December 2, 2008
Get ready, it’s time to count birds
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- Canada Goose
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- American Crow
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- Northern Cardinal
Christmas Bird Counts — that’s why!
The 2008 Christmas Bird Count season officially starts on Dec. 14 and runs through January 5. All around the country birders will be out during this time period, carefully plotting their routes, staying inside the official “count circle” for their area, and scouring every nook and cranny for birds.
On CBC day, every bird counts. Not only do you count the number of bird species you find, you count the number of birds of that species as well. See 1 cardinal? Check. See another cardinal? Another check. Count every bird as best as you are able to estimate the flock size.
Certain birds appear in large numbers in Iowa. American Crows, Canada Geese, House Sparrows, Northern Cardinals, Mallards, Mourning Doves, Dark-eyed Juncos and European Starlings were the most-counted birds on the 2007 Iowa City CBC. (See results for past Iowa City CBCs here.)
Some CBCs have a friendly competition to see which can find the highest number of bird species. Generally, a CBC that has an open water source (such as a reservoir or a large river) will have a higher number of species since the waterfowl will flock to the open water.
Dedicated birders start their day before dawn with “owling” — checking habitat that should support owls and listening for the owls to call before the owls settle in for the day. On CBCs, you can count “heard” birds as well as “seen” birds.
Those of us who want to sleep just a little later still start the day at first light to search for birds. Birds, as a general rule, are more active during the morning hours than afternoon.
And birders who want to participate but don’t want to go outside can monitor their feeders and turn in their feeder reports.
The CBCs are sponsored by Audubon — you can read all about them here. The web site tells the history of the CBCs, how CBC information is used to monitor bird populations, how to get in contact with your local Audubon chapter, etc.
The Iowa Ornithologists’ Union maintains a web site that lists all Iowa CBCs, including contact information. You can find that web site here.
Locally, the Iowa City Bird Club has information about their CBC here.
So let the games begin. On Dec. 14 I’ll be out with the Iowa City Bird Club counting birds. And on Dec. 20 I’ll be out again with the Cedar Rapids Audubon group.
I can’t wait! It’s a highlight of the winter birding season for me.
October 28, 2008
Remember to look up
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- White-throated Sparrow
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- Dark-eyed Junco
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- Bald Eagle
Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the cool weather and the colors of the leaves as they change. But mostly, I love to watch the bird migration taking place all around us.
I’ve been hearing the singing of White-throated Sparrows in my yard just after dawn each morning for the past few weeks. These little birds are common in Iowa during spring and fall migration. In spring they head north to breed and in the fall they move south for the winter. Their song is very distinctive. You can listen to it here: http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/i5580id.html and click on the Song link on left side of page.
The “snowbirds” – the Dark-eyed Juncos – have arrived in Iowa to spend the winter. I can’t help but enjoy a bird that thinks Iowa is a great place to spend the winter. How bad does winter have to be where this bird came from!
My favorite bird of the autumn skies is the raptor. Raptors are on the move in the fall. Many of them, such as the Broad-winged Hawks, leave the U.S. to winter in Central and South America. Others, such as Rough-legged Hawks, may find Iowa is as far south as they need to go.
Have you ever noticed how many Bald Eagles you see along the open rivers in Iowa in the winter? Those eagles move north in the summer to raise their families (although a few do stay and breed here in Iowa), then move south again in the winter following the open water. Fish are a primary food source for the Bald Eagle.
So while you’re out enjoying the fall weather, listen for the chips and tweets of the small migrants as they pass through Iowa on their way south. Watch your trees and bushes for the frenetic movement of the tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglets, check under your feeders for the Dark-eyed Juncos and White-throated Sparrows scrounging seed off the ground, and most importantly, remember to look up and watch the skies for the magnificent raptors moving overhead.
Upcoming opportunities to learn about birds:
You’re also welcome to participate in the Iowa City Bird Club outing on Saturday 11-1-08. The website is http://icbirds.org/ — you can find more information here. Saturday’s outing begins at 7:30 a.m. Meet at the Dodge Street Hy-Vee in Iowa City, southwest corner of the parking lot near the recycling bins. You do not need to belong to the bird club to participate in the outing.
October 20, 2008
Dog agility woes
Tucker going over a jump at a local dog agility fun match.
Everyone who meets me quickly figures out I’m an animal lover. They may notice the stray dog or horse hairs that seem to always be on my clothes no matter how hard I try to get them all off before going out in public. Or maybe they’re standing near me when I open the trunk of my car, which is filled with dog, horse and bird paraphernalia and will never have room for a bag of groceries.
My attachment to animals began with my first kitten at age 4 and has never diminished.
Lots of pets have come and gone in my life since that first kitten. Currently I have 2 dogs (a collie and a keeshond), 1 cat (an orange & white long-haired domestic) and 2 horses (a paint gelding and an appaloosa mare). I’d probably have more pets but my only pre-nuptial agreement with my husband was a limit on how many pets we would have at one time. Good thing he’s around to keep me in check!
Over the last couple of years I’ve become hooked on dog agility. You’ve probably seen agility on TV when you’re flipping channels and go past the Animal Channel. Dogs are racing around a course full of obstacles, weaving in and out of poles, jumping and climbing and running through tunnels. It’s as much fun for the handler as it is for the dog, and is challenging for both. The picture attached to this blog is of my keeshond Tucker during one of his agility practice sessions.
Tucker loves agility – during practice. But recently we took the plunge and entered an agility trial. I admit I entertained the fantasy of getting points toward an agility title. After all, Tucker can do all of the obstacles perfectly during practice. But we quickly discovered we were definitely not ready for prime-time. The dog raced around, ignored obstacles, ran laps around the course and totally ignored me most of the time. He once even crashed into and knocked over the netting that served as a barrier for one side of the arena. Needless to say, we never qualified on any of the courses we entered during the trial. But we did provide the entertainment portion of the show!
Are any of you participating in dog sports with your favorite canine? What tips do you have for getting the dog to focus on you when it’s taken into a situation full of new dogs, strange smells, human tension in the air? What can I work on at home to teach the little guy to focus on me in new places?
I look forward to your comments and advice. I know Tucker and I can compete successfully someday, if I can find a way to get him to settle down and run the course. Until then, we’ll just keep practicing.
