BirdNote Links

BirdNote Archives

KPLU Archive

July 2009 BirdNote Episodes:

Gray Jay, Picnic Bird

Often called the Camp Robber or Whiskey Jack, the mountain-dwelling Gray Jay will crash a picnic faster than hungry ants. The robber escapes with edible tidbits and caches them in trees with its sticky saliva, reclaiming its stored food in the cold, snowy winter. The nickname “Whiskey Jack” comes from the Athabaskan Tlingit name for this species, wiss-ka-tjon. White settlers pronounced it “Whiskey John,” then shortened “John” to “Jack.” Learn more at Cornell's AllAboutBirds.

Message of the Mourning Dove

The Mourning Dove was named for the male’s gentle voice. As the dove’s mellow cooing reaches our ears, it may sound forlorn. Mourning Doves are common in suburban environments and along roadsides, adapting well to human habitation. On a warm, lazy, summer afternoon, the Mourning Dove’s voice seems to speak more of serenity than sadness, and of a familiar, peaceful connection to nature.
Want to make a gift to BirdNote? Begin here. Thanks!

Scrub-jays Plan Breakfast

Caroline Raby and others at Cambridge University conducted experiments with Western Scrub-Jays, playing off the birds’ natural tendency to cache food. In the first experiment, the jays cached food in the room where they expected to go hungry the following morning. In the second, they received two kinds of food and stored it so that both types would be handy for breakfast. As the researchers observed, the results “suggest that the jays can spontaneously plan for tomorrow without reference to their current motivational state, thereby challenging the idea that this is a uniquely human ability.” Learn more.

Tribute to Nature Educators

Our childhood experiences of nature stay with us for a lifetime. Yet someone must first show a child the delights and knowledge of the natural world. Imagine a child seeing this Common Yellowthroat for the very first time! Today, we celebrate the nature educators who give the gifts of their time and knowledge. We’re grateful for the invaluable service they provide! Consider sending your child – or another – to an Audubon nature camp. Begin here.

Poorwills at Night

Close kin to the Whip-poor-will, the nocturnal Poorwill can be heard in summer in canyons at the deep end of dusk. And the Common Poorwill’s greatest claim to fame? It was the first bird confirmed to hibernate, based on evidence verified in 1946. Since then, we have learned that Lewis and Clark, in 1804, found a hibernating poorwill. And that for centuries, the Hopi Indians have called the poorwill “holchko” or “the sleeping one."
We’d like to hear your thoughts about BirdNote. Email us at info@birdnote.org.

The Loquacious Chat

In summer, the thick tangles of streamside vegetation in many canyons echo with an uncanny sound — the Yellow-breasted Chat. You may find it in willow thickets, brushy tangles, and other dense, understory habitats, usually at low to medium elevations around streams. The male Yellow-breasted Chat may sing all night during breeding season. The chat winters in Mexico and Central America. Learn more about the birdsounds on BirdNote at The Macaulay Library.

Birds and Baseball

At the crack of the bat, a Blue Jay flies toward first and glides around the base. Deep in left field, an Oriole pounces on the ball. He wings the ball toward second, where a fellow Oriole snares it on a hop – just as the swift Blue Jay slides toward the base in a cloud of red dust. Ahh, summer baseball! Click to see a real Blue Jay and an authentic Baltimore Oriole … taken by photographer Pat Hemlepp. And thanks to Daniella Theoret for this Northern Cardinal.

Towhees' Distractive Plumage

Both this Eastern Towhee and the Spotted Towhee of the West sport a black or dark brown hood and back. And when they fly, their tails flash white. When a hawk gives chase, the towhee’s flashing tail-feathers draw the predator’s attention. Momentarily distracted, the hawk may come up with just a couple of tail feathers – as the towhee escapes into the underbrush. So if you see a towhee missing a couple of tail feathers, it may be that the flash of white - the distractive plumage - saved its life.

Killdeer, Master of Distraction

The Killdeer is one of the most widespread and commonly seen shorebirds in North America. Killdeers lure predators — including humans — away from their nest by calling loudly while appearing to limp and drag a wing. Found throughout the United States and Canada, they nest on the ground, often in human-modified habitats such as gravel roads, driveways, parking lots, and lawns. Catch a video of an adult feigning injury to protect its young. Did you miss a show? Search the archive!

Rock Pigeons: Bobbleheads

A Rock Pigeon bobs its head as it walks, making it appear that its head and feet are linked. Pigeons’ eyes are on the sides of their heads, permitting them to watch for predators from all directions, but limiting their ability to distinguish distances. To compensate, these birds move their heads and can see differences in apparent motion between nearby and distant objects. To find your local Audubon, begin here . Tell us what you think about BirdNote. Drop us a line at info@BirdNote.org.

Native Plants Attract Native Birds

A native garden provides natural, sustainable habitat that welcomes native birds to your yard. Native plants offer sustenance year round: nectar in spring and summer, along with berries and fruits, and nuts and seeds in autumn and winter. They provide shelter from the weather and protection from predators. Perhaps this Cedar Waxwing will pay a visit!
KPLU listeners are invited to join us on Sunday, July 19, for a field trip to the Kruckeberg Botanic Garden in Shoreline. Learn more and sign up!

Turkey Vulture - Sky Sailor

[Click title above to view show page.] Although some of the Turkey Vulture’s habits may evoke our disgust, these remarkable birds also inspire our awe. With wingspans approaching six feet, Turkey Vultures ride currents of air to make their spring and fall journeys, and to cover the miles of their home range in summer. Gliding on updrafts, or pushed along by weather fronts, Turkey Vultures rarely need to flap their wings more than ten times in a row. To rise above storms, they ride upward on thermals.

American Robin Babies Afoot

After hatching, baby robins spend up to 15 days in the nest. By July, many young American Robins have left the nest, or fledged. But they aren’t ready to make it entirely on their own yet, and follow their parents around, learning to fend for themselves. Outside of the breeding season, robins tend to form large flocks, often feeding on berries and fruits.
Would you like to become a BirdNote benefactor? Begin here. Thank you!

Birds on the Menu!

You’re one lucky duck to have landed at our little diner. This is no fly-by-night joint. May we start you with a drink – a swallow of Old Crow or Wild Turkey, perhaps? You’re just in time for the early-bird specials, when toucan eat for the price of one. The Four and Twenty Blackbirds Baked in a Pie were Eurasian Blackbirds. “Eating crow” also has its roots in history --Learn more. And what’s the problem with bird’s nest soup? Click here to learn.

Bullock's Oriole Weaves a Nest

The Bullock’s Oriole is the only member of the oriole family that nests in the Northwest. With a slender, sharply pointed bill, the oriole weaves a marvelous pouch-like nest that hangs suspended from its upper rim. The nest hangs downward four to eight inches. The female weaves together long, flexible strands of grass – but also adds in man-made materials she finds. To get a better look at the nest, click *Enlarge*.

Bullock's Oriole - Blaze of Orange

A dazzling bolt of avian lightning -- a blaze of neon-orange, shooting across a gray, sage-covered hillside on quick wing-beats. It's a Bullock’s Oriole, sailing out from its nest among the upper branches of a cottonwood, hunting for insects in the shrubby sage. Bullock’s Orioles return north from Mexico in May to nest along many lowland streams east of the Cascades, and all over the West. They eat small invertebrates, ripe fruit, and nectar. Learn more at BirdWeb.

Birds as Pollinators

Birds are part of the complex web of Nature, and each fits into this web in its own way. Some even pollinate flowers! While feeding at a flower, this Rainbow Lorikeet gets pollen on its forehead and throat. When it visits another flower of the same species, it transfers the pollen to that flower. The pollen fertilizes the plant’s eggs to produce its seeds, and the plant’s reproduction is assured.
Learn more about the interdependency of birds and plants.

Barn Owls Let You Know

The structure and delicate softness of its feathers allow a Barn Owl to approach its prey almost without sound. The Barn Owl’s ability to locate prey by sound, even when concealed by snow or leaves, is the most precise of any animal yet tested. This young Barn Owlet is about five weeks old and actually weighs more than its parents. During and after the fledging period, it will gradually lose weight, as it learns to hunt for itself. Watch a video of an owl hunting.

Swooping with Swifts

A White-throated Swift twists and turns, sailing through the air on black, scimitar-shaped wings that span 15 inches. Dashing headlong toward an unyielding wall, the bird disappears at the last second into a slender crevice. The White-throated Swift is aptly named. Flying at tremendous speed, this swift is among the fastest of all birds. They leave the air only to nest or roost in a cavity. They do everything else while airborne.

Manakins Make their Own Fireworks

The White-bearded Manakin lives in Trinidad and throughout much of South America. The males court females by snapping their wings with firecracker-like pops. A flurry of males flits rapidly back and forth from one slender, bare sapling to another, a foot above the ground – like an avian pinball game. When the male spots the female nearby, he slides down an upright twig, his head held downward, wings whirling, white chin-feathers thrust out like a beard. Learn more—click here. And have a safe and sane 4th!

Cowbird Parasitism

Back when the buffalo roamed, Brown-headed Cowbirds followed -- and ate the insects stirred up by the herd. The buffalo didn’t stay long in one place, so the cowbirds didn’t have time to build a nest. Cowbirds lay eggs in other birds’ nests, and those parents raise their young. Seen here: the larger egg of a cowbird (right) in the nest of a Wilson’s Warbler. Cowbird eggs often hatch first, and the young cowbirds out-compete their nest-mates for food. Learn more at Audubon.org.

Clever Nuthatches

Of the four nuthatch species living in the United States, the most common are the Red-breasted Nuthatch, seen left here, and the White-breasted Nuthatch, on the right. The nuthatch’s insistent call matches its aggressiveness. As it works its way down a tree trunk, the nuthatch can spot—and eat—all the tasty morsels missed by the rest of the birds working their way up the tree.
Catch a video of typical nuthatch behavior.

Sitting in the Catbird Seat

Longtime baseball announcer Red Barber often described a player in a winning situation as “sitting in the catbird seat.” So what is “sitting in the catbird seat”? And what is a catbird? The Gray Catbird is a cousin of the mockingbird, and it does sound a little like a cat. During breeding season, when it’s protecting its territory, the catbird competes with others of its species. The two combatants sing their way to higher and higher perches. The one who finally takes the highest perch is … well … sitting in the catbird seat!

Internet Marketing by Portent Interactive