“Hip; hip; hip hurrah boys; spring is here!”

It may be summer, but the Song Sparrow sings, “Hip; hip; hip hurrah boys; spring is here!” Photo by Al Batt.

The Ebony Jewelwing is a striking damselfly that preys upon mosquitoes, flies, small moths, mayflies and flying ants.

The Ebony Jewelwing is a striking damselfly that preys upon mosquitoes, flies, small moths, mayflies and flying ants.

Naturally

 There were blinking bugs. Fireflies or lightning bugs are quiet fireworks. They prefer warm, humid environments, which means muggy June and July days are perfect for them. Look up and down around tall grasses or bushes and areas near water. A lawn could host fireflies. A firefly is an identity mark of summer and evokes wonder in those who see it.
 The morning’s sweet chorus of early birds featured the incessant voice of a robin accompanied by drumbeats. Each woodpecker is a drummer, not a guitar player in the flock. Robins, catbirds and orioles splash in the water of the birdbath, showing Baptist tendencies. Robins, cardinals and other birds fight with their reflections in windows. Blue jays seem to understand the image isn’t a real bird. Magpies have been tested and found to understand mirrored birds. Someone commented on the plainness of the house sparrow. I couldn’t agree. I think they are handsome birds. A house sparrow doesn’t give a thought to what it’s wearing.
 Deer walked through the yard like ballerinas. Thistles and milkweeds bloomed. Look for an increase in butterflies and grasshoppers. I’ve noticed gobs of foamy “spit” on the stems of plants—mostly yarrow and daisy. The spit is where young spittlebugs (froghoppers) grow up.
 Crown vetch is a perennial plant widely planted along roadsides for erosion control and can spread into prairies, forest edges and riverbanks. Its stems trail over other plants and can grow 2-6 feet long. Crown vetch has tubular white to pink to lavender flowers that bloom from May through August. Crown vetch can cover other plants, spread vegetatively and cover acres of land. Outcompeting other plants reduces species diversity and habitat. As a legume, crown vetch can change nitrogen levels in soils, which can make it difficult for native plants to compete. Crown vetch is non-palatable to grazing animals. Birdsfoot trefoil was introduced to the U. S. for livestock forage and erosion control. It grows well in Minnesota and its yellow flowers are evident on roadsides. Foxtail barley, sometimes called squirrel-tail grass, is a common grass on roadsides. Its flowering spikes are attractive, silky and waving in the breeze.

Birds in the news

 A group of African gray parrots was quarantined 
together at a UK safari park when they taught each other how to swear. When the birds realized staff members were laughing at their swearing, they started laughing, too.

Q&A

 “Do ants help peonies to bloom?” Folklore says ants tickle the buds to help the flowers open, but they will open without the presence of ants. The peonies provide nectar (food) for the ants and the ants protect the peonies from aphids and other harmful insect pests. 
 “How many litters does a rabbit have each year?” An eastern cottontail rabbit female is capable of having seven litters a year, but in Minnesota it’s likely to have only three, possibly four. Each year, about 80% percent of Minnesota's cottontail population dies from weather, predators and disease. 
 Bill and Patrice Thompson of Mantorville have a red-headed woodpecker coming to a feeder and asked for information on that bird in southern Minnesota. I did a Breeding Bird Survey in Freeborn, Mower and Steele Counties and was cheered by the red-headed woodpeckers I saw in all three counties. In Longfellow’s poem “The Song of Hiawatha,” Hiawatha gave the bird its red head. In Minnesota, they’re most commonly found in southern Minnesota. They prefer woodlands where the canopy is relatively open, there is a sufficient number of dead trees and dead limbs, and an abundant supply of acorns. It makes use of farmland woodlots and shelterbelts. Their numbers have dropped 6.07% per year in Minnesota since 1967. I’m seeing more than I did a few years ago.
 “How do woodpeckers keep from getting concussions when hammering on a tree?” The Field Museum said that with each peck, woodpeckers absorb more than 10 times the force it would take to give a human a concussion. Woodpeckers have thick yet spongy skull bones that act as a helmet, there is a cushion of cartilage located where the skull meets the jawbone, powerful muscles deflect the brunt of the blow to the skull, the woodpecker’s brain is held tightly against its skull, and the hyoid bone wraps around its skull like a seatbelt that protects its brain. Woodpeckers have built-in goggles—sort of. They close their eyelids an instant before each strike, keeping eyeballs under pressure and protecting against splinters. Woodpeckers are designed to do what they do.

Thanks for stopping by

 “When there is very little else left to believe in, one can still believe in an honest loaf of fragrant, home-baked bread.”—Anna Thomas.
 “Speculation is perfectly all right, but if you stay there you've only founded a superstition. If you test it, you've started a science.”—Hal Clement.
 Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

The northern flicker apparently has a goal of making as much noise as possible. It often drums on metal things. A heavy metal drummer. The black mustache stripe means this is a male. Photo by Al Batt.

One of my favorite flowers—the Canada Anemone. Some folks call this robust perennial the meadow anemone. I grow it in my yard and have never had the deer lunch on it.

One of my favorite flowers—the Canada Anemone. Some folks call this robust perennial the meadow anemone. I grow it in my yard and have never had the deer lunch on it.

Birding via the radio.

Aunts are gift-bearing, often bringing food, and should be welcomed.

Naturally

 I did a Breeding Bird Survey for the U.S. Geological Survey in Freeborn, Mower and Steele Counties. The lowlights were the stable flies. The highlights were many, but seeing trumpeter swans, sandhill cranes and red-headed woodpeckers topped the list. I saw several red-heads. Are woodpeckers educated at the school of hard knocks? The male red-headed woodpecker does most of the excavation of nest cavities and completes the project in 12–17 days.
 I watched robins in the yard. Two males battled at the edge of their territories. One appeared to be slightly larger than the other and won every battle. I reckon the burly bird gets the worm.
 I watched two crows, about twice the length of a blue jay, mosey across the lawn. They stopped occasionally to vocalize. I don’t think crows ever grow tired of being crows. I rarely see a dead crow on the road, but I found one I could tell was a young crow because of its blue eyes. It hadn’t learned to fear the speed of a car.
 I’m seeing fireflies. In the butterfly world, I’m enjoying the brownish colors of skippers and crescents.
 Several studies have found that mosquitos may prefer to bite individuals with Type O blood over other blood types. It’s important to note that a number of factors may influence a person’s chances of getting bitten: hormones, carbon dioxide emission, perfumes, alcohol intake and more.
 Summer offers more blooming flowers in prairies, fields and ditches, and outside the woods where I found flowers blooming in the spring. White (bladder) campion is a European species that provides white flowers from May to September.

Q&A

 “How long do squirrels live?” Red squirrels live 3-10 years in the wild, with only about 25% living longer than a year. Fox squirrels 8-18 years in the wild, flying squirrels 3-5 years and grey squirrels live 6-12 years.
 “What ants could I have in my house?” They could be your aunts. Aunts are gift-bearing, often bringing food, and should be welcomed. Carpenter ant workers are 3/16-1/2 inch long. They don’t eat wood, but nest in moist or rotting wood. Cornfield ants are light to dark brown and workers are 1/10-1/8 inch long. Common in the soil in exposed areas, forming small craters several inches wide, especially in lawns where the grass has thinned or is bare. They feed on sweets including honeydew and are sometimes found feeding on honeydew from insects infesting houseplants. Field ants are black, brown, red or combinations of those colors. Workers range in size from 1/8-1/4 inch long. Some make large mounds, up to 10 inches across. They also nest under objects, such as wood, stones and patio blocks. They don’t nest inside buildings. Pavement ants are reddish-brown to black and 1/8 inch long. They nest in soil under sidewalks, driveways, stones and logs, and are commonly found under homes with concrete slab construction. Pharaoh ants are 1/16 inch long and light yellow to red with a darker colored thorax and can be confused with thief ants. They feed on a wide variety of foods, especially those containing grease or fats, and also feed on many types of sweets, dead insects, toothpaste and soap. They nest in cracks and crevices behind countertops, baseboards, wall voids, and other small openings. Thief ants, often called grease ants, are the smallest household ants found here. They nest near the nests of larger ants and steal their larvae. Thief ants are yellow to light brown and are 1/20 inch long. They prefer protein and greasy foods, such as meats, cheese, peanut butter and nuts, but also eat sweets. They are small enough to enter almost any type of food container and can nest indoors in small spaces under countertops, wall voids, cabinet voids and behind baseboards. 
 “What birds other than the loon were considered as Minnesota’s state bird?” Before the legislature decided on the common loon as Minnesota's state bird in 1961, several other birds were suggested, including the eastern goldfinch (1947), the mourning dove (1951), the pileated woodpecker (1951 and 1953), the scarlet tanager (1951) and the wood duck (1951). Erratic swimmers are the loon’s favorite since it makes them easy to catch. Loons eat a lot of yellow perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed and crayfish.
 “Is Absorbine Jr. good for keeping mosquitoes away?” I have heard from people that Absorbine Jr., a pain reliever designed to help aching muscles and joints, works for them as a mosquito and gnat repellent, but I’ve not tried it.

Thanks for stopping by

 “If the world were a big apartment, we wouldn’t get our deposit back.”—John Ross.
 “You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.”—Henry David Thoreau.
 Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

Does a red-headed woodpecker learn all it needs to know at the school of hard knocks? Photo by Al Batt.

What is a shitepoke?

Naturally 

 What did you say?
 I asked that as I listened to a catbird running through its jumbled repertoire. Horned larks sang high in the sky.
 I saw fledged starlings on June 5. Most sources say they have 1-2 broods per year, but I suspect one is usually the case in Minnesota. 

Q&A

 Mac Ehrhardt of Albert Lea asked how to attract goldfinches. He has clean feeders and fresh seeds. They like some security, so nyjer or black oil sunflower feeders placed 10-20 feet of trees, bushes or shrubs might help. They nest later than many birds, so they can be nomadic. I know people who have tied a yellow ribbon to a feeder to make it more visually attractive. Planting sunflowers, black-eyed susans, asters, coneflowers and native thistles is a “sale” sign to goldfinches. They like dandelions, but you might not need to plant those. 
 “How do I know if a young squirrel needs rescuing?” Juvenile squirrels look like miniature adults. If an uninjured squirrel has a fluffed-out tail and a body longer than 6 inches, not including the tail, it’s OK. Squirrels are independent at 10-12 weeks of age. But if it approaches humans or pets, consult a rehabilitator.
 “What is a shitepoke?”Herons and egrets are called “shitepokes” or “shypokes.” Shitepoke refers to how it defecates  when frightened. “Chalkline” is another nickname. 
 “Do ruffed grouse actually drum?” No, you’re thinking of Ringo Starr. The drumming sound is made when the grouse beats his wings against his chest, creating an air vacuum. The male performs this while standing on a drumming log, stone or dirt mound to establish territories. 
 “Why don’t I see many American black ducks?” The North American Breeding Bird Survey recorded a decline of 84% between 1966 and 2014. Farming, logging and urbanization contributed to the fall in numbers. Duck hunters exploited this duck for decades, shooting an estimated 800,000 per year in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1982, the Humane Society pursued a lawsuit that led to hunting restrictions. Records indicate about 115,000 per year are shot today. Black ducks are warier than mallards and less tolerant of disturbance. Mallards have contributed to the decline by hybridizing with black ducks. Black ducks are vulnerable to lead poisoning after eating lead shot.
 “Why do some eggs hatch at the same time and others don’t?” In many birds, including most precocial species, incubation doesn’t begin until the last egg has been laid, resulting in all the eggs hatching within a few hours. Precocial species (e.g. ducks, geese and chickens) need to hit the ground a-running. Other birds begin incubation prior to laying the last egg of the clutch. This results in asynchronous hatchings separated by anywhere from a few hours to several days. Asynchronous hatching gives the first chicks a head start at attracting parental attention. Asynchronous hatching is a parental strategy for raising the largest number of offspring that food resources allow. Brood reduction by starvation routinely occurs in gulls and raptors, and is common in birds as diverse as cormorants, herons, egrets, terns and common grackles.
Eagles, cranes, pelicans and owls exhibit siblicide, in which the larger chick kills its sibling. Any egg more than one serves as insurance against the loss of the first egg from infertility, predation or damage. Nest predation could encourage the evolution of asynchronous hatching to minimize the time that eggs and nestlings spend in a nest.
 “How many broods do black-capped chickadees raise each year?” One.
 Delores Hanna of Albert Lea asked how to keep barn swallows from nesting over the door of her home. Slick, smooth surfaces will prevent barn swallows from adhering their mud nests to a wall. Plastic cling could work. Blocking the area where birds want to nest with plastic netting or other objects might work. Leave no openings that would allow entrance to the desired area.
 “Do rabbits dig burrows?” Eastern cottontail rabbits live within a 5-acre area their entire lives and don't dig burrows. They crawl into the vacant burrows of other animals during cold or wet weather and to escape pursuit. They will huddle under woody vegetation or brush piles. About 30% of rabbits survive a winter. Cottontails have protruding eyes that give them nearly a 260-degree vision. They have a blind spot about 10 degrees wide directly in front of them.
 “What tree smells like cat urine?” Called skunk spruce or cat spruce, the crushed needles of the white spruce give off a strong odor that reminds folks of a skunk or cat pee. Several other plants carry that odor.

Thanks for stopping by

 “The hum of bees is the voice of the garden.”–Elizabeth Lawrence.
 “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.”—Edmund Burke.
 Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

This male orchard oriole hatched last year. He’s beginning to acquire the chestnut-brown color of an adult male. Photo by Al Batt.

When stable flies attack

Naturally

As I sampled wild strawberries, tiny and sweet, I marveled at the butterflies moving about the yard. Eastern tiger swallowtails (flight times mid-May to early September in my yard), clouded sulphurs (on the wing from late May to early October), red admirals (early May-early October) and spring azures (late April-late June). William Henry Davies wrote, “A poor life this if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare.”
White grubs are the larvae of June beetles and Japanese beetles. Their presence produces dead patches on a lawn. Their feeding injures plant roots, causing the turf grass to wilt and die. Raccoons, skunks and crows tear up a lawn looking for these grubs to eat.
Dame's rocket blooms May-July and is often confused for a native phlox, but it has four petals and phlox has five-petaled flowers. Dame's rocket can form massive colonies, typically settling in disturbed soils. Yellow goat’s beard is evident on roadsides. The flowers are followed by seedheads resembling a dandelion on steroids.
Cedar waxwings fed on mulberries as a deer snorted in my direction. It’s an alarm signal. It made the distinctive sound by expelling air forcefully through its nasal passages.
Dragonflies zipped through the air. One study found dragonflies had a 95-97% success rate in capturing prey. African lions have about a 25% success rate.
In early June, I watched a flock of trumpeter swans flying over. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology reported molt migrations similar to that done by Canada geese. A trumpeter swan named Louis was the main character in E. B. White’s children’s book, “The Trumpet of the Swan.”

Q&A

“How long have red-bellied woodpeckers been in Minnesota?” T.S. Roberts first observed the bird in June 1898 in Houston County. They were found in Goodhue County in 1900 and in Minneapolis by 1908. There is a 1907–1908 winter record in Rochester and one in the fall of 1908 in Steele County. Nesting was first confirmed in 1903 in Red Wing. Roberts noted the species was likely breeding farther south in the state for many years prior.
“Does a bird’s bill continue to grow?” A bird’s beak is made of keratin, like our fingernails, and grows continuously throughout its life. The beak must be constantly ground down via the bird’s normal activities.
“Are the feet of dabbling ducks different from those of divers?” While dabblers occasionally dive to feed or to escape predators, they typically skim food from the surface or feed in the shallows by tipping forward to submerge their heads and necks. Diving ducks propel themselves underwater with large feet attached to short legs situated far back on the body. Dabblers have smaller feet and their legs are situated farther forward. Many divers also dabble.
“How long do hummingbirds live?” Most ruby-throated hummingbirds die in their first year, but when they've survived a year, their lifespan is 3-5 years. Their short legs prevent them from walking or hopping. The best they can do is shuffle along.
“Do great horned owls add anything to a nest?” They commandeer the nests of red-tailed hawks, crows, ravens, herons, squirrels and even eagles. Owls may line the nest with bark, leaves, their own down and fur or feathers from prey.
Matt Haase of Mankato asked how he could stop the attacks by stable flies. The flies resemble house flies and are about 1/4-inch long, and are sometimes called "biting house flies" or “ankle biters” and tend to attack during daylight hours. They have checkerboard markings on the abdomen and bayonet-like mouthparts used to pierce the skin and suck blood. Both sexes can inflict a painful bite. Wearing pants and long sleeves is the best way to avoid bites, which can sting and itch. The flies go after pets, too. Stable flies breed in damp organic matter, such as animal bedding and grass clippings. Wearing blue-colored clothing attracts stable flies for unknown reasons. People have told me DEET has been helpful and EPA research states that repellents containing Picaridin repel the pests. A flamethrower might prove effective, but please resist the urge to use it on the stable flies.
“Is a butterfly bush good for butterflies?” A butterfly bush provides nectar for butterflies, but it offers no value for the butterfly or moth larvae. Not a single native North American caterpillar feeds on its leaves according to entomologist Doug Tallamy in his book “Bringing Nature Home.“
“What would kill a baby raccoon?” Coyotes, foxes, great horned owls, dogs, bobcats, adult male raccoons, cars and humans. Ingesting a poison such as antifreeze leaked from a car is another possibility.

Thanks for stopping by

“No man is lonely while eating spaghetti: it requires so much attention.“—Christopher Morley.
“The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.”—Bertrand Russell.
Do good.

@Al Batt 2022

The song of the scarlet tanager has been compared to the song of a robin with a sore throat. Photo by Al Batt.

Take a hooked bill, aquamarine eyes and fecal matter that can kill a nest tree and what do you have? Either my Uncle Herman or a Double-crested Cormorant.

All the honking was about a molt migration

Naturally

Around June 1, give or take a few days, I hear honking (goose music) and see a loose V-formation of Canada geese flying overhead in a molt migration. All birds, geese included, shed feathers and replace them at least once each year. The geese become flightless for 4-5 weeks. The molt is timed to occur on the breeding grounds when adult birds are tending broods. Geese not old enough to breed (they begin mating at 2-3 years of age), those that lost nests early in the season and those who had their goslings adopted by more experienced or aggressive geese, undertake a molt migration. Individuals may move hundreds of miles to waters where they feel safe while flightless. In September and October, many of these individuals return from this seasonal journey.
I haven’t been seeing many house sparrows in the yard. Their numbers usually decrease when spring hits, but their populations have declined by about 3% per year resulting in a cumulative decline of nearly 80% between 1966 and 2019, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey.
The red-eyed vireo is an olive-green songbird with a thick bill, a signature red eye and a strong white eye stripe. I enjoy watching them as they glean insects from the foliage of trees. Red-eyed vireos are vigorous singers, sounding as if they’re talking to themselves “See me, here I am, up here.” They sing nearly non-stop, “Here I am! Where are you?” Some birders call it the preacher bird because they find its song interminable. “Where are you? Here I am, way up here. Here I am, over here, see me, where am I?” The bird sounds as if it’s counting the leaves of a tree.

Q&A

“Why are birds so loud in the morning?” The dawn chorus is borne of spring and peaks an hour before and after sunrise. Birds might sing then because foraging (especially for insectivorous birds) is difficult in dim light, making singing a better use of their time and energy; singing robustly after surviving the night exhibits vitality; fewer environmental noises clutter the airwaves; and the wind is often lacking. The result is a beautiful free-form jazz. Some birds sing in the darkness in response to artificial light. City lights and noises have disrupted the natural sleep cycle of birds like robins, which makes it difficult for them to tell day from night. Birds may sing louder in a city in an attempt to overpower the noise.
“Why are there fewer red-headed woodpeckers than there used to be?” According to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, the omnivorous bird’s population declined by 54% from 1966 to 2019. Some studies say starlings have displaced the cavity-nesting woodpeckers from nest sites. Other studies disagree. The lack of dead trees has been hard on them and many are hit by cars while the birds are flycatching. The Minnesota DNR designated the bird as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need.
“I saw pine siskins not long ago in southern Minnesota. Do they nest here?” Pine siskins’ primary breeding distribution is in the northeastern coniferous region of the state. Following a large irruptive year, siskins have been known to stay and breed far south of their normal breeding range if there is a good food supply available. Increased establishment of conifers may have moved the siskins’ normal range farther south than its traditional range. The increased availability of feeders might have helped.
“How do I know if a young rabbit needs help?” If the rabbit is fully furred, its eyes are open, it has no visible injuries and is larger than a baseball, it doesn’t need rescuing.
“Why are so many young robins on the ground before they can fly?” Robins leave the nest before they can fly. It’s natural and this unflighted time is a normal and vital part of the young birds’ development. Fledglings can walk, hop, and flap well enough to attempt short flights. They tend to stay close to shrubbery or low branches, where they find safety. Their parents continue to feed them.

Meeting adjourned

“When the last tree is cut, the last fish is caught, and the last river is polluted; when to breathe the air is sickening, you will realize, too late, that wealth is not in bank accounts and that you can't eat money.—Alanis Obomsawin.
“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day, I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. But by sitting still, and the more one sits still, the closer one comes to feeling ill. Thus if one just keeps on walking, everything will be all right.”—Søren Kierkegaard.
Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

The red-eyed vireo is an olive-green songbird with a thick bill, a signature red eye and a strong white eye stripe. I enjoy watching them as they glean insects from the foliage of trees. Red-eyed vireos are vigorous singers, sounding as if they’re talking to themselves “See me, here I am, up here.” Photo by Al Batt.

Baby robins to the right of me, baby robins to the left of me, baby robins in front of me, and they are all on the ground. Al Batt on the radio.

Forest bathing is enhanced when in the company of woodland butterlies like Mourning Cloaks.

The New Ulm Eagles varsity won the Mankato Breakdown Tournament at MSU by defeating Mountain Iron-Buhl, New Prague, and Norwood Young America. I’m proud of the team and my granddaughter Hadley (smiling at the front of the group).

The rooster called “cow-cat” and flapped its wings to get me out of bed

Naturally

 House wrens like clotheslines. One nested in my mother’s clothespin bag and another nested in my blue jeans hanging on a line. Simple joys weren’t denied as young wrens fledged in unrehearsed flights from both sites. One year, there was a crow that plucked off the clothespins nearest to the post where it was perched. It did nothing more than drop them to the ground, caw several times and fly away.
 I saw a red-winged blackbird on a street sign. I’d love to see one on a street sign reading “Broadway.” It’d be great to hear that bird singing on Broadway.
 I watched an osprey pluck a fish from the water. The osprey’s feathers are slightly oily to limit water absorption and it’s the only raptor having that adaptation.   
 In Florida, I listened to mockingbirds alternating the sounds of a cardinal, a cellphone, a blue jay, a car alarm and a Carolina wren. Research has found frogs and toads are on the list of sounds mimicked by mockingbirds.
 I watched a broad-winged hawk, the most common raptor of the forests in Minnesota. The record number of broad-wings flying over Hawk Ridge in Duluth was 160,703 birds in the fall of 2003. Annual fall counts at Hawk Ridge vary considerably and are subject to weather during migration. This hawk migrates at high altitudes and seldom stops to hunt during migration. To conserve energy on the long journey, they float upward to find lift on vertical air currents as high as they can go, and then glide to another. When one broad-wing discovers a thermal or updraft, others join it, all swirling up in a “kettle.” Their fall migration is an exciting spectacle as they wing their way to Central and South America.
 I walked a trail in Columbia, Missouri. Male Carolina wrens sang a series of quick, three-part whistles, which sounded like “teakettle” or “Germany.” Their bite was once thought to be deadly poisonous, probably because wrens eat spiders. It’s not.
 Alcatraz was a federal prison once the home of Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, Alvin Karpis (the first public enemy #1) and Robert Stroud, all sent to “The Rock” for attitude adjustments. Stroud’s life was made into the “Birdman of Alcatraz” movie starring Burt Lancaster. The exact meaning is debated, but Alcatraz likely came from “Alcatraces,” meaning “the island of pelicans” and was named by a Spanish explorer in 1775 because of the brown pelicans seen there. It was anglicized to Alcatraz. Another movie “The Escape from Alcatraz” starred Clint Eastwood.

Q&A

 “What are my chances of seeing a brown pelican in Minnesota? Slim. There have been five sightings according to the Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union’s historical records. 
 “My grandfather called a brown thrasher by another name, but I can’t remember what it was. What are its other names?” The nicknames  of this talented and talkative state bird of Georgia include red Mavis, eastern roadrunner, French mockingbird, ferruginous thrush, sandy mocker, corn planter, fox-colored thrush, red thrush and ferruginous mockingbird.
 “What’s the difference between a cocoon and a chrysalis?” The two words are used interchangeably, but they are different things. Cocoons are specific to moths, while butterflies form chrysalises. Moths spin silk around themselves and molt inside the silk casing. This provides warmth and protection from its environment. You can find a camouflaged cocoon attached to a leaf or branch, buried underground or in leaf litter. Chrysalises aren’t silk. A butterfly molts into a chrysalis, which is a hard exoskeleton covering that protects the developing butterfly beneath. Chrysalises are found hanging from something.
 “Where does the word ‘piebald’ come from?” It derives from a combination of "pie," from "magpie" and "bald," meaning "white patch." The reference is to the black-and-white plumage of a magpie.
 “What is the largest flying bird in the world?” The wandering albatross has the largest known wingspan of any living bird, reaching nearly 12 feet. This albatross is the master of the wind.
 “Are there hummingbirds in Russia?” Hummingbirds are found only in the New World (the Western Hemisphere, which is North and South America and their surrounding waters) and the majority of the species live in South America. 
 “What bird is the water witch?” Pied-billed grebes don’t dive as deeply as loons, 20 feet or fewer for about 30 seconds. An alarmed grebe dives swiftly and may swim underwater until reaching plants in shallow water, where it remains submerged, except for its eyes and bill, until the danger passes. This impressive disappearing act is responsible for the bird’s nickname, “water witch.” The pied-bill and other grebes share another nickname emphasizing their diving skills—“hell diver.”

Thanks for stopping by

 “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”—Albert Einstein.
 “Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such.”—Henry Miller.
 Do good.

©️Al Batt 2022

This handsome ring-necked pheasant rooster has been crowing outside my bedroom window early each morning in an attempt to secure employment as my alarm clock. He took the Myers-Briggs test, but no job offer has been made. Photo by Al Batt.

A delightful little book with some big ideas. The insect by the author’s name (James) was a live insect and a reader. It was probably not named James.

A Groundhog enjoys a salad.

The beautiful Wild Columbine has a plenitude of nicknames including: Cluckies, Dancing Fairies, Granny’s Bonnets, Jack-In-Trousers, Meetinghouses, and Rock Lily.

A White-tailed Deer button buck.

A White-tailed Deer button buck.

What is that baby robin doing on the ground? It’s listening to Al Batt on the radio.

House wrens and their housing developments

Naturally

 The indigo bunting is my wife’s favorite bird and my late father called it a “blue canary.” That makes this bird a big deal in my yard. 
 I know it’s dawn when the ring-necked pheasant rooster crows “cow-cat” loudly outside my bedroom window. He follows it up with a loud, rapid beating of his wings.
 I was parked on the highway, waiting for a pilot car to lead me down the road. I watched turkey vultures doing an aerial ballet. Killdeer dashed across the ground. A kingfisher made a metallic sound. They were comfort birds sent to ease the stress of getting nowhere fast.
 Eastern bluebirds, also called the blue robin or the blue redbreast by some settlers, are closely related to the American robin as both are members of the thrush family.
 Birds have systems in place to survive as long as the weather does what’s expected. It takes a lot of insects to make one barn swallow. Barn swallows love lawn mowers because the grass munchers kick up flying insects. Oak trees have more caterpillars than most trees and can provide a well-stocked pantry for many birds.
 June bugs (also called May beetles or June beetles) are common beetles ½ to 1 inch long and vary in color from reddish-brown to nearly black. The adults are active after dusk in late May and early June and are attracted to lights at night. The clumsy fliers collide with windows and cling to screens. 

Q&A

 “Why do wrens build so many nests?” The male house wren stacks a pile of twigs in multiple cavities. It’s his way of lighting a “No vacancy” sign. The female picks one and takes over the construction. The male’s leftover nests may discourage other birds from nesting in those cavities. A wren might build dummy nests to lay claim to all the best nest sites in his territory. His industriousness might prove his nest-building skills and impress a female or confuse a predator. Both parents feed the chicks.
 Lona Falenczykowski of Mankato asked how long the nesting process is for a robin. It takes 2-6 days to build the nest, there is a 12-14 day incubation period and 13 days in the nestling stage. 
 “Do baby skunks practice spraying and how can I de-skunk my dog?” Use 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide, ¼ cup baking soda and 1 teaspoon liquid soap. Mix and bathe, using caution around a dog’s eyes. Don’t store the mixture. I’ve been told the stored mixture could explode. Baby skunks (born in May and June) discover ways to weaponize their protection spray and I expect they practice a few times to improve their aim.
 Marian Bahl of Faribault asked if robins reuse nests. Old nests may be reused with or without a new lining and a new nest may be built on top of an old one, but more commonly, a new nest is constructed for each brood.
 “How can I tell a house finch from a purple finch?” Both females are brown and white, but female purple finches have a well-defined white mark above each eye. The male house finch is a reddish-orange and the male purple finch is a reddish-purple, looking as if it had been dipped in raspberry juice. The male house finch has streaking on his breast and sides, and is a brown bird with red or orange mixed in. The purple finch has stripes and is a purple bird with brown mixed in. 
 “What is the most abundant bird in the world?” The domestic chicken, which outnumbers humans 3 to 1.
 “Does a swan really sing before it dies?” The term “swan song” originates from the legend that swans are mute all their lives before singing beautifully and mournfully right before they die. This was known to be false as early as the days of ancient Rome when Pliny the Elder refuted it. The legend persisted because poetic imagery proved to be more attractive than scientific evidence. Swan song is commonly used to refer to celebrated performers embarking on farewell tours.
 “What’s the difference between midges and mayflies?” Midges are smaller than a mayfly and  emerge when the surface water temperature is around 60° and live 5-10 days. Mayflies have larger wings, a pronounced tail and emerge when surface water temps are around 70° and have a lifespan of about a day. Midges remind people of mosquitoes.

Thanks for stopping by

 “I want people to talk to one another no matter what their difference of opinion might be.”—Studs Terkel.
 “What I see in Nature is a magnificent structure that we can comprehend only very imperfectly, and that must fill a thinking person with a feeling of humility. This is a genuinely religious feeling that has nothing to do with mysticism.”—Albert Einstein.
 Do good.

©Al Batt 2022

An Indigo Bunting male sings, “ Fire! Fire! Where? Where? Here! Here! Put it out. Put it out. “ Photo by Al Batt

Can an owl be wise if it isn’t?

Deer will eat dandelions.

Groundhogs love dandelions.

Mr. & Mrs. Rose-breasted Grosbeak at home. Not really. The nest is usually in the fork of a tree and is so thinly constructed I can often see the eggs from below.

The Rose-breasted Grosbeak male sings when he has incubation duties on the nest. He whistles while he works.

It was like looking into a mirror for these two Baltimore Oriole males.

This young male Orchard Oriole is showing a bit of the coloration of an adult.

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.

Thanks for stopping by
“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.