Birdhouses in the Vineyard, 2021

Bluebird mother sitting on her eggs.

In 2020 we put up 33 birdhouses in our vineyards to attract bluebirds and other species in need of nesting sites.  They also help the vineyards by feeding on insects.  102 chicks fledged over that summer.  Check out my blog post last year for the backstory and how we used mostly recycled wood to build the boxes.  Birdhouses are easy to make and maintain, and we encourage you to make your own to help out your local bird population.  A great resource can be found at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website.

This year we nearly quadrupled the number of birdhouses to 121, and 554 chicks successfully fledged the nests! 

Total fledged:
336 bluebirds
172 tree swallows
29 house sparrows
11 ash throated flycatchers
6 white breasted nuthatches

This is more than quadruple the number of fledglings from 2020.  Last year we learned that the birds in general prefer boxes hung on metal stakes in the open vineyards over boxes placed in trees.  If a box was vacant, more often than not it was in a tree.  The birds know what we observed: boxes in trees had a higher rate of disturbed nests.  Racoons and snakes can easily climb trees and reach in for the chicks, but the metal stakes are nearly impossible to climb for predators.  Also, mice like to turn birdhouses into their private apartments.  Even after eviction, birds seem to avoid the boxes.  No mouse squatters appeared in the birdhouses hung high on metal poles.  Of course not all birdhouses in trees had problems and birds will use whatever suitable hole in a tree they can find, but in general the rate of troubled nests was much higher in trees.

Of the 121 birdhouses, 26 remained unoccupied throughout the breeding season, usually those on trees or were in the shade for most of the day.  Of the 95 boxes that were taken up by the birds, 36 of them were used twice!  After a pair finished raising their brood and moved on, another pair sometimes moved in.  That makes 131 successful nesting pairs using only 121 boxes.

As spring turned to summer, the number of nesting birds dropped off and the number of chicks per family declined as well.  In spring when insects were plentiful, bluebirds and tree swallows averaged 5 or 6 chicks in a box.  Later in the summer the average dropped to 3 or 4.  Nature can be brutal, as many chicks don't make it.  A brood of 6 chicks might decline to 3 later in the summer, probably because of fewer insects for the parents to catch.  Inexplicably, around three nests were completely abandoned, each with 5 or 6 fledglings, the parents likely victims of predation.

I checked all 121 birdhouses about every 10 days, often with the help of my 10 year-old sun Julian and 6 year-old daughter Sofia, counting the eggs, chicks, and noting if they had fledged.  Some online sources recommend checking every 5 days, but it takes a lot of time to go from box to box, using a ladder or climbing onto the back of a pickup to reach the boxes.  Each box has a door for inspection and cleaning.  After a pair of birds raise and fledge their babies, the nest gets cleaned out.  If it’s not too late in the season, another pair of birds will use the same box.  When cleaning out a bird box, be sure to wear a mask and take note of which way the wind is blowing.  The chicks leave a lot very dusty bird waste behind, that you don’t want to breathe.

The boxes set up last year were left out in the vineyards over the winter.  They got noticeably weathered by the cycles of rain and sun, cold and heat, after just one season.  So this year most were removed at the end of summer and placed in dry storage for the winter.  They’ll be put out again early next spring.  We hope this will add several years to the life of these wooden birdhouses.  At the ends of the rows of most of our vineyards are metal pipes used as anchors for the trellises.  The metal stakes, with the birdhouses attached on top, can easily slip into these thick pipes, making for easy installation and removal.  Removing them at the end of summer also helps the harvest crew, as they otherwise would have to get them out of the way for the harvest machines.

We look forward to spring 2022 for another season of raising bluebird chicks in the vineyards!

Stack of birdhouses ready to be attached to the metal stakes.

Birdhouse at the end of a row of grapes.  The metal stake slips right into the anchor post.

Birdhouse squatters soon to be sent on their way!

A lovely spring day for a birdhouse in the vineyard.

Bluebird eggs.

Ash throated flycatcher chicks!

Harvest Report, 2021

Harvest started earlier than usual in 2021, due to the smaller than average crop.  Low yields were the result of an extremely dry year, but these low yields produce concentrated flavors.  Fruit quality was exceptional across the board, the fermenting wines smell and taste rich and fruity.  We had an all-star harvest team both in the field and in the cellar.

Crop estimates were low this spring and yields were down by around 50%.  We were lucky to start partnerships with more organic growers throughout the state who helped ensure we have enough wine for the season.  We are looking forward to a more bountiful harvest in 2022.

The weather was in our favor throughout the weeks of picking.  Early on there were some very hot days but the grapes held up and we had no damaging rains or frost before the crop was brought in. We were blessed with clear skies in our region all summer and avoided the threat of smoke taint from wildfires.

Since the harvest was small and quick there was plenty of time to finish spreading compost and planting cover crops before heavy rains fell in late October.  An atmospheric river washed over the lands, bringing several inches of rain, ending the threat of fire season, swelling dry creeks and filling ponds.  Now warm weather is ushering in a “second spring”; you can almost feel the grass growing.

We haven’t had a killing frost yet and are busy building this year's compost piles and tidying up for dormancy.  The vines have a chance to soak up sunshine and rain before losing their leaves.  They’re making good use of the wet and mild fall weather, storing carbohydrates in their roots for a strong bud break and full crop next season.

The olive crop was riper than usual and came in earlier than ever with a decent crop.  Oil is milled at the local olive mill in Hopland, the hub of olive processing in the county.  Growers large and small bring their olives to be pressed at the Terra Savia facility.

We thank the land for continuing to support us from the ground up, and are grateful for rains to hydrate soils and end the threat of fires for the season.  Aside from the drought conditions, 2021 has been an excellent year for fruit in Mendocino County. We look forward to sharing these wines and wish you all health and well-being.

Maple Apple Crumble

MAPLE APPLE CRUMBLE PIE

I was in New England recently and with the apple trees and maples in full splendor, got inspired for this recipe.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

FOR TWO PIES
Line the pie pans with 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon per pan.  Spread the butter all over the pie pan. I used my washed hands to do this, the best tools for the task.

FOR THE FILLING
Place in a medium to large sauce pan:

10 Granny Smith Apples. Any good baking apple can be used. Quarter, core and slice as thin as possible. I prefer not to peel the apples.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons cardamom
Zest of one large lemon (Meyer lemon would do also)
2 cups Frey Viognier Wine (any nice white wine will do)
1 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla

Bring to a boil and simmer approximately half an hour, until apples have cooked, and the wine maple syrup sauce has reduced and thickened. Meanwhile prep the crumble.

FOR THE CRUMBLE
4 ½ cups thick cut oats (any oats can be used)
½ cup maple syrup
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and chopped.
2 tablespoons vanilla

Place oats in a Cuisinart or blender or vita-mix, and blend smooth. Add the cold-chopped butter and vanilla and blend.
Add the maple syrup and blend. It will be somewhat sticky and hold together.

ASSEMBLE THE PIES
Place the apple filling in the two pie shells that have been lined with the unsalted butter, half of filling for each.
Break up the wet crumble generously on top of the apple maple filling, dividing it between the two pies and bake for approximately 20 minutes at 350 degrees, or until crumble is toasty and golden.

Serve with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!