White-breasted nuthatches (Sitta carolinensis) eat insects and large, meaty seeds. They get their common name from their habit of jamming nuts and acorns into tree bark, then whacking them with their sharp bill to “hatch” out the seed from the inside. They nest in holes in trees (either created naturally or excavated by woodpeckers) and are most commonly found in deciduous woodland. I was very happy to meet this one today.
It’s been a long while since we had a bird collision. The shelf outside the kitchen window, complete with tall plants, was doing the trick. But yesterday a black-headed grosbeak flew into a gap in the foliage and crashed. The saddest part was that we had only just seen her at the bird bath a day or two before — grosbeaks are not common visitors here. So freaking sad.
The great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), also known as the hoot owl, is a large raptor native to the Americas. We often hear them at night, and sometimes see them. They eat “almost any living creature that walks, crawls, flies, or swims, except the large mammals.”1 In fact over 500 species have been identified as great horned owl prey.
1Lee, Carol. “Powerful feet and talons help birds of prey make their living”. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
Exciting times here today! I don’t know what the prey was, but the predator was very impressive!
This handsome, clever, bossy corvid has been absent from our garden for a few months, but is back this week. California (formerly “Western”) Scrub-Jays are not migratory, so I’m not sure where ours have been hanging out of late. I’m guessing they were raising a brood on a neighbouring property.
Studies show that scrub-jays are among the most intelligent of animals. The brain-to-body mass ratio of adult scrub-jays rivals that of chimpanzees and cetaceans, and is dwarfed only by that of humans. Welcome back, smartypants!
The Western Snowy Plover nests on open sand, so it’s extremely vulnerable to human impacts, both direct and indirect. For example, the kelp that is washed ashore is browsed upon by many insects and crustaceans. These invertebrates are a primary food source for plovers and other shore birds, so “cleaning up” the wrack removes a key element in the food chain. A more indirect impact: the population explosion of crows and ravens — caused by the abundant food sources offered by humans — has greatly multiplied a major plover predator.
At current counts, there are less than 2500 Western Snowy Plovers throughout their coastal range (a population of 3000 is the minimum goal) and their habitat continues to shrink. So if you see a cable fence on your local beach, be sure to stay out of the nesting zone to give these vulnerable (and adorable) birds a chance to breed and thrive.
Thanks to Kriss Neuman of Point Blue Conservation Science for a fascinating lesson. Thanks to John Muir Laws for his drawing tips.
Last day of Wild Wonder was a doozy. I especially liked learning more about scavengers, detritivores and decomposers from Robin Lee Carlson. I feel chock full of learning, inspiration, and screen overload. Time to get outside!!
Downy woodpeckers are native to the (mainly deciduous) forested areas of North America. They are the smallest of the woodpeckers in N. America —14 to 18 cm (5.5 to 7.1 in) in length. They mainly eat insects, but they also feed on seeds and berries. They are a natural predator of the European corn borer, a moth that costs the US agriculture industry more than $1 billion annually in crop losses and population control.
I had fun painting this one with Ian de Hoog as my instructor.
I always love a Jean Mackay class. Here in SoCal we don’t have many deciduous trees, so it’s not likely I’ll get to see a lot of abandoned nests in bare branches in the coming months. But I’ll be keeping my eyes open, just in case.
hashiworks 