Tag Archives: birding

A Flash of Red in a Field of White

biodiversity, Home Landscapes, Wildlife & Plants, , , , , , ,

As I was sitting in my office, staring out the window during the blizzard we recently had, I noticed something beautiful in the midst of all the dreary winter weather. There, perched on a snow-covered shrub, was a stunning adult male cardinal.

It was as if the bird knew I needed a little pick-me-up on this gray day. Its bright red feathers stood out against the white snow, and the crest on top of its head added an extra touch of elegance. I couldn’t help but stop and watch the bird for a few moments, taking in its beauty.

Seeing the cardinal in its natural habitat was a reminder of how amazing nature can be, even amid a cold and dreary winter day. There are still little moments of beauty that can bring us a moment of joy.

As I watched the cardinal fly away, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for the little things in life that can bring us so much happiness. It’s important to take a moment to appreciate the beauty around us, even if it’s just a glimpse of a stunning bird through an office window.

So, if you’re feeling a little down today, look outside and see if you can spot something beautiful. Who knows, you’ll catch a glimpse of some beautiful birds too. It is the nature of things!

New Years Day 2020 – Dismal First of the Year Bird Count

Home Landscapes, Neighborhoods, , , , , ,

With the start of a new year and a new decade, I plan on and increased effort at blogging about my regular “field trips” into nature.

Therefore, I decided to start with a morning walk down the country road where we live with the round trip being about 1 mile. This short walk down a paved road transects several different types of habitat areas, including an open field of about 50 acres, some shrubby grassland areas, a nice woodlot, a meandering stream, and associated wetlands.

New Years Day, 2020 in our neck of the woods, was a bit brisk and cloudy. The temperature during my walk was around 34 F., with a slight wind. I have to say that the wildlife results of my walk were a bit disappointing. I hope this is not an indication of things to come.

As soon as I walked out the front door, I saw some movement in the old fence row that is beside our house and field and quickly spotted a House Finch and 4 House Sparrows. (So…my first “Bird of the Year” was a House Finch.)

With that, I started my leisurely walk down the road of 1/2 mile to the East and the intersection with a major highway, where I turn around and walk back to the house. All the way to the highway and about 3/4 of the way back to the house…I never heard and never saw 1 bird! Nothing…not one. About 200 yards before getting back to the house I spotted a lone Blue Jay fly across the road and land in a tree for a few seconds. Walking another 25 yards I noticed a Red-tailed Hawk perched on top of an old power pole that is located in the olf fence row beside our house. I walked just a bit past our house to check a small stream and wetland area across the street from home…and saw or heard nothing.

So the summary of this mile-long walk-in “nature” is a total of 7 birds of 4 species! Not a Chickadee, not a Cardinal, not a Morning Dove…I know it is winter…but that is pretty bad. The pictures below I took while walking as a documentation of where this walk took place. If you look closely at one picture you can sort of make out the Red-tail on top of the old power pole…and a blurry one of the hawk after it flew off and over the road.

Birding – A Life-long Hobby That Can Be Handed Down

Parks & Sanctuaries, Wildlife & Plants, , , ,

We are regularly being told that our way of life destroys nature. Over the years society, in general, is becoming less and less connected with nature and natural resources. I think this is a dangerous trend for our future. What we don’t understand, appreciate, or value we will not take care of.

I also think that most people are resistant to this type of information, and often say: “Nothing in nature depends on me!” I believe it is very important for this type of thinking be turned around, because we, the people depend on everything in nature for our very existence.

One way to regain a connection with nature is through the hobby of birdwatching or what most people simply call “birding” these days. I found the video below both interesting and entertaining. It presents a story of how a young boy became a birder and later helped famous birdwatcher and artist Roger Tory Peterson sight what Peterson called the “Bird of the century” and then went on to pursue birding as a life-long hobby which he passed on to his own family. Are you doing the same?

https://vimeo.com/110006283

 

The Tufted Titmouse

Wildlife & Plants, , , , , ,

The tufted titmouse is a small songbird from North America that is somewhat common, but still one of my favorite birds to watch all year long.

These birds have grey upperparts and white underparts with a white face, a grey crest, a dark forehead, and a short, stout bill; they have rufous-colored flanks, under the wings. The song is described as a whistled “peter-peter-peter.” (I am ready for Spring when they are among the first birds to start singing.) They make a variety of different sounds, most having a similar tone quality.

Their habitat is deciduous and mixed woods as well as gardens, parks, and shrub-land in the eastern United States; they barely range into southeastern Canada in the Great Lakes region. They are all-year residents in the area effectively circumscribed by the Great Plains, the Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. The range is expanding northwards, possibly due to increased availability of winter food at bird feeders. The birds are resident all year even in rural areas where there are few bird feeders, while it was noted in an early bird report around 1905 that many of these birds migrated south in winter.

They forage actively on branches, sometimes on the ground, mainly eating insects, especially caterpillars, but also seeds, nuts and berries. They will store food for later use. They tend to be curious about their human neighbors and can sometimes be spotted on window ledges peering into the windows seemingly to watch what’s going on inside. They tend to be a bit shyer when seen at bird feeders; their normal pattern there is to scout the feeder from the cover of trees or bushes, fly to the feeder, take a seed, and fly back to cover to eat it.

Tufted titmice nest in a hole in a tree, either a natural cavity, a human-made nest box, or sometimes an old woodpecker nest. They line the nest with soft materials, sometimes plucking hair from a live animal such as a dog. If they find they find shed snakeskin, they will try to incorporate pieces of it in their nest. Their eggs are under an inch long and are white or cream-colored with brownish or purplish spots. Sometimes, a bird born the year before remains to help its parents raise the next year’s young. The pair may remain together and defend their territory year-round. These birds are permanent residents and often join small mixed flocks in winter.