Subject: [Tweeters] Townsend's Warbler - unusual behavior? - West Seattle
Date: Jan 8 13:35:20 2012
From: Kelly Cassidy - lostriver at completebbs.com


In early spring as the sap is rising in the Chinese(?) elms (some sort of
fast-growing landscape tree that was popular around here a few decades ago),
the trees often have wet places on their trunks where they leak sap.



I?ve seen various warblers and sparrows apparently feeding on the sap,
which isn?t all that different from drinking from a hummingbird feeder.
Birds need a lot of calories when it?s cold. Possibly, they are feeding on
tiny insects attracted to the sap as well.



Kelly Cassidy

Pullman, WA



From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Tucker,
Trileigh
Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2012 10:39 AM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: [Tweeters] Townsend's Warbler - unusual behavior? - West Seattle



Hello, Tweets,



The balcony off my study has a suet feeder, a sunflower-seed feeder, a
hummingbird feeder, and a birdbath, so I'm used to a steady stream of
customers. But just now I had a surprise visitor: a Townsend's Warbler. That
was exciting enough! I know others have seen them around this winter, but
this is my first that I ever remember seeing this time of year.



But then I was particularly startled when it began drinking from the feeder.
It hopped onto the adjacent suet, so I thought perhaps it was just checking
out this strange device, but then it went back to the feeder and clearly
drank from the tube, swallowed, drank again.



The birdbath 18" away has fresh, clean, unsugared water in it. I guess the
warbler has simply discovered a new and tasty source of extra calories? Has
anyone else seen this? I had recently noted that the Chestnut-Backed
Chickadees were occasionally hopping to the tube; maybe the warbler had
witnessed them and decided to try for itself?



Photos starting at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/trileigh/6660948843/in/photostream. Two photos
later you can see the warbler actually drinking.



(By the way, my latest blog entry includes photos of the magnificent Griffon
Vultures I encountered in my recent trip to Andaluc?a. I'm in the process of
ID'ing and posting more bird photos from that trip; will let you know when
they're up on Flickr.)



Happy New Birding Year to all!

Trileigh

Lincoln Park, West Seattle



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Trileigh Tucker

Natural history blog: Naturalpresence.wordpress.com

Photos: Flickr.com/photos/trileigh