Winter Visitors at the Feeder
Downy Woodpecker
This year we put up more bird feeders than ever before, creating something of a bird oasis on our small urban property. The number and variety of birds that stop by is always a surprise. So far, 18 species have visited our feeders this winter.
There is constant action at the feeders. Each morning, coffee in hand, I enjoy watching the birds’ antics from my kitchen window. A flock of Bushtits, tiny twittering grey birds, swarms the suet, and a soft “pik” announces the arrival of a Downy Woodpecker. A handsome Spotted Towhee scratches at some old leaves under the Rhodo while a small flock of finches, the males with crimson red heads, moves in. Every so often, an army of Starlings descends, covering our lawn like locusts. There is hardly a dull moment, even in the dead of winter. Continue reading »
Tracking Basics
Tracking wild animals is a skill that takes years of experience, but anyone can follow a set of footprints and learn to become a keen observer of nature.
Gull and Shorebird Tracks
A familiar tracking experience is to follow human footprints in beach sand. The prints give us information about the person’s gait, stride, and whether they were walking or running. The length and width of the print hints at the individual’s size. We can also determine the person’s direction, and whether he/she returned the same way.
Though prints can be observed in sand and mud, winter often gives us an excellent opportunity to study animal tracks in the snow. Trackers use a varied vocabulary to describe how animals move, such as ambling, bounding, galloping, loping, trotting, and hopping. The straddle (width) of the trail, and the stride (distance in length from the centre of one print to the next) are also assessed. “Register” is any mark left by an animal, including a foot, claw, or other body part. Continue reading »