A bird with a Dutch oven

Naturally

 Spring was spreading like wildflowers and I listened to field sparrows at Minneopa State Park. Their song came from all directions as I watched starlings ride on the backs of bison. The bison drive is open to cars every day but Wednesday. There were four bison calves, the little pumpkins or red dogs were orangish-red, reddish-brown, or cinnamon-colored. A male indigo bunting bedazzled a small tree. One good look and I realized there was no need to gild that lily. What a glorious day to be on earth.

Quarry Park and Nature Preserve

 I walked the trails of Quarry Park and Nature Preserve, a 684-acre park in Waite Park, the site of former granite mining quarries. The trails wind through woodland, prairie, wetland and bedrock areas. Near the entrance are the Liberty Derrick and Derrick House, which pay homage to the history of the granite mining industry in the early 1900s. I moseyed down the paths not long after golf ball-sized hailstones had battered my car. Some cars lost windshields and rear windows to the hail. Heavy rains caused the trails to carry a lot of water. As I watched ornaments in the trees, scarlet tanagers were lovely and unafraid as they searched for food, I heard an ovenbird sing, “Nature, nature, nature.” Some ears hear it as “Teacher, teacher, teacher.” This warbler walks on the forest floor and its name is a reference to its nest, a domed structure resembling a Dutch oven. Its ringing song becomes stronger toward its end. Nature was good company and I was happy to be there.    

 The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published an article that said water sounds, a gurgling brook or waterfall, were effective at improving positive affect (the psychological term for a positive outlook or disposition and the experience of joy), while bird sounds were excellent for lowering stress. The study’s lead author was Rachel Buxton, Ph.D., a research associate and conservation biologist in the Department of Biology at Carleton University in Ottawa, and her colleagues from six universities and the National Park Service did a statistical analysis of three dozen studies exploring the measurable health benefits of natural sounds. Lancet Public Health funded by the World Health Organization pooled data from nine studies involving over 8 million people from seven different countries. That research showed that people who live near or in green spaces tend to live longer than those exposed to less green space. Research published in Ecological Applications, looked at about 3,000 people in Tokyo and found that seeing greenery from a window or going outside improved mental health measures like depression, happiness, self-esteem and loneliness. Iranian scientists found ICU patients on ventilators reported less pain when they listened to natural sounds via headphones. I know walking a wet trail while listening to a bird sing about nature as I watched gorgeous birds enhanced my existence. Listen to the birds.

Q&A

  “Do owl decoys discourage birds?” The effectiveness of the plastic statues is limited because even the most skittish bird quickly finds them no threat.

Thanks for stopping by

   “There is a singer everyone has heard, loud, a mid-summer and a mid-wood bird.
Who makes the solid tree trunks sound again. He says that leaves are old and that for flowers mid-summer is to spring as one to ten. He says the early petal-fall is past
when pear and cherry bloom went down in showers on sunny days a moment overcast;
and comes that other fall we name the fall. He says the highway dust is over all.
The bird would cease and be as other birds but that he knows in singing not to sing.
The question that he frames in all but words is what to make of a diminished thing.”–Robert Frost.
 

“Bird watchers top my honors list. I aimed to be one, but I missed. Since I’m both myopic and astigmatic, my aim turned out to be erratic, and I, bespectacled and binocular, exposed myself to comment jocular. We don’t need too much birdlore, do we, to tell a flamingo from a towhee; yet I cannot, and never will, unless the silly birds stand still. And there’s no enlightenment in a tour of ornithological literature. Is yon strange creature a common chickadee, or a migrant alouette from Picardy? You can rush to consult your nature guide and inspect the gallery inside, but a bird in the open never looks like its picture in the birdie books—or if it once did, it has changed its plumage, and plunges you back into ignorant gloomage. That is why I sit here growing old by inches, watching a clock instead of finches, but I sometimes visualize in my gin the Audubon that I audubin.”—Ogden Nash.

 Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

The well known Minnesota poet Robert Bly mentioned “The Nimble Oven Bird,” in his poem known as “The Slim Fir Seeds.” Ovenbird photo by Al Batt.

A wise owl isn’t fighting with your window.

Why does a squirrel play chicken with my car?

Naturally

I gathered sticks from the yard and added them to the burgeoning brush plies. The wind had been busy. Turkey vultures flew over in a scavenger hunt. I was serenaded by white-throated sparrows whistling, “Old Sven Peterson, Peterson.” Or it could have been “Old Sven Petersen, Petersen.” Or “Old Sven Pedersen, Pedersen.” You get the idea. I’m not sure sparrows are concerned with the proper spelling of anything.
Trumpeter swans are nesting, Canada goose goslings have been waddling around since May began, many white-crowned sparrows were sporting bike helmets, Lincoln’s and field sparrows were numerous, and yellow-headed blackbirds were here and there. I saw the “mustard heads” in a number of locations, which brought me joy. They were hard for me to find in those same places last year. They put some spring into spring. I paused in adding to my stick collection to watch a Little Rickie flit about in the short trees. I call the tiny ruby-crowned kinglet “Little Rickie” based on the official four-letter code used by bird-banders and birders, RCKI. The kinglet has a big voice. The frosting on the cake was a noisy red-headed woodpecker.
Think of one of your favorite songs. You know how it starts and how it progresses. That’s how nature moves in spring. There is an order. Dabbling ducks are on vernal ponds and midges, resembling mosquitoes without the bite, provide food for swallows. A late spring compresses plant activity.
Crows were acting crowish. Crows in a city in Sweden are being trained to collect cigarette butts from the streets and drop them into a machine that rewards them with food. It’s a project called “Corvid Cleaning” by The Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation and aims to lower the costs of street cleaning in the city.
I found bits of a balloon tangled in vegetation near water. There is no such thing as a good free-range balloon. It becomes toxic trash.

Q&A
Ken Nelson of Clarks Grove wondered when Baltimore orioles leave Minnesota after nesting and how many broods they have. They have one brood. In July, most young orioles are leaving the nest and becoming independent. The parents start molting their body and flight feathers in anticipation of their migration south. By September, it’s rare to see any orioles hanging around. Their durable sock-like nests continue to hang, thanks to a tightly woven construction, strong knots and superior building materials.
“Do robins find worms by sight or sound?” Robins hop around our yards, with heads cocked, searching for worms. There was research published in the journal Animal Behavior that concluded robins could use either visual or auditory cues to find worms, but probably use both.
“Why do squirrels insist on stopping in a street and then running in front of my car?” Why do squirrels run into the path of an oncoming car? Are they panicking or just goofy? Squirrels spend their lives trying not to be killed and then they do this? Instinct drives this behavior while you’re driving your car. Squirrels run in a serpentine or zig-zag pattern to throw hunting hawks off their swooping game. This method helps squirrels dodge raptors and other predators. I must add that this is a commonly held theory, which squirrels have refused to confirm or deny.
“I watched a kingfisher catch a big fish for the bird’s size. It whacked its catch on a branch and then perched there for a long time with the fish hanging from its bill. What was it doing?” The kingfisher, around a foot long, leaves a comparatively large, captured fish hanging out of its beak and filling the bird’s throat, as rapid digestion allows the fish to inch its way down the kingfisher’s gullet. Kingfishers regurgitate pellets made of indigestible parts, just as an owl does.
“What do hummingbirds feed on when they return in a cold, late spring?” Sap and insects. Yellow-bellied sapsuckers, which winter in the southeastern U.S. and Central America, migrate north in early spring when the sap is running. They use their strong bills to notch rows of sapwells in trees. They drink the sap and feed on the insects attracted to it. Hummingbirds rely on the bounty of sap provided by sapsuckers and visit the wells to drink the sweet liquid and feed on the insects attracted to it. For the hummingbirds, this is an important food source that helps them survive until the flowers bloom.

Thanks for stopping by
“Do not think of knocking out another person's brains because he differs in opinion from you. It would be as rational to knock yourself on the head because you differ from yourself ten years ago.”—Horace Mann.
“Is there anything more beautiful in the world than to sit before an open window and enjoy nature, to listen to the birds singing?”—Anne Frank.
Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

A white-crowned sparrow looks as if it is wearing a bike helmet and loves to hang around brush piles. Photo by Al Batt.

Hummingbirds are stalking sapsuckers.

The weather brought out the heavy artillery. Some angry golf ball-sized hailstones battered my car while I taught writing classes at College of St. Ben’s. Windshields and rear windows of other cars needed to be replaced. It wasn’t flossing with barbed wire, but it was disturbing. The good thing about hail is—I guess there is no good thing about hail unless you’re in the auto glass repair and replacement business. One auto glass company vehicle had oversized mudflaps intended to prevent its rear tires from kicking up rocks. They weren’t out drumming up business.

Seeing a Scarlet Tanager causes me to turn 111 shades of happy.

A total lunar eclipse caused the handsome sky to reveal a blood moon.

What the hey? It’s an Osprey.

To alter John Donne’s words only slightly, “Any death diminishes me.” A Cooper’s Hawk chased this Gray Catbird into a window collision, with sad results. I believe the accipiter escaped unscathed.

To alter John Donne’s words only slightly, “Any death diminishes me.” A Cooper’s Hawk chased this Gray Catbird into a window collision, with sad results. I believe the accipiter escaped unscathed.

I know it’s dawn when the ring-necked pheasant rooster crows “cow-cat” loudly outside my bedroom. He follows it up with a loud, rapid beating of his wings.

The common name for this butterfly, mourning cloak, refers to its resemblance to a traditional cloak worn by someone in mourning. It’s called the Camberwell beauty in the U.K.

Who is that saying “whoo-eek”?

Naturally

 The yard’s starlings used mimicry to tell me of the other voices they’ve heard recently.
 The first warbler I see each spring is the yellow-rumped warbler, nicknamed “butterbutt.” It’s first in line because it’s capable of eating berries and suet, plus it winters closer to us than do other warblers. The first flycatcher to return is the eastern phoebe. It says fee-bee and commonly nests on outbuildings. The first swallow I see is a tree swallow, which has a diet of insects, but may eat plant material during bad weather.
 When the marshes are open, the goose migration has passed. I heard a ruby-crowned kinglet singing outside of church. A tiny bird with an enormous voice.
 In February, peregrine falcons return to the nest box on top of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. From mid-March to mid-April, 1 to 5 eggs are laid, which hatch in mid-May after about a 35-day incubation period. The chicks are named by patients, staff and volunteers. They fledge in June and July. The Latin name for the peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus, means “wanderer.” A peregrine is a crow-sized bird and an adult has a blue-gray back with a light-colored horizontal striped underside and a dark-colored head. The male is about 1/3 smaller than the female. They can reach speeds over 240 mph in spectacular dives and live on every continent except Antarctica. Historically, the peregrine falcon preferred nests on high cliffs near water. Today, the birds are found on smokestacks, bridges and tall buildings such as those of the Mayo Clinic.
 Male wood ducks call to females with a squeaky whistle of "jeeeee." The females call with a different, louder "whoo-eek" whistle, the most commonly heard wood duck sound.

Bluebirds
 Keith Radel of Faribault said he’d fledged 140 black-capped chickadees last year. House wrens can be hard on chickadee eggs. He recommends closing vent holes on bluebird boxes and not worrying about the boxes being too hot. 
 Mike Jeresek of Rushford puts a vanilla-scented pine tree (car air freshener) in each bluebird box or sprays each with an undiluted vanilla spray. Gnats can be lethal to nestlings and the vanilla discourages them. Mike finds the gnats terrible from the last week of May through July 4 in his area. Bluebirders living where bears live, might not want to use the vanilla technique, as bears will destroy the boxes. He isn’t concerned with the direction his boxes face. His only recommendation is they should face toward a tree and not a road. A young bluebird can fly up to 300 feet when fledging and prefers landing in a tree.

Q&A
 “What do brown thrashers eat?” Brown thrashers eat mostly insects and other arthropods along with some fruits, seeds and nuts. They typically feed on the ground, sweeping their bills through the leaf litter and soil with quick, sideways motions.
 “How many broods do tree swallows have?” Tree swallows raise one brood per year. 
 Leigh Pomeroy of Mankato asked how to discourage a robin from fighting with a window. A window cleaning company might have hired the robin to drum up business by soiling the glass. Hey, a bird has to put food on the table. OK, the robin doesn’t have a table. All the more reason he needed a job. It’s doing what birds of many species do. When a pair decides on a nest site, the surrounding area becomes their territory and they aggressively defend it by driving away other birds of their species. When a male robin spots another male, a chasing fight ensues. The dominant male gets a mate, the nesting location, the territory and the area’s food. When a territorial bird sees its mirrored image in a window’s reflective surface, it perceives that image as a rival and tries to drive the other bird away. A real robin would leave, but the stubborn reflection remains. Being persistent, the robin continues to attack. To get a robin to stop, block the image. Put a piece of cardboard or plastic cling on the outside of the window where the bird is attacking. Soaping the window works. This may cause Martha Stewart to shudder, but in most cases, you’ll need to cover it only until the shadowboxing robin thinks its worthy adversary has departed. Putting something on the inside of the window generally enhances the mirrored image. Warning: a robin intent on finding a fight will move to another window and some are more determined than others. They fought with the mirror of my car and its baby moon hubcaps. I’ve heard of them battling with gazing balls. I have an angry chickadee providing a glass act here. 

Thanks for stopping by
 “The rain begins with a single drop.”—Manal al-Sharif.
 “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”—Albert Einstein.
 Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

A nuptial tubercle is a fibrous plate on the upper part of an American white pelican’s bill. It will fall off when the mating season is over. Pelicans often fish in groups as these birds are doing. Photos by Al Batt

A lovely book presenting an engaging tale of a Minnesotan’s adventurous search for a feathered treasure buried in Russia’s far east. It’s a quick read only because it’s difficult to put it down.—Al Batt

Zungunruhe and a hermit thrush

The Hermit Thrush is a lovely singer and likely gets its name because of its retiring ways. Photo by Al Batt.

Naturally
Birds are a handle for me to hold on to. The goldfinches become more lemony each day, tree swallows (spring on the wing) slice the air, and juncos persist in high numbers in my yard. Amid this junco jubilation and chorus frog caroling are fox sparrows, brown thrashers, white-throated sparrows, song sparrows, robins and a hermit thrush busily feeding. It’s a rare leaf resting on the ground that hasn’t had its butt kicked by all that scratching, flipping and tossing. It’s as if an avian The Who were playing a version of “The Chicken Dance” while smashing their guitars.
I rejoiced in the return of brown thrashers. The birds are masters of imitations and invention in their songs. Many folks are familiar with the northern mockingbird commonly seen and heard in much of this country. Brown thrashers typically repeat phrases only twice, while mockingbirds repeat theirs three or more times. Brown thrashers and gray catbirds hit the shuffle button.
My overlords, the squirrels, ate heartily. What would the people selling bird feeders do without squirrels? They ensure repeat customers. Squirrels live every day as if it’s their first.
Robins sing earlier some evenings than others. They time their singing to the intensity of light and time of sunset. When dark clouds roll in, they sing earlier. From sunset until dark, a robin adds ethereal whispered notes to its carol, creating a song of remarkable complexity. The American robin is one of the first bird species to sing each morning before the dawn chorus starts and one of the last ones to sing in the evening. Studies have found it sings the least around noon. A robin’s crepuscular singing may correlate with the physiology of its eyes, which are adapted to low-light environments, like dawn and dusk. In locations with more artificial light, robins initiate their morning songs earlier than in darker areas. Whispered syllables are frequently heard during dawn and dusk. The primary reason males sing is to attract a mate and to establish and defend a territory.
I enjoy counting raptors as I drive—mostly red-tailed hawks and American kestrels. An osprey looked large in the air, with its distinctive kink in its wings. I spotted a northern harrier male, a gray ghost of the marsh. It was once called a marsh hawk. I see them gliding low over a field as they hunt. This raptor has a white rump at the base of its tail. The females are brown.
I watched specklebellies (greater white-fronted geese) fly overhead and smiled at their laughing calls sounding strangely human. The belly of the goose is grayish with dark brown to black blotches and bars, giving it the nickname "specklebelly” or “speckled belly.”
I see organized groups culling our ditches of trash. They do good work. I pick up trash when I’m birding and have for so many years I can’t remember when I didn’t. I can’t pick it all up and I don’t try. I can pick up some of it and I do. One day, I found an entire pen. It hadn’t been crushed by a vehicle tire. It didn’t have any ink, but you can’t have everything. A woman asked me why I was picking up trash. She likely thought I’d been sentenced to community service. “I am birding,” I said.
I was on a long drive home from a speaking engagement. My journey was nothing compared to the migration of the bar-tailed godwit. Individuals of that species have traveled over 8100 miles without food or rest. How do birds know when to migrate? Day length, food availability, weather, temperature, body condition, other birds are migrating and Zungunruhe (a migratory restlessness).

Q&A
“How long is a chipmunk’s burrow?” The cute little eastern chipmunk with his cheeks stuffed with food has a burrow that reaches 2 feet deep and 30 feet long.
“What is Minnesota’s heaviest flying bird?” Weighing in at over 25 pounds, the trumpeter swan is the heaviest bird flying in North America.
“I see eagles by my cabin in northern Minnesota. Could they be golden eagles?” They would be immature bald eagles, which are the same size. Golden eagles don’t breed in Minnesota, but are regular winter residents of the blufflands region of southeast Minnesota.
“What kind of birds might be nesting in a bluebird nest box?” Bluebirds, tree swallows, black-capped chickadees, house wrens and house sparrows. Use a 1 9/16-inch entrance hole for bluebirds and 1 1/8-inch for chickadees.

Thanks for stopping by
“Every creature is better alive than dead, men and moose and pine trees, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it.”—Henry David Thoreau.
“To look at any thing, if you would know that thing, you must look at it long.”—John Moffitt.
Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

I love a lemony American Goldfinch.

The damage done to Hartland, Minnesota, in December’s tornado are evident.

I hope the lovely mural endures.

When it comes to fishing, some of us (I’m talking about you, American White Pelicans) get carried away.

When it comes to fishing, some of us (I’m talking about you, American White Pelicans) get carried away.

A White-crowned Sparrow looks as if it’s wearing a bike helmet.

A White-crowned Sparrow looks as if it’s wearing a bike helmet.

My walk was a leaf-covered mosey. One of the leaves turned out to be a Mourning Cloak butterfly. I watched it as it flew to a place where it could feed on tree sap. This handsome creature hibernates as an adult.

Kids built this along a walking/bike trail. They were probably taking a class from a beaver.

In Rochester, Minnesota.

I’m seeing Red Admiral butterflies. They enjoy feeding on tree sap.

Spring radio.

These Common Loons spend the year here.

Why are owls considered wise?

A wise owl on the wall of the Plummer Building in Rochester. Photo by Al Batt

Naturally

Dandelions bloomed and the smell of skunk was in the air. That aroma is unlikely to become the next big candle scent, but it’s not the worst odor. The laughter of a gull accompanied me as I beheld the lovely Plummer Building, part of the Mayo Campus, which was opened in 1928 and is a focal point of Rochester’s skyline. It has a 56-bell carillon. When I looked at the building, it looked back. It has gargoyles, a hawk for vigilance, an owl for wisdom and a winged salamander because “Why not?”
A black-capped chickadee fought with his image in the window glass. He makes gargling sounds indicative of territorial concern as he battles my window with a view. He strikes the glass with a fierce, yet charming facility. Cardinals and robins are regulars in that boxing ring, and I’ve seen wild turkeys, great crested flycatchers, chipping sparrows, Baltimore orioles, eastern bluebirds, a rooster chicken and other species fighting with windows. The glass in my windows remains undefeated. Blue jays seem to understand the image isn’t an actual bird. Magpies have been tested and found to understand reflected images are fake birds.
I watched kissing cardinals. During courtship, males prove their worth by feeding seeds to a female one at a time, directly from his beak to hers. This courtship display looks like kissing.

Q&A

David Stoering of Courtland asked when Eurasian Collared-doves first came to Minnesota and why he doesn’t see any western meadowlarks, whose songs he enjoys. The doves were first spotted in the U.S. (Florida) in 1986 and first documented in Minnesota in 1998. Meadowlarks have been hit hard by the fragmentation of grassland habitat due to increasing urbanization and changing agricultural practices. If you take away the grass, you take away meadowlarks. The song of the meadowlark is a familiar and iconic sound heard across the grasslands of the Midwest. Science suggests that meadowlarks have been affected by neonicotinoids, a group of insecticides used on crops. The western meadowlark population in Minnesota has decreased an average of 7.51% per year from 1967 to 2015. Other factors affecting meadowlark populations may include other pesticides, habitat degradation because of invasive plant species, the declining number of farms pasturing cattle and fire suppression that alters native grasslands. Nesting on the ground leaves them vulnerable to predators: raccoons, cats, skunks, foxes, weasels, coyotes and hawks. I hear their song, but not as often as I once did. I miss hearing the melodious, flutelike voice of this lemon-breasted bird who serenades my memories. Sometimes I hear a starling imitating them.
“Why are owls considered wise?” It was probably inspired by an owl’s big eyes, the shape of its face, solemn appearance, a stare that gives the impression of undivided attention and hunting prowess, but not by any intellectual superiority. The Greeks thought an owl had a mystical inner light, which allowed it to see at night. Ancient Greeks associated the owl with the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena. In “Winnie the Pooh,” the character Owl is based on the stereotype of the wise owl. He’s always happy to offer opinions, advice and anecdotes whether or not they’re wanted. He and his friends see Owl as a brainiac, but he isn’t as smart as he thinks. Tlingit warriors had great faith in owls and charged into battle hooting like owls to give themselves confidence and to strike fear in enemies. Wise or not, owls are owls and that’s enough.
“When do turkeys nest?” Wild turkeys mate from April to May, with hens nesting between mid-April and mid-June, laying 4 to 17 eggs, which hatch in 25-31 days. The young, called poults, can fly in three or four weeks, but stay with their mother for up to four months. Once extirpated from Minnesota, wild turkey restoration has been a phenomenal success. Most turkey nests are in the woods, where the hen prefers a concealed spot with overhead cover from which she can watch for predators. Typical locations are depressions in thickets, beneath the branches of fallen trees, in dead leaves at the bases of trees, under brush piles or thick shrubbery, or occasionally in open hayfields. Open grasslands are necessary for courtship in addition to providing seeds and insects.

Folklore fun

According to folklore, if a new crescent moon holds its points upward, appearing able to contain water, you can expect a dry spell. If it stands on its points, expect precipitation to spill out.
A cold April the barn will fill.

Thanks for stopping by

“Literature encourages tolerance—bigots and fanatics seldom have any use for the arts, because they're so preoccupied with their beliefs and actions that they can't see them also as possibilities.”—Northrop Frye.
“Most of us shell our days like peanuts. One in a thousand can look at the world with amazement.”—Amor Towles.

©Al Batt 2022

Putting nature and radio together. The result: nature and radio.

Make a little birdhouse in your soul.

Trumpeter swans involved in a disagreement. The mallards wisely stayed out of it. Trumpeter swans have loud calls resembling a bugle or trumpet, while tundra swans have a high-pitched call that earned them the nickname “whistling swans.” Photo by Al Batt.

Naturally
 Something was missing. I went outside. That was it. That was what was missing.
 J.R.R. Tolkien provided words to describe the in-between season in which we’re suspended now: “A morning of pale Spring still clinging to Winter’s chill.”
 I watched a nuthatch move around the trunk of a tree. It was “As the nuthatch turns.” I saw a meadowlark and its yellow belly.
Turkey vultures fed on a road-killed animal. Perhaps vultures are grateful to their avian gods for the gift of roads. A vulture relative, an Andean condor in Patagonia flew over 100 miles (five hours) without flapping a wing. The condors, with 10-foot wingspans, were found to spend 1% of their time aloft flapping wings, most of it during takeoffs.
 I watched and listened to the cardinals in my yard. I’ve seen flamingos in Florida. They didn’t look kitschy. Cardinals always look regal even when they’re lawn ornaments. I talked to a friend in the waiting room of a dental office. He told me how unbelievingly cool it was for him to see the handsome cardinals on his farm.
 Many starlings attacked the suet. The moat I’d installed didn’t deter them. Their numbers have declined markedly across much of northern Europe and the UK. The cause of the starling decline there is unknown. Long-term monitoring by the British Trust for Ornithology shows starling numbers falling by 66% in Britain since the mid-1970s.

Q&A
 Loren Kaiser of Albert Lea asked if a bald-faced hornet nest needed to be treated to preserve it. It isn’t necessary to treat a collected nest in any way. It will last if suspended in a dry location where it won’t be damaged by handling or vibration. That wasp doesn’t winter in its nests.
 “Do Canada geese ganders incubate the eggs?” Incubation is done solely by the female. The male zealously guards the nest and will attack  intruders. Both adults, especially the gander, vigorously defend their broods for 10-12 weeks after hatching. Pairs usually stay together for life. Ideal nesting sites are places providing concealment near water, including a islands, muskrat houses, manmade nesting structures, shoreline vegetation, the base of a mature tree, under shrubs, thick aquatic vegetation such as cattails, in flower boxes in urban and suburban landscaping; in doorways, or on structures, especially rooftops. A Canada goose took up residence in a former Decorah bald eagle tree nest this spring.
 “How did the muskrat get its name?” Muskrats aren’t even in the rat family. They’re more closely related to voles and lemmings. The name is believed to come from the Algonquian language, “musascus,” “musquash” or “moskwas,” which referred to its reddish fur color. It’s thought because of the musky smell it produces to mark territory and its naked tail, the name was altered to muskrat, but it’s possible English speakers took the Algonquian word and morphed it into muskrat.
 “How did feral hogs come to be in Texas?” They are intelligent, adaptable and fertile. Wild hog populations had been nurtured on ranches that sold hunting leases. Captured hogs were released in other parts of Texas. Improved animal husbandry reduced disease among domestic pigs, thereby lessening the incidence among wild hogs. While in that state, I was told over 4 million feral hogs were messing with Texas. They compete with native wildlife and destroy ecosystems by foraging and destabilizing soil in wetlands. They damage  landscaping, fencing, irrigation systems, golf courses and parks. Wild pig-vehicle collisions result in significant property damage, human injury and death.
 “How many trumpeter swans are there in Minnesota?” It’s estimated over 30,000. In the 1700s and 1800s, swans were hunted for their meat, skins and feathers. Swan habitat diminished as settlers moved across North America. By the 1880s, trumpeter swans had disappeared from Minnesota. By the 1930s, only 69 trumpeter swans remained in the lower 48 states, living in the remote Red Rock Lakes area in Montana. In 1966, what is now the Three Rivers Park District began experimenting with the reintroduction of trumpeter swans to Hennepin county’s park reserves. Forty swans were secured from the Red Rock Lakes NWR, but initial efforts proved unsuccessful until the first release of young occurred in 1978 and the first successful nesting occurred in 1979. The DNR’s Nongame Wildlife Program released 21 trumpeter swans in 1987 near Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge in Becker County. In 1988, five trumpeter swans were released at Swan Lake in Nicollet County. This lake, known by a Sioux name that translated to “Lake-of-the-many-large-birds,” and where I just enjoyed the company of the lovely swans. 

Thanks for stopping by
 “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”—Thomas Jefferson.
 “Make a little birdhouse in your soul.”—They Might Be Giants.

 Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

Good-natured nature talk on the radio.

I’m always happy to have the company of a Brown Thrasher. I love it when a thrasher hits the shuffle button.

One of the wonderful souls hiking with me wondered why Pileated Woodpeckers make oblong holes in trees. I told him it was because oblong carpenter ants are one of their favorite foods.

Who does Big Bird think he is?

Naturally

  A fox sparrow and a song sparrow sang as I looked at raccoon tracks in the fresh snow. I appreciated the forced contemplation. The tracks looked like tiny human handprints, with five long digits shaped much like four fingers and a thumb making up the front foot. Five long digits with a more forward-pointing "thumb" and a larger palm pad make up the back foot.

  March is the month of melting ice and April is the month of running water. I watched a fox squirrel dig up a buried nut in the yard not long after I’d watched a “Nature” TV episode featuring squirrels. It was delightful. Dr. Mikel Delgado of the University of California at Berkeley discovered that the fox squirrels in her study remembered and located about 90% of the nuts they buried. Their brains grew larger during the fall to help them create a mental map of buried treasures. A fox squirrel could stockpile 3,000 to 10,000 nuts a year.

  My yard hosted many common grackles. I accept their ways even when it’s not Grackle Appreciation Day and take nothing they do personally.

Q&A

  “What kind of bird is Big Bird?” A large one I’m glad doesn’t come to my bird feeders. He’s not in any of my field guides, he’s 8.2 feet tall and loves birdseed milkshakes. Oscar called him an overgrown meadowlark. When on “Hollywood Squares,” host Peter Marshall asked, "What kind of a bird are you?" Big Bird responded, "I'm a lark." Big Bird told Bob Hope his mother was "a yellow-breasted hornswabble talking tiki" and his father "a yellow-winged liver-lilied fender-bender." In an interview with the Toronto Star, Big Bird called himself a giant golden condor. The book “Sesame Street Unpaved” says Big Bird's scientific name is "Bigus canarius." A big canary. “In A Celebration of Me, Grover,” Big Bird said, "My Grandpa was an emu bird. They can't fly. But they can run! Every fall, Grandpa ran south for the winter." In an interview with TV Guide, Big Bird said, “I'm not a turkey; I'm a lark." In “Everyone Makes Music,” Big Bird sings "Rockin' Robin" and remarks, "Actually, I'm a canary." In a video for Wired, Big Bird said, "I've been told that I'm a lark. Oscar says that I'm part homing pigeon. But, I think I'm a bigus canarius."

  “When is the breeding season for chipmunks?” Late February or early March for eastern chipmunks. The first litter could be born in April and a second in late August.

  “What is a jacksnipe?” I’ve heard the Wilson's snipe, formerly known as the common snipe, called a "jacksnipe." This snipe is a small brownish bird of wetlands, meadows and damp forest openings. It uses its long bill to probe in wet soil for food and is known for its winnowing flight song over open areas in spring. It’s likely the bird featured in a "snipe hunt" at summer camp. It makes a great story if you were the lucky one left holding an empty bag. There is a jack snipe, the smallest snipe, which prefers marshes, bogs, tundra and wet meadows in northern Europe and northern Russia. It winters in Great Britain, Atlantic and coastal Europe, Africa and India; and breeds in northern taiga in wet, open areas with birch and willow forests.

  “What is the largest family of flowering plants?” Twenty flowering plant families have over 3,000 species each, covering approximately 46% of vascular plants. The largest family is Asteraceae, sometimes called Compositae, and it’s widespread, commonly known as the daisy family and has over 32,500 species. The rest of the five largest families of flowering plants are Orchidaceae (orchids) with 28,237 species, Fabaceae (legumes) 20,856, Rubiaceae (coffees and bedstraws) 13,686 and Poaceae (grasses) with 11,434 species.

  “Do both sexes of robins sing?” The male American robin produces a rich and melodious caroling: “Carol carol carol, carol carol carol carol.” “Cheerily, cheer up, cheer up, cheerily, cheer up.” Males and females produce a variety of calls and notes—the most familiar being a spirited tut-tut-tut or pick, given as an alarm call in response to predators. A robin’s crepuscular singing may correlate with the physiology of its eyes, which are adapted to low-light conditions  like dawn and dusk.

  “Why do some birds migrate and others don’t?” Migration is more for food than temperature. Birds migrate to find food and/or a welcoming climate and to avoid predators, parasites and diseases. About 75% of our birds migrate. Reasons for not migrating: food is available (some alter their diets), energy conservation and it’s easier to defend a territory.

Thanks for stopping by

  “No matter how bad things get you got to go on living, even if it kills you.”—Sholom Aleichem.

  “We are never so much disposed to quarrel with others as when we are dissatisfied with ourselves.”—William Hazlitt.

  Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

Neither of these big birds are Big Bird. They are sandhill cranes. Photo by Al Batt.

This just in from the world of nature. Nature talk on the radio.

The lovely Plummer Building, part of the Mayo Campus, opened in 1928. It’s a focal point of Rochester’s skyline and has a 56-bell carillon. When I look at the building, it looks back. It has gargoyles, a hawk for vigilance, an owl for wisdom and a winged salamander because “Why not?”

I was able to guess what this store in Rochester, Minnesota, offered. I considered that a major victory for me.

I saw these on a visit to lovely Walnut Grove, Minnesota, where the Wilder Pageant, an outdoor drama, is held on July 8-9, 15-16 and 22-23.

I saw these on a visit to lovely Walnut Grove, Minnesota, where the Wilder Pageant, an outdoor drama, is held on July 8-9, 15-16 and 22-23.

Mike did a great job on this tour guide that is always available when you need guidance. The National Parks await you.

Mike did a great job on this tour guide that is always available when you need guidance. The National Parks await you.

Spring has sprung. The grass is riz; I wonder where the birdies is?

The American coot (mudhen) has trouble finding shoes that fit. When someone calls you “an old coot,” this is what they mean. Photo by Al Batt.

Naturally
Spring has sprung and birds return from that mysterious place called “south.”
Spring has sprung a leak by the looks of my boots and plants don’t stop be-leafing. If you want to be outstanding, stand outside. Spring is when Chihuahuas venture outside without their sweaters.
Terri Guillemets wrote, “My favorite weather is bird chirping weather.” Anonymous wrote, “Spring has sprung. The grass is riz; I wonder where the birdies is?” The birdies are here and on their way. Enjoy your robins and look for fox sparrows, golden-crowned kinglets, tree swallows, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, increasing numbers of turkey vultures, American white pelicans, hermit thrushes, ospreys, American woodcock, eastern phoebes, purple martins, American coots, nesting Canada geese and greening lawns. Listen for spring peepers, chorus frogs and in parts of the state, wood frogs.
I believe in the miracle of birds each time one swings into my field of view. If I’m fortunate, I might get to enjoy the terpsichorean talents of sandhill cranes. Reason number 397 why I like birds: just because.

Q&A
“Do house finches migrate?” They are permanent residents of Minnesota, but some birds undergo a short-distance migration south. It might be to avoid paying taxes.
Matt Hazelcroft asked what could be chewing on the trunks of his grapevines. There are three mammals that feast upon grapevines. A meadow vole girdles trunks. Deer find new shoots attractive. Rabbits chew and remove the bark, and clip off branches of young vines. They will feed on trunks of established grapevines in the winter.
“Do killdeer have any nicknames?” Because a killdeer is so noisy (even at night) it was called chattering plover and the noisy plover by early naturalists. While leading a birding trip in North Dakota, I heard a participant call one a meadow plover. When foraging for insects or other invertebrates, killdeer move in fits and starts. When they pause, invariably they bob their heads up and down as if they have a severe case of the hiccups. They are pumping their tails and their heads follow along. This may be a strategy to make the birds appear larger than they are to an intruder or a perceived predator.
“Do male bald eagles incubate the eggs?” Both male and female eagles develop a brood patch (bare skin held directly against the eggs or chicks to keep them warm). They share incubation responsibilities but the female typically spends more time on the nest than the male. During the first four weeks after hatching, one (usually the female) broods the babies to keep them warm during cool weather.
Gretchen Taylor asks why she notices goldfinches more during their spring molt than during their fall molt. Part of the reason we notice them more might be because they become brighter in the spring and drabber in the fall when males resemble females. Goldfinches obtain their breeding plumage by replacing only their body feathers each spring. Their body plumage, flight and tail feathers are replaced during a full molt each fall. Beginning in September, and continuing for six to eight weeks, they molt all their feathers, ending up with a new set of drab feathers heading into winter. A complete molt is exhausting and makes birds vulnerable, and that makes them more secretive. In spring, the males transform into a bright yellow breeding plumage, but their wing and tail feathers remain from the previous fall. As these wing feathers get older, the pale edges fade and disintegrate, so that by the end of the summer the wings look all black.
“I saw a quail in Le Sueur. Is that part of its natural range? “No, that northern bobwhite would have been a pen-raised bird that was either released or escaped. Surveys have found no wild populations, only introduced birds in Minnesota.
“How many deer are hit by cars each year?” According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are over 1 million car accidents with deer each year, which kill 200 Americans, cause more than 10,000 personal injuries and result in over $1 billion in vehicle damage. The numbers of collisions are much higher than that because of all the unreported accidents.

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“We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature's inexhaustible sources of energy—sun, wind, and tide. I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.”—Thomas Edison.
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”—Melody Beattie.
Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

My wife and I helped raise some baby fox squirrels. They don’t write or call, but they do come for visits.

Starlings stormed the suet. Putting in a moat proved to be no deterrent.

A birdie with a yellow bill. The European Starling is dressed for spring.

The Brown-headed Cowbird seldom moos.

A cowbird on a stick hasn’t yet become popular at county fairs.

A natural podcast.

What bird is the loudest?

A female red-winged blackbird. Sexual dimorphism refers to observable differences between males and females of the same species, meaning a female of a species is easily distinguished from a male. Photo by Al Batt

Naturally
I heard the soothing call of a mourning dove.
Teddy Roosevelt heard that call, too. During his presidency (1901 to 1908), he helped establish 51 preserves for birds, five national parks, 18 national monuments and 150 national forests. He took time to list the 91 bird species he saw or heard on the White House grounds. In 1908, he compiled a list of 93 species of birds he saw in Washington, D.C., during his presidency.
My family was in Kansas to watch one member play in an NCAA basketball tournament. The natural landscape of the state didn’t impress most of those travelers. I, on the other hand, revel in the beauty of Kansas. My favorite spot is Cheyenne Bottoms, a natural geologic depression north of the Arkansas River in the center of the state not far from Great Bend. Approximately 45% of the North American shorebird population stops at the Bottoms during spring migration. At least 320 species of birds have been recorded there. Quivira National Wildlife Refuge is another favorite haunt of mine.
Happiness comes in flocks. I heard the red-winged blackbirds calling, “Look at me.” The jubilant voices, a paean to spring, might even include, “I know you are, but what am I?” The red-winged blackbird is a polygynous species, meaning males have many female mates, with up to 15 females nesting in one territory. A successful male has a good territory, so he hurries home to claim it. Males migrate before the females in spring and after the females in fall.
I saw an ermine last winter. Weasels are brown in the summer and turn white in the winter. The short-tailed weasel is also called an "ermine" and is known for its fur, which sometimes became the trim on coats. I’d rather see one than wear it.

Q&A
“What bird is the loudest?” White bellbirds live in the high mountains of northern Brazil and southern Venezuela. Their shattering calls reach up to 125 decibels. That approximates the volume experienced by those sitting in the front row of a rock concert.
“How fast do antlers grow?” A white-tailed deer's antlers grow as much as a quarter-inch per day. Elk antlers grow as much as 1 inch a day and a moose can add 1 pound of new antler growth every day.
“Do ultrasonic/electronic mice repellers work?” Between 1838, when the United States Patent Office opened its doors, and 1996, over 4,400 mousetrap patents were awarded. Researchers advise against buying ultrasonic devices. Consumer Reports said there is no proof they work, but this doesn’t stop companies from making claims. The FTC has investigated several sonic repellent makers for false advertising.
“Do cedar waxwings migrate?” Considered a short-distance migrant, their winter movements are irregular, responding to the availability of food. They are erratic in abundance and distribution, but I see some each winter.
“How do turtles survive winter?” Freshwater turtles retreat underwater where temperatures are stable and above freezing. Most are inactive, buried in mud at the bottom of lakes and rivers, but some remain active in slow motion. The cold minimizes the turtle’s oxygen needs. While underwater, the turtle exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide with the water through the turtle’s skin or across the membrane lining its throat. It stores a sugar called glycogen in all its organs. Glycogen can serve as an energy source without using oxygen.
“How can I tell which redpolls are males?” A common redpoll has a red forehead patch, black feathering around a yellow bill, and two white wingbars. Males have a pale red vest. A redpoll has an expandable pouch in its throat that enables the storage of seeds to eat elsewhere. The redpoll can tunnel into the snow overnight for warmth.
“Should I prune branches bearing tent caterpillars and burn them?” Eastern tent caterpillars are found on fruit trees like apple, chokecherry, crabapple, plum and cherry in May and June. They make a noticeable web or tent in the fork of the branches. Fall webworms create a large webbing at the ends of the branches of walnut, birch, black cherry, elm and maple trees in late July through September. There is no need to prune. You could soak the tents with soapy water or pull out the webbing along with the caterpillars. Bury or bag to dispose of them.
“I saw a big bee at the end of winter. What kind was it?” It was likely a bumble bee (Minnesota has 24 species), which is a bee that overwinters as a fertilized queen.

Thanks for stopping by
“We are not an endangered species ourselves yet, but this is not for lack of trying.”—Douglas Adams.
“It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.”—William Kingdon Clifford.
Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

A kind reader from Illinois, after reading of my boyhood use of recycled catalogs and peach papers in our outhouse, sent me a roll of bamboo toilet paper. The packaging proudly proclaims it hangs over and under.

This aerial photo of Montana shows that the state raises a lot of barley.

Joy Behr of Albert Lea, MN, worked her magic on this. This lovely wall hanging is stationed by an elevator where it brightens the days of those on their way up and those on their way down.

Words on birds on the radio.

A skunk sat on a stump
And thunk the stump stunk,
But the stump thunk the skunk stunk.

A small book written to highlight the plight of the roughly 90,000 giraffes that populate the world.

A young sandhill crane is called a colt.

Two wild turkeys talking turkey (to speak frankly). Photo by Al Batt

Naturally

Each morning, I look out a window to see nature has painted a new picture. A downy woodpecker was as still as a painting on the suet feeder because an accipiter was lurking.
I gloried in the company of redpolls. A single bird is enough to fill my cup with wonder. I heard blue jays make red-tailed hawk calls and understand the value of the mimicry. It’s an effective way to frighten other birds away from a food source.
Without a great deal of time and effort, I could see a bald eagle and a trumpeter swan. I remember when that was an impossibility. Turkey vultures eat things that have gone past their expiration dates. Predators look for something moving. Turkey vultures look for something that’s not moving. I saw river otters this winter. Seeing them brings joy and they appear to be having fun all the time.

Q&A

“Are wild turkeys native to Minnesota?” Prior to European settlement, wild turkeys were found only along the Iowa border in southeast Minnesota. As the state was settled, the few turkeys here were eliminated by hunting and habitat loss as early as 1880. By 1910, wild turkeys were extirpated from Iowa. The last turkey was seen in Lucas County, in the south-central part of the state, according to the DNR. Market hunting and reduced forest habitat led to their demise. Once extirpated, wild turkeys didn’t exist in Minnesota for almost 100 years before reintroductions were successful. In the early years of turkey raising by farmers, the turkeys resembled wild turkeys, but years ago farmers bred white turkeys because the white feathers are less visible on dressed carcasses and those birds have a lighter skin color, which is appealing to consumers. The white turkeys we see on farms today didn’t become common until the late 1930s and early 1940s. The 1940 Armistice Day Blizzard caused large losses to Minnesota's fledgling turkey industry. Turkeys were reintroduced in southeastern Minnesota in 1973 with 29 birds from Missouri. The Minnesota DNR traded ruffed grouse for them. The Show-Me State turkeys were released in Houston County. Hundreds of pen-raised turkeys from Maryland, Pennsylvania and Texas had been released in southern and central Minnesota in the mid-1920s and in 1957, pen-reared turkeys from Pennsylvania were set free in the Whitewater Wildlife Management Area in Winona County. All failed to survive. From 1964 to 1968, 39 wild turkeys trapped in Nebraska, South Dakota and Arkansas were released in the Gopher State. They were the Merriam’s subspecies, which are smaller and less hardy than the eastern subspecies native to Minnesota and they all perished. The class of 1973 did well and its population grew rapidly, with the first hunting season held in 1978. Over the years, Minnesota sent gray partridges to New York, black bears to Arkansas and Canada geese to Oklahoma in return for eastern wild turkeys. More birds were brought in from Wisconsin and Illinois. T.S. Roberts, in his 1932 “The Birds of Minnesota,” concluded wild turkeys likely never resided in Minnesota before early, failed efforts at introduction, but Aldo Leopold reported in 1931 that he’d found written accounts of turkeys living in southern Minnesota in Rock County (1871) and Blue Earth County (1773). Leopold added that no “single statement in this report is offered as final or sufficient fact.” It’s reasonable to speculate that turkeys might have occurred in Minnesota in those days. Wild turkeys are found in every state but Alaska.
Karen Wright of Mankato asked if the mallards in her yard might be the same pair that nested there last year. Nest fidelity in birds is common. Mallards tend to return to brood-rearing or wetland areas they had used previously. If those two mallards survived the year, they may be exhibiting breeding-ground fidelity in your yard.
“Do sandhill cranes nest in Minnesota and Iowa?” Minnesota has expanding populations. In northwestern Minnesota, sandhills are from the mid-continent population, which winters on the Texas Gulf Coast, while the east and central cranes are part of the eastern population, which winters in northern and central Florida. Suitable breeding areas offer water, nesting cover, isolation and a nearby foraging area. The nest is a platform constructed of vegetation and either floats in shallow water, is anchored to emergent vegetation or placed in uplands adjacent to the wetland. Wetland recovery and restoration have allowed the cranes to nest in Iowa since 1992. They live as long as 35 years in the wild with 30% of the colts surviving to fly.

Thanks for stopping by

“Nature's laws affirm instead of prohibit. If you violate her laws, you are your own prosecuting attorney, judge, jury, and hangman.”—Luther Burbank.
“Orbiting Earth in the spaceship, I saw how beautiful our planet is. People, let us preserve and increase this beauty, not destroy it!”—Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space.
Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

A self-inflicted noogie.

The boys are back in town. Male Red-Winged Blackbirds are a sign of spring for me. Males migrate before the females in spring and after the females in fall.

The boys are back in town. Male Red-Winged Blackbirds are a sign of spring for me. Males migrate before the females in spring and after the females in fall.

I went looking for spring and found Common Grackles.

A robin needs three snows on its tail before it’s truly spring

My family’s elders insisted a robin needed three snows on its tail before it was truly spring. Sometimes, they were right. Photo by Al Batt

Naturally

In the wild kingdom of my yard, not to be confused with “Mutual of Omaha‘s Wild Kingdom,” I watch the comings and goings of the birds at my feeders. The weather had been variable, but I could depend on the squirrels. I’m glad to have them in my world. A friend bemoaned the price of nyjer seed. I advised him to do what I’ve done and put out a tip jar by the feeder.
My birthday is in March. When I was a sapling, March was our snowiest month and I could count on a storm during the state high school tournaments and when my birthday party was supposed to be. Now, depending on who you consult and where you live in the state, March falls behind December, January and February in snowfall.
The pussy willow is a native shrub or small tree of wetlands and swamps. It grows 10-20 feet high, with multiple trunks. The plant is a host to the viceroy butterfly whose caterpillar feeds on it. There are 18 willow species native to Minnesota, but it’s the pussy willow that’s first to break dormancy and flower in March. The flower buds are brown with silver to white hairs poking out like cat fur. The entire flower structure, which lacks petals, is known as a catkin (derived from an obsolete Dutch word for kitten) and any willow with furry flower clusters is likely to be considered a pussy willow. Willows are dioecious, meaning male and female flowers are on separate plants. The story goes, a willow tree heard a mother cat crying because her kittens were drowning in a river. The willow swept its graceful branches into the water and rescued the kittens, who grabbed onto the branches until brought safely to shore. Each springtime since, the willow branches sprout tiny fur-like buds at spots where the tiny kittens had once clung.
White-tailed deer bucks shed antlers anywhere from December to mid-March. Stress caused by deep snow, severe cold or hunger could rush the process. Edges of fields where deer feed, along well-traveled trails and the southern exposures of bedding areas are good places to look for dropped antlers. The whitetail rut or breeding season runs from early October to late December. May is the month when most fawns are born.

Q&A

“Why do the trees in my yard have an area clear of any snow circling the base of their trunks?” I notice this annual happening most often on deciduous trees because conifers shield their trunks from some of the sunlight. When the sun shines, a dark-colored tree absorbs more heat than the surrounding snow. The bark of the trees soaks up the solar rays, with the ensuing warmth melting the surrounding snow. The same thing could happen with utility poles and fence posts.
“When do I get to see my first chipmunk of the year?” On average, I see mine during the first week of March. I enjoy the company of chipmunks. I can’t help but think of Chip, Dale, Alvin, Simon and Theodore when I see one, but the little buggers love tomato juice and chew holes in the bottoms of my garden tomatoes so they can drink their fill.
“How can I tell if the robins in my yard in March are overwintering birds or have migrated in from the south?” Differentiating the two can be somewhere between difficult and impossible. Some people think the new robins are a bit more flighty, but I’m not sure that’s a dependable clue. Male robins arrive on their breeding grounds days to weeks before the females. Male robins have dark black heads and bright orange breasts compared to the females. A female’s plumage appears faded and drab. A male returns early to secure a good territory and to guard it against other robins. The female has little need to return early and can afford to wait for favorable conditions. She needs a good supply of mud to build her nest, but if she builds it too early, hard frosts could weaken the nest. If the weather turns nasty and she runs out of food, it could make it difficult for her to produce eggs. Male robins, Turdus migratorius (migrating thrush), intending to remain in your area will sing territorial songs. Robins passing through occasionally sing, but not as frequently. Winter and migratory behaviors include flying and feeding in flocks, eating fruit and maintaining a peaceful coexistence. Spring behaviors are singing, territorial battles, eating worms, running on lawns and carrying nesting materials.

Thanks for stopping by

“Eating is an agricultural act.”—Wendell Berry.
“Rats and roaches live by competition under the laws of supply and demand; it is the privilege of human beings to live under the laws of justice and mercy.”―Wendell Berry.
Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

Sandhill Cranes and a utility pole growing in Nebraska.

A young Sandhill Crane is called a “colt.” I have heard a male referred to as a “roan.” It would make sense for the female to be called a “mare.” I read that once, but I don’t recall hearing anyone using that term to describe her.

It’s a bird, it’s a plane—it’s a really big bird or a pretty small plane. it could be a drone. Nature talk on the radio.

What’s that fuzzy sock doing in a tree?

Naturally

 Crows relish their positions as prime annoyers. They were bothering something in the yard. The blue jays assumed the position of assistant annoyers. Crows are omnivores and will eat anything I’d eat plus most things I wouldn’t eat. 
 American goldfinches molt twice a year—once in late winter and again in late summer. The brightening yellow of male goldfinches each spring is a welcome sign.
 Jack and Rita Korman of Alden saw a single robin on February 21. The resourceful robin can take the cold and snow as long as it can find food. The winter movement of the nomadic flocks of robins depends on weather and food supply. Fruit is the robin's prime winter food source. They find sustenance in ornamental fruit trees, hackberry trees, buckthorn and other sources. Migrating male robins typically arrive here before the females. Robins tend to follow the 37-degree average daily isotherm in spring migration. This is because their food becomes available and not because the robins themselves need warm temperatures. As the ground thaws in the spring, they switch to earthworms and insects. Most robins wait to sing until they arrive on their breeding territories. Although their return depends upon the weather, southern robins are usually here by mid-March.

Q&A
 “What do mallards eat in the winter?” They are omnivorous and opportunistic. During the breeding season, they eat mostly animals—including insects, larvae, aquatic invertebrates (snails and freshwater shrimp) and earthworms. Otherwise, their diet plan is predominately seeds, acorns, aquatic vegetation and cereal crops. Agricultural foods dominate a mallard’s diet during autumn migration and in winter, depending on the relative availability of natural foods.
 “I saw what looked like a fuzzy sock hanging from a branch of a cottonwood tree. I’m assuming it’s made by a bird but what kind?” It sounds like a Baltimore oriole nest. The female weaves a pouch-like, hanging nest from grass, bark, wool, fiber, hair and recycled nest materials. The nests, about four inches deep from stem to stern, are surprisingly durable structures.
 “The cardinals in my yard look brighter than they did most of the winter. Are they molting?” Northern cardinals molt and grow new feathers in late summer to early fall. Many of the new feathers are tipped in gray. Those feather tips wear off over the fall and winter, revealing the brilliant red that male cardinals are famous for. A European starling loses its stars, which some say gives the bird its name, but I suspect its name derived from the star-shaped silhouette of the bird in flight—a little star. The stars are sprinkled over its winter plumage and the white tips dotting its feathers wear off with time.
 Eric Steinmetz of Mankato asked if there are any lark species in the United States. There are two types of larks found in North America—the horned lark and the uncommon Eurasian skylark. Only the horned lark is a native lark and it’s found throughout the continent. The Eurasian skylark was introduced repeatedly to North America and a declining population is found on Vancouver Island in British Columbia and it’s a probable breeder in the western Aleutian Islands of Alaska. A group of larks is called a bevy, ascension, happiness and, most famously, an exaltation thanks to James Lipton’s book on collective nouns, “An Exaltation of Larks.” That book coaxed other books into carrying that title. Meadowlarks aren’t larks, but are members of the blackbird family.

The first national wildlife refuge
 During the 19th and early 20th centuries, golden plovers were hunted with abandon and without restriction. In the spring of 1821, hunters near New Orleans shot about 48,000 of them in a single day. In the 1850s in Portland, Maine, hunters sold dead plovers for 25 cents a dozen, many of these splendid birds spoiling before being sold. Birds of all kinds needed places to hide. In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt designated Florida's Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge as the first wildlife refuge. Today, there are 567 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts that make up 95 million acres of land. Thank goodness.

Thanks for stopping by
 “The lasting pleasures of contact with the natural world are not reserved for scientists but are available to anyone who will place himself under the influence of earth, sea and sky and their amazing life.”—Rachel Carson.
 “The mark of the educated man is not in his boast that he has built his mountain of facts and stood on the top of it, but in his admission that there may be other peaks in the same range with men on the top of them, and that, though their views of the landscape may be different from his, they are nonetheless legitimate.”—E.J. Pratt.
 Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

The horned lark is at home on a flat, treeless terrain with short grass. Yet, I never saw a single one on “Gunsmoke.” They are frequently seen feeding on the graveled sides of rural roads. The gravel catches seeds for the birds to eat. Mighty nice of the gravel to do that. Photo by Al Batt

A Baltimore Oriole weaves a nifty nest with her beak, her feet and a set of architectural plans. Photo by Al Batt.

No nattering nabob of negativism, but a nattering nimrod of nature on the radio.

The Minnesota State Mavericks are going to the NCAA tournament. YAY!!!

The Minnesota State Mavericks on their way to Kansas.

The nation’s 4th-ranked Fort Hays State, playing at home, defeated Minnesota State 67-61. Joey Batt had 21 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals, becoming the 5th Maverick in program history to score 20 points or more in an NCAA tournament game. Destinee Bursch scored 12 and Taylor Theusch added 11 points.

Do pileated woodpeckers eat wood?

The coyote is sometimes called a brush wolf or prairie wolf. I think there’s one guy who calls it an American jackal. Both the ki-oat-ee and ki-oat pronunciations are correct and vary with the region you find yourself. Be prepared to be corrected by someone who feels superior. Its scientific name is Canis latrans and is called a song dog by some of its admirers. Photo by Al Batt.

Naturally

 Boreas, the god of the north wind in Greek mythology, was working hard. I spotted a coyote. Coyotes are intermediate in size between foxes and wolves. In Minnesota, coyotes average 30 pounds (ranging 20-50) and stand about 18 inches high at the shoulders. Coyotes are comparable in size to a medium-sized dog breed such as a border collie. They appear larger than that due to their heavy fur coat in winter. They’re gray/brown and resemble a small German shepherd dog in appearance. Coyotes in Minnesota are loners, except when families are raising pups. Their primary foods are rabbits and mice.
 On a warm, late-winter day, look at the base of a tree and see if you can spot jumping pepper flakes. These springtails are called snow fleas.
 The red veins of spring are evident, particularly on south-facing slopes where the red colors of shrubs brighten and become more vibrant this time of the year. Deer find the twigs of red-osier dogwood fine eating. The plants (also known as red-twig dogwood and redbrush) are eye-catching. The colors of the yellow/gold outer branches of weeping willows are also enhanced chromatically.
 Look for deer sheds anytime the snow melts. As winter makes a slow slide into spring, listen for birds heralding the oncoming seasonal changes. February can be a bumpy road, but I’m picking up good vibrations. Love is in the air—the air of increasing daylength. The smell of skunk wafts on the wind. Woodpeckers are drumming frequently. Their feathered brethren—cardinals, starlings, chickadees, house finches, nuthatches and blue jays make sounds of spring. The black-capped chickadee’s whistled fee-bee song sounds like “spring’s here” to me. Cardinals can sing anytime of the year but vocalize with increasing gusto now. The male white-breasted nuthatches sing a rapid, nasal “what-what-what.” The jays make a squeaky pump handle call and starlings mingle chatter, gurgles, rattles, trills, warbles and whistles. House finches sing a long, jumbled warbling of short notes. The birds call for us to walk, at least to a window.
 I pulled into a fast-food parking lot. The lot was mostly empty spaces, so I stopped to return a phone call. The automobile stable was being visited by starlings, house sparrows and crows. Those birds love fast-food parking lots because humans are messy. I saw a crow dragging a large slice of pizza as another watched, likely offering constructive criticism. “Lift with your legs.” A crow will eat a pizza even if it hasn’t been run over by a car.

Q&A
 “Do pileated woodpeckers eat wood?” They work with wood, so they might accidentally ingest sawdust just as any other skilled carpenter might. They forage in dead trees, stumps and fallen logs, making impressive rectangular excavations deep into the wood in search of the tunnels of carpenter ants. The pileated woodpecker’s primary food is carpenter ants (which have a nutty taste), supplemented by other ants, woodboring beetle larvae, termites, flies, spruce budworms, caterpillars, cockroaches, grasshoppers, wild fruits (including those of poison ivy) and nuts. Various studies have found ants make up 40 to 97% of an individual’s diet. Occasionally, pileated woodpeckers visit backyard bird feeders for seeds or suet.
 “Why do cardinals visit the feeders so early and so late in the day?” They are less conspicuous then, which is especially important for the brightly colored male. There are fewer predators and less competition. Most cardinals coming to feeders are locals and have short flights to and from roosts. And the dim lighting makes for romantic dining. Cardinals are one of the birds that can handle striped sunflower seeds and their thick shells with ease.
 Marian Bahl of Faribault wrote, “There were 21 ravenous doves at my feeders today. Made another trip to the feed and seed store. Do they mate for life?  I always see an odd number lately. I feel bad for #21. Is there an eharmony.com for birdies?” Mating pairs are monogamous for a breeding season and might get together in succeeding breeding seasons, which means they may mate for life. Their lives are short and a mourning dove finds a new partner if its mate is lost. Number 21 should remain hopeful.
 “How far do eagles migrate?” Bald eagles are short- to medium-distance migrants that may  move only as far as they need to find food. Bald eagles are found primarily along major rivers, lakes and other open water, but can be seen feeding on a dead deer in the middle of a farm field and anywhere else where food is served. They feed on fish and carrion, but will also eat large birds, mammals (muskrats and hares are favorites) reptiles, amphibians, crustaceans and occasionally dine on garbage (who doesn’t?).

Thanks for stopping by
 “He that plants trees loves others besides himself.”—Thomas Fuller.
 “They know enough who know how to learn.”—Henry Adams. 
 Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

Minnesota State defeated Southwest State 89-65, leading from end-to-end, in a quarterfinal game of the NSIC tournament at the Pentagon. Joey Batt 17 pts. & 5 assists, Destinee Bursch 13 pts. & 4 steals, Maddy Olson 12 pts. & 6 assists and Rylee Menster 10 pts. & 4 assists.

It’s amazing how well a fellow is treated in places where they don’t know him :-)

Be kind to your fine feathered friends.

Minnesota State lost the battle to the champion UM-Duluth 69-66. Rylee Menster scored 17 and had 6 rebounds, Destinee Bursch hd 15 pts. & Joey Batt (with the rock) had 14 pts., 5 rebs., 4 assists and 3 steals to lead the Mavericks.

From Shenanigans in Sioux Falls Feb. 28

Quick thread. Last week my son's classroom wrote letters to a women's basketball team in the #NSICTourney Tonight he brought home a letter from @Joey_batt PERSONALIZED to him.

He had a basketball game tonight and we got home in time to catch the 2nd half of @MinnStWBB game. Screaming and cheering for someone that took the time out of her busy schedule to write a note to a kid she didn't even know.

Although your impact on the court was obvious, your impact off the court is what shined today. This stuff matters.

The only way to stop a duck’s tail from curling is by taking away its little broom

This Mallard drake has recurved black central tail feathers, which give him the curly-tailed look he seeks. The only way to stop it from curling is by taking away its little broom. Photo by Al Batt

Naturally
“Dead skunk in the middle of the road. And it's stinkin' to high heaven.”
Loudon Wainwright III crooned that love song. The first dead skunk I saw on the road near the end of my driveway this year was on February 10. Settled into its winter home, the striped skunk becomes dormant but doesn’t enter a full state of hibernation. It goes into torpor—a deep sleep from which it awakes occasionally. As the season changes from winter to spring, skunks emerge to seek mates and sometimes get in harm’s way as the one did on the road at the end of my drive. Striped skunks are a polygamous species and a male takes multiple mates from late February through April. The scientific name for the striped skunk is Mephitis mephitis, meaning “bad odor” or “noxious vapor.” The word “skunk” comes from an Algonquin word.

I heard woodpeckers drumming. I typically hear them beginning in mid-January and regularly in February. They drum most frequently in the morning. Drumming rates are highest before nesting, lower during nesting and increase after the young fledge. Both sexes drum. Drumming is a response to longer day length and helps establish and maintain breeding territory, attracts a mate, maintains contact and strengthens pair bonds.

I have a heated dog dish that sits on a stand. It has an armored electrical cord to keep animals from gnawing on it. It works well as a bird waterer. When cleaning the dish, I discovered a mouse had entered through the hole for the cord and built a nest under the dish. It had an apartment with a heated ceiling and the rent was reasonable. It didn’t have to break out the long underwear.

I’m noticing more yellow on the bills of starlings. A starling’s bill is dark in winter, but begins turning yellow as the breeding season nears.

Q&A
“What kind of mixed seed should I put in my bird feeder?” None. I don’t use seed mixes in a feeder. Too much goes uneaten, clogs the feeder or falls to the ground. I use single ingredients in a feeder and like black oil sunflower seeds the best. I also feed nyjer seeds for the finches. Occasionally, I put millet on the ground when there are large numbers of native sparrows (which includes juncos) around. I offer suet and peanuts, and some folks feed safflower seeds to lessen squirrel activity at the feeders. I enjoy providing room service to the birds at my feeders. Busy feeders mean I’ve gotten many referrals. Feeding birds provides a positive therapeutic effect on those who feed their avian amigos. I know it makes me happy. Watching birds is one of the greatest shows on earth.
“Last year, I watched a male cardinal feeding sunflower seeds to a grosbeak. Why was it doing that? And do cardinals mate for life?” He wanted to offer you a photo opportunity. Male cardinals occasionally feed nestlings or fledglings of other species, although not because they have taken over another bird’s nest. This may happen because another chick is begging nearby and the cardinal has a strong parental instinct. Birds often feed babies that aren’t their own. The instinct to stuff food in an open mouth is strong. Perhaps the threat of not feeding one of your hungry chicks is greater than the risk of feeding someone else’s. A brown-headed cowbird will lay an egg in a cardinal’s nest and the cardinal will raise the cowbird as its own. I’ve watched a male cardinal fly down to the edge of a pond and feed koi. Cardinals don’t mate for life and new pairs form during the breeding season, although some cardinals remain paired on the breeding territory all year and others get amicable divorces.
“Why doesn’t a duck’s quack echo?” A quack can be a fading sound, with a gradual decay, making it difficult to tell the difference between the quack and the echo, but a duck’s quack echoes.
“Do opossums carry rabies?” Any mammal can get rabies, but it’s extremely rare for an opossum to contract the viral disease. It’s believed that the low body temperature of an opossum inhibits the virus and makes it difficult for it to survive.
“When does the sap run?” Maple sap runs best when daytime temperatures are in the high 30s to mid-40s and overnight temperatures are below freezing. In Minnesota, sap usually runs from March 15 to April 20, but the dates can vary. Sap is converted to syrup by boiling, taking 40 gallons of sap on average to produce one gallon of maple syrup.

Thanks for stopping by
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”—G.K. Chesterton.
“An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.”—Henry David Thoreau.
Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

Minnesota State (20-5) defeated Winona State 78-55. Joey Batt (shooting in photo) had 14 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Emily Russo scored 14, Tayla Stuttley tacked on 10 points and 5 assists, and Mikayla Nachazel added 10 points and 5 rebounds.

Ratchet-jawing on the radio about birds and such.

Joey Batt, making a point above, made it to the NSIC all-conference first team. Way to go, Jo.

I had hoped these two flamingos would form one of those cutesy avian hearts and pose patiently, but they had a heartfelt spat instead.

Whatever is eating the sign.

It’s either an emu or my driver’s license photo.

I miss Bird Watcher’s Digest

Naturally

 Mild days can lessen activity at the birdfeeders, but the yard offered a highlight reel of birds. As always, seeing a cardinal is a reason for a party.
 I noticed deciduous trees holding their leaves in the winter. It’s hard not to notice them. I saw young red oaks and sugar maples stubbornly hanging onto their leaves. Perhaps the leaves protect next year’s buds from browsing by deer and from drying winds. Ironwood and European buckthorn are smaller trees that cling to their leaves. 
 I watched purple finches at the feeders. They seem tamer than the house finches. Blue jays can shift winter strategies between migration and overwintering. The supply of acorns might determine that decision.

Bob Janssen 
 We all have heroes. Mine are mostly people I know. Minnesota is about 360 miles by 407 miles with 87 counties. One of my heroes is familiar with the roads and birdy places in each of those counties. Bob Janssen is that man. He’s a great guy, a great birder and the godfather of birding in Minnesota. Wherever I go, Bob has been there. He has seen a black-billed cuckoo in every county in Minnesota except Freeborn County. He asked me what the chances were of seeing one. I joked that there were so many in the county that the DNR was considering having a hunting season on the cuckoos to make room for other birds. That might have been a fib. They’re seen here, but not commonly. Bob made his way to my home. My wife fed him and I took Bob to a spot where I’d seen and heard the cuckoos. I had to leave for an important meeting. I wished Bob good luck and told him to take his time. He took all day. Bob is still without a black-billed cuckoo in Freeborn County.

Bird Watcher’s Digest
 For umpteen years, I was a regular columnist for Bird Watcher’s Digest and Watching Backyard Birds. These two wonderful magazines were the brainchildren of the beloved Thompson family of Marietta, Ohio. It was an honor and a pleasure to be associated with such fine journals. Both magazines have ceased publication. The deaths of principals and the pandemic were too much to overcome. I am saddened by the discontinuance of those wonderful pages, but I’m thankful for the many friends and memories I’ve made through my affiliation with those pleasing periodicals. 

Squirrel skirmishes
 Manley Olson wrote, “Years ago at a St. Paul Audubon meeting, a member shared he was live trapping squirrels and releasing them several miles away. At a subsequent meeting, another member said he had started doing the same thing. In the conversation that followed, he said he lived in Highland Park and was releasing in Como Park. This was greeted with laughter from the man who had brought the topic up at the previous meeting. He was trapping near Como Park and releasing in Highland.”

Q&A
 “Are there any bad birds?” No.
 “Do wild turkeys renest?” Yes. Hens that lose clutches to predation, human disturbance, or weather events often renest.
 “How do bumblebees spend the winter?” Bumblebees don’t maintain colonies throughout the winter. The last brood of the summer colony contains numerous queens. Each queen mates and then finds a safe place, a small hole in the ground or another protected spot, just big enough for her to spend the winter. Only the queen hibernates until spring. The rest of the colony dies.
 “Why do great horned owls nest so early?” Young great horned owls must learn complex hunting maneuvers involving trial and error. Early hatching means they’re ready to practice their flying and hunting skills when the weather is mild and prey is abundant, and have time to master their techniques before winter begins.
 “What birds drink sugar water other than hummingbirds?” Some birds with a sweet tooth that enjoy nectar are house finches, downy woodpeckers, warblers (including orange-crowned, Cape May and pine), mockingbirds, chickadees, thrashers and titmice.
 “How do birds stay perched while sleeping?” Recent research found a bird’s innate balance and the way its toes wrap around a perch are enough to keep a sleeping bird in place. Birds are built for what they do.

Thanks for stopping by
 “Whatever you do, always give 100%. Unless you're donating blood.”—Bill Murray.
 “You cannot begin to preserve any species of animal unless you preserve the habitat in which it dwells. Disturb or destroy that habitat and you will exterminate the species as surely as if you had shot it. So, conservation means that you have to preserve forest and grassland, river and lake, even the sea itself. This is not only vital for the preservation of animal life generally, but for the future existence of man himself -- a point that seems to escape many people.”—Gerald Durrell.
 Do good.

©️Al Batt 2022

In the House of Hoops, on Cancer Awareness Day, the Minnesota State basketball team remembered loved ones who had died from cancer and recognized cancer survivors. I am honored to have my granddaughter Joey (first row, third from right) hold a card bearing my name. These cards and others were prominently displayed on the wall at the Taylor Center during the games.

Words on birds, naturally, on the radio.

Minnesota State ran their record to 18–5 with an 80-72 victory over Augustana. Taylor Theusch scored 18, Joey Batt (shown twinkling the twine in a free throw) added 17 points and eight assists, Destinee Bursch tossed in 13 and Mikayla Nachazel had 10 rebounds.

Minnesota State (19-5) clinched the NSIC South Division title with a 91-67 win over Upper Iowa at Fayette, Iowa. Joey Batt (#1 playing tough defense) had 17 points & 6 assists. Rylee Menster scored 15 and both Tayla Stuttley & Destinee Bursch tossed in 10. Molly Ihle & Mikayla Nachazel each had 6 rebounds to the lead the team.

Not a real walrus, but a good reminder to floss regularly.

A Common Redpoll is uncommonly handsome. Photo by Al Batt

Is that a purple house finch?

Naturally
Two crows swaggered up the drive. I suspect it was the same pair in the same place yesterday, but I couldn’t say for sure because I don’t have cawer ID. They stayed close together as if they were vel-crows.
The blue jays were not subtle in their comments about a great horned owl in the yard. When I looked in their direction, I could see the suggestion of a cat’s ears in a tree. The blue jays saw more than that. They saw danger from an enemy. The owl’s presence made the jays an offer they couldn’t refuse. They expressed their outrage with gusto. A great horned owl is under a lot of pressure. They nest in the winter and their name begins with “great.” That leads to a lot of expectations. I anthropomorphize to further my understanding.
Another day passed without a single sighting of the Bath Bigfoot. Rumors insist the Bigfoot family there is larger than the population of Bath before it became a ghost town. That would mean there are at least two Bath Bigfeet or Bigfoots. Seeing the avalanche of common redpolls in the yard more than makes up for the lack of any Bigfoot sightings.
There is an emptiness in winter. I miss things. The ticks weren’t bad last year. There have been years when I’ve been a tick magnet. I don’t miss them or the mosquitoes, but I do miss the “click-it” sounds of barn swallows. They kept the skies busy. Insectivorous barn swallows needed to catch an early flight out of town. They are never here in the winter, but I still miss them.
In 1902, Frank Chapman wrote one of the earliest guidebooks: “Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America.” Of the American goldfinch, he wrote: “Their flight is expressive of their joyous nature, and as they bound through the air they hum a gay ‘per-chic-o-ree.’ Their love song is delivered with an ecstasy and abandon which carries them off their feet, and they circle over the fields sowing the air with music.” The goldfinch, which my father called the wild canary, is the state bird of Iowa, Washington and New Jersey.

Q&A
“What are the advantages for a bird to be part of a flock?” The behavior offers many benefits, which can vary by species. Protection. A flock offers more eyes to spot predators and then mob, distract or confuse them. Foraging efficiency. More birds find the best food. Finding mates. Continuing education. Young birds learn from their elders. Flying in formations can conserve energy and increase communication effectiveness. Roosting can aid in identifying predators and offer shared body warmth.
“Will birds roost together in cavities in cold weather?” Many cavity-nesting birds roost in natural cavities, nest boxes, or roosting boxes. Bluebirds, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, woodpeckers, screech owls and Carolina wrens roost in cavities and readily use nest boxes. Nuthatches and bluebirds find warmth by roosting together. Winter wrens are noted for that behavior.
“What wild birds lay the most eggs in a clutch?” Some birds lay a single egg; others lay clutches of eggs. Gray partridge up to 22 eggs, ring-necked pheasant 15, wild turkey 17 eggs, mallard 13, wood duck 16 and black-capped chickadee 13 eggs. These numbers don’t factor in any dump nests, which are the work of more than one female. Ostriches can lay up to 50 eggs per nest and I’ve read of a rhea having 80 eggs. You can bet rhea parents don’t remember all their offspring’s names.
“Is there a simple way to tell a house finch from a purple finch?” The male purple finch is purplish and looks as if he had been dipped in red wine or raspberry juice. This color bleeds onto the back and wings. A male house finch has localized color, reddish only on the head, breast, and lower back. The upper back and wings are a streaky brown. If the flanks from below the wings to the tail are streaked with brown, it's a male house finch. If the flanks are white, with a hint of pink, it's a male purple finch. A female house finch has a brown face, while a female purple finch has a strong facial pattern marked with a contrasting white eyebrow.
“What do pheasants eat in winter?” Pheasants find food by scratching through the snow to get to grain in farm fields. Moderate thaws allow south-facing slopes to expose food. They will eat grasses, leaves, roots, fruit and nuts.

Thanks for stopping by
“Is life not a thousand times too short for us to bore ourselves?”—Friedrich Nietzsche.
“Joys come from simple and natural things: mist over meadows, sunlight on leaves, the path of the moon over water.”—Sigurd F. Olson.
Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

An ostrich can lay up to 50 eggs in a clutch. If you think that is a soccer ball by her feet instead of an egg, treat yourself to something nice for being right. Photo by Al Batt

This hotel clock in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, showed me it was later than it has ever been—or maybe not.

Minnesota State defeated the U of Sioux Falls 86-66. Destinee Bursch had 19 points, Maddy Olson 17, Joey Batt (pictured making a pass as her coach Emilee Thiesse watches) scored 13 & added 7 assists, and Mikayla Nachazel tossed in 10 points.

How many times have I said, “What a cool book”? I’m saying it again, “What a cool book.” Can a person have too many field guides? I think not.

How many times have I said, “What a cool book”? I’m saying it again, “What a cool book.” Can a person have too many field guides? I think not.

I saw camels on hump day.

And the wall said.

This Mallard drake has recurved black central tail feathers, which give him the curly-tailed look he is seeking.

A couple of American White Pelicans are wintering in my neck of the woods in Minnesota. They will have stories to tell if they can make it until spring.

All About Birds Midwest field guide. Guides are also available for other regions.

All About Birds Midwest field guide. Guides are also available for other regions.

A brilliant book written by the eminent birder Bob Janssen, a great guy as well as a great birder, who has seen 416 species in the state and at least 150 species in each of the 87 counties. The Black-backed Woodpecker cover photo is by David Brislance.

A sample page from Birding in Minnesota.

What would Pogo say?

Naturally
 Growing up on a farm, my father taught me that alfalfa loves snow. A thick blanket of snow increases the chances of alfalfa surviving winter. The alfalfa was smiling. On my way to church, I saw the white flashes of three large flocks of snow buntings, a flock of Lapland longspurs and many small groups of horned larks in my first three miles. I hadn’t seen many of these birds this winter because there was a lack of snow cover. They feed in the fields until deep or ice-encrusted snow covers their food and chases them to the roadsides where weed seeds and spilled grain are snagged by the gravel. They show up when the snowmobiles do. I saw a couple of rough-legged hawks later in my drive. I called them Christmas hawks when I was a precocious child (or was it a pestiferous child?). The roughies nest in the Arctic and have feathered pants with feathering to the base of their toes and small bills. Their feet are smaller than those of red-tailed hawks, which allow roughies to perch at the tip-top of small branches. 
 I watched a red fox tiptoe through the yard at daybreak. They typically weigh 8 to 15 pounds. Squirrels use the cheerful sounds of birds to infer the absence of predators. Gray and fox squirrels are scatter hoarders, which means they hoard food in scattered locations to access later. 
 Later, a murmuration of starlings weaved and dipped across my field of view. Airplane pilots wish they could do what those flying birds do. Crows in the distance looked like apostrophes perched in a gray tree. We’re getting winter in winter. No surprise. Some consider winter a bully, but I find the world big enough for both winter and me.
 I saw an opossum in the yard. Pink ears and tip of tail indicated frostbite. Pogo (and creator Walt Kelly) said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” The local opossum might consider winter an antagonist.

LRGV
 On one of my first jobs in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, I flew into Harlingen, picked up a rental car and motored to the Valley Nature Center in Weslaco. It was small enough for me to roam about in the time allotted. The place was lousy with birds. I was greeted by green jays, great kiskadees, clay-colored robins (now clay-colored thrushes), golden-fronted woodpecker, buff-bellied hummingbirds and plain chachalacas. They are common birds at this small oasis, but they were a red carpet rolled out to me.

CBC
 I found a pair of American white pelicans on the water on a Christmas Bird Count of December 31. My first instinct was that one was injured (I couldn’t see any visible injury) and that its mate refused to leave it. They are serially monogamous and form pairs for one breeding season. Pairs form through courtship rituals once they arrive at the breeding colony. So why are the two still here? I don’t know. They have to be somewhere, I guess.

Kevin Carlson
 I enjoyed visiting with Kevin Carlson via Zoom. It has been many years since I first visited with Kevin at his home in Cape May Court House, New Jersey. Kevin and Pete Dunne have written at least three books together, “Gulls Simplified,” “Bird Families of North America” and “Birds of Prey.” Kevin is a skilled photographer, a talented fellow and a good guy.

Q&A
 “Would an owl lay eggs in an eagle nest?” A great horned owl might because the bald eagle pair wouldn’t be present at the time of the owl’s nesting. The fierce great horned owls don’t build nests, preferring to appropriate the stick nests of hawks, crows, ravens, herons, squirrels and occasionally, eagles.
 “Where do juncos spend winter nights?” They prefer to roost in conifers at night, but will use tall grasses and brush piles. They return to the same roost locations regularly. I see them frequently in cedars and arborvitae. I love hearing the junco’s “tew-tew-tew” call, which is reminiscent of the sounds of a ray gun in some old, cheesy sci-fi movie at the drive-in.
 “Do we have butterflies that overwinter in Minnesota as adults?” Yes, they include commas, tortoiseshells and mourning cloaks.
 “I was in northern Minnesota in January and saw some waxwings. How can I tell which species they are?” A Bohemian has a reddish tinge on its face and is grayer overall than a cedar waxwing. A Bohemian has chestnut coloring under the tail, while a cedar has white. Bohemian waxwings have yellow and white wing markings lacking on cedars.
Thanks for stopping by
 "There's nothing wrong with having a tree as a friend."—Bob Ross
 “Never stay up on the barren heights of cleverness, but come down into the green valleys of silliness.”—Ludwig Wittgenstein.
 Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

My yard is crammed with Common Redpolls and I couldn’t be happier. It’s as if I’d driven the entire yard to a gas station and said, “Fill ‘er up with redpolls,” which is impossible because there are no full-service gas stations anywhere in my realm. Photo by Al Batt

My yard is crammed with Common Redpolls and I couldn’t be happier. It’s as if I’d driven the entire yard to a gas station and said, “Fill ‘er up with redpolls,” which is impossible because there are no full-service gas stations anywhere in my realm. Photo by Al Batt

Hadley Batt about to put in two points in New Ulm’s 66-31 victory over Blue Earth.

My late brother Donald’s birth month is January. He owned a hardware/implement. I spent many hours in the saddle of a WD-45. I miss that fine man.

My late brother Donald’s birth month is January. He owned a hardware/implement. I spent many hours in the saddle of a WD-45. I miss that fine man.

I love seeing those I love having fun. Thank you, Hadley Batt.

It’s -16° and a House Sparrow has a nap attack.

A Fox Squirrel was doing a little seed mining in my snow-covered yard.

A Fox Squirrel was doing a little seed mining in my snow-covered yard.

A Fox Squirrel was doing a little seed mining in my snow-covered yard.

A Fox Squirrel was doing a little seed mining in my snow-covered yard.

Nature natters on the radio.

The weather forecast called for strong winds, rising temperatures and falling squirrels

Naturally 
 I shouldn’t have been surprised when a fox squirrel fell from the roof of the house onto a window feeder held in place by suction cups. The result was, as would be expected, the squirrel and the feeder both crashed to the ground, creating a blizzard of fleeing songbirds. Why I shouldn’t have been surprised was that the weather forecast had called for strong winds, rising temperatures and falling squirrels.
 I saw many red-tailed hawks as I drove about the region. This hawk has a football shape when perched. I stopped in a small city and watched house sparrows eating street food. It was food on an actual street. Your doctor might not approve of that diet.
 Crows and jays demonstrate bird identification skills, as evidenced by their mobbing of a great horned owl in the yard. I put peanuts in the shell into a bird feeder. Like a great magic act, the peanuts disappeared and were replaced by blue jays.

My favorite conspiracy theory
 From their official site: “The Birds Aren't Real movement exists to spread awareness that the U.S. Government genocided over 12 Billion birds from 1959-2001, and replaced these birds with surveillance drone replicas, which still watch us every day. Once a preventative cause, our initial goal was to stop the forced extinction of real birds. Unfortunately this was unsuccessful, and the government has since replaced every living bird with robotic replicas. Now our movement's prerogative is to make everyone aware of this fact.” The creator is joking.

Q&A
 “I’m seeing flies in my house in the winter. What are they?” They could be cluster flies, sometimes called attic flies. This fly is large and sluggish, with golden hairs on the thorax. Their larvae feed on earthworms. They snuck into your home last fall, congregated in the walls, found openings in window frames and appear on warm winter days. They like the southern exposure of a home. The other possibility is the blowfly, which resembles a housefly, but may be shiny green, blue, bronze or black. These metallic-colored flies are called blow or bottle flies. They gather around windows and produce a buzzing sound. They lay eggs in decomposing organic matter, like garbage, animal manure, decaying vegetables, dead animals and grass clippings.
 “Everywhere I go, I see downy woodpeckers. Are they in every state?” I hope you’re not seeing them everywhere you go, as that would be kind of creepy and would drive your dentist crazy. They are in all states but Hawaii. You won’t find them in the deserts of the southwest. Males feed more on small branches and weed stems during the winter, and females feed on larger branches and trunks of trees. 
 “What eats milo?” Milo or sorghum isn’t a favorite food of birds. Wild turkeys, pheasants, pigeons, Eurasian collared-doves, cowbirds and cows may feed on it. I think grackles might eat some and I’m told some western quail species will. Milo is a waste of money as food for wild birds. 
 “I didn’t see many cardinals when I was a child, now I see them. Why did they move north?” Their breeding range has expanded northward for several reasons. A warmer climate has led to a reduction in snow depth and greater winter foraging opportunities; suburban growth has increased suitable edge habitat; and backyard winter bird feeders have provided food. 
 “Why are juncos called snowbirds?” They are characteristic of our winter months. They probably got the moniker because they appear not long before the snow. It’s as if they arrive early to get things ready for the snow. The juncos become more visible against a blanket of snow. Both juncos and winter could be described as having leaden skies above and being snowy white below. 
 “What’s the difference between a dove and a pigeon?” There’s no difference between a pigeon and a dove in scientific nomenclature, but colloquial English categorizes them by size, with doves being smaller.
“How strong is a great horned owl?” That owl’s strong, clenched talons require a force of 28 pounds to open. I’ve also read that the grip strength in those feet is 200 to 500 pounds per square inch and up to six times stronger than the handshake of a bodybuilder, but I don’t know where those numbers come from. Sorry. Hold a bathroom scale between your hands, its face toward you and with your hands on the side of the scale, squeeze as hard as you can. Divide that number by the square inches of your palm and it will give you your grip strength.

Thanks for stopping by
  “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”—William James.
 “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.”—Meister Eckhart.
 Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

I just heard a chickadee singing it’s fee-bee song. “Spring’s here,” it whistled. I love the tiny bird’s optimism. Photo by Al Batt

Today, I’ll dream of electric socks and think warm thoughts while listening to Hawaiian music. Tomorrow, I’ll try to get rid of the Don Ho earworm.

During times like these, it’s important to remember Minnesota’s state motto: It could be worse.

Every year, I ask for world peace. My wife gave me a can of world peas.

Joey Batt (#1) scored 18 points (4 assists & 3 steals), Rylee Menster 12, Emily Russo 11 (6 rebs.), Molly Ihle 10, Destinee Bursch 10 and Maddy Olson (#10) added 6 rebounds and 6 assists to lead Minnesota State to a 84-70 win over MSU Moorhead.

Minnesota State defeated Northern State 85-76. Destinee Bursch (#14 in photo above) led with 26 points, 5 assists and 3 steals. Joey Batt (shown passing) scored 14 (plus 5 rebounds and 3 steals), Tayla Stuttley 14 pts., Mikayla Nachazel 10 with 5 rebs. and Taylor Theusch 10.

Minnesota State defeated Northern State 85-76. Destinee Bursch led with 26 points, 5 assists and 3 steals. Joey Batt (shown about to splash a 3-pointer) scored 14 (plus 5 rebounds and 3 steals), Tayla Stuttley 14 pts., Mikayla Nachazel 10 with 5 rebs. and Taylor Theusch 10.

Wile E. Coyote didn’t leave tracks like those

I lucked onto this handsome Harris’s Sparrow and spent so much time staring at its perfection, I was late getting to my next bird on the Albert Lea Christmas Bird Count. I convinced an innocent bystander, who was stumbling past, to look at the sparrow lovingly. He kindly obliged. Photo by Al Batt

Naturally
 I’ve done many Christmas Bird Counts. A CBC is conducted on a single day from December 14 through January 5 each year in a 15-mile diameter circle. I count how many birds I see of each species. There are mysteries perched in trees and if I flip proverbial rocks, I find things. It’s fun even when the weather isn’t. The secret is to keep expectations high, never be disappointed and always be surprised. On a CBC, I visited an admirer of backyard birds who pointed at one of his feathered friends and said, “That’s my favorite bird. What kind is it?” Robert Frost would have answered, “They cannot look out far. They cannot look in deep. But when was that ever a bar to any watch they keep?”
 I heard the spring song of a black-capped chickadee, a simple two or three-note whistled fee-bee or hey, sweetie. The whistled fee-bee is given mostly by males, although not exclusively. He’s advertising his territory and attempting to attract a mate. His vocalization is spurred on by lengthening daylight hours. Longer days make avian hormone levels surge, leading to courtship behaviors that induce hormone production. The combination of day length and courting behaviors work together to cause this tiny pile of feathers to whistle, “Spring’s here.”
 I heard them in the far off. It was a flock of Canada geese. I stood in a parking lot in Fairmont as the flock turned into many flocks and the barking sounds intensified. The numbers and the honking were that of a spring migration, but it was January. The weather was imperfect, but not all flights had been canceled and the geese were headed to a watery bed after feeding in a harvested cornfield, enjoying man’s unintentional generosity.
 I examined footprints in the snow—fragments of a dark night. A dog’s steps in the snow were evident. Coyotes typically walk in a straight line, with each paw print almost directly in front of the next and with few meandering lines. Dogs aren’t as worried about conserving energy, so they wander while investigating things, frequently crossing their own paths. As I examined the writings in the snow, crows offered critical comments. I watched a pair walk up the drive. There is nothing quite like the swagger of a crow. Daniel Otten of Hayward sent me photos from otterspace. Something had been sliding on the snow along a river—river otters. Why do otters do that? Because it’s fun.
 When hunting, rough-legged hawks frequently face into the wind and hover, scanning the ground below for small mammal prey. I saw light morphs doing this near Albert Lea and Fairmont, and a dark morph roughie using this hunting technique outside Blue Earth.
Q&A
 “When do coyotes and red foxes breed?” Coyotes mate at age two and may pair for life. The mating season begins in January and lasts through February. Five to seven pups are born in April. When they're eight to 12 weeks old, the female teaches them to hunt. From autumn until mid-winter, the pups leave the den and search for territories. Red foxes mate at one year, breed in February and 52 days later five to 10 young are born. The kits, cubs or pups nurse for 10 weeks and are independent at seven months. Breeding occurs in late winter and gestation is about two months. Litter size averages four, and the young stay with their mother until fall. Red and gray foxes don’t hybridize.
 “Do crows and gulls have landfill breath?” Yes.
 “Are shrews carnivores?” The ones in my yard eat meat, but they’re omnivores. They eat insects, worms, spiders, mice and other small mammals, plant material (like the seeds under my feeders)—anything to stoke their high metabolic rate. 
 “Do snow buntings dive into the snow to sleep?” They roost in slight scrapes in the snow in open areas. Extreme cold might cause one to roost behind a snowbank. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, extreme conditions of -35°C might cause them to burrow into the snow.
 “Is it a good idea to trap squirrels and haul them elsewhere?” Not without asking permission of the owner of the land where you are depositing the bushytails. The owner might not want more squirrels. Relocating squirrels creates an opening for other squirrels to fill and they are always looking for a good territory to move into. It might be easier to deal with the squirrels you know than have to negotiate bird feeder battles with new squirrels with new notions and clever tricks.
Thanks for stopping by
 “There's only one age: alive.”—Agnes Varda.
 “The most important discoveries will provide answers to questions that we do not yet know how to ask and will concern objects we have not yet imagined.”—John N. Bahcall.
 Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

Phish has a song about cluster flies.

Bloviating about birds and nattering about nature on the radio.

This temperature feels warmer than it used to. Wind is a key factor and clothing has improved, but I think it’s because my winter chores have diminished with time. I was once in love with snowballs. I threw a snowball on this gelid day. That might have warmed me.

My yard is crammed with Common Redpolls and I couldn’t be happier. It’s as if I’d driven the entire yard to a gas station and said, “Fill ‘er up with redpolls,” which is impossible because there are no full-service gas stations anywhere in my realm.

Pogo (creator Walt Kelly) said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” The local opossums might consider winter an antagonist.

Minnesota State defeated UMary 74-60. Maddy Olson led the scoring with 15 and had 3 steals, Joey Batt had 13 points plus 3 assists & 3 steals, Destinee Bursch added 11 points and Molly Ihle had 4 assists, 3 steals and pulled down 5 rebounds.

Do male birds do all the singing?

Naturally
I watched through my binoculars as a crow flew down to a rural road and picked up a McDonald’s bag and flew away with it. I hoped it was a gift-wrapped french fry. Earlier, I’d seen a pair dive-bombing a squirrel carrying food. The crows wanted the squirrel to become a bird feeder.
I was watching a chickadee drink water from the tip of a melting icicle hanging from a shed’s metal roof on a sunny day when a murmuration of starlings flew over. It’s called a murmuration because of the collective sound produced by the flock’s wingbeats.
A woman at First Presbyterian in Mankato told me a David and Goliath story. A pileated woodpecker was dining at a feeder when a tiny downy woodpecker flew in, pecked in the general direction of the big woodpecker, which flew away.
During a Christmas Bird Count, a feeder of birds said, “Stupid birds don’t know enough to go south for the winter.” My smile might have been too wide. “I know,” he said. “They’re no smarter than I am.
National Geographic writer Doug Chadwick’s book, “Four-Fifths a Grizzly” reinforces humanity’s fundamental relationship with, and reliance on nature, plus the close relationship between human DNA and that of grizzly bears, with whom we share 80% of our DNA. We’re 60% similar to a salmon and 40% the same as many insects.
Q&A
“What time of the year do squirrels breed?” Fox squirrels breed from December to February and June through July, eastern gray squirrels from December to February and/or June through August, flying squirrels in early spring and red squirrels in late winter. The Ojibwe call red squirrels "ajidamo." Black squirrels are a melanistic color phase of the gray. According to a 1990 study, black squirrels were the dominant color of the eastern gray squirrel prior to European settlement. As the country grew along with increased hunting pressure (black squirrels were easier for hunters to spot than the gray), the population became grayer. Gray squirrels inhabited large tracts of woodland and forest in the eastern U.S. but by the 1870s, they were introduced to American parks to provide people with a wildlife experience. According to the DNR, a gray squirrel can hide 25 nuts in 30 minutes and can find roughly 80% of them later.
“Why is it called Kitty Hawk?” I’ve worked in North Carolina's Outer Banks and visited the Wright Brothers National Memorial. The area was chosen for its high, treeless hills ideal for launching the glider and broad sand beaches for soft landings. Orville made the first successful flight on December 17, 1903, but Wilbur had won the coin toss on December 14 for who’d make the first attempt. Wilbur's effort was unsuccessful, so when they tried again on December 17, it was Orville's turn. Most people agree the Native American name for the place appeared on English settlers’ maps as Chickehawk, Chickahawk or Chickenhauk in the 1700s. Settlers, confounded by the spelling, filed land deeds referencing Kittyhuk, Kittyhark, KittyHawk, and Kitty Hawk. Kitty Hawk is credited as the home of the Wright Brothers’ first flight, but it took place in neighboring Kill Devil Hills, which wasn’t incorporated until 50 years later.
Mike Rucker of Lake Wilson asked how many female songbirds sing and how many nesting bald eagles there are in Minnesota. For a long time, birdsong was considered a male trait. It’s true that in some species, only male birds sing, but in others, both sexes sing. In research done in 2014, 71% of the females (of the 323 songbird species studied) sang. Males are often louder and more observable. Some common female birds that sing include the cardinal, rose-breasted grosbeak, American goldfinch, Baltimore oriole, junco, house wren, house finch and barn swallow. I don’t have the total nesting pair count for 2021, but I have other years. In the 1960s, there were about 100 pairs of nesting bald eagles in Minnesota. In 1972, DDT was banned. In 1973, there were 149 nesting pairs, 181 in 1980, 1312 in 2005, 2300 in 2007, and 2017 showed 9800 nesting pairs of eagles.
Thanks for stopping by
“I would not enter on my list of friends, / (Though graced with polish'd manners and fine sense, / Yet wanting sensibility) the man / Who needlessly sets foot upon a worm.”—William Cowper.
“If a man would register all his opinions upon love, politics, religion, learning, etc., beginning from his youth and so go on to old age, what a bundle of inconsistencies and contradictions would appear at last!”—Jonathan Swift.
Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

This photo was posted in an earlier column, asking which accipiter it is. Is it a Cooper’s or sharp-shinned hawk? Coop’s have sturdy legs with large feet seeming capable of breaking pencils. Sharpies have legs as thin as pencils. A sharpie’s eyes are in the middle of its head, giving it a bug-eyed look. A Coop’s eyes are nearer to the front of its head. Juveniles of both species have yellowish eyes, adults red. A safe answer might be to say it’s either a shooper’s hawk or a carp-shinned hawk, but it’s a young Cooper’s hawk. Photo by Al Batt

Hadley Batt tossed in 21 points to lead New Ulm JV to a victory over St. James.

Short-handed Minnesota State led by seven points, but St. Cloud State finished the game on a 33-12 run to claim a 66-52 victory. Maddy Olson led the Mavericks with 20 points, Destinee Bursch added 11 points and Joey Batt had 8 points, 4 assists and 4 steals.

This might be my favorite T-shirt to wear while birding.

Be polite, ask a squirrel if it wants to move to a new address; winter is for the birds or at least some of them; and telling shooper’s hawks from carp-shinned hawks. Nature talk on the radio.

Minnesota State defeated Bemidji State 72-68 to retain first place. Joey Batt (#1) led the Mavericks with 22 points and 5 assists. Maddy Olson and Destinee Bursch added 13 points each, and Mikayla Nachazel had 7 rebounds.

Minnesota State defeated Bemidji State 72-68. Joey Batt (#1) led the Mavericks with 22 points and 5 assists. Maddy Olson and Destinee Bursch added 13 points each, and Mikayla Nachazel had 7 rebounds.