Nature Note: A Naturalist's Travels Through Nature

So this past Sunday, I visited a cool spot called Pennypack Trust in Huntington Valley to check out whether I could get some early warblers that were migrating through. When I had arrived, it was already 5 o' clock and I only had about an hour and a half of light, but I managed to take a good number of pictures. As I headed out, a male Northern Cardinal ( Cardinalis cardinalis ) hid in a tangle near the feeders. While a favorite of many feeder watchers and birders, cardinals are a lot more shy and retiring than people realize and are more likely to heard making their obvious chip notes from the undergrowth or by the male's sweet, ringing song in the morning and afternoon. A male Mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos ) made an appearance with his mate and dabbled around in a small pond near the entrance. I marveled at the different patches and swatches of color that were apparent on its body. The second photo shows the speckled back suggesting that this bird might be younger...

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...