Bird-a-thon 2020 was, without a doubt, one for the records. Thanks to the endless planning, dedication, and problem solving from our staff, coupled with the patience, passion, and support of our constituents, Mass Audubon’s very first Bird-at-home-a-thon was a success!

A grand total of about 100 BIPpers (the folks who Birded In Place) joined the Joppa Flats team this year! With so many eyes on the sky, Massachusetts BIPpers reported to Captain Bill Gette a total of 174 species out of the 287 on the checklist, which is exactly how many species we saw in last year’s traditional Bird-a-thon. One birder, Julia Yoshida, counted an incredible 135 species, an impressive 77% of all birds reported by the Joppa Flats team. Thank you to all our BIPpers for staying safe and smart, and for making this wonderful 24 hours a day to remember.

As many of you know, Bird-a-thon is not only fun, but it serves as our largest fundraiser of the year. With an ambitious goal of raising $40,000, our current total of $36,429 is rapidly closing in on that figure, and we want to say THANK YOU. Haven’t donated yet, but still want to? It’s not too late! Help us reach our goal and donate here.

Notes from our Staff: How we spent our Bird-a-thon

David Moon has been dealing with a strong need to reconnect with nature and the outdoor world, often looking forward to the day he would take a long walk and be immersed again in birdsong. May 16^th was just that day. David walked out his door and logged 11 miles around Amesbury, recording 85 species. He traveled to all the local green spaces, including Batchelder Park, Battis Farm, the local nature center, and Woodsom Farm. He noted that his last bird of the day was a highlight: the Eastern Meadowlark. In David’s words, “I’m very glad that we were able to have Bird-a-thon despite everything else going on, and I’m so thankful for all the people who participated. Your support for Joppa Flats and Mass Audubon is awesome!”

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Dave Larson takes the cake when it comes to distance logged. In the course of 24 hours, he walked 16.1 miles in order to count 95 species with his wife, Susan Carlson. But that’s not all he did.  Dave’s call to his birding friends to BIP for us went far and wide. Gathering reports from birders in Massachusetts, six additional states, and two additional countries brought our overall, yet unofficial, total to 300 species! From a Black-bellied Whistling Duck to a Buff-throated Saltator, the long list of birds, and where they were counted, can be found at the bottom of this blog.

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Lisa Hutchings and Shelby Vance teamed up for a total of 13 miles over the course of both days. Wearing masks and following a similar route to David Moon’s, Lisa and Shelby hiked around the green spaces of Amesbury, counting 67 species and enjoying the sunrises and sunsets each day. Lisa’s 14-year-old son Danny came along to keep the older folks focused as seeing one life bird after the other turned them giddy. Thankfully, youthful eyes come in very handy! Joining in remotely were a few of Joppa’s Young Naturalists who were also BIPping on their own. Throughout the day they shared their questions and findings with Miss Lisa via text. They all said they had a great time birding from home!

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Melissa Vokey did not officially BIP for Bird-a-thon, but on May 16 she did go birding by foot on the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. She was very proud of herself for making it to Hellcat and back in her six hours out, seeing the birds she usually sees with you all, and with your help to see them, at this time of year. Being there made her feel connected to absent friends and wonderful memories in a way that nothing else could. She is very grateful to everyone for the generous support!

In conclusion, what does this all amount to? Well, a safety-first, virus-free, zero-emission, exercise-inducing Bird-a-thon is not only possible, but fun. The joys of celebrating the natural world is our greatest bond. We are so happy to share this bond with you, even from afar. Let’s keep in touch.

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The Baltimore Oriole, a common backyard bird in Massachusetts, adds dazzling color to its environment. These birds thrive well anywhere there are tall trees and open spaces meet; small deciduous stands, open woodlands, farms, and our backyards make great homes for these colorful migrants. There are nine oriole species in the United States, and Baltimore Orioles are the most common oriole east of the Great Plains. Their range extends from southern Canada during the breeding season, south to northern South America for the winter.

Baltimore Oriole and Bullock’s Oriole used to be considered the same species, under the name Northern Oriole, due to interspecies breeding. Genetic testing, and a close attention to detail,showed that these two orioles were indeed separate species. They do hybridize where their ranges overlap in the Great Plains.

As omnivores, orioles can be observed eating insects, fruits, berries, and nectar. That may sound like a lot, but they can be rather picky eaters. When it comes to fruits, orioles will eat only the ripest, darkest fruits. They pick the deepest colored cherries, richest raspberries, and darkest mulberries they can find. Fruits that are naturally lighter colored, such as green grapes or yellow-colored cherries, will be ignored by orioles, even when fully ripe. Nothing, however, seems to rival orioles’ attraction to the color orange. Oranges themselves are a sure-fire way to lure Baltimore Orioles to your backyard. Don’t wait though – you want these naturally sugary options out before May 1^st to entice orioles to stay! If you put out your feeders later, they may have found other places to reside.

In the summer it’s common to find orioles at the oranges and berries we provide in our backyards, but they really focus their attention on insects. This high protein food is exactly what they need during the nesting season when they have extra mouths to feed. Orioles eat a great variety of insects, but what’s unusual is their taste for hairy caterpillars that most other birds avoid. Gypsy moths, tent caterpillars, and webworms are all considered pests to us, which makes orioles a great bird to have around! Fruits and nectars still supplement their diet, and in spring and fall become extremely important. The sugar in these foods is converted to fat, which in turn is used as fuel for orioles’ lengthy migration. Feeding orioles does bring up a concern about jellies as a feeding option. Orioles eat fruits that range from about 12% to 30% sugar. Jellies, on the other hand, are often over 50% sugar. Hence, we don’t recommend putting a lot of jelly out. It likely won’t hurt the birds if they dip their beaks in for some dessert but try fresh fruits first!

Female Baltimore Orioles are not usually as brightly colored as the males, although they do have a range of color variation. With each molt, however, their feathers come back even brighter; the oldest females may look almost like males, bright orange and black. Males, on the other hand, will consistently have orange undersides and rumps, with a black hood and back. 

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When the female is ready to build her nest, she does it alone. The male may provide her with nesting material, but she weaves the nest. From start to finish, this will take her only a week (up to two if the weather is bad). She then lays a clutch of 3-7 eggs and incubates them for about 14 days. Once they hatch, both parents take part in feeding the nestlings over the next 14 days, at which point the fledglings will leave the nest. The parents will continue to care for the fledglings as they learn to hunt and feed on their own.

What can you do for orioles? Plant native fruiting and nectar-rich plants! Plants such as crabapple trees, cherry trees, mulberry bushes, and raspberry bushes will keep orioles coming back to your yard year after year. Need some extra color? Go for orange to help draw the orioles into your yard. Once they realize there’s food, they’ll likely stick around. If you want to use a feeder, try suet, mealworms, and nectar feeders to help supplement orioles’ diverse diet. Lastly, don’t use insecticides on your outdoor plants! Insecticides kill off the insects that orioles prey on, and in worst case scenarios could kill the birds if they consume contaminated insects or berries! Save yourself the work: let the orioles take care of pests for you!

A note on hygiene: Sugary foods, such as fruits and jellies, are a prime place for mold to grow. Make sure to only put out what can be consumed in a couple of days by your backyard birds and be sure to take down old fruit. Orioles, just like people, can become sick from ingesting certain kinds of mold.

Learning Tools from Mass Audubon

Learn all about Baltimore Orioles from Mass Audubon.

Study data about the Baltimore Oriole population with the Breeding Bird Atlas.

Looking for More Resources and Activities?

Learn more about identification and behavior with the All About Birds website.

Observe Baltimore Orioles at a live feeder cam.

Observe a Baltimore Oriole at its nest, feeding its young. Listen carefully for the birdsong in the video.

Build a DIY bird feeder for orioles.

Sketch an oriole and learn about their coloration.

Create this Baltimore Oriole craft with paper!

Admire and read about the beautiful artwork of Baltimore Orioles by John J. Audubon.

View this slow motion video showing the release of a Baltimore Oriole at Joppa Flats Bird Banding Station.

Submissions

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“One landed on my balcony for a little break the other day. I didn’t have my phone handy for a photo which was nice because I just enjoyed the visit. They’re so exotic.”

“I’ve seen lots of them at my house this year – going in 4 weeks and I’m still seeing them. They love their oranges.”

What’s Next?

What would you like to learn about from your backyard? Let us know in the comments.

Stay tuned for the next Critter Card coming out on Monday, by email and Facebook.

Connect With Us

Would you like to be added to Lisa Hutchings’ VIP email list? Receive special resources such as nature slideshows and educational tools for at-home learning. Send an email to [email protected] requesting to be added to the VIP list.

The Eastern Cottontail, Sylvilagus floridanus, is the most common rabbit in North America. They range from Canada to South America and from the east coast to the Great Plains in the central United States. Living predominantly at the edge of open areas such as fields or farms, cottontails are generalists, able to survive in a wide variety of habitats. They can even thrive close to human activity, often popping up in lawns and sheltering under shrubs.

While the Eastern Cottontail has variety in their coat color, nearly all individuals sport a reddish patch on their nape (the back of their neck), and every individual carries its namesake: the white, cotton-ball-like tail. Distinguishing the Eastern Cottontail from its rare cousin the New England Cottontail is difficult. The only coat difference is that 50% of the latter have a dark spot on their foreheads. Normally, distinguishing the two species requires examination of the skull structure.

The Eastern Cottontail is in the family Leporidae, which is known for rodent-like teeth and delicate lattice bones in their skull. There has been heavy debate on where Leporidae belongs on the phylogenic tree. Previously in the Order Rodentia, a study confirmed they should be classified separately based on the structure of their teeth. This study was met with strong resistance, but was so highly supported, it prevailed. An additional study looking into the genetics of the Eastern Cottontails suggested they may be more closely related to some primates rather than rodents!

A healthy Eastern Cottontail population density should be around three to five rabbits per acre, kept in check by their natural predators. Left to their own devices, cottontails overpopulate, leading to overgrazing, disturbing gardens to the point of destruction, a high risk of disease, and out-competing other species who need the same habitats. Natural predators, such as coyotes, foxes, birds of prey, and snakes help control the cottontail population.

A female Eastern Cottontail may have three-to-four litters in a season. Breeding season runs from February to September. Each litter will be weaned within three weeks, out of the nest and independent within seven weeks, and ready to breed at three months old. This is an important ability, as cottontail rabbits play a crucial role in the food web. Rapid reproduction helps to support predators that rely on the Eastern Cottontail as a food source.

The milk of a female Easter Cottontail is the most protein-rich milk currently known, and is also quite fatty, to boot. It has a whopping 12% of fat and 10% of protein (compare to humans at 3% fat and 0.8% protein), making it rich and full of essential nutrients for the newborns, or kits. This potent milk allows females to nurse their young for only a couple minutes a day. The rest of her day, she will spend foraging and sheltering away from her kits. Because rabbits live on the ground, in shallow scrapes, this is essential for kit survival.

The Eastern Cottontail practices coprophagy. This means that they are one of the species that consume cecotropes. Cecotropes are fecal pellets that have passed once through the digestive tract of rabbits. However, these pellets are expelled and consumed again for a second pass through the digestive system. Cottontails thus increase the extraction of nutrients. So… they are essentially eating their own scat, for their health.

What can you do for rabbits? Plant a few extra veggies in your gardens and let those rabbits have a snack! While it is true that they can become destructive when not kept in check, a rabbit taking a carrot top or beet greens from your garden is a sign of a healthy ecosystem. “One to harvest, one to grow!”

Learning Tools from Mass Audubon

Read all about cottontails.

Learn about rabbits in your yard and garden.

Looking for More Resources and Activities?

Watch this video to learn what to do if you find a rabbit nest in your yard. If you care, leave it there!

Read about cottontails and use the data to do some “bunny math.” Great for all ages, teachers, and parents.

Explore iNaturalist and learn about cottontails.

Learn with this lesson about rabbits, and then take the quiz (may require online subscription).

Dig deeper into the diversity of hares and rabbits.

Watch this kid-friendly video about rabbits from around the world.

Watch this video of a cottontail kit being rehabilitated.

Print this page for more quick facts about cottontails.

Submissions

“We have them in our backyard. The other day I was working in the front garden when all of a sudden 6 or 7 of them FLEW out of there!” – Facebook participant

What’s Next?

What would you like to learn about from your backyard? Let us know in the comments.

Stay tuned for the next Critter Card coming out on Monday, by email and Facebook.

Connect With Us

Would you like to be added to Lisa Hutchings’ VIP email list? Receive special resources such as nature slideshows and educational tools for at-home learning. Send an email to [email protected] requesting to be added to the VIP list.

Thanks to our Critter Card Fans

Love the cards. They will be great in the classroom. – PreK teacher

 It is great to have your Critter Cards as a weekly surprise.  It makes us feel so connected to Joppa Flats Education Center.  Congrats to you and your team for always stepping up and delivering in any and all circumstances. – parent