Date: 6/27/25 12:59 pm From: jerry Kruth <00000005ead0dac6-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: Hot temps - cool birds
Lovely post Bruni. Thanks.
Clever how you do your suet cakes. What glamorous WP visitors!
I just wanted to add to your water effort -- the importance of any kind of water feature for our feathered friends, this time of year.
Doesn't have to be elaborate or fancy; even a simple pan will do; preferably in the shade, and away from predator lurking places. A plastic five-gallon bucket, cut neatly about 6-8 inches deep will suffice. You might dig it down several inches to make it accessible.Make sure any small creature that might fall in will have an exit possible with some stones to jump from.
Jerry KruthPgh
On Monday, June 23, 2025 at 12:58:28 PM EDT, <bruni...> <bruni...> wrote:
The water in the birdbaths really warms up quickly in this weather. I've been checking them several times a day to keep the water fresh and cool. Even the pedestal bath that has cold water dripping into it was warm.
Had some lovely visitors yesterday afternoon. Two male Baltimore Orioles and a Cardinal bathing at the same time. Saw my first female Indigo Bunting. Such a sweet little bird. The male was also here a few times. Special treat was a pair of Great Crested Flycatchers. Then I spotted an immature right behind them. There were also adult and young Bluebirds. A Phoebe, Brown Thrasher, Robin, Catbirds,Titmouse, Chickadee, House and Goldfinches, Chipping Sparrow and one male Cowbird.
I'm still putting out suet so as not to lose my Red-headed and Pileated Woodpeckers. One cake on the tree and the other in the fridge. After a couple of hours I switch them. Both cakes are put out before 6:00 AM for a couple of hours. The woodpeckers, like me, are early risers.
Yesterday there were several Downy's. They always seem to have a good breeding season. A pair of Hairy's was feeding their offspring. So touching.
Bruni HaydlCharles Town, WV
Date: 6/23/25 9:58 am From: <bruni...> <bruni...> Subject: Hot temps - cool birds
The water in the birdbaths really warms up quickly in this weather. I've been checking them several times a day to keep the water fresh and cool. Even the pedestal bath that has cold water dripping into it was warm.
Had some lovely visitors yesterday afternoon. Two male Baltimore Orioles and a Cardinal bathing at the same time. Saw my first female Indigo Bunting. Such a sweet little bird. The male was also here a few times. Special treat was a pair of Great Crested Flycatchers. Then I spotted an immature right behind them. There were also adult and young Bluebirds. A Phoebe, Brown Thrasher, Robin, Catbirds,Titmouse, Chickadee, House and Goldfinches, Chipping Sparrow and one male Cowbird.
I'm still putting out suet so as not to lose my Red-headed and Pileated Woodpeckers. One cake on the tree and the other in the fridge. After a couple of hours I switch them. Both cakes are put out before 6:00 AM for a couple of hours. The woodpeckers, like me, are early risers.
Yesterday there were several Downy's. They always seem to have a good breeding season. A pair of Hairy's was feeding their offspring. So touching.
Bruni HaydlCharles Town, WV
For the last several years Eastern Kingbirds have seemed to disappear from my neighborhood, so I was excited to see them yesterday on Freeland Road and at the entrance to Canaan Valley State Park.
Date: 6/4/25 9:13 am From: <bruni...> <bruni...> Subject: Yard Birds
One advantage to all the rain we've had is that the birds are finding lots of bugs and worms on the lawn. Yesterday I was watching a female cardinal pull on an earthworm. I'm used to Robins doing that so I was curious. I happened to have my binoculars on the table so I watched. Since she was facing me I could see her pinch off 1" sections of the worm and eat it. Her beak moved just like it does when shelling a sunflower seed. While walking this morning we saw a Bluebird in the road dealing with a wriggling earthworm. We stopped until it had gone down the hatch and then continued on our journey.
The first bird this morning was a male RT Hummingbird at the edge of the pedestal birdbath, getting a drink. Cool. Did that a couple of times. The other day there was a Brown Thrasher in the pedestal bath while an Indigo Bunting was in the ground bath right next to it. All of a sudden the Thrasher dropped down and knocked the Indigo out of the bowl. The ground bath is the one that the Indigo prefers. A lovely Great Crested also came by as did Baltimore Orioles later in the afternoon.
I've not seen two Red-headed woodpeckers at the same time but was quite sure there was a nesting pair since I've seen it carrying suet away. Yesterday one was on the tray facing me and I could see a smudge like marking on the throat where the feathers had rubbed off. The one that has been here several times this morning does not have that. It is a safe guess that there is indeed a pair. They are not shy and hold their own at the suet cake, even running off Bluejays.
The Gray Catbirds nesting in the quince shrub are selective as to which birds they tolerate nearby. The occasional Grackle or cowbird gets chased.
The RS Hawks nest next door is really looking crowded.
Date: 6/3/25 9:56 am From: Richard Gregg <greggra...> Subject: Marmet Locks: Am. White Pelican
I had a nice sighting at Marmet Locks this morning. A dozen American White Pelicans were hanging around! It is both a very unusual bird and a very unusual number for Kanawha Co.
I had a call that they were there but missed them when I first looked. They all had their heads buried in their wings and were sleeping. I just skipped over that floating white mass of river debris. Imagine my surprise when one happened to raise its head just as I was scanning! They drifted around for a while and left around 09:30.
Date: 5/31/25 5:21 am From: James Phillips <jimandjudyphillips...> Subject: Fwd: eBird Report - Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park WV, May 29, 2025
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: <do-not-reply...>
Date: Fri, May 30, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Subject: eBird Report - Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park WV, May 29,
2025
To: <jimandjudyphillips...>
Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park WV, Pocahontas, West Virginia, US
May 29, 2025 11:30 AM - 12:05 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.5 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: 64 degrees, cloudy
9 species
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Blue-headed Vireo 2
Red-eyed Vireo 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Veery 1
American Robin 1
Ovenbird 2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
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