January 05 – My Nature Journal
2025-01-05 Nature Journal
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpeckers (Melanerpes carolinus) are fun little birds to watch.
Red-bellied Woodpeckers eat insect larvae and other arthropods, which they drill out from under tree bark with their long, chiselled bills.
Winter forests ring with the rapid, staccato drumming of these birds.
This male and female flitted through a small copse of trees in search of food, never straying far from the immediate area or each other, which made them easy to observe.
Ruddy Duck
Ruddy Ducks (Oxyura jamaicensis) are abundant on lakes in my area during the winter usually.
But today I saw only a single male and a single female on the entire lake.
I have no idea where all the other Ruddy Ducks went but this pair was very active and fun to watch at least. Both dived for fish repeatedly and were easy to watch because they surfaced within only a few yards of where they vanished beneath the water.
In my experience, paired waterfowl stagger their dives usually; one duck submerges while the other floats on the surface and keeps watch. Only when the first duck pops back to the surface does its mate dive.
But this pair of Ruddy Ducks submerged at the same time several times.
A pair of adult Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and at least one juvenile eagle hunt on this lake frequently, but I didn’t see them around today.
Perhaps their absence reassured these Ruddy Ducks that they could relax and focus on catching fish.
European Starling
European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) are an introduced species that form large flocks and compete successfully against native bird species for nest holes.
But it’s really not fair to hold that against them.
After all, like the Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) and many other species, European Starlings just want to survive. They can’t be criticized because they evolved to be stronger and more aggressive than many of our native birds.
Examine the plumage of European Starlings closely and one can appreciate the beauty of their speckled iridescent black, purple, and green feathers.
Their distinctive plumage makes European Starlings one of the easiest birds for beginner nature journalers to identify. And their abundance in the landscape practically guarantees that even the most casual nature walker can spot a few birds eventually.
Hooded Merganser
As usual, Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) paddled around the lake today. They dived for fish somewhat near the Ruddy Ducks but kept their distance.
Like today’s Ruddy Ducks, I spotted only a single male and female merganser pair on the lake.
I expected more as I usually see Hooded Mergansers in groups of about five to eight. I have no idea where the other mergansers took off to, but at least this male had his female all to himself.
Double-crested Cormorant
This Double-Crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) was one of about a dozen birds that reside on this lake.
At times, many dozens of other cormorants join this core group. They remain on the lake for a few days, then depart for mysterious destinations, and leave the lake to the resident birds once again.
Even though I have a million photos of Double-crested Cormorants already, I couldn’t stop myself from taking this shot. I enjoyed how this bird posed in the shallows, dangling its water-logged tail feathers casually in the dark water.
Today’s Nature Journal Snapshot
|
Time of Day |
Late afternoon |
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Setting |
Large lake |
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Temperature |
37° F / 3° C |
|
Weather |
Light rain, overcast |
|
Humidity |
60% |
2024-01-05 Nature Journal
Brown-headed Cowbird
Most people who enjoy watching birds dislike Brown-headed Cowbirds.
The Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) is one of many species that evolved survival strategies that offend our human sensibilities.
Notorious for laying their eggs in the nests of other songbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds trick other birds into raising their young preferentially and to the detriment of the host parents’ hatchlings.
Brown-headed Cowbirds require nature journalers and those who love nature to appreciate wild animals exactly as they are. Judging the behavior of wild animals against human standards does a disservice to animals who evolved survival strategies that we would never consider.
But from a purely aesthetic standpoint, Brown-headed Cowbirds are very attractive. While the females are dull gray and inconspicuous, the males have glossy feathers, with solid black bodies and deep, chocolate brown heads.
And sometimes, beauty for its own sake is enough. One doesn’t have to agree with how Brown-headed Cowbirds ensure the survival of their next generation to appreciate their existence as one tiny part of much larger and very harsh natural world.
Today’s Nature Journal Snapshot
|
Time of Day |
Early afternoon |
|
Setting |
Suburban oak, hickory, sweet gum roadside |
|
Temperature |
45° F / 7° C |
|
Weather |
Party sunny |
|
Humidity |
33% |
