Critters In Winter

The doggo and I got a pretty good gig going for us.  Step outta the house and there’s approximately 3.5 miles of trails to walk.  Better yet, the pup doesn’t have to wear a lead and I don’t get dragged along behind one.  All she wears is her hunting e-collar just in case.  Our walks are free range and à la carte.

North of a year and a half-old Ruby has certainly matured.  Of course that’s relative as she’s still stuck somewhere between puppyhood and solid adulthood.  Nevertheless, she follows voice commands and generally sticks close. If I stop to examine something I’m curious about she’ll wait for me to catch-up.  Conversely, if she’s after something of interest, her bell is a good cue as to her whereabouts.  And she returns when summoned.

The other day we checked-out the prairie habitat north of the house. This stuff is absolutely not indigenous peninsula habitat; but it’s good wildlife cover and it’s our property so we plant what we like.

This is excellent pollinator habitat three seasons of the year so it attracts a lot of birds.  In the fourth season of winter it is terrific cover for overwintering birds and other critters.

Those grasses and forbs that have been blown-down in the photo were about six  feet tall at their prime. Tumbled-over they form thousands of hollow cavities and caves at ground level. When covered by snow these become snug animal igloos.

Sure enough - thermal cover for the birds and other critters to hunker down and hide from the wind and snow.  Predators too.

Now play Where’s Waldo and find the dog in the photo…

 

Ever See A Ghost?

Yesterday I was out running errands and stopped at the Havegärd Bird Feed Outlet Store to replenish my dwindling stock of wild bird seed.  If you've never been be sure to check them out.  Likely the best selection and pricing for large quantities of bird feed and supplies on the planet.  East side of highway 42/57 just south of the Sturgeon Bay.  I digress.  

 

Upon entering the store the guy at the register asked if I had something to take a photo.  To which I replied:  You bet.  Got my phone with me.  Gesturing, he said to go outside and checkout what was perched on the utility pole at the side of the road.

click on image for a closer look

Meet Bubo scandiacus.  A snowy owl.  Yowza cool!  It is not unusual to learn of reports of them appearing along the Lake Michigan coastline in the winter months; yet observing one in person is an event worthy of celebration.

This is a big bird tipping the scales at 3.5 to 6.5 pounds.  Standing up to 28 inches in height and with a wingspan of up to 4.8 feet this is the largest owl in North America.  It sports bright white plumage, large yellow eyes and larger feathered talons.  Home territory to this bird is the treeless tundra above the Arctic Circle.  From time-to-time small numbers may migrate to southern Canada and the northern reaches of the contiguous United States.  Larger numbers infrequently show-up in an event called an owl ‘irruption’.  

What is the cause of an irruption?  Possibly fluctuations in food supply.  It is hypothesized that a temporary abundance of lemmings allows the owls to successfully raise large families and then these young owls disperse southward by the hundreds to avoid competition with older birds for winter territories.  Similarly, shortages of prey prompt these birds to move from their normal wintering grounds.

These owls hunt during daylight hours and will roost on almost anything. They like flat open land (it’s what they know), sometimes sitting on the ground, but more often on hay bales, fence posts, telephone posts, rock piles, muskrat houses, tree snags, silos, and other structures.  Snowy Owls will dine upon almost any live thing that moves - voles, mice, lemmings, waterfowl, rabbits, muskrats, weasels, and pigeons. Other bird species are taken as well. They swallow small prey whole.

 

It is notoriously challenging to estimate population numbers for this iconic species.  Nevertheless, recent data suggests that the snowy owl population is much smaller than previously thought and declining.  This bird is now listed as vulnerable to global extinction.

 

Because these birds are not accustomed to seeing humans they likely will appear fearless in your presence.  Approach them with caution and observe them at a distance.  Do not flush them.  The rare sighting of this beautiful bird can be a once in a lifetime experience.  Sorta like seeing a ghost.

 

Learn more about snowy owl sightings near you here.

Snowbirds

Meet Junco hyemalis - one of the sweetest little birds to share the winter with us is the dark-eyed junco.  You're unlikely to confuse this species with another bird as this member of the sparrow family sports a slate-colored head and back, white belly and pink beak.  Quite distinctive.

These little birds migrate from Canada to winter here in tropical Wisconsin.  All I've ever observed are juncos of the male persuasion and I am told that females do not travel as far south as the boys do.   

They'll readily come to a feeder and it is not unusual to see a flock of them scratching-about on the ground.

They're commonly called Snowbirds.

Owl Irruption

This diminutive owl showed-up twice on the trail cameras - on December 7 and a week later on December 13.  Two different locations.

At first blush I figured it was a Northern Saw-Whet Owl - a small, year-round resident owl that is more often heard than seen.  But I have captured its image twice on the same trail camera - in October of 2018 and again in November of 2018.

Owl images on a motion activated trail camera are rare occurrences around these parts.  If you go to the home page of the blog and enter "owl' in the search feature you'll get a few hits dating back to 2011.  Like I said - I hear owls all year round but they're stealthy and make themselves scarce. Perhaps they're camera shy. 

In any event, as I was looking at the photos (above) and comparing them to the handful of saw whet photos I have I was struck that the facial color (shades of grey in the IR imagery) were lighter, framed in black and that the size of this smaller, flat-topped, earless owl was slightly larger.

Meet Aegolius funereus - the Boreal Owl - and resident of Canada's mixed wood and conifer forests.  It is a temporary visitor as on sporadic occasions it will appear south of it's normal range.  This is called irruptive behavior and is typically a result of a scarcity of prey in their normal range.

This bird dines on small mammals, birds and insects.  They hunt at night with the exception of the summer when the sun doesn't set in northern Canada and Alaska.  Studies of banded birds offer evidence they they live up to 16 years in the wild.  But as this is a small bird it is frequently preyed-upon by other larger owls and raptors thusly decreasing its average life expectancy. 

Vocalizations are a series of hollow toots that get progressively louder.  Males call until they find a mate or the female begins nesting at which point the singing stops.  Breeding commences in February and can continue as late as July.  This bird most often breeds once a year although if food is abundant multiple clutches may occur on occasion.

It's good to sight an itinerant visitor from our friendly neighbors to the north.  Last Sunday I observed a murder of crows harass and chase what may have been a rough-legged hawk - a frequent winter visitor that nests in the Canadian tundra.

Big Bird

I'm reminded of the tune composed, recorded and produced by John Fogerty fifty years ago.  However, there are no tambourines and elephants nor any wond'rous apparitions provided by magicians.  I've got wildlife.  And when you're retired - you always keep a binoculars handy and monitor your trap line of trail cameras to monitor whatever walks, runs, flies,  hops, crawls or slithers by.  

Meet Antigone canadensis - the Sandhill Crane.   

A very large, tall, stork-like bird characterized by a long neck, long legs, and very broad wings. The body tapers into short tail and is covered by drooping feathers that form a bustle.  The head is small and the bill is straight and longer than the head.   

Sandhills prefer to live in open habitats.  For years we’ve had a nesting pair that arrives in early spring while the snow is still on the ground and before ice-out. 

They hang-out in the grassland behind the house by the big pond a couple of hundred yards away.  If you are a lucky observer their courtship dance is a hoot to see.  They’ll raise one or two young - called colts - and by autumn to late fall they begin to congregate in very large flocks before flying-off to their wintering grounds in Texas, New Mexico, Florida and Mexico.  They raise a racket and their bugling calls can be heard from miles away.  

I've been observing them daily as now that I live here full-time.  It really is sort of cool to have cranes living in your own backyard.  I should add that we've also a pair of mallards that have taken-up residence in the same pond.

That's better than cool.  

We're going to be grandparents again.....

Busy Trail Camera

Last week I remarked to Jill that while out turkey hunting I caught a glimpse of a very large bird as it came over my blind and perched somewhere in a tree near by.  I didn't get a clear view of it mostly because of the position of the blind relative to where I thought it might have perched.  Nevertheless, I shared with her that it was certainly large enough to be an eagle.

Why is this observation important?  Because it was a day later that I swapped the SD cards from three of the remaining trail cameras and uploaded their content on to the laptop back home.

It was a busy couple of weeks for two of these patient sentries.  Especially for birds.....


A ruffed grouse

A gobbler

A pheasant

And a bald eagle

Christmas Bird Count

Our participation in the 2019 Brussels Christmas Bird Count occurred during deer hunting and breaking-down the camp.  It was during this time we counted birds.  And on Sunday afternoon Jill and I spied this – a bird previously sighted on February 9, 2015.  

A rough-legged hawk. 

I always figured this bird for quite rare as this is a tundra-dwelling raptor that nests in the Arctic and likely winters near the borders of Canadian boreal forests. 

 

In any event we submitted our report and on the subject of the rough-legged hawk who knew....

 

Hi Tom,     

 

Thanks for doing the count and sending in your report.  Not many people doing feeder counts get to report a rough-legged hawk.  They are not as rare as one would think.  Two years ago on the entire Brussels count we had 31 of them seen in one day. Back in 2003 their numbers reached 39.      

 

They are one of two open country hawks seen here in winter.  The other is the red-tailed and this year appears to be good for both species in the Brussels count.     

 

Once all reports are in I will make a total report and will email one to you.

 

Stay tuned....

 

Lookin' Out My Back Door

I'm reminded of the tune composed, recorded and produced by John Fogerty almost fifty years ago.  However, there are no tambourines and elephants nor any wond'rous apparitions provided by magicians.  I've got wildlife.  And when you're retired - between unpacking and organizing your stuff - you keep the binoculars handy for whatever walks, flies, crawls or slithers by.

Meet Antigone canadensis - the Sandhill Crane. 

A very large, tall, stork-like bird characterized by a long neck, long legs, and very broad wings. The body tapers into short tail and is covered by drooping feathers that form a bustle.  The head is small and the bill is straight and longer than the head.   

Sandhills prefer to live in open habitats.  For years we’ve had a nesting pair that arrives in early spring while the snow is still on the ground and before ice-out. 

They hang-out in the grassland behind the house by the big pond a couple of hundred yards away.  If you are a lucky observer their courtship dance is a hoot to observe.  They’ll raise one or two young - called colts - and by autumn to late fall they begin to congregate in very large flocks before flying-off to their wintering grounds in Texas, New Mexico, Florida and Mexico.  They raise a racket and their bugling calls can be heard from miles away.  

I've been observing them daily as I'm living here at The Platz full-time.  It really is sort of cool to have cranes living in your own backyard.  I should add that we've also a pair of mallards that have taken-up residence in the same pond.

That's better than cool.  I feel blessed.....

Owl Irruption

Photo - WI DNR

Keep a sharp eye out as Snowy Owls are being reported in the upper Midwest and great lakes states in what has been called unusual numbers for November and December.   Concentrations of them appear to be along the Lake Michigan coastline.      

This is a large bird (3 to 6 pounds) sporting bright white plumage, large yellow eyes and larger feathered talons.  Home territory to this bird is the treeless tundra above the Arctic Circle. And while small numbers may visit Wisconsin from time to time periodically large numbers will show-up in an event called an owl ‘irruption’.        

These owls hunt during daylight hours and will roost on almost anything. They like flat open land (it’s what they know), sometimes sitting on the ground, but more often on hay bales, fence posts, telephone posts, rock piles, muskrat houses, tree snags, silos, and other structures.  Snowy Owls will dine upon almost any live thing that moves - voles, mice, lemmings, waterfowl, rabbits, muskrats, weasels, and pigeons. Other bird species are taken as well.       

What is the cause of these irruptions?  It is hypothesized that a temporary abundance of lemmings allows the owls to successfully raise large families, and then these young owls disperse southward by the hundreds to avoid competition with older birds for winter territories.      

Because these birds are not accustomed to seeing humans they will appear fearless in your presence.  As a consequence approach them with caution and observe them at a distance.  Do not flush them.  Enjoy the rare sighting of this beautiful bird.      

You can receive email alerts whenever sightings of Snowy Owls (for the past week) are entered into eBird anywhere in the Lower 48.  Learn more about subscribing here.

 

Timberdoodle

While out last weekend the dogs both flushed several doodle birds.  They're common  around here because of the remnant alder and willow thickets in the lowlands and younger reforested uplands.  Nonetheless, outside of the local situation this curious bird is becoming less common every year. 

The American woodcock - Scolopax minor - also known as the timberdoodle - is a ground-dwelling shoreland bird species found in young forest and shrublands.  Woodcock breed across eastern North America with Wisconsin part of its western range.  This migratory bird winters in lowlands from the Mid-Atlantic south to the Gulf Coast states. 

Historically, woodcock were found in much larger numbers.  This was a consequence of a landscape that included larger amounts of early successional habitat - the technical nomenclature for younger forest.  Not surprisingly those younger forest have evolved and grown to mature forest where woodcock do not live. Fire is suppressed and logging is in decline so the extent of younger woodland habitat continues to shrink.  Urban development also destroys former habitat and because of all of these factors the woodcock population has fallen by about 1 percent each year since the 1960s. 



Aldo Leopold’s - A Sand County Almanac - describes the courtship display of the male Woodcock.  This is one of the true harbingers of spring around here and a delight to observe before sun-up.  From the chapter titled Sky Dance is this excerpt. 



Raising a toast to the Timberdoodle and young forests…..

Tipsy Birds



This time of year brings a curious phenomena - gangs (flocks)of Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) flying erratically and colliding with automobiles, windows, buildings, fences and the like.  Often with fatal results.  

 

The results of necropsy examination revealed that all birds had gorged themselves with over-ripe and fermented berries.  They were drunk.

 

Ethanol was detected and the cause of death in these birds was trauma that resulted from colliding with hard objects when flying under the influence.  

You can learn more about this here.




Photo Credit - National Zoo

Owl Irruption

BirdEden.com
 

Keep a sharp eye out as Snowy Owls are being reported in the upper Midwest and great lakes states in what has been called unusual numbers for November and December.   

Concentrations of them appear to be along the Lake Michigan coastline.   

This big bird (3 to 6 pounds) sports bright white plumage, large yellow eyes and larger feathered talons.  Home territory to this bird is the treeless tundra above the Arctic Circle. And while small numbers may visit Wisconsin from time to time periodically large numbers will show-up in an event called an owl ‘irruption’.  

These owls hunt during daylight hours and will roost on almost anything. They like flat open land (it’s what they know), sometimes sitting on the ground, but more often on hay bales, fence posts, telephone posts, rock piles, muskrat houses, tree snags, silos, and other structures.  Snowy Owls will dine upon almost any live thing that moves - voles, mice, lemmings, waterfowl, rabbits, muskrats, weasels, and pigeons. Other bird species are taken as well.  

What is the cause of these irruptions?  It is hypothesized that a temporary abundance of lemmings allows the owls to successfully raise large families, and then these young owls disperse southward by the hundreds to avoid competition with older birds for winter territories.   

Because these birds are not accustomed to seeing humans they will appear fearless in your presence.  As a consequence approach them with caution and observe them at a distance.  Do not flush them.  Enjoy the rare sighting of this beautiful bird.

Learn more about snowy owl sightings near you here.

Transients

The groups of diminutive little birds moving thru happen to be Ruby-crowned Kinglets.  

We only see them twice a year as they’re transients.  Their summer range extends from the northern fringe of Wisconsin deep into Canada to the north and Hudson Bay.  They’re on their way south to the Gulf States, Mexico and Central America.  

Remarkable for such a tiny bird.

Sandhill Cranes

Meet Antigone canadensis - the Sandhill Crane.  A very large, tall, stork-like bird characterized by a long neck, long legs, and very broad wings. The body tapers into short tail and is covered by drooping feathers that form a bustle.  The head is small and the bill is straight and longer than the head.   

Sandhills prefer to live in open habitats.  For years we’ve had a nesting pair that arrives in early spring while the snow is still on the ground and before ice-out.  They hang-out in the grassland behind the house by the big pond and their courtship dance is a hoot to observe.  They’ll raise one or two young – called colts - and by autumn to late fall they begin to congregate in very large flocks before flying-off to their wintering grounds in Texas, New Mexico, Florida and Mexico.  They raise a racket and their bugling calls can be heard from miles away.  

A couple of weeks ago we were surprised and caught off-guard when mom and dad came thru the yard on a Sunday stroll to show-off the young’un….

 click on image for a better look

You can learn much more about this bird here.