Nests!

Let's talk nests!  Every animal has a home--some are below ground in burrows and dens and some are above ground in huts and tree cavities!  Many, however, are high up on the branches of trees among the leaves!  Both birds and many squirrels build nests in trees to keep hidden from and out of reach of predators.  When squirrels cannot find a tree cavity to nest in, they will build their nests in the crook of a tree's trunk and a branch using small twigs loosely woven into a mat and then covered with lots and lots of leaves!  Birds, on the other hand, build their nests on tree branches using many different building materials including moss, sticks, feathers, dried grasses, and mud, just to name a few!  Below are pictures of nests--can you figure out which nest belongs to a squirrel and which belongs to a bird?

You will see many nests when you hike River Bend's trails!  Here's a challenge for you on your next visit: how many bird and squirrel nests can you find on your hike!  Then, return a couple of weeks later--can you still find as many nests?  Before the leaves begin to unfurl, you may see an increase in the number of bird and squirrel nests!  As birds migrate back to Wisconsin from their over-wintering grounds in the south, they will need to build nests to live in!  Additionally, as young squirrels leave their birth nests, they will also need to build nests for themselves to keep hidden and out of the elements.  Once the leaves come out, however, it will be harder to find these nests because the leaves will hide them, keeping them safe!

Many animals are hungry this time of year--especially birds returning from their spring migration and squirrels who have run out of their food caches (where they've hidden their food).  Do you want to help the birds and squirrels at your house?  Make some feeders!  Check out the links below for great ideas on bird and squirrel feeders to hang outside.  Remember to keep your feeders safe--place them well away from your windows to avoid bird strikes and away from large trees to avoid predators like cats!

Bird Feeders--Be sure to check out the pine cone bird feeders!
https://happyhooligans.ca/32-homemade-bird-feeders/ 

Squirrel Feeders
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/499618152382188475/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/50454458295327969/

It's a Hooot--The Animal Joke of the Week
Q: Where do mice park their boats?
A: At the hickory dickory dock!

Riddle Me This...
I'm armored but not a knight.
I'm snapping but not a twig.
I'm always at home, even when I'm on the move!
What am I?
(A: ELTRUT)

Phenomenal Phenology!
This week in phenology:

• Great Blue Herons arrive
• Canada geese lay eggs
• House Wrens return
• Prairie Smoke blooms

Critter Corner!

Last Week's Answer: North American Raccoon! (AKA: Procyon lotor)
FACT: There are seven species of raccoon all over the world and Christopher Columbus was one of the first to write about them!  Many people believed that raccoons were related to dogs, cats, badgers, and even bears!  Then, Carl Linnaeus, the 'father of modern taxonomy', named it Ursus lotor, which means 'washer bear' because he believed raccoons were related to bears (Ursus) and because raccoons like to 'wash' (lotor) their food in water before they eat!  Later, scientists decided raccoons were not related to bears and placed them in their own genus Procyon, which means 'before the dog' or 'doglike'.

Can you name this week's mystery animal below?  Hint: River Bend's Root River is home to a large rookery of nests where parents raise their chicks together until they fledge and leave the nests! The answer will be posted in next week's edition!

That's all for this week--thanks for reading!
Stay wild and free and healthy as can be!
-CT

Springtime Hikes at River Bend!

It's springtime here at River Bend and our trails are open and showing signs of life once again!  In addition to the arrival of birds migrating back from their southern over-wintering grounds, early spring flowers are emerging, frogs are calling, and insects are buzzing!  This is also a great time to track your favorite forest animal as they leave prints behind in the mud!  If you're looking for something to do, stop over and see if you can find the following on your hike:

Deer and Raccoon Tracks

Pinecones

Skunk Cabbages

Tree Buds

"TIBS" (AKA: The Infamous Black Squirrel)

Acorns (that the squirrels forgot about!)

Rocks covered in lichen

Moss a the base of a tree

Ducks on the Root River

Looking for something to do at home?  Try mini gardening!  All you need are Dixie cups, dirt, water, seeds, and a small cardboard box.  Directions: Fill each cup 3/4 of the way with dirt.  Using your finger, push a hole in the dirt about 1/2 an inch down in each cup.  Drop one-to-two seeds in each hole and sprinkle more dirt over the hole so it is covered.  Place each cup into the cardboard box (AKA: your garden bed!) and place near a window for ample sunlight.  Don't forget to write the names of the flowers or vegetables you planted on the side of the box!  Give each cup a little water (a couple of tablespoons every couple of days or when the soil feels dry to the touch should do the trick!) and watch your garden grow!  This is exactly what's happening at River Bend--all our plants and trees are beginning to emerge, sprout, and wake up from their long winter's nap!  Enjoy!

Check out our Critter Corner below--can you identify the animal in our trail camera photo?
We'll post the answer in next week's edition!

Stop back next week and discover more fun ideas for your hike and at home!  

Next week's topic is: Nests

Stay wild and free and healthy as can be!

-CT

Critter Corner

11/18/19 Birding in Winter

The weather outside is frightful,

but the birds are so delightful!

Although many of our bird species have 'flown the coop' for warmer climes, we still have many that make their home here at River Bend year-round.  You may have noticed one of their not-so-subtle adaptations... like the kid in the puffy jacket on A Christmas Story, our winter residents spend time putting on weight in the fall, growing warm down plumage, and puffing out their feathers to keep warm.  Staying in the north affords several advantages to these birds--they avoid the risks of migration and maintain their territory, unlike exhausted migrants who must compete for nesting sites upon their return in the spring.

Some birds, such as the black-capped chickadee, are very good at adapting to the cold, especially at night when temperatures drop dramatically.  They perform a nifty little trick called regulated hypothermia to save valuable energy and stay warm.  Similar to torpor, or full hibernation, this allows birds to decrease their body temperatures by as much as 22 degrees in the evenings without expending much energy waking in the morning as temperatures warm.  Conversely, Hummingbirds who experience torpor expend a lot of energy each time they emerge from their deep sleep, which is why this strategy is so uncommon in non-migratory, cold-climate species.

This tiny cold-weather expert has yet another trick up its plumage... shivering.  Shivering is our body's attempt to produce heat and keep the core warm.  While these little birds do not shiver in the same sense that we do, muscle contractions produced by firing opposing muscle groups generate enough heat to help keep this little bird warm.

Many species depend on a mixture of these adaptations to keep warm during the winter.  Dense pines and the act of huddling with other birds helps maintain a constant body temperature, while fatty foods found at nearby feeders, such as sunflower seeds and suet, aid in maintaining additional insulation.  Some birds are masters at redirecting their circulation to keep different parts of their bodies warm.  Gulls, for example, will circulate blood to vital organs while allowing their extremities to drop to near-freezing temperatures, (Audubon.org).  This allows gulls and other species to stand on ice for extended periods of time without freezing.

While most birds are leaving Wisconsin's wintery landscape, others are just arriving.  This is a great time to search for young Snowy Owls as they perch on posts and poles scanning the ground below for prey.  Interested in spotting other species here for the long-haul?  Check out our new pocket checklist for River Bend's birds, available for free in the lobby!  Really want to get your birding game on?  Participate in this year's Christmas Bird Count through the National Audubon Society found at the link below.

As you know, birds play an integral role in every ecosystem on the planet and it's our responsibility to maintain their link in the web.  Whether you provide food, promote dense foliage, or maintain heated birdbaths, please continue your efforts to help these amazing birds survive the brutal Wisconsin winters!

 https://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count

Happy birding!

                                                                         

                                                                 -CT

11/15/19 Welcome Nature Seekers!

Welcome Nature Seekers!

In this blog
You will find
Something natural
Of every kind.

Where frogs and toads
And deer abound,
All one must do is
Look around!

Curious about
How they grow?
What else would you
Like to know?

Of leaves and trees
And rocks and bees?
Where fireflies
Dance on the breeze?

You will find
All this and more
Where the river bends
And the eagles soar.

To answer the
Questions that you seek,
Simply scroll down
And take a peek!

                                                                -C. Trushinsky