Highway to Heaven

First of all, I know it's been a long time since I've posted a blog.  I'm sorry. I think in some ways I've been a little down.. and I want to tell you a few stories that have happened to me lately that have contributed to this.  I know this is a bit off my usually blog post, but I will get back to those soon enough.

About a month ago, my husband and I were headed to Mishawaka to go to a church service at Granger Community Church.  Now, we normally attend Nappanee Missionary, but Granger is where we first started and we still occasionally attend.  It was a big night, called First Wednesday, when the entire service was about worshiping God. Lots of singing, lots of artsy presentation.  Well, this was going to be the Last First Wednesday; they are changing around the programming.  I was sad, it has meant a lot to me the last few years.

So anyways, Ben and I were headed to Mishawaka, driving down CR 6/Cleveland road.  We cross over the Elkhart/St Joe County line and are probably a quarter mile past when I see a turtle in the middle of the road.  My natural inclination is to pull off the road and help the turtle out.  I started to do that, but the first place I could get over was several hundred feet down the road.  In case you don't know, Cleveland is a very busy road... and most of the road is 45-55 mph (I believe it is 50 in this section).  I jump out of the car, muttering to Ben "I have to TRY to save his life!" and run down the road.

I am in a dress and sandles, running past about 15 cars on my way to the turtle (I believe he was a painted).  I got more than a few looks, I'm sure.  I can see most of the cars swerving to miss Mr Turtle and I get hopeful.  I reach the spot where he is, but I have to wait for one last car to pass before I jump out to grab him.  One. Last. Car.  And then BLAM!  that last car, in my mind, totally in slow motion, hits the turtle and blood flies everywhere.  This was the crunch of full on tire impact, not a glancing blow.  The sound echoed around in my head for a few seconds while I turn back to my car and sob all the way back.

I was too late.  My brain whispers "you distracted the driver.  He was looking at you and didn't see the turtle. The turtle could have made it across the road."  A few minutes later rationality works in.  NO, it is not my fault.  I tried to save him.  Most people ignore these things, thinking "it doesn't matter", "it's just a stupid turtle," or just plain not thinking.  The driver probably wasn't paying attention.  In reality, I'm lucky I wasn't hit, as close to the road as I was.

The turtle haunted me for next few weeks.  I still feel sad every time I pass that spot.  But you know what?  God came to me that night in that church and comforted me.  In some ways, He gave me strength to face my next Highway to Heaven tragedy.

This past weekend, I was headed home from Indianapolis where I went to a friend's wedding and visited with some other friends.  It was Ben and our friends Brent and Cara in the car.  We were talking - Cara was sharing a rather graphic story about how a coworker once sliced his hand at work and blood was everywhere.  Blood makes me queezy, even talking about it, definitely couldn't be a doctor.  Well, I take a deep breath and try to distract myself from the idea of blood all over the floor.

My eye catches a Red-tailed Hawk as it lands in the grass next to the road about a quarter of a mile up the road.  Most people wouldn't have seen it, but I have an eye for such things.  I motion to Ben and my fellow car riders, who all look at it too.  We all watch, spell bound, as the hawk takes off.  His apparent destination was the electric pole he was undoubtedly perched on before he went after whatever critter that drew him to the side of the road.  Here's the catch: the pole was on the other side of this 55 mph highway.

I think we all caught our breaths.  I know I did - even letting out a useless 'nooooooo!' as the hawk took off, gaining altitude.  Apparently, "look both ways before you cross the street" isn't a lesson learned in Hawk School, for just at that moment there was a semi truck between the hawk and its beloved pole...

The Red-tail disappeared from view for a split second, then emerged off the top of the truck, spiraling down to the road below.  The whole time this is happening, the world narrows to just this Red-tailed Hawk.  I honestly was NOT driving for a minute or so.  I know I hit the breaks and was pulling off the road.  Looking over, I see the hawk that is literally smashed and broken and my heart breaks.  I immediately rule out any possibility of rehabilitation.  If there had been ANY doubt in my mind that he wasn't dead, I would have tried everything to help him.

Down trodden, I continue driving home but I can't talk.  Its taking everything I can not to throw up (remember, I was nauseous before all this started).  Later on the drive, I get into the lane next to the semi, whom I had been behind for several miles.  There is some grim satisfaction to see a huge bullseye of broken glass across the drivers window.  There was some debate in the car as to whether the driver even saw the hawk.  I know he did now.  Whether he felt any remorse or any concern for his own safety, I do not know.

Once again, I am reminded about how easily my witnessing another's death could have tied to my own.  It is amazing that the driver didn't lose control of the wheel and cause some sort of accident.  In my stunned state, I know my reflexes would have been slowed.  My mind turns to God and I'm both sadden at a loss of His creation, yet in wonder of the fragility of life.  I kid you not, I am thinking this one second and the next a teenager starts to pull out in front of me.  My senses had been on high alert since the hawk.  I had watched this car approach a T intersection, barely slowing down.  Almost as a delayed thought, the young man decides to look in my direction, only he is going to fast to slow down before the stop sign and stops halfway out in the lane I am in.  Had I not swerved into the other lane, I for surely would have T-boned him going about 45 mph.  Not pretty for him, seeing as it was on the driver's side.  Fortunately, no one was coming the other way and I was able to avoid this collision.

I believe that God wanted me to learn a lesson through all of this.  Actually several lessons.  The cost of our so called "better" life of quick transportation is often more broad than we realize.  How many animals are killed every year for our sake?  Sure, non-motorized transportation kills some, but not nearly the scale as our fast cars, trains, and automobiles.  Actually, this is part of the reason why the Amish have declined this technology.  Am I going to join them?  I doubt it.  But it has caused me to pause and realize the cost.

If you have any thoughts about how I could help honor these animals, I would love to hear them.  My heart goes out to them, and all the others killed every single moment in this country by a vehicle.

Typical sighting of a Red-tailed Hawk.  This one seen soaring over the Wellfield Gardens during EnviroFest in July.  They are arguably this most common hawk seen.  They soar high on thermals, their red tails giving them away.  They are also spotted by the trained eye perched on many telephone posts and the like on highways.  If I am looking, I can usually see one every 2-5 miles of highway on any given day.

Dear Deer

July 7, 2011

Dear Deer,

  For starters, let me tell you that I think you are really beautiful.  You are one of God's creations and I think He did a good job with you!!  So stately, so gorgeous.. And your babies... adorable!  Your antics are funny, such as the classic "white" surrender flag as you run away... or the snorts you issue as you take off.  I especially enjoy watching fawns frolic...

All in the comfort of my backyard!  You seem to like it here, or more accurately at my neighbor's house who feed you (bread and waste corn as far as I can tell).  They must really like you too.  Unfortunately, you ignore human boundaries - but who can blame you?  A fence is just seen as an obstacle in your way - easy to go around, or jump, as need be.

 
  But this is where our relationship must end... I enjoy watching you from a far... definitely NOT in the road, or next to it, which is where I sometimes see your cousins... But you guys, I like seeing you almost every night in the back by the woods... I really do!!! I hope you trust me in that.. but you really need to get the next part...
 

I am NOT feeding you.  The bird seed is for the birds (imagine that!).  The flowers are for beautification... and also for the butterflies and birds.  My bushes are for the birds.  Are you seeing a trend here?  I feed birds - I draw a line at mammals.  I don't even feed squirrels (although they occasionally take a few seeds.. never the -entire- feeder, mind you).
  So, please, take this as a kind reminder to stay at a distance.. enjoy the neighbor's food.. but please STOP eating my wildflowers, bushes, trees, tomato plants.. etc. etc. etc.  I would really appreciate it!



Sincerely,

Lindsay (aka the woman who likes to get close to you and take your picture!)

A tale of two purple flowers and a gold bird

There are some bird calls that just make me smile..such as Barn Swallows, who just seem to giggle as they fly overhead.. or the R2D2 song of the bobolink.. but nothing exceeds the pure joy that the American Goldfinch eludes as it sails across the sky:

Male American Goldfinch getting a bit to drink.

http://www.birdjam.com/birdsong.php?id=23

I can have the dullest, crummiest day and I'll walk outside (sometimes just in the course of the day, lost in my own misery... but other times, when God prompts me because He knows and I know that nature can sure cheer me up in a hurry!) and a goldfinch will fly by over head, singing it's heart out as it flys up and down in a very characteristic undulating pattern.  I equate it to the "roller coaster" style flight, and they typically sing at "the top" of every hill.  Kind of like riding a wave...


So if you are walking along and all of a sudden you see a flash of yellow whiz by and its "bouncing" up and down, all the while singing its happy song.. well, then, you my dear, have an American Goldfinch.  Sometimes you hear people call them "Wild Canaries" .. well, that's because that's what they resemble!  In ornithological nomenclature, we call them "AMGO"s (shortcut of the first and second part of the name).. I tend to call them that myself.. Their field marks of the male are a mostly yellow bird with black wings and face and an orangish bill.. at least in the summer.  The females, and the males in the winter, are a much more muted dull yellow color.  They also have a little white under their wings that you can sometimes see in flight.

Goldfinches at feeders

Can see wing pattern on male here.

If you have a feeder, you have probably been seeing  a lot of them lately.  I know I have.  There are 2 reasons for this: (a) they are one of the last birds to nest.  So while all the other birds are out getting bugs for their babies, they are just building nests and laying eggs; and (b) they are one of the very few birds who are primarily vegetarians.  Birds and insects are pretty much tied together in this intriguing web of life.  Take a Northern Cardinal, for instance.  It spends most of the year eating seeds and the occasional berry.  However, come nesting season, it feeds its young insects.  In fact, it's probably close to 90% of birds that due this (and another 9% which feed their young some other form of protein.  Protein is high energy, which is what youngins need to survive, after all.  Goldfinches eat seed and make a sort of "seed slurry" with digestive juices.  A tad gross, but very effective.

Thistles are spiky!

Beautiful Bull Thistle

Don't get me wrong, Goldfinches do eat insects, just not at the rate that other birds do, particularly at this time of year.  Goldfinches stick to seed through the thick and thin.  And they are very fond of two purple flowers which I alluded to in the title.  First, their biggest fan:  The thistle.  This thorny plant is a high favorite for AMGOs.  They use it to build their nest and feed their young.  In fact, most goldfinches won't even think about nesting until it is in flower, THAT'S how much they love it..  I've even heard of them nesting in it.. can we say ouch?!  They also like other fibrous plants (thistle seed is very downy, in case you don't know) like milkweeds.

My WBU finch feeder

Here's an interesting factoid: to attract goldfinches to your yard is fairly easy.  They absolutely love the small seed of the Nyjer plant, native to Africa (specifically Ethiopia).  Many of you might still refer to it from a marketing campaign that for years called it "Thistle" seed - probably owing to the fact that Goldfinches love it and Goldfinches love thistle.  The nyjer plant is most definitely NOT a thistle, so this was a false name.  Now, when you ask for the seed, the proper term is niger or Nyjer (they have even trademarked the name!), but most bird stores will know what you mean if you call it by the old name!  BTW they make specific finch style feeders to hold the Nyjer as it is so small that a normal feeder wouldn't be able to hold it.  Here are some different styles.

Thistle "sock"

If you put up one of these feeders, you will also probably attract House Finches, which will love the nyjer seed too - that's ok, they are pretty and fun to watch as well!

If your lucky, after the Goldfinches move in to you yard to eat, they might try to find a place to nest.  They are fairly common birds and also fairly common backyard nesters.  Remember what I said though, they tend to nest later in the year, so keep your eyes out for them nest building when you start seeing other birds' fledglings out and about in your yard!

Nest with 5 eggs.. sweet!

Nestling Goldfinches... aww!

Actually, I have had the fortunate circumstance to find a couple of gold finch nests over the years.  These photos are from Minnesota, where I spent a summer assisting with a graduate student research project on grassland birds.  We occasionally got a goldfinch nest as they aren't as picky about where they nest as some birds.  This nest was found in some willows in a fairly grassy area.

Alright, this has been a long post, but I promised another flower for attracting Goldfinches.. and that would be the Purple Coneflower, otherwise known by its Latin name, Echinacea.  Goldfinches absolutely LOVE these seed heads as they dry up in the late summer and early fall.  I have yet to capture one of the famous pictures of them eating the seeds out of them, but perhaps you've seen one?

Water, water, everywhere!

What's better after spending a hot afternoon in the sun than a cold glass of water?  It is amazing how we take good, clean water for granted in the United States.  Most of the world suffers from lack of fresh water... and in most third world countries the majority of your existence is in finding some fresh water.  Especially here in the Midwest, we are truly blessed by the quality and quantity of our water.  It is easy to neglect...

Wow, OK, didn't mean to get into the politics of water or anything (it is my profession though, so I could probably go on and on!).  I just wanted to demonstrate how important it is to us as human beings.  Now, of course, if you know me at all you will quickly guess that my mind translates this to birds and other wildlife.  They depend on water just as much as we do.  They have to fight off dehydration, just like us.  They use it to bathe, just like us.  Cleaning is important to ward off disease and parasites.  Certain species of birds seem to just plain like to splash around in the water more than others!

I would say the #1 question I get asked by people who know I like birds (well after the "what kind of bird is this?" type question) is this: "how do I attract them to my yard?"  Or another variation, "you seem to get a lot of birds in your yard, is there a trick?"  And then I share the biggest "trick" of them all: before you invest in a good  feeder, invest in a good bird bath.  They are easy to maintain, not to mention cheap!  Even after your food runs out, keeping a bird bath clean and stocked will keep the birds coming in.

Now, you might ask, what makes a bird bath "good."  Just about any style bird bath can be used, but some will have more success than others.  Trust me, there are a TON of different styles.  The key to any bird bath is to keep it clean and the water fresh.  Now, before you install a refrigeration unit with Evian water (nice mental image there!), know that birds aren't too picky as long as the water is (a) clean and (b) accessible.

A note about accessibility: deep dish style bird bath isn't very accessible to birds, especially the steep-walled kind, which for some reason, seem to be popular in big box stores.  Bird baths that have multiple levels on the bottom are much better for birds.  The reason? Birds are all different sizes and they don't really like to just "dive" into a pool of water.  They want to wade in, get their legs wet, and then squat the rest of the way in.  Kind of like me trying to swim in Lake Superior a couple of summers ago.  You put out a big dish style feeder, your bound to get mostly big birds, like Blue Jays or Crows.. which are great birds, don't get me wrong, but there are so many smaller birds to get to see up close bathing.  I especially love watching bluebirds (in case you can't tell, almost all of these pictures have bluebirds bathing in them!).

But Lindsay, you cry, all I can find is a big dish feeder!  Or maybe you like the design of a particular feeder, but it still has the big cup style bottom.  Never fear, I have another trick for you!  You can create different levels on the bottom very easily: with rocks.  I guarantee you will get more birds if you try this easy trick.  BTW I love my bird feeder.. and the birds seem to like it too!

There is more to "water" in habitat, such as winter water supply, ponds, etc., but I think this is good start.  I will leave you with one last thought: birds can hear running water from near a mile away (supposedly, I never thought to ask them)... how much better would a water supply be if it had an element of motion (fountain, waterfall, dripper)?

What kind of bird is this?

About to leave work for  home, I get a text from my husband with a picture of a bird on it, that said, "What's this?"  As soon as I see the picture a couple of things snap into focus.

...Reading an IN-BIRD (a listserv for birders in Indiana where bird sightings are often posted) titled "Lost bird" in which someone reported a Chukar in Goshen.

...I looked up Chukar in my bird books and online because I wasn't quite sure what it was.  Cliff notes: a Chukar is a game bird that somewhat resembles a chicken.. or the native bobwhite quail.  Originally from the Middle East, they are now found in various places around the globe.  They are used as hunting birds and sometimes escape from captivity.  There are actual wild populations of them in the Rocky Mountains, though I'd hesitate to call them "native" there.

...Realization that although this is most likely an escaped bird, it would still be kind of cool to see it.  I resolve to respond to the message on IN-BIRD to find out where this bird is... only to have my husband beat me to the punch!  Not only is the bird in my hometown, its in my neighborhood!  It quite possible has, or will in the future, visited my bird feeders even!

Ben and I went out after dinner and found the bird down the street, literally walking down the street.  We actually heard it from a ways off because I heard a call that I definitely didn't recognize!  He continued walking down the street and up someone's driveway.  It is not shy, reinforcing the escaped bird image.  Pretty funny looking.  Ben said he saw it running earlier and it is pretty amusing.

Well, I documented it in e-bird, which is an online data recording tool for birds (more about this later, I'm sure).  I also responded back to the woman who first posted it, and now here and Facebook.  That being said, if anyone wants to see it, feel free to stop by!

Impatient Hummer

Ahhh, the end of the work day... a time to relax... what is the first thing you do when you get home from work?  For me, I almost always check on my bird feeders (I currently have 9 feeders) that I have around my house and fill them up as necessary.  Today I noticed that my hummingbird feeder in the front needed filled.  It is right by front window that I look out of sometimes while watching TV.  The hummingbirds really seem to like it, even though I was hesitant at first because it is so small.  But it is made to go right in a potted plant, so that's what I did!  And its a hit!

So anyways, I grabbed my premade 1:4 solution from the fridge (I make a quart of it at a time and then store the rest in the fridge), and began to fill it up.  I was finishing up and about to hang the feeder back up when an impatient hummingbird (I call them hummers for short) flew up.  He (I could tell it was a male because of the bright red patch on his throat, the female's throat is white) made a buzzing sound, as if irritated, looked at me closely, and then proceeded to drink from the feeder as I held it..

Wait, did you get that last bit?  I was holding this itty bitty feeder!  The bird was inches from hand and only about a foot away from my face.  It really blew me away.  First of all, hummingbirds are amazing.  They beat their wings at 53 beats a second, seeming to just whiz by you, which in a natural setting is about all your going to get.  With specifically designed hummingbird feeders, you can get an up close and personal view.  Most hummingbirds aren't terribly shy, although it might take them awhile to get used to you.  I had been close to them before, but usually its through the glass of my window... but not today!

Today, I felt the vibrations of its wings on my fingers, which gave me a thrill.  This amazing creature that God designed was so close to me that I think I will forever feel a kinship with it.  The picture above is from a week ago, when I was impressed to have it feed 5 feet in front of me.. but today, well today I got an impression to last a lifetime!

Introduction

So, I finally did it... I made a blog.  Now, I don't read very many blogs, so mine might not be "conventional."  But this is what you'll get from me.

1)  My experiences with birds.  What I see in my yard and birding in the area. My goal is to make you get inside my head - what I thought about when I saw a particular bird or how I ID'ed it.

2)  Identification of birds, primarily for beginners.  People often ask for tips in this department, so I thought I'd give some help with those wishing to learn.  I apologize if I appear condescending at points, I'm not honestly trying to be... I just want to help!

3)  Tips on how to draw birds into your backyard.  Backyard Habitat is one of my passions in life, particularly when we're talking birds... this will help if you want to see the type of stuff I do.

4)  I might also post occasional plugs for volunteer efforts I'm apart of.. feel free to join if you want!  If not, that's ok too!