What a beautiful spring day here at Songbird Prairie Bed and Breakfast Inn and Spa. There was a male red-bellied woodpecker at the suet feeder this morning and he brought his mate. I don’t usually see her except in the spring when she is feeding her young.  He has a bill to nape bright orange-red head.  She has only a small portion of red on her head.  9 1/4 ” long, the red-bellied has a chisel-shaped bill and zebra pattern of black and white horizontal stripes on the back. The red-bellied woodpecker is named for a feature which is rarely seen by birders, a light wash of pink or red on it’s belly. However, here at Songbird Prairie, when they come frequently to the feeders, we see the belly often. The courtship starts with the male drumming on a tree trunk or branch to attract the female’s attention. Both male and female excavate the nest cavity, which is usually located in a dead tree below an overhanging branch. The 8-12 ” deep cavity will accommodate four eggs. Incubation duties are shared and last about 12 days. Nestlings are fed in the nest cavity by both parents for almost a month before they fledge, afterward, they remain near the nest and are fed by the parents for several more weeks. The nestlings have no red on them. This is for their protection. We often see the parents bringing the nestlings to the feeders. When the feeders are empty, the male’s long ringing calls are telling me to “get breakfast on the table”.  Many birds are migrating to the nearby Dunes National Lakeshore.  songbirdprairie.com

                Red-winged blackbirds at the feeder yesterday at Songbird Prairie B and B

Bird Watchers digest says:It's a sure sign of spring here in Northwest Indiana when you hear the conk-a-ree of the male red-winged blackbird. As he gives his call, announcing himself loudly to rivals and potential  mates alike, he spreads his shoulders just so, showing bright red and yellow epaulets against his black wings. Redwings are medium-sized (8 3/4 inches long) blackbirds with an all-black body, and orange-red and yellow patch on the shoulder and nearly conical black bill. Females are streaky brown overall, but their longer bill helps separate them from the sparrows. Wet meadows, cattail marshes, upland grasslands and pastures are all breeding habitat for the redwings and we have all of those habitat terrains here at Songbird Prairie Bed and Breakfast here in Northwest Indiana. Songbird Prairie is a certified wildlife Habitat. The redwing's diet is mostly plant matter-weed seeds, grain, sunflower seeds, and tree seeds-along with some insects, all of which are gleaned from the ground. They will also visit a feeding station, and they do just that here at Songbird Prairie. The nesting habits start early for the red-winged blackbird, with males singing from an exposed perch on their territories as early as April in Northwest Indiana. Females choose a nest site on a male's territory and build a cup-shaped grass nest that is suspended from vertical supporting vegetation. Mud forms the foundation of the nest and soft grasses are the inner lining. Clutch size is three to four eggs, and the female alone incubates them for 10-13 days. Both parents care for the nestlings for about two weeks, until they are ready to leave the nest.

SEO Songbird Prairie Bed and Breakfast located in Northwest Indiana near the Dunes National Lakeshore. www.songbirdprairie.com

Songbird Prairie has a sweet stay planned for you!

THE SWEETEST THING:

The sweetest day of the year is coming back! Join us

 

 

Saturday, April 9 for a day of chocolatey bliss with the second annual Chocolate Walk! Stroll through downtown and visit participating retailers and restaurants and receive a tasty chocolate treat. Samples are donated from some of Valparaiso's top candy makers, bakers, and ice cream shops.

Tickets to the Chocolate Walk go on sale Monday, March 7 at 12:00 noon CST.