The Nature of Things

The fall migration of songbirds continues. I find that one of the most popular stops for these birds as they pass through my backyard is the little fountain that gurgles and splashes there. I think it is the sound of the moving water that attracts them and they often drop in to take a bath or to have a sip of water. No one seems to enjoy the water more than warblers. Since we installed the fountain a few years ago, I've often observed warblers of several kinds making stops here on their way south in the fall or north in the spring. I usually see Wilson's Warblers passing through during both migration seasons, so I wasn't really surprised to see one drop down from the trees to investigate the fountain this morning.    Wilson's Warblers are tiny, very active birds. This one was constantly in motion as he took the grand tour of the fountain, frequently stopping to take a sip and sometimes splashing in the water. Unfortunately, his "baths" were so quick that I wa...

The Baltimore Orioles came to town today. Or, that is, they arrived in my backyard today. I had heard over the weekend that they had been seen along the coast, so yesterday, I filled one of my oriole feeders with their preferred jelly and oranges and hung it along with my other feeders in the backyard. And, right on cue today, there they were! Male... ...and female. Beauties, both of them. Today's orioles were hungry for the jelly that I had put out and not so much for the oranges. Perhaps the jelly gives them a quicker boost after their long flight from South America. I don't see Baltimore Orioles in my yard every spring, but when I do, it usually begins the first week in May. These are just a little early, but that seems to be typical of migrant birds these days as many are making their trips earlier because of the warming climate. My little garden sun is smiling because he has some orange company in the yard once again.

We are in the middle and nearing the peak of Ruby-throat Hummingbird fall migration here in Southeast Texas. These little birds are very territorial and have a downright curmudgeonly nature that belies their gorgeous appearance. They are normally solitary creatures and do not tolerate others of their kind. The females even go so far as to opt for single motherhood, building the nest, laying the eggs and caring for the young on her own while the male goes on his merry way. In late summer and in autumn, as wave after wave of the birds that have spent their summers farther north wing their way south, they encroach on established territories and battles ensue. Hostilities never cease. The War of the Hummingbirds is never ending. Right now there are five or six of the birds contending over my half-acre yard. There are birds of both sexes and all ages here. This is the adult female that nested in my yard this year and raised her young here. She loves these blossoms of the flame acanth...

The Houston Chronicle online has a story about the release this week of a study entitled "The State of the Birds: 2010 Report on Climate Change." The state of the birds report is updated and released every year. Last year's report highlighted the fact that nearly a third of the nation's 800 bird species are endangered, threatened or in decline due to challenges such as the loss of wetlands, commercial hunting and pesticides. As the title suggests, this year's study focuses on the effects of climate change on bird populations. Changes in climate are an immediate threat to oceanic birds like albatrosses and petrels because of the changes being wrought in marine ecosystems and the rising sea levels. But, in the longer term, as we have deeper and longer droughts, more intense flooding, and, in some places, colder winters, or other phenomena associated with climate change, birds of the forests or arid regions or even suburban backyards are threatened by the chang...