Fun With Pine Warblers

One of my gray birches has decided to leaf out on April 2. You go, little tree. The rest are still in tight winter bud. 

This female cardinal looks fine in new leaves.

 I cannot tell you what a thrill it is for me to hear a pine warbler singing incessantly just outside my studio window. I've lived here outside Whipple in the southeast corner of Ohio since November 1992 and I have had pine warblers breed occasionally in the tall Virginia pines that line my oilwell access road.  In the early 2000's I saw a female take the fuzz off a spent dandelion and take it off to line her nest.  And they bred there in 2022.

But this year, I have a male who has claimed the feeders as his, and he commutes several hundred yards out to sing on his territory in the row of pines in between picking at the peanuts at my feeder. I know this is a reasonably common feeder bird in the Deep South and Southeast, but it is a Big Freakin' Deal for me to have a PIWA making hisself at home and helping himself to the food. 

Along with the white-breasted nuthatches, he's a peanut fan. He's like Texas toilet paper too...he don't take s---t off nobody. Not afraid of the hairy woodpecker. He just stays put and picks away.

It's too durn cold to set up my WarblerFall yet. It's still freezing many nights. So he comes down to the ugly blue heated dog dish and drinks there. Charmed, I'm sure! I can't wait to see him bathe in the WarblerFall! 

I've been thoroughly enjoying him for about three weeks, as he arrived March 8. I had begun to wonder when a female might appear. And on April 1, there she was, hopping about on the ground near the feeders, picking up who knows what.

You'd hardly know she was a warbler; you'd hardly know she was there. Not a speck of color on her anywhere; she was like the male in grayscale.

She had found a piece of peanut and was gagging it down when the male dropped down, apparently too close for comfort. I was thrilled to get them both in the frame. 

She, on the other hand, took violent exception to the male's intrusion, and leapt on him, pecking at his eyes! 

I had never seen anything quite like it. I guess she's not ready to play nice and be his mate. If this is pair bonding, um, no thanks. 

Over and over they rolled, she pressing the attack; he just trying to defend himself. At least that's how it looked to me. I did not see him peck back; he mostly dodged her blows.

I got concerned for him. 

When they finally broke free of each other, she arrowed after him and chased him to a nearby birch.

Only a minute or so later, he was singing from a feeder hook, unperturbed and apparently not dissuaded.

Phew!! Mr. PIWA, you have a tiger by the tail. Good luck with her.

I've started feeding small amounts of Zick Dough on these cold raw March and April days, to help early migrants as well as residents. The birds sure do appreciate it. 

For the recipe and an advisory on warm-weather feeding of Zick Dough, click here. 

Today, April 2, I was thrilled to bits to see the female pine warbler partaking of the high-energy food! 

She may have seen the pair of Carolina wrens eating it...she's a quick study. I have yet to see the male warbler take any, surprisingly, though he hovers around the suet feeder and picks up millet from the ground.

Carolina wrens love Zick Dough.

So do white-breasted nuthatches.

I'm delighted to have something nutritious to offer these beautiful pine warblers on raw spring days. 

Let's face it, I'm a freak for warblers.  Always have loved these delicate, long-distance travelers and their beautiful colors and songs.

Peanuts. If they're good enough for nuthatches, they're good enough for me!

Eat up, Mean Mrs. Mustard. And be nicer to your mate. You've got eggs to make. Soon I'll put out crushed eggshells for you. I want to hear and host pine warblers every spring!

And I can't wait to see them use the WarblerFall!

15 September 2022...Mean Mrs. Mustard, that kinda looks like you!