A young Downy Woodpecker looking out of the nest
Thank you to my friends John and Dao for pointing out this nest site on Foster Island!
Most of the Downy Woodpecker nests I have found around the Arboretum have been within one hundred feet of Union Bay. I suspect the choice of these locations might be related to the soft wood of the dead or dying birch trees. Many of the Birch trees on Foster Island are collection trees from Europe or the Far East. Currently, most of these Birch trees have dead tops and often the ground around them is littered with the crumbling remains of their upper limbs. I understand that this is the work of the Bronze Birch Borers (BBBs). Apparently, the BBBs are increasing in our area due to hotter summers and drier conditions, i.e. possibly an impact of climate change.
In the next photo, you can see two of the upper branches on the left side of this tree have already broken off and fallen to the ground.
I am thinking we should refer to the young bird in this photo as Waldo. That way you can take a moment to search the photo and play, Where's Waldo. By the way, I suspect the tiny hole, approximately 1 inch above Waldo's head, was made by a BBB.
Occasionally, I have seen the Downy Woodpeckers use other species of trees as nest sites so I am hoping that the demise of the birch trees does not reduce their nesting around Union Bay. Still, I will miss the white bark with alternating darker spots. It makes such a nice camouflage for the heads of young black and white woodpeckers.
Here is an example of a Downy Woodpecker using a dead branch on a Pacific Madrone tree for a nest site.
Notice the adult female, on the right, has no red feathers. The young bird, whose head is sticking out of the nest, has a light sprinkling of barely visible red feathers on top. Only the young have the red crowns.
Adult males do have red, but it is on the back of their heads instead of the crown.
Among the young both the male and female can have a red crown. Apparently, the young males have more red and the females usually have less red or none at all. So based on this information, I am guessing our hero in the Birch tree, and in the very first photo, is a young male while the young bird in the Pacific Madrone nest, is a young female.
As I watched the nest on Foster Island, the young bird was constantly sticking his head in and out of the nest and he appeared to be watching for a food delivery.
Finally, the adult male parent returned. Due to the distance and the angle at first I did not notice if the adult had food.
However, when the adult turned quickly and flew away from the nest I caught a glimpse of something white in its bill. My first thought was perhaps it was carrying a fecal pouch away from the nest since they are usually mostly white.
Here is an example of an adult Downy carrying a fecal pouch. The pouches are a very handy method for the adults to remove a young woodpecker's excrement from the nest. The bird poo is cleanly sealed, which enables the parents to safely carry it away.
The adult had perched in front of the nest for just a moment. It did not seem long enough to secure a fecal pouch or for the young bird to feed. If the adult was carrying something white and it wasn't a fecal pouch then what was it? My obvious second choice was food, but why would it fly away with food instead of giving it to the young bird?
It does make sense that adult birds need to eat, but I would not expect them to waste time and effort to bring their personal food back to the nest and then upset their young by eating in front of them.
Luckily, the adult landed on a branch to the right of the nest which enabled a closer look.
Clearly, the adult was carrying food. It was not eating it and he was sitting where the young bird could see the food.After a bit, and while still carrying the food, the adult flew right by the nest. He did not stop to feed the young.
Moments later, it became obvious to me what the adult was doing. In this video, the young one is enticed to leave the nest and then, appears, to follow an adult as it passes by with food.According to All About Birds Downy Woodpeckers can have as many as eight young in a single brood. So the odds are good that there were still other young in the nest. I am guessing that getting the older fledglings out of the nest, begins the process of teaching them to fly and hunt, and it gives the parents better access to feed younger siblings who have not yet learned to fly.
Have a great day on Union Bay...where nature lives in the city and black birders are welcome!
Going Native:
Each of us, who breathes the air, drinks water, and eats food should be helping to protect our environment. Local efforts are most effective and sustainable. Native plants and trees encourage the largest diversity of lifeforms because of their long intertwined history with our local environment and the local native creatures. Even the microbes in the soil are native to each local landscape.
I hope we can inspire ourselves, our neighbors, and local businesses to respect native flora and support native wildlife at every opportunity. I have learned that our most logical approach to native trees and plants (in order of priority) should be to:
1) Learn and leave established native flora undisturbed.
2) Remove invasive species and then wait to see if native plants begin to grow without assistance. (When native plants start on their own, then these plants or trees are likely the most appropriate flora for the habitat.)
3) Scatter seeds from nearby native plants in a similar habitat.
4) If you feel you must add a new plant then select a native plant while considering how the plant fits with the specific habitat and understanding the plant's logical place in the normal succession of native plants.
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Keystone native plants are an important new idea. Douglas Tallamy, in the book "Nature's Best Hope ", explains that caterpillars supply more energy to birds, particularly young birds in their nests, than any other plant eater. He also mentions that 14% of our native plants, i.e. Keystone Plants, provide food for 90% of our caterpillars. This unique subset of native plants and trees enables critical moths, butterflies, and caterpillars that in turn provide food for the great majority of birds, especially during the breeding season.
Note: Flowering plants and trees, i.e. those pollinated by bees, are also included as Keystone Plants.
This video explains the native keystone plants very nicely:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5cXccWx030
The Top Keystone Genera in our ecoregion i.e. Plants and trees you might want in your yard:
Click Here
Additional content available here:
https://wos.org/wos-wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Native-Plant-Resources-10-7-22.pdf
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In the area below, I normally display at least one photo with each post to challenge us to know our native lifeforms.
Can you identify the following four plants or trees from their leaves and also determine if they are native to Union Bay?
A)
B)
C)
D)
To make the process easier here are their scientific (and common) names:
1)
Rubus bifrons, still called Himalayan Blackberry, non-native and invasive vine
Scroll down for the answers.
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A) = 4, Oceanspray
B) = 3, Cascara
C) = 1, Himalayan Blackberry
D) = 2, Beaked Hazelnut
If you look closely at the native leaves, it is often possible to find holes eaten by some smaller creature. Native creatures inherently know which native plants they like to eat. Often the leaves of non-native plants, like ivy, are left totally untouched. This seems to align with Douglas Tallamy's concept that select native plants (i.e.
Keystone Plants) are especially good at providing food for native caterpillars who are an exceptional source of food for young birds.
The Email Challenge:
Over the years, I have had many readers tell me that Google is no longer sending them email announcements. As of 2021, Google has discontinued the service.
In response, I have set up my own email list. With each post, I will manually send out an announcement. If you would like to be added to my personal email list please send me an email requesting to be added. Something like:
Larry, Please add me to your personal email list.
My email address is:
LDHubbell@comcast.net
Thank you!
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The Comment Challenge:
Another common issue is losing your input while attempting to leave a comment on this blog. Often everything functions fine, however, sometimes people are unable to make it past the robot-detection challenge or maybe it is the lack of a Google account. I am uncertain about the precise issue. Sadly, a person can lose their comment with no recovery recourse.
Bottom Line:
If you write a long comment, please, copy it before hitting enter. Then, if the comment function fails to record your information, you can send the comment directly to me using email.
My email address is:
LDHubbell@comcast.net
Sincerely,
Larry
A young Downy Woodpecker looking out of the nest
