Happy Earth Day 2013! What could be a more perfect way to observe the occassion than watching new life come into our world?
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Showing posts with label Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Show all posts
Monday, April 22, 2013
EARTH DAY EXCITMENT! LIVE COVERAGE OF BABY HAWKS HATCHING
Monday, April 1, 2013
Understanding Northern Flickers -- How to Deal With Drumming Noise and Potential Damage to Your Home
Dear Readers,
My house is under attack by Northern Flickers right now, and maybe yours is too. That's why I decided to republish this informative post. Last year, they left me alone. But this year, because of my own need to recall the advice my previous research offered to others, I thought I would share it again.
Here it is:
A sudden loud noise like a jackhammer on metal startled and alarmed me. I was home alone in a new neighborhood. The noise would stop and start again without warning, and I had no idea what caused it. Then, after hearing the call of a male Northern Flicker, I went outside and caught him in the act of drumming on a vent pipe, pounding his beak on the metal with the rapidity of a machine gun. This was my introduction to life with flickers.
Have you experienced the same thing? Drumming often occurs in the early hours of the morning and is loud enough to awaken even a sound sleeper. After reading my previous blog post about the Great Backyard Bird Count, someone left a comment expressing the frustration many people feel when living with these often misunderstood birds. This inspired me to do some research so I could share helpful information with my readers.
There is no question that flickers drum on wood to reach food or create a nest cavity. And scientists believe this behavior also serves to attract or communicate with mates and to establish territories. Or maybe they just like the noise. My husband pointed out that in our neighborhood, he has noticed that they seem attracted to horizontal trim boards on houses, convenient places to perch if they want to drum on exterior walls. Both sexes drum, and with their mating season beginning in mid-March and lasting into June, we will soon hear more performances by these little percussionists. In addition to vent pipes, they love metal gutters, chimney caps, dead trees, buildings, stop signs, and anything else that resonates and amplifies their efforts.
The sound might irritate you, but that is minor compared to the actual physical damage these members of the woodpecker family can cause to buildings. One homeowner in my Tacoma neighborhood ended up with a $5,000 repair bill after flickers pecked numerous holes in search of bugs to eat. But before you start thinking of these beautiful birds as nothing but pests, please consider their side. A little understanding and education might make you appreciate them more and be bothered by them less.
Flickers have the same right to live here as we do and much of their habitat has been destroyed by humans. As part of nature's perfect plan, they carry out an important role by eating insects, and the cavities they create in trees serve as homes for other creatures. You can benefit too. If you notice them pecking holes in your siding, be grateful. Their activity could be the first clue that you have an insect infestation in your house. Smart homeowners will take action quickly if this happens, to prevent serious damage by both insects and birds and to keep those holes from signaling the presence of food to even more flickers.
I enjoy flickers, but I know people who seem to hate them. How well I remember the day I walked by a neighbor's house and found him running out with a plastic bag holding the prize he wanted to show me: a dead flicker he had shot with a BB gun. I did not share his glee. I hope this blog post will help end the hostilities. If you feel victimized by birds who are just doing what comes naturally, please follow the links shown below to access some informative articles, all courtesy of the wonderful "All About Birds" website and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Then, let's all try to get along.
"External Characteristics of Houses Prone to Woodpecker Damage"
"Can Woodpecker Deterrents Safeguard My House?"
"Assessement of Management Techniques to Reduce Woodpecker Damage to Homes"
Woodpecker Biology
Resources used for this post:
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
All About Birds
Seattle Audubon
"Birds of Seattle and Puget Sound" by Chris C Fisher This is the best bird book ever, for the Puget Sound region, worth buying just for the beautiful illustrations. I highly recommend it.
Please "like" Good Life Northwest's Facebook page.
My house is under attack by Northern Flickers right now, and maybe yours is too. That's why I decided to republish this informative post. Last year, they left me alone. But this year, because of my own need to recall the advice my previous research offered to others, I thought I would share it again.
Here it is:
A sudden loud noise like a jackhammer on metal startled and alarmed me. I was home alone in a new neighborhood. The noise would stop and start again without warning, and I had no idea what caused it. Then, after hearing the call of a male Northern Flicker, I went outside and caught him in the act of drumming on a vent pipe, pounding his beak on the metal with the rapidity of a machine gun. This was my introduction to life with flickers.
 |
| This photo of a FEMALE Northern Flicker was taken by Gary Mueller of Missouri, taken during the 2011 GBBC and provided by Cornell Lab of Ornithology |
Have you experienced the same thing? Drumming often occurs in the early hours of the morning and is loud enough to awaken even a sound sleeper. After reading my previous blog post about the Great Backyard Bird Count, someone left a comment expressing the frustration many people feel when living with these often misunderstood birds. This inspired me to do some research so I could share helpful information with my readers.
There is no question that flickers drum on wood to reach food or create a nest cavity. And scientists believe this behavior also serves to attract or communicate with mates and to establish territories. Or maybe they just like the noise. My husband pointed out that in our neighborhood, he has noticed that they seem attracted to horizontal trim boards on houses, convenient places to perch if they want to drum on exterior walls. Both sexes drum, and with their mating season beginning in mid-March and lasting into June, we will soon hear more performances by these little percussionists. In addition to vent pipes, they love metal gutters, chimney caps, dead trees, buildings, stop signs, and anything else that resonates and amplifies their efforts.
The sound might irritate you, but that is minor compared to the actual physical damage these members of the woodpecker family can cause to buildings. One homeowner in my Tacoma neighborhood ended up with a $5,000 repair bill after flickers pecked numerous holes in search of bugs to eat. But before you start thinking of these beautiful birds as nothing but pests, please consider their side. A little understanding and education might make you appreciate them more and be bothered by them less.
Flickers have the same right to live here as we do and much of their habitat has been destroyed by humans. As part of nature's perfect plan, they carry out an important role by eating insects, and the cavities they create in trees serve as homes for other creatures. You can benefit too. If you notice them pecking holes in your siding, be grateful. Their activity could be the first clue that you have an insect infestation in your house. Smart homeowners will take action quickly if this happens, to prevent serious damage by both insects and birds and to keep those holes from signaling the presence of food to even more flickers.
The flickers in my yard have never made holes in the house, maybe because we offer them plenty of suet, a small price to pay for the opportunity to enjoy their great beauty and interesting behaviors. They can easily be spotted all year 'round here in the Pacific Northwest and I see them daily. We have many feeders for many types of birds, and it's interesting to see what happens when they mingle. In the YouTube video above, filmed here in the Northwest, watch how this flicker lets the starlings know who is the boss.
I enjoy flickers, but I know people who seem to hate them. How well I remember the day I walked by a neighbor's house and found him running out with a plastic bag holding the prize he wanted to show me: a dead flicker he had shot with a BB gun. I did not share his glee. I hope this blog post will help end the hostilities. If you feel victimized by birds who are just doing what comes naturally, please follow the links shown below to access some informative articles, all courtesy of the wonderful "All About Birds" website and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Then, let's all try to get along.
"External Characteristics of Houses Prone to Woodpecker Damage"
"Can Woodpecker Deterrents Safeguard My House?"
"Assessement of Management Techniques to Reduce Woodpecker Damage to Homes"
Woodpecker Biology
Resources used for this post:
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
All About Birds
Seattle Audubon
"Birds of Seattle and Puget Sound" by Chris C Fisher This is the best bird book ever, for the Puget Sound region, worth buying just for the beautiful illustrations. I highly recommend it.
Please "like" Good Life Northwest's Facebook page.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Great Blue Herons -- dramatic video plus live webcam
My first encounter with a Great Blue Heron was an encounter of the closest kind, and sometimes I remember it as an almost mystical experience.
My two young sons and I went exploring in the woods near our home one day and came to a swampy area. I'm sure the heron knew exactly where we were all along. But we had no idea where he was. Then we parted the underbrush near a deep puddle in which he stood. Suddenly he rose up in front of us, and spreading his huge and magnificent wings, flew right over our heads.
Great Blue Herons live year 'round in many areas of the Pacific Northwest, but they face difficult conditions in the effort to survive and multiply, including loss of habitat and threats from predators, like owls. Here is a link to a web cam on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife web site. Please take a look at this site too, which includes directions to viewing areas in the Northwest. There are herons in my Tacoma neighborhood.
Herons Forever http://heronsforever.org/
In a recent post I introduced you to the exciting "nestcams" operated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University, in Ithica, N.Y. My particular interest then was the Red-tailed Hawk nest on top of a light pole, where the chicks were hatching. Just a few days later, a webcam located at the lab's Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary continued the drama with a pair of Great Blue Herons as their eggs began to hatch as well.
The following video is a "must see" in high definition. "Tree-top view of Great Blue Herons in amazing double flight to nest"
Since March 27, according to a press release from the Lab of Ornithology, more than half a million people in 166 countries have watched the heron web cam. This groundbreaking, 24/7 high definition and night-viewing technology has scientists excited too, because they have never before been able to study these birds this thoroughly, especially at night.
“From the very first night, viewers witnessed little-known events, such as herons courting and mating by moonlight,” said Dr. John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “They’ve watched live as the herons defended their nest, uttering rarely heard, spine-chilling defensive screams as Great Horned Owls attacked in early morning hours. Even the professionals are gaining new insights from these live cams.”
Here is live web cam feed from the nest: http://www.livestream.com/cornellherons
Below, you can watch dramatic video of a Great Horned Owl attack on a mother Great Blue Heron who valiently protects her eggs.
Nature provides the best kind of "reality" show. Don't you agree?
 |
| Great Blue Heron mother with three chicks. Photo courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology |
Great Blue Herons live year 'round in many areas of the Pacific Northwest, but they face difficult conditions in the effort to survive and multiply, including loss of habitat and threats from predators, like owls. Here is a link to a web cam on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife web site. Please take a look at this site too, which includes directions to viewing areas in the Northwest. There are herons in my Tacoma neighborhood.
Herons Forever http://heronsforever.org/
In a recent post I introduced you to the exciting "nestcams" operated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University, in Ithica, N.Y. My particular interest then was the Red-tailed Hawk nest on top of a light pole, where the chicks were hatching. Just a few days later, a webcam located at the lab's Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary continued the drama with a pair of Great Blue Herons as their eggs began to hatch as well.
The following video is a "must see" in high definition. "Tree-top view of Great Blue Herons in amazing double flight to nest"
“From the very first night, viewers witnessed little-known events, such as herons courting and mating by moonlight,” said Dr. John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “They’ve watched live as the herons defended their nest, uttering rarely heard, spine-chilling defensive screams as Great Horned Owls attacked in early morning hours. Even the professionals are gaining new insights from these live cams.”
Here is live web cam feed from the nest: http://www.livestream.com/cornellherons
Below, you can watch dramatic video of a Great Horned Owl attack on a mother Great Blue Heron who valiently protects her eggs.
Nature provides the best kind of "reality" show. Don't you agree?
 |
| photo courtesty of Cornell Lab of Ornithology |
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Watch Video and Live Web Cam of Red-Tailed Hawks Hatching
I know New York is a long way from Tacoma, but we have red-tailed hawks here too. I will try to find more information on them to add soon. In the meantime, click here for the LIVE WEB CAM where you can see action via the web cam and read all about this mating pair. At the bottom of the web cam screen, you will see a tab marked "medium" where you can adjust the resolution to high definition. Then try watching full screen. It's as clear as if you were there.
If you've seen red-tailed hawks around the Pacific Northwest, please comment and share your experiences!
Monday, February 20, 2012
LAST DAY of the Great Backyard Bird Count is Feb. 20 BONUS: Snowy Owl Video
The goldfinches, flickers, thrushes, robins, downy woodpeckers, chickadees and other birds in my back yard were not the only things that flew by this past week. So did the days. That's my excuse for just now letting you know this news: the 2012 Great Backyard Bird Count, ends today.
Fortunately, there is still time to participate. As the GBBC website says, "It's as easy as 1, 2, 3!" Please read on.
This annual event always takes place over a period of four days (Feb. 17-20 this year) but you can spend as little as 15 minutes today to still be included in this fun and important project. As the website says, by counting the birds in your own backyard you can help the cause of creating a "real-time snapshot" of bird populations across America. You have until March 5 to report your observations. It's really quite exciting and easy. Click here to learn how to participate (and here for downloadable instructions.)
Just by spending that 15 minutes and submitting your findings, you will be eligible to win a wonderful PRIZE in a random drawing. And be sure to have your camera handy. Enter your photos in the Great Backyard Bird Count Photo Contest. Click here for the rules. The photo you see below won't win any prizes because I took it through a window and it isn't very sharp. But it gives you some idea of what we enjoy every day. Before putting up a finch feeder, I didn't know that in winter, goldfinches don't look as gold as they do at other times.
All over America people look forward to this event and you can follow it online. You can see the results coming in through this link to the Map Room, Top 10 List, State Tallies, and Detailed Reports. Kids love it too, and this is the perfect activity on this Monday holiday. The special page for kids includes activities, jigsaw puzzles to do right on the computer, downloadable bird pictures to color, and more.
This winter's biggest birding news across the nation, including here in the Pacific Northwest, is the unusual occurance of Snowy Owl sightings. The opportunities to see them will probably end in March when these magnificent creatures are expected to leave the area. Although I've been lucky enough to see many interesting birds in my own Tacoma backyard, I doubt if a snowy owl will be among them. For that reason, I enjoyed this video about snowies from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and hope you will too. This high definition video is best enjoyed in the full-screen view which can be accessed by clicking on the symbol of arrows in the lower right corner.
Enjoy your Monday and remember to donate a little of it toward the Great Backyard Bird Count.
You might be surprised by what you discover.
Fortunately, there is still time to participate. As the GBBC website says, "It's as easy as 1, 2, 3!" Please read on.
 |
| Downy Woodpecker photo credit: Jerry Acton of New York 2012 |
Just by spending that 15 minutes and submitting your findings, you will be eligible to win a wonderful PRIZE in a random drawing. And be sure to have your camera handy. Enter your photos in the Great Backyard Bird Count Photo Contest. Click here for the rules. The photo you see below won't win any prizes because I took it through a window and it isn't very sharp. But it gives you some idea of what we enjoy every day. Before putting up a finch feeder, I didn't know that in winter, goldfinches don't look as gold as they do at other times.
 |
| Goldfinches at Tacoma backyard feeder in fall of 2011 Photo taken through window glass. |
This winter's biggest birding news across the nation, including here in the Pacific Northwest, is the unusual occurance of Snowy Owl sightings. The opportunities to see them will probably end in March when these magnificent creatures are expected to leave the area. Although I've been lucky enough to see many interesting birds in my own Tacoma backyard, I doubt if a snowy owl will be among them. For that reason, I enjoyed this video about snowies from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and hope you will too. This high definition video is best enjoyed in the full-screen view which can be accessed by clicking on the symbol of arrows in the lower right corner.
Enjoy your Monday and remember to donate a little of it toward the Great Backyard Bird Count.
You might be surprised by what you discover.
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