The American Woodcock

By Ranger Steve Mueller

At dusk the dancing begins in earnest. The American Woodcock’s age-old mystery of mate attraction occurs in field and overhead. Most people never notice. That suits the woodcock perfectly. Its intent is to woo a mate and not to draw undue attention from other species. In the 1980’s and 90’s I led woodcock workshops at Howard Christensen Nature Center (HCNC).

Annually groups come to Ody Brook Sanctuary to observe the spring foot stomping, instrumental wing twittering, and vocal display. Just before dark I’ve heard what sounded like a wood frog call in the field and momentarily from that location a woodcock began peenting. I have not found others that have noticed this frog-like call. The woodcock is making the sound. I have pointed it out to people but I still have not seen it described in scientific literature. New discoveries await avid nature niche explorers.

The bird’s peenting is most notable. A peent is a nasal buzz-like sound repeated several times while the bird is on the ground before it takes aerial flight where it then circles high in the sky. The bird at height becomes a dot and often disappears in white atmospheric moisture. Soon a clicking sound starts and one knows the bird is descending toward Earth. It is necessary to keep a broad scan on the landscape to see where the bird returns at low angle for another round of ground peenting and aerial flight.

The first week of May, a class of 20 master naturalists came to observe. We entered the dancing grounds at 9 p.m. and waited. After five minutes, the first woodcock flew low overhead and landed 100 feet from us. Peenting began and we watched several rounds of the dance. Twice a bird flew and landed within twenty feet of us. We all played statue. It was getting dark so only our silhouettes revealed our presence. The bird made several repeated quiet hick-up sounds (the frog-like sound mentioned above). I suspect it wondered what these new inanimate objects were at the edge of its dance floor. It departed to land elsewhere in the field.

Twice on return from high sky circling, it flew low on a landing approach and made a guttural gurgle before aborting landing. I think it saw us. Perhaps it left from fear or maybe just caution. After landing at greater distance, it peented before taking flight again. As darkness increased, the woodcock was on the ground longer and peented more times before taking flight. On this night two woodcocks were active in the shrubby field opening.

Twice it landed close to us where we watched it take a few steps and peent. Sometimes it remained almost stationary stomping its short legs and turned in circles. When facing away from us, the peent sounded soft but when it faced our direction the sound magnified. The beak of a woodcock is nearly as long at the bird and gives it a strange appearance. It feeds in mud along streams, flood plains and swamps where it probes with its long beak for invertebrates. Its body is plump robin sized. They often nest on the ground in young aspen forests.

Visit the Howard Christensen Nature Center to view a century old bird display of two American Woodcocks. Frank Rackett mounted bird specimens between 1876 and 1936. Please become a member of HCNC to help support nature education programming and then participate in activities.

Natural history questions or topic suggestions can be directed to Ranger Steve (Mueller) at the odybrook@chartermi.net Ody Brook, 13010 Northland Dr, Cedar Springs, MI 49319-8433.

Last week the Post ran an article from the Michigan Audubon Society on the short-eared (barking) owl. Ranger Steve sent us a note about it:

“I noticed this week the article about Short-eared Owls. It included that people can go to Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge or the UP to see them. People from the community do not need to travel more than 25 miles to see them. They reside during the winter by the model airplane flight area in the Muskegon Wastewater Management area off Swanson Road just south of Apple Ave.

A free permit is needed to drive the waste management roads and can be attained by stopping at the office off Maple Island Road. The Waste Management area is a popular bird watching area in West Michigan. Many waterfowl use the holding ponds and many other birds use the farm fields in the management area where treated water is used to irrigate crops.”

Thank you for the info, Ranger Steve!

The barred owl is one of the owls found in our area.

By Ranger Steve Mueller

Owls

Night is not just a time for sleep. If you are an unlucky insomniac like I sometimes am, get up and listen outdoors. One night I was about to go bed just after midnight when our dog began barking. No one was in the drive but I then I heard a Great Horned Owl hooting.

Usually I cannot hear owls from inside the house. This one was close. As quietly as I could, I opened the front window a couple inches to hear the repeated whoo whoo, whoo whoo. It was pleasantly loud and clear. Typically in January we start hearing the Great Horned Owls conversing just after midnight and again about 5:30 a.m.

The female often stands in the trees between the house and the road. Her voice is deeper than the males. He stands about a quarter mile west of the highway. I have not found their nest. My dog and I were on a walk at dusk when a Great Horned owl flew toward us. As soon it as it saw us, it diverged into the woods. I suspect it heard us and came to investigate what was for breakfast (evening is breakfast time for the owls). It had recently stirred from a day’s rest and was no doubt hungry.

The Great Horned Owl is the largest in our area. The next largest is the Barred Owl and it inhabits low wetland forests compared to the more upland forest of its larger relative. His call is “Who cooks for you, who cooks for you alllllll.” It has a southern droll at the end of second repeat phrase. Usually I hear it in the big woods on my neighbor’s property but have not found its tree cavity nest.

Crows occasionally find an owl during its daytime rest and gather to noisily mob the predator. When I hear a raucous murder of crows, I expect a mob has formed to harass a resting owl or hawk. As long as the owl is stationary, it is fine. When it flies, the mob pursues and tries to peck the bird’s back and head from above and behind.

This week Karen found blood on the snow with rabbit fur but no mammal footprints. An owl had swooped in and successfully captured a meal. I thank the owl for helping save my young trees. The rabbits kill many of the trees by chewing the bark during the winter. The trees are then unable to send spring sap upward and the trees die. Tree and fruit farmers appreciate the free labor from owls and hawks that help reduce agriculture losses.

A third resident species is the Eastern Screech Owl with two color phases. The most common in our area is the gray phase and the other is red phase. They can be siblings much like we can have red and brown haired children. We frequently observe this small 6 to 8 inch tall owl looking at us from a cavity nest box we installed. Its soft voice is a trilling sound. I can imitate it by putting the tip of my tongue against the front roof of my mouth and blowing out. As my tongue vibrates on and off the roof of my mouth, a trilling sound imitates the owl’s call well.

All three owls are common but secretive. They lay eggs during the winter with young ready to fly about the time mammal young abundantly leave their nests. The newly fledged owls help guard our vegetable garden, trees, and reduce the number of rodents coming into the home. We are fortunate our yard is a suitable nature niche for them. Poison rodent baits often do not rapidly kill mice but they later kill owls that eat poisoned mice. Snap traps are an environmentally safer and friendly choice.

Natural history questions or topic suggestions can be directed to Ranger Steve (Mueller) at the odybrook@chartermi.net Ody Brook, 13010 Northland Dr, Cedar Springs, MI 49319-8433, 616-696-1753.

Waves of Birds

On March 11 a south wind brought the first big wave of birds on their northerly migration. A flock of twenty Red-winged Blackbirds clustered in a tree near my home. Two individual Common Grackles were flying about the area. One American Robin was singing in a neighbor’s front yard. Over 100 American Crows flocked northward. This occurred during a short walk between 8:30 and 9 a.m.

We were still experiencing NE winds for a couple days prior to the south wind but some birds anxiously pushed their way against the wind to get to a desired destination. I saw the first redwings on 7 March. A friend and I have a contest to see if we can best predict the date of first arrival for redwings. This year he predicted the 6th and I chose the 7th. It happened that I hit the date right on. I am not usually that accurate.

Scientists gather evidence and make a hypothesis based on available data. It appeared snow would linger in depth into March and the National Weather Service was predicting that March would be cold. Based on that limited information I thought the redwings would arrive later than usual this year and was lucky that I selected the exact date. I have seen them as early as 28 February here in Cedar Springs but usually expect them the first week of March.

When I saw that Indiana was getting hit with 8 inches of snow just prior to my selected date and saw that northeast winds were expected to continue for days, I thought my prediction was probably too early. Instead three redwings forged their way here anyway. Thank you redwings!

Other first sightings providing evidence of spring were exposed skunk cabbage flower spathes along the creek edge where snow melted by 3 March. I was sure many were up already up in February but I could not see them beneath the 15 inches of snow. I need my hand lens to see if the small flowers on the spadix enclosed by the hood-like spathe are already mature and receptive for pollen.

Snowfleas were active on the snow but that may occur in January on a sunny day. Their abundance increases as spring nears and are usually most abundant near the base of the tree trunks where snow has melted. Snowfleas are not fleas and only resemble them in size. They are important and desirable soil insects that are present in the billions and trillions.

The first pussy willow shrub exposed its fuzzy gray buds 7 March along my hiking trail on the south side of a shrub clump where the sun could warm plant tissues. There were three beetle larvae crawling on top of the deep snow. I could not identify the half-inch long larvae beyond that of being a beetle. In the higher late winter sun, red-osier dogwood shrubs have already brightened their red bark with anthocyanin.

My first robin sighting was here in Courtland Township on 9 March. Two were together at road’s edge. I heard the first one singing on 11 March. Get out to see, hear, feel, smell, and touch spring nature niches. They will touch and energize your body in return.

Natural history questions or topic suggestions can be directed to Ranger Steve (Mueller) at odybrook@chartermi.net or Ody Brook, 13010 Northland Dr, Cedar Springs, MI 49319-8433, 616-696-1753.

National Bird Feeding Month (Part 3)

Water is available in Little Cedar Creek within one hundred feet of feeders at Ody Brook. I do not provide additional water near the feeding area. Heat probes are sold to keep birdbath water from freezing and available for wildlife. It is a nice benefit for people to have liquid water viewable from the house as an added opportunity for bird watching.

Principle food choices were described in the last Nature Niche article but a broader variety is available and offers valuable options to benefit birds and you. I suggest people focus on benefits for birds but some friends contend bird feeding is to bring birds into view for our pleasure. Whatever your motivation, it can be beneficial for birds and humans.

Finches in particular like thistle seeds so placement of a feeder in close view is desirable. You may not have a good tree or sturdy eve for hanging a feeder, but steel shepherd’s hooks can be placed in the ground and come with varying numbers of hooks. In winter we hang feeders and in summer hang flowerpots on them for year round enjoyment.

Peanut butter is favorable for birds like cardinals and woodpeckers but squirrels find it great. Place peanut butter in a two-foot long two-inch wide log with recessed notches that have been drilled about a half-inch deep. It is good to have a rough surface for birds to grip or even better to place dowels below the feed cavities for easy perching.

People asked when should hummingbird feeders be taken down. The best response is before they freeze. Hummingbirds migrate and people suggest that some will stay too long and die if feeders are kept available. Experts suggest this is not true. Keeping hummingbird feeders available to December may help late or misdirected migrators. Unexpected hummers show up during migration season. We observed a western Rufous Hummingbird at a feeder on the last day of December during a Christmas Bird Count. It was visiting the feeder for a couple weeks prior to our viewing.

Locally, Penny Folsom raises mealworms and places them on a platform feeder for Eastern Bluebirds. The bluebirds appreciate the special gift of protein. There are those that think animals cannot be appreciative or experience emotion. After observing feathered neighbors many of us have learned that they have greater depth than some may be willing to accept. Pet owners know the animals they live with experience joy and sadness. Birds also have greater capacity for feelings and learning than some people are willing to accept.

Cracked corn is a favored ground feed. Choose finely cracked corn and add white proso millet. This will attract more ground feeding birds but may draw European Starlings and House Sparrows as well. I try to discourage non-native species by not using ground feed and am quite successful with our yard landscape and choice of feed. Enough sunflower and suet fall to the ground to satisfy ground-feeding birds. Milo seed is used as inexpensive filler in some mixed seed bags but it is largely thrown to the side and wasted. Bread is a poor food with bulk but little nutrition and should be avoided.

Some people report towhees at their feed this winter but none have come to mine. One reason might be that I do not provide ground feed. The best advice is to experiment with various feed types and then use what attracts the species you want to encourage in your landscape. A coming Nature Niche will address landscaping for wildlife.

Of course, budget is always a critical factor. Make sure your kids are fed but be benevolent and help wild neighbors when possible.

Natural history questions or topic suggestions can be directed to Ranger Steve (Mueller) at the odybrook@chartermi.net Ody Brook, 13010 Northland Dr, Cedar Springs, MI 49319-8433, 616-696-1753.

Judy Porter, of Nelson Township, sent us these photos of birds eating grape jelly from her back deck last summer. She said they are two different types of Baltimore Orioles, and that she also feeds them orange halves.

Judy said she feeds the birds from early fall to late spring. “We have pine, wild cherry, young maple and wild crabapple trees, with a pond in back, so get a big variety of birds,” she explained.

They also get a variety of food, including wild bird seed, plain sunflower seed, cracked corn, peanut butter, suet cakes, old bread and nuts.

So how do birds know what’s good for them to eat? Click link for Ranger Steve’s article, “How birds know.”

Send your bird photos to news@cedarspringspost.com.

Photo courtesy of Judy Porter.

How Do Birds Know?

Q: How do birds (or animals in general) know what is good for them to eat, and conversely? – Ed Bolt

A: I watched newly fledged American Dippers observe an adult that was feeding on the bottom of a rushing stream. The young observed and contemplated from rocks whether to submerge to look for prey. It appeared that they thought the adult was nuts. They did not want to enter the rushing water even near the stream edge where the current was not as swift. They made hesitant motion to enter the water but paused. They had previously received food the parent retrieved and had been fed. Now the parent was not satisfying their hunger. It was necessary to make the reluctant dive or go hungry. They had the physical body parts and basic instinct but it also required will and learned practice to survive.

There are two major aspects regarding food selection for birds. One is instinct and the other learned behavior. It is my opinion that we have often minimized their learning capacity. There was a time when people thought that most animals operated on instinct only like a programmed machine. That idea has been disproved with scientific inquiry repeatedly. With insects and invertebrates an instinct programmed behavior is more dominate but even with those animals, I think they have greater capacity for deliberate choice than is thought. That is another story.

Birds spend time following parents and mimicking feeding behavior. Not only do they observe what the parent is eating but they also observe how to acquire the selected item. They have instinctual behaviors that are modified and honed by learned practice. They have structural adaptations that work best for specific uses. One would not see a Great Blue Heron clinging to the side of a tree like a Red-breasted Nuthatch looking for prey in bark crevices from a half inch away. Conversely the Nuthatch’s sharp pointed beak and short legs would not be effective for wading and spearing prey in water.

Bad experiences like eating a Monarch butterfly is remembered and avoided. The aposematic coloration of prey aids birds in recognizing things that are distasteful and should be avoided.

Natural history questions or topic suggestions can be directed to Ranger Steve (Mueller) at the odybrook@chartermi.net Ody Brook, 13010 Northland Dr, Cedar Springs, MI 49319-8433.

“Ranger Steve” Mueller, of Cedar Springs, was recently named Outstanding Senior Interpreter, by the National Association of Interpreters.
He was selected from among professional members in 34 countries. The award was presented at the National Association for Interpretation Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 12, 2011.
The career of “Ranger Steve” Mueller has crossed over six different decades. Since his start in the 1960s as a Michigan State Parks Ranger, Steve has served in National Park Service (NPS), as a high school and college biology instructor, and as chief naturalist at three different nature centers. He has been recognized by NAI, National Park Service, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and Michigan Audubon Society.
Steve has authored over 100 articles related to nature and interpretation through Michigan Audubon and local newspapers. Retirement has not slowed Steve down. He continues to write his “Ranger Steve’s Nature Niche” newspaper column for the Cedar Springs Post. In addition, he regularly leads programs and organizes workshops on wildflowers, outdoor photography, butterflies, and native landscaping. Steve lends his many years of experience in land conservancy related to the endangered Karner blue butterfly, and leads butterfly counts in Michigan and Bryce Canyon National Park.
“Over many decades and well into retirement “Ranger Steve,” in many diverse capacities and through his myriad talents, has consistently demonstrated his passion for our profession,” said Ray Novotny, of the National Association for Interpretation.
Ranger Steve is a life member for the Lepidopterists’ Society and is conducting a biodiversity study of the butterflies and moths at Bryce Canyon National Park, in association with Colorado Plateau Museum of Arthropod Biodiversity, where he is a research associate. He discovered a new species of virgin tiger moth in 2005. He maintains a Michigan Audubon Society teaching collection of birds and mammals permitted through the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Michigan Department of Natural Resources, that are displayed at Howard Christensen Nature Center, Wittenbach/Wege Agri-science and Environmental Education Center, and are used in teaching Ornithology for Grand Rapids Community College.
In March, The NAI awared Mueller the 2010 Distinguished Interpreter award, he highest award they bestow.

A Golden Eagle was spotted int he recent Christmas Bird Count.

By Steve Mueller

2010 Kent County Christmas bird count

Held January 1, 2011

The annual bird count is a fun out endeavor. This year’s was held January 1, 2011. If you would like to participate next year contact Ranger Steve.

Forty-nine participants observed 57 species of birds on count day. No owls were sighted this year during count day nocturnal searches, and no additional bird species were added during count week. Total individuals sighted on count day were 10227.

Two unexpected and rewarding species sightings were an American Pipit sighted by Nathan and Zachary DeBrine and a Golden Eagle by Bill Sweetman. Red-shouldered Hawk was in the area again this winter. A beautiful male Ring-necked Pheasant paraded his beauty; a lone Red-winged Blackbird and single Pied-billed Grebe were also sighted.

The 49 participants included two bird feeder watchers. The other 47 were in a field in the morning with 29 continuing throughout the afternoon. There were 18 morning parties and 11 afternoon parties beginning at 8 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m. Conditions were sunny and a comfortable 42 F to start the morning. Cloud cover increased from 10 percent to 85 percent during the day, with temperature dropping to a low of 25F. Snow flurries did not begin until the count had concluded but the wind increased from 10 mph to 25 mph. Birds were difficult to locate in the afternoon windy conditions.

We totaled 82.75 hours with cars traveling 756.5 miles. On foot we spent 12.75 hours covering 21.25 miles. An additional 8 hours was feeder-watching. A total of 777.75 miles accounted for walking and driving. The total birding hours was 95.50 not including 3 hours owling for 27.5 miles.

Mark your calendars now for the December 31, 2011 count.

Contact Ranger Steve with inquiries and suggestions for Nature Niche Topics odybrook@chartermi.net or 616-696-1753.

Early spring flowers

Many interesting features of spring flowers evade our attention as well as many spring flowers themselves.

The Silver Maples are done flowering by mid-April and we take notice when the male flower parts fall on cars, drives, and yards. The fertilized female ovary must remain for development of the seeds. We will soon notice seeds when the helicopter samaras come spinning down from the trees.

If a child has not yet learned to make a whistle from the flat helicopter blade attached to the seed, I highly recommend you, as an adult, make sure they learn to make the whistle. Place the flat, winged blade between your tongue and roof of your mouth, with the thick ridge toward the back of you mouth. Blow air across the blade and reposition as necessary until a wonderful or possibly irritating sound is created.

As of mid April, the box elders, another maple, is in bloom and the sugar maples are not yet ready to display their cryptic flowers. Many insects pollinate these flowers and are a reason we have birds in our yards that eat them.

Closer to the ground other plants are in bloom or are already withering. Serviceberry, June berry, and Amelanchier are names for the same plant that flowers before most other shrubs. Their beautiful white flower clusters make the trees showy before leaves emerge. The plant stored enough energy last year for early spring reproduction this year. After hosting many insects and in turn birds that eat insects, the flowers will produce tiny little apple-like fruits that gave the plant its name Juneberry. When berries are formed, the plant will host wildlife in your yard that comes to feed on insects. With more native plants you will notice more wildlife. The name serviceberry developed because the flowering time indicated that frost was out of the ground and our dead relatives could be buried. People spent more time noticing natural occurrences than many of us do now.

Nearly all insects go unnoticed by humans but a great many have a close relationship with native plants. Without these dependent relationships, other wildlife populations will suffer greatly. Non-native ornamental plants do not fill nature niches well and are largely sterile deserts for life in our yards. Go native with plants instead. Some people think non-native plants are wonderful because they support fewer insects. People notice only a very small fraction of insects that either bite us or are beautiful garden jewels. Most insects go about their lives without our notice. Plants do notice and need insects. Without them a great many could not reproduce. I host several non-natives in my gardens but most of the yard is reserved for native species.

I have a much richer variety of life at Ody Brook than most of my neighbors to the north and south. After purchasing Ody Brook in 1979, I let more than half of the mowed lawn area be claimed by wild flowers, shrubs, and finally trees. It was lawn between my house and the neighbors but now I have birds, mammals, frogs, and other wildlife present. They are present because insects have found appropriate food, water, shelter, and living space that are not available in lawns. The plants that colonized the yard also are more efficient than lawns at holding water, purifying the air, sequestering carbon from the atmosphere, and maintaining soil fertility. It is less expensive to maintain and draws larger desire wildlife to live here.

I do keep some areas in meadow or lawn. The meadow areas are better for supporting butterflies and other interesting insects, amphibians, birds, mammals. Mowed areas around the house are mostly free of biting mosquitoes during sunny hours so we can sit on the porch and enjoy songs of birds and their frequent flights from thicket to thicket. Deer walk daily along forest edge on well-established trails. Rabbits have their own set of highways.

I have not even begun to discuss the spring flowers at the ground level but most will bloom in late April or May. Those out by early April include: Adder’s Tongue, Skunk Cabbage, Spring Cress, Marsh Marigold, Spring Beauty, Golden Saxifrage, Common blue Violet, Long-spurred Violet, and White Violet.

Enjoy wildflowers during the coming weeks and the May column will address many of those flowers. Knowing wildflower names is not nearly as important as the relationship you build by allowing them to repopulate portions of your yard. The benefit for you is becoming a steward for a much greater variety of life in nature niches where you live.

Natural history questions or topic suggestions can be directed to Ranger Steve (Mueller) at the odybrook@chartermi.net  Ody Brook, 13010 Northland Dr, Cedar Springs, MI 49319-8433. 616-696-1753