeReamus, send an e-mail to bcard@rcn.com wth the subject heading "Birdline."

Ten top autumn tips for attracting backyard songbirds

Water Wiggler attracts birds

1. Provide running water

The sound of running water is heard by birds from some distance, drawing then in for drinking and bathing. A bubbler or mister work well. The "Water Wiggler" is a great way to keep water moving (and deters mosquitoe larvae. Water Wigglers are available at The Bird House.

2. Leave nectar feeders out

While local hummingbirds are heading south this time of year, many migrating hummingbirds from farther north will fly through our area during September. Also, juvenile hummingbirds will stay around even after the adults have headed south.

3. Clean out birdhouses

Early fall cleaning and repairing houses is a good idea. Old nests can harbor insects and parasites.

4. Create brush piles

Save your branch clippings and pile them to create a cover for birds.

5. Plant evergreens

They're the perfect cover for birds in fall and winter. For quick growth, plant Leyland cypress, photinia, arborvitae and certain varieties of juniper.

6. Increate the number of feeders

As weather cools and migration increases, food consumption increases. Provide a variety of types of feeders and types of seed and types of seed, as well as suet.

7. Move the action closer

One reason we feed birds is to enjoy the action. Relocation your bird feeders nearer your house allows you to get closer without disturbing the birds.

Leyland Cypress are a fast-growing shelter for birds

8. Provide ample food for insect eaters

Live mealworms served on a tray are appreciated. Bluebirds, catbirds and several types of songbirds love eating high-protein mealworms. Don't forget berries, jelly or chunks of apple.

9. Bring the sounds indoors

As weather cools, we close our windows, blocking the sound of birds. Consider installing a wireless baby monitoring device outside and the receiver inside.

10. Protect birds against collisions

Seeing reflections in windows, birds fly right into the window pane. Placed on the outside streamers, netting and decal may help.

Lehigh Valley bird sightings for August 19

Blue Grosbeak

Here are the Lehigh Valley bird sightings for the period ended August 19. The list was compiled by Dave DeReamus, of the Eastern PA Birdline, which is sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society.

Plainfield Township, Northampton County
(at the Grand Central Landfill)
Blue Grosbeak, 2 on July 31.

Green Pond, Northampton County
Black-Crowned Night-Heron, 1 on August 10.

Bethlehem Township, Northampton County
'Plegadis' Ibis, 1 flyby on August 10.

Leaser Lake, Lehigh County
Blue Grosbeak, 1 on August 6.

Red-headed Woodpecker

Heidelberg Township
(at Church and Applebutter roads)
Red-headed Woodpecker, up to 4 to at least August 16.

Bake Oven Knob, Lehigh County
Bald Eagle, 4 on August 16 and August 17.
Broad-winged Hawk, 98 on August 17.

Trexler Park, Lehigh County
Red-headed Woodpecker, 3 on August 6.

Whitehall, Lehigh County
Merlin, 1 from August 12 to August 15.

Haafsville, Lehigh County
'Plegadis' Iris 1 on August 8.
Common Gallinule, 1 from August 6 to August 8.

Wescosville, Lehigh County
(along Krocks Road)
Little Blue Heron, 1 on August 6 and 1 immature bird on August 13.

Breinigsville, Lehigh County
(at a retention pond along Nestlé Way)
Glossy Ibis, 1 on August 5, August 6 and August 8.

Merlin

Deep Creek/Knight Lake, Montgomery County
Little Blue Heron, 2 from August 4 to August 8 (immature birds).

Lake Nockamixon, Bucks County
Common Tern, 1 on August 7 (immature bird).

Peace Valley Park, Bucks County
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, 1 on August 15 and August 17.
White-throated Sparrow, 1 on August 4 and August 14.

To report bird sightings to Dave DeReamus, send an e-mail to becard@rcn.com with the word "Birdline" in the subject heading.

Questions and answers

DO BIRDS COME TO A FEEDER BECAUSE THEY SEE THE SEED OR BECAUSE THEY SMELL IT?

Most backyard birds have some sense of smell but it is poorly developed. They come to feeders because they see the seed or they see other birds feeding. Some birds are naturally inquisitive that they investigate something new, such as seed.

HOW DO I GET RID OF STARLINGS THAT OVERRUN SEED AND SUET FEEDERS?

Non-native European Starlings are a huge problem not just for us but ecologically. They take over nest cavities from woodpeckers and bluebirds, often killing nestlings and even parent birds. 

You can close the feeders down for a week or two in the hope that the starlings will move on. 

You can try using safflower seed—the white-color seed—which starlings and native grackles do not eat. 

You can use tube feeders that are protected by a cage. Smaller birds such as chickadees, titmice, wrens, finches and Downy Woodpeckers can easily get in to reach the seed but the larger starlings cannot. 

Starlings with their softer bills cannot crack striped sunflower seeds but cardinals, chickadees find the appealing.

WHEN DO GOLFINCHES CHANGE COLORS? HOW CAN YOU TELL FEMALES FROM OTHER SPECIES?

Male goldfinches already are in their bridge yellow color bodies and black and white wings. First-year males have a paler color without the black cap. Female goldfinches do not change color. They remain a general buff color with black wings and a noticeable stripe on them.

WHICH BIRDS USE BIRD HOUSES? WITHOUT A HOUSE, WHAT WILL THEY USE?

Not all backyard birds use bird houses, which are also known as nesting boxes. Chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, wrens, bluebirds, swallows, House Finches, Purple Martins, various woodpeckers and some owls use nesting boxes. In the absence of a house, woodpeckers will create their own cavities by pecking a hole in a tree to excavate a nesting area. Some birds will move into old woodpecker homes to build nests there.

CAN I PUT OUT DRYER LINT FOR THE BIRDS TO USE FOR NEST BUILDING?

Dryer lint used to be a recommendation but researchers have found it actually is a bid idea. Lint makes nests very unstable. Take a ball of lint and wet it. See how it shrinks? As it dries, it becomes crushed and loses its fluffy quality altogether. 

Instead you can put out dog or cat hair that has not been treated for fleas or ticks.

You can use string or yarn but make sure that the pieces are only 4 to 6 inches long so birds don't get tangled.

Providing water

Like all living creatures, birds need water. While some moisture can be extracted from food, most birds need to drink every day in summer. As we know, birds also bathe in water every day. Birds use water to clean feathers of dust and parasites. After splashing around in the water, the bird will flutter to a branch, fluff out its feathers and dry out. Then it will carefully preen each feather, adding a protective coat of oil secreted by a gland at the base of the tail.

For these reasons, a dependable source of water is attractive to most birds. In fact, you may see birds at the bath that don't eat seed and would not visit a feeder. Providing water improves your backyard habitat and provides you with great fun to watch bird behavior.

A good bird bath mimics shallow puddles. Most birds provide to bathe in water up to their thighs so look for a bath that is not too deep. Style does not mean much to the birds. They are just looking for the water. We, however, want a bath that will look good in our gardening scheme, as well as attract birds. Ideally the bath should be one that is easily cleaned. Cleaning the bath daily also discourages mosquitoes. Baths that are dirty are of no benefit to the birds.

Baths should slope gently to allow the birds to wade into the water to the depth they prefer. You can imitate a natural puddle by placing a low bath at ground level, but be wary of cats. A bath with a pedestal of a hanging bath 2 or 3 feet off the ground gives birds a fighting chance to get away. The wet bird must be able to flutter to a limb where it can preen and dry off. The bath should not be so close to shrubbery so as to conceal a crouching predator.

A good way to make the bath even more attractive to birds is to provide some sort of gentle motion on the water's surface. Water dripping or circulating in the basin watches the bird's attention. Well offer "Water Wigglers" that create motion, run on batteries and are silent, with does not disturb the birds. One battery usually lasts most of the summer.

The key to attracting large numbers of birds is to keep the bath filled with fresh water. If you are trying to make your backyard a better place for birdlife, few things are more attractive than a well-maintained bath.

Summer birding

Why feed birds in summer?

There is plenty of insects. Wisdom seems to suggest that we should feed only when natural foods are scarce. But birds will visit feeders all year long. And in summer, for you the backyard birder, the rewards are great. 

Some of the best moments can occur when overworked parent birds bring their fledglings to feeders and baths. Summer is the best time to spot birds, not during the bitter cold of winter. In the summer you'll also see the most vivid plumage.

For a majority of species in the summer, natural food found in backyards is important. Seed from feeders is a supplement. During breeding season, insects are the main source of food. Numbers and diversity of caterpillars (a top food source for chickadees and warblers) decline when non-native plants replace native plants—ones that are meant as the best food for birds.

Don't forget to provide water during summer for both drinking and bathing.

Keeping feeders and baths clean during the summer is very important. Wet seed easily can become moldy in hot summer days. Mold can make birds sick. Throw out suspect seed and replace with fresh seed.

Change water in baths daily. This practice provides clean water for the birds and discourages mosquitoes from hatching.

Naturalist George H. Harrison puts it this way: "Perhaps the greatest advantage of summer bird feeding is that warmer temperatures encourage up-close feeding. Birds become accustomed to your presence and will eat and bathe only a few feet away while you enjoy the calls and songs. … To me there is no better way to enjoy a summer day."