Migrating Birds

Bird migration is under way and every year, during the month of September, there is a group of biologists, ornithologists, bird enthusiasts... who spend the month capturing, banding, collecting data and then releasing the birds. At a little over 5,000 feet in elevation, Whigg meadow has a fabulous view of the valley and surrounding hills and mountains. It is a stopping point for many birds partly due to its berry thickets (blackberries, blueberries, and other types of berries).

We arrived at the meadow in the evening in time to set up our tents, eat supper and do a little exploring before sunset. Grasshoppers jumped out from under our feet, flocks of cedar waxwings flew overhead, mice scurried through the grass, crickets chirped their end of summer songs, and the wind gently brushed the grass. As we wandered around, we occasionally stopped to pick and eat a few of the tiny but delicious blueberries. Finally, we meander over to the top of the hill to watch the sun go down.

 

After dark I was enthralled as I gazed up at the Milky Way. "What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" Ps. 8:4. 

The next morning we excitedly stepped through grass heavy with dew as we made our way over the hill to the bird banding station.

 

I was curious to discover what types of birds we would see. Here are a few of the birds that were banded. 

placing the band on his leg

Checking his flight feathers and identifying it as a 1st year bird

This is a juvenile Black-throated blue warbler (my favorite bird that was caught)

Ovenbird

I believe this was a Black and White warbler

Black and White warbler

Female Black throated blue warbler

Female and male Black throated blue warblers

And some more warblers. 

Each bird was carefully processed before being released. The birds were positively identified (species, age, gender), their wings were measured, they were weighed, their body fat was visually assessed, their flight feather wear was evaluated and they were banded. The people doing the bird banding were incredibly knowledgeable and willing to teach and answer questions. This was my second year going and I enjoyed it even more than the first time I went. I would definitely recommend you check out a local bird banding station if you get the chance.

"Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the LORD." Jeremiah 8:7

This Was Supposed to be Relaxing!

So I had quite the adventure the other day. I headed out for a relaxing walk through buttercup filled fields.

The sun was out, the air was warm, the birds were singing... it was beautiful. I paused to admire a few tiny flowers then continued walking.

  In the distance I could see the cows lazily eating and in order to not disturb them, I took a long detour to the other side of the field, just to be safe. They have never bothered me, but you never know.

 

I slowly made my way across the field towards the creek, glancing occasionally at the cows. I was barely halfway across the field when I noticed the cows had turned to face me... ALL of them! My heart started beating faster and I picked up my pace just a little. All of a sudden, the whole herd started running towards me! It was like a large wave sweeping down on me. Were they wanting to chase me off? trample me? did they think I had treats for them? was this a defensive charge? or merely curiosity? Well, I didn't wait to find out. I was too far from the fence to run back and dive under, so instead I bolted for the creek, leaped across (startling a bull frog who must have though his world was crashing down on him) and huddled behind a large bush. The cows stopped running when they could no longer see me, but now my escape route was cut off.

As I pondered what to do, I was startled by the sound of a snake slithering away not one foot from where I stood. If it wasn't the cows, it was the snake that was going to get me. Ok, ok, I was just a little jumpy and my brain was playing worst case scenarios. Anyways, I remained in my hiding place for a while trying to calculate my options. A kingfisher called to my right, some red-winged blackbirds flew overhead, a damselfly landed nearby and the cows started slowly drifting away.

Then, I heard something behind me and when I turned, I was startled to find out I was being watched.  Just a few feet from where I stood, there was a woodchuck. I wondered how long he had been watching me and what was going through his head as he did.

sorry, this is the best picture I could get of him

 Finally, once the cows had drifted far enough away, I decided my best option was to follow the creek down to the other end of the field and then cut back across. Unfortunately, between my bush and the next set of bushes, there was an open space I had to cross. I glanced at the cows, who didn't seem to be paying attention, and carefully stepped out into the open. I took two steps, the cows saw me and the chase was on again. I ran for the bushes and paused. Every time I moved, the cows ran towards me, so once again I froze behind a tree and waited. Run...hide...freeze...run... hide... freeze.

Little by little, I distanced myself from the cows and by keeping trees and bushes between me and them, I was able to make it undetected to the other end of the pasture. I had no desire to expose myself to another unnecessary chase, so instead of cutting across the field, I found a spot in the fence where I could crawl through and into the woods. Finally some peace! But wait, now I had to fight through brambles and thick walls of bushes and vines!

At first I was annoyed at the cows for forcing me to have to take the hard way back, but then I saw a box turtle and was thrilled by the opportunity to see yet another of God's creatures.

A chipmunk chattered an alarm somewhere to my left and a rabbit perked up its ears before bounding away into the undergrowth. 

Despite the momentary feeling that I had been fleeing for my life, it turned out to be a fabulous day full of animal sightings. From the damselfly, snake and bull frog, to the woodchuck, turtle and rabbits (yes, I ended up startling more than one), to the different kinds of birds (including a turkey, which I forgot to mention), it was a memorable day. I was looking forward to a relaxing and peaceful walk, which the cows kind of ruined, but all the little encounters still made it worth it. What I learned: Don't let the big things distract or discourage you from enjoying the little things.


PS. if you are wondering, I do have permission from the owner to be in the cow field, I just don't think the cows knew that.

What is That!?

It was early morning and I was ambling through the dew laden garden. I noticed the green beans were being eaten by some unknown creature and they were doing quite a number on the plants. Basically only the leaf skeleton remained. Then, on closer inspection, I saw these strange spiky, yellow "things." They kind of looked scary and dangerous with all their spikes.

Were they growths? What were they?

I also noticed a bunch of what looked like yellow lady beetles. Were the yellow "growths" related to the beetles? I have to admit, I had no idea.

So, I kept turning over leaves and observing. Finally I came across a lady beetle that had just emerged from the "growth." A light bulb went off in my head and I realized that those "growths" were actually the pupa stage. How cool! Now I was scanning each leaf with renewed interest and soon discovered the whole life cycle of the beetle.  

A clump of eggs

Look at those spikes!!

A larva happily eating away at the leaf

The pupa stage

A close-up of the pupa (one about to hatch and one that has already hatched)

Since they were not the traditional red lady beetles, I did some research and found out they are actually called the Mexican Bean Beetle, and they were no where near as beneficial as other ladybugs. It was a perfect name for them since they were voraciously eating away at the green beans. I also learned that they are one of the few lady beetles that eat plants instead of eating other insects. It is considered one of the most destructive insect pest of beans in the United States. In other words, the adult form may look harmless, but when it comes to crops it can be devastating.

And so I learned something new!

Incredible Builders

Have you ever wondered how Swallows make their nests? Well, I have and recently I had the opportunity to watch a pair of Barn Swallows as they carefully built theirs. After moving to their new home, my parents had cleared out all the nests that were there from the previous year. However, when the Swallows returned in March after spending the winter in the Southern Hemisphere, they decided to set up residence in the same location and began building once again.

Pausing to survey its work

The mother and father birds work together throughout the day, returning from the fields with beaks full of mud and grass, which they carefully pack down.

One beak full of mud coming up!

Carefully placing the mud "brick"

It amazes me how they know to mix mud and straw/grass to make their nest stronger!

  It has been documented that they may make up to 1,000 trips to collect mud.
 

Notice the forked tail, which is one of the distinguishing characteristics of the Barn Swallow

They are great to have around since 99% of their diet consists of flies, wasps and other flying insects.

It took them about a week (when they finally began building in earnest) and once the main structure was finished, they started lining the nest with grass, dog fur, horse hair and other soft materials. Soon there will be 3 to 6 white eggs with reddish brown speckles and about 2 weeks after that, babies!

We could learn much from the cooperation, hard work and dedication of the Swallow. Day after day they labor together, not arguing about who is working more or less, not bickering about where to place the next load of mud, but cheerfully singing as they work, eat and raise their family.

"Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." Colossians 3:23

PS. in case you're curious, check out the Barn swallow calls

First Wild Salad of Spring

Every year, for about the past eight years, I have marked the beginning of spring by foraging for wild edibles from my lawn. I love learning about wild edibles, trying them out, finding recipes, and sharing my experiences with skeptical friends and family. Here is a breakdown of what I collected for my spring salad mix:

Dandelions
-  Edible parts: leaves, roots, and flowers (though some parts are best eaten cooked).
- Nutritional content: calcium, high in vitamin A,  high in vitamin K, iron, vitamin E and more
- It's best to pick the young leaves because as they get older, they taste more bitter.
- Caution: don't eat too many at one time because the leaves are a diuretic
- For recipes check out this link: 16 ways to eat dandelions

Clover
-  Edible parts: leaves, flowers, seeds and root
- Once again it's best to choose the young young leaves when adding them to salads. As they get more mature, it is better to cook them as you would other greens. However, the tastiest part of the clover is the flower.
- Here is a link to various Red clover recipes: 9 Red Clover Recipes

White clover

Wild Violet
- Edible parts: leaves, flowers
- Did you know there are 450 different species of violets in North America and you can eat all of them!
- Here's a link with more information on violets and some recipes: Wild foods and medicines























Plantain
- Edible parts: leaves, seeds, and roots
- It is high in calcium, Vitamin A, C, and K
- Plantains are also great for first aid against mosquito bites and bee or wasp stings. Just chew up the leaf and apply the poultice to the bite to help ease the pain, reduce swelling and help it heal.
- At the bottom of this link there are 4 recipes to get you started: Eat the Weeds





















Bittercress (also known as pepperweed)
- Edible parts: leaves, seed pods
- Here are several recipes: bittercress pesto; wild garlic, nettle and bittercress risotto























Salad 
Finally, here is my salad all put together. I added a little bit of olive oil, lemon juice and salt and I quite enjoyed it.

For more wild edibles check out: Edible Weeds

PS. Always double check the plant(s) you plan on eating with a plant ID book and make sure you are gathering from pesticide free locations. If you are not 100% sure about the plant, don't eat it! Each person should also be aware of the potential side effects if they have any health conditions. So do your research :)

"What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Beautiful but Weak

Though part of me feels bad for those who have allergies, I have to admit, spring is my favorite time of year. The baby animals, nesting birds, egg laying ducks, flowering trees, frog eggs, the birds' morning chorus... each is a reminder that spring is here... that life is stirring. There's growth, change, and birth everywhere.

Bagworm moth cocoon

Each year I look forward to the first blossoms of spring. In our area, the most common early flowering tree is the Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana). Snowy white blossoms engulf the tree in spring and these tall bouquets embellish many driveways and yards. The trees grow quickly, are disease resistant, and are able to adapt to a variety of growing conditions. The small fruit of the tree is not poisonous, though they don't taste all that great. However, the seeds are considered mildly poisonous if ingested in large quantities. Despite some of the seemingly positive qualities, the Bradford pear trees are structurally weak, have shallow roots and tend to break in strong winds.

Though there are many lessons that can be learned from trees, to me this tree is a beautiful yet sobering reminder that outward appearances are not what really matter; what matters is the depth and strength of our character which can only come from being deeply rooted in God. When the storms of life come, will we stand tall and strong or will we break and fall?

"I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through His spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is." Ephesians 3:16-18

Fruit of the Bradford pear (picture taken in the fall)