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I took a photo of an evening-primrose and quickly moved on along the trail. When I got home, I was eager, as always, to look through the photos and identify what I had found. The photo to the top right was a photo that I uploaded to iNaturalist and it kept suggesting "Primrose Moth" as an identification. I certainly didn't see a moth while in the field, but I looked closer, and to my surprise, there was a Primrose Moth! Not only one, but two! (They can be seen in the left bud.) I couldn't believe it! I was so excited, and I thought, "All I have to do is take some photos of evening-primrose and I'll find some pretty moths? That's easy!" I went back the next day and along the same trail took photos of every blooming evening-primrose. One of them I could see had a moth. When I got home, I could see another plant had a moth and some eggs! Despite searching, I haven't been able to find any other Primrose Moths. And as I've learned since then, they can be quite localized and hard to find. I was just lucky enough to be in the right place at just the right time to find these cotton candy-colored cuties. The Primrose Moth (Schinia florida) has a range from Nova Scotia to the Great Lakes region to northern Florida. Larvae go through five instars before burrowing in the ground to pupate overwinter. There is one generation per year, with the adult flight period timed to coincide with the bud development of its larval host plants. Adults are nocturnal, and often rest in the flowers of evening-primroses during the day. The mimicry of the moth to the buds of the plant is such impressive camouflage. Looking at them side-by-side, you can definitely tell how someone could overlook a moth in the flowers of an evening-primrose. Nature is amazing! Photos by Jasmine Cupp
References: D.F. Hardwick (1970). "The life history of Schinia florida". Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society. 24 (4): 282-287.
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The next thing we knew, there was maybe 40 or 50. All of which were heading to the southwest. A friend and I ran out to pick up food, excited about the Purple Martins. Upon arriving at the restaurant, we noticed nearly 450 martins in one group! This was enough to break the Clermont County high count of Purple Martins by 50 birds! The next weekend, I was back in Cincinnati and decided to get there a little bit earlier and see where they were all coming from. However, at that same site, we saw maybe 100 and they were all overhead going west. As we were about to leave, we looked over and noticed a cloud that we estimated to be 800 martins! We made it over to the parking lot where the cloud was only to hear them tucked into the vegetation along the edge of the parking lot. The next night, we realized we needed to get there even earlier than we had. We wanted to get to this site at about the time we first noticed birds over the yard the week before. We showed up about 45 minutes before sunset this time with a tally clicker in hand ready to get to the bottom of the mystery of just how many Purple Martins were present at this roost. What started as a 1x1 count of birds coming into about 800 birds was very quickly turned into a 5x1 count. Then a 10x1 count. Over the course of the next 45 minutes, we clicked groups of 10 martins coming in from the southwest only. We found birds were mainly coming from the southwest, passing over our heads, doing a large loop northeast of us, then coming back in. This way we could reduce the amount of birds double counted (while still missing those birds that were coming in from the NE without passing us the first time). Our total that evening ended at an astonishing 10,494. We repeated the process the following weekend and came up with 13,783. We shared this with some of the local birding groups and were thrilled to see other birders coming out to enjoy this mind-blowing spectacle in a suburban shopping center parking lot! Purple Martins are known to use these urban/suburban landscapes for their fall staging but had not previously used this location!
The short story is that after being gone for a day and a half #TheFourWeAllAdore returned to Maumee Bay State Park. We'd predicted that that might happen, wondering if the chicks would move between nearby Cedar Point NWR and Maumee Bay SP. We waited to post anything because we weren't sure how long they'd stay. The longer story is far more complex. There are no gentle transitions for a #GreatLakesPipingPlover monitor. It's more like a series of emotional explosions. - OMG, WE HAVE A NEST!! - OMG, WE HAVE AN EGG!! - OMG, THE EGGS ARE HATCHING!! - OMG, THE CHICKS HAVE LEFT THE PROTECTED AREA!! - OMG, THERE'S AN OFF-LEASH DOG!! - OMG, THE CHICKS ARE FLYING!! - OMG, THERE'S A DRONE!! It's totally worth the emotional rollercoaster ride to experience the joy of being part of this extraordinary project. But, today we are faced with the sharpness of a reality that has lurked in the shadows of that joy. Yesterday morning, our volunteers were unable to find Kickapoo. After extensive searching, some twist of fate led them to search an area of Cove 4 one last time. It was there that they found signs of predation. We confirmed that the remains were of a Piping Plover. The few signs they found indicate that the predator was a mink, but we can’t say for sure. We agonized over how to break this news, even considered not sharing it at all. But in the end, we felt that the truth was best, and important to the integrity of the project.
Please, try not to think of this as a failure. We did absolutely all that we could to give the birds their best chance for survival. This is the sharp reality that nature is not always beautiful. Nature often seems raw and cruel, and far too intense for mere humans to understand, especially under these circumstances. But I, for one, find it “easier” to accept that this was an act of nature rather than losing one of our beloved birds to some evil act of humans. We will carry the pain of this loss together, sharing in the sadness just as we did the joy, easing the hurt by suffering it as a community, being there for each other as we struggle to come to terms with it. And we will use this information and what we’ve learned to help inform the Great Lakes Piping Plover project so that the loss is not in vain. My heart goes out to all of the volunteers and to all of you who faithfully follow this story. I know you love these birds, too. Now we'll try to focus on the three remaining chicks that we need to monitor, with hope beyond hope that they’ll begin their journey safely – and soon. Thank you for being part of this journey. Sincerely, Kimberly Kaufman Executive Director Black Swamp Bird Observatory Information provided by Chris Sheley, Wild Birds Unlimited, Columbus, Ohio and Ohio Department of Natural Resources We are seeing a number of articles popping up in social media feeds and local news outlets about a novel avian disease and bird mortality event. As of now, we don't know how prevalent this illness is in Ohio or the cause of it. We want you to be as informed as possible and know that we are tracking developments closely. What we know so far
Precautionary Measures Until we have a better understanding of what is causing the illness and how it spreads we can take some precautionary measures. Below are some healthy bird feeding tips:
What to do if you find a sick or dead bird
Thank you for doing your part to care for birds!
Guest post from bird feeding expert, Anna Dissanayaka From the CDC: Birds can carry germs like Salmonella while looking healthy and clean. However, there are reports of wild songbirds, such as pine siskins (small, streaked, yellow-tinged songbirds in the finch family) sick with the same strain of Salmonella that is making people sick in this outbreak. Salmonella germs can spread between species of birds, to pets, and to people. You can get sick when you touch your mouth with unwashed hands after touching wild birds, bird feeders or bird baths, or your pets that have contact with wild birds. (For more information on human health, visit the CDC website.) In regards to the recent news about salmonella and feeder cleaning, we invited backyard bird feeding expert, Anna Dissanayaka to offer some guidance.
In some states people are advised to take down feeders. While it is not necessary to fully remove your feeders in Ohio right now, here are some precautions you can take:
As we eagerly await the return of hummingbirds and orioles, here are some tips and recommendations for the best, safest feeders, and accessories.
FEEDER RECOMMENDATIONS The feeders pictured are great because they're easy to fill, easy to clean, and the saucer-style discourages bees and wasps. NO ANTS AT THIS BIRD FEEDING PICNIC Ants are a very important part of the natural food web. Many bird species, like Northern Flickers, feed on ants. But ants can be problematic at bird feeders that offer sweet things. A large ant moat is a vital addition to any feeder that offers something sweet. Hang the ant moat above the feeder and fill with water. (The feeder hangs from the loop in the bottom of the ant moat.) The water creates a barrier that ants can't cross. The larger size means it doesn't go dry as quickly. ![]() The Duncraft Super Big Nectar Ant Guard holds three times more water than standard protectors or built-in ant moat traps. That means less maintenance. This high quality plastic nectar protector fits between your hummingbird feeder and your hanger and prevent ants from reaching your nectar, jelly or oranges. (Click the image to purchase.) Remember: only feed birds if you're willing to be a kind and responsible host! ![]() Along with finches, owls, and sparrows, winter offers a fantastic opportunity to witness another arctic pilgrim in the lower 48, the Rough-legged Hawk (RLHA). With a widespread winter range throughout the central and western US, RLHA is primarily limited to states north of Kentucky and Virginia in the east (although birds don't always conform to their range maps). With relatively few hawk species during winter in the eastern US, this large hawk is fairly unmistakable, with only one other species possessing a similar look and build: the Red-tailed Hawk (RTHA). Both of these raptors are in the genus buteo and look rather similar with a large wingspan, brown upperparts, and light underparts with dark streaking. Additionally, during winter these two species can often be found hunting the same fields and open areas, causing many double-takes as RLHA seekers carefully inspect every RTHA they come across. For the sake of simplicity, we'll only focus this post on the type of RLHA and RTHA most commonly seen in the east: the light-morph RLHA and eastern RTHA subspecies (borealis). But it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the dark-morph RLHA as well as the numerous RTHA subspecies. Aside from the obvious red tail of the adult RTHA and feathered legs of the RLHA, there are a few other distinguishing features to keep in mind with these beautiful buteos. Beak Size: Although similar in body size, the RLHA's beak is much smaller than the RTHA. The RTHA has the stereotypical large, protruding hooked-beak of many raptors, whereas the RLHA's beak is much more petite giving its face a flat or even smooshed-in look, appearing somewhat more like a falcon. Belly and Breast: At some point along our birding journey, we've certainly heard of the "belly-band" field mark for RTHA. Plumage identifiers can all vary in appearance with each individual bird, but RTHA tend to show a band of dark vertical streaks around the mid-section of their body, often with the breast remaining pure whitish or with a few streaks around the edges toward the wings. RLHA also show this same feature, but amplified. Their "belly-band" is often a solid to mostly solid dark band (depending on age and sex) with heavy dark streaks covering the breast. "Arms" and "Wrists": Loosely applying some of our own human anatomy terms here, in flight and on the underside of the wings there are two spots to look for to differentiate these species. On the RTHA the patagium (the leading edge of the wing between the head and outer bend of the wing) shows a narrow, horizontal dark bar (a patagial bar), a gap of white, and then a narrow, vertical dark arc at the outer bend of the wing (or the "wrist"). The RLHA lacks this patagial bar and instead has a large, almost square dark patch at each "wrist."
These are just a few of the more obvious tips to distinguish between these two exquisite raptors in the east. Other differences include tail patterning, hunting style, and preference for perching locations. But like any other identification tip, every bird is an individual and shows variability (and can even behave variably), and identification should be based on more than one feature. With Thanksgiving only two days away, we thought it would be interesting to focus on the focal bird of the day…the Wild Turkey. You may know that young turkeys are called “poult” or that the President of the United States has been “pardoning” a turkey prior to Thanksgiving, since…well, according to whitehousehistory.org the history of the first pardon is not quite clear. The practice has been attributed back to the Truman administration but didn’t firmly take hold until the Reagan administration, in 1981. President George H. W. Bush was apparently the first president to announce the pardon of the turkey, stating “But let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone’s dinner table, not this guy – he’s granted a Presidential pardon as of right now.” One fact that many students learn in grade school is that Benjamin Franklin wanted the Wild Turkey to be our national symbol. Other turkey facts you may know: the “hangy” thing that droops over the turkey’s beak is called a snood, males are called toms, females are hens, and young males are called jakes. Turkeys have beards as well. Their beard is actually modified feathers that hang from the turkey’s breast and can be used to age the turkey to an extent. Did you know that 10%+ of female turkeys will also have beards? Here are some Turkey Trivia Giblets, er, Tidbits that you can amaze your family and friends with on your Thanksgiving Day Zoom call.
1. There are 5 subspecies of "Wild" Turkey found in the US and Mexico, and another species found in Central America. a. Eastern Wild Turkey- is found in 38 of the 48 continental US states. b. Osceola Wild Turkey- only found in Florida, named for the Osceola region in the state. c. Rio Grande Wild Turkey- found primarily in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. There is also a population of this subspecies in Mexico. d. Merriam’s Wild Turkey- this subspecies is found in the mountains of the western US. e. Gould’s Wild Turkey- resides in Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico. f. Ocellated Wild Turkey- is a separate species of turkey found in a small area in the Yucatan Peninsula, Belize, and Guatemala. The photo in this post is an Ocellated Turkey from Guatemala. Thanks to Rob Ripma from Sabrewing Nature Tours for providing this image of a gorgeous turkey. To learn more about Wild Turkey subspecies visit www.nwtf.org/hunt/article/wild-turkey-subspecies 2. Turkeys were almost extinct in the United States. Around the 1930’s it was estimated that less than 30,000 turkeys were left and they had been extirpated from 20 states. Thanks to conservation efforts and funds from the Pittman-Robertson Act, we now have a robust population estimated to be around 6 and a half million birds. 3. Turkeys are big birds. They weigh around 15 lbs., stand around 3.5 ft. tall and have a wing span of 5 ft. They also have a lot of feathers. It is estimated that turkeys have between 5,000 – 6,000 feathers! 4. Not only are they big, they are l-o-u-d, loud. A tom’s gobble can be heard around a mile away. 5. While we typically see turkeys lazily meandering around as they forage, they can actually be quite fast. Turkeys can hit running speeds up to 25 mph. Many think that they are flightless but they have been clocked at around 55 mph in flight. 6. Turkeys have a very wide field of vision. This is because their eyes are located on the sides of their head which allows them to spot danger from in front and behind. Due to this adaption, turkeys are a very hard game bird to hunt. 7. Turkeys are named after the country Turkey. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary web page, “When the Spanish arrived in Mexico in the 16th century they encountered the already-domesticated common turkey, Meleagris gallopavo. They apparently liked the bird; turkeys were among the plunder they took back to Spain around 1519. By 1541, the birds had arrived in England. In those days the Turkish Ottoman Empire was at its peak, and the English had Turkey (with a capital-T) on their mind. The English gave the Turks credit for any number of new imports: maize was Turkish wheat, and pumpkins were Turkish cucumbers—though both were actually New World plants. To paraphrase Cindy Ott in her 2012 book Pumpkin: The Curious History of an American Icon, if it was exotic, chances are it got a Turkish appellation. So the new bird was soon being called a turkey-cock, eventually shortened to turkey.” We hope that you have enjoyed learning some new facts about one of our most enigmatic birds. There is still a lot to learn about Wild Turkeys. Take some time this Thanksgiving holiday to do some additional research and learn more about Wild Turkeys. Please share you turkey fact in the comment section. One thing is for sure, we should all be extremely thankful for this species. Sources: National Wildlife Federation, Nation Wild Turkey Federation, American Expedition, Merriam-Webster.com & U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service With winter nipping at our heels, it's time to think about what food is best for birds in the colder months. Most of the time our feeders are more for our enjoyment than they are for helping birds. But during extreme cold and persistent snow cover, bird feeders can make a big difference for small birds. Before we talk about store bought foods, here are a few general tips. 1) Remember that you don't have to fill the feeders to the top! In fact, in rainy or snowy periods, it's best to only fill them to provide enough food for a day or so to avoid wet, moldy food! (And if there's too much snow and ice to get to the your feeders, you can always scatter seed on the ground!) 2) Don't deadhead the flowers in your garden. Many birds will feast on the seeds! High energy foods are important in winter. The best options are highest in fat and require the least amount of energy to eat. They can be a bit more expensive than the bags of mixed seed and/or standard seeds we typically offer. So if you're on a budget, consider offering these only during the more extreme winter weather. ![]() Peanuts Called peanut pieces, pickouts, and even "peanut rejects," out of the shell peanut pieces are an excellent winter food for birds. The birds don't have to work to crack the shell, and they're easy for even small birds to eat. Woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, and blue jays LOVE peanuts! Offer in a mesh-style or tube feeder, or mix with black oil sunflower seeds in a tray feeder. (See image for my favorite type of peanut feeder.) Good Old Black Oil Sunflower Seeds (BOSS) If you can only offer one type of food, Black Oil Sunflower Seeds are best. They attract the greatest variety of birds, are fairly inexpensive, and have a longer shelf life than other seeds. In winter, consider offering sunflower chips. They're more expensive, but require less energy since the birds don't have to crack the shell. Offer in a tube feeder with the proper sized ports and/or in a tray feeder. Suet Whether you buy it or make it yourself, suet is a great food option for birds in winter. Mixed Seed *Providing mixed seed near the ground is important for sparrows, doves, and other birds that prefer to feed low and don't cling to tube style feeders Water Providing fresh, clean water is very important for birds in winter, not just to drink, but for bathing! Watching birds bathe in the winter, even in subzero temps, never ceases to astonish us. But keeping their feathers clean is crucial for maintaining their insulating properties, so bathing is very important. It can be labor intensive to keep a bird bath clean and prevent the water from freezing, but if you have the time and the space for a bird bath, the birds will definitely thank you! Bird bath heaters are available at box stores, on Amazon, and many other outlets that offer bird feeding supplies. But I'd encourage you to buy one from a Wild Birds Unlimited (or any bird feeding specialty store) or purchase one from one of these stores online. Two options for heating bird baths 1) Bird Bath Heater This is a heating element sold separately from the basin. They're positioned down in the water. If you use a bird bath heater, you'll need to monitor the water level very closely to avoid exposing the heating element. While not as convenient as a heated bird bath, over the years I've found this to be the best, most reliable option. 2) Heated Bird Bath With this style, the element is built into the bird bath design. These are wonderful, but keep in mind that during persistent extreme cold snaps the heating element in these might not keep up! * With either option you'll need electricity nearby. Winter is a wonderful time for birds in our yards. During times of persistent snow cover, you might even attract birds that don't typically visit feeders. If you live near open fields, birds like Horned Larks, Snow Buntings, and Lapland Longspurs will sometimes come to feed on seed scattered on top of the snow. (The picture I've included was taken in our driveway a few winters ago in Ottawa County!) And every winter a few Pine Warblers show up at feeders for a high energy meal of suet. Happy Winter Bird Feeding! |
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