Posture is Everything!

I just paid a visit to Operation Migration's website to see how training went this morning. What I discovered was a wonderful video clip, something you will want to see, a pair of wild Whooping cranes threat posturing.
When you view the video below, you will see two adult Whooping cranes walking with their heads down showing their bald, bright red skin patch. Cranes can engorge this skin patch with blood, making it larger and redder. When they hold their heads down, the skin patch is prominent and represents a warning to intruders that an attack could follow.

Chris Gullikson, one of Operation Migration's costume-clad pilots and the videographer, is also posturing by holding the red head of his Whooping crane hand puppet high in the same position. Size matters in the Whooping crane world and Chris, whose human shape is covered with a white costume, represents a larger threat in crane posture language.

As you view the video below, don't miss the stomping that occurs early while the bird to the right is still in the shadows. He repeats it later. You can hear it as well. Stomping is an additional threat behavior. Also, remember that Whooping cranes are five feet tall with a wing-span of seven feet!

The reason for the encounter? Chris is at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge and is discouraging the pair from interfering with the ultralight migration training by trying to lure the juveniles away. You can see Chris' shadow as you view the video. At the end of the clip, the pair flies over to another wild crane who has trespassed into their territory. After they chase him off, they sound the unison call, trumpeting their successful defense of territory. The unison call also serves to strengthen the pair bond.

Great clip, Chris and Operation Migration! Threat posturing, a rare glimpse into the lifestyle and personality of Whooping cranes.

Check out migration training as it progresses at Operation Migration's field journal or by watching the cranecam as training is underway. And don't forget to Give A Whoop!

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #49 at Birdfreak.com to promote the conservation of our world's birds.

Bird Photography Weekly--Revisiting a Sweet Sparrow Moment

Some of my favorite moments with birds have happened just by chance.
In this case, I was photographing something else. long forgotten, when this sweet White-throated sparrow hopped out in front of me and began to forage. I sometimes hold my breath when this happens, thinking maybe he hasn't seen me yet. But then I'm clicking away and have to laugh at myself. Of course he sees AND hears me! Sweet, that's what it is. A sweet bird in a sweet moment.

These images were taken in mid April in Tennessee before this sparrow returned to his northern breeding grounds. I get to look forward to his visit again next winter.
Look at all that beautiful dappling on his chest, the yellow eye-brows, the head stripe and that rich collection of browns in his wings and back. I enjoy the brilliantly colored birds, as much as anyone. But the subtle beauty of birds wearing neutrals can often be breath-taking.

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #47 at Birdfreak.com to promote the conservation of our world's birds. To see more great bird images click the link.

Barn Swallow Juveniles in Action

When its summer time and you're freezing inside a building, the best thing I know to do is step outside for a while.

And so I did. And while doing so I discovered these adorable swallow juveniles resting on a ledge. In the air overhead were dozens more juveniles and adults flying and calling. What a delight to listen and watch their acrobatic aerial displays over the man-made pond and fountain. Not only were the swallows catching insects attracted to the water, but they also flew along the surface to drink. Amazing to watch. And the thought of these juveniles learning and practicing feeding and drinking in flight was pure delight. I watched them take flight more than once, returning a few minutes later to rest and preen. (Or maybe it was their young cousins' turn to rest.)
Swallows were among the earliest birds to capture my interest as a child. Having grown up around barns and having a barn of my own in later years, I've always considered them endearing companions and neighbors.

A nesting pair of barn swallows frequently perched on my barn gate in the early mornings and chattered while I fed horses. Even while feeding their young, they went about their business accepting my presence as readily as I accepted theirs.
Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #45 at Birdfreak.com to promote the conservation of our world's birds.

The Yellow-throated Vireo, the Fritillary and Me

I laughed as I typed that title. What has prompted this post is Bird Photography Weekly #44, a meme that I have participated in since its inception. I wanted to post a species that I hadn't posted before. But then, I can't think of the Yellow-throated vireo without also thinking of butterflies and thistle. I'll come back to this.
On May 30th I visited Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville and had lunch with friend, Stephen Lyn Bales, a naturalist, fellow nature blogger and interpreter at Ijams. During our picnic lunch, this Yellow-throated vireo was singing pretty continuously and Stephen Lyn identified him by song. Catching a glimpse of the bird, I snapped a few images and the one below gave me the visual confirmation that I needed to find him in my Peterson's field guide. The vireos are new to me, but it seems this is my vireo year. Within the last month, I have seen and heard the Yellow-throated and the Blue-headed vireos and heard the song of the Red-eyed vireo.
I found some neat information in my Atlas of Breeding Birds of Tennessee about Yellow-throated vireos and cowbird predation. It doesn't always go the cowbird's way. "The Yellow-throated Vireo is frequently parasitized by Brown-headed Cowbirds and may occasionally build a new nest floor over a cowbird egg. [!] ....I have three times observed adult vireos feeding fledgling cowbirds....On 28 June 1986 a pair of vireos was seen fighting off a female cowbird attempting to approach the vireo's nest."--Charles P. Nicholson.

I also enjoyed the nest description from the atlas: "The nest is built of bark strips, plant fibers, and grasses held together with spider webs and lined with fine grasses or hair. The outside is decorated with lichens, moss, and masses of spider webbing, and Bent (1950) described it as the handsomest nest of any vireo." The account also reports that both the male and female sing frequently while incubating. (I love this book!) And that brings me to the thistle. Between the table where we ate and the vireo singing, there was a garden of bull thistles with sunlight and butterflies dancing on the blossoms. I could barely eat lunch for chasing the butterflies with my camera. And as I looked through the lens, I got an intimate view of the fritillary's proboscis as it probed the blossom and that fun little insect expression!
This only makes me want to know more, like where exactly is the nectar in that bull thistle blossom and how does that prob get to it? The more I watch, the more fascinating nature becomes and the more it sparks curiosity. This could keep me going for days!
And below, some Columbine blossoms that I passed along the way. Already past their prime, they were hanging like delicate beauty bells among the stiffened pods that are broadcasting seed for the next generation.

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #44, at Birdfreak.com to promote the conservation of our world's birds.

Another Fun Pileated Woodpecker Visit

It wasn't a call this time that caught my attention. I just decided to have my coffee outside this morning to see what was happening around the yard.
I heard a sharp chirp that I thought was a Red-bellied woodpecker, but instead, this is who I found, a female Pileated woodpecker out for her morning dine.

In the photo below if you look closely, you can see her using her tongue to lift insects from under the bark. Otherwise, she is not such a dainty eater, sending chunks of bark and debris flying off the trunks most of the time. You don't want to be right under one of these gals while they're forgaging.

I followed her from tree to tree for as long as I could keep up. Below, one of the delights of our visit. She stopped to rest for a while and preened! What fun and what beauty!

I haven't been through all the images yet, so will have more to show you soon.

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #40 at Birdfreak.com to promote the conservation of our world's birds.

American Robin Nestling

I have to celebrate the American Robin today. This beautiful male just popped up in front of me while I was looking for another bird. He was alert and occasionally let out a sharp chirp.
And here's what came toddling after him, a nestling that should still be in the nest. But that isn't the way the journey goes sometimes. Don't miss those tuffs of down around his crown. So cute!This nestling, by the way, matches the parents, unlike the fledgling with Cardinal parents that perched on my patio recently. This youngster has Robin coloring and attitude with pale red under wings and reddish feathering on his breast.
He quickly tired, found a spot among the leaves and twigs and settled in for a nap. I could see him from a small embankment above and came back several times to see what they were up to. I learned a lot from watching this nestling and his pop.
More about this Robin family, the Bluebirds I promised and our Red-shouldered hawk family coming up.

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #39, at Birdfreak.com to promote the conservation of our world's birds.

Pileated Woodpecker Heaven

And that's not so much a place, as it is a moment. A moment that lasted for more than 25 minutes.

It was one of those times when a call lured me out the door, though I wasn’t sure right away what I heard. Within seconds I spotted a female pileated woodpecker on a fallen tree trunk, less than ten feet away and no camera! So I hurried back inside, changed my camera's lens, retrieved the digital card from the reader and grabbed my shoes, hoping she might be there when I returned.

As I stepped out to find her, I caught a glimpse of a second pileated woodpecker. Amazing what a long day of rain can bring. The female flew before I got an image but below is a photo I took of her April 1st. She was flighty and busy and on that day she gave me one shot.

Notice how her crest starts back from her forehead and her mustache stripe is totally black. The male's crest comes down further on his forehead and he has red in his mustache stripe.

Now meet her handsome partner. Steady, determined, a mighty hammer and a delight to watch, the male is pictured in the images below. I’ve included both the clear and fuzzy images so you can see his personality, that adorable face and what magic it was to watch him. In the first couple of images he has his grand crest all fluffed up. I don't know what stirred this excitement.

I have more to show you later.

Meanwhile, let your dead limbs lie, your stumps hang around to decay, your dead tree trucks remain where they stand. Your property will mean more to our bird community and you will gain more pleasure than any manicured yard can ever provide.

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #36 at Bird Freak.com to promote the conservation of our world’s birds.

Celebrating

I'm celebrating today--another year older. I'm lucky I get to celebrate my birthday in October. I love this time of year. Every day there's a new change to notice, something fascinating to enjoy just by stepping outside your door. And I'm celebrating birds and migration and I'm celebrating the residents that hang out year round and brighten our world.
Like the Carolina chickadee.

Yesterday I heard a flicker, the shouldn't-be elusive ground feeding woodpecker that I hear daily but has eluded my camera and most of the time even a look all summer. He was close, by the sound of his call. So close, that when I opened the door, I had a glimpse of him flying from the edge of my patio to a far away tree.

I laughed and just sat down on the ground, enjoying the wonderful autumn air.

It only took a minute for me to realize I was surrounded by chickadees, busy little chickadees zipping in and out above my head, others flittering about at eye level, hanging like gymnists from the cones of the hemlock.

You see why I'm celebrating?

This post is linked to Bird Photography Weekly #7 at Bird Freak.com celebrating conservation of our world's birds.