Onomatopoeia Duet

Last night I was fortunate to hear a duet by two birds with unusual names: Chuck-will's-widow and Whip-poor-will. The names of these nocturnal birds are imitations of the sounds they make. In other words, the names are onomatopoeic. The birds actually do say, "chuck-wills-widow" and "whip-poor-will." South Dakota is at the extreme northwest corner of these birds' normal ranges, so it was a treat for me to hear them--especially since the Chuck-will's-widow was a new life bird for me, number 345. I don't have any photos, but the sounds these birds make are far more interesting anyway. Here is a link to a Chuck-will's-widow calling:

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=2745380

and here is a Whip-poor-will:

http://www.soundboard.com/sb/whippoorwill_sounds.aspx

Do Birds Have Ears?

Eared Grebe

Do birds have ears? Well, of course they do! They just don't have external ears like those of mammals. There are several birds such as the Eared Grebe, Long-eared Owl and Short-eared Owl pictured here, that have tufts of feathers that look like ears. These feather tufts are used in various ways by the different species. They may be useful as part of a mating display, or as a means to scare off a predator.

Long-eared Owl by Paul O. Roisen

Short-eared Owl

Bird Devotional 21

Great Horned Owl on nest

Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus

“I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of owls.” Job 30:29

I know a place where a pair of Great Horned Owls have built a nest and are raising young. Their nest is in the top of a broken-off, dead tree that was part of a grove surrounding a long abandoned farmstead. The rubble of an old foundation and assorted rusted junk dot the tangled landscape around the area. It is not a very pretty place, and one must exercise care when walking there. It is, however, a perfect spot for Great Horned Owls. The nearest habitation is over two miles away; the nest cannot be seen from the road; and the nearby fields and marshes provide plenty of food. It is also the perfect setting for the owl’s somber, “Hoohoohoo hoohoo hoo” sound that echoes throughout the vicinity at dusk.

The Great Horned Owl is the most widespread of all the North American owls, and can be found in habitats as diverse as northern forests, western deserts and southern swamps. Great Horned Owls are formidable hunters and regularly take prey as large as skunks and rabbits. They are known to consume birds the size of great blue herons and to kill and eat hawks and other birds of prey.

Today’s verse is part of the description of the plight of Job. He states, “The churning inside me never stops; days of suffering confront me…I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of owls…my harp is tuned to mourning and my flute to the sound of wailing” (Job 30:27-31). In Job’s affliction he felt alone and in despair. If you can relate to Job, listen to the comforting words of Jesus from Luke 4:18: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed.” Receive His words into your heart and He will set you free from despair.

Father, thank you for delivering me from despair and oppression, and thank you for being my constant companion and friend. Amen.

Do Birds Have Horns?

Great Horned Owl by Paul O. Roisen

Some birds carry the word "Horned" in their name. They don't really have horns like cattle, deer or rhinoceroses. What appear to be horns are merely tufts of feathers. They may not be actual horns, but they do give the birds just a little added look of fierceness. Don't you think?

Horned Grebe by Paul O. Roisen

Horned Lark by Paul O. Roisen

Like Grasshoppers

Grasshopper Sparrow

The Grasshopper Sparrow is a common grassland bird here on the Great Plains. The bird makes an insect-like sound from which its name was derived. Yesterday I drove down a country road and rolled my car window down to see if I could hear anything that sounded like grasshoppers. Sure enough, before long I heard the sound, and then I saw this Grasshopper Sparrow perched on a wooden fence post. Later I remembered that these birds aren't the only creatures that have been compared to grasshoppers. The prophet Isaiah compared people to grasshoppers:

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

Has it not been told you from the beginning?

Have you not understood since the earth was founded?

He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,

and its people are like grasshoppers.

He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,

and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

He brings princes to naught

and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.

No sooner are they planted,

no sooner are they sown,

no sooner do they take root in the ground,

than he blows on them and they wither.

Isaiah 40:21-24

People are "like grasshoppers," huh? I'll have to think that one over.

Ring-Around-the-Collar

Ring-necked Duck

When you hear "RING-NECKED DUCK," you expect to see a bright, distinct neck ring on the bird. Well, that is not the case -- the ring is not usually visible at all. This picture shows the duck's ringed-neck as clearly as I have ever seen it. How then did it get the name Ring-necked Duck? Back in the early days ornithologists studied dead birds. They did not have binoculars; they did not have cameras. They did have guns. So they "took specimens" and made "study skins." Apparently the neck ring is much easier to see when you are holding a dead duck in your hands.

Lists

Yellow-billed Loon, Life Bird 332, December 29, 2008

Photo by Paul O. Roisen

Birders keep lists. We love looking at birds, and we love keeping track of which ones we have seen and when and where we saw them. I keep five main lists. The current numbers go like this: Life List: 344; South Dakota List: 249; Year List: 230; Monthly List (June 2009 so far): 102; and Yard List (Since October 2008): 45. Those are not huge numbers. Over 700 birds can be found in the United States, and more than 400 birds have been seen in South Dakota. People take great pride in their bird lists. I have even seen obituaries in which the decedent's life list total was mentioned! Two of my most memorable life birds are pictured here. The Yellow-billed Loon I saw at South Dakota's Fort Randall Dam was the first-ever sighting of that bird in the state of South Dakota. The Green Violet-Ear that was visiting a backyard feeder in Sioux City, Iowa was only the 2nd of its species seen in the state of Iowa. Seeing new birds is part of the excitement of birding. You never know what you will see. I wonder what interesting birds I will find today?

Green Violet-Ear, Life Bird 285, September 16, 2006

Photo by Paul O. Roisen

Call Me Mr. Cissel!

Dickcissel

Dickcissels are out in full force right now in every field and along every country road. They are perched on fences, power lines, trees, bushes and weed stalks. Every one of them will tell you its name is "Dick, Dick Cissel, Cissel!" I mentioned Dickcissels a few weeks ago, but I did not have a link to a good recording of a male Dickcissel singing. Check out this video of a male Dickcissel giving its signature call. http://www.leifericson.org/sfbc/id32.html

Bird Devotional 20

Philadelphia Vireo in the hands of Marlene Krause

Philadelphia Vireo, Vireo philadelphicus

“To the church in Philadelphia write…” Revelation 3:7

My wife and I were at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve in Duluth, Minnesota with my sister, Marlene. We had toured the banding station, listened to a lecture by the naturalist, and watched the migrating hawks. Then our attention was drawn to a crowd of people gathered around the naturalist. She was holding an elegant, little, greenish-yellow bird. The bird had just been banded and was about to be released. The naturalist offered to let someone in the crowd “adopt” the little Philadelphia Vireo, and be allowed to release the bird. My sister, normally a tightwad, decided to pay the $20.00 adoption fee. As Marlene opened her hands, and cameras all around were clicking, the vireo sat there for a brief moment, not certain it was really free. Then…in an instant, it disappeared into the sky, continuing its southward migration toward the tropics.

The Philadelphia Vireo acquired its name because it was first identified in 1842 near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They breed in Canada and appear in the United States only during migration. Today’s Bible verse is the introduction to a letter to the church at Philadelphia that appears in the Book of Revelation. The Bible’s Philadelphia was a city in Asia Minor that is now known as Allahshehr, Turkey. The Letter to the Church at Philadelphia contains the line, “See. I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut” (Revelation 3:8). God has also placed an “open door” in front of each one of us. We each have an open door of opportunity to enter into a relationship with God, and to share the blessings of that relationship with others. Every individual has been placed in a set of life circumstances that is unique. You have opportunities to be a blessing in ways no one else can. The little vireo in my sister’s hands stood at the “open door” and seized the opportunity for freedom that presented itself. You have a similar opportunity. Will you step through the doorway in front of you?

Father, I thank you for the open door you have given to me. Be with me as I go through that door and share your love with others. Amen.

Cowbirds, Part III

Brown-headed Cowbird female

The cowbirds' act of laying eggs in the nests of other birds is called brood parasitism. This behavior is very disruptive to the reproductive cycles of these other birds. Some species of warblers are highly susceptible to cowbird parasitism. In the case of Kirtland's Warblers, wildlife officials in Michigan trap cowbirds in order to keep them away from nesting areas of this endangered species. It is easy to understand why most people dislike cowbirds. They leave their babies to be raised by others. They cause population declines in other species. They just seem like sneaky little criminals. Still...you have to appreciate their tenacity. You have to admire the fact they know their limitations and that they trust strangers to assist them in perpetuating their species. So, I just can't work up any hatred for them myself. I accept them for what they are, just cute little brown birds trying to survive.

Brown-headed Cowbird male

Cowbirds, Part II

Brown-headed Cowbirds hanging out with cows.

When a person first learns about cowbirds, there are two questions that pop up right away. How did cowbirds get their name? And why did they develop the habit of laying eggs in other birds' nests? Well, the answers to those two questions are closely connected. First, prior to the settlement of North America, cowbirds followed the vast herds of American Bison that lived on the Great Plains. Cowbirds thrived by consuming the seeds and insects kicked up by the bisons' large hooves. Because they had to follow the constantly moving bison herds, cowbirds had no time to properly build a nest and care for young. So they did what they had to do to survive. They started laying eggs in other birds' nests and left the "child-rearing" to the mercy of others' generosity. Today Brown-headed Cowbirds are found in the same habitats they used for centuries. Now, as evidenced by these pictures, they are seen in close proximity to herds of cattle rather than herds of bison.

Hundreds of Brown-headed Cowbirds in a Nebraska cow pasture.

Cowbirds, Part I

Brown-headed Cowbirds, Male and Female

Today I am starting a three part series on Brown-headed Cowbirds. Cowbirds are perhaps the most disliked and misunderstood of all our native birds. They do not build their own nests, but instead the female will lay an egg in the nest of some other bird. Sometimes the other bird will reject the egg, but more often than not the other bird will raise the little cowbird as its own. Is this reproductive behavior of cowbirds good or bad or neutral? It is very similar to the concept of leaving a newborn baby on someone else's doorstep. Is that necessarily a bad act if the natural parents are unable to properly care for the child? Well, think about that for a while, and we will discuss cowbirds some more over the next couple days.

Head of Red

Red-headed Woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus

I found a very friendly Red-headed Woodpecker yesterday at a boat ramp along the Missouri River. It posed for some interesting pictures. Its Latin species name is certainly accurate: erythro=red; cephalus=head.

Resting on a sign.

Looking for insects in the grass.

Pondering habitat loss for its friends.

Sleeping on the Water?

Adult and Juvenile Western Grebes

I saw some Western Grebes yesterday with young birds that appeared to be very recently hatched. That reminded me of this photo I took last summer of an adult Western Grebe resting on the water with a juvenile by its side. The birds' white breasts are facing to the left, their heads are the round bumps on top, and their long bills are tucked out of sight behind their breasts. It is interesting that junior has caught on to this "sleeping-on-the-water" thing quite easily and is doing it just like the parent.

Prothonotary Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler (Photo by Paul O. Roisen)

I have received reports of a pair of Prothonotary Warblers nesting in South Dakota about 110 miles from where I am working today. Since that would be a new life bird, and as you can see from the photo they are extraordinarily beautiful, I am tempted to make the trip after work today. But then the voice of reason steps in. Should I drive 220 miles just to see a bird? The birds are nesting, a very rare occurrence for that species in South Dakota. Will too many visitors perhaps cause the birds to abandon the nest? So I have been thinking it over, and I have decided to just stay put and see what birds I can find around here. But as I look at this photograph it sure is tempting. Can a bird really be that yellow?

Bird Devotional 19

Photo by Paul O. Roisen

Belted Kingfisher, Ceryle alcyon

“There was a noise, a rattling sound.” Ezekiel 37:7

The Belted Kingfisher is one of the most striking birds in North America. It is a beautiful blue color and has a wild, unkempt crest. It is generally quite conspicuous because of its habit of perching on branches protruding out over lakes or rivers. Kingfishers are excellent fishermen, diving down into the water from their perches or while hovering over the water. They are found throughout North America wherever there are wooded stream banks. They move south in the late fall, but will over-winter even in somewhat frozen climates if they can find open water.

The Belted Kingfisher’s call startles me a little whenever I hear it. The sound has been described as a “hoarse rattle,” a “continuous woody rattle” and a “loud machine gun-like call.” All I can add to those descriptions is that it sounds to me somewhat like the sound made by a ratchet wrench. Because of their noisy calls, kingfishers are usually heard before they are seen. Often, they make their calls while flying from one perch to another, and if you look in the direction of the sound, you can catch a glimpse of the bird in flight.

In today’s verse, the prophet Ezekiel described the rattling sound he heard when a pile of dry bones suddenly came to life and began to be joined together. How startling it would be to see a pile of bones take the form of a person and come to life! What Ezekiel witnessed symbolizes that with God, all things are possible. Even lifeless bones can have the breath of life restored to them. Jesus has promised us the gift of life: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My Word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John 5:24). Just as the rattling sound that Ezekiel heard was the signal that God was about to restore the pile of bones to life, so hearing the Word of God is the key to our passing from death into life. Let God’s Word bring a “rattling” to your life.

Father, I thank you that as I listen to your Word with a believing heart, I have the assurance of eternal life through Jesus. Amen.

Blue Grosbeak

Blue Grosbeak, Passerina caerulea

It is easy to figure out how this bird got its name:

blue, adj. the color of the clear, unclouded sky.

gros (French), adj. big, large, thick, heavy or great.

beak, n. the horny, projecting structure forming the mandibles of a bird.

So is it a color-of-the-sky bird with large, thick mandible structure? Blue Grosbeak fits it just fine, I think.

Empty Nest

The Empty Mourning Dove Nest

For the past few weeks I have chronicled the progress of the Mourning Dove nest in a hanging planter by our front door. Well, the birds have flown the coop. We have seen Mama Mourning Dove feeding the two fledglings in the front yard. Below is a picture of one of them hanging out on the front sidewalk, waiting for Mama to bring more food.

Fledgling Mourning Dove

Brown Thrasher

Brown Thrasher, Toxostoma rufum

I have always found it difficult to get very close to Brown Thrashers because they inhabit dense bushy areas. Whenever I would see one in the open it would soon dash into a tangled thicket where it would disappear from sight. Last week I spotted a Brown Thrasher while driving along a gravel road. I saw it fly into a thorn bush and perch on the lowest strand of a barbed wire fence. I parked my car in front of the thorn bush, and from within its "protected area" it let me take this picture.

High Security

Western Meadowlark

So...are we Western Meadowlarks "authorized" or do I need a permit or something in order to get into this place?

Dickcissel

Dickcissel

The Dickcissel is a common resident of the Great Plains in June and July. Because they migrate from South America, they are one of the last birds to arrive in the spring and first to leave in the fall. If you see one on the edge of a farm field and wonder what it is, it will soon tell you by saying something like, "Dick. Dick Cissel. Cissel."

Lazuli Bunting

Lazuli Bunting by Paul O. Roisen

Last year I moved from Iowa to South Dakota. One of the side-benefits of such a move is the opportunity to see new birds. One of the birds common to western South Dakota I had not yet seen was the Lazuli Bunting. I had hoped to find some this spring. Well, Saturday I found a pair of Lazuli Buntings south of Oahe Dam near Pierre. This bird was named for a mineral, lapis lazuli (pictured at left), that has been used for centuries as a semi-precious gemstone. Do you think the blue of the bird matches the blue of the gemstone?

Bird Devotional 18

Bell's Vireo by Paul O. Roisen

Bell’s Vireo, Vireo bellii

“It is the sound of singing that I hear.” Exodus 32:18

The leader of the field trip had promised we would see Bell’s Vireos. That would be a “life bird” for me, but my excitement was tempered by the knowledge that this little bird is notoriously difficult to locate in the dense thickets it inhabits. We stopped on a lonely Iowa country road with dense tangles of vines and bushes along both sides. Our leader produced a tape recorder, and played a recording of a singing Bell’s Vireo. From the midst of the vegetation we heard the exact song that had just come from the tape recorder. We heard the bird sing several more times, and one of the group finally proclaimed, “I see it!” Most of us got one or two brief glimpses of the vireo as it popped in and out of the foliage, searching in vain for the phantom intruder. Bell’s Vireo is a small, nondescript bird found in the summer in many parts of the United States. As I discovered, it is heard more easily than seen.

Today’s Bible verse may be what the Bell’s Vireo was thinking as it first heard our tape recording: “It is the sound of singing that I hear.” The bird may have thought the sound meant an intruder had arrived to fight for its territory or its mate. What it actually saw, a group of gawking humans, was not at all what it expected. The Book of Exodus records that Moses received the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments and was coming down the mountain when he said, “It is not the sound of victory, it is not the sound of defeat; it is the sound of singing that I hear” (Exodus 32:18). Moses had listened carefully, and ruled out the sounds of war, either victory or defeat. He knew that the sound was something different altogether. He was listening to the shouting and revelry of the people worshiping the golden calf they had made. The Bible tells us that this disobedience on the part of the people of Israel resulted in the deaths of about three thousand of them. Life often brings the unexpected. Sometimes we do not know exactly what we are seeing or hearing. However, if we allow God’s Spirit to rule in our lives, like Moses we will be able to discern the truth in every situation.

Father, sometimes I cannot understand what it is I am seeing or hearing. Give me discernment to know your will in every situation of my life. Amen.

Chestnut-collared Longspur

Chestnut-collared Longspur

Let's see...the field guides say: creamy throat, check; black belly, check; tail mostly white with black triangle in center, check; black cap, check; bold white line above eye, check; chestnut-colored nape of neck, check. Yep, it's a Chestnut-collared Longspur all right. Lately I have seen many of these birds perched on barbed-wire fences along gravel roads in the Pierre area.

National Doughnut Day

Brown-bellied Speckle-backed Dunker

Today is National Doughnut Day! Go out and celebrate with one kind of "Dunker" or another.

Birth Announcement

Mama Mourning Dove and one of her two nestlings

Yesterday we discovered new life in the hanging planter beside our front door. The eggs have hatched! We saw one nestling in the morning and confirmed the presence of both babies later in the day. Watering that basket of plants has been tricky during the incubation period, but we have managed to get the job done. I imagine it will be even more difficult now. One suggestion was to hold a pan of water up to the bottom of the basket and water it that way. I will let you know how both the flowers and the little doves are doing in the coming days.

You're Not My Mama!

Baby American Robins in Nest

When I approached this robin nest to take a few pictures, this nestling seemed to be telling me to go away and not come back unless I had worms.

One-legged Gull

California Gull

Last week I spotted this California Gull on the beach near the Legion Club in downtown Pierre. (For those of you who know Pierre is smack-dab in the middle of South Dakota, that must sound strange, but it is true.) It reminded me of two previous posts I have written, March 26 and April 1, so check those out if you are interested. This bird was in the company of three other California Gulls, and was just lounging around waiting for handouts along with dozens of Ring-billed Gulls. At first I thought this bird was merely standing on one leg while resting, as many birds do. However, after watching for a while, it became clear that it had just a stump for a right leg. I wonder what happened to it. Did it narrowly escape the jaws of a hungry predator? Did it become entangled in fishing line? It can stand, and it can fly, so its future looks promising. I hope it has a good life from here on out, and dies of old age.

Golden Slippers

Snowy Egret showing off its golden slippers

I caught this Snowy Egret doing a little dance on the rocks at Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge this afternoon. Actually, the yellow feet of this bird are one of the key field marks to differentiate it from its larger cousin, the Great Egret.

Not a Blackbird

Common Grackle

Yes, I am a bird...but how can folks call me a blackbird? Look at my iridescent blue head. Does that look black to you?