Happy New Year Everyone!
I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year from all of us here at Mon@rch Nature Blog!
My Bird Feeders [videos]
I was asked by Nature Shutterbug to do post on the bird feeders in my backyard. Instead of making this post simple (sorry dial-up friends), I decided to get into this post multiple videos. I do feed the birds year-round but during the Spring-Summer-Fall months I bring the feeders inside at dusk due to the critters getting into them. The suet feeder comes inside at dusk during the winter months but I will fill the other feeders with a limited amount of seeds for when the critters find them. (more…)
End of 2007
Hummingbird Moth photo from August 2003
It seems like the end of 2007 has been just buzzing by so quickly. I had a hard time thinking of a critter that buzzed and suddenly I remember some older (2003) video that I captured of a Hummingbird Moth!! Hope you enjoy this cute little moth! (more…)
What a Chipmunk?
Eastern Chipmunk (older photo)
I would have never predicted that on December 26 an Eastern Chipmunk would be running around with morning temperatures of 19°F. My Chipmunk friend should be in its torpor state, where he will reduce his body temperature and taking a longer than normal nap! Eastern Chipmunks are not true hibernators and have been known to come out of their burrow when temperatures get warm (note warm!). I wonder if this is a sign that my reddish-brown (with white/black stripes) chippy friend knows that temperatures will be getting warmer than normal this month?? I sure hope he found some seeds on his quick adventure into our icy/snowy wonderland!! (more…)
Happy Holidays!
Dear Santa,
Last year I was a little greedy with a request for a Nikon D200 and a trip to Costa Rica!! Although I should have known it was a little too much to ask . . . . I am very thankful for the 6 lifers you were able to stumble upon for me! I tried to be extra good this year and would love to get the DVD – Planet Earth or any other nature videos. This will keep me entertained since television has been so boring lately due to the writers strike. Locating a few White-winged or Red Crossbills would be the icing on the cake for the season!! Please??? I know they are in the area and wouldn’t take much for you to convince them to spend a few days at my feeders??
If possible, could you be extra generous to all my flickr friends and blogging buddies? They are very kind hearted people and making them happy would be the best Christmas Present ever!! I am very lucky to say that I am always learning from them and they are always finding a way to make me smile! Hmm, what about those Young Naturalist??? Could you be sure to place a few more nature books under their Christmas Tree?? LOL, feel free to tell them I said so!! Have a safe trip across the world and see you again next year ~ !
Sincerely,
TOM (aka mon@rch)
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Redpoll or Northpole? [videos]
Common Redpoll Video [1:04]
No matter how hard you try . . . You will never be able to convince me that another bird species bird doesn’t have as much Christmas spirit as the Common Redpoll. Being an irruptive species . . . Santa visits my house more than the Common Redpoll does! But, they do breed in Alaska across northern Canada in areas not that far South from the North Pole. They have amazing little reddish-pink Christmas outfits with some white wing bars and a streaked belly. They have a black beard, mustache (almost like Santa) and bright red Christmas cap on their head!! Best part about the Common Redpoll is that whenever they arrive at your feeders . . . it feels like Christmas Day when you just opened your “big” present! (more…)
Christmas Fern
Christmas Fern
By Maxwell C. Wheat, Jr.
“Come see the Christmas stockings,”
Says Grandmother, taking our hands
Leading us to the stream in our back woods
There on the bank
She shows us fronds of ferns lined with leaflets
Each shape like a fat “L”
“They’ll fit on elves’ feet, Nanny.”
“They’re upside down,” my brother laughs
“The elves’ll fall out.”
“Why, Edmund,” Grandmother chuckles
“don’t you know why elves’ feet
Are pointed and curled?”
(more…)
Do you know your Bird Eggs? [QUIZ 2]
Looking at each egg will make you wonder what advantages or disadvantages it might have. Take for example cliff nesting birds who building their nest on large ledges. Maybe those eggs which are more pointed are less likely to roll off the ledge because they will instead roll in a tight arch?? Why are birds eggs colored differently?? Maybe from a predator’s vantage those green or blue eggs could look like a hole in the vegetation?? Those birds with white eggs might not need to be camouflage because both parents take turns incubating the eggs while protecting the white coloring from predators?? Maybe cavity nesting birds require that white coloring so that the parents don’t accidently break the egg while in the darkness of the cavity?? Are duck eggs oilier than normal eggs to help keep them more waterproof? So many questions that are being looked at by ornithologist today and their findings are helping us understand the unique features in the development of these eggs.
Checking out an Eastern Towhee Nest.
By posting these two birdQUIZs, I am hoping you will also look closer at each egg and try thinking why each egg looks the way that it does. This exercise will help you finding the proper owner of the broken or hatched egg shell that you find laying on the ground. Good Luck with the quiz!! (more…)
Do you know your Bird Eggs? [QUIZ 1]
Bird Eggs come in an array of shapes and sizes. They can be found elliptical, spherical or even oval in shape. Smaller eggs (like the Hummingbird) are the size of a pea and the larger eggs (like the Ostrich) can almost be the size of a football. Eggs are sometimes colored in ways of making them appear to be camouflage so that potential enemies are unable to locate them. An example would be the Killdeer who will lay her eggs on the rocky ground but assist in distracting the predator away with an injured wing display. Some species of birds have colors that will vary from egg to egg where others will always have the same reliable pattern. Many of our cavity nesting birds will have white or neutral colored eggs since they do not need their eggs camouflaged. Ducks eggs are larger in size in proportion of their adult sized body. Ducklings need to be ready to swim away as soon as they are born where most other nestlings are born feather-less and helpless. They do most of their developing within the first few weeks in the nest.
Hooded Warbler on her nest.
There are many different things to take in consideration when identifying the eggs of birds. Size, shape and coloring are the main ingredients in making the eggs identification but they are not always the most important details. Behavior and the birds natural history is sometimes very helpful way to identify a broken (or hatched open) egg that you might find on the ground. The birdQUIZ below is designed in helping you use everything I talked about in making the proper identification of these eggs!! Good Luck! (more…)
Cookie Factory
I spent yesterday afternoon with many of the Young Naturalist and their parents for a Christmas Holiday . . . . Cookie making party. Don’t ask what recipes they used because I just got in the way taking their pictures but they were the ones who really did all the work (although I helped eat a few of the cookies). I strongly suspect that a great deal of fun and laughter were the main ingredients with each and every cookie that was made.
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Two Years of fLiCkR
fLiCkR blocks
Two years ago today . . . . I joined flickr and uploaded my first picture to their website. I never realized how sharing pictures would change my life and cost me as much money as it has (buying photography equipment). I have made SO MANY wonderful friends over these past two years and I have learned SO MUCH from everyone!! Ultimately, flickr had introduced me to other types of media (like becoming a blogger) and I am now able to share my words with my photography. (more…)
The Christmas Bird Count
Cattaraugus County Bird Club participants of the CBC
Today I participated in the 58th Saint Bonaventure Christmas Bird Count (108th Audubon). I was happy the count was scheduled for today and not during tomorrows “big snowstorm”. Around 6pm this evening the snow has already started falling and is coming down hard! The temperature for the count was around 20-25F and we had very the cold blowing winds!! (more…)
Saint Bonaventure Christmas Bird Count
Photo from last years St. Bonaventure CBC
Tomorrow I will be counting the birds during the 108th Christmas Bird Count in the Saint Bonaventure circle here in Cattaraugus County, NY. I have been doing this circle since 1994 and been recording for section 3 for the past 10 years now. After the count we all have dinner together and will discuss who had the best birds of the day. (more…)
Opossum-clause
After doing the last of my Christmas shopping this evening . . . . I approach some red reflective eyes from my headlamps. I quickly jumped out of my vehicle and anticipated capturing a few pictures of the Opossum . . . . but it ended up disappeared into the dogwoods. Could this white bearded . . . . sausage toed . . . . jolly guy be Saint Nicholas helper checking to see who has been naughty and who has been nice?
Opossum from the Winter of 2006 .
Doing our Part for the Kids
Every year the staff of Allegany State Park collect unwrapped toys for the Marines Toys for Tots Foundation. Today the Marines arrived to pick up all these wonderful toys to be distributed to many needy children in the local community.
My photo opportunity with a Marine & some of the Toys.
Nature Haikus – December
By Young Naturalist E
December
Snow flakes fall softly
Church bells are ringing clearly
Happy children play
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Understanding the bird’s toe arrangement
Red-tailed Hawk toes up close
Birds are recognized as being the “superb flyers” of the world. Although their wings are what helps them fly . . . . it is their feet and bill that help distinguish what ecological niche that hey live in. By studying their feet we can understand unusual behaviors and where they spend most hours of the day (tree, ground, water). We can look at the birds of prey who have armor protecting it from being bitten and sharp talons for grasping its prey. The grebe toes are lobed which will expand or contract as the bird swims or dives under water. Chickadees will uses its toes for grasp sunflower seed and then peck through the shell to get to the meat of the seed. Although there are many obvious features of the birds feet that helps it survive (as listed above) . . . I plan to discuss the 5 different toe arrangements that our birds have that help make those obvious features work! (more…)
My Irruption Northern Saw-whet Owl Year
First Northern Saw-whet Owl of the Season.
This year the Allegany State Park (Northern Saw-whet Owl) banding station was open for 28 nights and captured 83 different individuals with 90 total NSWO captures. We did not capture the hundreds of owls like the big migration sites but this stations numbers this season was significantly better than my previous three years of banding combined. The last two weeks in November resulted in very bad weather conditions (lake effect, strong winds and rain) which considerably reduced the number of net hours that the station typically operates. (more…)
100,000 views and then some!
It just seemed like yesterday when I reported 10,000 views and it is hard to believe that I am at 100,000 views already. THANKS EVERYONE!
Nature Haikus – by E
By Young Naturalist E
The grass was so soft
The shade was cool on my face
Birds are twittering
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Eagle’s and the Deer Carcasses
Bald Eagle
Sunday morning I received a phone call about some Eagles that were congregating around a decomposed deer here in Allegany State Park. The person who called wasn’t sure but he thought few Golden Eagles were mixed in with the Bald Eagles. That was enough for me to quickly finish uploading my Bonaparte’s Gull post and take off into the freezing rain to check out the situation. I was disappointed in not seeing any Golden’s but I did find a few cooperative Juvenal Bald Eagles to photograph.
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