Naturally

Be observant. Things are happening out there.
American white pelicans glided overhead on 9-foot-wingspans.
In my yard, common grackles were everywhere. Despite that, their populations have had a cumulative decline of 54% from 1966 to 2014. In Minnesota, the decline averaged 2.03% per year since 1967. Since 1966, when the Breeding Bird Survey began monitoring, the house sparrow has experienced a decrease of 3.61% per year. In Minnesota, the decline has been 4.08% annually. Although common grackles are a protected species under the Federal Migratory Bird Act, they’re taken legally when causing serious damage to agricultural or horticultural crops, which impacts grackle populations. House sparrow declines have resulted from intensive agriculture. The increasing use of pesticides reduces insect populations, which lowers food availability for nestlings, and efficient farming practices limit the availability of waste grain.
I once kept baby geese in the porch. What kind of geese were
they? They were porch-a-geese, of course.
The bumblebee couldn’t decide. It landed on one flower briefly and then moved to another. It was a maybee.
Birds can be appetites with wings. Milo in a birdseed mix is like banana chips in a trail mix. I don’t want either one.

Q&A

Jennifer and Lillie of Wells asked what are the odd things dropping from walnut trees. Black walnut trees flower in April–May. The male flowers are in catkins, female flowers are in short spikes on the same tree. The tree is primarily wind pollinated. All walnut trees produce a yellow-green flower tendril called a catkin, which hangs from the branches in early spring. The word catkin comes from the Dutch word katteken, meaning "kitten," due to a likeness to a kitten's tail. These slim, cylindrical, pendulous clusters are 2 to 4 inches long. I suspect that’s what you’re seeing.
“Do both catbirds in a pair sing?” Both males and females, virtually indistinguishable in appearance, sing and call, with males being louder. The male often sings shortly before twilight and in the evening. The gray bird with a black cap and a rusty butt makes a joyful noise and often produces a “mew” sound, like a kitten. Females sing infrequently and their songs are quieter. A male catbird with a complex song is desirable because it’s a demonstration of his great experience with life and survival. A “catbird seat” is a reference to a position of great prominence or advantage. Legendary baseball announcer Red Barber used the expression “sitting in the catbird seat,” meaning a baseball player was sitting pretty like a batter with three balls and no strikes. It’s believed the expression originated in the 1942 short story by James Thurber, “The Catbird Seat”.
“Do deer whistles work?” No. Data currently doesn't support the idea that deer whistles reduce deer-vehicle collisions. A study published in 2009 by the “Journal of Wildlife Management” concluded that whistle-like noises don’t change deer behavior. A study from 2003 found deer whistles are unlikely to produce a sound loud enough for deer to hear at a sufficient distance to avoid traffic encounters. A 2018 review of scientific literature by Iowa State University indicated inconclusive data on the device's effectiveness but confirms there is no proven efficacy in preventing deer-vehicle collisions. According to wildlife biologists at the University of Georgia, neither deer nor humans can hear ultrasonic sounds. Whistles blown near captive deer produced no response. A University of Wisconsin study found three types of whistles produced low-pitched, ultrasonic sounds at speeds of 30 to 70 mph, but researchers couldn’t verify that deer responded to the sounds. University of Georgia researchers concluded: “Considering the challenges of producing sound at appropriate intensities and distances from a moving vehicle, deer hearing capabilities, human safety concerns, and our observed lack of behavioral responses of deer to sound treatments, auditory deterrents do not appear to be appropriate for prevention of deer-vehicle collisions.”
“What do you know about hummingbirds?” Very little.
“When can we see fireflies in Minnesota?” Lightning bugs can be seen throughout Minnesota in areas with long grasses, particularly from mid-June through mid-July. Firefly populations have declined dramatically in the last 50 years due to habitat loss, light pollution and pesticides.

Thanks for stopping by

“The saddest thing I ever did see Was a woodpecker peckin’ at a plastic tree. He looks at me, and ‘Friend,’ says he, ‘Things ain’t as sweet as they used to be.’”—Shel Silverstein.
“His black cap gives him a jaunty look, for which we humans have learned to tilt our caps, in envy. When he is not singing, he is listening. Neither have I ever seen him with his eyes closed. Though he may be looking at nothing more than a cloud it brings to his mind several dozen new remarks. From one branch to another, or across the path, he dazzles with flight.”—Mary Oliver, “Catbird.”
Do good.

©Al Batt 2024