Birding in Tough Economic Times (and a Goldfinch Update)

UPDATE: The finch sock seems to be doing the trick. I’ve seen at least six individual finches hanging around the yard the last couple of days. Here are some better shots of one in the feeder and one having a bite to eat from the new sock.



I’m hoping that I receive enough cash/gift cards at Christmas to purchase a metal garbage can to place in my sunroom (Santa—any metal can with lid will suffice). Now you’re probably wondering why I would ever want to put a garbage can in my living space…to put bird seed in, of course. As much as I enjoy feeding the birds, I don’t enjoy feeding the mice. Living in the country has its many bonuses. Having to deal with mice is not one of them (although Bill, one of our maintenance guys, discovered an ingenious method to deal with mice. But I digress…) If you have purchased bird seed recently, you know how expensive it can be. Protecting one’s investment only makes sense.

Speaking of investments… I came across an excellent article in defense of birdwatching the other day. If you ever need to rationalize this addiction (oops, I mean hobby), I highly recommend you consult this article!

Christmas Scones

I’m getting a head start on one of my New Year’s resolutions—using my kitchen more. It’s sort of an all-inclusive way of saying cooking more, eating healthier, saving some cash, and eating less fast-food. It seems I may finally embrace country life! One of the ways I hope to accomplish this goal is to spend an afternoon each week preparing several meals for that week. That way if I have a meeting or something, I can grab a quick bite to eat from my freezer rather than Taco Bell. To keep with the randomness of my blog, I thought I would share my scone baking adventure with you..

A few months ago, I discovered King Arthur Flour. Established in 1790, it’s now an employee-owned business in Norwich, Vermont that clearly takes great pride in their craftsmanship. I’m certainly not a connoisseur of flour, but I do recognize high quality when I see it (and in this case, feel it and taste it!) After browsing through the recipe section of their website, I was inspired to bake some scones to give as Christmas presents. I spent a good portion of Sunday afternoon and evening whipping up multiple batches of the basic Scone Recipe. Other than accidentally leaving out the butter from two of the batches, the scones turned out wonderfully delicious (the butter-free batches were pretty tasty too!)

Here’s a photographic documentary of my first scone baking adventure. “Recipe courtesy of King Arthur Flour.” (I share only portions of the recipe below. The full recipe can be found here.)


I began by pouring flour from the bag into a bowl, which helps fluff it a bit. Ideally flour should be sprinkled into a measuring cup, so it’s much easier to do this by using a bowl.


The flour is measured and placed in a bowl, as are sugar, salt, and baking soda.


The dry ingredients are then whisked together.


Butter is then worked into the mixture, creating a crumbly texture. I thoroughly enjoyed using my hands for this task! How I failed to do this awesome step for two batches escapes me.


1-2 cups of dried fruit, chips, or nuts may be added to the mixture at this point. I used about 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1/3-1/2 cup white chocolate chips and the same of Andes® Crème-de-Menthe chips.


The eggs, vanilla, and Half-and-Half are gathered. Note the use of an antique PYREX measuring cup, indicated by the use of US customary system on both sides.


The wet ingredients are then whisked together.


The liquid mix is then stirred into the dry mix.


Once everything is thoroughly mixed, the ball of dough is transferred to a parchment lined baking sheet, cut in two, and shaped into two “cookies”.


Milk is then brushed on, followed by a generous sprinkling of Sparkling White Sugar.


The circles are then cut into 6 wedges, separated a bit, and placed in the freezer for 30 minutes.


The pan then goes directly into the oven, where the scones bake for about 25 minutes. Once they’re golden brown, out of the oven they come, and are then allowed to cool on the sheet.


I then transferred them to a platter. One came up missing in the transfer. (It being a new recipe and all, it was my duty to practice quality control!)

Thus far, the scones have met with rave reviews. Even the “misfit” ones have been well received. I’m looking forward to trying some more King Arthur Flour recipes. If anyone hasn’t finished their Christmas shopping for me yet, I’d love a scone pan from their online shop.

American Goldfinch

I remember the first time I saw an American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis). I was walking down the main stairs of Sidney Dining Hall here at the Lake when a brilliant yellow bird in the brush across the drive caught my attention. (Incidentally, Sidney was replaced by Founders’ Lodge in 2003.) I just stood there mesmerized.

The other day, I was sitting on my couch watching one chickadee after another make its way to the feeder. All of a sudden another bird caught my attention. While it was similar in size to a chickadee, it was certainly not a chickadee. After flipping through one of my bird guides for a few minutes, I positively identified it as a goldfinch with winter/non-breeding plumage. Its plumage only hinted at being yellow, which initially threw me, but once I was able to see it fly in its roller coaster fashion around the yard I was convinced.

I tried my best to slowly make my way closer to the sliding door, but alas goldfinches startle a little more easily than chickadees. Luckily once I stood still at the door for awhile it came back. Actually that’s not entirely true—it took a few false landings before finally perching long enough to pick up a seed. What a beautiful bird.



I had just begun tinkering with the magnifying setting on my camera when the goldfinch in the photo above landed. Hopefully I’ll be able to get some better shots of finches soon—I hung a “sock” feeder filled with a nyjer/sunflower mix yesterday. The finches in my neighborhood are still a little skittish of the new feeder, but there were three of them hanging out on the barren deciduous shrubs in the yard yesterday, so it’s only a matter of time.

For those interested in learning more about the nyjer seed (which is not thistle!), I found a pretty descent article over at Shaw Creek Bird Supply’s website.

Black-capped Chickadee

A Black-capped Chickadee

Here are some shots of Black-capped Chickadees (Latin name: Poecile atricapillus) at my window feeder. From what I have been able to ascertain, chickadees can be likened to the scouts of the birding world. Ever the adventurer, a chickadee is usually the first bird to explore a new food source. Waiting in the wings (pun intended) are apt to be finches and nuthatches.

Chickadees derive their common name from their distinctive call—“chick-a-dee-dee-dee-dee”. On a personal note, the chickadee’s song (a two-toned melody) was one of the first birdsongs I was ever able to produce. My observations thus far have led me to believe that chickadees are convivial birds that generously share feeder space with finches, but will easily give way to nuthatches. On the ground, all three species are agreeable. Over the next few weeks I’m hoping to be able to “train” the chickadees to eat out of my hands. I’ve found a couple good articles online that will hopefully help with this endeavor. I’ll be sure to keep you updated.

The photo above is one of my favorites I’ve taken so far. For a little bird, it looks very majestic perched there covered in snow seemingly oblivious to the fact that the only thing separating us is a sheet of glass. I enjoy being able to see a slight reflection in its eyes.

This chickadee is about set to go back and have a feast:



And with the seed firmly in its beak, takes flight. Not a prize-winning shot by any means, but I like how it captures the movement. Rapid shutter is awesome.



Finally, I thought this shot does a great job of capturing the side profile of a chickadee.

Ornithology Anthology

Okay, rewind. One weekend last spring I took a whirlwind trip to North Carolina and Idaho for my nephew’s and niece’s graduations, respectively (yes, I realize that NC and ID are nowhere near each other!) While in Idaho, my sister nonchalantly regaled me with her knowledge of the birds in her back “yard” (and by back yard I mean 10 acres of prairie). One day as we were driving into town, she spots a yellow-headed blackbird. We pull up next to it and roll down the window. Here’s how the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s website describes the song emanating from that unique bird:

“…a few musical notes followed by harsh, scratchy
buzzing, like very large, very rusty metal hinges squealing.”

I don’t know if it was my sister’s intent, but I was hooked. Long story short, I get home and immediately check out a few guides and CDs from the Broome County Public Library. In no time flat, I am able to identify about three birds by sight and sound. I then purchase Stan Tekiela’s Birds of New York with the companion CDs. After doing some birding with my pastor/director of one of our junior high camps, Joyce Allen, I invest in inexpensive binoculars. While they do the trick, I can’t even begin to compare them with Joyce’s… One of my first exciting moments with my binoculars was being able following a Northern Flicker scavenging through the trees beyond my driveway.

I resisted the temptation to immediately go out and purchase a bird feeder. Unless there’s snow on the ground, bird feeders around my neck of the woods are what one might refer to as “bear feeders”. Now fast forward to the weekend after Thanksgiving. Relatively certain that any local bears are pretty much settled for their long winter nap, I pay a visit to Wild Birds Unlimited in Johnson City. I return home the proud new owner of a simple window feeder. It was a mild day and I proceed to “install” the feeder on the sliding door in my sunroom. I pour a cupful of the free seed WBU gave me and wait for the first birds to arrive. I then waited some more… and some more… and…

Just when I was about ready to give up all hope of any birds ever coming to feast at my window, the first one arrived. On my way out of the office for lunch the other day, I noticed a blue jay sort of following me as I walked toward the house. Realizing that the feeder was probably too small for it, I decided to be nice and broadcast some of the seed onto the snow-covered lawn to make it easier to retrieve. I continued on inside, made my lunch, and went to enjoy it in my sunroom. As I was walking toward the couch, a sudden movement at my window caught my eye. A few chickadees finally discovered the feeder! I was very excited to say the least.

Yesterday I thought it would be fun to photograph the birds as they visited the feeder. At one point I decided to see how close I could get. It didn’t take long to realize that I could hold my camera flush against the window. Unfortunately, the feeder is below my eye level, but I can see enough of the rear display to point the lens in the semi-correct direction. I look forward to sharing some of my photos and stories with you in the near future. I leave you with this shot:



I just love the sultry look this Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) is giving the camera.

It's For the Birds...

The birds finally discovered my window feeder. I discovered how much fun it can be photographing them up close.