Strange birds in town

Nature tosses us a surprise just often enough to keep life spicy, doesn’t she? Several years ago it was a black swan near Tinsley Mill, and at about the same time, a rufous hummingbird in the Peachtree City backyard of Charles and Sandy Davis. (This one’s ba-a-ack, and she’s brought a friend.)

Then there was the winter of the yellow-billed loon on Lake Horton, a “lifer” for many. And this year a new surprise: a Mandarin duck on the three ponds in Braelinn Village.

None of the above-named species belongs in Fayette County, Georgia. The only ones with any credentials at all are the hummingbirds. Experts now believe that this little native of the continental West Coast has changed his territory and appears more and more often in the Southeast. Each year wildlife agencies hear from puzzled birders, and they are keeping banders busy.

When her first rufous dropped in, Sandy graciously invited us to her kitchen to watch as a certified technician banded, weighed, and registered the little lady. I remember how shocked we were at one point of the examination: The guy pulled out a DNA-laden tail feather to go with the rest of the data, so that forevermore there’d be proof of her sojourn here. We were aghast: When you have only five tail feathers and someone pulls one, that’s 20 percent of your stabilization. The expert says not to worry, the missing feather will be replaced very quickly.

Heard from Sandy again last week. It seems two rufous hummers have arrived and made themselves at home. Well, one, for sure. At first she saw two birds on different feeders, and two birds doing the swooping aerial dance hummers use to mark territory – but after that, only one at a time. Sandy wrote that she thought they were “messin’” with her.

Meanwhile, she feels committed to keeping the feeders clean and filled. (Does this answer the FAQ – Should I leave sugar water out for the hummingbirds all winter? Yes, as long as you’re consistent in keeping it clean and filled.)

Now as to the Mandarin: I was on my way to Curves, driving the golf cart, when I saw unusual colors on one duck in a small flock on the lower pond. Quick glance, and I thought it worthwhile to call Dave, whom I had just left at the house. Told him I thought it was a wood duck, the prettiest duck of all, in my opinion, but I didn’t have binoculars, so my identification was really made on the fly.

When I got home, he told me there was no duck of any species on that pond, nor the middle one. We walked to the ponds again, and the birds were not quickly in view. But soon we saw, at the upper pond, the usual flock of mallards hiding in the shadows of the bushes close to the water. I gently chased them into the water, and as they reached the far bank, there was the itinerant guest among them.

Typically, Jan and Dick Alles had already called and declared the bird a Mandarin duck. Brenda Flynn, who lives nearby, said she saw people carrying cameras and tripods to take his picture.

The Mandarin has a mostly white face, while the wood duck is dark all over except for some gaudy decorations. Not that the Mandarin isn’t gaudy – just in different places. The most startling field mark is a pair of – what? Feathers, I guess, shaped like a shield of some sort across the bird’s back. Not conspicuous in flight, these orange…things…are highly visible when the bird is on the water, and so unusual, you know your identification is correct.

That’s all the news from Lake Fly-by-Night. I hope you are stirred to put on a jacket and take binoculars when you go for your daily walk. Keep feeding the birds on cold winter days, although you need not panic if you must take an occasional hiatus.

Depending on the weather and the kinds of birds, it has been estimated that birds get only about 40 percent of their food from bird lovers, the rest from weeds and insects. I don’t think we’re saving their lives; we’re just making life a little easier for them by keeping food (fatty stuff like peanut butter is good in really cold weather) and water available for them.

Not to mention we bring ourselves great delight.

P.S. Fayette County bird guru Brock Hutchins says you can’t put the Mandarin duck on your life list. A bird that has obviously been released from captivity is not a “native” bird and you can’t say you saw him “in the wild.” Sorry about that. Just enjoy him.