Check out the latest in our Fall/Winter 2011 Newsletter! Please consider us in your year-end giving plans.
Monthly-ish updates can be found on our blog, Swallow Tales, and daily/weekly updates can be found on our Facebook page. Here's what's been happening at The Songbird Hospital this spring:
Songbird Activity around The Songbird Hospital gardens as of November 2011:
All of our summer visitors have departed for their wintering grounds in Central and South America. We wish them safe travels and look forward to their return in spring. Our winter visitors are here now - white-crowned sparrow, golden-crowned sparrow, red-breasted sapsucker, fox sparrow, varied thrush, cedar waxwing, hermit thrush, ruby-crowned kinglet and townsend's warbler. They're filling the void of our summer birds with their cheerful song and chatter. Our resident species are settling into the winter - finches and towhees are visiting the seed feeders more often, black phoebe and bluebirds are going to roost earlier as the days grow shorter and the mockingbirds are having fewer disputes over territory around the property.
Birds, you and personal space - An article written for Madrone Audubon by Veronica Bowers
The breeding season is the busiest time of year at The Songbird Hospital, but not just because we’re providing care to hundreds of patients. A significant amount of each day is spent offering helpful advice to curious, confused or frustrated humans.
Occasionally, the habits of our feathered neighbors can be an inconvenience to homeowners and our human habits and habitations create conflict with the birds. Here are peaceful and humane resolutions to some common conflicts between humans, birds and personal space during the breeding season.
Birds nesting in hanging basket and I can’t water my plants. Mourning doves and house finches are notorious for this. To avoid disturbing the birds, while still keeping your plant hydrated, place ice cubes on top of the soil around the perimeter of the baskets. The ice will slowly melt, watering your plant, but keeping the birds and their nest safe and dry.
Bird is repeatedly running into/attacking my window, car mirror/windshield. Other than accidental collisions that result from a bird mistaking a window as clear passage, territorial male birds will often attack their reflection mistaking it for an intruder on his territory. Potential harm to the bird may be a concern and smudges on the window can be an inconvenience. The only effective solution is to completely cover the reflection by attaching paper or a sheet to the outside of the window. Cover car side view mirrors with ziplock bags or pillow cases. Cover car windows with towels or a car cover, or park the car in the garage.
Bird stuck in rodent glue trap or sticky fly paper. Sprinkle cornmeal all over the trap/paper to prevent the bird from further sticking. DO NOT attempt to remove the bird from the trap or fly paper. Carefully place the bird and trap in a box or paper bag for transport. Bring the bird to a wildlife rehabilitator immediately. Discontinue use of these horrible devices, especially outside where they endanger birds and other wildlife.
Woodpecker is drumming on the side of the house. This occurs for a couple of weeks during the breeding season when males are trying to impress prospective mates or declare their territory. If the sound is unbearable, scare the birds away by suspending cd’s or toy stuffed animals from the eaves of the building or attach Mylar strips to the side of the house. Reducing the resonance by attaching foam padding, cloth or plastic sheets to the side of the house can make the drumming unsatisfactory for the woodpecker.
Droppings from cliff swallow, barn swallow and black phoebe nests are making a mess. 
At approximately 9 days of age, nestlings of these species begin defecating over the edge/out the
entrance of their nests. To catch the droppings, construct a wooden shelf approximately 10” deep and wide enough to span the poop zone. Attach it to the building no less than 3 feet below the nest. Placing the shelf too close below the nest may make the nest vulnerable to predators. The second option is to place a stack of unfolded newspaper sections on the ground below the nests. Weight the paper down with something so it doesn’t blow away and remove soiled paper as needed. Remember it is illegal to disturb the nest of a native bird during the breeding season.
Bird trapped in house. If possible, confine the bird to one room in the house. Cover or remove mirrors, close all the curtains and open a window in the room. If the open window has curtains, draw the curtains open just enough to expose the window opening. Turn off the lights, leave the room and close the door behind you. Make sure there are no pets or children left in the room with the bird.
A New Aviary for Finches and Sparrows
Well, our old aviary for finch and sparrow species was in dire need of renovation, so we decided to demolish it and rebuild a new one. Keith Miller of Keith the Handy Man in Sebastopol built the main structure and the rest of the work was finished up by Lance, my husband (SBH volunteer by default), and myself. The interior has a planting bed filled with plants that finches and sparrows love - native grasses and thistle, aster, cosmos, assorted salvias and sunflowers. Denise Cadman of Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, donated the native thistle and Lamb's Ears. Thanks Denise!
