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Above, is a picture of a male and female painted bunting. These beautiful birds are making their way into our area of the southeast and will stay throughout the summer, migrating south in August. The species breeds in the south central United States and along the eastern seaboard. They like open brushlands, woods, and can also be found in hedges and yards. With the right set up, you can have them feeding at your houses. Painted buntings are particular about their habitat and generally choose to come to areas approximately half a mile from salty water. There is enough salt influence in the Cape Fear River and many of our local creeks and streams that painted buntings are able to find suitable habitats in many backyards around our region. Most painted buntings are shy and somewhat intimidated, so in order to attract them to your yard, it works best to have a caged feeder filled with their favorite food; white millet. Caged feeders work well because they allow the buntings to eat without being disturbed by the larger birds that also love white millet, such as the brown headed cow birds and grackles. The Varicraft FurStrator, pictured below, is one such feeder :

Besides being a colorful addition to your backyard, painted buntings eat insects, pollinate plants, and disperse seeds like most other songbirds. Unfortunately, painted buntings are on the decline because of habitat loss due to the rapid development along the Carolina coasts. For more information on how you can get involved in painted bunting recovery, check out PBOT.

It’s March and many of our birds are getting busy with nest building, scouting, and some of them are moving on like our American Goldfinch’s. I’m noticing fewer and fewer goldfinches at my feeders so they must be headed to the northeast for mating season. However, leave the goldfinch feeders up through April because there will still be some of them filling up on nyjer and finch feast before heading out.

Carolina wrens are singing tea kettle, tea kettle….

Carolina chickadees are singing their courting song and the mourning doves are cooing.

Cardinals, tufted titmice, and eastern towhees are starting to nest. Bird Lady 1 even has some nuthatches nesting in her bluebird house! As of today, there are 2 eggs in the house. This event has created a turf war between the bluebirds and nuthatches so another bluebird house is going up in the yard. That should make everyone happy.

Red bellied woodpeckers are drilling their nesting cavities and I have seen and heard one next door pecking away in a big pecan tree for weeks now! I will be glad when he is finished.

The male blue jays are chasing females so I expect them to begin nest building soon.

It is time to put those hummingbird feeders back out. I know some of you had yours out all winter since you had hummingbirds wintering with you. More and more of the tiny birds are staying with us throughout the year now.

Purple martins are in search of communal homes so if you’ve got the open space, put one up. Also, the wrens and chickadees are on the hunt for houses. It also helps to put nesting materials out like short yarn,dryer lint, and even pet hair. Those materials will entice the birds to nest in homes provided by you. The materials can be put in suet cages hung near by.

Another nice touch, is to create a soil dusting area on the ground for doves and sparrows. They like to “bathe” in a dusty area.

Speaking of bathing, provide water all year for your feathered friends.

Be sure to let us know what’s going on in your yard!

It is that time of year again; the bluebirds are in search of somewhere to settle down. Are you ready for them? Here are some tips if you are just beginning your quest to attract bluebirds or if you are an old hand and just need a refresher:

Step 1:
Give them shelter. Mount a nest box that meets the specifications of the North American Bluebird Society. A good bluebird box should be well-ventilated, be watertight, have drainage holes and be easy to monitor and easy to clean. Boxes for Eastern and Mountain Bluebirds should have an entrance hole of exactly 1 ½ inches. Place the nest box in a semi-open grassland area about 4 to 6 feet above the ground to attract bluebirds.

Step 2:
Feed them. Bluebirds feed mainly on insects in the summer and wild berries in the winter. Providing mealworms in a feeder will greatly increase your chances of attracting bluebirds. You can also plant fruit and berry trees.

Step 3:
Offer water. Water sources, such as birdbaths, are a great draw to bluebirds. Birdbaths should be no more than 3 inches deep with sloping sides and have a rough surface to provide good footing. Change the water every 2 to 3 days to keep it fresh.

Step 4:
Provide nesting materials. Bluebirds like soft grasses and pine needles as nesting material. Gather and leave these materials close to the nest box to attract them to your yard and encourage them to nest. You can also offer a nest cup.

Step 5:
Monitor the nest box. Check the box at least once a week during spring and early summer. Contrary to popular belief, opening the box will not hurt the birds. Record the number of eggs, the date the eggs hatched and the number of young. This information is useful for determining bluebird population trends.

Watch out for house sparrows, which can take up residence in the nest box before the bluebirds do. Their nests are usually large and messy and consist of paper scraps piled to the roof. Remove house sparrow nests as they are built.