Call for Photo and Write-ups

by | Apr 22, 2017 | Birds, Flowers/Grasses, Nature, Trees/Shrubs, Wonderment

Mayapple blossom

Beautiful blossoms hide under the umbrella-like leaves.

First submission in! Hey all, on Facebook Winding Pathways invited folks to submit a favorite spring photo – tree, scene, flower, animal – with a short write-up of why you like that picture. And, Kansas readers Emily and Zach Hemmerling have already replied! Way to Go!

Now, I’d love to have about a dozen more so send them in to our email and I’ll continue processing and then post.  These samples of spring pictures.  Join in the fun and share your descriptions!

 

 

 

 

Best Birding in the Yard

by | Apr 18, 2017 | (Sub)Urban Homesteading, Birds, Nature

At Winding Pathways, we venture into our yard nearly every day, even if it’s raining, windy,

House Finch

Some birds homestead at Winding Pathways.

or frigid out. Of all the times, early May is our favorite to linger outdoors. Why? It’s the best birding.

Very late April and the first couple of weeks of May boast normally glorious weather, blooming flowers and birds. Lots of birds, including those we can only enjoy for a fleeting week or two.

Here’s how we group the birds that we enjoy in our yard. Odds are the same or similar species follow this pattern in backyards with good habitat across much of the continent.

THE HOMEBODIES

Some birds don’t migrate. They brave the cold and grace winter feeders. In summer, they often raise broods of babies on the edge of the yard. These include titmice, chickadees, cardinals, nuthatches, house sparrows, and many woodpeckers.

THE NORTHERNER

Juncos are almost always under our feeders all winter gleaning seeds. To a Junco Iowa is the balmy south with a “warm” winter. Around mid-April they head north to nest in the boreal forests of Canada and Minnesota.  We won’t see them again until around Halloween.

THE LOCALS

Many people consider the first sighting of a Robin to be a sign of spring. They assume the birds just arrived from the south. Robins, and closely related bluebirds, aren’t ambitious migrants. As the weather cools each fall, they abandon suburbia and move to nearby brushy areas for the winter. Winter Robins are common in orchards, the edges of farm fields, and wherever they can find dry and frozen fruit. These much-admired birds do a dietary switcheroo each year. Robins are famed worm eaters, and during warm months, they mostly eat insects and other invertebrates. In winter, they’re mostly vegetarians and dine on frozen berries. In years when fruit is scarce they’ll move south until they find suitable foraging.

THE HOMESTEADERS

Many birds are true migrants that winter far to the south but return north to raise a family. Among these true migrants are house wrens, rose breasted grosbeaks, orioles and indigo buntings. The homesteaders that nest at Winding Pathways have reached their northernmost destination but many of the same species simply rest and eat for a day or two before flying further north to nest. They are mere passersby.

THE AMBITIOUS MIGRANTS

Many birds are serious migrants that winter in South or Central America or the southern US and wing north to Canada and even Alaska to nest, only stopping to rest and eat for a day or two on their long journey. Many are warblers, although dozens of other bird species only use Winding Pathways as their “quick stop” on the way north. We can only enjoy the procession for a week or two in early May as the migrants stock up and then catch the next southerly winds to propel them to their nesting areas.

BIRDING AT ITS BEST

What’s remarkable about early May is the sheer diversity of birds that visit yards. It’s the best time to bring a cup of coffee and pair of binoculars outside.  Sit quietly and look and listen to discover the amazing array of birds not possible observe in other seasons.  A good bird book helps with identification but we often use the resources of the Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology to help us identify and learn about birds. Their website at includes outstanding information that helps us determine species by both sight and sound and we frequently use their MERLIN phone app when we’re hiking or camping.

 

It’s Night Crawling Time!

by | Apr 11, 2017 | Nature

There’s lots going on out on the lawn every dreary drizzly spring evening. Don’t miss the annual night crawler mating season. Night crawlers are a species of earthworms. Crawling is a fun family activity that only takes a few minutes and yields great fish bait.

 Night crawlers are huge earthworms that originally came from Europe. They were likely brought to North America in dirt used as ballast in sailing ships in the 1700’s and have been moved around the country wherever dirt was transported. Sometimes they hitch hiked in the root balls of nursery trees.

Worm Castings

Worms castings are great fertilizer. Worms convert organic matter like leaves grass and table scraps to great compost. Long live “worm poo!”

Today night crawlers are common in lawns nearly everywhere. During the day and in dry spells they stay underground. But, on damp spring evenings they rise to the surface to both feed and mate, leaving behind their tell-tale signs – castings.

 Each night crawler is both male and female. During the spring mating season, they crawl around on the lawn surface looking for a likely mate. When they find one the two temporarily cement themselves together with a mucus ring. Sperm are swapped between the two and soon they separate and perhaps munch on some dead leaves or bits of organic debris before returning underground. Eventually they’ll lay eggs to create a new generation of night crawlers.

How to Go Night Crawling

A drippy 50-degree night in April or May is the perfect time to go night crawling. Bring the kids. Don a raincoat and carry a can if you want to save some for fishing. An ideal flashlight has almost depleted batteries so it just glows. Or cover a brighter flashlight with a cloth handkerchief to mute its light. The cloth can be secured with a rubber band.

Night crawlers are wary and sensitive to soil vibration and noise, so walk gently and deliberately, shining the light in front. Crawlers are wet and look shiny in the dull light. Single crawlers usually keep their tail stuck down in the earth. If a noisy person approaches, it will quickly retreat underground backwards.  If you approach with stealth you can grab the surprised worm firmly but gently. It will respond by swelling its tail to grip the soil, making it hard to pull out.

There’s a trick. Hang on to the front of the worm but stop pulling and drop your hand toward the ground.  The worm will loosen its grip in an attempt to go deeper into its hole. This is when you pull it out with little resistance. Worms will stay alive and healthy for a couple of weeks if kept in cool damp earth. Some folks keep them in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Make sure the container is sealed – you really don’t want crawlers in your ‘fridge! They make outstanding fish bait.

Anyone out night crawling might encounter two mating worms.  They won’t or can’t escape  because they are joined. Leave them alone. Trying to catch them often causes one worm to break in half and destroys mating.

So, on a drippy dreary spring evening go night crawling! Kids love it.

Canada Geese Life Rhytym

by | Apr 4, 2017 | Birds, Nature

Rich made a New Year’s resolution to walk around Cedar Lake at least 100 times in 2017 after making over 90 lake circuits last year. The 60-acre lake is near downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and  features a 1.7 mile long paved trail following its shore. Every day pedestrians and bicyclists share the trail with Canada Geese.

“Lake circuits are always interesting, and many migrating water and shore birds visit Cedar Lake, but I especially like watching changes in goose behavior as the months go by,” Rich said.

Many people hate Canada Geese, mostly because of the mess they leave on the trail and lawns. But geese are fascinating animals. Closely observing them gives insights into their rhythm of life.

Geese live a long time. A quarter century is possible, which is a much longer lifespan than enjoyed by most wild animals. They pair up when young and mate for life. When a mate dies, the survivor often re-mates. Geese seem to enjoy plenty of leisure and like to socialize, and few predators bother them.

All winter they mingle in large flocks that are mostly big family groups of goose couples and their offspring. However, by early March the groups split up and human walkers around the Lake see mostly goose couples. They loiter near the trail, swim a bit, and forage on grass and grain spilled from nearby rail cars. In very early spring the female makes a simple nest on the ground. It’s hidden but if you see a goose pair in March their nest is likely close by.

Every day or two the female visits her nest and lays an egg before joining her mate for a day of foraging. Once the clutch of four to a dozen eggs is complete, she’ll begin a five-week incubation. During this time trail walkers only see single geese, and that’s likely the gander. He’s keeping a close eye on the hidden nest and his patient mate sitting on her eggs. Approach the nest and he will try to drive you away.

By the end of April, give or take a couple of weeks, the eggs hatch and for the next few months the parents protect and teach their youngsters. Baby geese, or goslings, grow fast and by late summer are full size and look just like their parents. For the next six or seven months they’ll stay with their family until it’s time to form pairs and begin the nesting process next spring.

Canada Geese are abundant and few urban wildlife sights are as pleasing to us as a flock winging over downtown at sunset.

 

Pileated Woodpecker on Suet

by | Mar 31, 2017 | Birds, Nature

The pileated woodpecker checked out the suet and finally flew to the ground then up to the feeder to hammer out chucks of suet. Then, off to the tree where a female played hide and seek with it.

Turkey Time!

by | Mar 28, 2017 | Birds, Nature

Well, the turkey characters are at it, again! Up they come each morning even  before sun up, looking quite fit and hale, and gobbling for breakfast.  At Winding Pathways we get a kick out of the web pages and sporting flyers that detail all the equipment one needs to bag a turkey and how early one has to get up to beat the turkeys out of bed.  Special camo clothes, calls, camo guns, shells. To the credit of the web sites, they do offer intriguing information on strutting, clutches of eggs, turkey senses, and habitat. A Kidzone site shares an interesting story of the “mix-up” of the name. and, of course, Audubon gives a great set of pictures and details about turkeys.  All fun reading.

From the comfort of our home, we sip our coffee and watch a crew of seven meander up from the ridge where they roosted and another eight that saunter over from the neighbor’s trees.  Then, it is the Sharks and the Jets (think West Side Story) as they squabble over the seed tossed out – not for them – but for the song birds. Or look at us with pathetic longing, trying to make us think they are starving.  Ha!

Meanwhile, the less dominant males slide in for a feast.

Same with mating. The dominant males strut and intimidate and the less aggressive males sidle up to a female that is ready and mate. Maybe we will eventually have less pushy turkeys.

Enjoy this gallery of winter and spring turkey antics.