Naturally
An eastern towhee and a fox sparrow showed up in the yard and joined the white-throated sparrows and dark-eyed juncos in finding food on the ground with a forward hop and backward hop sparrow scratch routine. Black-capped chickadees, blue jays, white-breasted nuthatches and house finches became more frequent guests at the feeders. Any day I see a chickadee is a good day.
Silver maple is a fast-growing, common tree in southern Minnesota. The upper surface of its leaf is bright green and the lower surface is silvery white. The pale undersurface gives the tree a "silvery" appearance in a breeze when seen from a distance.
Research from Texas has shown cattle prefer to graze where prairie dogs live, refuting persistent beliefs. Prairie dogs prevent larger plants from encroaching on grasslands by nibbling on woody shrubs to prevent a prairie dog’s teeth from growing too long and to keep predators from having a perching place. The mammal’s constant digging aerates the soil, and its scat returns nutrients to the ground.
Q&A
“Why do flamingos stand on one leg?” It's easier. When the birds fall asleep while standing on one leg, they swayed less than when awake and standing on two legs. The way its legs work permits a flamingo to rest all its weight on one side without having to use its muscles to maintain balance.
“What are wireworms?” They’re the larvae of several species of click beetles. Click beetles flip into the air with an audible click to right themselves when overturned. Wireworm larvae feed on beans, beets, cabbage, carrots, corn, grasses, lettuce, onion, ornamentals, peas, potatoes and radishes. Wireworms are thin, shiny, jointed, yellow to reddish-brown, 1/4 to 1 1/2 inch long, worm-like larvae resembling mealworms. Adult wireworms (click beetles) don’t cause plant damage.
“What are Labor Day ants?” Also known as the cornfield ant, turfgrass ant or nuisance ant, it’s a species of ant that’s usually light brown, with a slightly darker head, with a worker being 1/8 inch long. Colonies have a nuptial flight near Labor Day.
“How old are pelicans when they breed?” American white pelicans reach sexual maturity at three years of age.
“Are hummingbirds seen in the winter in Minnesota?” It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen. The latest a ruby-throated hummingbird was seen was on Dec. 24, 2020, in Scott County. Some rare-for-Minnesota hummingbirds have made appearances. The latest dates for them are: Anna’s on Dec. 26, 2001, in Hennepin County, calliope on Dec. 5, 1994, in Hennepin County and a rufous on Dec. 4, 2021, in St. Louis County.
“What do peregrine falcons prey upon?” Peregrine falcons, which weigh up to 3.5 pounds, eat primarily other birds, with about 450 North American species documented as prey. Perhaps its most famous hunting technique is the dive. To pull this off, a peregrine falcon flies high into the sky, using its keen eyesight to locate birds flying below. When it finds its target, the falcon folds its wings and falls into a nosedive, or stoop, hitting speeds over 200 mph. The falcon closes its feet and uses them to knock the prey out of the sky. When not stooping after prey, peregrine falcons pursue their quarry in a swift aerial chase, flapping their wings furiously in a hot chase for a meal. They have taken birds as large as sandhill cranes and geese, and as small as hummingbirds. Their typical prey items include shorebirds, ducks, grebes, gulls, pigeons and songbirds. Additionally, they feed on bats, with pigeons being their preferred prey in cities.
“How can I tell male ruby-throated hummingbirds from females?” An adult male has a metallic ruby-red throat (gorget) and a forked tail with feathers pointed and all dark (no white tips). An adult female has a white throat with an occasional faint tan streaking and a fan-shaped tail with rounded feathers and white tips on the outer three feathers on each side. An immature male looks identical to an adult female, including the white tips to a fan-shaped tail, except he has a noticeably streaked throat. A juvenile female looks similar to an adult female.
“How do homing pigeons use magnets to find their way home?” Homing pigeons can detect magnetic fields and their impressive navigation skills no doubt rely on the tiny magnetic particles in their bills.
Thanks for stopping by
“The humblest individual exerts some influence, either for good or evil, upon others.”—Henry Ward Beecher.
“The best motto to think about is not to waste things. Don’t waste electricity; don’t waste paper; don’t waste food. Live the way you want to live but just don’t waste. Look after the natural world and the animals in it and the plants in it too. This is their planet as well as ours. Don’t waste them.”—David Attenborough.
Do good.
©️Al Batt 2024
The strikingly marked eastern towhee male has a sooty black head, throat, back, wings and long tail, a white belly, red eyes and rufous sides. This female replaces the black with a dead-leaf brown. Once called a rufous-sided towhee, it’s more often heard than seen, making a musical whistle (“drink your tea”) and calling “chewink” or “towhee.” It scratches in leaf litter with a forward and backward hop. Collective nouns are tangle or teapot. Photo by Al Batt.