A habitat is a home where species of life live.
Suburban habitats take much room, but they can be wildlife habitats.
One of my best nature trips this past summer was a lawn in Charlotte, North Carolina.
We see lots of life on our lawn here in Pennsylvania.
Flower gardens, particularly of native plants like asters and goldenrod, provide nectar to butterflies, bees and other kinds of insects.
Berries on shrubs and trees feed rodents and small birds.
The major degradation of habitats started with the industrial revolution during the 1750's.
People consume way too many resources, especially in the United States, China and India.
And there is too much waste: We need to reduce, reuse and recycle paper, plastic, glass etc.
Too much consumption does not make us happier, and it could kill us and other forms of life.
We need to reduce our use of everything, including fossil fuels. Climate change may be accelerated by the greenhouse affect from carbon dioxide and air pollutants.
We should not use agrofuels such as trees, corn, etc. We should rely on solar, wind and geothermal energy.
Habitats are destroyed by pollution, monoculture, deforestration, herbicides, pesticides and so on.
Habitat destruction also destroys wild plant and animal life.
But there are causes for hope.
Here in New Holland, Pa. minnows, frogs, ducks and other aquatic animals are continuing to live
in Mill Creek downstream from where treated sewage and industrial waste are released into that
creek.
Rye and white radishes are planted as a winter cover crop to contain soil, and enrich it by putting nitrogen into the soil.
Stream bank fencing keeps pollutants out of waterways and provides good wildlife habitats.
Bald eagles, ospreys and peregrine falcons have made great comebacks in the United States because of the law and the ban on using DDT, and the birds' adapting.
Game animals are managed for sustained hunting. And game lands also harbor non-game species of plants and wildlife, free from housing developments.
Many people are using solar, wind and geothermal energy.
What can the avergae person do? Plenty. Give or sell land to a conservancy that will preserve that land in a natural state.
Give money to game commissions to buy land for hunting, and non-game species of life.
Donate money to other organizations that preserve land. The Wetlands Institute near Stone Harbor, New Jersey preserves many acres of salt marshes and salt channels.
Support land and wildlife protection acts.
Create or sign petitions that preserve natural areas.
But environmentally safe products. Use clean energy sources.
Write letters to congresspeople asking for their help in protecting natural habitats.
Allow children to be aware of nature.
Only run dish washers and wash machines when they are full.
Take shorter showers. Don't water lawns. Sweep decks and porches; no water.
Use biodegradible products. Turn off lights when not in use. Don't use plastic bags. Drive less. Heat the home less. Don't build on floodplains- let them be wildlife refuges.
Vote for congresspeople or presidents or govenors that have good records on preserving natural resources.
We must have more respect for other kinds of like, then we are more likely to use, but not abuse.
We must live more in harmony and balance with nature, to use but not abuse.
We must manage land more wisely, protecting habitats as well to preserve life's diversity.
Oceans, beaches and salt marshes need to be preserved for our food and recreation, and provide homes for certain wild plants and animals.
Rivers, lakes and wells need to be protected for our water use and for wildlife diversity.
Forests, prairies and deserts need to be preserved for their renewable resources for us, and to maintain their diversities of wild plants and animals.
But habitat loss equals a loss of wild plant and animal diversity.
And all of the above will be for nothing if we don't soon reverse human population growth. We need to reduce human numbers to manage the Earth's resources for all life.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Monday, November 16, 2015
Webbed Bandits
Many times I have seen these plump, little ducks in action as feathered bandits on ponds and marshes in the Middle Atlantic States in winter and early spring. They are a species of puddle ducks called American wigeons.
American wigeons form large flocks in winter, including here in the Middle Atlantic States, when they get food in several ways which lends to their success as a species. They tip-up in shallow water to shovel up aquatic vegetation as all dabbler ducks, their relatives, do. But they also feed on short grass on lawns and the green shoots of winter rye in fields with flocks of Canada geese. And they eat waste grain on the ground in harvested fields with the Canadas and dabbling ducks.
But that's not all wigeons' congregations consume through winter. These cute, little ducks are also robber ducks. They join gatherings of American coots and certain species of diving ducks, all of which ingest water plants. The coots, ring-necked ducks, lesser scaup ducks and other kinds of ducks on inland ponds and marsh shallows dive under water and swim to the bottom to pull up aquatic vegetation. They bring those plants to the surface to swallow them, but wigeon individuals zip through the water's surface to those diving birds and grab some of those plants before the divers can swallow them. The divers don't seem perturbed by the robbery, and only keep diving to the bottom to get aquatic vegetation to eat until they are filled and rest on the water's surface.
American wigeons are only in the Mid-Atlantic States in winter, and early spring when they migrate through here to their nesting areas. Wigeons hatch ducklings in marshes in the western half of Canada and all of Alaska. And they winter among ponds and fields in the western half of the United States and all of Mexico, and along the Atlantic sea coast from Rhode Island south to Florida and the Caribbean. Thousand Acre Marsh and Bombay Hook Wildlife Refuge in Delaware are two marsh areas where wigeons often winter in good numbers, at least until the fresh water freezes.
American wigeons are pretty in a plain way. Drake wigeons are mostly light-brown with a black rear, a white crown and a broad, green stripe over each eye and back to the neck, which seems to be a mask appropriate for a robber. Hens are brown all over, which allows them to blend into their habitats as they set on eggs and raise ducklings.
American wigeons are lovely little ducks that have several strategies for survival. They became bandits simply to get food, though we may deem them unfair to diving birds who work to get that bottom vegetation. But there are other unfair practices in this world.
American wigeons form large flocks in winter, including here in the Middle Atlantic States, when they get food in several ways which lends to their success as a species. They tip-up in shallow water to shovel up aquatic vegetation as all dabbler ducks, their relatives, do. But they also feed on short grass on lawns and the green shoots of winter rye in fields with flocks of Canada geese. And they eat waste grain on the ground in harvested fields with the Canadas and dabbling ducks.
But that's not all wigeons' congregations consume through winter. These cute, little ducks are also robber ducks. They join gatherings of American coots and certain species of diving ducks, all of which ingest water plants. The coots, ring-necked ducks, lesser scaup ducks and other kinds of ducks on inland ponds and marsh shallows dive under water and swim to the bottom to pull up aquatic vegetation. They bring those plants to the surface to swallow them, but wigeon individuals zip through the water's surface to those diving birds and grab some of those plants before the divers can swallow them. The divers don't seem perturbed by the robbery, and only keep diving to the bottom to get aquatic vegetation to eat until they are filled and rest on the water's surface.
American wigeons are only in the Mid-Atlantic States in winter, and early spring when they migrate through here to their nesting areas. Wigeons hatch ducklings in marshes in the western half of Canada and all of Alaska. And they winter among ponds and fields in the western half of the United States and all of Mexico, and along the Atlantic sea coast from Rhode Island south to Florida and the Caribbean. Thousand Acre Marsh and Bombay Hook Wildlife Refuge in Delaware are two marsh areas where wigeons often winter in good numbers, at least until the fresh water freezes.
American wigeons are pretty in a plain way. Drake wigeons are mostly light-brown with a black rear, a white crown and a broad, green stripe over each eye and back to the neck, which seems to be a mask appropriate for a robber. Hens are brown all over, which allows them to blend into their habitats as they set on eggs and raise ducklings.
American wigeons are lovely little ducks that have several strategies for survival. They became bandits simply to get food, though we may deem them unfair to diving birds who work to get that bottom vegetation. But there are other unfair practices in this world.
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Nature is Changing
Nature is constantly changing, which is good. Life must never be stagnant. Stagnation is equivalent to extinction.
Many years ago when I was a young adult in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, I thought the only nearby place to see Canada geese, great blue herons and bald eagles was along the Chesapeake Bay. I knew those species were along the Chesapeake, particularly in winter, and I wasn't seeing them here, not even in winter. Back in the 1950's I thrilled to the sight of a few flocks of migrating Canada geese that nested in Canada honking excitedly high in a clear sky on a mid-October day as they went south to the bay. But I saw no great blues or eagles at all.
Today Canada geese, great blue herons and bald eagles, all of them species of large, magnificent birds, are common in Lancaster County where I still live. Breeding pairs of Canadas were introduced to this area in the 1960's to satisfy goose hunters. The adaptable Canadas did so well nesting in this area that now thousands of them live here the year around. Most every human-made impoundment and slow-moving, larger waterway has its share of Canada geese.
Flocks of local and stately Canada geese rest on larger bodies of water here through winter, but feed on waste corn kernals, grass and the green shoots of winter rye in fields. Late in February, mated pairs of them begin their nesting cycle, with goslings hatching by mid to late April along farm ponds, creeks retention basins and other places of water and grass.
Meanwhile, elegant great blue herons have increased in numbers for a variety of reasons. They are protected by law, and they have adapted to catching fish and other aquatic critters in human-made ponds, lakes and back yard goldfish ponds, as well as along natural brooks, streams, creeks and rivers. There are even a couple of great blue heron nesting colonies in this county. They seem not to be afraid of civilization as long as they are not directly harassed by people and there is plenty of fish for them to dine on.
And in the meantime, the majestic bald eagles have been protected by law and the use of DDT was banned in the United States in the early 1970's. Meanwhile, bald eagle eggs were taken from stick nests in Canada during the 1980's and the small young raised in nests on towers on islands in the Susquehanna River in southeastern Pennsylvania. All that increased the numbers of bald eagles until they entered Lancaster County via the Susquehanna River as pairs of adults looking for places to nest in the wooded hills bordering that river on both sides.
Today, several pairs of balds hatch young along the lower Susquehanna every spring and a few pairs rear offspring inland around impoundments and creeks in farmland. Bald eagles adapted to farmland by scavenging dead chickens and other farm animals in winter when those carcasses could not be buried because of snow and frozen ground.
Lancaster County today has abundant Canada geese, great blue herons and bald eagles because of human protection and introduction, and the birds' adapting to changing conditions. Adapting is a key to success.
Many years ago when I was a young adult in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, I thought the only nearby place to see Canada geese, great blue herons and bald eagles was along the Chesapeake Bay. I knew those species were along the Chesapeake, particularly in winter, and I wasn't seeing them here, not even in winter. Back in the 1950's I thrilled to the sight of a few flocks of migrating Canada geese that nested in Canada honking excitedly high in a clear sky on a mid-October day as they went south to the bay. But I saw no great blues or eagles at all.
Today Canada geese, great blue herons and bald eagles, all of them species of large, magnificent birds, are common in Lancaster County where I still live. Breeding pairs of Canadas were introduced to this area in the 1960's to satisfy goose hunters. The adaptable Canadas did so well nesting in this area that now thousands of them live here the year around. Most every human-made impoundment and slow-moving, larger waterway has its share of Canada geese.
Flocks of local and stately Canada geese rest on larger bodies of water here through winter, but feed on waste corn kernals, grass and the green shoots of winter rye in fields. Late in February, mated pairs of them begin their nesting cycle, with goslings hatching by mid to late April along farm ponds, creeks retention basins and other places of water and grass.
Meanwhile, elegant great blue herons have increased in numbers for a variety of reasons. They are protected by law, and they have adapted to catching fish and other aquatic critters in human-made ponds, lakes and back yard goldfish ponds, as well as along natural brooks, streams, creeks and rivers. There are even a couple of great blue heron nesting colonies in this county. They seem not to be afraid of civilization as long as they are not directly harassed by people and there is plenty of fish for them to dine on.
And in the meantime, the majestic bald eagles have been protected by law and the use of DDT was banned in the United States in the early 1970's. Meanwhile, bald eagle eggs were taken from stick nests in Canada during the 1980's and the small young raised in nests on towers on islands in the Susquehanna River in southeastern Pennsylvania. All that increased the numbers of bald eagles until they entered Lancaster County via the Susquehanna River as pairs of adults looking for places to nest in the wooded hills bordering that river on both sides.
Today, several pairs of balds hatch young along the lower Susquehanna every spring and a few pairs rear offspring inland around impoundments and creeks in farmland. Bald eagles adapted to farmland by scavenging dead chickens and other farm animals in winter when those carcasses could not be buried because of snow and frozen ground.
Lancaster County today has abundant Canada geese, great blue herons and bald eagles because of human protection and introduction, and the birds' adapting to changing conditions. Adapting is a key to success.
Farmland Falcons
Happily for me, it happened again on Friday, November 13, 2015. I was driving home through Lancaster County, Pennsylvania farmland from errands when I saw a hawk swiftly sweep up to a roadside pole and land on the flat top of it. At first I thought the bird was another American kestrel, which are regularly seen in this area. But, I thought, I should stop and check that bird with my binoculars. It was a merlin, one of a few kinds of falcons that regularly migrate through and winter in Lancaster County farmland. The other two types of falcons, locally, are American kestrels and peregrine falcons. These three species of wild, racy falcons are exciting to experience in this county's cultivated and civilized cropland.
Falcons are a branch of hawkdom that fly swiftly on pointed, swept-back wings in open country where their fast flight is necessary to overtake and kill prey animals. The wing shape of these related, but different sized, hawks and their resulting powerful, speedy flight developed in open spaces where there are no objects to impede their style of flying.
American kestrels are the smallest and most colorful of these falcons and are in Lancaster County, as a species, the year around. They nest in tree hollows in farmland, and in barns and nesting boxes erected especially for them and screech owls, their nighttime counterpart and nesting cavity competitor. Kestrels feed mostly on mice and larger insects in the warmer months and mostly on mice the rest of the year. Kestrels are most likely seen by us people hovering into the wind or perched on roadside wires as they watch the tall, roadside vegetation for mice and grasshoppers.
I see the majestic and dashing peregrines fairly regularly in Lancaster County cropland, in fall when they migrate south and once in a while in other seasons. A pair of peregrines have been raising young the last few summers under a bridge over the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County. And one or two peregrines have been living now and again in Lancaster City, though there is, as yet, no report of peregrines nesting there, though pairs of peregrines do nest on buildings and under bridges over rivers in nearby cities, including Harrisburg, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Allentown and others.
Peregrines, too, perch on the flat tops of roadside poles in the country to watch the surrounding farmland for pigeons, doves, starlings and other kinds of birds to eat. And just this past summer, I had the good fortune of seeing a peregrine eating a pigeon on top of a pole. And in October a few years ago, I saw a peregrine chasing a half dozen migrant golden plovers across a bare ground field.
But, I guess, merlins are my favorite falcons. They certainly thrill me more than the other falcons. They are about the size of a pigeon and exciting to see in fast flight while swiftly chasing horned larks and other small birds low over local fields. They feed on their catches on the ground devoid of tall vegetation or on top of a roadside pole.
Merlins, too, represent a bit of the wild quite well. Although most merlins here are migrants, a few of them winter here. I've seen merlins perched on poles and trees in mid-winter, locally. And while they are on those perches, they are constantly watching for small bird and mouse victims.
Peregrines and merlins are fairly recent migrants through inland Lancaster County. In the past, they mostly migrated along the shores of the oceans. But they discovered the wide open spaces of cropland, loaded with birds to catch and eat. That vast farmland is similar to shoreline marshes, mud flats and beaches and these falcons readily adapted to them.
Watch for the thrilling kestrels, merlins and peregrines in vastly open cropland. They are adapted to that human-made habitat where they catch mice and a variety of birds.
Falcons are a branch of hawkdom that fly swiftly on pointed, swept-back wings in open country where their fast flight is necessary to overtake and kill prey animals. The wing shape of these related, but different sized, hawks and their resulting powerful, speedy flight developed in open spaces where there are no objects to impede their style of flying.
American kestrels are the smallest and most colorful of these falcons and are in Lancaster County, as a species, the year around. They nest in tree hollows in farmland, and in barns and nesting boxes erected especially for them and screech owls, their nighttime counterpart and nesting cavity competitor. Kestrels feed mostly on mice and larger insects in the warmer months and mostly on mice the rest of the year. Kestrels are most likely seen by us people hovering into the wind or perched on roadside wires as they watch the tall, roadside vegetation for mice and grasshoppers.
I see the majestic and dashing peregrines fairly regularly in Lancaster County cropland, in fall when they migrate south and once in a while in other seasons. A pair of peregrines have been raising young the last few summers under a bridge over the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County. And one or two peregrines have been living now and again in Lancaster City, though there is, as yet, no report of peregrines nesting there, though pairs of peregrines do nest on buildings and under bridges over rivers in nearby cities, including Harrisburg, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Allentown and others.
Peregrines, too, perch on the flat tops of roadside poles in the country to watch the surrounding farmland for pigeons, doves, starlings and other kinds of birds to eat. And just this past summer, I had the good fortune of seeing a peregrine eating a pigeon on top of a pole. And in October a few years ago, I saw a peregrine chasing a half dozen migrant golden plovers across a bare ground field.
But, I guess, merlins are my favorite falcons. They certainly thrill me more than the other falcons. They are about the size of a pigeon and exciting to see in fast flight while swiftly chasing horned larks and other small birds low over local fields. They feed on their catches on the ground devoid of tall vegetation or on top of a roadside pole.
Merlins, too, represent a bit of the wild quite well. Although most merlins here are migrants, a few of them winter here. I've seen merlins perched on poles and trees in mid-winter, locally. And while they are on those perches, they are constantly watching for small bird and mouse victims.
Peregrines and merlins are fairly recent migrants through inland Lancaster County. In the past, they mostly migrated along the shores of the oceans. But they discovered the wide open spaces of cropland, loaded with birds to catch and eat. That vast farmland is similar to shoreline marshes, mud flats and beaches and these falcons readily adapted to them.
Watch for the thrilling kestrels, merlins and peregrines in vastly open cropland. They are adapted to that human-made habitat where they catch mice and a variety of birds.
Friday, November 13, 2015
Two Native Mice
Two species of mice native to the Middle Atlantic States, and throughout much of North America, are white-footed mice, which are nearly identical to deer mice, and meadow voles. Both these kinds of mice are handsome, clean, active the year around and mostly nocturnal. Their brown fur blends them into their surroundings as a protection against being seen by predators. And both species make nests, store food for winter use and are preyed on by many kinds of larger animals.
White-footed mice really are beautiful, delightful little creatures that live in forests, wood lots and older suburban areas with their many trees. But they seldom enter homes, preferring, instead, to live in natural surroundings, however hazardous to them. They are warm-brown on top and white below with white feet. They have large ears and big, black eyes that protrude appealingly from their faces.
White-foots are solitary little critters, and territorial. Each mouse has a one-acre home range in a wooded habitat where it lives and gets its food. Each mouse builds a few protective nests in wooded areas, including in hollows in trees and tree stumps, under fallen logs, in log piles and brush piles, underground and, because they can climb, in old squirrel and bird nests. They build a roof of fine plant material on a bird nursery and chew a small entrance in the side of it. These mice are snug and warm in the homes they create and females give birth in them.
Each female white-foot gives birth to three or four litters a year with two to eight young in each one, depending on the age and health of the mother. They babies are born blind, helpless and naked, which is good because it keeps them from wandering out of the nest and into the dangerous world too soon. But the youngsters soon mature and leave their nursery.
White-foots gather seeds, nuts, fungi and other foods for winter use. They store it in their nests and in nearby, hidden caches.
White-footed mice have many enemies through the year. They are preyed on by foxes, hawks, owls, weasels, mink, certain kinds of snakes and other kinds of predatory animals. The average life span of a mouse in the wild is about a year.
Meadow voles are a larger, chunkier mouse than the white-foots. And these voles live in grassy meadows, roadsides and abandoned fields, places where they don't compete with white-foots for space and food. Voles live mostly in burrows along country roads in cropland that is constantly cultivated. Roadside burrows are the only places among cultivated fields where they can live without being plowed under and, perhaps, killed by farm equipment.
These voles are brown all over and have small eyes and tails. They live in cozy, chewed-grass nests in underground burrows, or under hay bales, boards or tussocks of tall grass. In winter they make nests on top of the ground under a covering of snow. When the snow melts away, one can see vole homes and the corridors chewed by the mice through the grass, a network of runways that were under the snow and connected those mouse homes to feeding areas.
Female meadow voles produce several litters of young a year. But they don't have litters in mid-winter. They make nests of finely-chewed grass in underground burrows where they deliver four to six naked, blind babies per litter. Obviously, many voles a year are produced and there could be as many as 30 voles in an acre of abundant food and cover. That makes ample food for foxes, hawks, owls, coyotes, house cats and a host of other predatory animals. Any kind of rodent can overrun its habitat and quickly run out of food if predators didn't catch and eat most of them. Those predators serve a valuable function in controlling rodent, including mouse, numbers.
Meadow voles eat grasses, sedges, hay, seeds, roots, bulbs and tender, young bark. They store some seeds, roots and bulbs in or near their grassy homes for winter use.
Interestingly, some queen bumble bees start colonies of their offspring in protective underground vole homes of chewed grass. There they store honey and pollen to feed the first larval bees until they become adult female workers that carry on the work of the colony, including feeding successive larvae, while each queen only lays eggs.
White-footed mice and meadow voles are attractive little creatures that have a big impact on their respective habitats. They feed a lot of larger animals, but these mice are interesting in themselves.
White-footed mice really are beautiful, delightful little creatures that live in forests, wood lots and older suburban areas with their many trees. But they seldom enter homes, preferring, instead, to live in natural surroundings, however hazardous to them. They are warm-brown on top and white below with white feet. They have large ears and big, black eyes that protrude appealingly from their faces.
White-foots are solitary little critters, and territorial. Each mouse has a one-acre home range in a wooded habitat where it lives and gets its food. Each mouse builds a few protective nests in wooded areas, including in hollows in trees and tree stumps, under fallen logs, in log piles and brush piles, underground and, because they can climb, in old squirrel and bird nests. They build a roof of fine plant material on a bird nursery and chew a small entrance in the side of it. These mice are snug and warm in the homes they create and females give birth in them.
Each female white-foot gives birth to three or four litters a year with two to eight young in each one, depending on the age and health of the mother. They babies are born blind, helpless and naked, which is good because it keeps them from wandering out of the nest and into the dangerous world too soon. But the youngsters soon mature and leave their nursery.
White-foots gather seeds, nuts, fungi and other foods for winter use. They store it in their nests and in nearby, hidden caches.
White-footed mice have many enemies through the year. They are preyed on by foxes, hawks, owls, weasels, mink, certain kinds of snakes and other kinds of predatory animals. The average life span of a mouse in the wild is about a year.
Meadow voles are a larger, chunkier mouse than the white-foots. And these voles live in grassy meadows, roadsides and abandoned fields, places where they don't compete with white-foots for space and food. Voles live mostly in burrows along country roads in cropland that is constantly cultivated. Roadside burrows are the only places among cultivated fields where they can live without being plowed under and, perhaps, killed by farm equipment.
These voles are brown all over and have small eyes and tails. They live in cozy, chewed-grass nests in underground burrows, or under hay bales, boards or tussocks of tall grass. In winter they make nests on top of the ground under a covering of snow. When the snow melts away, one can see vole homes and the corridors chewed by the mice through the grass, a network of runways that were under the snow and connected those mouse homes to feeding areas.
Female meadow voles produce several litters of young a year. But they don't have litters in mid-winter. They make nests of finely-chewed grass in underground burrows where they deliver four to six naked, blind babies per litter. Obviously, many voles a year are produced and there could be as many as 30 voles in an acre of abundant food and cover. That makes ample food for foxes, hawks, owls, coyotes, house cats and a host of other predatory animals. Any kind of rodent can overrun its habitat and quickly run out of food if predators didn't catch and eat most of them. Those predators serve a valuable function in controlling rodent, including mouse, numbers.
Meadow voles eat grasses, sedges, hay, seeds, roots, bulbs and tender, young bark. They store some seeds, roots and bulbs in or near their grassy homes for winter use.
Interestingly, some queen bumble bees start colonies of their offspring in protective underground vole homes of chewed grass. There they store honey and pollen to feed the first larval bees until they become adult female workers that carry on the work of the colony, including feeding successive larvae, while each queen only lays eggs.
White-footed mice and meadow voles are attractive little creatures that have a big impact on their respective habitats. They feed a lot of larger animals, but these mice are interesting in themselves.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Some Raptor Counterparts
Raptors are hawks, eagles and owls; all birds of prey. Though hawks and eagles are in one family and owls are in another, all species of both families have long, curved talons for killing prey and sharp, curved beaks for tearing chunks of meat off the animals they kill. Each family developed the same bodily equipment to do a similar job in life, the hawks during the day and the owls at night. Those similar features in different families of life is called convergence, a coming together.
Hawks hunting victims during the day and owls doing so mostly at night reduces direct competition for food, which allows both predatory families to live in the same habitats. Actually, species of each family have more competition from members of their own family than from other kinds of life. That is why each species of a family lives in its own niche away from the niches of its relatives; to reduce rivalry for space and food.
Being hunters, all hawks and owls blend into their surroundings to better their chances of catching food. Hawks are camouflaged to better ambush prey that doesn't see them. And owls are camouflaged so they can better hide by day on a roost, without being spotted by jays, crows and other types of birds that would harass them if they saw them. When not heckled by birds, the owls can get better rest and be refreshed to hunt the next night.
There are at least five examples of raptor counterparts in southeastern Pennsylvania, as elsewhere throughout the world. Interestingly, each set of counterparts are about the same size. Red-tailed hawks and great horned owls are counterparts living permanently in upland woods and older suburban areas with their many tall trees. These raptors hunt in the woods, suburbs and neighboring fields for a variety of rodents and other animals, the red-tails by day and the owls mostly at night. Red-tails specialize in catching gray squirrels, which is a daytime rodent while the owls snare a lot of mice and rats at night. Both these raptors hatch young in open, stick nurseries in tree tops.
Permanent residents as species, the little American kestrels and screech owls mostly hunt small rodents and larger insects at different times of day in fields and woodland edges. Both these raptors compete for tree cavities and nest boxes erected for them in woods, suburbs and lone trees in fields to raise young in. And these species spend winter nights in those hollows as well.
Red-shouldered hawks and barred owls live and raise offspring in bottomland woods and older suburbs near larger bodies of water. Red-shoulders rear babies in stick nests while the owls do so in tree cavities. Both species consume mice, small birds, frogs, larger insects and other critters they catch in wooded bottomlands and suburbs. And the hooting of barred owls and horned owls is frightening to some people who hear it in the middle of the night. Each of these large owl species have a different rythm of hooting that identifies it.
Northern harriers and short-eared owls are adapted to open habitats with tall grass and crops, where they catch mice and small birds. These two species are almost completely winter residents in southeastern Pennsylvania. And because of their similar habitat, they hunt the same way. Instead of perching on trees and watching for victims as many of their relatives do, harriers and short-ears actively cruise back and forth low over the fields as they watch and listen for prey animals. When a victim is spotted, each raptor suddenly drops to snare it in its claws.
Sometimes harriers and short-ears hunt at the same time because short-ears start to hunt late in a winter afternoon before the harriers have retired into the long grass for the night. It's exciting to see these two counterparts cruising the same fields at the same time.
Rough-legged hawks and snowy owls both raise young on the Arctic tundra, where they mostly catch lemmings and voles, both of which are rodents. Rough-legs come south to cropland and other open country in the United States every winter to avoid starving on the tundra. Here they mostly eat mice. But the big, elegant snowies, mostly the young of the year, come south to open country, including farmland, one winter in about every four. They will stay on the tundra all winter if there are enough rodents to eat there. But if not, south they come, sometimes in impressive numbers that is sure to make the news. Here in the Lower 48, snowy owls catch and eat critters from mice to snow geese.
Hawks and owls are counterparts of each other, in every habitat, so they can hunt the same animals without direct competition with each other. Without rivalry for space and food, both these groups of birds can survive in the same habitats, which increases their chances of species survival.
Hawks hunting victims during the day and owls doing so mostly at night reduces direct competition for food, which allows both predatory families to live in the same habitats. Actually, species of each family have more competition from members of their own family than from other kinds of life. That is why each species of a family lives in its own niche away from the niches of its relatives; to reduce rivalry for space and food.
Being hunters, all hawks and owls blend into their surroundings to better their chances of catching food. Hawks are camouflaged to better ambush prey that doesn't see them. And owls are camouflaged so they can better hide by day on a roost, without being spotted by jays, crows and other types of birds that would harass them if they saw them. When not heckled by birds, the owls can get better rest and be refreshed to hunt the next night.
There are at least five examples of raptor counterparts in southeastern Pennsylvania, as elsewhere throughout the world. Interestingly, each set of counterparts are about the same size. Red-tailed hawks and great horned owls are counterparts living permanently in upland woods and older suburban areas with their many tall trees. These raptors hunt in the woods, suburbs and neighboring fields for a variety of rodents and other animals, the red-tails by day and the owls mostly at night. Red-tails specialize in catching gray squirrels, which is a daytime rodent while the owls snare a lot of mice and rats at night. Both these raptors hatch young in open, stick nurseries in tree tops.
Permanent residents as species, the little American kestrels and screech owls mostly hunt small rodents and larger insects at different times of day in fields and woodland edges. Both these raptors compete for tree cavities and nest boxes erected for them in woods, suburbs and lone trees in fields to raise young in. And these species spend winter nights in those hollows as well.
Red-shouldered hawks and barred owls live and raise offspring in bottomland woods and older suburbs near larger bodies of water. Red-shoulders rear babies in stick nests while the owls do so in tree cavities. Both species consume mice, small birds, frogs, larger insects and other critters they catch in wooded bottomlands and suburbs. And the hooting of barred owls and horned owls is frightening to some people who hear it in the middle of the night. Each of these large owl species have a different rythm of hooting that identifies it.
Northern harriers and short-eared owls are adapted to open habitats with tall grass and crops, where they catch mice and small birds. These two species are almost completely winter residents in southeastern Pennsylvania. And because of their similar habitat, they hunt the same way. Instead of perching on trees and watching for victims as many of their relatives do, harriers and short-ears actively cruise back and forth low over the fields as they watch and listen for prey animals. When a victim is spotted, each raptor suddenly drops to snare it in its claws.
Sometimes harriers and short-ears hunt at the same time because short-ears start to hunt late in a winter afternoon before the harriers have retired into the long grass for the night. It's exciting to see these two counterparts cruising the same fields at the same time.
Rough-legged hawks and snowy owls both raise young on the Arctic tundra, where they mostly catch lemmings and voles, both of which are rodents. Rough-legs come south to cropland and other open country in the United States every winter to avoid starving on the tundra. Here they mostly eat mice. But the big, elegant snowies, mostly the young of the year, come south to open country, including farmland, one winter in about every four. They will stay on the tundra all winter if there are enough rodents to eat there. But if not, south they come, sometimes in impressive numbers that is sure to make the news. Here in the Lower 48, snowy owls catch and eat critters from mice to snow geese.
Hawks and owls are counterparts of each other, in every habitat, so they can hunt the same animals without direct competition with each other. Without rivalry for space and food, both these groups of birds can survive in the same habitats, which increases their chances of species survival.
Monday, November 9, 2015
Adaptable Birds in a Winter Meadow
Today as I drove within a few yards of Mill Creek in farmland about a mile south of New Holland, Pennsylvania, a great blue heron floated down to the creek right beside me. Because great blues stand almost five feet tall with over five foot wing spans, that close-up heron startled me as it landed in the creek to catch minnows and other fish. I stopped along Mill Creek several yards downstream from the heron for an hour and a half to experience what wildlife was abroad and visible.
I watched Mill Creek and its narrow strip of riparian trees in a cow pasture from inside my car so as to not put neighboring birds to flight. And, as it turned out, I saw several kinds of birds in spite of the minimal cover in that short-grass meadow and all the human activities and structures near the creek and its bordering meadow. Some of the adaptable birds were there because of the creek, while other species were present because of the trees and a few thickets of bushes and vines.
I saw two majestic great blue herons stalking minnows in different sections of the creek. Herons establish hunting territories, driving away others of their kind if those others infringe on their "properties". But these herons were at peace. They probably already settled border disputes.
A few mallard ducks and a handsome belted kingfisher were also along that stretch of Mill Creek while I was there. The mallards mostly rested in inches-deep water while the kingfisher perched on a limb hanging over the water to watch for small fish. But after a few minutes the kingfisher moved on. When prey is spotted, kingfishers drop into the water beak-first to catch the fish in their bills.
A winter wren and a song sparrow stalked invertebrates on the few small gravel bars on the edges of the creek. Both were brown and hard to see, until they moved. The wren was comical to see because of its tiny size, short tail sticking straight up and quick movements.
The winter wren lived farther north in summer, but was along Mill Creek for the winter. The song sparrow was a permanent resident along this waterway. Both species will stay along the water and in the thickets bordering it through the coming winter.
A permanent resident Carolina wren and a few each of wintering dark-eyed juncos and white-throated sparrows stayed in the sheltering thickets as I watched them. All these birds were well camouflaged and, again, hard to see, until they moved. The juncos and sparrows lived farther north in summer, but are here for the winter. The wren will consume invertebrates it will find in the soil under logs, dead leaves and other natural litter on the ground. The juncos and sparrows, however, will ingest weed and grass seeds they will find in the meadow and along the waterway.
But it was the clumps of ash-leafed maple and black walnut trees that harbored the most birds while I was there. A half-dozen mourning doves and a stately red-tailed hawk perched on the tops of some of the trees, the doves simply to rest, but the hawk to watch for vulnerable gray squirrels and mice.
And I saw a few Carolina chickadees, a couple of white-breasted nuthatches, a red-bellied woodpecker, a downy woodpecker and a yellow-bellied sapsucker, which is a type of woodpecker from farther north, among the tall trees. All those birds were actively looking for invertebrates, each species in its own way, among the trees. The chicks gathered insects and their eggs from twigs and buds, while the nuthatches looked for the same food in crevices in the bark. Sometimes the nuthatches were up-side-down on tree trunks in their search for food. And the woodpeckers, being woodpeckers, chipped their invertebrate food out of dead wood among the living trees.
I was impressed with how many bird species I saw late in the morning in November in a pasture of minimal shelter in cropland with all its activities. Obviously, these are adaptable species able to make do in less than ideal habitats, which increases each species' chance of survival as a species. One of the keys to success is being adaptable.
I watched Mill Creek and its narrow strip of riparian trees in a cow pasture from inside my car so as to not put neighboring birds to flight. And, as it turned out, I saw several kinds of birds in spite of the minimal cover in that short-grass meadow and all the human activities and structures near the creek and its bordering meadow. Some of the adaptable birds were there because of the creek, while other species were present because of the trees and a few thickets of bushes and vines.
I saw two majestic great blue herons stalking minnows in different sections of the creek. Herons establish hunting territories, driving away others of their kind if those others infringe on their "properties". But these herons were at peace. They probably already settled border disputes.
A few mallard ducks and a handsome belted kingfisher were also along that stretch of Mill Creek while I was there. The mallards mostly rested in inches-deep water while the kingfisher perched on a limb hanging over the water to watch for small fish. But after a few minutes the kingfisher moved on. When prey is spotted, kingfishers drop into the water beak-first to catch the fish in their bills.
A winter wren and a song sparrow stalked invertebrates on the few small gravel bars on the edges of the creek. Both were brown and hard to see, until they moved. The wren was comical to see because of its tiny size, short tail sticking straight up and quick movements.
The winter wren lived farther north in summer, but was along Mill Creek for the winter. The song sparrow was a permanent resident along this waterway. Both species will stay along the water and in the thickets bordering it through the coming winter.
A permanent resident Carolina wren and a few each of wintering dark-eyed juncos and white-throated sparrows stayed in the sheltering thickets as I watched them. All these birds were well camouflaged and, again, hard to see, until they moved. The juncos and sparrows lived farther north in summer, but are here for the winter. The wren will consume invertebrates it will find in the soil under logs, dead leaves and other natural litter on the ground. The juncos and sparrows, however, will ingest weed and grass seeds they will find in the meadow and along the waterway.
But it was the clumps of ash-leafed maple and black walnut trees that harbored the most birds while I was there. A half-dozen mourning doves and a stately red-tailed hawk perched on the tops of some of the trees, the doves simply to rest, but the hawk to watch for vulnerable gray squirrels and mice.
And I saw a few Carolina chickadees, a couple of white-breasted nuthatches, a red-bellied woodpecker, a downy woodpecker and a yellow-bellied sapsucker, which is a type of woodpecker from farther north, among the tall trees. All those birds were actively looking for invertebrates, each species in its own way, among the trees. The chicks gathered insects and their eggs from twigs and buds, while the nuthatches looked for the same food in crevices in the bark. Sometimes the nuthatches were up-side-down on tree trunks in their search for food. And the woodpeckers, being woodpeckers, chipped their invertebrate food out of dead wood among the living trees.
I was impressed with how many bird species I saw late in the morning in November in a pasture of minimal shelter in cropland with all its activities. Obviously, these are adaptable species able to make do in less than ideal habitats, which increases each species' chance of survival as a species. One of the keys to success is being adaptable.
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