Words On Birds 04-11-25

 

     It is surprising how many rare or out-of-season birds show up at bird feeders. This past winter alone, a yellow-throated warbler visited a feeder in Ipswich, a Cape May warbler was a regular visitor to a Lynn feeder, a western tanager visited a feeder in Merrimac, and a dickcissel visited feeders in the south end of Newburyport. In recent years, boreal chickadee, Townsend’s warbler, golden-crowned sparrow, Baltimore oriole, and even a rufous hummingbird were frequenting area feeders during the winter.

 

     If you are lucky enough to have a different bird show up in your yard, you then have to make the decision whether or not share that bird with others. Depending on the rarity of the bird, you could have tens of birders stopping by to view it. At times, that can be a problem. In most cases, though, it becomes a rewarding experience for the homeowner.

 

     Bonnie and Bob Buxton of Merrimac, hosted a western tanager for more than two months at their feeders this past winter. With their permission, I am sharing with you their sentiments on the experience:

 

     “On the frosty morning of January 8, 2025, much to our surprise and delight, a beautiful bright yellow/green bird suddenly appeared at our mealworm feeder right outside our kitchen window! What was it? 

 

     “Possibly a wintering Oriole? No, the color wasn’t right, nor was the shape of its bill. Could it be a Tanager? The heavy bill seemed right, but it had wing bars! After quickly snapping some photos 

through the window and consulting with some expert birder friends it was determined to be a second-year juvenile male Western Tanager, far away from his home west of the Rockies!

 

     “Thus began an exciting time of sharing this lovely, rare visitor with other birders. We quickly got the word out, knowing we’d likely have many folks come to see it. 

 

     “Our first priority was to keep the bird as safe and well-fed as possible. We asked that all visitors keep a respectful distance while viewing the bird and we kept our feeders well-stocked with dried mealworms, crumbled suet cakes, beef suet and even some raisins. We tried to keep the viewing area safe for birders as well because we were dealing with some very wintry weather!

 

     “What a joy to have others share in our excitement! We thoroughly enjoyed chatting with birders of all ages (231 in all!) Some even came bearing gifts of mealworms and suet to help feed our beautiful guest. We especially loved seeing the passion and enthusiasm of the younger birders! They give us hope for the future of our environment and for our beloved birds. 

 

     “In early February, after carefully observing the bird every day, we made an exciting discovery! Our mostly yellow bird now had a distinct red spot on his neck, followed by more red spots on his face and neck each day! He was beginning to develop his adult plumage! Several folks came back to see the new changes and were rewarded with great looks at our maturing bird!   

 

     “In addition to the guest of honor (who stayed for 67 days in a row before moving on!) we had some added entertainment from our adorable, remarkably long-legged Ruby-crowned Kinglet who stayed all winter.  It would flutter like a hummingbird as it fed on suet that we spread on our spruce branches. 

 

     “Other birds we enjoyed watching included several Eastern Bluebirds, six species of woodpeckers including Red-bellied, Northern Flicker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and a Pileated. A sharp-eyed young birder spotted a Brown Creeper as well, which was a nice treat!

 

     “It was truly a wonderful experience, sharing the joy of a very special bird!”

 

     The Buxton’s 231 visitors included many local and out-of-state birders and photographers. Harris Stein of Wayland shared his photograph of the western tanager when it was, as Bonnie described, a yellow/green bird visiting their feeders. Rick Rankins was one of the last to see and photograph the tanager during the final day it visited the Buxton’s feeders. It shows the tanager molting into its male breeding plumage with spots of red on its face and neck.

 

     Thank you Bonnie and Bob for sharing this wonderful bird with so many visitors and readers!