Naturally
It was a lovely dawn on its way to becoming a lovely day. The yard was awash with migrants. I searched for primavera (spring). I found grackles.
Lord Byron wrote, "There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, there is a rapture on the lonely shore." And through the glass. I stared out windows with hawklike attention. That suits me. I see the comings and goings. I hear them, too. Handsome red-winged blackbird males sang, "Look at me." I looked. Juncos made ray gun sounds. Both species give voice to spring. It's their thing.
Nature news
A cellphone was removed from a brown pelican's stomach in Florida after it likely thought the device was a fish.
A white bison lives in Missouri’s Ozark Mountains. They’re becoming more common thanks to crossbreeding with cattle. The calf is named Takoda, meaning "friend to everyone." My wife and I visited Janesville, Wisconsin, years ago to see a white calf.
Q&A
"What can I do if my dog is sprayed by a skunk?" Move and leave no forwarding address. There are various remedies, but some are as bad as the skunk perfume. The Humane Society recommends washing your dog in a solution made from 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda and a teaspoon of liquid dishwashing soap. Wear rubber gloves and don’t get the solution in its eyes. Don't leave it on long before rinsing thoroughly and shampooing. Or you could mix 2 parts water with 1 part apple cider vinegar, the amount needed varies the dog's size. There are commercial products available.
"Do woodpeckers reuse nests?" Woodpeckers are primary cavity nesters, meaning they create nest and roost sites for themselves. Secondary cavity-nesters are those that cannot excavate cavities such as bluebirds, wood ducks and swallows. Typically, woodpeckers make a hole for each brood. Some species, like red-headed woodpeckers, reuse nest cavities. Some use nest boxes. I pack flicker boxes with pine wood chips for the birds to excavate.
Karen Wright of Mankato asked the difference between mink, weasels, martens and fishers. They're all members of the Mustelidae (weasel family), which includes otters, skunks, ferrets, wolverines and badgers. Mink and weasels are common. Mink are larger and heavier than weasels and are typically found near water. Weasels are yellowish-brown or brown and have white fur in the winter. Mink have dark brown or black fur with a white chin and throat. The American (pine) marten and fisher (sometimes called fisher-cat) are rarely encountered as they prefer areas with wilderness character. Martens are similar in color, size and shape to mink, but are usually found in the uplands while mink are associated with water. A marten is smaller than a fisher and has orange on throat and chest, which fishers lack. Both have bushy tails, but a marten's ears and snout are more pointed than a fisher's. Martens live in northern Minnesota in deciduous and coniferous forests. Fishers live in various forest types in northern Minnesota with some animals reported in southeastern Minnesota.
"Are there butterflies that winter here as adults?" Yes. Mourning cloaks, eastern commas, gray commas and Compton tortoiseshells are some. They spend the winter in sheltered cracks, crannies and crevices.
"Why do raptors allow smaller birds to mob them?" They aren't given a choice. Mobbing isn't that dangerous to smaller birds as they know what they're doing, possess greater maneuverability than the raptor, and the raptor's element of surprise has been eliminated.
"When do barred owls nest?" The only owl species in Minnesota with dark eyes begins nesting in March in hollow trees, tree snags, abandoned nests of other animals or in nest boxes. The two or three white eggs hatch in 28-33 days. Owlets leave the nest 4-5 weeks after hatching.
The Book Club
"Celebrating Birds: An Interactive Field Guide Featuring Art from Wingspan" by Natalia Rojas and Ana Maria Martinez is a lavishly illustrated and interactive full-color guide to 181 birds of North America and is based upon the bestselling bird-focused board game Wingspan, where birders and gamers come together. The number of birds in North America has declined precipitously and this book is an enjoyable way to raise awareness on important environmental issues. Maintaining its relationship to Wingspan, the book can be used to take a game outdoors. Players collect points based on birds, nests, habitats and foods of birds. Text and factoids are provided by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. All bird books resonate with me. Each one is an opportunity knocking. This book offers an engaging way to educate, entertain and enhance. It's available at your favorite book place.
Thanks for stopping by
"In come the March winds, they blow and blow, they sweep up the brown leaves that green ones may grow." — George Washington Wright
"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." — From a fortune cookie but not from Confucius
Do good.
©Al Batt 2021
Dark eyes and yellow bill on a Barred Owl. Sorry, Shakespeare fans, it’s not a bard owl. It’s nicknamed hoot owl, eight hooter, rain owl, laughing owl and crazy owl. Photo by Al Batt