My late father-in-law Gene gave me this bird clock many years ago. I still haven’t decided which of the 12 birds reminds me the most of that good man.

My late father-in-law Gene gave me this bird clock many years ago. I still haven’t decided which of the 12 birds reminds me the most of that good man.

My late father-in-law Gene gave me this bird clock many years ago. I still haven’t decided which of the 12 birds reminds me the most of that good man.

The young guns are out and about.American Robin.

The young guns are out and about.

American Robin.

Making “Rabbit, rabbit” the first words you say on the first day of the month is supposed to bring you a month’s worth of good luck.

Making “Rabbit, rabbit” the first words you say on the first day of the month is supposed to bring you a month’s worth of good luck.

What did the Brown Thrasher say?

Naturally
 I walked across the yard, moving past the named and the nameless. I saw a professional squirrel had moved with ease past obstacles meant to keep it from a feeder. A red-winged blackbird male at a feeder displayed bling on his wing.
 Brown thrashers put the world in tune with this long-winded song: "Plant a seed, plant a seed, bury it, bury it, cover it up, cover it up, let it grow, let it grow, pull it up, pull it up, eat it, eat it. Hello, hello. Yes, yes, yes. Who is this? Who is this? Well, well, well, I should say, I should say. How's that? How's that? I don't know, I don't know. What did you say? What did you say? Certainly, certainly. Well, well, well. Not that I know of, not that I know of. Tomorrow? Tomorrow? I guess so, I guess so. All right, all right. Goodbye, goodbye." 
 As I gathered sticks I saw a Baltimore oriole build a nest. It was quite a divertissement. An oriole takes up to 12 days to weave a nest, but most are completed within a week. I filled the grape jelly feeder because an oriole has a sweet beak.
 Pearl crescent, mourning cloak and mid-May monarchs were butterflies dancing in the wind. The monarchs return at about the same time each year. Their migration is determined by day length, temperature and host plant quality.
 Goat's-beard (salsify) might be found in every county in Minnesota. Its blossom and seedhead are similar to the dandelion but much larger. Its 1-3 foot tall flowering stems are seen in grassy areas along roadside ditches.

Q&A
 “What ferns could I grow in my yard?” Maidenhair fern makes a dandy border with wild geranium or cranesbill (showy flowers and not invasive) and is deer-resistant. The fern has wiry stems and delicate, airy, green fronds that curve into a semi-circle. Ostrich fern, named for its similarity to ostrich feathers, is easy to grow in wet woodland locations, spreads slowly by rhizomes and is deer-resistant. Foragers seek the curled fronds, called fiddleheads, in early spring and prepare them like asparagus. Ostrich ferns have a celery-like, U-shaped stem. Sensitive fern fronds brown quickly after the first fall frost. Interrupted ferns prefer moist, rich, acidic soil, but adapt to drier soils and nearly full sun. The broad fronds are interrupted in the middle by spore-bearing leaflets. Lady ferns enjoy the company of wild ginger and Jack-in-the-pulpit, and all three are rabbit- and deer-resistant. Its name refers to its graceful, feminine appearance, the curved sori (clusters of spore-producing structures on the lower surface of leaves) that resemble a lady's eyebrow or the scales on the stem are like a woman's hairy legs.
 “It looks like a bee but has short antennae. What is it?” There are around 450 bee species in Minnesota and of the nearly 900 species of flower flies in North America, most have yellow-and-black stripes and are excellent mimics of bees or wasps. They can’t sting, but looking like insects that can make predators avoid them.
 “Were wood ducks nearly extinct?” By the late 1800s to early 1900s, extinction of the wood duck was imminent. Destruction of bottomland hardwood forests and market hunting were the two major factors that contributed to the species' decline. The species was given a standing eight-count, but in 1918, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibited the hunting of wood ducks nationwide. Wood duck populations recovered, and seasons were reopened in 1941.
 “Why do songbirds leave the nests so soon?” Predators have an easy time finding a nest full of loud baby birds and nests can be hotbeds of parasites. Parents work to get their young out of the nest as quickly as possible. The parents keep feeding the young after they’ve left the nest and the social-distancing young birds enhance their chance of survival.
 “What can I feed mourning doves?” Cracked corn, white millet, sunflower seeds and safflower.
 “How big is a bald eagle nest?” The typical nest is 4-5 feet in diameter. They show incredible nest fidelity, meaning the same pair returns to the same site and adds sticks as part of the pair-bonding, which produces gigantic nests, like the largest recorded bald eagle nest in St. Petersburg, Florida, which was 9.5 feet in diameter, 20 feet deep and weighed almost 6,000 pounds. 
 “Do cowbirds parasitize purple martin nests?” Cowbird females dump eggs into the nests of other birds for the nest owners to raise. They primarily parasitize the nests of birds that build open nests in the edges of woodlots and rarely enter nest cavities.
Thanks for stopping by
 “You can't be suspicious of a tree, or accuse a bird or a squirrel of subversion or challenge the ideology of a violet.”—Hal Borland
 “Every spring is the only spring, a perpetual astonishment.”—Ellis Peters
 Do good.

©Al Batt 2021

A chipping sparrow’s song is a long trill that can sound insect-like. Some insect songs have a long trill that can sound chipping sparrow-like. Photo by Al Batt

A chipping sparrow’s song is a long trill that can sound insect-like. Some insect songs have a long trill that can sound chipping sparrow-like. Photo by Al Batt

a Great Egret. The song could have been “Fly Like an Egret.”

A Great Egret. The song could have been “Fly Like an Egret.”

A Great Egret. The song could have been “Fly Like an Egret.”

Turkey Vulture. The song could have been “Fly Like a Vulture.”

Turkey Vulture. The song could have been “Fly Like a Vulture.”

A leucistic robin in the grass. When we get the band back together, that’s what we’re going to call ourselves.

A leucistic robin in the grass. When we get the band back together, that’s what we’re going to call ourselves.

Hot, hot, hot, sunny and a catbird’s rear.

Hot, hot, hot, sunny and a catbird’s rear.

Wearing a stuffed owl head on a hat.

Naturally
 I watched a red-headed woodpecker and was taken with its beauty. Many woodpeckers have some red on their heads, but the red-headed woodpecker sets the standard. By the turn of the 20th century, red-headed woodpeckers had suffered population declines due to several factors. Road mortality, competition with European starlings for nesting cavities and the harvesting of their feathers all contributed to the decline. Populations of many avian species were reduced to provide feathers for women’s hats. Farmers killed red-headed woodpeckers because they damaged fruit and berry crops. Further population declines were observed from the 1930s on. Habitat loss, the limited availability of nesting sites and road mortality worsened the decline. Turkey vultures are also lovely redheads, but I’ve heard one described as unpleasantly beautiful.
 I took photos of trumpeter swans on a day when I’d enjoyed the company of bald eagles, wood ducks and a peregrine falcon. The remarkable recovery of these four species reminded me that in this time of population decline for many birds, waterfowl and raptors are doing well. I looked at the illustrations of “The Sibley Guide to Birds,” (the book weighs as much or more than a red-tailed hawk), to marvel at the colors of the wood duck.
 I delved into corners and saw damselflies, needle-shaped odonates that fold wings over their abdomen when perched (unlike dragonflies).
 In early to mid-June, 2-3 weeks after the goslings hatch, adult Canada geese molt and are unable to fly for about a month. Goslings cannot fly until around mid-July when they’re 8-12 weeks old. During the molt, resident geese lose their flight feathers and remain flightless from mid-June to early July. This vulnerability causes the geese to become secretive, preferring areas that provide food and water. Goslings fly in 63 days and adults in 32 days after losing their flight feathers.
Q&A
 “The stripes on the heads of white-throated sparrows vary in color. Why?” The striking stripes on the heads of white-throated sparrows are either white or tan. Author Pete Dunne said, “White-throated Sparrows come in two plumages—stunning and shabby.” The two color forms are genetically determined. All males prefer females with white stripes. All females prefer tan-striped males. 
 “Did women wear birds on their hats at one time?” Such fashion would lay an egg today, but in the late 19th and early 20th century, birds were killed for their feathers. On Manhattan's Ladies' Mile, a principal shopping district, retail stores sold the feathers of snowy egrets, white ibises and great blue herons. Stuffed owl heads found their way onto hats. At Cape Cod, 40,000 terns were killed in one season by an agent of the hat trade. Frank Chapman, ornithologist and field guide writer, described heron massacres, “Mercilessly they were shot down at their roosts or nesting grounds, the coveted feathers are stripped from their backs, the carcasses are left to rot, while the young in the nest above are starving.” Entire songbirds were used on many hats, mounted on wires and springs that permitted the heads and wings to move in a natural manner. Chapman counted 40 different species of birds on women’s hats in New York City over two days in 1886. In 1896, a Boston socialite Harriet Lawrence Hemenway read an article about feather hunting. She was upset by what the article described and took action. She contacted her cousin, Minna B. Hall, and together they organized a series of teas where they asked the wealthy ladies who attended to stop wearing hats with feathers. Over 900 women joined the cause and boycotted feathered hats. In 1896, women didn't have the right to vote and had difficulty being taken seriously by politicians and other powerful people. Hemenway convinced scientists and Bostonian men to help her form the Massachusetts Audubon Society, the oldest Audubon Society in the country, which in 1897, played a key role in convincing that state’s legislature to outlaw the wild bird feather trade. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 made it unlawful, unless licensed, to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill, possess, sell, purchase, barter, import, export, or transport any migratory bird.
 “What kind of jelly should I feed orioles?” Grape jelly is good, the darker the better they like it. The birds will take orange marmalade or cherry, strawberry, apple or raspberry jams or jellies. All brands are good, but a woman told me that her orioles ate only Welch’s. She tried Smucker’s, but they ignored it. She gave it to her husband because he eats anything. Some people add crushed grapes to grape jelly for additional nutrition and offer mealworms separately.
Thanks for stopping by
 “Nature is filled with words of love, but how can we listen to them amid constant noise, interminable and nerve-wracking distractions, or the cult of appearances?"—Pope Francis
 “All it takes is one good person to restore hope.”—Pope Francis
 Do good.

©Al Batt 2021

Old coots need to stretch. Photo by Al Batt

Old coots need to stretch. Photo by Al Batt

One collective noun for Cedar Waxwings is a museum.

One collective noun for Cedar Waxwings is a museum. A waxwing museum is too perfect.

One collective noun for Cedar Waxwings is a museum. A waxwing museum is too perfect.

Just one look, that’s all it took—to see this was a professional squirrel.

Just one look, that’s all it took—to see this was a professional squirrel.

A large fly on a small bird. This hummingbird was drinking grape jelly juice.

A large fly on a small bird. This hummingbird was drinking grape jelly juice.

A charm or trembling of goldfinches

A charm or trembling of goldfinches. #birding

A charm or trembling of goldfinches. #birding

A sunbathing chickadee.

A sunbathing chickadee.

A Widow Skimmer dragonfly resting from skimming widows.

A Widow Skimmer dragonfly resting from skimming widows.

A Widow Skimmer dragonfly resting from skimming widows.

A Widow Skimmer dragonfly resting from skimming widows.

Will you marry me?

I saw this on a walking trail. I hope the answer was “yes.”

I saw this on a walking trail. I hope the answer was “yes.”

An only duckling.

An only duckling.

An only Mallard duckling.

An only Mallard duckling.

This pair of House Sparrows were working hard building a nest in a spot that likely will be unappreciated by humans.

This pair of House Sparrows were working hard building a nest in a spot that likely will be unappreciated by humans.

The Tree Swallows paid their damage deposit (a white feather for the nest) and rented the place. I’m happy to be their penny-pinching landlord.

The Tree Swallows paid their damage deposit (a white feather for the nest) and rented the place. I’m happy to be their penny-pinching landlord.

The Rose-breasted Grosbeak whistles up delight in my yard. One of the first things I was told about birdsong was that the grosbeak’s song sounds like a robin that has had singing lessons.

The Rose-breasted Grosbeak whistles up delight in my yard. One of the first things I was told about birdsong was that the grosbeak’s song sounds like a robin that has had singing lessons.

The Rose-breasted Grosbeak whistles up delight in my yard.

One of the first things I was told about birdsong was that the grosbeak’s song sounds like a robin that has had singing lessons.

Red columbine is attractive to hummingbirds.

Red columbine is attractive to hummingbirds.

A Chipping Sparrow’s song is a long trill that can sound insect-like. Some insect songs have a long trill that can sound Chipping Sparrow-like.

A Chipping Sparrow’s song is a long trill that can sound insect-like. Some insect songs have a long trill that can sound Chipping Sparrow-like.

The Vietnam Memorial Wall. “When words are most empty, tears are most apt.”–Max Lucado

The Vietnam Memorial Wall.

“When words are most empty, tears are most apt.”–Max Lucado

The Oldsmobile Orchard Oriole 4-door

Naturally
The day was an infant when I listened to a gray catbird produce a series of chirps, mewing, snippets of sounds and renditions of birdsong. The catbird uses other birds’ words against them.
There were whispers from the shadows. It’s the time of the year for the LBJ (Little Brown Job) and the LBB (Little Brown Bird).
I rode the day up like a vulture on a thermal. I don’t often see turkey vultures in flight before mid-morning. It takes time for the sun to generate enough heat to form thermals. I love seeing turkey vultures at work. They clean our roads. They eat carrion as do many of our raptors, including the bald eagle. A group of perched vultures is called a wake or committee. A bumblebee buzzed past—it was a May bee. May—it may rain, it may snow, it may be 90º, it may be 30º. Grackles buzzed the tower (feeder) trying to dislodge a squirrel.
First- and second-year Canada geese (too young to breed) along with those that lost nests early in the breeding season undertake a molt migration. Individuals may move hundreds of miles in late spring and early summer to bodies of water where they’re safer as they molt and become flightless. In September and October, they return and may fly in any direction.
The lilac is traditionally a funeral flower in parts of Europe and was placed in caskets, likely because the perfume from the flower masked the scent of death before modern funerary practices were adopted.
The two common ants in lawns are field ants and cornfield ants. Field ants are about 1/4 inch long and are black or red and black. Their nests are mound-like and can cover an area up to two feet in diameter. Field ants can be found in healthy, growing turf. People mistake them for fire ants, which are found as close as southern Tennessee. Field ants bite, but it isn’t as painful as the stings of fire ants. Cornfield ants can also be found in lawns. They are smaller than field ants, about 1/8 inch long and range in color from light to dark brown. They construct small, conical mounds, in bare or thinning areas.
I corresponded with bluebirding friends located in the Midwest who indicated their bluebird numbers are down 10-20% from last year. February brought harsh winter weather to the south of us and it killed bluebirds and other early migrants.
Q&A
“When do hummingbirds arrive?” In the spring, the males arrive in Minnesota in early May (sometimes in late April) and females in early to mid-May. They feed on flower nectar, tiny insects, spiders, sweetened water from feeders and yellow-bellied sapsucker wells. In the fall, adult males begin migrating in early August. Females follow soon afterward. They fly across the Gulf of Mexico or along the western coast of Mexico and spend the winter in Central or South America.
Rae Jerrel of Kensel, North Dakota, asked for identification of young owls. Her photo showed owlets with yellow eyes, looked as if they wore too much mascara and had dark bills. That means they should be great horned owls. The adults have plumicorns (feathered tufts that resemble horns). Great horned owls begin nesting in January or February. They usually lay their eggs in abandoned nests of squirrels, hawks or crows but sometimes nest on cliff ledges or in hollow trees. Female owls lay one to five eggs, which hatch in 30-37 days. They leave the nest in 6-9 weeks. Barred owls have dark eyes, light-colored bills and have more rounded heads. Barred owls nest later than great horned owls, starting in March, with two or three eggs in a clutch. Incubation is 28-33 days with the owlets leaving the nest in 4-5 weeks. Barred owls eat mice, squirrels, rabbits, birds, frogs, fish and crayfish.
“Do blue jays reuse nests?” Occasionally. They do rarely use nests of other species, including squirrels.
“What is the rarest bird ever seen in Minnesota?” I’d vote for the fieldfare seen in Cook County in November 1991.
Smithsonian Coloring Book
“The Smithsonian Birds Coloring Book” illustrated by Rachel Curtis is a wonderful gift for that coloring book aficionado who is a birder. The back of the book says this, “Fans of coloring books and birds in their majestic diversity will find an enchanting realm to explore with their own creativity.” Interesting facts are provided for each bird. The book is excellent for those of all ages who enjoy birds.
Thanks for stopping by
“I think if you listen closely in the sweet, glad days of spring, with the song of the brook, the breeze and the birds, you can hear the flowers sing.”–Helen Isabel Moorhouse
"We seem to think that we can substitute an irreplaceable and irretrievable beauty with something which we have created ourselves."—Pope Francis
Do good.

©Al Batt 2021

The orchard oriole. I always thought that would have been a fine name for a model of an Oldsmobile. Who wouldn’t look sharp behind the wheel of an Oldsmobile Orchard Oriole? Photo by Al Batt

The orchard oriole. I always thought that would have been a fine name for a model of an Oldsmobile. Who wouldn’t look sharp behind the wheel of an Oldsmobile Orchard Oriole? Photo by Al Batt

Here’s an easy way to increase the number of books you’ve read—and it’s educational.

Here’s an easy way to increase the number of books you’ve read—and it’s educational.

Yellow-rumps and yellow heads

Yellow-rumps and yellow heads.Yellow-rumped Warbler and the rare dandelion.

Yellow-rumps and yellow heads.

Yellow-rumped Warbler and the rare dandelion.

A Blue Jay is crestfallen when it takes the last peanut. It carries away as much as it can in its bill because it has no pockets.

A Blue Jay is crestfallen when it takes the last peanut. It carries away as much as it can in its bill because it has no pockets.

Which Wild Turkey has the discount GPS?

Which Wild Turkey has the discount GPS?