Hummingbird Pulls Top Gun Stunts

For its size, courting flier dives faster than a returning space shuttle

Source: http://www.sciencenews.org/ by SusankMiliushummingbird

During breeding season, the male Anna’s hummingbirds soar some 30 meters and then dive, whizzing by a female so fast that their tail feathers chirp in the wind. As the birds pull out of their plunge to avoid crashing, they experience forces more than nine times the force of gravity. “They look like a little magenta fireball dropping out of the sky,” says Chris Clark of the University of California, Berkeley.

Clark took advantage of the males’ predictable dive orientation, setting out a caged female, or even a stuffed female on a stick, to inspire birds to dive right in front of his video cameras. Males flew up and plunged over the female typically 10 or 15 times in a row, but one enthusiastic stunt flier completed 75 consecutive dives with a break of only a few minutes.

Analyzing the recordings revealed that birds at first flapped their wings as they dove. For a short period at their peak speed, the birds folded their wings and drilled down through the air at speeds up to 61 miles per hour.

Adjust for body length, and the world just got a new fastest bird, Clark says. The hummingbirds’ speed reached 385 body lengths per second, easily beating the peregrine falcon’s recorded dives at 200 body lengths per second. A fighter jet with its afterburners on reaches 150 body lengths per second, and a space shuttle screaming down through the atmosphere hits 207 body lengths per second. Then diving males stretch out their wings to pull out of their dive before crashing. If birds didn't have great strength for this maneuver, "their wings would just break off," Clark says.

Such prowess impressed Clark, but when he saw wild female birds watching the show … well. “Sometimes they looked bored or flew away,” he says. Males typically just kept on diving.

Hummingbird Diving In Action from Science News on Vimeo.

I Need a Moment of Zen!

I am looking forward to the end of this week! I'd like to thank all the customers for your patience, and apologize for any inconvenience you experienced shopping at the Wild Birds Unlimited store in East Lansing.

The first half of the week I was on the phone with AT&T trying to fix our Internet connection problems so I could process credit cards. If you heard me screaming "yes, no, DSL, PC, no, no, technical support, I don't know!..." I was talking to AT&T's advanced automated customer service system. I finally reached a person that put me on hold while I was transferred to another person who transferred me... well you get the idea. After two days on the phone they sent me a new router that was programed wrong & I spent another day on the phone trying to connect to the Internet. Time to breath easy? Not yet.

Next came the replacement of our air conditioner and furnace which was located in the ceiling of our back room (cat room) and for some reason this took three very long days to complete. The cats were not amused. In fact poor little Eli Bird stayed in the seed room terrified most of the time. Time to breathe easy? Please, yes!

And if you come in next week give Eli an extra cuddle. He deserves it.

Fledglings Feed Nestlings

With Eastern Bluebirds both parents cooperate in raising the young. In Michigan it’s normal for them to have two broods each season.

Backyard birders in St. Louis, MO, documented bluebird fledglings from the first nesting help raise the nestlings of the next brood. Click HERE to see their photos. It’s rare but several studies show Eastern Bluebird fledglings occasionally stay around to help feed the nestlings in the second family.

Fledglings are grayish in color with a speckled breast. The blue color becomes much more prominent and the speckles on their breast disappear as they mature.

You can also watch a short video they made by clicking HERE.

"Good parents give their children Roots and Wings." --Jonas Salk

I’ve been watching a robin baby running around the yard chasing its parent around for the past week. I saw it on the suet feeder this morning feeding itself. How long before it is independent?

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It sounds like your little robin is coming right along. When robins first leave the nest they can't even fly.

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Baby robins are nurtured in their nest until they are about 2 weeks old. Then their parents begin a 2 week basic training course to teach their offspring to hop, sleep on sheltered branches at night, forage for food, and learn how to fly.
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Baby robins are very vulnerable before they can fly. To help ensure that the baby robins in your yard are safe, keep cats indoors and don't use unnecessary pesticides in the lawn and garden.
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It's a big world out there and it’s amazing how quickly these young birds learn to be independent.

Why did the Goldfinches stop coming to my feeder? It's still half full!

There is no one reason you don't have finches. First make sure your Nyjer seed is fresh. One way to do this is to pinch the seed with your fingernails and see if any oil comes out. The finches use their bills to twist the seed and sip the oil and then drop the shell. If your seed has dried out your feeder will be skipped. (Wild Birds Unlimited receives a fresh load of seed each week).

Second, make sure your feeder is clean. Finches are finicky and avoid dirty feeders.

Third, finches are notorious for leaving a tube feeder half full. Don't just top off your feeder with fresh seed. Empty the older seed (if it's still good) into a different container, fill the bottom of your feeder with new seed and top it off with the older seed. The birds will probably eat down to that certain level again and you'll have to repeat the process.

My favorite feeder is the Mesh Finch Feeder. Several birds can feed at a time, the seed airs out, it's easy to clean, easy to fill, has a lifetime guarantee, and is made in the USA. They eat from top to bottom. However if you're thinking of switching feeders be aware that finches don't like change and it may take several minutes to several months for Goldfinches to accept a new feeder.

Fourth, there are a lot of natural sources available right now. They are vegetarians and will flock to any flowers that form seed heads like cosmos or black-eyed-susans.

Fifth, the birds are very busy right now nesting. The Goldfinch is one of the latest breeding songbirds, waiting until mid-to-late summer when thistle seeds and down are readily available to weave nests and feed the young.

Is it worth the bother? Yes! I love the happy, warm, song of the Goldfinches. I love the huge flocks of finches that flutter down from the tops of trees as they take their turn at the feeder. I love that I can hang the feeder anywhere because squirrels and other animals don't bother with Nyjer Thistle. And once you understand the Goldfinches' needs, they are easy to please and very pleasing to watch.

What is Nyger Thistle?

Nyjer, niger, and thistle are all common names used to identify a tiny black birdseed cultivated in Asia and Africa that is high in calories and oil content, and loved by American Goldfinches. However it is not related to the purple, prickly, Canada thistle weed at all.

The scientific name for the Nyjer plant is Guizotia abyssinica. Its bloom has yellow, daisy-like flowers, and before it is shipped into the country the Nyjer seed has been heat treated to prevent the growth of any noxious seeds. Even if it did sprout, Michigan’s growing season is too short to produce a flowering plant.

In the U.S. there are 20 different kinds of native thistle plants, but by far the most common thistle in peoples yards was actually brought over from Europe. Canada thistle, Cirsium arvense, is a vigorous, competitive weed that occurs in a wide range of habitats and is difficult to control due to its ability to regrow from its extensive, deep creeping root system. It is native to Europe and was apparently introduced to North America by colonists in the early 17th century. It is illegal to sell and by 1991 it had been declared noxious by at least 35 states and 6 Canadian provinces. Canada thistle is a 2 to 5 foot tall herbaceous perennial with branched, grooved and slender stems that become covered in hair as the plant grows. Numerous small, compact rose-purple or white flowers appear on the upper stems from June to Oct. forming round, umbrella shaped clusters.

So it’s alright to come in and ask for thistle seed because we know you want Nyjer seed. However we still have to label our seed Nyjer because the Agricultural department would come in and shut us down for selling thistle, a noxious weed seed.

What Do You See?

Did you know the act of cloud watching is called nephelococcygia? The word comes from "The Birds," a play by Aristophanes written in 414 B.C. In this play, birds see shapes in the clouds. Another character basically tells them that are crazy for imagining this...hence the term nephelococcygia or “cloud cuckooland.”

How Fast Does a Monarch Butterfly Fly?

That's a good question. In a laboratory, scientists found Monarchs could fly almost 4 mph. However that could vary depending a lot on weather conditions. We do know it takes them about 2 months to travel 2000 miles from Michigan to their winter home in Mexico.

For a lot more interesting facts on butterflies visit The Journey North Website.

How Fast are Hummingbirds?

I'm watching the hummingbirds zip around my hummingbird feeders and I'm wondering what bird is the fastest?

Ruby-throated hummingbirds can fly up to 27 mph and if they catch a good wind they can move up to 60 mph.

But the fastest living creature is believed to be the Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus, reaching speeds of at least 124 mph and possibly as much as 168 mph when swooping from great heights.

Happy 4th of July

Happy Independence Day!

Today, 233 years after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, we celebrate this great nation. The United States is truly a diverse nation and each year on July 4, Americans can celebrate that freedom and independence with family gatherings. Everyone at Wild Birds Unlimited would like to thank you for supporting our local business and wish the USA a Happy Birthday!

Flashdance: The Fireflies Mating Ritual

In the animal kingdom, fireflies are somewhat unusual because they use their light-producing capability to find a mate in the dark. Also known as lightning bugs, fireflies are are actually beetles which hatch from eggs in the fall and spend the winter and early spring as larvae burrowed in the soil only to emerge as adults in late spring. The adult males usually flash while patrolling an area, while the females flash a response from a stationary perch.

You might see more than one type of firefly in your yard. There are several species of fireflies in Michigan. Photinus is the most common firefly in our area with about 15 species. Each is about one half inch in length, and it produces a yellow-green flash. In the dark, you may be able to tell them apart by the color of their flash or distinctive flash patterns.

Click HERE to see the Museum of Science’s virtual habitat.

Spotting fireflies is a special preshow to the fireworks on the Fourth of July in mid-Michigan, but lately the numbers seem to be declining. The Museum of Science is asking for help from volunteers to track these amazing insects. If you would like to collect data for further research Click HERE. No special scientific training is required.

Sources:

Museum of Science

BugGuide

Enchanted Learning
University of Michigan Museum of Zoology

Frankenstein Bird Visits Okemos, MI Wild Birds Unlimited Store

When I was working at the Okemos Wild Birds Unlimited store, I heard a Gray Catbird making its mewing call. I told a customer to listen for the catbird as we were walking out with her seed. She’d never heard of a “cat-bird”. The name does sound funny the first time you hear it and generates thoughts of a half cat, half bird creature. Of course after I said this the bird disappears, so I bring out a Birds of Michigan Field Guide to reassure her I wasn’t making up a story about a bird that sounds like a cat.

Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis
Order: PASSERIFORMES Family: Mockingbirds and Thrashers (Mimidae)

Description: A little smaller than a Robin, its body is uniformly dark gray with the exception of a chestnut brown patch under the tail and a black crown, tail, bill, eyes, and legs.

Behavior: The catbird has adapted well to the widespread urban and suburban habitats created by people and is often seen in neighborhood gardens. An occasional visitor to peanut, suet, or fruit feeders, the catbird forages mainly on the ground, gleaning insects from litter and low bushes and eats fallen berries during late summer and fall. It pokes with its bill, turning leaves and twigs to find the food underneath.

It often announces its presence by singing a series of musical whistles and catlike meows, interspersed with imitations of other birds' songs. It may start singing before dawn, while it is still dark, and can continue until after dusk, being one of the last birds to settle in for the night. A group of catbirds are collectively known as a "mewing" and a "seat" of catbirds.

General: In Michigan Gray Catbirds live in dense thickets of shrubs of woodlands, and are occasionally found in residential areas. They prefer areas without many conifer trees. Most catbirds winter in the tropics of Mexico and Central America where fruit is quite abundant. About 80% of the catbird's winter diet is composed of fruit.

'Staycation': Destination Home Sweet Home

Many of us spend quite a lot of time and effort making our backyards places to enjoy and then become so busy we fail to have time to utilize them.

As the economy upsets many families' vacations, it doesn't hurt to have a backup plan. And with a little creativity staying home can be just as relaxing as going somewhere.

Families can take nature journals on the backyard "trip." Then have nature scavenger hunts. Divide into teams and assign each team items to bring back. Field guides, binoculars, and cameras might also be helpful.

For example, one team may have to find five different bird species. This can mean recording the call of a bird in your nature journal, drawing a sketch, finding a feather, or photographing a bird at a feeder. Another team could be assigned to find five different insects or evidence of their existence. You can find birds, bugs, flowers, trees or animals.

The end of the game involves meeting at an appointed time and showing the trophies found. Photos can be printed later and pasted inside the journals.

Or as fun as that staycation sounds, you may prefer the even more relaxed version. Place a large comfy chair in front of a window and watch your bird feeding station. (Tea in one hand and a cat on the lap is my favorite position.) Call everyone over to watch as the Chickadees and Goldfinches flock in to eat. Or get your camera out as the squirrel miraculously makes his way up your pole and hangs upside down.

Of course, this isn't going to feel like a trip to a National Wildlife Refuge. But it can feel like a vacation, or at least relieve some stress from the everyday rat race. Let nature nurture. Discover a refuge in your own backyard.

Wanted: Keen Eyes and Quick Fingers!

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has placed live cameras at active bird nests all around the country. Since 1999, they've archived more than eight million images from these NestCams.

Now they would like volunteers to help sort through the images using the new CamClickr—an online tool you can use to view the images and sort them into albums, then tag each image by the type of behavior you see: preening, eating, feeding chicks, etc.

What’s in it for you?
NestCams allow you to peek into the nests of Barn Owls, bluebirds, Wood Ducks, and other birds for an up-close look at fascinating bird behavior. CamClickr will appeal not only to bird lovers, but to people who enjoy testing their skills with online games. When you help sort and tag the camera images, you collect points and compete for prizes such as binoculars, DVDs, books and posters. It's easy and fun!

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Why Cornell needs your help?

By using CamClickr to help tag and sort the NestCam images, you help scientists studying breeding bird behavior. The more they understand about bird behavior, the better equipped they are to understand how birds are responding to threats in their environment. Just visit http://www.camclickr.org/ to create an account.

Create a CamClickr Account Today!

Bring Trees to a Community in Michigan

Odwalla is a juice company that is planting trees in state parks, and will plant one for you too! All you have to do is click on the link below and choose Michigan.

The plant a tree program is going on through December 31, 2009. When you choose a participating park system (CA, CO, FL, MI, MD, NY, OH, PA, TX, UT, VA) Odwalla will donate $1.00 towards the purchase of a tree to the state parks in that state on your behalf. Click on the link below and then pass this information to a friend. http://www.parkvisitor.com/odwalla/ No purchase necessary, just a click.

The Value of Trees

Trees are the longest living organisms on the planet and one of the earth’s greatest natural resources. They keep our air supply clean, reduce noise pollution, improve water quality, help prevent erosion, provide food and building materials, create shade, and help make our landscapes look beautiful.

Studies prove that trees have a positive effect on many aspects of people’s lives, including their health, homes, businesses, communities, drinking water, and air quality.

An average American uses about 750 pounds of paper every year, and 95% of homes are built using wood. That means each person uses the equivalent of one 100 foot tall, 16 inch diameter, tree every year for their paper and wood product needs.

The amount of oxygen produced by an acre of trees per year equals the amount consumed by 18 people annually. One tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year.

Sources: USDA Forest Service, Carbon Day, Arbor Day Foundation