Yesterday a group of four deer strolled through my back yard--two small does and two fawns. The fawns were old enough that they've lost their spots, which seems a little early, but they clearly haven't been through their first winter.
Then this morning, right after I re-filled the bird feeder, I saw what may have been an eastern kingbird, but it came and went (twice) so quickly that I couldn't get a picture. Whatever he was, he's new, and this is the first new species I've noticed since June. Also present this morning were a grackle (who was more interested in suet), a cardinal, two Carolina chickadees, and a tufted titmouse. In the last few days I've also seen a Carolina wren or two, some mourning doves, some finches (I keep going back and forth on whether they're house finches or purple finches), some robins (they never come to the feeder, but I see them in the back yard) and an eastern towhee.
And then just a few minutes ago, a blue-tailed skink came skittering into my office. God knows how he got in here--I suppose it doesn't say much for the quality of the weatherstripping on the front door. Strange--I really don't like snakes at all, even non-poisonous ones, but lizards don't bother me. I saw a big black snake slithering through the short grass a few feet out my back door a few weeks ago, and it's fine with me if he keeps right on going and never comes back.
One more thing about snakes: Cathy tells me that most people have an innate fear of snakes. I was surprised, because I wasn't aware of my own distaste for them until I was in my early twenties, and I know lots of people (adolescent boys, particularly) who seem fascinated by them, but she's usually right about these things. The black snake in my back yard was pretty long--maybe four feet--and the grass was short enough that he was plainly visible as he sped (my Audobon book refers to the species (colubor constrictor) as an Eastern Racer) about three feet away from my bird feeder, which was full of seeds. There are usually three or four birds on the feeder at once, fussing at each other, and more sitting on nearby branches, waiting to fly in and bump somebody else off. There are two squirrels who live in a nearby tree and a chipmunk who dug his burrow about two feet from the base of the feeder. Some of all of them are almost always under the bird feeder, nibbling on seeds the birds have dropped. When the black snake passed by, though, there were no birds at the feeder, no birds on nearby low branches, and no squirrels or chipmunks darting around under the feeder. Everything was quiet. From this I deduce that all of the birds and mammals in my back yard were either the right size for a black snake meal or had nearby offspring that might be, and that the fear of snakes is not only instinctual and innate, but that it crosses species and genera.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Canada geese
Yesterday I saw a flock of seven or eight Canada geese near a pond on Weaver Dairy Road here in Chapel Hill. So many have ceased migrating and taken up permanent residence here that they are widely regarded as pests. The curious thing to wonder about, though, is why so many stopped migrating in the last fifty years. Geese in permanent residence were unknown seventy years ago, now there are large colonies in several mid-Atlantic states. Birds migrate for a variety of reasons--seasonal availability of food, inclement weather, to find breeding partners, to find nesting grounds that are free from predation, disease, and parasites among them--but my reading suggests that migration is largely instinctual. Cage a migratory bird and it will become restless and agitated when it would migrate if free. That the geese can give up their migration in a few generations, and that successive generations don't seem to feel the urge to migrate, either suggests that the seasonal migration of geese is learned.
I've heard that deer in North America once migrated seasonally, but stopped in the nineteenth century when their numbers fell precipitously due to overhunting, and that once the generation who knew the migration patterns died off, succeeding generations never took it up again.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Back Yard Bird-Watching
On June 10, 2008 I put up a bird feeder in my back yard, I live in a semi-wooded neighborhood in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with a fairly deep lot and some mature red oaks and pines. There's a large cane break that straddles my back yard and my neighbor's. It's big enough that a family of five or six deer frequently hide in there during the winter. They never seem to be around in the summer.
Since I put up the bird feeder, I've seen the following birds:
June 14, 2008
house finch (male)
cardinal (male)
house sparrow
house finch (female)
cardinal (female)
June 15, 2008
carolina chickadee (poecile carolinensis)
tufted titmouse (baelophus bicolor)
June 19, 2008
mockingbird (he was not in my back yard, but outside 1829 Franklin Street)
June 20, 2008
Carolina wren (thyrothorus ludovianus)
yellow-bellied sapsucker (female) (very strange-looking bird, and only seen this one day)
American robin (male) (turdus migratoris)
June 21, 2008
yellow-bellied sapsucker (male) (also seen just this once)
American robin (female)
mourning dove (zenaida macroura)
June 21, 2008
American goldfinch (male) (beautiful; sadly I haven't seen him since)
common grackle (quizcalus quizcula)
American goldfinch (female) (carduelis tristis)
June 23, 2008
wood thrush (hylocichla mustelina)
eastern towhee
June 26, 2008
red-bellied woodpecker (both male and female; I'd been seeing them on an off since I first put up the feeder, but had trouble identifying them)
Since I put up the bird feeder, I've seen the following birds:
June 14, 2008
house finch (male)
cardinal (male)
house sparrow
house finch (female)
cardinal (female)
June 15, 2008
carolina chickadee (poecile carolinensis)
tufted titmouse (baelophus bicolor)
June 19, 2008
mockingbird (he was not in my back yard, but outside 1829 Franklin Street)
June 20, 2008
Carolina wren (thyrothorus ludovianus)
yellow-bellied sapsucker (female) (very strange-looking bird, and only seen this one day)
American robin (male) (turdus migratoris)
June 21, 2008
yellow-bellied sapsucker (male) (also seen just this once)
American robin (female)
mourning dove (zenaida macroura)
June 21, 2008
American goldfinch (male) (beautiful; sadly I haven't seen him since)
common grackle (quizcalus quizcula)
American goldfinch (female) (carduelis tristis)
June 23, 2008
wood thrush (hylocichla mustelina)
eastern towhee
June 26, 2008
red-bellied woodpecker (both male and female; I'd been seeing them on an off since I first put up the feeder, but had trouble identifying them)
Thursday, April 5, 2007
2007
April 21: Not much change over the last week. The cherry outside the office seems to be losing all of its petals in a hurry now. Dogwoods still in bloom, and some azaleas. Weather has been beautiful for the last several days--clear and bright, no clouds. Headed for a high of 81 today. There are still lots of small black tadpoles amongst the cat tails, but fewer of them. Green pond scum starting to form in the pond. White oaks have sprouted from acorns in Governor's Club. If you pull one up, the nut remains attached and you can see that the acorn was two to three inches under the surface. Not clear how they get buried that way.
April 14: Hard rain starting at midnight lasting to noon. Pond still teeming with quarter inch black tadpoles. Pond water not too murky. New cattail leaves 2-3 feet high. Duckweed starting to grow. Willows are in flower.
April 13: The maple in front of the office is still hanging on to its seeds, but other maples down the street have shed most of theirs. At least two different species have shed seeds and leafed in, one with larger leaves and seeds. Saw my first tentworm yesterday afternoon, and it looked full grown. Some others were crawling out of their tents. Longleaf pine tree flowers are still tight and do not look like they've opened. Lower Booker Creek is a little swollen but clear. Dogwoods not losing petals there. Lenten roses are in full bloom. After one day of rain, the bottom lands by Booker Creek are flooded or swampy. Saw the first rabbit I've seen this year. Swarms of gnats out. 57 at noon.
April 12: Rain stopped early this morning. Azaleas in my front yard noticeably wilted, dogwoods seem to be losing petals. Wisteria blossoms wilted and colorless, but still there. There was a breeze at lunchtime that blew the petals off the cherry tree outside my office around--they were so light that they followed the breeze around the corner of the building. Today the sweetgum outside my window seems to have shed lots of its flowers. Not much pollen. Saw a group of about four does at Governor's Club last night, apparently grazing on grass or clover--first I've seen in a while. There was no moon, and they vanished into the brush after watching me for a few seconds.
April11: It is raining today, but the rain does not appear to be knocking any blooms loose. The maple tree outside the office still hasn't leafed in and is hanging on to its seeds, which have wings but aren't dry.
April 10: According to Dot at the North Carolina botanical garden, the following wildflowers are in bloom around Chapel Hill (I have personally seen the starred ones and am taking Dot's word on the rest): columbine,* witch alder,* eastern blue star,* common golden alexander, creeping phlox, Jacob's ladder,* wild azalea,* red buckeye,* sweet shrub, lousewort, dwarf iris,* crested iris,* foamflower,* wild geranium or crane's bill, golden seal, trillium grandiflorum,* Virginia bluebells,* mountain doghobble, bellwort, Jack in the pulpit,* gooseberry, flame azalea,* horse sugar, sand myrtle, bird's foot violet,* may apple,* chickweed.
April 9: The temperature dropped below freezing over the weekend. Redbuds now gone, wisteria still in bloom but faded. Dogwood, azaleas still in full bloom. Fresh deer tracks near the house today. Trees on some hardwoods look wilted, perhaps by the freeze. Cherry trees in full bloom.
April 6: No changes in what's in bloom. Pollen lighter. They say it was supposed to get near freezing last night, but the blooms do not appear to be any worse off. Supposed to be colder tonight, so we will see. 54 degrees at 5:18.
April 5: No changes on what's in bloom. Pollen slightly lighter but still falling. Wisteria blooms slightly faded since yesterday. 53º at 3:30, with a sharp temperature fall overnight to below freezing. Oaks and other hardwoods are still dropping their flowers, suggesting pollination is complete. Questions: What happens to a hardwood tree when there is a freeze after the sap has risen? Will a freeze kill all the recently-formed acorn embryos? If so, next winter could be hard on the deer.
April 4: Moon two days past full--this Sunday is Easter. All flowers from yesterday still in bloom. Most trees look completely leafed in, although not darkened yet. Pollen still heavy, buy not quite as heavy as yesterday. Oak and sweet gum flowers are falling everywhere, with oak flowers gathering in small clumps in the street and getting blown around like little tumbleweeds. Azaleas are in bloom and have been for a week. Wisteria may be at its peak. The only white wisteria I have seen this year is one bloom on Weaver Dairy Rd. Low 80's in the afternoon.
April 3,: Moon one day past full. Redbuds and dogwoods have been in bloom about a week. Forsythia bright yellow and full. Leaves appear to be out or partially out on all trees, although still pale. Wild violets, spring beauties, green and gold, pickerel weed, bloodroot all in bloom. Tentworms still in their tents. No mosquitoes out. Pollen heavy and has been since late last week--thick yellow coating on everything outdoors. 83º at 5:30 p.m.
April 14: Hard rain starting at midnight lasting to noon. Pond still teeming with quarter inch black tadpoles. Pond water not too murky. New cattail leaves 2-3 feet high. Duckweed starting to grow. Willows are in flower.
April 13: The maple in front of the office is still hanging on to its seeds, but other maples down the street have shed most of theirs. At least two different species have shed seeds and leafed in, one with larger leaves and seeds. Saw my first tentworm yesterday afternoon, and it looked full grown. Some others were crawling out of their tents. Longleaf pine tree flowers are still tight and do not look like they've opened. Lower Booker Creek is a little swollen but clear. Dogwoods not losing petals there. Lenten roses are in full bloom. After one day of rain, the bottom lands by Booker Creek are flooded or swampy. Saw the first rabbit I've seen this year. Swarms of gnats out. 57 at noon.
April 12: Rain stopped early this morning. Azaleas in my front yard noticeably wilted, dogwoods seem to be losing petals. Wisteria blossoms wilted and colorless, but still there. There was a breeze at lunchtime that blew the petals off the cherry tree outside my office around--they were so light that they followed the breeze around the corner of the building. Today the sweetgum outside my window seems to have shed lots of its flowers. Not much pollen. Saw a group of about four does at Governor's Club last night, apparently grazing on grass or clover--first I've seen in a while. There was no moon, and they vanished into the brush after watching me for a few seconds.
April11: It is raining today, but the rain does not appear to be knocking any blooms loose. The maple tree outside the office still hasn't leafed in and is hanging on to its seeds, which have wings but aren't dry.
April 10: According to Dot at the North Carolina botanical garden, the following wildflowers are in bloom around Chapel Hill (I have personally seen the starred ones and am taking Dot's word on the rest): columbine,* witch alder,* eastern blue star,* common golden alexander, creeping phlox, Jacob's ladder,* wild azalea,* red buckeye,* sweet shrub, lousewort, dwarf iris,* crested iris,* foamflower,* wild geranium or crane's bill, golden seal, trillium grandiflorum,* Virginia bluebells,* mountain doghobble, bellwort, Jack in the pulpit,* gooseberry, flame azalea,* horse sugar, sand myrtle, bird's foot violet,* may apple,* chickweed.
April 9: The temperature dropped below freezing over the weekend. Redbuds now gone, wisteria still in bloom but faded. Dogwood, azaleas still in full bloom. Fresh deer tracks near the house today. Trees on some hardwoods look wilted, perhaps by the freeze. Cherry trees in full bloom.
April 6: No changes in what's in bloom. Pollen lighter. They say it was supposed to get near freezing last night, but the blooms do not appear to be any worse off. Supposed to be colder tonight, so we will see. 54 degrees at 5:18.
April 5: No changes on what's in bloom. Pollen slightly lighter but still falling. Wisteria blooms slightly faded since yesterday. 53º at 3:30, with a sharp temperature fall overnight to below freezing. Oaks and other hardwoods are still dropping their flowers, suggesting pollination is complete. Questions: What happens to a hardwood tree when there is a freeze after the sap has risen? Will a freeze kill all the recently-formed acorn embryos? If so, next winter could be hard on the deer.
April 4: Moon two days past full--this Sunday is Easter. All flowers from yesterday still in bloom. Most trees look completely leafed in, although not darkened yet. Pollen still heavy, buy not quite as heavy as yesterday. Oak and sweet gum flowers are falling everywhere, with oak flowers gathering in small clumps in the street and getting blown around like little tumbleweeds. Azaleas are in bloom and have been for a week. Wisteria may be at its peak. The only white wisteria I have seen this year is one bloom on Weaver Dairy Rd. Low 80's in the afternoon.
April 3,: Moon one day past full. Redbuds and dogwoods have been in bloom about a week. Forsythia bright yellow and full. Leaves appear to be out or partially out on all trees, although still pale. Wild violets, spring beauties, green and gold, pickerel weed, bloodroot all in bloom. Tentworms still in their tents. No mosquitoes out. Pollen heavy and has been since late last week--thick yellow coating on everything outdoors. 83º at 5:30 p.m.
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