Monday, May 12, 2025
All's well that ends well
Friday, May 9, 2025
Still alive ...
... I was wrong.
My last two posts were essentially about this swan and what to do if you hook a bird while fishing. Hint: don't cut the line!
This is the first time I have seen this swan after hypothesizing that it was probably dead. But yesterday mid-day here it was again, alone and vigorously preening in the Nashua Canal west of the bridge (across from the athletic building and near the tennis courts.)
Oh, you say, it's just a Mute Swan, an invasive, non-native. Don't worry about it. And, truthfully, I never guessed I would spend so much blog time on a Mute Swan. No! This is hardly the point. This bird could just as easily be a Trumpeter Swan, a Great Blue Heron, a Northern Shoveler, a Red-breasted merg, a Belted Kingfisher, an Eastern Screech Owl, a Herring Gull (scroll down). It could be, and often is, a Brown Pelican. You get the point. This time of year a Mute swan would not normally be seen alone. It would be paired up and its mate would be somewhere nearby. It bothers me. I hope it bothers you, too.
Again, Fishermen - what to do if you hook a bird!
I met up with another birder, Lorri W., and pointed the bird out to her. By this time, it had finished its preening and was sleeping with head tucked.
Saturday, May 3, 2025
Fishermen - what to do if you hook a bird
On April 27th I wrote "A river runs through it" (no, not the Norman Maclean story) and yesterday, May 2nd, I listened to the ABA podcast. Even in blog writing things can occur serendipitously. Recognizing that a fisherman is highly unlikely to ever read this blog, or that a birder is almost equally as unlikely to read an addendum posted at the end of one, I prepared this stand alone entry. The photos below were taken a week ago and this observation continues to bother me.
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Failed eBird's April challenge
For anyone interested: Here are the details of the eBird's May challenge.
Couldn't cut the mustard for April's challenge. I started this month birding on April 1st at Belle Isle in response to the eBird April challenge. (Truthfully, Belle Isle is the only place I've birded this year.) The challenge: chose one place and bird that location twenty times during the month of April and document all sightings. I tried but didn't make it. Twenty times is a lot and many of the days were already occupied by other commitments. As of yesterday my April visits numbered fourteen. I am going to try to get back either today or tomorrow to round out my effort at fifteen visits.
You can review the details of the April challenge in the link. Will link the April eBirder(s) of the month when announced. By contrast May's challenge seems a little easier and many are likely to participate. April weather in my location began with cold, north wind days that persisted through Easter. Nevertheless, with each visit I seemed to find a new bird.
For no particular reason and in no particular order, I chose these photos to document my effort. I did enjoy the challenge and found birds I probably will not see again this year. I also saw birds that I had not seen in many years because I have not paid attention to seeing waterfowl.
Field Sparrow
Just removed a crawling wood tick from my neck that came home with me following yesterday's visit. I was hoping that our cold and relatively snowy winter would keep the little bastards' numbers down. Wishful thinking. Now that more and more white-tailed deer are on the island the risk of picking up deer ticks (the Lyme tick) will increase.
Finally, I went to Belle Isle on April 30th to achieve fifteen visits for the month of April.
Sunday, April 27, 2025
A river runs through it
I had walked past the Mute Swan, alone and swimming slowly, considered taking a photo but didn't. I didn't notice the fishing lure. With this new information I hustled back to see if I could see the fishing lure.
Friday, April 11, 2025
Native Gardening from the NYT
The Four Ecologically Crucial Things You Should Do in Your Garden by Elizabeth Roach, April 9, 2025.
I commented on this recent NYT article and received very helpful feedback about how to manage tall meadow plants that grow too tall and then fall over because they have no supporting meadow plants around them.
Elizabeth from NYC responded with this: "It’s not as nature would do it, but try the “Chelsea Chop.” Basically, cut those perennials back when they reach about 6 inches. They’ll both stay short and thicken up.
You can get fancy and do a graduated circle. Cut lower on the outside of a clump, gradually cutting higher toward the inside. You can leave the original rangy growth in the middle. You’ll get a longer bloom time, and the short stalks will hold up the longer ones on the inside."
I have several plantings that I need to try this with: Ironweed, false sunflower, blazing star come quickly to mind.
The comments section closed before I could thank her.
Sunday, April 6, 2025
A cure for my doldrums
Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus). At least twenty were on the river.
The eBird April challenge is the bird and checklist at least 20 times from the same location. The better to experience how spring migration evolves over April and May. I considered trying to do this at Belle Isle but it seems highly unlikely that I'll be able to pull it off.
Friday, April 4, 2025 eBird checklist
Additional findings on Tuesday, 04/08/2025
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)