Nature Note: A Naturalist's Travels Through Nature

Things are heating up at Wargo Pond this week. The frogs are out, the sunfish are starting to make their nests, and the geese are angrier than ever. When most people tend to think of Canada Geese ( Branta canadensis ) they think of the aggressive pooping birds that ruin any grassy area they accumulate in. When I think of Canada Geese, I think of the calls of a passing flock that are so pleasing to hear on a crisp fall day, their neat black stockinged heads and necks, and their devotion to their mates, young, and territory. These are some of the prime reasons they are one of my favorite birds. Being a fan of waterfowl in general, the late spring and early summer is one of the best times to witness waterfowl behavior. Being very common throughout North America, Canada Geese are very easy to observe when it comes to mating rituals and defensive behavior. Just today, I saw several behaviors detailed in the "Stokes Guide to Bird Behavior Vol 1". (Originally titled "A Guid...

Spring is a time for song. First the frogs, then the birds (or sometimes both at once), and eventually the insects. Each morning I've heard a plethora of birdsong, but by far one of my favorites is the Brown-headed Cowbird ( Molothrus ater ). This answer might surprise some bird lovers who think of cowbirds as abhorrent creatures bent on dumping their offspring into the nests of their unsuspecting songbird neighbors. While this is true and to the layperson, this seems like a strange reason to like a bird, it isn't the primary reason. The main reason I like them is for the male's liquid song that tends to begin and end with a chatter. As such, while they try to be classy by having a sweet song, they ultimately give away their "trashy" origins by their brash, nattering calls. The icterid Casanova sings from atop a tree... While delivering his courtship address, the male raises his shoulders and puffs up his back feathers. It can be said though that having s...

What a day yesterday! I got two more lifers and saw a ton of species for my year list. It was such a great day and tiring too. I was so beat when I got in and so pumped after all that I'd experienced. I visited at the perfect time it seemed. Shorebirds were stacking up on the main pool/mudflats and it seemed like everyone was filling themselves up for the warmer months ahead. With new camera in hand and notes taken, I headed off to document my roaming. Here's what I found. Icterids like Red-winged Blackbirds ( Agelaius phoeniceus ), Common Grackles ( Quiscalus quiscula ), and Brown-headed Cowbirds ( Molothrus ater ) were so common, especially around the visitors center. Everywhere you turned your eyes and ears you saw and heard the chacking, clinking, and checking of these black flocking birds. Northern Cardinal ( Cardinalis cardinalis ) seen at the visitors center. The Raymond Pool was teeming with bird life. Dunlins ( Calidris alpina ) flurried around and fed feve...