Whoops!

My goodness, I just noticed how long it's been since I've posted anything to this blog. I guess, like most people, I've been so caught up in the political campaigns that the blog has sort of taken a back seat to the TV news. To all those who faithfully look in here from time to time, my sincere apologies. Though I never shied away from including the political implications of some of these topics, I never intended it to become a political blog, per se. Hence the dearth of new posts during this highly-charged political season.

Now that it's over, there seems to be new found hope in a new president who has a stated commitment to environmental preservation and remediation. Barack Obama hasn't taken office as yet, but we are very hopeful that he will live up to his promise to see that he leaves the planet greener than he found it. We should all match his commitment with our own, and work together to see that the planet remains healthy for future generations.

A brief wildlife observation: I have let a vine grow over one of my window screens in my living room. It has become a haven for migrating birds passing through and stopping in our woods for a rest. Palm Warblers are common, as well as Carolina Wrens and other tiny winged creatures, and I press my nose practically up against the inside glass to observe them at close range. What a treat!


Carolina Wren

See you next time; not so long, I promise. Peace.

Miscellaneous stuff

Just a few words to keep current -- my resident Eastern Phoebes have left their nest. It had fallen onto the porch from above the lamp where they had built it. I don't know if the young had matured and flew away on their own, or if they were the victims of predators. The adults seem to be still around, so perhaps it was the latter. I won't dwell on it. I'm sorry to see them go, and I hope they decide to rebuild someday in the same spot. I'll leave the light off for them.

Honda has announced the release of a hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicle, called the FCX Clarity. There are only 200 scheduled to be made in the initial production run, simply because the infrastructure required to refuel them will need to catch up. And they are expensive, at $600 per month on a three year lease. But with fuel economy the equivalent of 65 mpg, and the exhaust plain water vapor, the potential for replacing traditional fossil fuel vehicles seems extraordinary. See this article from the New York Times, or Google for more information.

See you next time. Namaste.

Turkeys, again

Not too long ago I observed, in my neighbor's yard, an enormous rafter (look it up!) of wild turkeys -- possibly 20 of them! They had obviously found something delicious to eat, or amusing to do, as they kicked through the new grass on this woman's lawn. It was really pretty amazing; I don't think I'd ever seen a bunch that big before. Eight or ten, yes, but this was ridiculous! It was quite amazing to see. There were no displaying males; apparently there were several mothers with their young ambling slowly among the trees. I wished that I hadn't been in such a hurry at the time, I would have pulled up a bit and got a good, long look through my binoculars.

Now the other side of this coin is my bow hunter is also back. He had a shoulder injury of some kind last year and I didn't see him, but he pulled in early the other morning in a new pickup, ready to shoot a turkey or two to bring his family a good, fresh dinner. As usual, I was ambivalent about this. The guy seems to be okay; at least he's using a bow and arrow, far more sporting than a rifle; and I get the feeling there's quite a bit more chance involved, possibly because his bowmanship is not so good. I didn't suggest it; but you know, if it was Canada Geese he was after I wouldn't mind so much, since the geese seem to have a much greater population density. The turkeys are also so much more striking to look at, with their size and color. But once again I let it go, and wished him good luck. He doesn't want more than one or two, and I know he and his family are eating them (unlike a guy I once lived next door to in Gloucester who would shoot ducks and throw their carcasses in the trash). It's sad for me to think that any one of these beautiful birds would not be living out his natural life; but that is the way of the world, and we all must complete the circle somehow. One bird's life ends so that the hunters' may be extended. Seems that's how it's supposed to work.

Ornithology 301: Hybrid Warblers

It has long been known that birds occasionally, though rarely, interbreed -- a male of one species will mate with a female of another, yielding often interesting results. Nowhere are the results more colorful and fascinating than in warblers, the tiny songbirds that are already seemingly infinite in variety. An informative article at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology website gives us a "mystery bird": while educating the reader about hybridization, the article offers a challenge for sharp-eyed birders to identify a recently discovered hybrid's parentage. Caveat -- this is for serious birders who want a) a tough challenge for the eye, and b) an introduction to a fairly advanced topic in ornithology, although it's written for the average reader and no knowledge of difficult science is assumed. I found it fascinating, and, for the record, I didn't identify either of the bird's parents correctly!

Wild Turkeys

Leaving the house the other afternoon, I saw a group of wild turkeys in the field next door to my house. I noticed several females and a few males with tails fanned out and looking splendid! They were ambling towards a thicket that borders my driveway, so I slowed down to look at them more closely, and so as not to scare them. They were truly beautiful birds -- and huge! I've been allowing a bow hunter to take one or two turkeys a year from the land around here, but it always bothers my conscience to think he might be splitting up such a beautiful family. I'll check with him this year to let him know my feelings in the matter. In the meantime, the turkeys are flourishing!

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

They're back!

The phoebes have returned to nest above my porchlight again this year. This is my sign of spring. There is only room there for a single nest, sitting right on top of the lampshade, and I just leave it for them to come sweep out and move back in every year. It has rendered my porch light useless, of course, but I would just as soon have the pleasure of the phoebes' company as the illumination of my porch. They've come back every year, with the one exception of the year of the rabies epidemic that decimated the wildlife in my wooded area. That year there was nothing around -- no deer, wild turkeys, coyotes, even very few songbirds. That was several years ago, and since then the wildlife has struggled back pretty much to normal. We had chickadees, robins and cardinals all year, of course, but the phoebes' presence signals to me a healthy new season. Welcome back, guys!

Dave