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 .
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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Bonaparte’s Gull Feeding [video]
A few Bonaparte’s Gulls
I was busy with a few personal things this weekend! But I did take a quick trip over to Dunkirk Harbor in search of some waterfowl! The Bonaparte’s Gull seemed to be the most dominate bird that I was able to locate but did find a few other special birds! (more…)
White-marked Tussock Moth
By Young Naturalist D
My Dad found a caterpillar on a plum tree during the last days of summer (August 27th). It had a red head with black antennas. At first glance they appeared twice as long as they really were because of all the long black hairs on them. The caterpillar also had four white clumps of hair sticking up along the upper part of its back. Starting at the second hairy white clump there was a yellow stripe on either side running down its back. It also had white clumps of hair around every leg. Overall it had a light green body. Dad thought something so strange looking might not be good for his plum tree so he brought it inside and asked us four kids to figure out what it was.
White-marked Tussock Moth photo by Young Naturalist H.
Pishing [video]
Pishing is when birders are “trying” to attract the attention of some little birdie by doing a “phhhhh phhhh – psst psst psst” sound. So many times I have found myself with a few non birding friends . . . then break out a few pish sounds after seeing a chickadee in the brush! My friends just don’t understand and I find myself explaining why I made those strange sounds and that “I am not going crazy”!
Black-capped Chickadee (Sep 2006).
Nature Haikus – Road Kill
Opossum that wasn’t roadkill.
By Young Naturalist C
Road Kill
Blood is everywhere
Unlucky small animal
Torn into pieces (more…)
Bullfrog Studio
Tree Swallows staying warm.
Most everyone will remember the above photo from this springs (Tree Swallow Acting Cute) post that I did. Sherri from London Ontario also saw this post and contacted me about using the picture for a painting she was creating. I was so honored that I inspired someone . . . . I said “YES YES YES, PLEASE!!” A few weeks later I received an email with a photo stating that she had finished the painting. I was soo happy that I told her whenever she had a webpage developed . . . . to PLEASE let me know so that I could help her promote it! This weekend she surprised me with a huge package from Canada that had a beautiful print of that Tree Swallow Painting! (more…)
Butterflies and Kids
Summer Azure
Children are naturally attracted to butterflies and moths, just as they are to birds. However, unless you have a busy bird feeder or larger raptors flying around, it can be difficult for kids to locate birds in the wild. Songbirds do not typically sit still long enough to be seen and can quickly disappear as fast as they arrive. I myself have a hard time seeing many of the birds I hear fluttering around the trees and shrubs.
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Allegany by Moonlight
The Administration Building.
You keep asking if my Owl season is over! The answer is No but . . . I have run into many reasons for needing to keep the station closed for the past two weeks. Which include fog, rain, high wind, snow, lake effect and tonight temps being around 20 degree F. If I was open this evening . . . . I would be battling the bright moon that is out (see photos). As much as I miss catching and banding these fluff balls . . . . their safety is our first priority. Maybe even with the bright moon tomorrow . . I can open some nets?? Till then I will be trying to get out to take some new pictures!
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Nature Haikus – Cardinal
By Young Naturalist C
Cardinal
Red as a cherry
Sitting on a low tree branch
Singing a sweet song (more…)
Mon@rch's Nature Blog 