Eye Spy: 6 Birds to Spot at the Arboretum Now

Cooper's Hawk Photo by Susan Marshall

Numerous lush trees, a variety of berry-laden shrubs, and several water sources make Morris Arboretum a prime spot for bird watching for both experts and amateurs alike. Next time you visit, bring your binoculars and your bird guide, or pick up a guide in the shop.

As you explore the arboretum, here are six birds that you might see this time of the year:

• Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii): Cooper’s Hawks are common in this area, but can be stealthy and quick. They prey on smaller birds or mammals, such as jays and chipmunks.
  Where: One glided swiftly over me as I was wandering the wetlands this weekend.
   
• American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis): The males of this New Jersey state bird are easy to spot in spring and summer because of their bright yellow bodies. If you want to attract finches to your own yard, plant Echinacea (purple coneflowers). As the flowers fade in mid to late August, the finches will show up to gather the seeds from the spiny flower heads.
  Where: I unintentionally frightened two males who were blending in with the yellow goldenrod flowers in the wetlands
  

  

  American Goldfinch Photo by Susan Marshall

  
   
• Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater): Cowbirds have increased in number over the years, sometimes at the expense of other birds. These brood parasites don’t build their own nests. Instead they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, destroy the young of those birds, and the unknowing parents then raise the cowbird’s young.
  Where: I spotted several enjoying the birdfeeder next to the Fernery.

  

  Brown-headed Cowbird Photo by Susan Marshall

  
  
   
• Flycatcher (Empidonax sp.): It can be hard to tell the Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) from the Alder Flycatcher (Empidonax alnorum). They used to be considered the same species. Apparently the voice is the best way to tell them apart.
  Where: A little flycatcher was spying on me from the trees in the wetlands. I’m not sure if it was the Willow or the Alder.
  

  

  Willow Flycatcher Photo by Susan Marshall

  
   
• American Robin (Turdus migratorius): Most people associate robins with spring, however, they are around most of the year. Whole flocks of them can sometimes be found in the treetops in winter.
  Where: I saw several robins in the following areas: the wooded trail that goes from the Fernery to the wetlands, the shallow water of the Key Fountain, and beneath the trees near the Japanese Overlook

  

  American Robin Photo by Susan Marshall

  
   
• Mute Swans (Cygnus olor): It goes without saying, your visit to the arboretum is not complete until you’ve said hello to the two resident Mute Swans. Mute Swans usually mate for life. They are not totally mute, as the name implies, however, they are less vocal than other swans.
  Where: The Swan Pond. You will most likely see several ducks here, as well.
   

  

  Swans Photo by Donna Duncan

There are many other birds to be found at the arboretum. You don’t need to be an expert to seek out these birds, just observant. A bird guidebook and the arboretum’s seasonal bird list are great starting points. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds website  is a very helpful resource and BirdNote, a daily two-minute podcast, is a fun and easy way to learn more about birds. Also, Morris Arboretum offers several excellent bird classes and bird watching field trips each year. Look for some in the fall class catalog. 

What birds have you seen at the arboretum recently?

Article contributed by Kristen Bower, Guest Garden Blogger for Morris Arboretum

Why Dead Trees Make Great Homes

This morning, the staff working hard down at the Horticulture Center on Bloomfield Farm were lucky to be joined by a pileated woodpecker, who was also working hard at a stump twenty feet from our window.

At the Morris Arboretum, dead trees are usually completely removed to reduce the hazards they pose to passersby.  However, dead wood can serve as food and habitat for all sorts of organisms – from insects and fungi, to squirrels and birds!  The Morris Arboretum Urban Forestry Consultants advocate leaving standing deadwood as “wildlife trees”, where it is safe and appropriate, because they add enormous ecological value to a landscape.  Because this stump outside of the Horticulture Center was purposefully cut to a safe height, it can be enjoyed by this handsome pileated woodpecker.

Contributed by Corey Bassett, the Martha S. Miller Urban Forestry Intern,

Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania

Bluebird Monitoring Program at Morris Arboretum

Tracy Beerley, McCausland Natural Lands Horticulturist

Do you enjoy spending time outdoors and have a passion for birds? Perhaps you would be interested in joining our Bluebird Monitoring Program at Morris Arboretum.  This volunteer project has been organized to monitor the eastern bluebird and the nest boxes which have been mounted throughout the Arboretum.

The eastern bluebird is a migratory songbird in the Thrush Family which includes the American robin.  However, the bluebird is much smaller in size compared to this relative.  Male bluebirds are royal blue with warm red-brown breasts.  The females are much drabber in appearance yet maintain the similar elegance and shape of their counterpart.  This energetic bird is a medium-distance migrant, following patterns of north-south migration remaining in North America, and occupying the area east of the Rocky Mountains.  Bluebirds rely on insects for food.  Diving from a perch they hover over the ground to pluck beetles, caterpillars, spiders and other insects and small invertebrates.  When insect food becomes scarce in the fall and winter the birds seek fruiting trees and gulp down their juicy berries.  Bluebirds perch on wires, posts, and low branches, occupying meadows and openings surrounded by trees that offer suitable nest holes. They are cavity-nesting, building loose cup-like nests with fine grasses in cavities of trees, old woodpecker holes and man-made nest boxes which are mounted in suitable locations.  

photo by Susan Marshall

Bluebird populations are making a come-back from decline in the early twentieth century.  Contributing factors of decline included lack of suitable nesting cavities from increasing urbanization, pesticide use, and severe weather conditions.  Bluebirds also face competition for nesting cavities from the introduced European starling and house sparrow. Conservation efforts, such as the introduction of nest boxes, have been successful.  The eastern bluebird is becoming a more common sight on farmland, fence-lines, open woods, swamps and gardens. They are fairly present and a delight to see in the Natural Areas and Bloomfield Farm sections of the Arboretum.   

The Bluebird Monitoring Program was initiated this year at Morris Arboretum as a conservation effort to monitor the activity of nest boxes.  From March through July, volunteers assisted in monitoring over forty nest boxes within the Arboretum. Our findings were contributed to a citizen science based program, Nest Watch, through Cornell Lab of Ornithology.  The volunteers and I quickly learned of the immense nesting competition bluebirds face from house sparrows and natural predators. The results for this season are in; five nest boxes were used by the bluebird and a total of sixteen eggs were laid and assumed to have fledged.  We also enjoyed the experience of observing nesting swallows and Carolina chickadees.  Thanks to volunteer effort, the Arboretum was able to provide and monitor nesting habitat for the eastern bluebird. 

photo by Gretchen Dowling

For more information about bluebird volunteer opportunities please contact              
Tracy Beerley, tbeerley@upenn.edu

Learn more about birds seen at Morris Arboretum at                                             
http://www.business-services.upenn.edu/arboretum/birding.shtml