White Birds Everywhere!

"What are all of those white birds out there?" I have been getting asked this over and over for the past week. I want to say "well, if you would have read my blog entry back in July of 2011 you would know the answer!"  However, I know that people do not have time to read bird nerd blogs. The beautiful white bird is a Great Egret. The thing is, back in July I had never seen more than one Egret at a time. This past Monday I came to work and there were FIFTEEN of them at the lake outside the bookstore. 15? Yes. That is correct. And to top it off there was even a Great Blue Heron standing off to the side. Here are some photos:

I took the photos above with my phone so I couldn't really zoom well.

I used my 'real' camera for this one.

So why are there so many of these snowy white Great Egrets at our lake? From what I have read it seems like they frequently hang out in groups while nesting or feeding in order to stay safe and protect themselves and their young against predators. That seems to make sense to me. I am no expert birder so I do not know if this large flock of birds is a family or if any of them are babies or mates.

Someone told me they think the Egrets are around because they like to eat Geese eggs. I believe this to be just a myth because the Canada Geese around here don't seem to mind the Egrets at all. In fact, here they are relaxing together:

And in this picture you will see an Egret, a Great Blue Heron AND some Canada Geese:

Egret is to the left. The Great Blue Heron is the one in flight.

I have continued to be amazed all week at the beauty of these birds are the grace in which they move. I've always appreciated how pretty they are but now that there are so many in one area my appreciation is tenfold. As an employee of this college I feel honored to play 'hostess' to so many wonderful creatures. I hope I am not the only one who feels lucky to have these visitors around. They sure seem to be enjoying themselves.

Here they are on their own private island! (Yes, that is the water fountain!)

Another poor quality picture (thanks to my phone).

Mourning Dove

Imagine you are a bird and you want to build a nest. What kind of place would you scope out for your new home? A tree? A bush? Or how about a pile of rusty metal scraps piled on concrete behind a school building? Well, one brave pair of Mourning Doves decided to go with the 'metal junk' option and seem to be perfectly content with their selection.
 

Metal 'junk' behind VAB. The bird nest is highlighted by a yellow circle.



The male dove was very busy hopping all around the pipes while the female stayed in her nest.

The first day I saw this pair of birds I figured they would leave once art students started moving around pieces of metal or after passers by started making noise around their nest. However, it's been about a week and every time I walk past the area Mama bird is sitting there poking her little head out of the messy pile.

They do not have any eggs yet so she let me get close for this picture. Isn't she so beautiful?

As you can see from the close-up picture, Mourning Dove nests are pretty messy. Maybe this is why they feel so at home in such a messy structure! The nest of a Mourning Dove is a flimsy platform of twigs, grass and pine needles with little insulation or lining. 2 white eggs are laid which hatch after about 14 days. Mourning Doves tend to be unbothered by human activity and don't seem to mind nesting closeby.

Mourning Doves have always been one of my favorite birds. I remember hearing them in the morning as a kid and thinking they were called 'morning' doves because they were the first bird I would hear when I woke up. Their soft "Cooo -oooo- oooh" is comforting to me, but apparently other people find it mournful because this is where the mourning dove actually got its name.

Another thing I have always enjoyed about Mourning Doves is the sound their wings make when they take off in flight. Kind of squeaky--almost sounds like a rusty hinge. No other bird I have observed sounds quite like that. If you don't know what I'm talking about--take note. The nest time you see one you will hear it!

Something sad to me is that Mourning Doves are the most frequently hunted species in North America (20 million are harvested each year). But even being the most hunted game bird there is an estimated population of 350 million Mourning Doves, making them one of our most abundant birds in the US. Can you imagine how many there would be without the hunters? (we could all have our own flock!)

So the next time you are around the Visual Arts building on campus you should take a walk around the metal area and say hello to the Mourning Doves. Just be careful not to disturb the nest site and don't move any of the metal scraps for the safety of the birds and yourself!

For more information on Mourning Doves or any bird species, visit my two favorite birding websites:

www.allaboutbirds.org
www.whatbird.com

Eastern Meadowlark

"Is that a flag or a bird?" 
This might sound weird, but it is the question I asked my coworker Andrew as we walked past the grassy area by the Visual Arts Building on our way to the orange parking lot one day. I thought for sure the bright yellow object I spotted amongst the earth colored grasses and bushes must be one of those flags that are used to mark the ground when doing construction or digging.

See, don't they look just like birds? 

Then all of a sudden the yellow thing moved its wings and I knew it was a bird. I wasn't sure what kind so I threw down my bag so I could get out my binoculars (yes, I ALWAYS carry my binoculars with me) while Andrew kept an eye on the bird so it didn't get away before I could identify it. Luckily the bird didn't fly far and I was able to get a great view of the pretty little guy.

This is what he looked like.  (c) Gerrit Vyn

After getting a good look at the bird and taking a mental note of its features (longish beak, pinkish legs, black "V" on throat, yellow neck and belly, etc.) I was later able to identify it as an Eastern Meadowlark. 

Lucky for me, the bird had been singing or I would not have been able to distinguish him from the very similar Western Meadowlark. These two birds are almost identical and unless you hear them sing it can be impossible to tell them apart--especially when you live in the Midwest and either bird could potentially be visiting.

Eastern
Meadowlark
© CleberBirds,

Western
Meadowlark
(c) Jana Thompson

Something interesting to note is that the Eastern Meadowlark is actually not a Lark at all. Larks are from the Alaudidae family. The Eastern Meadowlark, however, is a member of the Icteridae family with Blackbirds and Orioles. It is important to know that when identifying birds you cannot always rely on the name to classify them. 

Even if you don't find this scientific naming stuff interesting, you can probably agree that this bird is pretty neat looking. I know that I was very pleased to discover this bird since I had never seen one before. Also, I can now add this bird to the list of species that attend our community college!

Beautiful wing display.(c) Jim Chagare

Now that I know who this bird is, I see and hear him everyday. Every morning on my way into the bookstore I recognize his song and shortly after hearing him I can spot him perched up in the grass just chirping away. Also, I have discovered he has a lady friend and they are both regularly singing to each other and flying around that same grassy area I originally spotted them (the side of the VAB building). It makes sense that they like this area so much since the Eastern Meadowlark's typical habitat includes grasslands, hay fields, pastures and prairies. They feed on mostly insects, especially crickets and grasshoppers, which are easily found in that area. It also makes sense that I see the birds in pairs because the males typically have two mates at a time (occasionally three) during breeding season. So the lady friend I see him with just may not be the same one each time. 

Speaking of breeding, Eastern Meadowlarks build their nests on the ground in the grasslands and fields. Their nests are made of grass, pine needles, plant stems and even horse hair. It is dome-shaped with a side entrance and both parents take turns incubating their 3-7 eggs. 

Copyright © 2009 JungleWalk.com

I really hope the meadowlarks have a successful breeding season this Spring because I would love to see more on campus in the future. Once you see their vibrant color and hear them sing you will surely understand.

I end this blog today with a piece of artwork from Charley Harper, one of my favorite artists. He is known for his bird art where he used 'Minimal Realism' to depict wildlife.  (www.charleyharperprints.com) Here is his version of a nesting Eastern Meadowlark:

Charley Harper "Eastern Meadowlark"

 

Ring-Billed Gull

"Tina, look at the seagulls outside!”

Not something I expected to hear being in Missouri and on a day with cold, windy and rainy weather. The only place I had ever seen seagulls is Florida and other beaches in the South. So when Linda told me to look at the seagulls I thought to myself “yeah right” and walked over to the window.  Sure enough there they were. I saw three large white birds soaring through the strong breeze and dipping their beaks briefly into the choppy water to catch fish. I could not believe my eyes. Was the wind so strong it blew these guys all the way from Florida?

Come to find out it is apparently not uncommon to see gulls in the Midwest, especially during winter when the birds are migrating south. In fact, 19 of the world’s 45 gull species have been sighted on the Mississippi River near St. Louis. The gulls that visited us yesterday were not exactly typical “seagulls” but they were definitely in the same family as the birds I observed on beach vacations. The sky was very cloudy and the windows were fogged up due to the rain so I did not get as good of a look as I would have liked. I stepped outside briefly and used my binoculars to get a better look and I have come to the conclusion that the birds were “Ring-Billed Gulls”.

First of all let me explain why we saw these gulls inland. They nest and breed in the northern states and Canada, then migrate to the South for winter. It is during this period of migration that the birds can be found around any river, lake or stream. I always thought gulls were only around saltwater but many of them live near freshwater or at least visit freshwater sites during migration. I guess these birds saw the lake by the bookstore and decided it would be good enough to grab a snack from. Since it was windy the birds looked like they had to work extra hard to fly but they coasted along in circles until they found the spot in the water they wanted to dive to. The strong wind made the water rough which brought the fish closer to the surface. It was really cool watching them catch the fish. They did not do it like the Kingfisher, who dove almost completely into the water headfirst catching the fish. Instead, the gulls would fly down to the water and sit briefly almost like a duck and put their beak in the wavy water and then quickly fly away once they caught some food. It was very interesting to see this unique type of fishing.

Like most gulls, Ring-Billed Gulls are opportunistic feeders and will eat earthworms, insects, and even scavenge through dumpsters for trash. The Ring-Billed Gull has the nickname of “Fast Food Gull” since it is frequently seen hanging around fast food restaurants looking for food.  I think it should be “Dumpster Diver” because according to my research they love to eat trash out of dumpsters, off plows and they even follow ships and feed off of the refuse dumped overboard. It seems they will pretty much eat anything.

The Ring-Billed Gull resembles your typical “beach” seagull. It is mostly white with pale grey pointed wings and black on the tips. Adults are 19 inches long and have a wingspan of 49 inches. It was hard to differentiate this gull from the others found in the Midwest since they are so similar. However the reason I believe I saw this type of gull and not the similar Herring Gull, is because I saw black on its beak and the Ring-Billed Gull has a black ring around its beak.

Like many other birds, the Ring-Billed Gull returns to the place they were hatched once it is time for breeding. They then return to the same breeding ground year after year often nesting just within a few meters of last year’s nest site.  They lay 1-4 eggs and the eggs are olive colored with dark brown speckles. The chicks are semiprecocial at hatching which means that they are hatched with eyes open, covered with down, and capable of leaving the nest soon after hatching. Some of the gulls may leave the nest cup at just one day old. Even when they leave the nest they still stay around and get fed by the parents until it is time to fledge. They usually fledge after around 5 weeks.

I am not sure where these birds came from or how far they were traveling. They were probably just dropping by for a snack on their way to their winter homes. I am just lucky that Linda caught a glimpse of them when she did so that I could witness these three out of the ordinary (for SCC) birds. I feel lucky to live in the center of the country during this migrating time. I hope other various ‘foreign’ birds stop by for a visit. Because the day may have been cold, windy and gloomy, but seeing these guys in flight made my day a little bit brighter.

Red-Tailed Hawk

Next time you are walking on campus take a look up at the top of the light posts around you and chances are you will see a large bird on top of one of them. It seems every day when I park my car or head to the parking lot after work I can find a Red Tailed Hawk perched above me. Sometimes I am luckier and the hawk will be flying overhead showing off its massive wingspan. 

The bird you see is most likely a Red-Tailed Hawk. If you haven’t seen a Red-Tailed Hawk on campus, you may have seen one perched high atop a utility pole along the highway. Heck, I’ve even seen one at Mid Rivers Mall’s parking lot! The Red-Tailed Hawk is one of the most common hawks in North America. This hawk is a large bird of 2-4 pounds with a wingspan of 43 to 57 inches. There are many color variations but most red-tailed hawks have a dark brown back, pale underparts and a brick colored tail. The Red-Tailed Hawks I have seen on campus tend to have brown and white streaks on their underparts. They almost look spotted from afar. This coloration makes it easy for them to blend into the rocks and camouflage themselves while hunting for prey. Something I find interesting is that not all Red-Tailed Hawks have a red tail because the Red-Tailed Hawk is actually a grouping of 14 sub-species (some of which do not have the red tail). Also, the female hawk is larger than the male. These raptors have strong, hooked beaks and a loud voice that has been compared to a steam whistle. The call of the Red-Tailed Hawk is frequently used in media as a generic raptor sound effect even if the bird is not a Red-Tailed Hawk.

The Red-Tailed Hawk has keen eyesight. It can spot a mouse from the height of 100 feet. The hawk’s eyesight is 8 times as powerful as humans. They are efficient hunters which makes them a great bird for falconry (the art of training falcons for hunting). However, falconers can only use the hawks for falconry if the bird has left the nest and has yet to reach its breeding age (around 2 years old). Otherwise the birds are protected by law.

Red-Tailed Hawks eat everything from small Beetles to Jackrabbits twice their weight. Rodents comprise up to 85% of the Red-Tailed Hawk’s diet. They also eat mice, ground squirrels and lizards. Sometimes the Red-Tailed Hawk has to compete with Crows over carcasses. The Great Horned Owl is also a competitor to the hawk because it hunts the same prey and uses the same foraging method. The Red-Tailed Hawk also competes with the Owl for nest sites. The most predation of these hawks occurs with eggs and nestlings being taken by owls and raccoons. 

Something I read about but have yet to witness is the mating ritual of the monogamous Red-Tailed Hawk. It is an acrobatic display in which the birds dive and roll in the sky before falling to the earth. They even grab ahold of one another with their talons before breaking apart. They later nest in trees and incubate their eggs for 30 days. (Both the male and female incubate the eggs.) Young hawks are called “eyeasses” and after 42-46 days they begin leaving the nest for short flights. This fledgling period lasts up to 10 weeks. It is during this time in which the birds learn to fly and hunt. I wish I could see a baby hawk. Maybe the hawks around here will lay some eggs! 

I chose to write about this bird today because of one particular red-tailed hawk that frequents our campus.  Just outside my window across the lake there are rocks that soak up the sun and provide a nice warm perch for birds to sit. Every day at some point I look outside and a Red-Tailed Hawk is staring in the direction of the bookstore. He/she sits on the highest rock and perches proudly. Almost as if he/she is guarding me. I’m sure it is just looking for food or taking a break from hunting, but it is still reassuring to sometimes tell myself that it is actually my guardian-hawk looking after me! 

The Red-Tailed Hawk is just one more species of feathered friends that SCC is home to and I am constantly grateful for its presence.

The Belted Kingfisher

I have been waiting all day to have a chance to tell you about the bird I saw today. I actually saw this same bird a few days ago, but I had unfortunately left my binoculars at home and by the time I noticed the bird he had flown away. So I was extremely happy to have the chance to see him again today.

It happened when I was taking a break around 3:00 pm. I was taking a little stroll around the lake outside the bookstore (my usual bird siting area) and enjoying the beautiful, sunny weather. After a few minutes with my binoculars in hand and no birds around I started to get disappointed and realized I should go inside and get back to work. Just when I was approaching the doorway, I heard a squirrelly chirping noise and lo and behold we had a bird visitor!

As soon as I saw the way the bird was hovering about 30-50 feet over the water I knew exactly what he was going to do next (because I had seen a bird like him do it before). I got out my binoculars and watched as he abruptly dove head first into the water and came flying out with a bright orange fish hanging from his beak. How cool!

After he caught the fish, the bird flew over to the rocks across the lake and sat on top proudly holding his goldfish. He seemed very pleased with himself. Once he was perched on the rock it was easier for me to get a good look at him through my binoculars. He had a beautiful bluish head and back, and white throat and underparts. The feathers were kind of iridescent and purplish and they contrasted so beautifully with the bright white collar around his neck. He had an interesting shape, too. He was very tiny but he had a pretty large head with a shaggy crest. He was stocky with a fairly long beak and a short tail. What a pretty bird!

I went inside and immediately began searching through id pictures for my latest visitor. He was blue, but not a blue-jay. He resembled a tree swallow, but he didn’t have the long tail and tree swallows don’t eat fish! Wait a minute---FISH! He’s a Kingfisher!

A Belted Kingfisher to be exact. Turns out Belted Kingfishers are one of few bird species in which the female is more brightly colored than the male. (This is known as reverse sexual dimorphism.) There are 93 different species of kingfishers but the Belted Kingfisher is the only member of that group commonly found in the US and Canada. I had no idea this bird lived anywhere NEAR us here in the Midwest. He looked almost tropical or exotic!

The Kingfisher I saw was most likely a male because he was lacking the reddish feathers on his chest. He did have the dagger-like bill and the crest on top of his head though. He was stocky and stout and overall CUTE. When identifying this bird, however, the dead-giveaway was his behavior. It is described as an ‘aerial dive’ type of feeding. These birds are pros at it. They watch the water from a perch or while hovering and plunge into the water headfirst in order to catch prey in their bill. This is exactly what I saw my bird do with the goldfish. In addition to fish they eat amphibians, insects, small mammals and reptiles.

The bird’s call is described as a “loud rattling cry” or a “heavy fishing reel” but I think it sounded more like a squirrel or a louder version of hummingbird chatter. If it weren’t for this loud call I probably would have missed the bird completely so it’s a good thing they are so vocal.

The Kingfishers nest in burrows and banks near lakes, rivers and ponds. Human activity such as digging gravel pits and building roads has actually expanded the breeding range for Belted Kingfishers because it has created banks where they can build nests.

Thanks to this bird visitor we can add "Belted Kingfisher" to the list of birds spotted on SCC Campus. I really hope this guy becomes a frequent flier at our school!

A Vulture!?

Today we had a special visitor outside the bookstore and I would have missed the chance to see him if my coworkers had not alerted me. I was sitting at my desk when I heard them say “Tina did you SEE that!?” I ran to the window and yes, I definitely saw it. My eyes were fixed upon an enormous black bird soaring in the wind just over the lake. I tried to see what kind of bird it was because it did not look like our typical hawks (Red-Tailed) around here.  It was gigantic and so beautiful—I had to get closer. I went outside to try to get a better look and the bird flew over the lake and to the Visual Art Building’s roof. When I was outside I was able to appreciate how it was gracefully gliding over the water and only flapping its wings when changing direction. What a truly beautiful creature. I went online to research and identify what type of bird it was and quickly discovered the majestic, glorious animal to be…..A TURKEY VULTURE.

WHAT?! I thought vultures were supposed to be mean, nasty, ugly birds that just eat dead things with flies on them. I shook my head and thought ‘this can’t be what I saw’ but the various photos online confirmed that the bird I saw was indeed a Turkey Vulture.

The part about vultures eating dead things is true. Turkey Vultures are one of few birds that are able to rely on sense of smell to find food. They are attracted to the smell of mercaptan, a gas produced by the beginnings of decay. Turkey vultures eat carrion (a fancy word for carcass) and almost never attack live prey. They have good immune systems that keep them from catching diseases that dead animals might carry. I wonder what this vulture was looking for on the other side of the lake….

While eating dead things may sound gross, these birds really have an important job. They are helping us out by acting as nature's cleaning crew. These birds help control the spread of disease because they are able to dispose of the animals that could have passed disease onto other animals or even humans. Thank you, Mr. Vulture!

The Turkey Vulture’s flight style is described as slow, teetering soaring. It holds its wings in a “V” shape in order to maintain stability and lift at low altitudes. The vultures also fly low to the ground in order to more easily pick up the scent of dead animals. This certainly describes the way the bird was flying outside today. It just coasted in the wind and occasionally flapped its wings only when necessary.

The Turkey Vulture is described as a large, mostly black, hawk-like bird with a featherless red head. Most people are familiar with vultures since they are commonly depicted in cartoons and movies. I remember seeing vultures in Snow White and who can forget the silly vultures in The Jungle Book?

I feel grateful for being able to observe this bird today. I now have a completely different outlook on Vultures. I mean, sure, the birds like to eat carcasses and sometimes poop on their legs to cool off (yes I really did read that somewhere) they are extremely lovely and peaceful in flight.

I learned a lesson today. No matter how ugly or nasty someone or something can seem—there is beauty there somewhere!