Archive for the ‘Birds’ Category

14 Apr

Earth Day at Eagle Marsh

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Birds, Botany, Children and Nature, Climate Change, Corporate Ecology, Creation Care, Ecology, Education, Environmentalism, Gardening, Politics, Recreation, Reptiles, Water Conservation, Wetlands, Wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , , .

Earth-day-image

Earth Day is just around the corner and will be celebrated around the world. But how did it all begin and how can you become involved?

Origins

The idea came to Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Inspired by the student anti-war movement, he realized that if he could infuse that energy with an emerging public consciousness about air and water pollution, it would force environmental protection onto the national political agenda. Senator Nelson announced the idea for a “national teach-in on the environment” to the national media; persuaded Pete McCloskey, a conservation-minded Republican Congressman, to serve as his co-chair; and recruited Denis Hayes as national coordinator. Hayes built a national staff of 85 to promote events across the land.

As a result, on the 22nd of April, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values.

Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, city slickers and farmers, tycoons and labor leaders. The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. “It was a gamble,” Gaylord recalled, “but it worked.”

Earth Day at Eagle Marsh

Screen Shot 2013-04-14 at 8.15.53 PMHere in Fort Wayne Indiana, Earth Day will be celebrated at Eagle Marsh (Little Rivers Wetland Project) on Engle Road from 1-5pm. To say that it will take place on “Engle Road” is in fact the truth. After the success of last year’s event, executive director Sean Nolan requested permission to have Engle Road closed between West Jefferson and Smith Road from 9:00am to 9:00pm.

Many area nature groups and businesses will be part of this free event, which will feature numerous fun activities for the whole family. These include volunteer opportunities to plant native milkweed plants at Eagle Marsh , interactive nature education stations along the preserve’s trails, a new nature photography exhibit, face painting, and more.

The Education Stations will provide lots of “hands-on” activities and will include:

  • Building a Better Bug – insect parts and the opportunity to build your own bug
  • Bee a Pollinator – pollination and the life cycle of a bee
  • Why Wetlands – three experiments to demonstrate wetlands clean water
  • Everything Poops in the Marsh – scats and tracks (hosted by yours truly)
  • Whoo Eats That – what owls eat
  • Salamanders – environmental barometers
  • Frogs and Toads of Eagle Marsh – a hopping good time guaranteed
  • Life Cycle of a Leopard Frog – actually build the four stages
  • Pond Dipping – swimmers, wigglers and things that go hop
  • Bird Observation Station – spot birds and make your own binoculars
  • Coloring with AEP – sponsors for the educational stations

A Earth Day 5K Walk presented by OmniSource will begin at 2:00 pm on April 21 during Earth Day Fort Wayne. Register now at www.firstgiving.com/lrwp/EarthDayWalk ($20 for adults, $10 for ages 7-17) to help us raise funds for LRWP’s important work of wetland restoration and nature education, including the care of Eagle Marsh and other LRWP preserves.

Visit www.Facebook.com/EarthDayFortWayne for details.

 

 

 

 

12 Jan

Wintering Birds – Blue Jays

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Birds, Education, Reforestration, Wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

Wintering Blue Jay

Wintering Blue Jay

If you haven’t noticed that blue jays didn’t leave for the season, just tuck you ear out the door and you’re certain to hear their distinctive jay, jay, jay at some point. Generally, they’re very noisy and quite bold especially around the bird feeder.

The blue jay, (cyanocitti cristata) like the cardinal, is noted for it’s bright coloring. It’s blue color is actually mixed with some black barring and white patches and there is very little difference between the male and female in appearance. Some do migrate, but not south, but to the prairie provinces of Canada during the summer months.

Jays have a special relationship with oaks and are known to bury as many as 5000 acorns for future consumption. Like squirrels, jays are tremendous assets to the reforestation effort, as they often forget where they buried many of their acorns. They’ll eat all sorts of things and are certainly among those species of birds that love insects. Outside of the winter months they’ll feed on grasshoppers, but will also prey on frogs, mice and other bird’s eggs.

If you really want to get them close to your window in the winter, put out some peanuts, whether shelled or unshelled. They’ll come out of the woodwork for a treat.

10 Jan

Wintering Birds – Cardinal

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Birds, Children and Nature, Climate Change, Education, Wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , , .

Female and Male Cardinals

Female and Male Cardinals

What is there to talk about during the winter months when it comes to nature, and how do we entertain ourselves if we’re not the types to brave the conditions? Well, for many of us the enjoyment of nature during these daylight-starved days, is to watch what’s going on at the bird feeder.

During the winter months there are still plenty of non-migratory birds that have not abandoned us completely for the southern states or Amazon jungles of South America. Some of these old friends are also among the most familiar species of birds in the Midwest.

Take for example the Hoosier state bird, the cardinal. It’s interesting to note that during the pioneering days (1800s) cardinals were not common in the Midwest’s northern reaches as they are today. The retreat of the Wisconsin Glacier (we all remember that I’m sure) and the gradual warming of temperatures, has resulted in cardinals becoming residents of the entire region.

Northern Cardinals (cardinalis cardinalis) have that conspicuous crest, orange colored bill, and black face. The only major difference between the male and female is the bright red hue that the male is privileged to sport. The conical bill is not just for esthetics, rather it serves to assist the cardinal in cracking open seed pods. As you get to know birds, you’ll begin to identify what they eat by the shape and design of their bills. If you’ve ever placed sunflowers seeds out in a feeder, you’ll understand how effective their bills can be.

Both male and female call out all year making a sharp chip. However, it’s the male you’ll hear as mating season begins late winter into spring and summer with their distinctive cue, cue, cue, cheer, cheer, cheer, purty, purty, purty. In fact, my five-year-old grandson is a big fan of cardinals and can identify their mating song without any trouble.

While they love woodland edges and streamside thickets, they also love to spend time in suburban gardens, especially if you put out something for them to eat.

So perhaps it’s time to brighten up your humdrum winter months with the company of a few colorful
friends that will bring a little cheer and entertainment to your yard.

28 Dec

Raptors – Unique by Design

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Birds, Canoeing, Children and Nature, Education, Paddling, Uncategorized, Wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Recently, a video of a golden eagle briefly lifting the child in a Montreal park before dropping him unharmed went viral via the internet. However, the video was a hoax. Nearly 17 million people have watched the video on YouTube in three days. But a digital training centre in Montreal later told the BBC that the clip was made by its students as part of a degree course. Suzanne Guevremont, director of the Centre NAD, said the clip had been produced by four students who “had an idea of making something believable”. The students – who were doing a degree in 3D animation and digital design – had come up with the idea after a brainstorming session, completing the project in seven weeks, she said.

Most birders would have recognized the video as hoax from the very start. While birds of prey each have individual skills that would amaze you, none would have been capable of lifting a small child for any period of time. The subtle distinctions are of interest as feeding habits are largely determined by wing size and shape. In general raptors are carnivores with strong bills, large talons and outstanding flying capabilities.

These are just a few examples of their distinctive abilities from my master naturalist notes:

Accipiters

epervier-cooper-immature1Accipiters are slender forest hawks with rounded wings and long tails which give them excellent flight maneuverability, such as the Cooper’s Hawk. If you’re trying to determine whether a hawk is a Cooper’s Hawk, or it’s close cousin, the Red-Tailed Hawk, consider size (Cooper is slightly smaller), color of the tail and perhaps most importantly, location. Cooper’s Hawks tend to located in wooded areas, whereas Red-Tailed Hawk prefer to be in the open.

Buteos

red tailed hawkButeos are larger hawks with broad wings and short tails that allow them to soar over the landscape searching out prey below. A great example would be the Red-Tailed Hawk. I can remember the days when sighting a Red-Tailed Hawk was rare. Today, they can be seen in trees or on fence posts along nearly any roadway. DDT of course had an incredible impact on all birds, particularly raptors by softening the eggs so that they broke open and the embryo died before maturation.

Eagles

bald eagleEagle are very large soaring hawks with exceptionally keen eyesight (whence the nickname “eagle-eye”) and powerful wings. Bald Eagles are perhaps the best known. Not far from where I live in Indiana, Bald Eagles can be regularly sited along the Wabash River between Huntington and Wabash. One of the best ways to see them is by canoe, but be sure to make the trip before the end of June or you may be dragging your canoe over gravel bars.

Falcons

Peregrine FalconFalcons are raptors with tapered, pointed wings built for speed and agile flight. The peregrine falcon, which has slowly been emerging from the endangered species list) is the world’s fastest animal with dive speeds up to 200 miles per hour. Interestingly, colonies of peregrine falcons have been known to nest among skyscrapers in large cities. They seem to like the height and isolation. Many cities have introduced ordinances prohibiting the removal or disturbance of falcon nests. Otherwise, they build their nests on cliff sides, particularly along the shores of Lake Superior.

Harriers

240px-Northern_(Hen)_HarrierA harrier is a hawk that flies low or hovers while hunting in fields and open areas. In North America you’ve not likely to see anything other than a northern harrier. In order to distinguish them from other hawks you will want to look for their yellow talons and the notable “helmet” design of the feathers on the head.

Kites

white tailed kitKites are small, agile birds with tapered wings and graceful flight. Most kites are found in the southern US, except the white-tailed kite which can be found along the Pacific coast. In order to distinguish them from gulls, you will want to pay attention for the curved bill (common among most all raptors) and the marquis-shape horizontal eye opening with its noticeable yellow color.

Osprey

osprey-with-bassOsprey are fish hunters and among the most widespread raptors in the world. Amazingly, there is only one species of osprey. One interesting feature of the osprey is its ability to catch two fish at a time. It ability to spot, grab two fish and fly away is quite impressive. Once I saw an Osprey nab a squirrel at a golf course. It wasn’t a pleasant scene as the squirrels shrieked all they way up to the high branch where the Osprey finally tore it apart.

Owls

Great_Horned_Owl_s36-36-026_lA nocturnal bird of prey, the owl is known for its upright posture and forward facing eyes (perhaps why we view them as symbols of wisdom). Owls obviously have keen night vision, outstanding hearing and nearly silent flight making their dive to capture their prey practically imperceptible.You may recall my reference to Soarin’ Hawk Raptor Rehab in Fort Wayne Indiana. There they rescue and rehabilitate injured and orphaned hawks, owls, falcons and eagles. Birds that simply cannot be released back into the wild are often taken to schools and other groups for educational purposes.

Shrikes

Shrike-impaling-dunnockShrikes are unique in that they are both songbirds and birds of prey. Some have given them the name “butcher birds” as the impale their prey on thorns or other sharp objects in order to rip it apart with their rather weak talons. They seem a little like the “sirens” of the raptor world.

Vultures

turkey_vulture_6Vultures are exceptionally large birds with featherless heads that scavenge for their food. Carrion is their preferred food and they’re capable of soaring for hours while they seek out their next meal. Many confuse them with other birds of prey, but the can be best distinguished from others by the “v” shape of their wings when they are soaring. Eagles wings, for example, are relatively level.

1 Dec

Screech Owl Box: If You Build It, They Will Come

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Birds, Education, Uncategorized, Wildlife. Tagged: , , , .

Screech Owl - about 10 inches high

Screech Owl – about 8 inches high

Night creatures go largely unseen, so people are often surprised to learn that they might have owls as neighbors. But it’s true. Screech owls, I recently learned at the Eagle Marsh’s “Owl Prowl”, are a great example. Over much of this continent, from southern Canada south into Mexico, they can be common; in fact, studies have shown that screech owls can thrive in small towns, suburbs, even city parks.

Still, in America’s tidy neighborhoods, as homeowners and townships trim away dead trees and large limbs and fill in natural cavities, good screech-owl nesting sites can be hard to find. Human-made nest boxes can make up for any shortage of natural nesting cavities, enabling these petite owls to live in places where they might otherwise be absent. This can help stabilize their populations.

There are two widespread species of screech owls, eastern and western, differing most obviously in voice. Neither actually screeches, except when agitated; most of their calls consist of mellow whistles and trills. Screech owls may spend their days sleeping in dense foliage or sitting next to tree trunks (where their mottled pattern provides camouflage), but more often they will be inside a cavity of some sort–a hollow limb, for instance, or a large woodpecker hole–hidden away from the sharp eyes of small songbirds, which will irritate them when they find an owl sitting on its day roost. While a good cavity can help the owl avoid the annoying attentions of songbirds, it becomes essential during the nesting season.

Screech owl boxes have not inspired as much design experimentation as those for bluebirds or purple martins, but read up on a few ideas of what works. Fred Gehlbach of Baylor University, the world’s leading authority on screech owl behavior, tried some variations on nest boxes as part of his studies on nesting habits. Gehlbach started by measuring natural cavities favored by the owls. He found the birds tended to use deeper cavities, more than 10 inches deep, with entrance holes not much larger than the minimum needed for their own entry. He also found that while the owls would use cavities with floors only six inches across, young owls were apt to fledge too early from such crowded nests. He had better success using boxes with floors that were eight inches square.

Although many experts recommend cleaning out nest boxes yearly, preferably in early spring, there’s some disagreement on this point when it comes to screech owls. One reason for this is that the debris you’ll find in screech owl boxes may have a life of its own.

Perhaps the oddest part of screech owls’ behavior is their association with blind snakes, which have been found in the owls’ nests. These odd snakes, which resemble large earthworms, normally appear only at night. Gehlbach and others have observed that the owls bring these small snakes to their nests and release them. The snakes feed on the larval and pupal stages of ants and flies that live in the nest debris, reducing the number of insects competing for the headless mice, dead beetles, and other tidbits cached by the owls. Gehlbach’s studies suggest that the snakes actually contribute to the owls’ breeding success.

It’s important to place the box correctly. The natural cavities that screech owls choose are typically 12 to 20 feet above the ground and in deep shade. As the female incubates the eggs, the male is apt to spend the day roosting in dense foliage within about 20 feet of the nest. After you’ve placed an inch or so of dried leaves in the bottom of the nest, hang it at least 10 feet up on the trunk of a large tree. Try to place it away from sidewalks or doors, since the owls vigorously defend their nests against perceived threats. In fact, when the young are near fledging, some unusually spunky adults may swoop down at people or pets who wander too close, even raking them with their claws. So while placing the box in as secluded a spot as possible is good for the owls, it might be better for us, too.

So I’m by Bob Walton of Soarin’ Hawk Raptor Rehab that if I build one, they will come. So here is what I built and hung in the cottonwood in my backyard. We’ll see what happens.

My Screech Owl House

My Screech Owl House

 

 

Screech Owl House Dimensions 21″ H x 9 1/2″ W x 11″ D
Entry: 3″ circular hole
Hang Nestbox by: March 1st

8 Oct

The Increasing Problem of Light Pollution

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Birds, Creation Care, Ecology, Education, Energy Conservation, Environmentalism, Film - documentary, Green Construction, Spirituality in Nature, Wildlife.

Map from NOAA’s National Geophysical Data Center, which maps light pollution across the world.

Can we ever have too much light? Generally speaking, we prefer to have light available during the night hours in order to protect us from crime, permit us to remain mobile and to enjoy some hours of entertainment before we go to bed. Light is good.

In fact, Jesus often discussed the matter of light versus darkness. Here are just two statements recorded in John’s gospel:

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”

However, Jesus wasn’t referring to physical light, but was using light as a metaphor for truth. When we follow truth, we live in the “light”. When we hide our “wickedness” or more away from God, we chose to live in darkness.

In The City Dark, an independent documentary film by Ian Cheney, this growing phenomenon is examined by ecologists, cancer researchers, astrophysicists, philosophers and designers. Concerns include sleep deprivation, the habits of animals and birds, even Boy Scouts living in the Bronx who have never seen the night sky and the myriads of stars in our galaxy.

However, what I appreciate about the documentary are the practical steps he outlines that are already being put to use, or could with very little effort in order to end what is becoming an increasing disruption to the normal patterns of life for all of nature, including mankind.

So it would seem darkness can be a good thing – although wickedness remains what it is.

 

7 Jul

A Sparrow is a Sparrow is a Sparrow…

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Birds, Botany, Recreation, Religion, Spirituality in Nature, Wildlife. Tagged: , , .

The very common House Sparrow

With the work that I’ve done over the last 25 years, I’ve traveled to some fifty countries around the world. Yet no matter where I go I never seem to get away from the ubiquitous sparrow. Sparrows are indigenous to Europe, Africa and Asia. In the Americas, Australia, and other parts of the world, settlers imported some species which quickly naturalized, particularly in urban and degraded areas. House Sparrows, for example, are now found throughout North America, in every state of Australia except Western Australia, and over much of the heavily populated parts of South America. You can talk about sparrows nearly anywhere you go, and immediately people will recognize the species as common to the region.

Here’s just a short list of some sparrow species and names that indicate their location:

  • Italian Sparrow
  • Spanish Sparrow
  • Somali Sparrow
  • Dead Sea Sparrow
  • Kenya Sparrow
  • Cape Sparrow
  • Swahili Sparrow
  • Desert Sparrow
  • Eurasian Sparrow
  • Sudan Sparrow
  • Arabian Sparrow
  • Afghan Snowfinch (same family)

Sparrows are generally birds of open habitats, including grasslands, deserts, and scrubland. The snowfinches and ground-sparrows are all species of high latitudes. A few species, like the Eurasian Tree Sparrow, inhabit open woodland. The aberrant Cinnamon Ibonhas the most unusual habitat of the family, inhabiting the canopy of cloud forest in the Philippines.

What seems fascinating to me is how Jesus used sparrows to illustrate just how valuable we are to God. Matthew recorded the following words of Jesus in the tenth chapter of his gospel record. It reads,

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.  And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Although we’re not told anywhere that Jesus was an ornithologist, he seemed to pick up on just how common these creatures were even in his time. Perhaps that’s why they were sold for so little. Seems it was a theme of Jesus’. He talked about trees, soil, seeds, weeds, bread and wine. Everyday stuff that people could relate to.  So when he wanted to illustrate just how important we are to our creator, he told his listeners that not a single sparrow falls to the ground outside the Father’s care, and that if he is that attentive to simple everyday creatures like sparrows, think how much more he is concerned for you!

I have to admit that in all my bird watching, I spend little time or effort looking for sparrows and learning to tell one from the other. There’s an entire section in my field guide that never gets it pages turned or ruffled. One sparrow seems as good as the next.

So it just blows my mind that the creator of all things is as concerned with these seemingly insignificant little creatures and is even more concerned about me. At time’s the immensity of the cosmos dwarfs our sense of self. Not that we can’t all stand to be humbled from time to time, but it’s good to know that in all this grandeur we are seen and highly prized by our creator.

Perhaps I should pay a little closer attention to sparrows too.

15 Jun

Canada Goose Poop and Other Stuff You Probably Didn’t Know About These Feathered Friends

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Birds, Education, Politics, Wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , .

Canada Goose “Touque”

You got that right. I said “poop”. There is an awful lot we don’t know about the Canada goose including how much poop they can produce in a day.

Here are just a few things you might not know about our feathered friends from the North:

  • It is incorrect to call them Canadian geese. It is a Canada goose or Canada geese.
  • The average lifespan of a wild Canada goose is 24 years.
  • While on the ground, a flock of geese is called a gaggle. In the air, a flock of geese is called a skein.
  • Canada geese have an enlarged bone at the end of each wing, similar to a wrist. Though unlikely, an adult Canada goose is capable of breaking a human limb with this part of its wing.
  • There are 11 subspecies of Canada goose. In general, they get smaller as you move northward and darker as you go westward.
  • Geese can cover 1,500 miles in just 24 hours with a favorable wind, but typically travel at a much more leisurely rate.
  • Geese fly in a V formation because it creates a current of air that makes flight more efficient and allows for better communication (guess they don’t listen to iPods when they travel).
  • Goslings begin communication with their parents while still in the egg and learn up to 13 different calls by adulthood. Females have a deeper voice.
  • Canada geese are one of the most hazardous species associated with aircraft bird strikes. In 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 struck two geese six minutes after takeoff and ditched into New York’s Hudson River. All 155 passengers survived the crash (the geese did not).
  • Canada geese have bills with serrated edges that help them cut tough grass stems.
  • Loosely based on a true story, the film Fly Away Home depicts a father and daughter rescuing 16 orphaned Canada geese by escorting them some 1,000 miles from Ontario to North Carolina in ultralight aircraft decorated like mother birds. The truth? Bill Lishman spent five years training geese to follow him in flight as a biological experiment.
  • Some claim Canada geese poop as much as one pound per day. However, in a study conducted by Dr. Bruce Manny, research fishery biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, the average goose produces 0.3432 pounds (5.49 ounces) of wet droppings per day. At 21.04 percent solids in the average goose dropping, this amount of wet droppings is equivalent to 0.0722 pounds (1.15 ounces) of dry droppings per day.
  • Still others claim that Canada geese are trained in Canadian terrorist camps up in the bush and are sent to the United States by the heavily underfunded Canadian Armed Forces to conduct characteristically passive-aggressive strikes on their southern neighbors. Well. search as I may, I could not find any information to dispute this claim.

    Heads up! Incoming from Canada.

22 Mar

The Means by Which We Know God

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Birds, Botany, Ecology, Education, Religion, Spirituality in Nature. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , .

I have been in love with the Creator and with His creation all of my life. This past Tuesday I had the opportunity to attend a class on forest ecology and sat amazed for three and a half hours pondering how God in His wisdom assembled the ecosystems that function with such intricacy throughout creation. Psalm 112:2 says, “Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them.”

While there’s a lot of discussion regarding the matter of origins and how it all came to be, my increasing preference is to focus on the question of “why” it all came to be. The “how” question only seems to divide people including believers, and in all honesty, the Church hasn’t always been the leaders in scientific thought and discovery. Remember Galileo?

Recently I came across this statement from the Belgic Confession (doctrinal standard of the 14th century Reformed Churches in Belgium and Netherlands) that affirms in a deep theological way, the answer to the question – “Why did God create the universe?”

Here is how it reads:

Article 2: The Means by Which We Know God

We know him by two means:

  • First, by the creation, preservation, and government of the universe, since that universe is before our eyes like a beautiful book in which all creatures, great and small, are as letters to make us ponder the invisible things of God: his eternal power, and his divinity, as the apostle Paul says in Romans 1:20 “All these things are enough to convict men and to leave them without excuse.”
  • Second, he makes himself known to us more openly by his holy and divine Word, as much as we need in this life, for his glory and for the salvation of his own.

John Stott, a leading evangelical thinker, writer, lecturer, and although unknown to many, an avid naturalist and ornithologist, summarized it by saying, “It is through God’s creation that we see his glory; it is by his Word [Bible] that we come understand his grace.”

In a recent gathering, a friend shared how he has been searching for proof of God’s existence for the past year. He has been asking God to show him a sign, to do something so he could be sure of his existence. It’s sad to think that God has demonstrated his glory to us in such extravagant ways and yet we miss the point. As one participant in the discussion put it, “For years I tried to follow the big bang theory to the very end of its logical course and when I did I still could not answer the question – but then who created the first hydrogen atom?”

I’ll tell you what, turn off the television tonight and step outside your back door. Look up at the sky and try to fathom the fact that no other planet in all the universe has been found that supports life as we know it here on earth. Then ask yourself why, not how. Why did God create an entire universe in which it appears earth may be the only planet on which life, as we know it, can be supported? And just why did he cause us to ponder questions like this? Finally, what conclusion do you think he intends us to draw?

6 Mar

My First Sighting of a Red-Winged Blackbird

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Birds, Botany, Creation Care, Education, Native Plants and Flowers, Recreation, Wetlands, Wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

On my way to work this morning, I experienced my first sighting of a Red-winged Blackbird. Now some may get excited about a groundhog seeing its shadow, but one of my first clues of spring’s coming is seeing these migratory friends return from their winter vacation in the south.

According to the Audubon Society, the flash of the male Red-winged Blackbird’s red shoulder patches and his exuberant “oak-a-ree!” song, heralds spring for most North Americans. This songbird’s genus name, Agelaius, means “flocker” and aptly describes the enormous masses it forms, often with other blackbirds, outside the breeding season.

Red-winged Blackbirds range across the entire continental United States, southward into the Caribbean and into Middle America as far south as El Salvador, and most of Canada (in the breeding season). Populations are most dense in the farmlands of the Midwest, Northeast, and far West. Generally, Red-winged Blackbirds winter wherever they can find open water and food.
Red-winged Blackbirds are habitat generalists, breeding in a variety of salt and fresh water habitats. They also use farmlands and the edges of woods in summer. Wintering flocks roost in wetlands with dense vegetation, and forage over wetlands, farmlands, and other open areas, including mud flats, residential yards, and parks. That’s why you may spot them perching on bullrushes in wetland areas.
But here’s something I didn’t know. They use many techniques to capture prey, most notably “gaping.” Here, the bird inserts its closed bill into leaves, mud, or a seed, then opens its bill to pry the material apart. During breeding, protein-rich insects make up the majority of the birds’ diet. Outside the breeding season, Red-winged Blackbirds mainly eat seeds.
Reproduction in Red-winged Blackbirds is complex, since both males and females make decisions that affect breeding. Males establish a territory and attract a mate by singing from a prominent perch and flashing their colorful shoulder patches. Females choose a mate, based in part on the quality of the territory. After the female selects a territory, the male chases her at top speeds, displaying in flight. Usually, more than one female breeds on a male’s territory.
The female Red-winged Blackbird selects the nest site, builds a cup of grasses, mud, and decayed vegetation, lined with fine grasses, and incubates 3 to 6 eggs. The pale blue-green or gray eggs are splotched and streaked with brown. After approximately 12 days, the helpless young hatch. Although males sometim es help, females are the primary caretakers of the fledglings, feeding them for up to 5 weeks.
Migrating in flocks of various sizes, Red-winged Blackbird populations are almost always on the move somewhere in their extensive range. Northern populations migrate to the southern United States, but winter as far north as New England. Southern populations are non-migratory.
I say “welcome” to our Red-winged Blackbird friends. More reliable the Punxsutawney Phil, you remind us that spring is not far behind.
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