Scaled Quail

Tom and I saw a beautiful Scaled Quail here in our desert park today. This quail lives in the southwestern desert here year-round. I've never seen one. It was gorgeous!

Like other quail, they live on the ground and run away to escape danger rather than flying.

Every day here is a wonderful new bird discovery! I love it!

Texas Desert Birds--A Beautiful Visitor

The female of the Golden-Fronted Woodpecker doesn't have the red cap. She visited my yard for about an hour this morning.

The male Golden-Fronted Woodpecker has also visited my yard briefly a couple of times.

This bird lives in Texas year-round, but I never expected to see one here in the desert north of Stanton!

We do also have Ladder-backed Woodpeckers

We walked the park here night before last and did definitely see a little Ladder-backed Woodpecker. I have also had a visit from a gorgeous woodpecker, about the size of a mourning dove, with an orange neck and red head. I have not made a positive ID. I love it here!!

Cactus Wren

The little bird that I thought looked most like a ladder-backed woodpecker is a Cactus Wren! I'm thrilled to have finally identified it.

This morning I had another thrill. A woodpecker or flicker about the size of a Mourning Dove came walking into the yard. It had a black and white body and a brightly colored orange neck and red head. So far, no ID.

Bird Lover Discovers Free Entertainment in the Permian Basin

Discovering and Watching Beautiful and Interesting Wild Birds that Live in the Texas Desert

I have discovered something new in the Permian Basin. I was unaware that such beautiful and interesting wild birds live in the Texas Desert. I have discovered Western Meadowlarks, Say’s Phoebes, Curve-billed Thrashers, and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers at my new home—Circle 6 Ranch at Lenorah, Texas. This is wonderful free entertainment for a bird lover -- watching and listening to these newly discovered wild birds.

Curve-Billed Thrasher

I’ve seen Curve-billed Thrashers before because it lives in the Texas desert all year. I had not heard their beautiful song before I moved to Circle 6 Ranch.

Our Curve-billed Thrasher announces the arrival of each morning with a gorgeous song and he continues his song all day. His singing is beautiful with a nice range of notes and interesting sounds.

When I first offered food to the Curve-billed Thrasher, he (she?) hesitated a long while before deciding that it was safe to eat. I began the habit of calling out the name we gave him, “Lightnin’ Jack,” when I put out food. After the first week, he began to come to the food immediately after he heard me call. He is very possessive and chases away the Meadowlarks, Phoebes, and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers that try to come near the food.

When the Curve-billed Thrasher sings from a nearby treetop, I tell him what a beautiful sound he makes. When I talk, he stops singing. When I stop talking, he starts singing. I have convinced myself that he enjoys the interchange as much as I do.

Say’s Phoebe

Say’s Phoebe is a beautiful bird that I had never heard of until I moved to Circle 6 Ranch. It also has a pleasing song but without the variety of notes that the Curve-billed Thrasher’s song offers. Say’s Phoebe has a brownish-gray upper body and a cinnamon-colored belly.

Something about the head of the Say’s Phoebe gives it a cute “baby bird” appearance, regardless of its age.

These songbirds often come right up our porch steps to the sliding glass door and I get to see them up close. They sing incessantly as they search the ground for insects.

I don’t know if I will see these songbirds all year. Our part of the Texas desert is on the very edge of their year-round habitat.

Western Meadowlark

Western Meadowlarks are gorgeous and have a pleasant singing voice! They have a bright lemon-yellow breast with a beautiful black V marking.

A number of Western Meadowlarks come regularly to eat the food I offer (when Lightnin’ Jack is not guarding too closely). Their cautious behavior is entertaining. They walk up to the food. Look at it. Then they walk around it, stretching their necks to the maximum length. Then they examine the food again, stretch the neck again, and so on. As soon as they decide to grab a morsel, they escape quickly as if being chased by a predator.

I have learned from “All About Birds” that these lemon-colored songbirds live and breed in the Texas desert year-round. Male Meadowlarks often have two wives which is fortunate since the female does all the work of raising the young.

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

Laura Erickson, Science Editor of Cornell Lab of Ornithology, has been trying to help confirm the identity of this wild bird.

The bird that visits my yard looks exactly like a female Ladder-backed Woodpecker. However Cornell’s website, “All About Birds,” describes the color as black and white. My bird is sable brown and white. I did see it cling to the side of a tree like a woodpecker, but it spends most of its time foraging on the ground in my yard.

Whatever this bird is, it is beautiful. It has such an unusual (to me) speckled-egg appearance on its body and it is amusing to watch because it has an air of self importance.

Ladder-backed Woodpeckers live in deserts and are native to my area, though I had never seen one until I moved to Circle 6 Ranch.

Killdeer

I have seen the Killdeer in other areas of Texas, usually near water. I did not know that they were in the Permian Basin desert. According to “All About Birds,” Killdeer “is one of the least water-associated of all shorebirds.”

This bird entertains with its alternating comical walking, then running, then stopping to look, then walking again.

Killdeer calls vary. There is a call to express aggression, one for alarm, and a different flight call. Sometimes the call sounds like someone saying “killdeer” in a shrill manner.

I have not seen this wild bird take any of the soaked dry dog food fare that I offer and hasn’t come to my yard as frequently as the Meadowlarks, Phoebes, Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, and Thrashers.

Barn Owl

Every night during the approximate 75 days we have lived at Circle 6 Ranch, I have heard the call of a barn owl—“who? Who? Who?” Last evening, at dusk, I had the thrill of seeing a pair of them together. Their heart-shaped snow-white faces make them stunning!

Thanks to my precious sister-in-law, I had the pleasure of reading Wesley the Barn Owl, the story of a Barn Owl that was raised and loved by a woman for 19 years, until he died. From the book, I learned that Barn Owls mate for life. When a Barn owl’s mate dies, it turns its face to a wall and wills itself to die.

This pair of Barn Owls lives in an abandoned house behind us.

Lucky Me!

Here at Circle 6 Ranch at Lenorah, Texas, I am enjoying wild birds I didn’t know existed in the Permian Basin. We have the birds I watched in nearby Midland—American Robins, White-winged Doves, Mourning Doves, House Finches, European Starlings, and Curve-billed Thrashers. However, it is great to find something new in the Texas desert-- a population of beautiful and interesting birds that includes Western Meadowlarks, Say’s Phoebes, Barn Owls, Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, and Killdeers. Watching these lovely wild birds and being serenaded by them while I research and write articles is my favorite past-time. This free entertainment that nature provides me makes me say to myself, “Lucky Me!”

Sources:

No author given. Ladder-backed Woodpecker. Allaboutbirds.org.

No author given. Say’s Phoebe. Allaboutbirds.org.

No author given. Western Meadowlark. Allaboutbirds.org.

No author given. Barn Owl. Allaboutbirds.org.

No author given. Killdeer. Allaboutbirds.org.

ACCLIMATING TO THE OUTDOORS

HOW TO ACCLIMATE A BABY TO THE OUTDOORS
I have a couple of dog kennels, the plastic kind with holes in the sides. I cut a tree branch and stick through the holes from one side to the other to make a perch. You can also buy wooden dowels from the home improvement stores. Put seed and water in containers that can't be turned over and put them in the floor of the kennel. Put the bird in and put him very close to the area where you are feeding other birds outside. Bring him inside at night. This way, he can watch the adults peck seeds.

DO NOT use a small bird cage to do this, for several reasons. First, cats can reach into the cages and can, and do, injure or kill birds left outside in this way. Second, the bird has no shade protection in a cage. The kennel (if big enough) provides protection from both dangers. I still try to put it in the shade for added protection.

After about a week or so, and after you have made sure the bird can fly (in a room in your house--no ceiling fans running!!!), you can begin to leave the kennel door open. It's best to do that when there are 4 or 5 days of clear weather in the forecast. It may take a few days for a dove to get the nerve to venture out. A sparrow may leave as soon as the kennel is opened. The dove will continue to come to you for a few days to a week or so and then it will turn wild. The sparrow probably won't

If you want to be able to recognize your bird at your feeder after release, you can put food coloring in a spray bottle and spritz him. It doesn't soak into the feathers very well, but it will some.

Keep feeding in the yard for at least the rest of that season until the bird has had a chance to learn to forage well on his own.

FEEDING
Please, please, please feed only fresh seed and in clean conditions. Sweep the area and pick up old seed hulls, etc. regularly. Offer clean water as often as you can. I also continued to feed the soaked cat food for a full season after the release (for the sparrow....and the adult doves eat it too). Keep seed away from rodents. There are so many horrible diseases that are unintentionally spread at feeders and water supplies.

We have a part of our yard that is protected from our dogs during the times of the day when the birds are feeding. We have an old house door set up on two sawhorses. We cover it with clean butcher paper (we have also used plastic that you can buy in rolls) and change the paper at least once daily. We offer water in a plastic sandwich storage container. We feed three times daily, changing the water each time.

ASSUMPTION
Wild doves are protected species and it is not legal to own them. I would never encourage anyone to keep any bird in confinement for any length of time, unless it was disabled and not able to be returned to the outdoors. Birds were meant to fly, be with their own kind, and be free. I have always raised every wild bird with the intention of returning it to the wild. Please don't try to make pets of them.

Good luck to you and to any baby you try to help.

WHEN YOU FIND A BABY BIRD

STOP, LOOK, LISTEN

Since the time of year is upon us when baby birds will be on the ground, I want to help out by sharing what I have learned.

First, and foremost, DO NOT EVER pick up a baby without watching from a distance for 30 minutes or so to see if a parent comes to it. The only exception is if the baby is in the street or is otherwise in imminent danger. Then move it to safety as close by as possible.

Baby birds will be on the ground while they are learning to fly. If they have most of their feathers and can hop or flutter away from you, they probably do not need help.

WHAT TO DO FIRST

If you feel intervention is necessary, the first thing is to make the baby comfortable, safe, and warm. The best way to do that is to make a nest.

I make a nest from rolling up a diaper or dishtowel and then meeting the ends of the roll. Next, I wrap the roll with paper towels to keep it in a circle. Then I tear lots of white, unscented facial tissues into shreds and stick them into the middle of the circle. As the baby poops, the little soiled shreds can be removed and replaced. The shreds also give the baby something to push against to exercise little legs. If babies are left on a flat surface without this makeshift nest, their legs will become deformed.

It helps if you have a small basket to put this in to keep the nest together. Under the basket, I put an electric heating pad that is the size made to wrap an arm or leg. On top of the heating pad, I place a sandwich-sized baggie that is filled with water as hot as I can get it. On top of that, I put the homemade nest. This way, the heating pad and the baggie with hot water are under the nesting materials but not touching the baby. Make sure the heating pad does not cover the entire bottom of the enclosure that you put the nest into so that the baby can find a cooler spot if needed. Depending on the breed of bird, the baby may not stay in the nest you have made. If not, he may wind up directly on the heating pad. For that reason, I cover it with a towel (and then paper towels, removing and replacing as they are soiled) before I put the baggie and nesting materials on top. I have found that some babies (doves especially) love to be placed in the nest and then have a little piece of soft flannel or tee shirt material put over them with only their heads sticking out.

Put the nest you have made into a secure enclosure—either a cage or a box. The room needs to be warm and away from drafts. I use my laundry room because it is not air conditioned. The temp should not get too high, so be careful when the room is closed and the dryer is going. I think very dry air is not good for the baby.

MITES

Some baby birds are covered with mites when you find them. There is a safe, easy way to deal with that, but it takes patience. Mites are attracted to anything white. If you have made the nest the way I suggest above, the mites will crawl off of the birds and onto the white tissue. Simply remove the tissue and replace it until all the mites are removed.

Caution: the mites will get on you too, but they won’t live on you or feed off of you. It is not very comfortable to have them crawling all over you, though. That won’t happen if you are careful to keep them washed off of your hands as they crawl onto them.

WHAT TO DO AFTER THE NEST IS MADE

Call the nearest wildlife center. See if you can bring the baby to them. If not, you must do your best to find out what kind of bird you have. Fatal mistakes are easily made by errors in feeding.

If it is a dove, never place any food or drink into its mouth. It places its beak into its mother’s mouth and drinks from her throat.


If it is a bird that gapes (throws its mouth wide open and chirps for food), like a sparrow, never put liquid in the mouth—only the appropriate moist food.

I have only raised doves and sparrows. If you can’t take the baby to a wildlife center and need to feed it yourself, here’s what to feed.

Doves: You must learn to find and feel the crop. There are lots of pictures on the web that you can find if you Google. Before feeding, you need to see if the crop is empty. If there is food in the crop, feeding should be delayed until the crop is empty. Overfeeding can be very dangerous.

To feed, I use an oral syringe that is meant to give Children’s Motrin. I cut the tip off of it so that it makes an open tube. I fill it with the formula below and let the baby stick his beak into it, pushing the plunger gently to push the formula toward the end as the baby feeds. Some people have had luck by using a very small Dixie cup with a small whole, just big enough for the bird’s beak, punched into it. I have also cut the top neck off of plastic drink bottles, leaving the lids on, and just pushed the beak into that.

Here’s the formula: 1-1/2 teaspoonful Exact Baby Bird Formula, 1 teaspoonful Esbilac Puppy Formula, ¼ teaspoonful millet (parakeet seed) ground in the blender, 1 teaspoonful powdered goat’s milk. I also use strained baby chicken (1 teaspoonful) for extra protein. Put all of that together in a small glass container and add water that you have heated. Stir vigorously. Make sure the formula is cool to touch before offering it. Formula that is too hot will cause crop burns!

When the formula is cool, stick his beak into it. This will be awkward at first until the baby understands he’s being fed. If you simply cannot get him to accept it, he may not be warm enough. If he is constantly seeking to get under something or constantly wants to be inside your hands, the room or his nest is not keeping him warm enough. If nothing works, there’s a chance the baby may have a throat infection. If so, there’s nothing you can do on your own. A wildlife center can administer medicine for this infection if you can get the baby to one.

You can offer the food until the dove stops taking it or until the crop feels full. Don’t overfeed. Check the crop every hour. If empty, feed again. If not, check again in one-half hour.

After each feeding, offer water. Cut the neck off a plastic pint water bottle. Leave the lid on and make the lid the bottom of the container for water. You can use water out of the tap, but it may be more acceptable if it is tepid (room temperature). You may have to warm it and then be sure to let it cool to touch. Fill the bottle neck with water and stick the dove’s beak into it. NEVER put the water into the beak. Offer water every hour.

As the baby grows, he will stop wanting/needing food so often and you can probably lengthen the time between feedings. The safest way is to always check the crop.

As he grows, he will go through transitions. He may stop accepting the formula very well. This can be because he is cold or sick, but it can also be because he wants seed but doesn’t know how to get it for himself yet. They are not born with the ability to peck seed. They have to be taught! During the transition, you can sprinkle whole millet into the formula. If he accepts that readily, that is what he is wanting. At this point, try to teach him to peck by putting him on a table with some seed on it(Watch out for cats or dogs that live at your house! They should be outside or safely behind closed doors in another room.). Use your index finger as if it is a beak and tap at the seed with it. This simulates pecking and the baby will eventually learn to peck. It takes a while, so be patient. At first he will learn to pick the seed up, but you must make sure he is actually swallowing it before you can safely stop feeding. Meanwhile, keep offering the formula with progressively more whole seed sprinkled in.

Sparrows: Soak Science Diet Adult Feline food for one hour. I always tried to make sure the food was soaked in the fridge and then left at room temp for 10 or 15 minutes so that it was not ice cold. Sparrows may be more of a challenge because they don’t accept your help quite as readily sometimes.

To get the baby to gape, nearly any movement of the baby will work, like gently bumping the nest. Sometimes you can make a tweeting noise and that will get him to gape. Drop in one piece of soaked food. Do that every 30 minutes. As he gets older, he may accept more than one piece each feeding. That gets to be a real challenge, as they get older. As the beak changes, they will stop gaping but won’t know how to peck on their own yet. You will have to get the soaked food into your hands and place it up to the beak so that they can chew on it. Sparrows learn to feed themselves without having to be taught to peck. Keep trying to give the soaked food until you see him peck and swallow food on his on. Even after he begins feeding himself, make the soaked food available to him by placing it in a jar lid on the bottom of the cage. Watch out that you don't leave it there more than a couple of hours so that it doesn't grow bacteria.

When the baby has learned to perch, feed on its own, and fly, it will need to be acclimated to the outdoors.


I WILL DO MY BEST TO GIVE MORE HINTS AND INFORMATION AS I CAN GET THE TIME.