Northern Cardinal
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler, FL in winter
And then, after dining at our tray bird feeder, they washed it down with a drink. Glad we keep the bird bath available.
This Great Egret is in breeding plumage, where it gets that amazing lime-green color on the area between its eye and the base of its bill, called the lores. Kinda like its courtship jewelry. During the non-breeding season it lacks the green. This is just about our largest white egret or heron. The only larger white heron in the U.S., is the white morph of the Great Blue Heron, called the "Great White Heron." The Great Egret breeds throughout much of the U.S. We see them occasionally on our pond in southern NH, but there are more of them on the NH coast, where they breed. Look for them in water areas near you and see if they are decked out in their breeding plumage.
Our friends had a House Wren nesting in this wonderful tractor weathervane sculpture Scott made. It was so cute! Every time it came in to feed the babies, it landed on the tractor seat. I couldn't resist the photo op.
Red-cockaded Woodpeckers only nest in a specific habitat of longleaf pines. Much destruction of that habitat has lead to them becoming an endangered species. We have had the fortunate opportunity to see them in several places in FL, such as the Babcock/ Webb Wildlife Management Area in Charlotte County, south FL where I photographed this bird.
This little, male Ruby-throated Hummingbird comes to our feeder, only 5 ft. away from us, as we sit on the deck every day. We sit very still. We can hear his wings humming. Oh, it's so special. Put up a feeder and the thrill can be yours too.
On the lighter side-
that populations of some of America’s most familiar and beloved birds have taken
a nosedive over the past forty years, with some down as much as 80 percent. The
dramatic declines are attributed to the loss of grasslands, healthy forests and
wetlands, and other critical habitats from multiple environmental threats such as
sprawl, energy development, and the spread of industrialized agriculture. The study
notes that these threats are now compounded by new and broader problems including
the escalating effects of global warming. In concert, they paint a challenging picture
for the future of many common species and send a serious warning about our increasing
toll on local habitats and the environment itself.
Species on Audubon’s list of 20 Common Birds in Decline have seen their populations
plummet at least 54 percent since 1967. The following are among those hardest hit:
• Northern Bobwhite populations are down 82 percent and have largely vanished from
northern parts of their range in Wisconsin, Michigan, New York and New England mainly
due to loss of suitable habitat to development, agricultural expansion and plantation-style
forestry practices.
• Evening Grosbeaks that range from mountains of the west to northern portions of
the east coast show population declines of nearly 78 percent amid increasing habitat
damage and loss from logging, mining, drilling and development.
• Northern Pintail populations in the continental U.S. are down nearly 78 percent
due to expanding agricultural activity in their prairie pothole breeding grounds.
• Greater Scaup populations that breed in Alaska, but winter in the Great Lakes
and along Atlantic to Pacific Coasts are being hard hit by global warming induced
melting of permafrost and invasion of formerly-southern species; populations are
down approximately 75 percent.
• Eastern Meadowlarks, down 71 percent, are declining as grasslands are lost to
industrialized agricultural practices. Increased demand for biofuel crops threatens
increased agricultural use of lands that are currently protected, making both Eastern
and Western Meadowlarks even more vulnerable.
• Common Terns, which nest on islands and forage for fish near ocean coasts, lakes
and rivers, are vulnerable to development, pollution and sea level rise from global
warming. Populations in unmanaged colonies have dropped as much as 70 percent, making
the species’ outlook increasingly dependent on targeted conservation efforts.
• Snow Buntings, which breed in Alaska and northern Canada, are suffering from the
loss of fragile tundra habitat as global warming alters and disrupts the Arctic’s
delicate ecological balance; populations are down 64 percent.
• Rufous Hummingbird populations have declined 58 percent as a result of the loss
of forest habitat to logging and development, in both their breeding range in the
Pacific Northwest and their wintering sites in Mexico.
• Whip-poor-wills, down 57 percent, are vulnerable to fragmentation and alteration
of their forest habitat from development and poor forest management practices.
• Little Blue Herons now number 150,000 in the U.S. and 110,000 in Mexico, down
54 percent in the U.S. Their decline is driven by wetland loss from development
and degradation of water quality, which limits their food supply.
Overall, agricultural and development pressures have driven grassland birds to some
of the worst declines, followed closely by shrub, wetland and forest-dependent species.
“Direct habitat loss continues to be a leading cause for concern,” said Audubon
Bird Conservation Director and analysis author, Greg Butcher, PhD. “But now we’re
seeing the added impact of large-scale environmental problems and policies.” Butcher
notes that global warming is damaging some key habitats and speeding the spread
of invasive species that spur further declines. Mounting demand for corn-based fuels
is expected to result in increased use of marginal farmland that currently serves
as important habitat. The fate of species such as Eastern Meadowlarks and Loggerhead
Shrikes could hinge on efforts to conserve these areas. “People who care about the
birds and about human quality of life need to get involved in habitat protection
at home, in pushing for better state and national protections and in making changes
in their daily routines,” Butcher adds.
Public response will shape the long-term outlook for the listed species. Unlike
WatchList birds, these Common Birds in Decline are not in immediate danger of extinction,
despite global populations as low as 500,000 for some species - the threshold for
a “common bird” designation. But even birds with significantly higher overall populations
are experiencing sharp declines, and with their populations down sharply, their
ecological roles are going unfilled and their ultimate fate is uncertain. Audubon
leaders hope the multiple threats to the birds people know will prompt individuals
to take multiple actions, both locally and directed toward state and national policies.
Another photo op while we were at Crane Creek/Magee marsh this spring, was this American Woodcock who was feeding right off the boardwalk. Woodcocks are famous for their early spring courtship flights, where, at dusk, they can up in a spiral to about 300 ft. feet, wings whirring, and at the pinnacle, give canary-like chirping. They then sail down to the ground, give their little, nasal "peent" call, then start the courtship display all over again. It's fairly easy to witness these flights, if you go in spring at dusk, to open fields in the Woodcocks breeding range.
Snapping Turtles are impressive from any angle, and this one, possibly a female looking for a nest site, certainly was a show stopper. Enthusiastic observers tend to overestimate the size of snapping Turtles, but they do reach a length of 20 inches for their top shell and a weight of over 60 pounds.
I photographed this cute Winter Wren when we were at Crane Creek. It hoped quickly around the fallen logs like the energizer bunny on caffeine, but paused long enough a few times for a photo op. For such a small bird, Winter Wrens have one of the longest songs, it just seems to go on forever. We have one that nests in the damp hemolck forest across the street from us, and we always hear its lovely song.
Don't tell Lillian I'm at her computer doing my own blog entry. Enough about birds and the Stokes, there should be more about me!
Speaking of me, did you know I recently completed a course in doggie Advanced Obedience. Truth be told, it was really about training Lillian to know how to communicate better with me. I don't need any obedience training 'cuz I'm perfect.
My favorite spot is on the comfy green couch and my favorite hobby is chewing. I especially like raw hide chews, and marrow bones. I chew a lot 'cause I'm still young, only 10 months old.
My other favorite activity is prowling in the garden, looking for chipmunks and those pesky red squirrels, which I chase. Not birds, though. I'm smart enough to know that it would be a very bad idea if Lillian and Don caught me chasing birds.
Tasha Tudor moment here. She is that charming children's author that populates her books with lots of Corgi's, showing them smelling flowers, chasing butterflies, etc. Of course, note that she chose Corgis to illustrate, not other breeds, 'cuz we're so darn cute! Don't think just because we're cute we're pushovers. We're bred to be herding dogs. We can run very fast on our short legs and nip the heels of cattle to herd them. We're smart and strong-willed, but willing to be great companions to nice people. Upcoming Corgi events of note are, June 11-15, the Mayflower Pembroke Welsh Corgi Speciality dog show, where you can see Corgis from all over New England. My brother is a show dog and will be there. In Sept. 27-30 there is the Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America National Specialty show where Corgis from all across America compete. These are great events to go to if you are interested in learning more about Corgis.
While we were at Crane Creek recently, there were so many other birds we saw besides the warblers. This Killdeer, go figure, choose to nest right next to the main path to the visitor's center.
Killdeer love to nest where there are rocks and pebbles that will camouflage their eggs, and the round rock edge next to the path must have been too irresistible, for she choose there for the nest. You can see the round stones are just about the size of the eggs, which blend in.
Trouble is, lots of people walk by there and Mrs. Killdeer would often go into her side-tilt distraction display where she would run a short distance, tilt to one side, drop her wing on that side, and spread her tail. In a more intense version, she would flutter and droop one wing, making it look like she had a broken wing. The function of this display is to lead potential predators away from the nest.
The personnel at the center finally put some trash bins alonside the nest to hide and protect it from the path and passersby and Mrs. Killdeer settled happily on her eggs.
On this rainy Monday, while we are hard at work inside on our Stokes National Field Guide to North American Birds, thought I'd show you what's in bloom in the gardens at "Bobolink Farm", our NH home. Iris Immortaily is blooming her head off, with at least 30 blooms on the plant. Such a beautiful white, with a blush of blue. Looks like an angel's petticoat. It's on our front path, so every time we walk to the car, we pass it. Put your best plants where you can enjoy them most.
Our wildflower area near the barn, has a small, yellow Ladies Slipper plant just covered in little sunshine shoes. This precious orchid came from New England Wildflower Society, which sells native wildflowers. We brought it with us when we moved from Mass. to NH, 5 years ago. Underplanted is twinkling, white Sweet Woodruff. Trivia fact, Donald W. Stokes middle name is Woodruff. We pick this herb and steep it in a bottle of Savignon Blanc wine, to make "May Wine" to serve at garden parties.
One of our long borders looks like a wildlfower meadow, full of yellow Doronicum, an antique plant I was given years ago, from a master plantswomen who cultivated the historic gardens in Concord, MA. This plant grew in the gardens of the Old Manse, home of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Emerson, near the Old North Bridge, site of the "shot heard round the world" that began the American Revolution. When it blooms I think of its history. One of the great things about being given plants from others gardeners is, it reminds you of them every time they bloom. With it is midnight blue Salvia "May Night." Peeking out in the background is our Borghese garden urn from Lunaform.
Bay-breasted Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
