By Jack Spaulding

After well over 20 years, we moved our bird feeding station about 75 feet to the front of the side yard in a more open area. At first, I thought it was going to be a bust as it appeared abandoned for two or three days. However, it quickly changed. We now have the most Blue Jays we have ever had with four pairs feeding throughout the day. Interestingly, the other birds are mingling in, and the Jays are not running other birds away from the feeder as I initially feared.

I have my hopes up as two pairs of Rose Breasted Grosbeaks have been on the feeder for almost two weeks now. In the past, they would only stay a day or two before moving on in migration. By them sticking around for a continuing amount of time, I have hopes they will nest here in the area. Once again, we had a Baltimore Oriole visit briefly but only two days in a row.

Critters trash the back porch

My wife had a firm, but not overly harsh sound to her voice as she said, “Some critters have pooped all over the back porch. Just come and look!”

As I walked to the window, I almost detected a slight hint of a smile on her face. Looking out… sure enough the screened-in back porch and the furniture was peppered in blobs of white bird poop.

Again, she said, “Just look!”

There huddled on the brick floor was a mother Carolina wren with her three babies. Cute beyond description, the young fledglings could not maneuver flying out through the eave of the building like their mother. They were capable of flying, but not with the expertise of the adult bird.

As I stood there watching, Momma wren flew out and returned quickly with a mouth full of bugs for her babies. Propping open the back porch screen door allowed the wren family to safely exit.

I was amazed when considering the wren and her mate had built a big nest of moss and grass and twigs in my blue crab trap hanging from the ceiling; she laid a clutch of eggs; successfully hatched them; and had her babies fledged and ready to go out on their own by the middle of the first week in May.

Carolina wrens are prolific as they can produce a clutch of 3 to 7 eggs, and raise three broods of babies each year.

2022-2023 migratory bird hunting seasons announced

Indiana’s migratory bird hunting seasons for 2022-2023 have been submitted to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The seasons include mourning doves, waterfowl (ducks, coots, mergansers and geese), woodcock, snipe and sora rails. The seasons are as follows:

Mourning Dove – Statewide Sept.1-Oct. 16; Nov. 1-27; Dec. 17-Jan. 2

Woodcock – Statewide Oct. 15-Nov. 28

Snipe – Statewide Sept. 1-Dec. 16

Sora Rail – Statewide Sept. 1-Nov. 9

Early Teal – Statewide Sept. 10-25

Ducks, Coots & Mergansers North Zone Oct. 22-Dec. 11; Dec. 26-Jan. 3

  Central Zone Oct. 29-Nov. 6; Nov. 19-Jan. 8

  South Zone Nov. 5-Nov. 6; Nov. 26-Jan. 12

Geese (Canada, Brant, White-fronted, Snow and Ross’s) –

          North Zone – Sept. 10-18; Oct. 22-30; Nov. 19- Feb. 12

          Central Zone - Sept. 10-18; Oct. 29-Nov. 6; Nov. 19-Feb. 12

          South Zone – Sept. 10-18; Nov. 5-20; Nov. 26-Feb. 12

Youth & Veteran Only   North Zone – Oct. 15-16

  Central Zone – Oct. 22-23

  South Zone – Oct. 29-30

The daily bag limit for all dark geese (i.e., Canada geese, White-fronted geese and Brant) in the aggregate is five, with no other limitations by species, meaning hunters may harvest any amount of each species if the total does not exceed five for the season. The take may include five Canada geese during the entire season. The daily bag limit for light geese (snow and Ross’s geese) remains 20.

There are no changes in duck bag limits from 2021-22. It also includes the scaup daily bag limit, which is one during the first 15 days of the season and two for the remainder of the season.

Conservation officers recruiting events

Indiana’s conservation officers will be hosting two recruiting events in Henry and Hamilton counties for District 4, which includes Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Hamilton, Henry, Howard, Jay, Madison, Randolph, Tipton, and Wayne counties.

The first is May 17 at 7 p.m. at Westwood Park, 1900 South County Road 275 West in New Castle, Ind. The second is May 24, at 7 p.m. at the Noblesville Police Department, 135 South Ninth Street, Noblesville, Ind.

Each event will cover duties of a conservation officer, the competitive hiring process, preparation for the written exam, preparation for core values training and physical agility testing requirements. Participation at either recruiting event does not guarantee participants a position.

To see if you qualify and to complete the pre-screen exam, see on.IN.gov/dnrlaw and click on Become a Conservation Officer.

Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication, or e-mail at jackspaulding@hughes.net. Spaulding’s books, “The Best Of Spaulding Outdoors” and “The Coon Hunter And The Kid,” are available from Amazon.com as a paperback or Kindle download.