Naturally

  American goldfinches sang merrily in the yard. At least it sounded like that's what they were doing. They haven't begun nesting yet, so they're the young and nestless.

  It's been said if a person knows only three species of birds, one will be the crow. Are the birds in a large flock of crows called velcrows? The crows cawed. It was late. I feared they'd go to bed angry.

  There was a gorgeous kaleidoscope of birds at the feeders — goldfinch, indigo bunting, catbird, brown thrasher and cardinal.

  I see a skunk in the yard occasionally. It's being stalked by a strange cat. It's like a Pepe Le Pew cartoon with the interaction of Pepe and the cat reversed. It will not end well. I hope they go to the cat's home yard. The cat was a trespasser, so I cheered for the skunk. I guess I'm scentimental.

  Chipmunks love tomato juice and eat holes in the bottom of tomatoes to get it. Pups develop quickly and leave the nest by 4 to 6 weeks of age to make their way in the world. I told a young rabbit not to worry, be hoppy.

  Paul Godtland of Rochester said he watched an indigo bunting land on a dandelion stem and ride it to the ground where the bird fed on the seeds.

  I visited the good folks at the Albert Lea Seed House who needed to install an electric fence to keep deer from browsing heavily upon plants for sale.

  Some people practiced No Mow May in an effort to promote pollinator-friendly habitat.

  On a visit to Myre-Big Island State Park, I heard a sora, stretching out a "sorry," call, a skunk bird, a bobolink, trying to sing too many songs at once, and saw a prothonotary warbler. In 1948, Alger Hiss, a government official, was accused of being a Soviet spy. The trial hinged on whether Hiss knew Whittaker Chambers, a former member of the U.S. Communist Party. Chambers claimed he'd talked to Hiss about birding and reported Hiss's excitement after seeing a prothonotary warbler along the Potomac River. That sighting linked the two people and eventually led to Hiss's conviction.

  A friend loves doves, but dislikes pigeons. Dove is a brand of soap. Maybe he'd like pigeons if there was a soap named, "Pigeon."

  Audubon shot birds and posed them to replicate the behavior he witnessed in the wild before he painted them. He said, “I often say that if I shoot less than 100 birds a day, they must be rare.”

  Roadside-nesting cliff swallows have evolved shorter, more maneuverable wings, which may help them evade oncoming vehicles.

Q&A

  "How do I keep raccoons out of my yard?" Secure the trash, bring in pet food, cap the chimney and get an alligator. Alligators eat raccoons.

  "Why do grackles dunk food in our birdbath?" To soften the food, especially when they have nestlings. I've seen grackles do this with dog food kibble.

  "What's the smallest bird in the world?" The bee hummingbird of Cuba, which weighs less than a penny.

  "What duck is capable of diving the deepest?" I reckon it's the long-tailed duck, which is able to swim as deep as 200 feet to forage.

  "How many eggs does a cowbird lay?" Brown-headed cowbirds are brood parasites and usually lay an egg each day for six days in different nests, pause for a few days, and repeat the process. They may lay as many as 41 eggs per season. 

  "What's the world's heaviest flying bird?" It's the great bustard or the kori bustard, which edge out the trumpeter swan.

  "Do black bears hibernate?" They aren't true hibernators. Ground squirrels, woodchucks and chipmunks enter true states of hibernation. Their heart rates, body temperatures and metabolisms decrease to such low levels that life is sometimes barely detectable. Black bears sleep in a less vegetative state. Chipmunks store foods in underground pantries and awaken every few days to eat.

  "Why does a hawk call while hunting?" Not to alert prey, which would become motionless. A hawk vocalizes to announce its presence, defend territory or communicate with mate or young. Fledglings call when demanding food.

  "Is it getting hotter?" The world’s five warmest years have occurred since 2015 with nine of the 10 warmest years occurring since 2005, according to scientists from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. NASA found 2010-2019 was the hottest decade ever recorded. According to the DNR, Minnesota has warmed by 2.9 degrees between 1895 and 2017, while getting 3.4 inches wetter annually.

Thanks for stopping by

  "Birdwatching is something that we do for enjoyment, so if you enjoy it, you are already a good birder. If you enjoy it a lot, you are a great birder." — Kenn Kauffman

  "For the mind disturbed, the still beauty of dawn is nature's finest balm." — Edwin Way Teale

Do good.

© Al Batt 2020