Pa and Ma Downy Woodpecker sometimes get along.
Pa.
Ma. They are on separate sticks.
Water witching
Naturally
I watched a great blue heron following its bill in flight. A brisk wind moved milkweed seeds around. Rivers of blackbirds flew resolutely to a destination at least one bird knew. Red berries were evident on highbush cranberry and hawthorn. Rose hips were another red color seen easily.
Dandelions bloomed in the yard. They bloom profusely in April-June, but when the days are long in the middle of summer, flower initiation lessens. In fall, when the days shorten, they might bloom a second time, weather permitting. Flowering is initiated by day length and temperature. This second flowering ceases as days shorten or with severe frosts. Lilacs sometimes bloom twice. Some say the second blooming is due to stress, but there are varieties and hybrids of lilacs that are meant to do so. Lilacs are native to Eastern Europe and Asia.
Hardiness has made ginkgo trees a popular choice for landscaping and urban planning. Ginkgos lose all their fan-shaped leaves in one massive, simultaneous leaf drop. Buckthorn clings to its leaves and sports black berries.
I put a canoe in the longest river in the US near Great Falls, Montana. Nicknamed “Big Muddy,” the Missouri River is the fourth longest river in the world, starting in Montana’s Rocky Mountains and traveling 2,341 miles through Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri (according to the Montana Office of Tourism) before joining the Mississippi River near St. Louis.
Q&A
“Do raccoons hibernate?” They don’t. What they do has been called going into torpor, winter sleep, partial hibernation or becoming dormant. They retire to a den where they sleep for long periods, waking occasionally to hit the snooze button or to leave the den for lunch. Mating occurs in February and March. If the temperature drops below 27°, raccoons retreat to their dens, usually in hollow logs and trees. They can have more than one den and sleep in the one they determine is most secure. They can burrow underground to make dens and it isn’t unusual for raccoons to nap together and they’ve been discovered in chimneys, under decks and in abandoned buildings.
Leon Schoenrock of New Richland wrote, “I did see a golden eagle this fall. When I see them, I think they seem bigger than a bald eagle. Are they?” Golden eagles and bald eagles are of similar size. Female eagles are up to 25% larger than males. Most resources have found that, on average, a bald eagle is slightly larger than a golden eagle. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a golden eagle is 27.6 to 33.1 inches long. A bald eagle is 27.9 to 37.8 inches long. A golden eagle weighs 105.8 to 216.1 ounces and a bald eagle 105.8 to 222.2 ounces. Young bald eagles can be larger than adults because a young eagle's tail and wing feathers are longer than an adult's. The young eagles still weigh less than adults.
“What trees produce the best branches to use for dowsing or water witching?” My father favored a forked branch cut from a live willow tree. You could use any kind of tree, but Y-shaped sticks from willows, witch hazel (not common in much of Minnesota), and various fruit and nut trees are the most popular. Cut a Y-shaped stick from a tree, making sure that all three sections of the Y are 12-16 inches long. Grab both the top ends of the Y in an underhanded grasp with your palms facing toward the sky, and hold the dowsing rod horizontally so that it points in front of you. Maintain a loose grip as you walk slowly in search of water. As you approach a water source, the bottom of the Y of the dowsing rod should bend towards the ground. Dad also used wire coat hangers and wire rods. I watched a tiler use a pair of pliers for that purpose. Does dowsing work? I’m not sure. I’ve seen it done. I guess seeing isn’t always believing.
Barb Lamson of Mankato asked, “What happens to young offspring of deer—do they stay with their mother, do they become independent? How do they survive?” Although they may drift away for periods of time, female fawns could stay with their mothers for two years and young bucks leave after a year. If a doe dies, it’s believed by some researchers that a fawn could survive on its own if it had reached eight weeks of age.
Thanks for stopping by
“I would rather be the man who bought the Brooklyn Bridge than the one who sold it.”—Will Rogers.
“You must not know too much, or be too precise or scientific about birds and trees and flowers and water-craft; a certain free margin, and even vagueness—perhaps ignorance, credulity—helps your enjoyment of these things.”—Walt Whitman.
Do good.
©️Al Batt 2021
This golden eagle and a bald eagle are of similar size, with the bald eagle being slightly larger on average. The females are bigger than the males. Photo by Al Batt
Joey Batt (#1) had 21 points, six assists and three steals to lead Minnesota State past Wisconsin-Parkside 93-75. Batt was 12 of 12 at the free-throw line. Taylor Theusch added 18 points, Tayla Stuttley 16 and Destinee Bursch scored 10.
A yellow-bellied sapsucker may sound like an insult. Something to be yelled at a bad guy on the news.
But it’s a beautiful bird.
A sapsucker will occasionally visit a suet feeder.
This sapsucker wasn’t just visiting. It was eating.
There were six perches on the nyjer seed feeder and there were six American Goldfinches dining there. All six of them are the state birds of Iowa.
A Northern Cardinal shops in a natural foods store.
It was sample day.
The sample day was at the Cardinal Grocery Store. We used to have a Cardinal Grocery Store in my hometown. It concentrated its efforts on feeding humans.
KTOE is an episode of nature talk on the radio, naturally.
This is a lovely book.
This is is the lovely dedication in that lovely book by Rosemary Mosco.
This photo of Joey Batt, with the ball, was taken by that fine fellow Grant McGinnis. A tip of my Maverick hat to him.
Joey Batt had 32 points and 9 rebounds in the Minnesota State Mavericks 84-74 win over Concordia-St. Paul. Rylee Menster tossed in 12 points, Mikayla Nachazel had 11, and Tayla Stuttley and Emily Russo each added 9 points with Russo pulling down 9 rebounds.
Joey Batt #1 and Mikayla Nachazel #44 each had 16 points to lead Minnesota State to a 78-59 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville in a game played in San Antonio. Emily Russo had 6 rebounds and Rylee Menster added 4 assists. Every Maverick player got important minutes.
Joey Batt’s 17 points led four double-figure scorers in Minnesota State’s 81-72 win over St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. Batt (above) added 5 steals. Taylor Theusch had 15 points; Rylee Menster filled the stats sheets with 14 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals, and 6 assists; and Destinee Bursch tossed in 12 points. Emily Russo pulled down 7 rebounds.