Backyard
Nature's Direct Feed from |
Last updated on September 3rd, 2010
| Shorebirds Fly South: Click here |
| The southward migration of plovers and sandpipers is a protracted affair, spanning up to five months. First to come south are post-breeding adults. In August and September, this summer’s hatchlings pass through. Others arrive in October; and some stay right through the winter. Learn more about these Dunlin at Cornell's AllAboutBirds. And learn about what shorebirds might be near you! |
| The Crow and the Gull: Click here |
| Crows and gulls are opportunists — grabbing a bite wherever, whenever, however they can. Listener Nick Woodiwiss of Vancouver Island, British Columbia wrote to BirdNote about a funny scene between a crow and a gull on the beach. Listen to the story. Do you have a good story to tell? Write to us at info@birdnote.org. |
| Another BirdNote Quiz: Click here |
| This quiz features an American Robin …an Olive-sided Flycatcher, like this one … a Red-tailed Hawk …a Steller’s Jay, which you’re most likely to hear west of the Rockies — and a Blue Jay, usually seen east of the Rockies. Listen again ! |
| Birding from the Ferry: Click here |
| You’ve bought a ticket, waited in line, and boarded the ferry. Now, step out on the observation deck to enjoy a mini-birdwatching cruise. What birds you see depends upon the time of year and the route of your ferry. Near the ferry dock, look for cormorants like these on the tops of pilings. Gulls are common. Dark seabirds skitter this way and that. Learn more at Cornell's All Birds. Your radio station doesn't pay for BirdNote; it's independently funded. To make a gift to the program, begin here. |
| Happy Birthday, Roger Tory Peterson: Click here |
| August 28th is the birth anniversary of Roger Tory Peterson. He was born in 1908 and died in 1996. RTP, as he was known, wrote A Field Guide to the Birds. His favorite bird? The King Penguin. He explains his fascination with birds: “…They are attractive, they sound off with spirit, and they can fly wherever they choose, whenever they choose… The truth is, the birds could very well live without us, but many - perhaps all - of us would find life ... almost intolerable without the birds." Happy Birthday, RTP, and thanks. |
| What Bird Has the Coolest Song: Click here |
| There are more than 10,000 species of birds in the world, and each has a unique song. When we recently asked, “Which bird makes the coolest sound?” over 50 species were nominated! So which bird received the most votes? The Common Raven landed at number three, with the Western Meadowlark just ahead in second place. But with twice as many votes to firmly establish itself as number one: this Swainson’s Thrush. Do you agree? Cast your vote! |
| Ospreys and Cell Towers: Click here |
| Because cell towers stretch high above surrounding trees and buildings, they sometimes offer perfect nesting sites for Ospreys, large brown and white birds of prey. Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Osprey nests are protected, even on cell towers. They winter in Mexico and Central America. Learn more about this fish-eating raptor at Cornell's AllAboutBirds. To ask a question or make a suggestion, drop us a line at info@birdnote.org. |
| Birds and Wind Power: Click here |
| What effect does wind power have on birds? Scientists are taking a close look. Surveys of wind-power projects in Oregon and Washington estimate that wind turbines kill more than 6,500 birds annually. Of particular concern are raptors such as owls, hawks, and eagles. Is replacing oil with wind power an acceptable trade-off? One answer is clear: energy conservation lessens our dependence on both. Learn more. And still more. |
| How Birds Drink: Click here |
| How do birds drink? A robin takes a mouthful of water and then tips its head way back to send the water down its gullet. Pigeons are among the few birds that can suck in water with their heads down. Swallows and swifts skim a beakful of water on the wing. Gulls like this Western Gull can even drink salt water! Learn how. Would you like to donate to BirdNote? Begin here. |
| Martyn Stewart Part I: Click here |
| We owe a lot to the nature recordists who travel the world to document the calls and songs of birds. Recordist Martyn Stewart describes how he obtained the call of a Rough-legged Hawk (like this one), which nests on the tree-less Arctic tundra: “I had seen this on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and I noticed it was nesting or maybe roosting on a ledge. It took probably a couple of days to get to the foothills ... of the Brooks Range. You look down and say ‘Whoa, this is dangerous stuff’.” |
| Clark's Nutcracker, Bird of the West: Click here |
| On August 22, 1805, near present-day Kamiah, Idaho, Captain William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition first found the bird that today bears his name: the Clark’s Nutcracker. The Clark’s Nutcracker lives in symbiosis with whitebark pines. These nutcrackers need pine seeds to live, and whitebark pines rely on nutcrackers to plant their seeds to propagate new pines. Learn more about this corvid’s caches at Cornell's AllAboutBirds. |
| Who's Who on the Beach: Click here |
| If you go beach-birding, you’re likely to see gulls, crows, this Killdeer, maybe even a Bald Eagle. Listen for the rattling call of a Belted Kingfisher as it flies out over the water, looking for a fish. Look farther out, and you might see Pigeon Guillemots or other seabirds. The eagles, gulls, and crows all scavenge tidbits washed in by the last high tide. For more about this Killdeer, visit Cornell's AllAboutBirds. You can learn more about conservation and your local birds at your local Audubon. Start here. |
| Great Blue Heron, Alone Again: Click here |
| Great Blue Herons nest in colonies, in adjoining trees or with several nests in one tree. But by autumn, the adults and gangly young have left the nests to take up solitary lives, a pattern that is the reverse of many other species. After all the “togetherness” of the nesting colonies, the Great Blue Herons spend the off-season by themselves. Want to receive stunning photos each week of the birds we’ll feature in the week ahead? Sign up for Weekly Preview! |
| Great Horned Owl Menu: Click here |
| Great Horned Owls stalk their prey from perches, while gliding on silent wings, even while walking on the ground. Their prey ranges in size from crickets to turkeys. They take skunks, marmots, muskrats, and house cats. Mink and jack rabbits are on the menu, as is the occasional porcupine. Birds of all kinds make the list, as do squirrels, weasels, and bats, snakes, frogs, toads, and even insects and small alligators. Learn more. To get advance notice of BirdNote shows, sign up here. There's a podcast, too! |
| Eurasian Collared-Doves - They Have Arrived: Click here |
| In 1974, Eurasian Collared-Doves escaped from captivity in the Bahamas and began to breed in the wild. Soon, they colonized southern Florida. They began expanding in a northwesterly direction, and by the year 2000, they had arrived in the Pacific Northwest. They thrive where backyard trees offer nesting and roosting sites, they like to perch on utility poles, and they gladly eat at bird feeders. Coming soon, to a neighborhood near you! Learn more at Cornell’s AllAboutBirds. |
| Wilson's Warbler near Summer's End: Click here |
| By early August, the rich yellow of the feathers of the Wilson’s Warbler seems to flash in every forest thicket. Despite predators and weather, many pairs of adults have raised four young, which now flit about on their own. The young males hatched this spring learned their father’s songs this summer. Next spring, they, too, will sing those songs. By buying shade-grown coffee, you can help preserve the wintering grounds of this bird and many others. |
| A Crow that Makes Tools: Click here |
| A crow named Betty learned how to take a straight piece of wire and bend one end into a hook. She then used the hooked end to haul up a tiny bucket of meat from the bottom of a long tube. A postage stamp was issued in honor of this New Caledonian Crow. Here's a video. Learn more! Have you seen a bird do something clever? Send us a photo or tell us what you saw at info@birdnote.org. |
| Red-cockaded Woodpecker and Southeastern Forests: Click here |
| Native to the Southeast across to East Texas, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers differ from most woodpeckers. They remain in cooperative family groups throughout their lives. And they excavate nests in living trees rather than dead ones, often reusing the same cavities for decades. The federal government has listed the Red-cockaded Woodpecker as endangered. Habitat loss is the problem. Most mature pines in the Southeast have been cut down. Learn more at StateOfTheBirds.org. |
| Pelagic Birding Trip: Click here |
| If you want to see an albatross, you’ll have to go offshore. Our goal lies west: the edge of the Continental Shelf, 35 nautical miles away. In the pelagic realm, we pass among thousands of shearwaters, migrating south to nest near New Zealand, in the austral summer. Someone shouts “Albatross!” and an immense, dark bird arcs up the boat’s wake, on the slender crescent of a 7-foot wingspan: a Black-footed Albatross. It’s an amazing bird spectacle hard to imagine when looking out to sea from shore. |
| Frantic Fowl from Guinea: Click here |
| When you encounter a flock of wild guineafowl anywhere from Senegal to South Africa, they will usually be running, squawking as they go, obviously panic-stricken about something. Guineafowl are funny-looking birds, and their actions and calls are even funnier. These are calls of alarm, warning the flock of the approach of a potential predator. In Africa, guineafowl are favored prey of wild cats and Martial Eagles, so they need to be alert! Drop us a line at info@birdnote.org, and tell us what stories you’d like to hear. |