Who's at the Window?

This year's window tapper is a Song sparrow. 

Can you spot him in the window? 

He is quite persistent, 

but I have enjoyed his beautiful song, when he 

perches high in the adjacent 

Holly or Japanese Maple, 

as pictured here:

He certainly battles his reflection nemesis, but can also see inside too, 

as he peers 

curiously at Latte cat 

here:

We have had battling crows and robins too. Other curious peekers have included 

a frequent squirrel:

and today, a doe:

Our windows are tinted and reflective. Birds, even animals, in seeing their own reflection, may interpret it as an intruder to their breeding or feeding territory and attack their "Doppelgaenger", trying to chase it away. They will peck furiously, beat at the window with their wings and even claw, exhausting themselves and sometimes even injuring themselves.

Birds you might expect to see exhibiting this behavior include: American goldfinch, American robin, Chipping sparrow, Song sparrow, Northern cardinal, Northern mockingbird, Eastern towhee, etc.

Here are some suggestions I have used or found on other sites to discourage this behavior:

1. Set up a bobbing headed bird of prey, such as this owl, from Home Depot:

2. Consider soaping the window

3. Put up a physical barrier such as netting or a screen

4. Put, lean or hang branches or distracting objects by the window 

5. Attach adhesive silhouettes of bird of preys or any bird:

6. Keep the curtains closed, which might help reduce the reflection.

These sites offer more information: 

a. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/faq/attracting/challenges/window_collisions

b. http://birding.about.com/od/birdbehavior/a/Stop-Birds-Attacking-Windows.htm

c. http://www.wild-bird-watching.com/Cardinals-Windows.html

It has been a week now, the pecking has stopped and the Song sparrow has moved on. Typically, pecking will end after breeding season has passed. 

Squirrel Story

The squirrels are quite active on our property with about 8 nests total this winter. They typically stay in their dens or nests made of leaves, sticks and fur for several days during the winter and emerge in early dawn or late dusk to feed.  Otherwise, they may bask in the sun on a limb near their nest as I captured this afternoon of a plump squirrel near their nest in the old maple tree near the road.

Currently, we are entering the squirrel's gestation period which lasts about 40-44 days with the first litter expected between March and April. They bear 1 to 9 with 2-3 babies being the average.

Over the years I have observed squirrels chasing others into a busy street. There are hierarchies that determine how they interact with older larger males dominating the smaller ones and females deferring to males unless they have a litter. They do not mate for life and have many partners. Their life span ranges from 6 to 12 years. 

They also do not carry rabies thankfully as we found this past fall when our dog, Sigi, was bitten by one, that was running slowly from the feeder. 

We have as many as 5 squirrels at a time at the feeder which is located inside our fence where our dog roams. Clearly they are not impressed with his ferociousness. I have observed the squirrel that lives up by the road, run down our driveway, over the meadow and over the fence to feed - 1/4 mile just one way.