Bird Silhouettes

To identify birds successfully, many aspects are helpful to be in your awareness. In the front of Peterson’s Field Guide to Birds of Western North America 4th Edition, there is a section of excellent questions to consider with illustrations. For example, “What is its shape?” Peterson has two illustrations side by side and asks, “Is it plump like a starling (left) or slender like a cuckoo (right)?”

To cap off the end of the book, Peterson included three panels of illustrations of the silhouettes of birds—shore, flight, and roadside. This is an important reference when determining what bird you’re watching because the lighting isn’t always ideal. Can you guess the ones in the photos?

When it came to identifying birds in the field, Roger Tory Peterson was an expert and created an invaluable guide to help us learn and enjoy our time birding. Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication!

Nature's First Green Is Gold

Nothing Gold Can Stay
by Robert Frost

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

————————————————

The Indian plum is a small, airy shrub that is one of the first plants to bloom as winter comes to a close. On the ends of its curving branches, new leaves are sprouting. The sunlight shining through them is creating luminescent, green flames. The shrubs are becoming brilliant candelabrums to light the pathway to spring.

The forecast for this Tuesday is a nighttime temperature of 16 degrees! Hopefully, our first green will stay.

Oregon White Oak

When David Douglas visited Oregon in 1826, he noted that the low hills of western Oregon were covered by Oregon White oaks and grass. This oak savanna land was formed through fires set by native people and lightning. The mature oaks were able to resist these mostly low-intensity fires that cleared the ground vegetation.

As a result of fire suppression, coniferous forests have closed up these open landscapes. Because the Oregon white oak is intolerant of shade, the oak savanna habitat has declined. That said, small remnants of this landscape can still be seen out at the arboretum and throughout the Willamette Valley.

In the forest above the White Oak Pavilion, there is an example of this phenomenon. An old, dead oak tree can be seen in the shadows of towering Douglas fir and incense cedar trees that have taken over the hillside.

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Underneath a thick carpet of moss was a trunk. Its lid was etched with a mosaic of primordial soup. I looked over the gaseous, wooden shroud carefully. As I sat wondering what was inside this mysterious vessel, a wind blew through and swept all thought from the corridors of my mind. At that moment, I found myself able to step inside. Upon entering, I could see the radiating concentric rings of time. I saw innumerable ripples interlacing into one another. Creating one fabric into which all life was woven.

Fog

Lately, we have been stuck in a beautiful blanket of fog. Here’s a snippet of information about fog from The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Weather:

“Stable air develops when the atmosphere becomes stratified, with a layer of warm air overlying a layer of cold air. Along the meeting line, a thin cloud will form; it may thicken into a solid layer of the stratus type. This arrangement creates an inversion, so called because it is the opposite of the more typical situation, in which cold air lies above warm air. In an inversion, the warm air puts a ‘lid’ on the lower atmosphere, and convection cannot take place. If the layered air at the earth’s surface is cooled enough overnight, fog may occur. The fog, which is actually a cloud on the ground, will persist until the rising sun warms the air to above the condensation point and the fog evaporates.”

The weather is fascinating.

Embodiment of Spirit

With all the elements of weather and the forces of decay interacting with this leaf since it came to rest on the ground, I find it remarkable that its framework remains intact.

Its ethereal form reminds me of the presence of the spirit in all things. A translucent veil that can be passed through from the stillness and quietness of mind. Opening a world of beauty and connection to Nature.

Townsend's Chipmunk

Chipmunks are diurnal, which means they are active during the day. You will see this pocket-sized creature quietly scampering over the forest floor as it curiously searches for food.

Its diet consists of seeds, berries, tree and shrub buds, grass, fungi, roots, insects, and bird eggs. It gathers food in internal cheek pouches as it forages. Then, it stores the food in its den or natural cavities.

For safety, it usually stays close to the ground where it can quickly disappear under a log, a canopy of sword fern leaves, a tangle of brush, or its burrow.

It is well-camouflaged to evade predators. Its coat is an array of subtle browns ranging from warm cinnamon to sandy. It also has stripes on its face and back to help it blend into the patterns of shadows.

In addition to being nimble and well-camouflaged, it takes safety measures to conceal the whereabouts of its burrow. First, the entryway is located in thick brush, at the base of a tree or stump, or a crevice in a rock pile. Second, it doesn’t leave a dirt pile at the entrance. The original opening it uses to excavate its home and discard the dirt is sealed when it is finished building. Then, it will open another hole to the burrow that is debris-free.

To communicate danger, it will use a chirping vocalization to sound an alarm. Look for it posted on the lower branch of a tree, the end of a log, or a stump.

In the northern or high-altitude parts of its range, the Townsend's chipmunk hibernates all winter. Here in the mild climate of the Willamette Valley, it is active all year. To brighten your winter day, keep an eye out for this beautiful, little animal.

Nature is an inexhaustible source of wonder. Hope to see you out there.

Sources
Eder, Tamara. Mammals of Washington and Oregon. Canada, Lone Pine, 2002.
Moskowitz, David. Wildlife of the Pacific Northwest: Tracking and Identifying Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians, and Invertebrates. Oregon, Timber Press, 2010.

Saving Birds

One of the biggest hazards to the health and safety of birds is windows. The estimated number of birds killed every year by striking a window is 365 million to 1 billion.

Birds are unable to see the glass in the window as a solid object. In addition, the glass acts as a mirror. The reflection makes it appear that the surrounding sky and landscape continue.

The White Oak Pavilion at the arboretum was constructed with many windows to be able to connect with the surrounding landscape. To help deter birds from colliding with the windows, the arboretum decided to install vertical nylon cords to give birds the visual cue that it isn’t an open landscape. The cords are spaced out close enough to keep birds from flying through them. I have already seen chickadees land on the cord as they curiously poke around looking for food.

Lane County Audubon Society publishes a monthly newsletter called The Quail. In the November 2021 issue, Jim Maloney wrote a great article about the project at Mt. Pisgah to prevent bird collisions on the White Oak Pavilion. Click here to read it.

I am posting this now because migrating birds will soon be here. For some, Mt. Pisgah Arboretum is their destination. For others, it is a brief stopover to rest and fuel up before continuing on their journey. Birds can collide into windows year-round, but it happens more frequently during nesting season. Birds’ hormones become elevated as they start to establish and defend territories, find a mate, etc. So start thinking about installing a deterrent to window collisions, like the nylon cords. I’d like to give a shout-out to Karen in Minnesota. After visiting the arboretum, she decided to install something similar on the windows of her home. Way to go! The American Bird Conservancy has a list of resources to help to decide the best solution for you. Click here to check it out.

There are some informative and interesting articles about birds colliding with windows and research to prevent it. I have included links below to some of them.

Article on the All About Birds website by The Cornell Lab: “Glass Action: Advances In The Science Of Making Windows Safer For Birds, “ by Pat Leonard.

Article on the American Bird Conservancy website: “Birds Flying Into Windows? Truths About Birds & Glass Collisions From ABC Experts, “ by Christine Sheppard, Ph.D., and Bryan Lenz, Ph.D.

Article on the Audubon website: “Making Buildings Safe for Birds,” by Julie Leibach.

Douglas-fir Needles

I was walking down the trail and the blue-green needles on the ends of the branches caught my eye. They were remarkably contrasted to the fairly dark yellow-green of the older needles. As striking as it was, I felt like I hadn’t really noticed it before. As I went over to have a closer look, I saw that some of the needles right above it were a lighter yellow-green on the end.

The book National Audubon Society Field Guide to Trees: Western Region, says that the needles can be dark yellow-green or blue-green.

Naturally, I wanted to know why this color range occurred so I could pass on some cool info. At this point, I am unable to find out more about it. So, for now, it is about observing it and hopefully, in the future, I can tell you more about it.

Earthworm Castings

With all of the recent rains having flushed worms out onto the surface, I am reminded of their invaluable service to the health and well-being of ecosystems in temperate and tropical soils where they are found.

You can see evidence of their presence in open areas along the paths. Certain types of earthworms expel mud from their burrows leaving bumpy mounds called castings.

As organic matter passes through their bodies, earthworms perform the important task of breaking it down. In addition, they turn over and aerate the soil as they tunnel through it. This increases the soil’s water-holding capacity and provides channels making it easier for roots to penetrate and grow through the ground.

Below, I provided a link to a short article about their benefits to the soil. Check it out.

USDA Website
Natural Resources Conservation Service - Soils

Indian-plum Blooming

The rain was soft, drizzling.
It was saturating everything.
Pendent drops of water decorated the landscape.
Humble with beauty,
graceful, white lanterns
nodded to the spirit
of Nature in gratitude—
a brief moment in time
to shine its light.

Western Bluebird

I frequently see a small flock of western bluebirds at the arboretum. When the mistletoe berries are ripe, I see them in the oak trees around the parking lot. I also find them in the meadow above the creek trail, in the vicinity of the barn, or in the south meadow.

On this cool, sunny afternoon in the south meadow, they were perched on the lower limbs of bigleaf maple trees as they scanned the ground for insects. When they located their prey, they quickly dropped down to the ground to catch it. They would often return to the maple limb. Or they would fly low across the ground and then rise to perch on an old flower stalk.

I usually hear them before I see them. They have a soft call note that can be given in flight or from a perch. Peterson describes it as a short pew or mew. Their song is strung together into gentle, stuttering notes that Audubon’s website describes as “a short, subdued cheer, cheer-lee, churr.”

Male western bluebirds have a colorful blue on their head, wings, and tail. Complementing the blue is a rust-orange breast and upper back. The female’s coloration is more muted. Her blue shows up as a subtle tint in the wings and tail. Her breast is a pale, orange wash. The throat is blue in males and grayish in females. Their bellies are whitish.

Nature is an inexhaustible source of wonder. Hope to see you out there.

Sources
Peterson, Roger Tory. Field Guide to Birds of Western North America. 4th ed. New York, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010.

Websites:
All About Birds by Cornell
National Audubon Society

Hues of Evergreen

Standing out in the south meadow looking back at the hillside, I can differentiate between the two species of evergreen trees growing in the forest. The incense cedar has a yellow-green hue to it at the moment because it is covered with small, yellow cones that are releasing pollen. The other one is the Douglas-fir.

Bigleaf Maple & Sapsucker

While out walking the other day, I stopped to listen to a bird sing. Gazing out into the forest, I noticed that the base of this tree was black like it had been charred by fire. When I went over to investigate, I realized the base of the tree was riddled with holes made by a sapsucker.

My initial search on the internet turned up information on sugar maples. Oozing sap from the holes made by sapsuckers, for example, will soak the bark. A fungus known as Sooty Mold will feed on the sugars in the sap turning the bark black. I wasn’t able to find information about bigleaf maples, but it seems reasonable that a similar occurrence might be happening here. Or maybe the bark has simply become darkened from being saturated by sap.

I am reaching out to the Oregon State Extension to see if they have any information. I’ll keep you posted.

Bushtits Eating Poison Oak Berries

About a week ago, I posted about poison oak berries being an important food source for birds because the hardy berries will linger on the plant into the winter months. Up to that point, I reported that I had only seen chickadees eating the berries.

On Saturday, I was watching a flock of bushtits performing their acrobatic routine through the landscape. The next thing I know, they had descended on a patch of poison oak and started eating the berries. I was delighted to have observed another bird eating them.

It was fun to watch them cling to the plant in all sorts of ways as they ate the berries.

Himalayan Blackberry

Blackberries are easily spread when a new cane grows and the end arches back towards the ground. When the tip reaches the soil, it will begin to profusely grow new roots which will create a new plant.

Blackberries are also spread by animals. They will eat the berries and spread the seeds as they pass through their digestive system.

The Himalayan blackberry is from India, and it was introduced to North American via England in 1885.

It is a very invasive species that forms dense thickets that will shade out other understory plants.

I have been digging them up in the wetlands area to allow wildflowers like larkspur and bleeding heart to grow. New larkspur leaves can already be seen sprouting out of the ground!

Running Rivulets

The rain is steady.
The ground is saturated.
My hat is soaked.
My shoes are sopping.
My socks are spongy.
My rain gear is sodden.
My gloves are soggy.
My spirit is soaring with sonorous streams!

Small rivulets of water are running over the landscape seemingly along every path at the arboretum. A symphony of trickling and gurgling is softly resonating through the air. There are few sounds as soothing as the gentle cascade of water.

Red-tailed Hawk

"Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance. They make the latitudes and longitudes.”

Letter
Thoreau to Lidian Emerson
May 22, 1843

Happy New Year

May you find time to be in nature to absorb its serenity and carry it with you back into your daily life.

Tree Rings

A tree fell across a path at the arboretum during the recent snow storm. They cut the tree to clear the path which revealed its rings. I am reading a book about forests and thought that you would be interested in the following excerpt from the book.

“For all its size and vitality, for all its impressive thickening from year to year, most of the tissue of a tree trunk does not and cannot grow, once it has been formed. The tissue that adds to a tree’s size is confined to a microscopically thin layer, the cambium… As the cambium cells divide, the tree grows in diameter. The new cells formed toward the inside of the tree become wood, or xylem, and the cells on the outside become a layer called the phloem. Cells produced in the spring growing season are usually much larger than those produced in the summer. The small size and density of the summer cells make them look dark. It is the alternation of the dark summer wood with the lighter-colored spring wood of the following year which produces the rings in trees.”

Farb, Peter and The Editors of LIFE. LIFE Nature Library: The Forest. New York, Time Incorporated, 1961.