Once again, we have escaped the Midwestern winter for a week in South Florida. Leaving the cold, snowy landscape of Missouri yesterday afternoon, we arrived at our condo on Longboat Key at sunset, under clear but cool skies. This morning, with the temperature in the upper 30s F, we awoke to low tide on Sarasota Bay.
Despite the chilly temperature, a great variety of waterbirds had gathered in the shallows. Great egrets dominated the scene, joined by smaller flocks of white pelicans, double-crested cormorants, snowy egrets, little blue herons, white ibis, pied billed grebes and red-breasted mergansers. A lone wood stork, several great blue herons and a handful of yellow-crowned night herons foraged along the mangrove islands while brown pelicans and royal terns dove for their morning meal.
Once the January sun had tempered the morning chill, we headed to the Gulf side of the Key for a walk along Longboat's uncrowded beach. Due to little wind over the past few days, the Gulf was flat and placid and only a low, gentle surf lapped the shoreline. Laughing gulls, royal terns and sandwich terns basked on the modest dunes while squadrons of brown pelicans undulated across the calm, blue sea. Walking barefoot on the cool sand, our memories of recent frigid nights and windblown snow quickly faded in the warm, morning sun.
Minggu, 15 Januari 2012
Jumat, 13 Januari 2012
Raptor Hunt
The farmlands of the American West attract a wide variety of raptors and winter is perhaps the best season to observe them. Buteos and large owls are easier to spot in the barren woodlands and the demands of this harsh season ensure that both prey and hunters are especially active. In addition, the songbird flocks of winter provide tempting targets for accipiters and falcons.
Having convinced myself of these facts, I set out on this bright, frigid day on a circuit through the farmlands that surround Columbia. Red-tailed hawks, as expected, were common and American kestrels were spaced along the rural power lines but other raptors did not cooperate with my well-conceived plan; only a lone red-shouldered hawk, hunched on a creekside limb, made an appearance. Though I scoured the grasslands east of town for a short-eared owl and searched the Missouri River floodplain for a bald eagle, my efforts were in vain. Were it not for the beautiful countryside and a wealth of rural songbirds, I might have been disappointed.
As any experienced birder can attest, when it comes to finding their quarry, the expected does not always occur and the unexpected often ends up providing the highlight of the day. On this trip, neither the expected nor the unexpected materialized. Then again, it's the adventure of the hunt that counts and, as they proclaim on those ads for miraculous potions, results may vary.
Having convinced myself of these facts, I set out on this bright, frigid day on a circuit through the farmlands that surround Columbia. Red-tailed hawks, as expected, were common and American kestrels were spaced along the rural power lines but other raptors did not cooperate with my well-conceived plan; only a lone red-shouldered hawk, hunched on a creekside limb, made an appearance. Though I scoured the grasslands east of town for a short-eared owl and searched the Missouri River floodplain for a bald eagle, my efforts were in vain. Were it not for the beautiful countryside and a wealth of rural songbirds, I might have been disappointed.
As any experienced birder can attest, when it comes to finding their quarry, the expected does not always occur and the unexpected often ends up providing the highlight of the day. On this trip, neither the expected nor the unexpected materialized. Then again, it's the adventure of the hunt that counts and, as they proclaim on those ads for miraculous potions, results may vary.
Kamis, 12 Januari 2012
Winter Plunges South
After a week of spring-like weather across much of the country, winter has returned with a vengeance, plunging southward along the east slope of the Rockies and across the Great Plains. The leading edge of this Arctic front passed through Columbia late last evening, producing two inches of snow and dropping our temperature by 30 degrees F overnight. This morning, with residual flurries and a gusty northwest wind, it is 17 degrees in central Missouri.
To our northeast, low pressure is strengthening over the Great Lakes and is forecast to bring the first major snowstorm of the season to that region before heading toward New England. In concert, polar air will invade the northern U.S., temporarily erasing any memories of a mild winter season.
Once again, this storm front has dropped from Canada into the Heartland, bypassing areas west of the Continental Divide and providing no relief from the western snow drought. In fact, another atmospheric ridge will develop behind this winter storm, ushering warm, dry air across the Intermountain West and High Plains. Hopefully, the stagnant jet stream pattern will soon shift, directing Pacific moisture toward the Sierra Nevada, Wasatch Front and western slope of the Rockies. If not, the mild, dry winter across the West will come with a very steep price.
To our northeast, low pressure is strengthening over the Great Lakes and is forecast to bring the first major snowstorm of the season to that region before heading toward New England. In concert, polar air will invade the northern U.S., temporarily erasing any memories of a mild winter season.
Once again, this storm front has dropped from Canada into the Heartland, bypassing areas west of the Continental Divide and providing no relief from the western snow drought. In fact, another atmospheric ridge will develop behind this winter storm, ushering warm, dry air across the Intermountain West and High Plains. Hopefully, the stagnant jet stream pattern will soon shift, directing Pacific moisture toward the Sierra Nevada, Wasatch Front and western slope of the Rockies. If not, the mild, dry winter across the West will come with a very steep price.
Rabu, 11 Januari 2012
The Winter Forest
The winter forest does not offer the attractive wildflowers of early spring, the fragrant humidity of a summer morning or the brilliant foliage of glorious October. Neither does it promise the explosion of life encountered during the warmer months: those colorful birds, agile lizards, slithering snakes and buzzing insects. But the winter forest harbors its own gifts.
First and foremost is the silence, broken only by the distant call of jays, the drumming of woodpeckers and the twittering of songbird groups as they roam through the woodland. Then there is that fresh, invigorating air, often scented by woodsmoke from a nearby farmhouse; unlike the shaded summer woods, the barren forest welcomes the sun and long shadows stretch across its leaf-covered floor. Hiking along its frozen trails or trudging through its crunchy snow, the naturalist hopes to spot an owl on its daytime roost; perhaps a saw-whet owl in the cedars or a screech owl peering from a tree cavity.
Above all else, the winter forest offers solitude, an escape from the turmoil of human society and a chance to meet nature on her own terms. If prepared with warm, layered clothing and good hiking boots, those who venture into the winter woods soon experience the many benefits to both body and soul.
First and foremost is the silence, broken only by the distant call of jays, the drumming of woodpeckers and the twittering of songbird groups as they roam through the woodland. Then there is that fresh, invigorating air, often scented by woodsmoke from a nearby farmhouse; unlike the shaded summer woods, the barren forest welcomes the sun and long shadows stretch across its leaf-covered floor. Hiking along its frozen trails or trudging through its crunchy snow, the naturalist hopes to spot an owl on its daytime roost; perhaps a saw-whet owl in the cedars or a screech owl peering from a tree cavity.
Above all else, the winter forest offers solitude, an escape from the turmoil of human society and a chance to meet nature on her own terms. If prepared with warm, layered clothing and good hiking boots, those who venture into the winter woods soon experience the many benefits to both body and soul.
Selasa, 10 Januari 2012
Trumpeters at Riverlands
The Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, north of St. Louis, does not occupy pristine natural landscape; transmission lines, with their huge metal towers, stretch along the west boundary of the 1200 acre preserve, homes and buildings of Alton, Illinois, cover the ridge to the east, power plant chimneys rise in various directions and the massive, concrete bulk of the Melvin Price Locks and Dam looms at its southeast corner. Nevertheless, the fields, ponds, lakes and wetlands of this refuge are magnets for migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, waders and songbirds as they travel along the Mississippi River and provide winter habitat for a variety of species.
Over the past decade or so, trumpeter swans have joined those migrants as this species has been re-established across the Upper Midwest. Last winter, 500 trumpeters wintered at Riverlands, the largest seasonal flock to date; according to refuge personnel, approximately 700 of these swans were in the vicinity just before the Holidays but most have dispersed to other areas and some 200 remain on the refuge at present. Indeed, on my visit this morning, they were the most common bird at Riverlands, gathering in loose flocks on the shallow pools west of the roadway; they were joined by a small number of tundra swans, difficult to distinguish at a distance but betrayed by their high-pitched whoops, contrasting with the nasal honks of the trumpeters.
Among the other winter residents and visitors were two flocks of greater white-fronted geese, a dozen or so bald eagles, a large flock of ruddy ducks, numerous common goldeneyes and a fair number of canvasbacks. Northern harriers patrolled the grasslands and small flocks of Canada geese moved among the wetlands. Surprise visitors were three American white pelicans and a handful of double-crested cormorants, still up north due to our mild early winter. But the trumpeters had prompted my visit and I was not disappointed; as usual, their wild chatter and majestic flights were the highlight of my morning.
Over the past decade or so, trumpeter swans have joined those migrants as this species has been re-established across the Upper Midwest. Last winter, 500 trumpeters wintered at Riverlands, the largest seasonal flock to date; according to refuge personnel, approximately 700 of these swans were in the vicinity just before the Holidays but most have dispersed to other areas and some 200 remain on the refuge at present. Indeed, on my visit this morning, they were the most common bird at Riverlands, gathering in loose flocks on the shallow pools west of the roadway; they were joined by a small number of tundra swans, difficult to distinguish at a distance but betrayed by their high-pitched whoops, contrasting with the nasal honks of the trumpeters.
Among the other winter residents and visitors were two flocks of greater white-fronted geese, a dozen or so bald eagles, a large flock of ruddy ducks, numerous common goldeneyes and a fair number of canvasbacks. Northern harriers patrolled the grasslands and small flocks of Canada geese moved among the wetlands. Surprise visitors were three American white pelicans and a handful of double-crested cormorants, still up north due to our mild early winter. But the trumpeters had prompted my visit and I was not disappointed; as usual, their wild chatter and majestic flights were the highlight of my morning.
Senin, 09 Januari 2012
A Frosty Floodplain
As I entered Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area this morning, the sun was just clearing the wooded ridge along the east edge of the Missouri River floodplain. In concert, it illuminated a heavy frost that coated the fields, marshlands and barren woods of the refuge. Ice-covered shallows had flooded the crop stubble but, thanks to our mild winter, the ponds and lakes remained open.
Heading southward through the preserve, I noticed the bulky silhouettes of red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks, spaced along the wood margins, and saw a pair of bald eagles, perched in a large cottonwood. Northern harriers strafed the fields, squadrons of restless ducks and gulls wheeled overhead and stoic great blue herons waded through the icy pools. A belted kingfisher, noisy as ever, hunted above the primary channel while armadas of American coot docked on the east side of muskrat mounds to catch the morning sun. Winter sparrows and juncos flashed across the roadway, diving into thickets to evade the harriers, and a pair of downies picked their way through a grove of saplings.
Mallards and gadwall dominated the waterfowl population, joined by small flocks of lesser scaup, ring-necked ducks and wood ducks. Canada geese, already dispersed into their monogamous pairs, mingled with the ducks and, as noted above, coot were unusually common for this time of year, another reflection of our mild early winter. Though I hoped to encounter some of the trumpeter swans that are wintering in Missouri, none were evident at Eagle Bluffs this morning; that goal should be reached tomorrow, when I pay a mid winter visit to the Riverlands nature preserve, just north of St. Louis.
Heading southward through the preserve, I noticed the bulky silhouettes of red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks, spaced along the wood margins, and saw a pair of bald eagles, perched in a large cottonwood. Northern harriers strafed the fields, squadrons of restless ducks and gulls wheeled overhead and stoic great blue herons waded through the icy pools. A belted kingfisher, noisy as ever, hunted above the primary channel while armadas of American coot docked on the east side of muskrat mounds to catch the morning sun. Winter sparrows and juncos flashed across the roadway, diving into thickets to evade the harriers, and a pair of downies picked their way through a grove of saplings.
Mallards and gadwall dominated the waterfowl population, joined by small flocks of lesser scaup, ring-necked ducks and wood ducks. Canada geese, already dispersed into their monogamous pairs, mingled with the ducks and, as noted above, coot were unusually common for this time of year, another reflection of our mild early winter. Though I hoped to encounter some of the trumpeter swans that are wintering in Missouri, none were evident at Eagle Bluffs this morning; that goal should be reached tomorrow, when I pay a mid winter visit to the Riverlands nature preserve, just north of St. Louis.
Minggu, 08 Januari 2012
Trust & Doubt
As children, we humans trust everyone and everything. Of course, this reflects the fact that, at that age, we are entirely dependent on others for our basic needs and our worldly experience is extremely limited; indeed, if not closely supervised by adults, children would not survive their first years of life. Later in childhood, as we learn that certain cultural myths are fabrications, designed to mold our behavior, we begin to lose trust in our parents and other adults. By our teenage years, as the drive for independence intensifies, our tendency to doubt the wisdom of authority figures reaches its zenith.
Once unleashed, doubt will accompany us throughout our lives and trust will become its feeble stepsister. As we endure a variety of life changing events, from failed relationships to career setbacks, our ability to trust others is repeatedly tested. In concert with these personal experiences, we witness a litany of public scandals, reinforcing our distrust of political, religious and corporate leaders. Above all else, we come to appreciate the selfish nature of the human animal and exercise caution in our approach to personal, social and business relationships. Of course, love may trump doubt but then love blinds us in so many ways.
This general suppression of trust, accompanied by a willingness to express doubt, is actually healthy in a number of ways. Rather than going with the flow, we become more innovative and creative, feeding the advance of art, science and technology. The rise of entrepreneurism, vital to any dynamic economy, is, in part, driven by the choice to trust one's own knowledge, skills and business instincts. In a broader sense, our willingness to doubt the wisdom of certain governmental policies or cultural practices is the first step toward their eradication. While a certain degree of trust is essential to foster social, commercial and international cooperation, it is doubt that protects human rights and advances our civilization.
Once unleashed, doubt will accompany us throughout our lives and trust will become its feeble stepsister. As we endure a variety of life changing events, from failed relationships to career setbacks, our ability to trust others is repeatedly tested. In concert with these personal experiences, we witness a litany of public scandals, reinforcing our distrust of political, religious and corporate leaders. Above all else, we come to appreciate the selfish nature of the human animal and exercise caution in our approach to personal, social and business relationships. Of course, love may trump doubt but then love blinds us in so many ways.
This general suppression of trust, accompanied by a willingness to express doubt, is actually healthy in a number of ways. Rather than going with the flow, we become more innovative and creative, feeding the advance of art, science and technology. The rise of entrepreneurism, vital to any dynamic economy, is, in part, driven by the choice to trust one's own knowledge, skills and business instincts. In a broader sense, our willingness to doubt the wisdom of certain governmental policies or cultural practices is the first step toward their eradication. While a certain degree of trust is essential to foster social, commercial and international cooperation, it is doubt that protects human rights and advances our civilization.
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