Naturally

At first light, I read the texts of the night—tracks left in the snow. They weren’t all signed.

A crow was up early. When perched in a tree, a hawk exhibits an upright, vertical posture, while a crow has a more horizontal stance. A hawk sits with its body and tail pointing straight down. A crow sits with its tail pointing out at an angle, in a more horizontal body alignment.

The American Ornithological Society has made changes that affect checklists and field guides. One change is that the warbling vireo has been split into the eastern and western warbling-vireos.

Q&A

“Do you have suggestions for Christmas gifts for birdbrains?" What do you give a nature lover for Christmas other than your undying appreciation or raucous cheers extolling their perfection? Birds come already wrapped. Share your love of them with another. Warm socks, gloves or mittens, a cap (the sillier a hat looks, the warmer it will be) or flip-top mittens that allow the wearer to fold back the top of the mitten to reveal fingerless gloves. I love the arm freedom vests provide. Books and more books of all kinds. I enjoy the tactile sensation of paper field guides, but digital field guides are excellent, too. I prefer painted birds over photos and guides covering more than a single state, but your preferences may vary. A small book showing the birds of only one state is suitable for those who do their birding from the kitchen window or at a feeder. I advise you to look at field guides in a bookstore before deciding which one fits. A Leatherman, ice cleats, trekking or hiking poles, snowshoes, a dependable travel mug (one that hollers at you when you are about to forget it somewhere—please let me know if you find one), a pocket-sized notebook, or a back, day or fanny pack. Binoculars are lovely gifts but are easier to buy for a child than for an adult. Get a gift receipt or be accompanied by the adult gift recipient at the time of purchase. A membership in a local bird club or nature center, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, American Birding Association, Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union, Wild Ones or Izaak Walton League. Please don’t fall for the scam and join the Poison Ivy Lovers of Minnesota group. I’ve been the only one there at the last three meetings. A state park sticker, a hand lens, feeders, birdseed, a subscription to BWD magazine (a birding publication), or a trail camera.

“How can I tell if the footprints are those of a dog, coyote or fox?” A coyote print is triangular and, unlike a domestic dog’s print, a coyote’s toenails are often faint or absent on the two outside toes. The nails on the inside toes are longer than a dog’s and sometimes point towards each other. Dog prints are rounder, broader and splayed or messy, and are less symmetrical. Foxes have furred footpads to reduce heat loss and improve traction. This can obscure its footprints. The tracks of coyotes and foxes are in a straight line because a wild canine wishes to conserve energy, especially in winter, and moves with purpose. Dogs walk more haphazardly, tending to wander to investigate and sniff every stump, bush, large rock or change in the landscape. Coyote and fox tracks show the hind foot landing precisely on the front footprint, dropping where the front foot had been until it was lifted. This is called direct registering. Some domestic dogs might do this, but they don’t maintain it for long before becoming distracted.

Chuck from North Carolina asked what my spirit animal would be. A chickadee—any species of chickadee. In Native American symbolism, seeing a chickadee is thought of as good luck. A Cherokee myth associates them with knowledge and the truth. Chickadees can adapt to different environments and weather. They are lively and energetic, and serve as a reminder to me to focus on the small moments of happiness and to find joy in the present. They are effective communicators, observant with a keen awareness of their surroundings. They observe and absorb.

“Is the suet from a meat market or the commercial cakes of suet the best for birds?” Birds enjoy raw suet, the kind sold at a butcher’s shop, but raw suet spoils quickly. Use it only in cold weather. If used in hot weather, it will turn rancid. Commercially made suet cakes, which don’t spoil in warm weather, often have cornmeal, cherries, oranges and cranberries mixed into them. The birds don’t care about the added ingredients. I might.

Thanks for stopping by

"Christmas will always be as long as we stand heart to heart and hand in hand."—Dr. Seuss.

"Christmas is like candy; it slowly melts in your mouth sweetening every taste bud, making you wish it could last forever."—Richelle E. Goodrich.

Do good.

The Tennessee warbler is a small, thin-billed, greenish-yellow bird, that is common but plain-looking. “Plain-looking” isn’t the way the bird describes itself. The Tennessee warbler is misnamed as it breeds primarily in Canada, not Tennessee. It got the Tennessee name because Alexander Wilson encountered one there. It feeds on caterpillars in the summer, thriving when spruce budworms are abundant, and becomes a nectar thief in the winter. Photo by Al Batt.