By Susan Thurn,
CNHM Director of Education
This was the week of the red-tailed hawk for me, as not only did I see them in flight, but I actually held one in my hands. The bird I held was a bird that can no longer live in the wild due to a dislocated shoulder. Just seeing this bird inspired awe inside of me. We often see red-tailed hawks soaring above open fields, circling while looking for their prey. Other times we may see them perched on a telephone pole. I would also guess that we all have heard the call of a red-tailed hawk, as Hollywood seems to have chosen the red-tailed hawk as the call on almost every movie!
Holding this red-tailed hawk in my arms was most amazing. The glove that protected my arm and provided the perch for the hawk just highlighted the amazing yellow coloring of their feet. Although it is one of the largest hawks in the United States, about 22 inches high and with a wingspan up to 52 inches, it only weighs about three pounds. The colors included a darker brown back, with paler brown below, a streaked chest, and a dark bar between its shoulder and wrist as seen from underneath. The red tail for which it is named is brick-red above and pinker below.
Red-tailed hawks will eat a variety of mammals that includes mice, voles, shrews, rabbits, snakes, and squirrels. They are capable of eating prey up to five pounds in weight. Red-tailed hawks have been observed hunting as pairs, each taking a side of a tree while trying to catch squirrels.
Very territorial, red-tailed hawks will aggressively pursue other hawks, eagles, or great-horned owls. Other behavior includes an elaborate courtship ritual in which the pair locks their talons together while in flight, spiraling down toward the ground before letting go. Their flight is a soaring, shallow v-shape called a dihedral, with very little wing flapping as they conserve energy. They occasionally hover above the ground while steadily beating their wings.
I was most impressed with the red-tailed hawk eyesight as this bird watched me like a hawk, responding to my every movement. Indeed their eyesight is thought to be 8 times better than that of a human. A red-tailed hawk can see a tiny mouse while flying 100 feet in the air! That is impressive, and makes it worth exploring red-tailed hawks from our own back yards.
For over 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility and new exhibit, On Lake Owen: The Art of Walter Bohl, in Cable at 13470 County Highway M. Also find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs. Post your own stories on the Nature Watch blog at cablemuseumnaturewatch.blogspot.com.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
No-See-Ums
By Susan Thurn,
CNHM Director of Education
“Ouch!” I exclaim. I look down to my arm ready to swat the mosquito I am sure just bit me. Yet nothing is there. Moments later, the itch begins, and the welt soon after is at least penny sized. These are the no-see-ums, a tiny biting fly that I hate to love. Aptly named, no-see-ums are less than ¼ inch long, a little black dots the size of a period that is very difficult to see. Boy, do we feel them though!
No-see-ums often stay in shrubs or the dead leaf litter across the ground. Just walking along can stir them up. They stay close to home, though, usually not flying more than about 350 feet from their breeding area. These flies, or midges, are just like many of the other flies or mosquitoes. They are active mostly at dawn and dusk. Only the females bite us. They need the protein in our blood to make their eggs. Yet how does such a small creature do this much “damage”? No-see-ums and other flies puncture the skin with mouthparts that look like scissor blades. Their tube-like mouth is called a proboscis, and is made up of several different parts. At the end of this mouth they have receptors to sense where to begin feeding. A pair of mandibles (the scissors) cuts the skin back and forth. Another part with backward facing teeth helps to move their mouth into their prey’s body. They then inject an anticoagulant saliva into our bodies, and finally begin to draw in blood from a blood vessel. These tiny creatures feed on mammals, birds, or reptiles. Males feed on nectar.
The no-see-um larvae hatch from eggs in water, mud, or moist leaf litter. The larvae eat dead plant or animal matter. During this part of their life cycle the larvae have a spiny “tail” that entomologists use to identify them. As adults, they have two wings with dense hairs that have special pigmentation that also allows biologists to identify them.
The reaction my body has is an allergic reaction to the proteins in no-see-um saliva. Thank goodness, for me, the itching subsides in a short time. In spite of my discomfort, these small insects do provide food to other creatures, making them just as important in the food chain. In tropical forests there is one species of biting midge that helps to pollinate chocolate, which helps in my mind to negate the irritation I sometimes have at their bites. Everything has its place, after all! For chocolate alone, perhaps it is worth loving them!
For over 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility and new exhibit, On Lake Owen: The Art of Walter Bohl, in Cable at 13470 County Highway M. Also find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs. Post your own stories on the Nature Watch blog at cablemuseumnaturewatch.blogspot.com.
CNHM Director of Education
“Ouch!” I exclaim. I look down to my arm ready to swat the mosquito I am sure just bit me. Yet nothing is there. Moments later, the itch begins, and the welt soon after is at least penny sized. These are the no-see-ums, a tiny biting fly that I hate to love. Aptly named, no-see-ums are less than ¼ inch long, a little black dots the size of a period that is very difficult to see. Boy, do we feel them though!
No-see-ums often stay in shrubs or the dead leaf litter across the ground. Just walking along can stir them up. They stay close to home, though, usually not flying more than about 350 feet from their breeding area. These flies, or midges, are just like many of the other flies or mosquitoes. They are active mostly at dawn and dusk. Only the females bite us. They need the protein in our blood to make their eggs. Yet how does such a small creature do this much “damage”? No-see-ums and other flies puncture the skin with mouthparts that look like scissor blades. Their tube-like mouth is called a proboscis, and is made up of several different parts. At the end of this mouth they have receptors to sense where to begin feeding. A pair of mandibles (the scissors) cuts the skin back and forth. Another part with backward facing teeth helps to move their mouth into their prey’s body. They then inject an anticoagulant saliva into our bodies, and finally begin to draw in blood from a blood vessel. These tiny creatures feed on mammals, birds, or reptiles. Males feed on nectar.
The no-see-um larvae hatch from eggs in water, mud, or moist leaf litter. The larvae eat dead plant or animal matter. During this part of their life cycle the larvae have a spiny “tail” that entomologists use to identify them. As adults, they have two wings with dense hairs that have special pigmentation that also allows biologists to identify them.
The reaction my body has is an allergic reaction to the proteins in no-see-um saliva. Thank goodness, for me, the itching subsides in a short time. In spite of my discomfort, these small insects do provide food to other creatures, making them just as important in the food chain. In tropical forests there is one species of biting midge that helps to pollinate chocolate, which helps in my mind to negate the irritation I sometimes have at their bites. Everything has its place, after all! For chocolate alone, perhaps it is worth loving them!
For over 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility and new exhibit, On Lake Owen: The Art of Walter Bohl, in Cable at 13470 County Highway M. Also find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs. Post your own stories on the Nature Watch blog at cablemuseumnaturewatch.blogspot.com.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Where Have all the Monarchs Gone?
By Susan Thurn,
CNHM Director of Education
Where have all the monarchs gone? Several Museum members have mentioned their concern that they have not been observing monarchs much this summer. Even my own searches have yielded only three caterpillars this entire season. I’ve seen only four or five adults. It is a dismal showing for one of my long-time favorite butterflies.
As adults, monarch butterflies are migratory creatures. They travel great distances each fall to spend winter in temperate climates. Despite the fact that the range of the Monarch’s summer home is quite expansive, the wintering grounds are very limited. Some of these butterflies travel more than 2,900 kilometers to spend winter in places such as Michoacan, Mexico. In the spring, they begin the migration north, lay their eggs, and it is their children that finish the migration to northern Wisconsin. This inter-generational migration is an amazing phenomenon. So why are the numbers of monarchs lower?
In 2002 and 2004, freezing weather in Mexico followed by heavy rains wiped out huge numbers of monarchs during those years, creating a decline in the population. Spring of 2009 brought hotter than normal conditions for monarchs migrating north again, which was followed by the one of the coldest summers since 1928 in much of the breeding area, and finally, poor conditions during the fall migration, resulting in a very small overwintering population This past February, severe hailstorms followed by 15 inches of rain in Mexico are thought to have destroyed as much as 50% of the already declining population.
Added to this problem is the ongoing issue of habitat destruction in the world of monarchs. With an increased use of genetically engineered crops to become herbicide resistant, it has become easier for farmers to spray weed killer, killing any weeds and surviving milkweed while not hurting the crops. Monarchs are also under threat in Mexico due to illegal logging at their overwintering sites.
Scientists believe it will take two or more years for the monarch population to bounce back. Even then, there are still these human factors nature provides that could be a danger to the future of monarchs. Conservation groups are encouraging us all to improve monarch habitats by planting milkweed in our gardens at home, and to encourage schools, farmers, or others with unused land to grow these beautiful perennials. Perhaps with these efforts we can continue to explore and wonder at monarchs from our own back yards.
For over 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility and new exhibit, On Lake Owen: The Art of Walter Bohl, in Cable at 13470 County Highway M. Also find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs. Post your own stories on the Nature Watch blog at cablemuseumnaturewatch.blogspot.com.
CNHM Director of Education
Where have all the monarchs gone? Several Museum members have mentioned their concern that they have not been observing monarchs much this summer. Even my own searches have yielded only three caterpillars this entire season. I’ve seen only four or five adults. It is a dismal showing for one of my long-time favorite butterflies.
As adults, monarch butterflies are migratory creatures. They travel great distances each fall to spend winter in temperate climates. Despite the fact that the range of the Monarch’s summer home is quite expansive, the wintering grounds are very limited. Some of these butterflies travel more than 2,900 kilometers to spend winter in places such as Michoacan, Mexico. In the spring, they begin the migration north, lay their eggs, and it is their children that finish the migration to northern Wisconsin. This inter-generational migration is an amazing phenomenon. So why are the numbers of monarchs lower?
In 2002 and 2004, freezing weather in Mexico followed by heavy rains wiped out huge numbers of monarchs during those years, creating a decline in the population. Spring of 2009 brought hotter than normal conditions for monarchs migrating north again, which was followed by the one of the coldest summers since 1928 in much of the breeding area, and finally, poor conditions during the fall migration, resulting in a very small overwintering population This past February, severe hailstorms followed by 15 inches of rain in Mexico are thought to have destroyed as much as 50% of the already declining population.
Added to this problem is the ongoing issue of habitat destruction in the world of monarchs. With an increased use of genetically engineered crops to become herbicide resistant, it has become easier for farmers to spray weed killer, killing any weeds and surviving milkweed while not hurting the crops. Monarchs are also under threat in Mexico due to illegal logging at their overwintering sites.
Scientists believe it will take two or more years for the monarch population to bounce back. Even then, there are still these human factors nature provides that could be a danger to the future of monarchs. Conservation groups are encouraging us all to improve monarch habitats by planting milkweed in our gardens at home, and to encourage schools, farmers, or others with unused land to grow these beautiful perennials. Perhaps with these efforts we can continue to explore and wonder at monarchs from our own back yards.
For over 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility and new exhibit, On Lake Owen: The Art of Walter Bohl, in Cable at 13470 County Highway M. Also find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs. Post your own stories on the Nature Watch blog at cablemuseumnaturewatch.blogspot.com.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Northern Flickers
By Susan Thurn,
CNHM Director of Education
A whole host of flickers darted away from my vehicle as I drove down the road. The white rump and yellow tail feathers always make me smile. It is early August every year that the phenomenon occurs in which we observe flickers flying away from our vehicles as they leave the roadsides. It is perhaps a surprise to find a woodpecker being scared up from the ground rather than the trees, but northern flickers eat ants and beetles, digging for them with their unusual, slightly curved bill.
The northern flickers are foraging along roadsides mostly for ants. This bird species eats more ants than any other bird species in North America. Their long, barbed tongue laps up the insects off the ground. They hammer at the soil the same way other woodpeckers hammer into wood. By going underground they can eat the nutritious ant larvae as well. They also will eat flies, moths and butterflies, and in winter they add fruits and seeds to their diet.
Northern flickers have several interesting behaviors. The reason we see so many northern flickers this time of year is they are one of the few woodpeckers that migrate south for the winter. Also, unlike other woodpeckers, when flushed from the ground, flickers will choose thin horizontal branches to perch upon rather than tree trunks.
Northern flickers know their numbers. In spring and summer, rivals for a mate sometimes participate in a “fencing duel,” pointing their beaks up, bobbing their heads, and drawing a figure eight pattern in the air while calling their repeated “wicka” calls – all while the ladies look on.
Finally, flickers are known for their behavior called “anting” in which flickers allow ants to crawl up on their wings. There are different theories as to why this happens: one is that the ants’ formic acid is used as a fungicide or insecticide against feather or skin parasites or fungus. Another speculation is that anting is a comfort activity that stimulates the skin during a summer molt.
There are over 100 names for the northern flicker, including yellowhammer, gaffer woodpecker, wake-up, wick-up, and gawker bird. Not only do they have some fun names, but flickers are entertaining birds to watch. When we hear a drumming on a metal section of our house, it is often a flicker. When we see a feather on the ground with a yellow shaft, it is a flicker. How lucky we are to enjoy this bird species so often! Explore and wonder from your own back yard.
For over 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility and new exhibit, On Lake Owen: The Art of Walter Bohl, in Cable at 13470 County Highway M. Also find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs. Post your own stories on the Nature Watch blog at cablemuseumnaturewatch.blogspot.com.
CNHM Director of Education
A whole host of flickers darted away from my vehicle as I drove down the road. The white rump and yellow tail feathers always make me smile. It is early August every year that the phenomenon occurs in which we observe flickers flying away from our vehicles as they leave the roadsides. It is perhaps a surprise to find a woodpecker being scared up from the ground rather than the trees, but northern flickers eat ants and beetles, digging for them with their unusual, slightly curved bill.
The northern flickers are foraging along roadsides mostly for ants. This bird species eats more ants than any other bird species in North America. Their long, barbed tongue laps up the insects off the ground. They hammer at the soil the same way other woodpeckers hammer into wood. By going underground they can eat the nutritious ant larvae as well. They also will eat flies, moths and butterflies, and in winter they add fruits and seeds to their diet.
Northern flickers have several interesting behaviors. The reason we see so many northern flickers this time of year is they are one of the few woodpeckers that migrate south for the winter. Also, unlike other woodpeckers, when flushed from the ground, flickers will choose thin horizontal branches to perch upon rather than tree trunks.
Northern flickers know their numbers. In spring and summer, rivals for a mate sometimes participate in a “fencing duel,” pointing their beaks up, bobbing their heads, and drawing a figure eight pattern in the air while calling their repeated “wicka” calls – all while the ladies look on.
Finally, flickers are known for their behavior called “anting” in which flickers allow ants to crawl up on their wings. There are different theories as to why this happens: one is that the ants’ formic acid is used as a fungicide or insecticide against feather or skin parasites or fungus. Another speculation is that anting is a comfort activity that stimulates the skin during a summer molt.
There are over 100 names for the northern flicker, including yellowhammer, gaffer woodpecker, wake-up, wick-up, and gawker bird. Not only do they have some fun names, but flickers are entertaining birds to watch. When we hear a drumming on a metal section of our house, it is often a flicker. When we see a feather on the ground with a yellow shaft, it is a flicker. How lucky we are to enjoy this bird species so often! Explore and wonder from your own back yard.
For over 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility and new exhibit, On Lake Owen: The Art of Walter Bohl, in Cable at 13470 County Highway M. Also find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs. Post your own stories on the Nature Watch blog at cablemuseumnaturewatch.blogspot.com.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Turkey Vultures
By Susan Thurn,
CNHM Director of Education
A dark silhouette was flying over the field, recognizable by its dark profile and v-shaped wings. It was circling, two days in a row near my home. I smiled when I recognized a turkey vulture. Was it circling for some carrion? Or riding the winds? Some may refer to this bird as ugly, but I think it is beautiful, and turkey vultures have behaviors and adaptations that make them extremely interesting.
The turkey vulture got its name from the common turkey because of the similarities to the turkey’s reddish, featherless head. This almost bald head covered with a fuzz of down serves an important purpose. The turkey vulture eats dead carrion, and must stick its head inside the carcass to reach the meat, so the lack of feathers keeps the bird clean of blood and bacteria.
The turkey vulture does not feed strictly on carrion. They will also eat plants, including shoreline vegetation and some crops. They will soar above the ground searching for their food with their sharp eyesight and very developed sense of smell. They are not aggressive, and will not feed on live prey. Sometimes we can see them along roadsides looking for roadkill.
Turkey vultures are one of the few birds that have a heightened sense of smell, and the part of their brain that processes smells is very large. This raised awareness allows them to detect odors of dead animals below the forest canopy.
Do vultures circle the air looking for carrion? Actually, turkey vultures soar on warm bubbles of air called thermals. As warm air rises, they glide in circles to conserve their energy. They also use the thermals to raise higher so they can fly longer distances. Flying in circles also serves the purpose of letting them scan for food. Vultures are easily distinguished as they maintain a v-shaped flight, teetering side to side, to keep stability at low altitudes. Flying lower to the ground in this shape allows them to pick up the scent of dead animals. This flight pattern is quite a remarkable skill in the bird world, allowing vultures to glide for up to six hours without flapping their wings, diving out of the thermals at almost 60 miles per hour.
Turkey vultures are related to storks rather than birds of prey, and so they urinate on their own legs, using evaporation of water in the waste to help them cool down. It is also believed that the urine is acidic, helping to kill bacteria they may get from stepping in their own dead food. Vultures also have weak, chicken-like feet, which allow them to step on the ground and hold their food in place, rather than like other raptors that clutch their talons and fly in the air with their prey.
There are some additional adaptations that turkey vultures have. They roost in large groups except when they forage independently. They often can be seen with their wings wide spread, called the “horaltic pose,” perhaps to dry their wings, warm their dark body in the sun, or bake off any bacteria. Although they do not have many predators, their defense is to vomit. They cough up a lump of partially digested food, and the smell deters predators, or if it gets in their eyes, stings. Sometimes, they will vomit a large amount of “meal,” which predators may choose to eat instead of pursuing the vulture.
Keep your eyes out for turkey vultures in the air nearby. They will begin migrating later in September, so will become even more visible. Who knows what you might see happen! Explore and wonder from your own back yard.
Nature Watch is brought to you by the Cable Natural History Museum. For 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility and new exhibit, On Lake Owen: The Art of Walter Bohl, in Cable at 13470 County Highway M or on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about exhibits and programs.
CNHM Director of Education
A dark silhouette was flying over the field, recognizable by its dark profile and v-shaped wings. It was circling, two days in a row near my home. I smiled when I recognized a turkey vulture. Was it circling for some carrion? Or riding the winds? Some may refer to this bird as ugly, but I think it is beautiful, and turkey vultures have behaviors and adaptations that make them extremely interesting.
The turkey vulture got its name from the common turkey because of the similarities to the turkey’s reddish, featherless head. This almost bald head covered with a fuzz of down serves an important purpose. The turkey vulture eats dead carrion, and must stick its head inside the carcass to reach the meat, so the lack of feathers keeps the bird clean of blood and bacteria.
The turkey vulture does not feed strictly on carrion. They will also eat plants, including shoreline vegetation and some crops. They will soar above the ground searching for their food with their sharp eyesight and very developed sense of smell. They are not aggressive, and will not feed on live prey. Sometimes we can see them along roadsides looking for roadkill.
Turkey vultures are one of the few birds that have a heightened sense of smell, and the part of their brain that processes smells is very large. This raised awareness allows them to detect odors of dead animals below the forest canopy.
Do vultures circle the air looking for carrion? Actually, turkey vultures soar on warm bubbles of air called thermals. As warm air rises, they glide in circles to conserve their energy. They also use the thermals to raise higher so they can fly longer distances. Flying in circles also serves the purpose of letting them scan for food. Vultures are easily distinguished as they maintain a v-shaped flight, teetering side to side, to keep stability at low altitudes. Flying lower to the ground in this shape allows them to pick up the scent of dead animals. This flight pattern is quite a remarkable skill in the bird world, allowing vultures to glide for up to six hours without flapping their wings, diving out of the thermals at almost 60 miles per hour.
Turkey vultures are related to storks rather than birds of prey, and so they urinate on their own legs, using evaporation of water in the waste to help them cool down. It is also believed that the urine is acidic, helping to kill bacteria they may get from stepping in their own dead food. Vultures also have weak, chicken-like feet, which allow them to step on the ground and hold their food in place, rather than like other raptors that clutch their talons and fly in the air with their prey.
There are some additional adaptations that turkey vultures have. They roost in large groups except when they forage independently. They often can be seen with their wings wide spread, called the “horaltic pose,” perhaps to dry their wings, warm their dark body in the sun, or bake off any bacteria. Although they do not have many predators, their defense is to vomit. They cough up a lump of partially digested food, and the smell deters predators, or if it gets in their eyes, stings. Sometimes, they will vomit a large amount of “meal,” which predators may choose to eat instead of pursuing the vulture.
Keep your eyes out for turkey vultures in the air nearby. They will begin migrating later in September, so will become even more visible. Who knows what you might see happen! Explore and wonder from your own back yard.
Nature Watch is brought to you by the Cable Natural History Museum. For 40 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility and new exhibit, On Lake Owen: The Art of Walter Bohl, in Cable at 13470 County Highway M or on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about exhibits and programs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
