Molting

Birds molt to get rid of dead feathers. I didn’t really notice this until I started reading some of my favorite bird blogs. Then last night while I was sitting outside eating dinner, a Blue Jay flew in to eat at one of the feeders. While he or she had most of its lower feathers, its head was nearly bald. This got me to thinking. What kind of birds molt and how often?

Molting is usually done in the fall right before a bird would migrate, so it is the perfect time of year to see molting birds. Birds that do molt generally fall into 3 categories; ones that molt 1 time a year, ones that molt 1 complete and 1 partial a year and ones that molt 2 times a year. Although scientists don’t completely know why birds molt, they generally agree it is a hormonal change brought on by the onset of fall.

If a feather goes bad, they must shed it to replace it. It can’t heal itself.

This is only about backyard birds.

One molt per year:
Many species have one complete molt per year. These include:

Chickadees
Flycathers
Hummingbirds
Jays
Swallows
Thrushes
Vireos
Woodpeckers

One complete molt and one partial molt per year:

Some species molting into their basic plumage and also their bright breeding plumage.  Males always molt and change colors while females molt and keep their same colors. These include:

Buntings
Tanagers
Warblers


Two complete molts per year:

Only a few species undergo two full molts per year. Most of these live in areas where the environment causes significant feather wear and tear.

Marsh Wrens 
Bobolinks

Hummingbirds aren't picky

Notice the flower is missing, but the hummingbird doesn't care.  I must make some good juice.

Female Hummingbird

There are at least 2 hummingbirds using my feeder. One is this female. The other one comes in so fast that I have been unable to get a good picture of it.

Great Egret

The weather is starting to cool a little more after 5PM. This Great Egret hasn't left the area yet.

Downy Woodpecker

I have had two very nice Downy Woodpeckers eating out of my suet all summer. Here is a very close-up and clear picture of the male Downy Woodpecker. Notice the short bill and the tuft of nasal bristles on top of the bill. This is what distinguishes it from the Hairy Woodpecker which has a longer bill and no bristles.

This is a permanent resident bird to Northern Virginia. 

Fall Migration through Virginia

The middle of August marks the start of the fall migration. Being in the Atlantic Flyway, Virginia is lucky to have many interesting species traveling through VA as they head south. I am going to keep my eyes open for the warblers as they should be the first wave of migration.

Finally a Hummingbird

Today started out around 75 degrees and a little muggy. That is a lot better in my book than the normal 95 and humid that it is has been most of the summer. With that in mind, I made sure that the seed feeders were stocked and waited to see what would come into my backyard.

I was up in the kitchen looking out when I saw something that looked like a large dragonfly darting around my red flowers. It was a hummingbird. I quickly boiled some water, put in some sugar and red dye and got the hummingbird feeder hung in a good spot on the fence. After about 10 minutes, the female Ruby-throated Hummingbird came back and has been at the feeder on and off all day.

Notice the 3 outer tail feathers are white tipped. 

This is the smallest bird in Virginia and is a summer resident in NOVA.

Gray Catbird

When I was on a walk over by the lake yesterday, a bird flicked by me and landed in a nearby bush. It was a Gray Catbird and it was acting like it had a hurt wing. I would bet that there was a nest nearby.

The Gray Catbird is a summer resident to NOVA. 

Hot enuf for ya

Even the ducks are giving me the "just let me sit here cuz it is hot" look.

The saga of the Alpha male Goldfinch

Tonight the weather was beautiful so I spent several hours outside eating and reading a book. I was watching the thistle sock closely and the American Goldfinches were landing and eating most of the time I was out there. There was a female and several males.

The female and several of the males can get along and eat at the sock at the same time. Here are 2 males.

Here is a young Goldfinch and a female Goldfinch, maybe mommy.

The four of them were eating from time to time and then the Alpha male would show up and they all had to take off, leaving the Alpha male to eat by himself. If they tried to stay, the Alpha male would nip at them until they flew off.

Here is the bully Alpha male.