March 2, 2023: Red-headed Woodpecker
It was suggested that I post a picture of a Red-headed Woodpecker to compare with the recent Spotlight article on Red-bellied Woodpeckers. A very unusual visitor to our area, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology describes the adult as having a bright-red head, white underparts, and a black back with large
white patches in the wings, making the lower back appear all white when perched.
The Red-headed Woodpecker is one of only four North American woodpeckers known to store food, and it is the only one known to cover the stored food with wood or bark. It hides insects and seeds in cracks in wood, under bark, in fenceposts, and under roof shingles. Grasshoppers are regularly stored alive, but wedged into crevices so tightly that they cannot escape.
Several sightings in Hershey’s Mill have been reported. If you are lucky enough to see one, please try to get a photo and report the sighting to the Nature Group so we can have a record. We submit all our monthly bird sightings into eBird for Cornell.
Happy birding!
Jado Foot
It’s been a while since I’ve been out checking on the wintering birds. We have a Great Blue Heron frequenting the Number #9 pond, and a Red-Tailed Hawk often visits the community garden area. Many of you have seen the hawk and have had occasion to snap a photo like the one here.
place on Thursday. Thanks to the hard work of HM Residents Sam and Barb Crispin, we now have two substantial picnic tables located in the Garden Area.
Sam plans to cut holes in the tops so that umbrellas can provide shade in the summer. We will be able to have speakers and activities there as well as welcome visitors to stop and stay awhile. There is a suggestion to add signage that says “pack it in/pack it out” so folks understand that there is no trash can and they must keep the area tidy.
The Painted Turtle is the most widespread native turtle in North America. These turtles have long, oval, smooth shells with little grooves where the large scale-like plates overlap, and a flat bottom. Painted turtles have very distinctive heads. The face has only yellow stripes, with a large yellow spot and streak behind each eye, and on the chin two wide yellow stripes that meet at the tip of the jaw. Painted Turtles mate in spring and autumn. Females dig nests on land and lay eggs 
between late spring and mid-summer. I was lucky enough to find a female very near my deck, where I watched her dig her nest and lay five eggs.
On September 23rd, I notice a ball of mud over the nest area. I moved it away and sure enough—there was a baby turtle with its eyes open ready to crawl out. I could see another one and lots of eggshells. My camera was again clicking away. The first turtle headed into the grass, a second was slowly moving, and I thought I could see another one.
Darkness set in. The next morning, I checked and there was still a third turtle working its way out. And finally, on Sunday Morning, the last picture I took was of an empty hole. I feel truly blessed to have witnessed the whole process!
Every now and then I’ll see a Bald Eagle in flight here at the Mill. The Bald Eagle is a large, powerful bird that has been the national symbol of the United States since 1782 when it was first placed with outspread wings on the country’s Great Seal as a sign of strength. Bald Eagles don’t actually have bare heads. Their name is derived from the old English word “Balde,” which means white—a nod to the snowy-white feathers that cover their heads and tails.
The Native Plant Garden is proud to announce that we are on Monarch Chrysalis Watch! This little caterpillar is one of several discovered on the milkweed behind the fenced community gardens.
“Yellow birds” – the American Goldfinch is the bird he was referring to. American Goldfinches are about 5 inches in size. Males change from a yellowish brown in winter to a bright yellow body, with a black cap with light yellow on their faces and chins during the breeding season. Their wings and tail have black and white bands. The females are yellowish green with black wings and tails.
Goldfinches are seed eaters and can easily be attracted to a special type of feeder filled with thistle or Nyjer seed. I’d read that they are also very attracted to yellow feeders, so I visited Amazon. Sure enough–my new little yellow feeder is busy all day.
spotted a real beauty: Allegheny Monkeyflower (Mimulus ringens). According to wildflower.org: “This delicate blossom is said to resemble a monkey’s face. It is a host plant for the Baltimore butterfly (Euphydryas phaeton) and the Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia).” Clearing the slope to the soggy bottom of the Native Plant Garden gave two Mimulus plants room to spread a bit. Now we can enjoy watching their growth and spying to see if they do 
host a few caterpillars this year. Fingers crossed!
Mystery solved! Nature Group member Deb Charlesworth asked me if I had seen birds eating the sedum. No, I replied but headed to Google to check it out. Sure enough, I found the answer.
“If your sedums are getting ragged-looking like this, you can blame the birds. In summer, birds seeking water will begin eating the juicy, succulent leaves of sedum. Maybe they like the taste too because the damage has been seen with available water in close proximity. Fortunately, the birds usually leave the flower buds alone to bloom in late summer, but the whole plant certainly looks worse for wear for the rest of the summer.” Source: newgarden.com
We thought since we were close to the small retention pond on the south side of the lagoon, we should take a look. We were in for a big surprise! Linda found a brood of baby Wood Ducks—13 of them! Then for a second surprise. Another birder found a second brood, this time out on the main lagoon. We may have counted 8.