No, they are not baby blankets for cold days. Snow Buntings, Plectrophenax nivalis, are beautiful white, sparrow-shaped birds that made my day late last week. Photo (left) by Kevin Karlson (published with permission). A flock of about 7 of them visited the parking lot area at Tanglewood. They are an arctic bird and seen only sporadically around here and usually during particulary hard winters, yep, makes sense why I am seeing them this year.
Snow buntings are birds of the tundra that breed in North America during the summer in Alaska and Canada. In winter they are found near water or in grassy fields and the sides of roads after a big snowfall. They spend the winter throughout southern Canada and the northern United States (and at similar latitudes in Europe and Asia). They feed on the ground, eating seeds from the stems of weeds during the winter.
They return to the tundra quite early in the spring because there is much territorial competition to deal with. Depending on the weather of any year, they might travel back to their snowy breeding grounds anywhere between February and April.
I feel lucky to have seen them especially since I haven't seen one in over 10 years. They are one of Audubon's "Common Birds in Decline", with their population decreasing 64% in 40 years, which makes me feel even more grateful to have seen them. I am not sure how people get through the winter without noticing the birds, but you shouldn't.
Take a look at the beautiful Snow Bunting and learn more about them at one of my favorite birding websites:
Yesterday Tanglewood received a new resident- a beautiful Barred Owl (Strix Varia). He has been added to our now diverse collection of birds; we have a Broad-winged Hawk, a Great-horned owl, an African Gray Parrot and two Cockatiels. This new owl needs a name. Some of our birds came with their names like TJ and Spike and Petrie. Others the staff or kids named like Icky (Icharus) and Sophie. This one...who knows. I know our office manager is home working on some names, and my kids will likely have some suggestions after we visit the new little guy this weekend. If any of my blog readers have ideas, please have at it! I think ours is a boy, that is what the rehabber that dropped him off told us he was, but he is pretty big, so I am not sure. In raptors, the females are usually larger. Barred owls can be from 16-25 inches with a 36-50 inch wingspan and can weigh from 1 to 3 pounds. We will have to weigh ours soon and see where he falls.
Barred Owls are usually very vocal, although our guy hasn't said anything yet. He is getting used to his indoor cage since he spent his last 1 1/2 years in an outdoor enclosure. He will get both indoor and outdoor time at Tanglewood. This week though, he stays in where it is warm. I hope that we get to hear his voice sooner than our Hawk Icky's. It took him a year with us before he made any sound. Now he is a good chatterer, especially when his favorite volunteer GC comes. Barred owls call during the day and at night. Their call is a very distinct sound that people describe as sounding like "Who, who cooks for you-all?". Fittingly, during courtship they do Al Pacino from Scent of a Woman -"hoo-WAAAHHHH".
Our owl will eat thawed rats or chicks, but in their natural habitat they perch and then dive on their prey which includes voles, shrews and mice as well as the occasional bird. They may also eat reptiles like snakes and lizards. They can also eat frogs, fish, crayfish and insects. They have been known to be attracted to the light of campfires as the light also attracts large insects.
They are North American natives and they lay their 2-4 eggs in cavities in the early spring but will also use abandoned Red-shouldered Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Crow, or squirrel nests. The young leave the nest when they are about 4 weeks old but they can't fly. Instead they crawl out of the nest using their beak and talons to sit on branches and thus are called "Branchers". My favorite children's book, Owl Babies, was a story about 3 such "branchers"- Sarah, Percy and Bill. Eventually they will be able to fly and lose their down. When they do, you can't tell the difference between the adults and juveniles by looking at them. Barred Owl parents care for the young for at least 4 months, much longer than most other Owls and pairs mate for life .They stay in the area they have established as their territory/nests sites for a long time.
Barred Owls have been known up to 23 years in captivity and 10 years in the wild. We don't know how old our guy is, but hopefully we will have him for a long time. In nature, Great-horned owls and man are their only enemies. Poor little guy, he will live every day with both but we will take good care of him and introduce him to the thousands of children that Tanglewood educates each year.
If you want to help with our owl by donating for his care, you can send a check to Tanglewood donate online at http://www.tanglewoodnaturecenter.com/ or drop a check by in person and meet our newest educator!
Is is just me or has this winter already been loooong? Only three weeks into winter and I'm done with it. I grew up mostly in flat areas (Rochester then NW Ohio), so I am still, after 12 years in the Southern Tier, getting used to the hills and the weird weather differences between the hills and valleys.
I live on a hill and I work on a hill. Usually, that is a good thing because it is quiet and fresh and beautiful. I get to see the sun rise every morning, which I missed when I lived in the valley. I get to see the sun set too. But I also get to brave the roads when the weather sours. Snow, sleet, ice...and they get to the hills last when it comes to plowing. The kids have already had a few snow days (and are actually getting tired of snow days!) and I have had to tell the staff to stay home in the morning 4 or 5 times and it is only January 6th! The parking lot at work could be used for Olympic skating events as could my driveway at home.
Today was weird as usual, started out gray, then it got worse with whiteout snow squalls, now the sky is blue and the sun is out.
I am the Director of Tanglewood Nature Center in Elmira, NY, I love my job the fabulous view out my office window and the people I work with. I have a great family- my firefighter husband, 3 kids, 2 stepkids, a pound puppy and 2 lizards. I am not a huge fan of cell phones and IMing. I think both are ruining our relationships with other people and our social skills. Kids don't need cell phones- not debatable with me so don't try.
