By Len Wells
FAIRFIELD, IL--Pam Blevins moved into a small apartment here a few months ago after losing her husband to Alzheimer's disease.
Soon afterward, her own health started to decline.
First, it was a growing weakness in her hands, then her legs. Doctors first thought she may have suffered a stroke, but the tests were negative.
After several rounds of tests at three area hospitals, doctors decided she likely had a form of muscular dystrophy. To say the least, the news was depressing. Her children are all raised and gone, and life in that small apartment started to close in on her.
But one sunny morning this spring, Blevins heard an unusual noise just outside her sun porch. It sounded like birds squawking, but she couldn't figure out where the sound was coming from.
She opened the door that leads out onto a small balcony where her gas grill sits, and the noise grew louder. Still, she couldn't find the source of the bird noise. Looking under the eves, she found no nests like barn swallows often build with wads of mud and tiny sticks, and still no evidence of where the sound was coming from.
Back inside, Blevins turned her TV on and settled in to watch another episode of "Judge Judy." The courtroom drama drowned out the sound of the birds.
A few days later, as the spring weather finally improved, Blevins decided she might fire up her gas grill and cook a hamburger for lunch.
"I decided I had better give it a good cleaning first," she said. "There's no telling the last time that thing was used." Armed with a spray bottle of cleaner and a brush, she lifted the grill lid and was shocked at what she saw. Instead of a blackened gas grill grate in need of a good scrubbing, there were five baby robins with their gaping mouths open wide, waiting for another meal. "I guess they thought I was going to feed them," she said. "I just closed the lid and watched for their mom to come back."
Mom did come back, and the in and out flights through the back vent hole of the grill have provided quite a bit of entertainment for Blevins. That is, until she heard firecrackers going off in the woods just west of her house. It was enough to startle her and her five new friends, the gas grill robins.
"I looked out, and there was a guy throwing firecrackers into the edge of the woods," she said. "I couldn't imagine what he was up to."
As the smoke settled, she figured out the man's target. It was a fox and three of its young. Scared half to death, they scurried out of the woods into her backyard, then disappeared into the woods off to the north. Eventually, the man left and the fox family returned unharmed.
Now, Blevins has even more entertainment. Every evening, just before dusk, the foxes come out of the woods into her backyard to play.
Between the gas grill robins and mother fox and her three babies, Blevins should have quite an entertaining Mother's Day.--Evansville Courier and Press
WHEN I TELL you that this bird is bright yellow, small, with blueish wings, I don't do it justice. There are a few birds that are immediately indentifiable. The Bald Eagle is one. Scarlet Tanager and Snowy Owl are others.
Well the Prothonotary Warbler (shown here in this photo by Arlene Ripley taken at the Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary)is also one of those birds. It can not be mistaken for any other bird.The Prothonotary Warbler is connected to the pope...indirectly. The pope, as leader of a major religion and as head of a somewhat minor city-state, has notaries. These are the functionaries whose job it is to notarize the documents that are generated by the pope. There is a "head notary." His title is "Protonotary" and he wears a bright yellow cape.
And so....we have the Prothonotary Warbler! This bird is generally secretive and a cavity nester in wooded swamps. (I'm privledged to work in a wooded swamp, as you all know by now.)
This leads me to last Saturday. Our Nature Center held it's annual wildflower and herb sale and, as usual, there were many folks who were anxious to stock up on sage and When I tell you that this bird is a very bright yellow, small bird with blueish wings, I don't do it justice. There are a few birds that are immediately identifiable. The Bald Eagle is one. Scarlet Tanager and Snowy Owl are others. Well the Prothonotary Warbler is also one of those birds. It can not be mistaken for any other bird..
The focal point of the sale is right in front of the nature center where all the flats of plants are displayed on long folding tables. Many people, 50 or 60 at a time gathered around the tables. Got the picture?
I got there at 8:30 and Andy was beside himself...literally. A Prothonotary was calling right in front of everyone. He was in plain view. The secretive bird that lives in the swamp decided to show off in the parking lot! Gradually the cameras emerged from trunks and glove compartments. Cell phones summoned spotting scopes and binoculars and this blindingly yellow bird called and called. It is a loud call. I knew it before Saturday but I'll never forget it now! TSWEET TSWEET, TSWEET.
And the bird moved between two trees and called all day long. Hundreds of people that cared little about life-lists and such were fascinated by this boisterous little creature. There was no time when fingers were not pointed at this brilliant little bird.
The Prothonotary Warbler is our "signature bird" at the Battle Creek Nature Center/Cypress Swamp Sanctuary. It certainly did itself proud on Saturday.
Jack Lewnes WindStar National Master Naturalist Port Republic, MD
RECENT research suggests that many of the birds migrating to Britain and the European continent from Africa every spring, from Willow and Garden Warblers to Spotted Flycatchers and Common Cuckoos, are undergoing significant population declines.
The drop in numbers appears to be so sharp and so broad that the possibility is being considered that the whole system of bird migration between Africa and Europe may be in crisis. Each spring, millions of birds of nearly 50 species arrive in the UK from their African wintering grounds to breed, while perhaps as many as five billion arrive in Europe as a whole, before returning south in the fall. Many species make journeys of thousands of miles, including crossing the desolate Sahara Desert twice a year. Now, however, their numbers appear to be tumbling.
This problem has recently been outlined in a full statistical account put together by researchers seeking to understand what is happening and why. Figures in an unpublished survey produced by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) reveal some startling statistics about these plunging populations. Of the 36 British-African migrant species for which there is long-term population data (going back to 1967), 21 have declined significantly. Of these, 11 have suffered declines of more than 50 percent. Among this 50-percent-plus group, the Spotted Flycatcher, the Tree Pipit and the Turtle Dove (pictured) have suffered declines of 84, 83, and 82 percent respectively. For 42 migrants for which there are short-term population trends available (going back only to 1995), 23 have declined - 55 percent of the total. This includes a 30 percent decline for the Common Cuckoo, a 43 percent decline for the Pied Flycatcher, and a 60 percent decline for the Wood Warbler, in only a 13-year period.
No one knows for sure the reasons for these declines, but habitat loss in Africa and climate change are among the leading suspected causes. The problems may be along the birds’ migration routes, which are full of hazards just as they are in the Western Hemisphere or on the wintering grounds of the various species south of the Sahara. Whatever the case, the Afro-European bird migration system appears to be in a perilous situation.
Ornithologists from across Europe will meet in Germany this month to discuss both the vanishing migrants, and the possibility of setting up a network of research stations in Africa to investigate the situation. The meeting, which will be held at the Radolfzell Bird Observatory on Lake Constance, has been organized by two scientists, Volker Salewski from Radolfzell and Will Cresswell from the University of St. Andrews.
In the meantime, the RSPB and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) are shifting their attention from farmland birds, whose declines due to intensive agricultural practices have long been a major concern, and beginning to focus on the startling fall-off in migratory bird populations.
Paul J. Baicich National Wildlife Refuge Association Maryland
"AIR POLLUTION interferes with the ability of bees and other insects to follow the scent of flowers to their source, undermining the essential process of pollination, a study by three University of Virginia researchers suggests. Their findings may help unlock part of the mystery surrounding the current pollination crisis that is affecting a wide variety of crops. Scientists are seeking to determine why honeybees and bumblebees are dying off in the United States and in other countries, and the new study indicates that emissions from power plants and automobiles may play a part in the insects' demise. Scientists already knew that scent-bearing hydrocarbon molecules released by flowers can be destroyed when they come into contact with ozone and other pollutants. Environmental sciences professor Jose D. Fuentes at the University of Virginia--working with graduate students Quinn S. McFrederick and James C. Kathilankal--used a mathematical model to determine how flowers' scents travel with the wind and how quickly they come into contact with pollutants that can destroy them. They described their results in the March issue of the journal Atmospheric Environment."
JUST HAD to drop you a line after reading the article Backyard Wildlife Provides Drama (in WindStar Wildlife Garden Weekly) Sorry I don't agree with the author's portrayal of grackles. I find them fascinating to watch. (Boat-tailed Grackle) They are extremely clever birds, but I'm sure some find them to be a nuisance. Thank you also for Scott's article on the Rose-breasted Grosbeak. We used to get these sweet birds at our feeder until developers cut down over almost 100 acres nearby to build houses. In fact, most of the birds except robins, cardinals, grackles and Blue Jays, have disappeared. No more bats to eat the mosquitos at night. What a shame urban sprawl can do. Right now I have 4 robin families sharing my little lot ( 2/3 acre), which I have never seen before. That's OK, though, because when I see them getting fat on my poison-free lawn. We try to do our part by providing food, shelter, water and lots of native plants. Thanks for listening to me. I really enjoy your newsletters. Forgot to mention we are fortunate to have a Great Blue Heron rookery nearby. Those birds are awesome.
MY DAY begins with a visit to a nursing home. I speak with a woman who lives in the home who tells me that she once lived between a forest and a stream. She doesnât remember much else about her life. The land between the forest and the stream must have been quite a place to be able to resist being evicted from her tired mind.
A friend calls me later in the day to tell me of a sighting of a Snowy Owl (pictured) near an old, deserted farmstead he owns. He tells me to stop at the place when I am able and see if I can spot the owl. I assure him that I would.
Iâve driven by this old farm a thousand times, looking at it, but I really see it for the first time this day. The remnants of a number of aged buildings, including the house, still stand. There is small woodland and a winding dredge ditch on the property.
I walk to what is left of the house and set up my spotting scope in order to scan the area in the hopes of glassing the beautiful white owl. The wind whips around the creaky wooden structure that once was the answer to a familyâs dreams. I sit on the ground as I look through my optics. The cold ground chills my bones, but searching for birds warms me in a way I cannot explain. Snow falls harder and harder, causing the sound of passing trucks to change from a whine to a whisper.
Winter first softens the landscape with snow, and then hardens the finish with wind. Winter is a season that few look forward to, but it does provide a needed service. The cold and the snow cleanse the land, not unlike the polishing our teeth receive in the dentistâs chair. A chickadee lands in a spruce tree near me. The weather is frigid, but the presence of this tiny bundle of feathers and enthusiasm helps make it bearable.
I peer hard through my scope. I am determined to see this Snowy Owl. I gaze through my scope until my eyes grow weary, but I see no owl. I do see plenty of a beautiful old farm. The people are gone, but a part of their life together here remains.
I think of the old woman I visited at the beginning of this day. This might be a site not unlike her old homeâa place between a forest and a stream. I like this frozen place. I did not see what I came to see, but it was anything but a waste of my time. I silently thank the unseen Snowy Owl for bringing me to this refuge. I will remember this place between a forest and a stream for as long as I am able.
I JUST finished watching an excellent webcast on native bees. It runs a little longer than an hour--first 5 minutes is getting going but once the program starts it is great. If you have a chance to watch it, I would recommend it. Also the website has more info on attracting native bees and pollinators, including butterflies. Check out the publications section, many are on pdf files.
I HAVE some questions on wildlife preserves. I live in an apartment complex in Jacksonville, FL. It's a very populated area if you know it. There is what they claim to be a nature preserve directly behind my apartment. There is a man-made lake and woods. No feeders or anything else to support wildlife. The wildlife come up to apartments a lot and go through the trash and tear up things. When confronted with this, they trap the animals and release them somewhere else. To me that's not the point of a nature preserve. The man-made lake is always full of algae. This algae is harmful to the residents causing health problems. So they spray things into the lake to kill it. Why have a nature preserve that's shameful to residents and why trap the animals when they make their presence known? Please help. I like the animals and want to see them protected and safe. If you know of anyone who can step in and help, let me know.
A FRIEND of mine found a baby fox on the highway late one evening. It seems to be uninjured and it doesn’t seem sick. I suggested he feed it a mixture of yogart, powdered milk and an almond milk he had from the food bank. The fox has its teeth but won't eat solid foods, or canned dog or cat food. It seems to like the mixture I mentioned above. I said I would contact someone by internet about the fox. The fox has adapted to my friend in just a few days. Can you suggest anything for me to tell him? What should he feed or do with this baby fox?
A PAIR OF BIRDS is building a nest within the wrought iron (outdoor candle) globe frame under my patio cover. They are mostly a plain brown about 11" long, beak to tail EXCEPT the male has this absolutely gorgeous deep forest green banding on his throat. He flies in the building materials then perches on the outside of the globe while she weaves the new material in place inside the globe. She has the banding also, just not as extensive. What is this bird?
WindStar Wildlife Institute Thomas D. Patrick Founder & President
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Myersville, MD 21773
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WindStar Wildlife Institute is a national non-profit conservation organization established in 1986. WindStar is a leader in "connecting people to nature through education." In 1999 the Board of Directors decided to move the headquarters to an award-winning, passive solar and earth sheltered structure, Terra Vista, near Myersville, MD. And, a new, four-acre demonstration wildlife habitat, containing all the elements and key components, was created for members and others to visit and to get ideas for their own properties. Each year new habitat components are added. The Institute is known for its award-winning environmental education and certification programs, web site, American Wildlife Blog and outstanding use of nature photography.
FAIRFIELD, IL--Pam Blevins moved into a small apartment here a few months ago after losing her husband to Alzheimer's disease.
