Black and White Warbler

 As its name would suggest, the black and white warbler is one of the least colorful of all North American warblers. They nest across the eastern two thirds of Canada and eastern half of the United States. They migrate for the winter down into Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and northern South America.

Black and white warblers are gleaners. They glean, or pick, caterpillars, spiders, and other insects from trees. But unlike other warblers that typically glean their food from the trees leaves, the black and white warbler has long claws and a long hind toe that allow them to climb on the tree trunk and branches where they glean insects. They can be aggressive and attack other species of birds particularly other species that hunt similar parts of the tree such as nuthatches and chickadees.

Great Egret

Goldfinch

 

The goldfinch is a common visitor to bird feeders through out the United States. They are strictly seed eaters rarely consuming insects. At feeders they prefer thistle and nyjer seed. The breeding season for goldfinch comes later then many other birds, usually June or July. This is an advantage because this is typically around the time when plants like thistle are in bloom. The thistle seed provides food for the chicks and adults while the stringy substance that is attached to the seeds is often used in nest construction.

The goldfinch is the only finch that molts its feathers more then once a year. Molting is the process by which birds replace their feathers. Feathers are not living tissue, they are sort of like our hair, if they break they can not be healed. To make sure that their feathers stay in tip top shape birds molt once or twice a year. Birds that molt twice a year usually do so because they have more colorful plumage for the breeding season. In the species that molt twice both male and female will molt however it is usually much more obvious in the male. The bottom photo was taken in March when goldfinch are just beginning to molt into their summer breeding plumage. The top photo was taken at the height of the breeding season when the males are almost a neon yellow color.

Calico Pennant

I know some people who love to chase butterflies but are freaked out when it comes to dragonflies. When I ask them about it I usually get an answer something like dragonflies are bugs. Then I explain that both dragonflies and butterflies are insects. But butterflies are pretty they usually tell me and so I ask them if they have ever seen a calico pennant. On the pretty scale calico pennants are a match for any butterfly. The male, seen above, is mostly red with red spots that look like hearts running up the abdomen. The female and young have mostly the same pattern except they are bright yellow instead of red.

Belted Kingfisher

The belted kingfisher is a medium sized bird that is found through out most of North America. Their breeding range includes Alaska and Canada, except for the extreme north, and the United States except for the southwest. Birds that breed in the northern portion of their territory will migrate south into the southern US, Mexico, Central America and the northern coasts of South America. Her in southern Minnesota they will stick around as long as they are near a water source that does not freeze up. I photographed this female, females are distinguished by the rufous band on the upper belly, in January. She was around Black Dog Lake which has a power plant which keeps the lake from freezing during the winter.

Belted kingfishers nest in burrows dug into soft dirt banks. Usually the nest is located near water where the kingfisher will hunt. The burrow often has a long upward slopping tunnel, up to 8', as an entrance. As their name would suggest their primary food source is fish. Kingfisher chicks are able to digest all parts of the fish including scales and bones but as they mature they begin to cough up , cast, pellets. The pellets are similar to those of owls and usually include scales and bones.   

Ferruginous Hawk

 The ferruginous hawk is a large hawk that is found primarily in the open central grasslands of western North America. The name ferruginous probably comes from the Latin word ferrgin which means iron rust, and has to do with the reddish brown coloration of these hawks. They are members of the genus Buteo which are the hawks that are designed for soaring, with long wings and shorter tail.

The ferruginous hawks is the largest hawk in North America. They live in arid and semi arid grasslands. Their primary source of food are mammals, at 80-90%. Typical prey includes mice, ground squirrels, prairie dogs and jackrabbits. They will also eat snakes, lizards, and birds. They nest from southern Canada in the north to New Mexico and Arizona in the south and from Washington and Oregon in the west to the Dakotas and Nebraska in the east. During the winter birds in the northern portions of the breeding range head down into the southwestern United States and Mexico. Although they spend most of their time in warmer climates they are one of only 2 species of hawks in North America with feathers that extend down to their feet. The other species is the rough-legged hawk which is a species found mostly in the north.

Spotted Sandpiper

 The spotted sandpiper is a shorebird that is found through out most of North America. They breed in a variety of wetland habitats as far north as northern Canada and Alaska and as far south as central New Mexico. They also breed in mountains at elevations up to 14,000 feet above sea level as long as their is a source of fresh water. During the winter they migrate down to the southern coastal areas of the United States, Central America or South America.

I found this chick along the shore of the St Croix River at Wild River State Park. At first I did not know what species of shorebird it was until I saw its parent, pictured above. Because this is a spotted sandpiper the bird in the first photo could most likely be the male. Spotted sandpiper do things a bit backwards compared to other birds. For spotted sandpipers it is the female that is first to arrive in the breeding territory and she is the one that picks out and defends a territory. Both male and female build the nest, typically as part of the courting ritual. Once the eggs are laid it is usually the male spotted sandpiper that will incubate the eggs and care for the chicks once they hatch. The female will often go and find another male and start another family.  

Snow Geese at Dawn

Egyptian Vulture

 The Egyptian vulture is found in southern Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia. They typically nest on cliff ledges, crags and rocky outcroppings. In areas like India they are often found nesting on buildings and sometimes large trees. European populations migrate south into Africa after the breeding season ends. The Egyptian vulture population is in decline through out most of its range. This is most drastic in India where their population has declined by nearly 90% over the past 10 years. In Europe and the Middle East populations dropped by about 50% from 1980 to 2001 and even in Africa the populations are in a decline.

Egyptian vultures eat a wide variety of things including carrion, organic waste, insects, eggs and small invertebrates. The Egyptian vulture is small compared to many of the other predators and scavengers that live in their region. For this reason they have evolved to become a sort of specialist when it comes to scavenging. Smaller scavengers do not usually get on to a carcass until last, when there is very little meat left, so the Egyptian vulture uses its long thin beak to get meat that is left in tight places that larger predators and scavengers have a difficult time getting into. That is also why the Egyptian vulture does not have a bald head, like many other species of vultures, because they rarely need to stick their whole head into the carcass to get to their food. This is Osiris. He is a permanent education bird at the World Bird Sanctuary in St Lois Missouri. For the past five or more years, the World Bird Sanctuary has put on programs each March at the Carpenter Nature Center here in the Twin Cities. Osiris was part of the program in 2012.  

Elegant Crab Spider

 The elegant crab spider is a ground crab in the genus Xysticus. Instead of catching their prey in a web these spiders are ambush hunters. They use their good eye sight and ability to blend in to wait for their prey to happen by and then grab them with their front legs. They are able to spin webs but do so only for mating and egg laying.

Altamira Oriole

 The Altamira oriole is a large oriole that lives in Mexico and Central America. The northern edge of the range of the Altamira extends into southern Texas, which is the only place in the United States where these orioles can normally be found. They eat primarily insects, which they glean from the trees, with a little bit of fruit. Since these foods can be found all year long with in their range the Altamira do not typically migrate.

Like many other species of orioles the Altamira weaves a nest from roots, sticks, vines, grasses and other materials. The woven nest hangs down below the branch instead of sitting on the branch like other most species of birds. Their nest is longer then any other bird in North America.  

Fog Over Hayden Valley

Double-crested Cormorant in Flight

 The double-crested cormorant is a dark waterbird that is found through out North America. They primarily breed in colonies on lakes and larger ponds in the the central portion of the continent, although their are also some colonies on the east and west coast and Florida. The cormorants that breed in the central portion of the continent migrate to coastal regions of the East, West and Gulf Coasts during the winter. Doubkle-crested cormorants get their name from dual black and white crests that are visible on their heads during the breeding season.

 Like other cormorant species the double-crested cormorant does not produce as much preen oils as other birds. These oils help to provide birds such as ducks with a waterproof coating for their feathers. Having less preen oils the cormorant feathers can get soaked as they are diving for fish, which is their main type of food. Having their feathers soaked actually help them under the water because the added weight helps to compensate for the buoyancy of their light bodies. After they are done diving they can often be seen perched in the sun with their wings out stretched drying their feathers.

 In the 1960's the double-crested cormorant populations plummeted because of DDT. DDT was an insecticide that affected the production of egg shells in many different species of birds, including the cormorants. Most of the eggs would break while the birds were trying to incubate them because of their thin shells. DDT was banned in 1972 and like other species affected by DDT the cormorants have made a complete recovery.

Silver-bordered Fritillary

The silver-bordered fritillary is medium sized brushfoot butterfly that is found in the northern United States and Canada. It is usually found around wetlands, such as wet meadows, swamps and bogs. I photographed this one at the Big Bog State Recreational Area last summer.

 This species over winters as a caterpillar so there are typically two broods per year. The first brood begins to emerge around mid may and the second begins around July. The larval host plants are members of the violet family, which you can see the butterfly above is perched on. The species gets its name from the large silver-white triangles that border the under side of both fore and rear wings.

Common Loon with Chicks

The common loon is the state bird of Minnesota, where I live. Common loons breed primarily in Canada but will also breed in the northern portions of the US, such as Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Common loons spend their entire life in the water, except for nesting. They are designed for swimming, with their back legs placed further back on their body. They are also heavier then most birds their size. This is because their bones are not hollow like other birds. This gives them less buoyancy so that they can dive easier to catch fish, their primary food source. It also makes it more difficult for them to fly. A loon will dive under the water to avoid danger instead of trying to fly. About the only time that you will see loons in flight is during migration. When the northern lakes begin to freeze the common loons head to the open coastal waters of North America. Loon chicks are able to swim shortly after hatching. When they are small they rely on their parents for food and protection. Most predators will not mess with adult loons because of their size but loon chicks are a different matter. Before they are old enough to dive for cover to avoid danger the chicks will often hide under their parents wings if a larger raptor is in the area. Other times they will snooze while riding on mom or dad's back.