Bad birds?

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Cowbird - villain or fellow passenger

Can there be bad birds? Are there bad dogs? That depends on the habits of your dog, I guess. But, really, in nature are there “bad” behaviors or isn’t nearly everyone (except humans, and maybe, dogs) following a common set of rules? So I will leave dogs and humans out of this discussion, which is not to say they have a free pass. Brown-headed Cowbirds are handsome birds in my opinion. They are prevalent in many areas. They seem to mingle well with other bird groups. What’s not to like? Well, one of their defining characteristics is “brood parasite.” Parasite has never been a sought after characteristic among humans, and humans don’t tend to regard parasites in a positive light. So how should we regard the Brown-headed Cowbird? Cowbirds do not build nests. They appropriate the nests built by other birds, sometimes destroy their eggs, and lay their own eggs in that nest. Then….they expect the original nest owner to incubate, hatch, feed, and rear the new baby cowbirds! How is that in any way OK? I don’t know. But, I tend to believe that nature’s rules are not like those of human society and not subject to political debate, Twitter feeds, memes, or filibusters. Cowbirds live and compete in the realm of survival and natural selection without a greater edge than crows, eagles, chickadees or any other living thing except maybe humans. Be careful about calling them bad birds. Or, at least, judge thyself.

Earth Day 2020 connections

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Sunset on Turkey Pond in Concord NH

Duck. Not the bird in this case and not ducking the coronavirus, but Duck, North Carolina, where I took a break from my first year of medical school and fled to the Outer Banks to celebrate the first Earth Day. 50 years ago today. That was before most of us had heard of climate change, and existential threats were not so global as they now seem. That was before we had lost 1 out of every 4 birds on earth - not “just” species disappearing, but a huge decline in the total global bird population. We are in the middle of spring migrations when new arrivals turn up every day, but weather radar tells of a 14% decline in total bird migration. Of course with a pandemic threatening human survival, it may be hard for some to think about birds. And the pervasive health and economic challenges are impossible to ignore - thank you, thank you to those, mostly health care workers, at the front lines. But, what better time to understand the connectivity of things. Not the digital connections upon which we have all become too dependent or the supply chains of the global economy. I mean the connectedness of nature and the immutable laws that underlie it. And the stewardship demands that humans can either exercise or ignore. Let’s think of spending a little bit of our time appreciating the vulnerability of birds and its connection to our own vulnerability and that of every other living thing on the planet. And then doing some little thing to help….

Turkeys in the straw...or should that be in the hay?

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This morning three macho Tom Turkeys strutted out of the woods into the field behind our yard and began fanning their tall feathers. Soon after, a coy, discerning female strolled into the field. After a bit of male feather flexing and posturing, the sweet damsel declared a winner while the losing suitors left the field. The whole drama lasted not more than ten minutes following which the possible mother-to-be strolled back into the woods. It’s that time of year, and, of course, the same story plays out with the chickadees, cardinals, and blue jays, but generally not with such a public display.

P.S. Want to know more about turkeys? Have a look at this: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/my-life-as-a-turkey-introduction/7268/ (You might have to join PBS to view it in some areas.)

First bluebird arrived today...

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Actually, the first bluebird ever in this house placed on the edge of our yard three years ago. I hope he approves of it and soon finds a mate to build their nest. I hope the house sparrows don’t try to evict the new family. I hope they return next year. After all, “hope is the thing with feathers.”

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