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October 26, 1989 - Tiny Miracles of the Airborne WorldB16 The Suffolk Times • October 26, 1969 Tiny Miracles of the Airborne World By Paul Stoutenburah About this time each year the old plastic bird feeders come out of storage, are refurbished and filled with seed. Then we dig deep in the bottom of our freezer for the big slabs of frozen suet that were put away last year when we did in the cow. From this are sawed chunks for the hanging plastic onion bags. Winter food for the birds will now Focus on Nature be added to the chores for the coming season. It doesn't take long for the chickadees and titmice to find the food containers and start scattering the surplus seed about the patio. This won't go unused for the chickens will soon discover it in their never - ending search for bits of food from here and there. And if they should miss a little we'll have the mice run out from their tunnels and glean what's left. Of course, the finches, jays and cardi- nals will start to invade as soon as there is seed in the open feeders, each one challenging the other for a more favor- able spot at the breakfast table. Here again the seed will fly as they search for the best morsel. It's like the candy box that's passed around. We each search for the best and biggest, passing up the rest. Our feeders, like others, are outside our windows where they can best be seen. The one by the picture window where we eat is the most observed, along with the tree feeder not far from the house. This is a flat plastic- coated wire cage that also holds suet. It is an attempt to keep the raccoon from run- ning off with the goods and most of the time it works. Notice I said most of the time, for as the suet gets smaller, Mr. Raccoon's hands seem able to get into the wire grid and pick it out. Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh GOLDEN - CROWNED KINGLET —With the yellow or orange splash of color on its cap, this kinglet is often seen close at hand for it has little fear of us. Special Treat Today While we ate today we had a special treat outside our window. It wasn't at our feeders but in plain view right in the shrubbery below the window. The tiniest of tiny birds, golden- crowned kinglets, were flitting about, never seeming to stop in their daily search for food. These tiny fluffs of life were prob- ably on their way south and were replenishing their energy supply which must be fed constantly. Three or four jumped from limb to limb — up and down, in and out — on the ground and _then off to another branch. We marveled at their exquisite color- ing, a sort of olive -grey -hued bird with a head topped by a splash of yellow. j Danny's Cesspool Complete Sewer and Drain Service • 24 -Hour Service Cesspools Cleaned • Dry Wells and New Precast Pools Installed • Aeration Used for Drainage • Sewer Rooter Service • Chemical Treatments • Serving all of Riverhead and Wading River • Call for free estimates (516) 548 -8034 •929 -6976 i ' 3 r Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh GOLDEN - CROWNED KINGLET —With the yellow or orange splash of color on its cap, this kinglet is often seen close at hand for it has little fear of us. Special Treat Today While we ate today we had a special treat outside our window. It wasn't at our feeders but in plain view right in the shrubbery below the window. The tiniest of tiny birds, golden- crowned kinglets, were flitting about, never seeming to stop in their daily search for food. These tiny fluffs of life were prob- ably on their way south and were replenishing their energy supply which must be fed constantly. Three or four jumped from limb to limb — up and down, in and out — on the ground and _then off to another branch. We marveled at their exquisite color- ing, a sort of olive -grey -hued bird with a head topped by a splash of yellow. Hot .. Dog'sUnlimited::::::: i • World's best hot dog • Come try our tropical drinks • Join our Top Dog Club —buy to, get i free �u ;9 1 2 Hot Dogs �B and $� cw�ti. > coupon) i -i6-oz Drink >I Expires = =/30/89 20 Flanders Rd. • 727 -0020 (tee -out) � IN Riverhead (on ttraflfi a ate, next to meDmmu s) �� .. �. � .� ........... Ifl.. flf� .. lf. ■.. r White and black along the side of the face and around the eye gave it an al- most painted look. This was the female. Later we'd see the male in his distin- guished dress with an added splash of or- ange -red inside the yellow cap. Add some white wing bars and you have one of our most delightful miniature birds. Many of these little mites migrate south but there are some rugged enough to stick it out through our winters. We often see them feeding in groups along with chickadees and titmice and occa- sionally with a downy woodpecker. They seem to team up and travel to- gether, keeping in touch with each other with their soft chatter as they forage for food. How cheerful they are, seemingly paying no attention to the cold of win- ter. It's a bird we always look for on our annual Christmas counts and hardly a year goes by that they are not recorded. I should have known we'd see them sooner or later for it was just a week or so ago that a thoughtful observer called in and wanted to know the name of that small lively bird he'd seen, the golden - crowned kinglet. Ruby- and Golden- Crowned We see basically two species of kinglets — the golden - crowned and the :uby- crowned. The latter is very similar in size and color with the exception that the male has a red splash on its crown. There is a problem with these tiny birds in seeing that splash of color on their head for it's often covered by feathers and is seen only on occasion. The ruby - crowned has a white eye ring that's easily seen and makes identification easy. Both species of birds have white wing bars which is another mark of their identification. What a pleasure watching "our kinglets" as they scurried around below us. At times they were but a few feet away, the window being the only sepa- rator. Even without the window these little balls of fluff would probably pay little attention to us. There are countless records of those who have walked up to within a few feet of them in the wild. It seems they have little fear of humans. One report tells of a woman who was actually able to pet them, although I wonder how she ever got one to sit still long enough for that maneuver; they are always on the go. A few years ago I was called to a home where a kinglet was trapped on a porch. Probably what had happened was that while hunting for insects or the eggs of insects, the bird found a tear in the screen and went through. Now it was caught inside. When I got there it was busy searching for insects or spiders that might be hidden in cracks and crevices around the porch. What home couldn't use one of these little house cleaners? After the initial concern when I en- tered the porch, the little golden -crown let me approach it without any fear and I was able to photograph it. Even when I opened the door to let it go free, it merely took up its searching and jitting about and I was able again to move in for a closeup. We shall never know where our group of little kinglets came from or where they will eventually wind up. It would be nice to think they would stay around because their soft call and delightful an- tics are a continual joy to those who come upon them on a winter's day. Keep your sharpest eyes out for the smallest bird you'll ever see — with, of course, the exception of the humming- bird. Look for white wing bars, a white circle around the eye, a red or yellow patch on the head. With all these marks of identification you can be sure you have seen one of nature's friendliest and smallest feathered friends. A tiny mira- cle of the bird world. �. e Fisher r��la.n R s s • : MAIN ROAD, CUTCHOGUE • 734 -5155 Open Tuesday - Friday 3:30 - 10 pm Saturday - Sunday 11:30 am - 11:00 pm Closed Mondays EARLY BIRD SPECIALS TUESDAY - FRIDAY 3:30 TO 5:00 P.M., SATURDAY & SUNDAY 11:30 TO 5:00 P.M. A family restaurant with complete menu available for take out Danny's Cesspool Complete Sewer and Drain Service • 24 -Hour Service Cesspools Cleaned • Dry Wells and New Precast Pools Installed • Aeration Used for Drainage • Sewer Rooter Service • Chemical Treatments • Serving all of Riverhead and Wading River • Call for free estimates (516) 548 -8034 •929 -6976 Hot .. Dog'sUnlimited::::::: i • World's best hot dog • Come try our tropical drinks • Join our Top Dog Club —buy to, get i free �u ;9 1 2 Hot Dogs �B and $� cw�ti. > coupon) i -i6-oz Drink >I Expires = =/30/89 20 Flanders Rd. • 727 -0020 (tee -out) � IN Riverhead (on ttraflfi a ate, next to meDmmu s) �� .. �. � .� ........... Ifl.. flf� .. lf. ■.. r White and black along the side of the face and around the eye gave it an al- most painted look. This was the female. Later we'd see the male in his distin- guished dress with an added splash of or- ange -red inside the yellow cap. Add some white wing bars and you have one of our most delightful miniature birds. Many of these little mites migrate south but there are some rugged enough to stick it out through our winters. We often see them feeding in groups along with chickadees and titmice and occa- sionally with a downy woodpecker. They seem to team up and travel to- gether, keeping in touch with each other with their soft chatter as they forage for food. How cheerful they are, seemingly paying no attention to the cold of win- ter. It's a bird we always look for on our annual Christmas counts and hardly a year goes by that they are not recorded. I should have known we'd see them sooner or later for it was just a week or so ago that a thoughtful observer called in and wanted to know the name of that small lively bird he'd seen, the golden - crowned kinglet. Ruby- and Golden- Crowned We see basically two species of kinglets — the golden - crowned and the :uby- crowned. The latter is very similar in size and color with the exception that the male has a red splash on its crown. There is a problem with these tiny birds in seeing that splash of color on their head for it's often covered by feathers and is seen only on occasion. The ruby - crowned has a white eye ring that's easily seen and makes identification easy. Both species of birds have white wing bars which is another mark of their identification. What a pleasure watching "our kinglets" as they scurried around below us. At times they were but a few feet away, the window being the only sepa- rator. Even without the window these little balls of fluff would probably pay little attention to us. There are countless records of those who have walked up to within a few feet of them in the wild. It seems they have little fear of humans. One report tells of a woman who was actually able to pet them, although I wonder how she ever got one to sit still long enough for that maneuver; they are always on the go. A few years ago I was called to a home where a kinglet was trapped on a porch. Probably what had happened was that while hunting for insects or the eggs of insects, the bird found a tear in the screen and went through. Now it was caught inside. When I got there it was busy searching for insects or spiders that might be hidden in cracks and crevices around the porch. What home couldn't use one of these little house cleaners? After the initial concern when I en- tered the porch, the little golden -crown let me approach it without any fear and I was able to photograph it. Even when I opened the door to let it go free, it merely took up its searching and jitting about and I was able again to move in for a closeup. We shall never know where our group of little kinglets came from or where they will eventually wind up. It would be nice to think they would stay around because their soft call and delightful an- tics are a continual joy to those who come upon them on a winter's day. Keep your sharpest eyes out for the smallest bird you'll ever see — with, of course, the exception of the humming- bird. Look for white wing bars, a white circle around the eye, a red or yellow patch on the head. With all these marks of identification you can be sure you have seen one of nature's friendliest and smallest feathered friends. A tiny mira- cle of the bird world. �. e Fisher r��la.n R s s • : MAIN ROAD, CUTCHOGUE • 734 -5155 Open Tuesday - Friday 3:30 - 10 pm Saturday - Sunday 11:30 am - 11:00 pm Closed Mondays EARLY BIRD SPECIALS TUESDAY - FRIDAY 3:30 TO 5:00 P.M., SATURDAY & SUNDAY 11:30 TO 5:00 P.M. A family restaurant with complete menu available for take out