Megan's Nature Nook
Nature Notes, Phenology, Photography, Fun Facts, Trips, Maybe Even a Bad Joke or Two... and More!
Book & Movie Review - The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession by Marc Obmascik1/31/2021 I had read and seen The Big Year before but rereading and watching were a great way to start off my 2021 Big Year! My goal is nowhere near the over 700 species like the men in The Big Year got to, but reading the book sure got me excited to start off my year of birding! The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession by Marc Obmascik is about the 1998 North American Big Year and the movie “The Big Year” came out in 2011. The Book Marc Obmascik wrote about three men, Sandy Komito, Al Levantin, and Greg Miller and their adventures in the 1998 North American Big Year. These three men were competing to beat Komito’s previous Big Year record. Each man had their own reasoning and strategy for completing a Big Year, but they all had the same end goal – get as many bird species as possible and get the new record. Not only is the book about these men’s experiences, but it also does a good job of explaining what a “Big Year” is and talking about the early history of birdwatching and the start of birding organizations. Whether you’re a bird person or not, you’ll find the history and adventure intriguing, if not a little crazy, as you read about the things some people do to have a chance at winning a Big Year. I really enjoyed reading this book again. I think it is fun to read about the crazy adventures people go on and the amount of time and money that is spent chasing after birds! Reading it got me even more excited for my Big Year and looking forward to the birds I’ll see and the adventures I will have along the way. I gave The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession by Marc Obmascik 5 stars on GoodReads, rating it as “It was amazing.” To learn more about the book, visit GoodReads.com by clicking the button below. The Movie The movie is based on the book. The overall story line is similar, but the movie has different characters. Brad Harris (Jack Black), Stu Preissler (Steve Martin) and Kenny Bostick (Owen Wilson) are competing in a Big Year to beat Sandy Komito’s record. The three men have similar back stories to the real men in the 1998 Big Year, but there are some modifications to make it more dramatic for the movie. The movie doesn’t go into as much birding history but does portray some of the birding adventures of the real men in the 1998 Big Year. Any movie that Jack Black, Steve Martin, and Owen Wilson are in, you know is going to be good. “The Big Year” is a funny, lighthearted movie for the whole family to watch – whether you’re into birds or not. If you have the time, read and watch The Big Year - you won’t regret it. If you’re not so sure about the whole bird thing, give the movie a try and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it! If you’re reading and watching the order doesn’t really matter so you can decide to read and watch or watch and read. Whatever you decide to do, enjoy and make sure you have your binoculars and field guide handy! You’ll be ready to head outside and do some birdwatching when you’re finished! For another Big Year book review, read my review on Kenn Kauffman’s Book Kingbird Highway. Click the button below to read the review.
1 Comment
It has begun! January 1, 2021 at 12:00 a.m. my big year began! For the next year I will be focusing on all things birds. My main goal is to spot as many species of birds as I can in a calendar year. I don’t have the time or money resources to get too crazy with traveling and chasing the numbers, but I’m more so doing my Big Year to see how many species of birds I can see in my daily life. Besides spotting birds, I’m excited to see what new things I can learn about birds along the way. To read more about what a “Big Year” is and what my Big Year goals are, read my blog post by clicking the link below: I started my Big Year off in Northcentral Minnesota at the cabin ice fishing and spearing. On my first day, birding wasn’t the main focus, but I did get a good start with eight species! I’ve been keeping a Nature Journal specifically for my Big Year so here’s my entry for January 1, 2021: Friday, January 1, 2021 I started out the New Year in Emily, MN at Longhaven. We were at the cabin for a few days of spearing, fishing, and ringing in the New Year with friends. Birding was not my main priority of the day, but I was lucky enough to start out the year by putting some birds on my list! As we were trekking out to our spot on the snow-covered lake, I heard some Blue Jays calling in the trees on shore – and just like that I had my 1st Bird of the Year! Soon after a Pileated Woodpecker was heard calling and drumming. This special Woodpecker just so happens to be the ABA’s 2021 Bird of the Year. I’d say that seems like a great start to the year with one of my 1st birds being the Bird of the Year! As the ice house was being set up I saw a bird flying in the distance and heard the unmistakable call of the Common Raven with it. Just as we were getting ready to leave the cabin, I took a walk down to the lake to stand near shore among the trees. Sure enough after a little waiting, Black-capped Chickadees and White-breasted Nuthatches were calling and fluttering about in the trees above me – one of those perfect winter scenes. As we were leaving town, I spotted a Wild Turkey in the ditch walking about. Later on the drive, south of Garrison, MN Canada Geese and some Trumpeter Swans were enjoying some open water before it entered the frozen Lake Milacs. Another special bird from this month was a red-shafted Northern Flicker! I have seen Flickers before, but only the yellow-shafted which are found in the East and red-shafted are found in the west. Another good birding day was January 17: Sunday, January 17, 2021 Today I walked the trail behind Yanney Park to 2nd Ave. At first I was just seeing Mallards, Robins, and Downy Woodpeckers and was feeling a bit discouraged. Then I heard a rattle call and saw a Belted Kingfisher fly down the creek! I kept hearing it along my walk. I also heard a pair of Great Horned Owls calling to each other! It seemed like they were in the evergreens across the creek so I couldn’t see them, but I enjoyed listening to them call back and forth for a while. It was so neat to hear the pitch difference between the male and female’s calls. On the drive home a Cooper’s Hawk with a fresh bird meal caught my eye, so I stopped to watch it eat its meal on top of a utility pole. For the last bite it swallowed down the foot – like eating a spaghetti noodle! On January 18 I added not only a new bird to my Big Year count, but also to my Life List! Here’s some of that entry: Monday, January, 18, 2021 ... The most exciting bird was right by the Archway – a dark morph Rough-legged Hawk! At first glimpse I thought it was a crow, but quickly realized it was a hawk, it flew off before I could get a good look. Later I saw it again soaring and was able to get a good look and saw it perch on a utility pole and watched it there too. After some research and looking at pictures and ID tips I decided it was a Roughie for sure! ... My Big Year has been off to a good start so far! And something I realized while typing up this list; all my birds have been spotted “out in the wild” none at bird feeders. If I had been back in Minnesota for the start of the year, I know of multiple places I would have birded – primarily counting birds at feeders. With starting the year in Nebraska where I’m less familiar as to when and where find birds, it has been a fun challenge finding them out in their natural areas. Besides chasing birds this month, I also read the book and watched the movie The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession. Read my book and movie review by clicking the button below. January Birds: January 1 1. Blue Jay – Emily, MN 2. Pileated Woodpecker – Emily, MN 3. Common Raven – Emily, MN 4. Black-capped Chickadee – Emily, MN 5. White-breasted Nuthatch – Emily, MN 6. Wild Turkey – Emily, MN 7. Canada Goose – Garrison, MN 8. Trumpeter Swan – Near Lake Milacs January 2 9. American Crow – Champlin, MN 10. Red-tailed Hawk – Owatonna, MN January 3 – Kearney, NE 11. Northern Cardinal 12. Dark-eyed Junco 13. Eurasian Collared Dove 14. House Sparrow January 5 15. Mallard Duck – Cottonmill Park, Kearney, NE 16. American Robin – Cottonmill Park 17. Northern Flicker (red-shafted) – Cottonmill Park 18. American Goldfinch – Cottonmill Park 19. Rock Pigeon – Kearney, NE 20. European Starling – Kearney, NE January 6 – Kearney, NE 21. Hairy Woodpecker January 8 – Kearney, NE 22. Downy Woodpecker January 9 23. American Tree Sparrow – Yanney Park, Kearney NE 24. Cooper’s Hawk – Kearney, NE January 17 – Hike & Bike trail behind Yanney Park, Kearney, NE 25. Belted Kingfisher 26. Great Horned Owl January 18 – Archway Hike & Bike trail, Kearney, NE 27. Rough-legged Hawk* (dark morph) 28. Red-bellied Woodpecker January 24 - Kearney Cemetery 29. Red-breasted Nuthatch January 31 - North of Kearney, NE 30. Western Meadowlark The Stats: Bird Species this Year: 30 Species for January: 30 Days Birded: 12 Lifer Birds: 1 (Lifers are marked with an *) (I’m counting “days birded” as days I saw a new bird or went out specifically for birding, not every day birded resulted in a new species for the year). We'll see what February has in store! Happy National Bird Day! January 5 marks the day to celebrate our feathered friends both wild and captive. To help you celebrate I’m going to share some fun facts about the Pileated Woodpecker! Each year the American Birding Association (ABA) chooses a “Bird of the Year” and for 2021 it is the Pileated Woodpecker! “The ABA is proud that the Pileated Woodpecker, emblem of both the wild woods and the adaptability of birds to anthropogenically altered spaces, is our 2021 Bird of the Year.” – American Birding Association Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus) are the largest species of woodpecker in North America (except the almost certainly extinct Ivory-billed Woodpecker). They are over a foot tall (15.8 – 19.3 inches) with a wingspan of over two feet (26 – 29.5 inches)! They are mostly black with white on their underwings that can be seen in flight. White stripes adorn their faces, topped off with a flaming-red crest at the top of their head. Both males and females have the red crest, but you can tell the two apart by their “mustaches.” Males have a red mustache, while the female has a black mustache. Pileated Woodpeckers are found in mature deciduous, coniferous, or mixed forests. They need standing dead trees and downed wood to find their food in and nest in. They may also be seen in young forests and even some partially wooded suburbs or backyards. Pileated Woodpeckers can be found year-round in the Eastern United States, up into Canada, and along the northwestern coast of the U.S. They are uncommon as a result of only one pair occupying a large territory at a time. Carpenter ants are the primary food source for Pileated Woodpeckers. Other ants, termites, flies, caterpillars, cockroaches, grasshoppers, and beetle larvae will also be eaten. Large rectangular holes which can be a foot or more long are a sure sign a Pileated Woodpecker has been around. They make these holes looking for carpenter ant tunnels and other insects. Fruit, acorns, nuts, and occasionally sap are also part of their diet. If you have bird seeds and suet at your feeders, you may be lucky enough to have one of these giant woodpeckers visit you! Mature forests are important to Pileated Woodpeckers not only as a food source, but also for nest sites. Pileated Woodpeckers are cavity nesters who excavate their own nest cavity. The male starts the excavation and the female helps near the end of excavation. Nest construction can take 3 – 6 weeks and are rarely used again by the Pileated Woodpeckers but may be used by other bird species or animals. The entrance hole to their nest cavity is oblong, which is different than the typical round shape of most birds’. The depth of the cavity ranges from 10 – 24 inches and is lined with some leftover woodchips. The rest of the woodchips from the excavation are tossed out of the cavity by the adult picking up a few at a time in their beak and tossing it out the entrance hole. Pileated Woodpeckers have 1 brood a year, with 3-5 eggs. To find Pileated Woodpeckers in your area, look for large rectangular excavations in trees surrounded by woodchips. Listen for their whinny call of wuk-wuk-wuk-wuk and loud, deep drumming. Click on the button below to hear their sounds. Fun Facts
These big birds have always been captivating, causing me to run (stealthily) to the window whenever someone says they’ve spotted one. Not only are they fascinating because of their looks, but also because of their interesting traits and habits! I was lucky enough to add a Pileate Woodpecker to my Big Year list on January 1, which I think is a great way to start the year, especially when it’s the Pileated Woodpecker’s big year, too! I am a person that likes to stay busy, try new things, and keep learning. Throughout 2020 I’ve had more time to slow down, spend more time in nature and bird watch so it got me thinking... Since my Ornithology class (the study of birds) in college I’ve been lucky enough to build on my bird knowledge and identification skills both on the job through various seasonal positions and on my own time. I know I have learned a lot and am more attuned to seeing and hearing birds in the wild, but I also know there is much, much more to learn! So, I decided that 2021 would be my year to try my hand at a Big Year! What exactly is a “Big Year” you might ask. Only the biggest yearlong birding challenge there is! A Big Year is an informal, honors system competition among birders to see who can identify the most species, by sight or sound, in a calendar year within a certain geographic area. Starting in 1969, the American Birding Association (ABA) began standardizing and regulating the North American Big Years. They have a set of rules to make sure everyone is following the same stipulations. The count for the year starts January 1 at 12:00 a.m. and ends December 31 at 11:59 p.m. based on the local time of the birder. For the North American Big Year, the geographic area includes all 50 United States, Canada, the French islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, and adjacent water to a distance of 200 miles from land or half the distance to a neighboring country, whichever is less. Bermuda, the Bahamas, and Greenland are not included in the boundaries. North America is not the only region where a Big Year can take place, but that is the one I will be participating in. There is a wide range of birders who participate in The Big Year. Some birders take it to the extremes, spending thousands of dollars and traveling thousands of miles in a year to find the most birds possible. While on the other end of the spectrum, some take a more casual approach spending minimal amounts of money and just seeing what they happen to come across. I am definitely on the less extreme end of the spectrum. I know I will get no where close to the current record of 840 species in one year, but I’m more so doing it as a fun way to set a birding goal for 2021 and see how many species I can spot in my daily life. Along with the obvious goal of seeing as many species as possible, I have also set a few other goals for my Big Year:
I'll keep you updated throughout the year of my progress, not only my species count, but also how I’m doing on my goals. If you have any book recommendations, bird resources, projects or organizations you like, let me know! Comment below or you can reach me through the “Get in Touch” page. If you’re new to birding or have been birding for years, the BirdNote Podcast is a great place to learn more about birds! They have a daily show that is 2 minutes long – a quick way to get your daily dose of birds. You can listen to their Podcast on major podcasting apps or at their website BirdNote.org. I’ve unintentionally given myself a bit of a challenge, I’ll be starting my Big Year in Nebraska. I’m from Minnesota so Nebraska is uncharted bird territory for me. Back home I’m familiar with the species around, where to find them, and what times of year to go to certain areas - so birding in Nebraska could be interesting. I have been preparing for my Big Year by scouting out some possible birding locations, so we’ll see if they pan out! And because of my natural resources career, I’ve worked in a variety of places for seasonal positions, so we will see where I end up for the rest of my Big Year, it’ll be an adventure no matter where.
Come January 1, you can find me in full “bird nerd” mode. For now, I’ll be getting ready by reading The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession by Mark Obmascik and popping some popcorn to watch Jack Black, Steve Martin, and Owen Wilson in the movie version of the book. Buy your own copy of the book and DVD or check your local library to see if they have a copy. If you’re feeling the bird itch after reading or watching, join me in your own Big Year! I’m not expecting to come close to breaking any records, but I think it will be a fun adventure to see how many bird species I spot in my daily life and a great excuse to get outside! Happy Birding! It’s almost time for turkey with Thanksgiving right around the corner. Although Wild Turkeys are interesting, we’re going to be talking about a different turkey, the Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) and some of its close vulture relatives. (But if you do like Wild Turkeys, read my previous blog post for some fun facts and turkey jokes!) I recently watched a presentation by Dr. Lauren Pharr Parks, PhD, Forensic Anthropologist hosted by the Zumbro Valley Audubon Society. The topic of this presentation? How vultures impact crime scenes. I had never heard of this concept before now, but I find it fascinating! Vultures are often seen as gross because they eat rotting meat, ugly because of their bald heads, or even scary because of their association with death. But in reality, they are none of these things! They are very interesting birds that play a very important role in our ecosystems cleaning up dead animal carcasses and helping to keep the environment clean. Although animal carcasses are their main choice of food, vultures will also scavenge on human bodies, which in turn can impact crime scenes. Vultures accelerate the decomposition time as they are able to consume a body, leaving just the skeleton behind, in as little as five hours. Because of this accelerated decomposition time, it can throw off time of death estimates detectives investigating murders have set. This is where Dr. Lauren Pharr Parks steps in. Dr. Parks conducted a controlled study through Louisiana State University to provide new information for the forensic community to determine if a body was scavenged or if it was natural decomposition. Depending on if a body was scavenged or went through natural decomposition, forensic scientists and detectives can then more accurately estimate a time of death. If scavenging isn’t taken into account, there is an overestimate of time between death and discovery. In other instances, marks from vultures scavenging may be mistaken as trauma. The data collected in her study will help the forensic community to make more informed decisions about crime scenes. They’ll be able to more accurately estimate how long a body has been there and to determine if the body was scavenged by vultures, other scavengers (like coyotes or raccoons), or if skeletal trauma was inflicted by humans. All this information will help them to better understand the timeline of events and get a better insight as to what really happened at the scene of the crime. In order to know if vultures have impacted a crime scene, you have to know what signs to look for. Dr. Parks’ study was conducted at a body farm (read more about body farms at the end of this post) and other properties in Texas using small pig carcasses and human cadavers. She set up trail cameras to see what animals were coming to the carcasses and cadavers. She documented how long it took for vultures to find the bodies, scavenge the bodies, and kept track of signs the vultures left behind. She came up with a list of 16 signs to look for to know if a vulture has been at the scene. Here are a few of those signs:
This last one is the most interesting to me. Down feathers are very fluffy since they help to insulate birds to keep them warm. Once a down feather has become wet, it won’t “fluff up” again. This can be a very helpful clue when trying to determine how long a body has been there. Let’s say a body has been found where vulture scavenging was evident. There were down feathers at the scene, and they were all “un-fluffy” meaning they have gotten wet. You can then look at the past weather and see that it rained five days ago and hasn’t rained since. Because of this information you know the body had been found by the vultures and was scavenged at least five days ago. Then you can add in the approximate time it takes for vultures to find a body and you’ve narrowed your time of death window down quite a bit. This more accurate window will allow crime scene investigators to then look at missing persons reports and more accurately put the pieces of their crime together. Dr. Parks also found out that down feathers stay at a site for about two weeks and after that time frame will then disperse from the scene by natural means such as wind. It is quite interesting how such a small feather can be such a big clue! Vultures are such amazing and important creatures, not only because of their interesting characteristics and important role in the ecosystem, but now because of the information they can provide to help solve crimes – such a fascinating topic! Listen to Dr. Parks talk more about vultures and their impact on crime scenes in her TED Talk. (This talk contains graphic images). Body Farms Body farms are facilities where people can donate their bodies to science after they pass away. You can look at is as an outdoor laboratory. Bodies are brought to a facility and used for a variety of research projects. A body farm’s main goal is to learn more about the decomposition process and gain a further understanding in forensics. Some bodies may stay at a body farm for up to two years depending on the type of research program it is in. Body farms can range in size and there are currently five in the United States. Tennessee - University of Tennessee at Knoxville North Carolina - Western Carolina University in Cullowhee Texas - Texas State University in San Marcos and Sam Houston State University in Huntsville Pennsylvania - California University of Pennsylvania’s Institute of Criminological and Forensic Sciences To learn more about Body Farms, listen to episode #68 “All the Time in the World” on the Criminal podcast. Fall is a time when animals have to get serious about how they’re going to survive winter. Will they hibernate, migrate, adapt, or die? Cooler temperatures, shorter amount of daylight, and dwindling food sources are some factors that contribute to their survival decisions. When you hear the word “hibernation” the pictures that pops into your head is most likely a black bear (Ursus americanus). Although we often think of a bear when thinking of hibernation, bears actually don’t hibernate. They do something else called torpor which is similar to hibernation but not as extreme. Hibernation An example of a true hibernator would be a woodchuck (Marmota monax), also known as groundhog or whistle pig. In September - October, woodchucks begin going into their winter dens for hibernation. Once they are asleep, they stay asleep and don’t eat or drink during their slumber. Since they don’t eat during hibernation, woodchucks have to conserve their energy by slowing down bodily functions. A woodchuck’s usual body temperature is around 99°F, during hibernation they drop their body temperature down to around 37 - 40°F, not much above freezing. They slow their heart rate from 75 - 80 beats per minute in warmer weather down to 4 or 5 beats per minute during hibernation, and their breathing rate slows dramatically. These extreme reductions help to conserve energy during their long sleep so they only loose about one fourth of their body weight during their months of not eating. After a few months of hibernation, the woodchucks will emerge in March or April, depending on their region – which is a bit late for Groundhog’s Day! Although, males will often wake in February to locate females, then head back to sleep for another month or so until it is time to mate. Once they’re out and about for the warmer months, woodchucks will spend their days eating and fattening up - preparing for the next hibernation. A woodchuck can eat up to 1 pound of vegetation in one sitting! Woodchucks are not the only mammals that are true hibernators in Minnesota. Ground squirrels and four species of bats join them in this category. Torpor Now onto torpor. Torpor is similar to hibernation with the slowing down of bodily functions, but not as extreme. You’ve heard the expression “don’t poke the bear” well that is true! During torpor bears can wake up easier due to torpor not being as extreme as true hibernation and will wake up periodically throughout the winter. In October – November bears will find their den and gather leaves and sticks to line it as their final preparations for their long winter slumber. Bears rely on photoperiod (day length) and the availability of food to know when it’s time to head to bed. Temperature doesn’t play much of a part, except it does tend to coincide with shorter days and dwindling food sources. While in torpor bears will not eat, drink, or go to the bathroom for months on end. In order to prepare for this, they must forage for food all summer long to pack on the pounds. Mid-summer to the end of autumn a bear can consume up to 20,000 calories a day! Resulting in putting on 4 - 5 inches of body fat to help them survive a winter of cold weather and no eating.
A bear’s normal body temperature is around 100°F, during torpor they will decrease it about 10-12°F to around 88°F. Their heart rate decreases to 8 - 19 beats per minute, and their breathing rate is one breath every 45 seconds. These decreases are not as extreme as our woodchucks, but still help to conserve energy all winter long. A bear will typically lose 20 – 30% of its body weight during torpor, with some females loosing up to 40% if they had cubs and were nursing during torpor. Come April, the bear will awaken and emerge from its den, searching for food to begin the preparation for its next torpor session. Bears aren’t the only animals that go into torpor. Hummingbirds, raccoons, skunks, and chickadees are just a handful of other animals that do! Animals typically enter torpor because of the low availability of food for a period of time. Each animal has their own form of torpor that best suits their lifestyle and needs. Some will go into torpor for a few hours and for others it may be days or even months. Even in the warm weather of summer, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds lower their body temperature and heart rate during the night to conserve energy. If they didn’t do this, they wouldn’t be able to survive through the night because of their fast metabolisms and the need to feed often. During winter raccoons will come out during warm days to look for food but will sleep more often and spend much of their time cuddled up with their families in dens. During winter skunks they will enter long periods of sleep and wake occasionally, during torpor they slow their metabolism and decrease their body temp by 20°F. Chickadees decrease their body temperature at night to conserve energy in the winter. It is amazing to see the different ways these animals can conserve their energy in order to survive our cold and sometimes quite harsh Minnesota winters! Fun Fact: Bears can’t hibernate because of their large body mass and surface area. There is too much surface area for body heat to be lost. If their resting temperature was close to freezing like true hibernators, they would be more susceptible to their body temperature lowering too much and their cells freezing. This past spring and summer I’ve been noticing a variety of visitors at the hummingbird feeder. Here in Minnesota we only have one species of hummingbird, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird so it is quite easy to notice when there is a non-hummer visitor! Birds, insects, and mammals alike all try to get a taste of the sweet stuff. A common visitor to hummingbird feeders, beside hummers, is Orioles! These beautiful brightly colored birds enjoy the sweet sugar water offered at feeders. Their natural diet includes insects, fruit, and nectar – varying with the seasons. In the summer they eat mainly insects which are protein rich and important while raising their young. In the spring and fall a majority of their diet is nectar and fruits. The sugars in these foods converts into fat which is a much needed energy supply during migration. You’ll most likely see one of these brightly colored feathered friends visiting your hummingbird feeder during the spring or fall. There are special sugar water feeders that have larger perches and openings that make it easier for Orioles to eat from. If you’d like to attract more Orioles to your yard, consider purchasing one of these feeders in addition to your hummingbird feeders. See the Oriole nectar recipe below. Other feathered friends that visit hummingbird feeders are Woodpeckers! This may seem like an interesting visitor since most Woodpeckers thrive on insects, nuts, and seeds but some enjoy the sweet taste of tree sap now and again – making sugar water a tasty treat. Recently I have seen Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers on the hummingbird feeder. Our last flying friends are insects! A variety of insects like butterflies, bees, and wasps frequent hummingbird feeders. Although the butterflies can be beautiful, most people try to deter bees and wasps from there feeders. When looking for a hummingbird feeder try buying one with smaller holes or ones with “bee guards” on them. The bee guards are plastic coverings that have smaller holes that the hummingbirds can easily drink through, but the bees and wasps cannot as easily. Avoid feeders with yellow as bees and wasps are more attracted to the color yellow. If your feeder has yellow accents, such as yellow flowers on the feeder ports, you can try painting them or removing and replacing with another color. Lastly, one of the worst hummingbird feeder visitors is raccoons! They not only end up having a little of your sugar water, but instead end up dumping it and ruining your feeders. Luckily there are some easy ways to stop these visitors from coming. If you can, taking in your feeder at night and putting it back out in the morning can be one of the easiest ways to protect it. If it’s not out, they can’t ravage it. If you aren’t able to take the feeder in every night, find a place that you can hang it from that a raccoon can’t climb to. Some of the best places are under the eaves of a building, on a line that hangs between two trees that won’t support a raccoon, or on a second story deck that they can’t climb to. You have to be a bit creative to keep these smart visitors away. Lastly, if you aren’t able to do either of those, take your feeder down for a few days until the raccoon realizes there is no longer a food source there and moves along; the hummingbirds will be able to find it again soon after you put it back up. Have you seen any of these other visitors at your hummingbird feeder? Next time you walk past your hummingbird feeder it may warrant another look to see if it really is a hummingbirds or one of these other visitors. You never know who you might spot!
Hummingbird Sugar Water Recipe 1 part granulated sugar 4 parts water (1 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar) If you will be using all your sugar water right away, add sugar to water and stir until dissolved. If you won’t be using all the sugar water right away, bring the water to a boil, add sugar, and stir until dissolved. Let cool before filling your feeder. When the mixture is boiled it will last about a week in the refrigerator. Always make sure your feeder is clean and there is no mold growing. Refill your feeder every 3-4 days, more often when there is hot weather as the mixture will spoil quicker. Oriole Sugar Water Recipe 1 part granulated sugar 6 parts water (2 cups water, 1/3 cup granulated sugar) If you will be using all your sugar water right away, add sugar to water and stir until dissolved. If you won’t be using all the sugar water right away, bring the water to a boil, add sugar, and stir until dissolved. Let cool before filling your feeder. When the mixture is boiled it will last about a week in the refrigerator. Always make sure your feeder is clean and there is no mold growing. Refill your feeder every 3-4 days, more often when there is hot weather as the mixture will spoil quicker. Recently on a walk through the prairie I stopped to observe and admire some frothy, foamy bubbles perched on the stem of a plant. I’ve seen these bubbles before and referred to them as something from a Spittlebug. But what exactly are these bubbles? Why did this insect leave them on a plant? What is the purpose? What exactly is a “Spittlebug,” is that the real name? I had all these questions and wanted to learn more. My curiosity prompted me to do a little investigating and close observation to get to the bottom of what exactly a Spittlebug is and what these bubbles are all about. Spittlebugs are in fact insects; they are part of the superfamily Cercopoidea. There are 54 species in Minnesota, with the Meadow Spittlebug (Philaenus spumarius) being the most common. The Spittlebug is the nymph stage, basically like a teenager in the insect world, that will then transform into the adult stage called Froghoppers. The nymph Spittlebugs have soft bodies up to ¼ inch long. They change in color from orange to yellow to green as they grow and have large red eyes located on the side of their head. The nymphs live in frothy, foamy, bubble masses that can be up to ¾ inches in size. The adult stage, often called Froghoppers because of their large hind legs for jumping, are ¼ inch long starting green in color and changing to brown or gray. Adults are not often seen. Spittlebugs get their name from the bubble masses they produce that look like blobs of spit on the stem of plants. These bubble masses are not actually spit but are made from emitting air from the abdomen into their urine along with another fluid that stabilized the bubbles and makes them last longer. So, they aren’t really Spittlebugs, but more like Piddlebugs! (Not my joke, but I wish it was! Philip G. D. Matthews, a researcher in the zoology department at the University of British Columbia came up with this more fitting description). Spittlebugs produce 150 - 280 times their body weight in urine a day, which would be equivalent to a 150-pound human emitting 2,700 gallons of urine in a day! With that much urine, they have a good supply to make as many bubbles as needed! Some species can even produce as many as 80 bubbles a minute!
Spittlebugs don’t produce bubble masses just because they produce a good supply of urine. They create these bubble masses during their nymph stage to protect themselves. As nymphs, their bodies are soft, so the bubble mass creates an environment that stays humid enough to prevent them from drying out. It also protects them from temperature extremes. Lastly, the bubble mass helps to protect them from predators, not only keeping them hidden from potential predators such as other insects or birds, but the bubbles have a bitter taste deterring potential predators from eating them. Spittlebug bubble masses can be seen in spring and early summer as the nymphs are growing. Eventually they will encase themselves in one large bubble where they will transform into an adult. The adults will spread out hopping from plant to plant and looking for available food sources as some plants dry out. In September to October females will head back to where the nymphs were and will lay clusters of eggs in plant debris like leaves and stems. The eggs overwinter in the leaflitter and will hatch in late April to early May. The newly hatched nymphs feed at the base of plants, moving up as the plant matures. They will spend about a month or two in their bubble masses before transforming into adults. The adults will continue to feed the rest of the summer. There is only one generation of Spittlebugs a year. Both the nymphs and adults feed on plant sap. They feed on a variety of plants including grasses, weeds, and herbaceous plants, especially goldenrod. You can often find them in gardens feeding on roses, chrysanthemums, and Shasta daisies. They also like alfalfa, clover, and strawberries to name a few. Spittlebugs are generally not damaging to plants unless there are large populations in a small area. At times they can cause leaves to lose their shape but often are not a problem. If there are large populations you can spray the bubble mass with a steady stream of water, but it will only be a temporary fix as they will just produce more bubbles soon after. Who knew those little frothy, foamy, bubbles held so much information! Take a walk through you garden, local park, or a prairie in spring to early summer and see if you can spot any of these bubble masses! Take a close look, can you spot any nymphs inside?! This past week I had the opportunity to participate in the banding of American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) chicks! Since early this spring we have been monitoring two Kestrel nest boxes at Oxbow Park near Byron, Minnesota. We check the boxes about weekly and record data that we then submit to the American Kestrel Partnership to learn more about Kestrels, their population, and how we can help them. We were very excited when one day we went to check the boxes and there was a female Kestrel sitting on eggs in one of the boxes! We patiently waited and were once again excited when we learned they had hatched! About two weeks after hatching we had a Bird Bander come to age, weigh, sex, and band the chicks. It was a very cool experience that I was lucky enough to be a part of! Two American Kestrel nest boxes were first installed at Oxbow Park the spring of 2018. This is the third year the boxes have been up, and the second year one of the boxes has been used and successfully raised chicks! Click the button below to read an earlier blog post: American Kestrel Nest Boxes, to learn about the nest box monitoring at Oxbow Park and for more information about the American Kestrel Partnership. Before we get into the Kestrel chick banding, here is some general information about bird banding: What is Bird Banding? Bird banding is the process of attaching a small, lightweight, aluminum band to the leg of a bird to identify individual birds by their unique 8 or 9 digit number. It is basically putting an anklet with their own social security number on them to identify each bird. What Does a Bird Band Say? Each band in engraved with a unique 8 or 9 digit number. It also says, WWW.REPORTBAND.GOV What Do You Do if You Find a Band? If you either spot a live bird with a band or find a deceased bird, you can report the 8 or 9 digit number along with the date, time, and location the band was spotted or found to the Bird Banding Lab by going to their website www.reportband.gov. Who Can Band Birds? Bird banding is regulated by the United States Geological Society (USGS) Bird Banding Lab. Only federally licensed bird banders can acquire and band birds. Why is Bird Banding Important? The information gathered from bird banding is used in scientific research, management, and conservation projects. The information can be used to learn more about the following:
Now onto the Kestrel chick banding! Bird Bander, Kirk Payne, sets up the banding site near the nest box. He puts down a tarp, then a towel to lay the chicks on. He also has a scale to weigh each chick and a banding tool kit to keep his bands and banding tools. Clarissa Schrooten, Oxbow Park Naturalist, is recording data. The chicks are removed from the nest box and placed in a bucket lined with saw dust for cushion. Touching the chicks will not harm them or cause the parents to abandon them. Most birds do not have a very good sense of smell. Each chick is then aged and sexed by looking at its feather development and coloring. These chicks were all females between 16-17 days old. The start of brown feathers coming out of the feather shafts lets us know it is a female. You want to band Kestrel chicks between 12-24 days old. In that time frame they are large enough that the band will not slip off yet young enough that they won't try to bail out of the nest and fly because of the activity going on. The chicks are all weighed using a scale. And their keel bone is felt to determine the amount of meat on the breast. You can evaluate if a bird is thin, fat, or in the healthy range by doing this. These three chicks have been well taken care of. Time to band! To the left you can see the tool box with bands of varying sizes for different bird species along with pliers for closing the band around the bird's leg. The band is loose enough that it can move up and down the leg, but snug enough that it won't get caught on things. Closing the band with the pliers. All done! Each bird has their own unique band number. The band also has the website of where to report if you see the band. Check out those talons! Information such as location, banding date, approximate age, band number, sex, and weight were all collected for each kestrel chick. The data that was collected will be entered onto an online database with The Peregrine Fund who runs the American Kestrel Partnership program. This information will help to learn more about Kestrels. Once the banding was complete, the kestrel chicks were returned to their nest box. In not too long they will be old enough to fledge and leave the nest. Thank you to Kirk Payne for helping us monitor our nest boxes and others throughout the county, and for coming out to band our birds!
Let's hope this next box is successful once again next year and in the years to come! While out on a morning walk this little, or should I say big, guy almost got stepped on! This Giant Water Bug (Lethocerus americanus) was in the middle of the walking path near the parking lot of a department store. Why would a water bug be on a paved walking path far from any water sources? Giant Water Bugs also known as “toe-biters” or Electric Light Bugs are about 2 inches long and an inch wide with a four-inch wingspan. They’re easily identified by their large size, a giant pair of pinchers, and a characteristic large mouthpart called a proboscis that is used for piercing and sucking. They are in the insect order Hemiptera – the “true” bugs. Giant Water Bugs are usually found in slow moving water like ponds, lakes, or sloughs where they hunt for food and lay their eggs. They eat other aquatic insects, tadpoles, small fish, crustaceans, and even frogs, baby turtles, and small snakes! They are known as “ambush predators” who wait for their prey to cross their path, then grab it with their large pinchers bringing it to their sharp, piercing mouthpart. They will then pierce their prey and inject toxic digestive juices that immobilize the prey and liquifies their internal parts. After a few minutes the Giant Water Bug will then suck up the slurry for their meal. Some Giant Water Bug species will lay their eggs on the male’s back where he incubates and protects them. Other species will lay the eggs on vegetation in the water or near the water’s edge with the male nearby to protect and care for the eggs. Once the eggs hatch the nymphs look like small versions of the adults and will shed their skin multiple times as they grow and go through 5 different developmental stages eventually becoming an adult. As young, Giant Water Bugs breath oxygen through their skin, but as adults they have to breath air directly. In order to stay under water yet be able to breath, they have an appendage at the base of the abdomen (near the rear end) that acts like a snorkel. They can get air from above the surface of the water and store it as a bubble under their wings somewhat like a scuba tank. Insects don’t have lungs like mammals, but instead breath through a network of tiny tubes throughout their bodies called tracheae. The Giant Water Bug takes in air from under its wings through holes in the abdomen called spiracles and then it is distributed throughout the body through the tracheae. Since Giant Water Bugs breath air, they can easily leave the water and are often found flying around at night looking for new bodies of water or a mate. Unfortunately, artificial light sources like streetlights can easily disorient the insects and cause them to become stranded in unfavorable places like parking lots or streets because they get exhausted from flying around the light source. This is most likely what happened to the Giant Water Bug I found on the paved walking path. If you do happen to find a stranded Giant Water Bug, you can carefully pick it up and return it to a natural water source. Watch your fingers! Their bite can be excruciatingly painful. Giant Water Bugs aren’t the only wildlife affected by artificial lighting. Read my blog post “Lights Out for Wildlife - Save the Birds (And Fireflies)!” by clicking the button below. Even if you’re not a bug person, Giant Water Bugs are quite interesting! Not only are they interesting, but they’re important in the ecosystem. Giant Water Bugs are at the top of their food chain and help to keep other invertebrate populations in check. You can think of them as the wolves and cougars of the insect world. Not a fan of mosquitoes? Thank the Giant Water Bugs for helping to keep the mosquito population down (even if it still seems like there are too many of them)! Fun Fact: When frightened by large predators, like humans, the Giant Water Bug will play dead and may even ooze fluid from their back side to add to the drama. But beware, they may suddenly come to life and pierce the predator with their sharp proboscis! Here's a quick video of meal time for a Giant Water Bug! Thank you Tony Long for the pictures and videos used in this blog post! |
Blog Updates:
If you would like to receive a notification when there is a new post, please fill out the contact form under the "Get in Touch" page. About MeHi, my name is Megan. I love spending time out in nature and learning everything I can about it! Enjoy my blog and want to support my writing? Buy me a tea! Click the button below - Thank you!
Categories
All
Archives
June 2023
|