Birding at the Woodlands - Sparrows Galore!

It's winter again, time for hot cocoa, visiting family for the holidays, wearing fuzzy socks, and cute sparrows! Though several sparrows can be seen in the area year-round, a number of them are cold-weather visitors. Something extra nice about sparrows, is that since they are seed-eaters, they are very eager to visit bird feeders. And if you find sparrows to be slightly boring 'little brown birds' that all look the same, I'm hoping this blog will change your mind!

Male House Sparrow at The Woodlands on a snowy January day. (Photo by Toribird)

If you live in an urban area, you likely have House Sparrows all around you, all year long! They are native to the Old World, widespread across most of Asia and Europe. They were first introduced to the US in the mid-1800s, and now are invasive pests over most of the Americas. Though they are a challenge for native wildlife, I must admit I find them rather pretty, and their babies are so cute in the summer! The males are distinctive, with black on the chin and around the eyes, grey on top of the head, a wide brown 'swoosh' behind the eye, and an unmarked grey belly. See if you can spot those markings in the picture! 

A dapper winter visitor is the Dark-eyed Junco. You might know it by the colloquial name 'Snowbird'. The ones on the east coast are quite different from other sparrows with a slate-gray back, snow-white belly, and cute pink bill. There are actually 15 different races of Dark-eyed Junco, 6 of which are easily recognizable. In fact, 5 of these races were considered separate species until the 1980s!

Dark-eyed Junco at The Woodlands (Photo by Toribird).

White-throated Sparrow at The Woodlands (Photo by Toribird).

 Another species with its winter home in Philly is the White-throated Sparrow. Well named, they do have white throats. You can also ID them by the yellow spots in front of their eyes and "racing stripes" on their heads. I particularly like these guys since they whistle out their song even in the coldest months of the year, when little else is singing. White-throats have two color forms, the bright ones with pure white 'eyebrows' (pictured), and a browner variety with muddy-tan eyebrows. This variation is regardless of age or sex. Fascinatingly, a breeding White-throat couple will always consist of one white-striped bird and one tan-striped one. 

I hope I've gotten you excited for some winter birding. Hopefully, you’ll see the sparrows mentioned in the blog, as well as woodpeckers, robins, and maybe a hawk or two while birding at The Woodlands during the winter.

Written by: Toribird

Generational Divides Unite With History

The Woodlands is a small non-profit organization like many others, and our small staff of four heavily rely on the help of volunteers and interns. Many of our volunteers self identify as “Millennials” or were born in the years just before or after this polarizing generation came to be. We treat the age differences of the staff and interns as a gift, benefit, and useful insight. Younger generations are a key to the successful future of the Arts and Culture Sector, and we take advantage of our interns experience to help our history-based non-profit reach new, young audiences. With this in mind, we find humor in the current “OK Boomer” phenomenon spreading through contemporary culture. “Ok Boomer” was even featured the past two weekends on CBS Sunday Morning. You can view their segment from the younger generations’s perspective here, and the views of the older generation here. We realized this is the perfect time to tell the story of Samuel Breck’s 19th century visit to The Woodlands. It reminded us that the generational divide spotlighted today by “Ok Boomer” is nothing new, and as with most trends, connect us to history. We asked our (Millennial) intern Kathie to put her spin on this story, and we hope you enjoy it.

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“OK, Boomer!” is a phrase heard ringing around the contemporary social sphere. It’s infiltrating social media, office dynamics and the political arena as a way for the younger generation to identify their differences and exasperation with their elders who are a product of the post-WWII reproduction boom, thus named the Baby Boomers. Over the past 20+ years –which is pretty much the entirety of my lifetime—technology, communication, social and political dynamics have progressed, morphed and exploded at an incredibly rapid pace to produce a contemporary culture that is distinctly at odds with that which existed half a century ago. As society changes at an exponential rate, it would make sense that those of us born before the recent era of a nearly digitized existence might have a hard time keeping up at full capacity. Even I, as a millennial, find myself amazed by children’s adaptation to the technological and social advancements.

Although the dichotomy between current generations may be a bit more drastic than experienced in the past it is a dynamic that is essentially timeless. Here at The Woodlands, evidence of the perpetual headbutting between generations manifested in a small, and silly incident during the transition time between the era when Hamilton’s decadently designed home was used for tastefully executed social events, and the founding of the Woodlands Cemetery Company. Between Hamilton’s death in 1813 and the opening of the Cemetery Company in 1840, the house was rented out to southern families as a vacation spot as a way to generate income. It is of no surprise that these families would have children who took advantage of having a huge house at their disposal for their youthful mischief.

Photo of Samuel Breck

A diary entry—transcribed below—by Samuel Breck depicts an experience he had with a member of the younger generation upon a visit to the Hamilton Mansion in 1832. Samuel was a politician who served in the House of Representatives from 1823-1825 and had frequented the Hamilton Mansion as a guest of William Hamilton’s while it functioned as a distinguished estate. Breck lived to be 91 years old and diligently recorded his experiences and thoughts throughout his lifetime. His visit during the summer of 1832 highlights the generational differences that manifested since the time of his previous trips to the estate, presumably about 25 years prior.

Samuel Breck, August 1832

This is a day of fasting humiliation and prayer, appointed by the mayor, in consequence of the existence of the cholera. In the afternoon I rode to the Woodlands to visit my sister and found the family of boarders at prayers. Unwilling to interrupt their worship, I went into the portico and gazed at the unrivaled prospect in front. How often have I seen that splendid view excite the applause and admiration of the gay company that filled the noble villa, in the days of William Hamilton! In the corners of the portico stand the busts of two roman emperors, that were placed there by the founders of the Woodlands, and have been sold, as fixtures, with the house. On approaching one, to salute it as an old acquaintance, I was mortified to see it disfigured by a black lead pencil. Mustaches and whiskers were drawn over the upper lip and the sides of the cheeks and on the forehead the following silly stuff was scribbled:

“My name is Norval:

On the [Grampian] Hill,

I took thy daddy’s pill.”

Truly ashamed of the propensity of my countryman, from Texas to Maine, to dishonor themselves, and the fine arts, I went to work with a piece pf paper, and rubbed off all I could and then called a young gentleman, who sat in the hall (and who happened to be the deformer himself) and gave him a grave lecture, upon the want of refinement and taste, in trying to render ridiculous, such works of skills, brought here to decorate and furnish a beautiful house, and which all polished people – every polite community cherish with the greatest care. I told him how unfortunate it was that a tendency existed among the rising generation to write obscene verses, carve initials of names, and sketch rude figures, on the walls and furniture of places thrown open to the public; how much such conduct in Europe (except perhaps in our good father-land) was reproved and furnished, and denounced as barbarous that in Holland pictures representing one man whipping another, were hung up on the public roads, as an intimation of what a person might expect, who should presume to mutilate public property.

Young Norval’s defacement of William Hamilton’s inspired artistic expression clearly struck a chord with Samuel Breck. The satirical graffiti could be interpreted as the early 19th century “F*#% You!” to outdated ideals within high society. Norval expressed this in a place that seemed increasingly obsolete, and represented the generation he was acting against. Breck’s political stature further underlines parallels to the current disconnect seen in the generational transition happening in positions of power in the United States.

“OK Boomer” is the most recent way in which us “darn kids” of contemporary society are pushing back, and the boomers are responding with their respective annoyance. As more light is shed on the conflict between millennials and baby boomers, we probably won’t be sat down and given a “talking to” as Samuel imposed on Norval nearly 200 years ago, but the underlying annoyance is still there. Tensions surrounding the “OK, Boomer” phenomenon are rising, but Samuel Breck’s Diary entry reveals, and hopefully lightens, the essence of the colloquialism. Let us glean from the marker mustaches on classical sculpture that generational battles are ageless.

Written by:
Kathie Brill

Roots Of The Ginkgo

Recognized by their unique, fan-shaped leaves, the Ginkgo biloba is a common tree in Philadelphia. You've probably seen them lining Spruce Street in Center City, but did you know the first Ginkgo trees were introduced to the United States by The Woodlands’ own William Hamilton?

In 1785, Hamilton sent three trees to The Woodlands, planting two in his own garden and gifting the third to his friend down river, William Bartram. The original trees planted at The Woodlands are no longer alive, but the tradition continues with over 20 ginkgos in varying sizes spread throughout the grounds. You can still find the original gifted ginkgo at Batram’s Garden today - it’s one of the oldest in the country.

The vibrant saffron color of the foliage only lasted briefly this year. When we visited the trees on the morning of November 13th, all the leaves had fallen overnight. Ginkgo trees loose all their leaves at once when a cold frost hits, unlike other trees who lose their leaves over the course of a few days or weeks. With over 1,000 trees onsite, you can visit The Woodlands in the next few weeks to see the other trees hitting their peak fall foliage.

Photo taken on Tuesday, November 12th.

Written by:

Julia Griffith and Emma Max

Photo taken on Wednesday, November 13th.

Birding at The Woodlands: The Miracle of Migration - and the Challenges it Poses

I find migration to be one of the most exciting and inspiring phenomena in the avian world. Many birds visit more places over the course of one year's migration than I might go to in my lifetime! Take the Grey-cheeked Thrush for example: they nest in Alaska and northern Canada, fly across the eastern U.S., then winter in northern South America. So, they are flying from taiga near the arctic circle to tropical forest each year! Not only that, but they stop over in the largest of cities, like New York, Philly, and Baltimore, so they also experience both the most rugged landscapes and urban skyscrapers.

Gray Catbird at The Woodlands, photo by Toribird.

The Gray Catbirds that hop around - or maybe even breed - in your bushes in the summer likely make it to southern Mexico, Belize, or Guatemala to spend the winter, though some only go down to Florida. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds also winter in Central America, and they usually fly hundreds of miles across the Gulf of Mexico to get there!

Chimney Swifts going to roost in a chimney in Manayunk, photo by Toribird.

Speaking of flying south, Chimney Swifts will soon be gone from this area. They're one of my favorites, and I always miss them when they leave. Swifts are still here for now, though, and there have been a ton of them at The Woodlands recently! They usually come around in the afternoon; to pick out swifts, think thin - thin, tube-like body, with long, thin wings. I hope you get a chance to see these agile birds before they leave!

Migration, unfortunately, is laden with dangers for the tiny travelers, many of them human-caused, as recent articles have made all too clear. Foremost among these threats is collision with glass. When birds that breed in rural places pass through populated areas on migration, they experience glass for the first time. Sadly, they have no way of understanding that it is a physical barrier, or that they cannot reach the habitat reflected in it, and they collide and almost always die. And it's not only skyscrapers that kill birds, but also individual homes. Simply put, if there is a window, it is dangerous for birds.

However, there are things that can be done to help prevent birds from flying into windows. Many products are available that make glass more perceivable for birds. My personal favorite is hanging paracord 2 inches apart just outside the window. I recommend visiting this American Birding Association website for more simple solutions (scroll down to 'Homeowner Products').

An example of the paracord solution, photo by Toribird.

Also, many of our favorite summer birds such as orioles, thrushes, and warblers are neotropical migrants (Birds that migrate each year between the American tropics and higher latitudes, especially in North America) that need forested areas for habitat. However, coffee plants grow well in the same places that birds use, and countless acres of forest have been cleared for sun coffee plantations that provide few resources for birds. Thankfully, you can purchase bird-friendly shade-grown coffee, which is grown, as the name implies, under the shade of trees that provide a home for birds and other animals. Many people say that shade-grown coffee actually tastes better, and the adults in my family can vouch for that! So, click on this link to purchase coffee that will let you enjoy a delicious beverage and save birds, all at once!

Written by: Toribird

P.S. Learn more about birding at The Woodlands with me at Halloween Family Fun Day on Sunday, October 20th! I’ll have a table set up and will be leading a bird walk at 2:00PM. See you there!