Pileated Woodpeckers Create Tree Mulch

 Pileated Woodpeckers are the largest woodpeckers in Minnesota--really in North America, unless the Ivory Bill still actually exists.  Pileateds are the size of a crow and are impressive and beautiful birds.  They are not uncommon, but they are shy and keep from sight as much as possible.  This male is one of the pair that live at Springbrook.  I was able to take these pictures a couple of days ago at the bird feeder area at the nature center. The female kept out of sight behind the tree.  The male is identified by the red extending back from the beak.  In the female this line is black.

 In this picture you can see how woodpeckers use their stiff tail feathers as a prop to hold their body away from the tree while looking for food.

The red crest is very bold on these birds, and is raised or lowered depending on the birds level of excitement.



As you can see in the pictures below this pair of woodpeckers have ravaged a number of trees during the winter while looking for the insect larvae inside that provide them with enough nourishment to survive snowy and cold winters.

 This tree was shredded inside and out looking for the grubs that were living inside.  This is a common sign that Pileated woodpeckers live in an area.  I took both of these pictures in the last few days at Springbrook on the trails.  From the trails you can see the evidence left by the Pileateds all along the wooded areas.  Piles of fresh wood mulch on the ground at the base of a tree is proof that these woodpeckers are visitors to the area.

This cavity was over four feet long with the obvious huge pile of wood chips on the ground in front of it.  Another cavity just as long was immediately above this one, but had been done at least a year ago.

If I could just get these woodpeckers to make mulch for my gardens like this!  But I hope the trees in my yard don't have this many insects living inside.

Hawk and Owl Eye Protection-Nictitating Membranes

 All birds have a second eyelid that cleans and protects their eyes. It is called the nictitating membrane.  Hawks and owls have large eyes that protrude and need constant cleaning.

In these pictures you can see how the clear cornea is right out there in front.  Any debris or dust blowing by will stick to this moist surface. 

 This is the Red Tailed Hawk that has been hunting in Springbrook's bird feeding area most of the winter.  It sits in the tree right outside the windows, and I took these pictures through the windows in the last few days. 

This picture shows the nictitating membrane that sweeps the eye from the side in just a milisecond.  You can see how this membrane is not quite clear, and is a bit more opaque in the Barred owl below.

I took this picture also in the birdfeeding area at Springbrook.  These birds watch constantly for prey and need the best vision possible.  The nictitating membrane helps make that possible.

The Barred owl's eyes are large and almost a deep black when the membrane is pulled back.

Deer Survival Strategies

White tailed deer really show off their ability to survive Minnesota's cold winters at this time of year.  If you compare these pictures to the opossum pictures of a few weeks ago you can see why opossums have not been here long. 

Deer fur is thick, and each hair is hollow to add insulating value to keep the deer warm.  The deer has fur right down to the tip of its nose, and its ears are thickly furred. Not like the Opossum's thin furless ears.

Deer also constantly turn their ears to catch all the sounds around them.  Not all of us can turn one ear forward and the other one backward at the same time so no danger can sneak up.

This is my favorite. Look at the long eyelashes on this doe deer.  Especially the really long ones along the bottom of the eye.  Kind of makes Disney exagerations seem too small.  Actually, in the dark when walking through heavy brush these "guard hair" lashes warn of sticks that might injure an eye.

I took these pictures yesterday at Springbrook's wildlife feeders.  You can see these and other deer adaptations everyday at Springbrook.

Sure Sign of Spring

It may seem early, but the above freezing temps today feel like a sign of spring.  The Goldfinches are way ahead of us, as witnessed by their incoming spring/summer feathers.

These are not the best pictures, but demonstrate how much difference 3 weeks can make in the way a bird looks.

Longer day length is sending a message to the Goldfinch brain, causing it to release hormones that stimulate new feather growth.  By the time spring actually gets here these birds will look completely different, and have new colors ready for the summer nesting season.

I took this picture on January 22, and the top picture today.  I'll take another in 3 more weeks to see how much change has occurred.

Red Eye Champions-Nocturnal Animals

Animals that are active primarily at night have eyes that are highly adapted with many more visual receptors than our human eyes.  Each receptor requires lots of fresh oxygenated blood to keep it healthy and functioning.

All that fresh oxygenated blood is what makes eyes look red in a camera flash, and nocturnal animals win the prize for the reddest "Red Eye."

This Barred owl was at Springbrook's feeders looking for prey, using its very healthy eyes to search.  I wonder if this is where the term "with blood in his eye" comes from? 

This rabbit was eating at the same feeders a few days ago, but not at the same time.  It's eyes are even bigger than the owl's eyes, and one of the blood veins within the eye can even be seen in this photo. 

In the end, for nocturnal animals, the one with the best red eye wins all the marbles, and the loser is not in the gene pool any longer.

Red Tail Hawk Becomes Efficient Hunter

 At Springbrook's birdbanding activity this morning the immature Red Tailed Hawk was back looking for food.  He had feasted on another squirrel on Thursday.  This morning he was oblivious of all the people setting up bird traps and sat watching the ground around us as we watched him.

He suddenly focused on the ground near the windows, and as we watched, he dove down on a short tailed shrew within a few feet of the watchers, and flew off with it to a tree nearby. 

Just enough to generate more interest in a larger breakfast.

He stayed in the feeder area all morning as volunteers took birds out of the traps.  Late in the morning he shocked us by flying down and catching a Downy Woodpecker at one of the suet feeders!  What a surprise!  Coopers and Sharp Shins regularly catch songbirds, but large hawks like Red Tails are generally not considered adept enough to catch small woodpeckers in heavily wooded areas of thick brush.  This hawk is breaking all the rules...which is exactly what you have to do to survive sometimes.  I'm sure it was one of our banded Downy Woodpeckers, but we will never know which one as he ate it all except a few wing feathers.

Opossums and Global Warming

This Opossum was at the Springbrook bird feeders yesterday morning.  First one seen this winter during the day. I saw one at my home feeders this morning. It must be the time of year for Opossums to venture out.

30 years ago there were no opossums at Springbrook or anywhere north of Minneapolis.  The winters were too cold for them to survive.  Their northward movement is one of the best examples of the impact of Global warming on wildlife that we can immediately see in this area.

Notice the pink nose, pink toes, and thin ears with no fur.  The tail also has no fur.

Ears, toes, tails, and noses with no protection freeze in really cold winters, and the attached opossum generally dies without them.  So, how cold it gets determines how far north opossums can live.

I took this picture of an opossum near Hartford, Connecticut nearly 37 years ago.  Time hasn't changed their looks, but climate change has expanded their range.  Hartford is about 41.5 degrees north latitude and Minneapolis is about 44.5.  The three degrees difference is about 200 miles.

If this expansion keeps up opossums will be in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness raiding my campsite in my lifetime!  Displacing wildlife that I enjoy, so long as they don't get into my food sack!

And, climate change is not something that responds quickly (in human measures) to turning around.  So get ready you folks up north, along with warmer winters, you also get opossums!!

I think it will be a tough go for eco-tourism to successfully replace polar bears with opossums.  Hope they don't have to.