Birding Meme

Wren over at Wrenaissance Reflections tagged me for this birding meme. OK, here goes!

1. What is the coolest bird you have seen from your home?
Definitely the great blue heron, who visits our pond fairly frequently.

2. If you compose lists of bird species seen, what is your favourite list and why?
The only list I have is one of birds seen on our property, which is right here on this blog!

3. What sparked your interest in birds?
I'd been interested in wildlife for many years. When we were newly married, Chris and I watched just about every wildlife show on PBS. And we loved going to zoos. Then, about 20 years ago we bought our first house, a city rowhouse with a tiny patch of yard. The previous owners had done a nice job with landscaping, and we set out some birdfeeders. We loved the birds that would visit, even though they were classic "city birds" like starlings and pigeons. We've kept bird feeders in every house since.

4. If you could only bird in one place for the rest of your life, where would it be and why?
Not having "birded" anywhere but my own back yard, I don't have a favorite place (yet). I enjoy visiting new places and if I have the chance to see local birds, that's great.

5. Do you have a jinx bird? What is it and why is it jinxed?
Not sure I get this one. That must mean I don't have a jinx bird!

6. Who is your favourite birder and why?
Again, I'm no expert on this subject. But I do like the blogs, 10,000 birds and Monarch's Nature Blog.

7. Do you tell non-birders you are a birder? What do they say to you when they find out?
Well, I have to say it hasn't come up in conversation. And I guess I'm kind of keeping it to myself...


Now, I know I'm supposed to "tag" others with this meme. But I'm relatively new to this blogging community (I spend more time with books, reading, and my litblog). So if you happen to come across this, thanks for visiting and consider yourself tagged!

Fabulous Fungus

Walking near our pond last night, we came across this excellent specimen: a large fungus growing halfway up this tree, just where a bit of bark juts out like a shelf.

Let's take a closer look ... I just thought this was totally cool.

A Tale of Ten Dollars

We just returned from a week of vacation. This year's destination was the Delaware shore; specifically Bethany Beach. For many, many people in the mid-Atlantic region, it's not summer without a trip to the shore. We are not such people; however, the kids had been clamoring for a beach vacation and we agreed that since our last week-long beach experience was in 1998, it was probably long overdue.

On Saturday we settled into our rented beach house and enjoyed an evening walk in the sand. We returned Sunday morning to sunbathe and play in the waves. After lunch, we drove 30 minutes due south, paid an attendant $10, and parked the car to explore the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland. Boardwalks are an essential element of northern beaches, and despite having lived in this part of the country for over 20 years, we had never experienced it for ourselves. It was crowded, full of horribly overweight people, secondhand smoke, bad restaurants, and block after block of shops selling inappropriate T-shirts and all manner of junk food. A late afternoon thunderstorm brought everyone in off the beach and sent us running back to the car.

Monday morning, after a leisurely breakfast, we drove 30 minutes southeast and doubled back to the coast, paid an attendant $10, and entered Assateague Island National Seashore. Just over the bridge from the visitor center, we came across several of the wild ponies Assateague is famous for. Grazing at the side of the road, undaunted by the line of cars snaking along, striding brazenly across the road for a bite of sweet grass, and posing agreeably for those of us who stopped our cars for the photo-op.

We then continued on to the Dunes Trail, and got out of the car to explore. Piles of dung indicated this, too, was a popular pony hangout. It was an easy walk from the trail to the beach, where we found miles of unspoiled shoreline and only a few people. Gulls and other shorebirds darted in the sand; offshore, pelicans dove for their prey. We gathered shells in the ebbing tide, and returned to the parking lot where two ponies now looked on with curiosity. It was simple, beautiful, and peaceful. We only left because of threatening weather.

The good news was, our $10 gave us access to the park for the entire week! Wednesday we got an early start, and brought a picnic lunch. Once again the shorebirds far outnumbered the people. Many of the people brought their dogs, this being one of the few beaches where dogs are allowed this time of year. By this time we were missing our own sweet dog, and jumped at the chance to greet a couple of labrador puppies. Chris took the opportunity to jog on the beach, and returned with reports of seeing a pony at the edge of the water.

Very few people seemed to have discovered this lovely piece of shoreline. Given the choice between Assateague and the Ocean City boardwalk, I know how I'd prefer to spend $10!

We enjoyed the rest of the week in Bethany Beach, taking advantage of the pool as well as the beach and enjoying dinner at a couple restaurants near Bethany's tiny boardwalk. But for all of us, Assateague was the highlight of the vacation. We're now talking about returning -- this time, with the dog -- on a day trip, perhaps in early autumn.

What's up, duck?

Last spring we lost several ducks to foxes, but so far this year we have been fortunate and haven't lost a one. Nonetheless, we have a daily roll call. The current "beak count" is eight: 2 pekins, 3 khaki campbells, and 3 cayugas. We may soon be down a cayuga if one keeps up the bizarre behavior demonstrated this week.

The cayugas and one of the khakis have taken to long walks, up our driveway and yes, even up to the end of our street. They've done this before when we've neglected to feed them, but that's not the case this time. They just like sitting in the grass near a house that's under construction. Maybe they're just into the builders. However, this past week Chris was out working in the pasture and could hear a faint quacking kind of sound coming from the housing development that's behind the pasture. He assumed it was the family of geese that have been hanging around our pond, because they travel back and forth between our place and another nearby pond.

Then towards evening Chris heard the same sound, this time out in front of the house. He looked out and watched a cayuga proudly strutting from the main road, down our street, and then down the driveway. The rest of the flock rushed to welcome the prodigal, and there was much quacking all around.

So it appears this crazy duck found her way to the other housing development, possibly by way of our pasture. But then it also appears she returned home via the main road, a 1/2-mile walk with traffic! A day later she disappeared for a full 24 hours, and returned by the same route.

Is someone feeding her? Does she have a secret lover? Or is she just insane? Cayugas, after all, are the same breed as Daffy Duck. We're keeping our eye on her ...

News Flash! Certified Wildlife Habitat!

The National Wildlife Federation encourages development of backyward wildlife habitats through the Certified Wildlife Habitat program. Sure, this is a clever way to garner donations, but it's also a good way to learn about techniques that can make your garden more welcoming to wildlife. From the NWF website:
"The way we choose to manage the land under our care has had major effects on wildlife habitat. ... By choosing what has now come to be known as 'conventional' landscaping options - ones dominated by lawn, ornamental plants, and dependence on chemicals and supplemental watering - we have disturbed the balance of the ecosystem and banished the wildlife from the land we once shared. The continued conversion of natural areas into such landscapes has resulted in drastic reduction of habitat and the disappearance of many species of wildlife. We can, however, choose to create landscapes that help restore the ecological balance. We can choose to invite the wild plants and animals back into the land and our lives."

Here's what we've done to garden for wildlife and to qualify for certification:

• Food Sources: Our garden offers seeds, berries, foliage, pollen, and nectar. We also have supplemental seed feeders for birds.
• Water Sources: We have a spring-fed pond and a stream.
• Places for Cover: There are wooded areas and thickets, as well as a meadow. We created a brush pile from dead tree branches. The pond area also provides cover, especially through the aquatic plants around the perimeter.
• Places to Raise Young: The meadow, thickets, wetlands, and pond all fit the bill. We've also built a nesting box for wood ducks.
• Sustainable Gardening: We use a drip irrigation system on our shrubs and in the orchard, and we have a compost area. We also have been aggressively working to eliminate the invasive multiflora rose (the pasture and orchard used to be completely impassable due to this nasty weed).

Now our patch of land has joined over 70,000 other wildlife-friendly spaces. Yours could, too; get started here.

First apples

We spent today weeding in the orchard, where there are 18 heirloom apple trees and 4 dwarf cherry trees. 12 apple trees were planted in 2006; the rest, this year. The tallest tree is about 6' high now, and the smallest about 3'.

The weeds have been growing fast & furious and, in some cases, you could barely see the poor little trees. So we cleared 5' circles around the base of each tree and then replaced the wire fences we're using to keep the deer at bay. Much to my surprise, some of the older trees are bearing fruit! Unfortunately we will probably have to pick these before they ripen, because the limbs just aren't strong enough yet. Maybe next year...

Meanwhile Chris has made great progress clearing the area behind the pond, increasing our available land for pasture and preparing for fencing. The view is much more open than when we brought the property (see "Pasture, pond, and other developments" for an earlier photo). The fencing bids are in, the deposit is paid, we are now just at the mercy of the fencing company to schedule the work.

Wildlife sightings

A list of animals we've seen on the property, some more often than others. Well, OK, so far we've only smelled the skunk but that's enough! Links to enature.com provide photos, sounds, and more information:

• Mammals: Red Fox, Gray Fox, Eastern Cottontail, Eastern Gray Squirrel, White-tailed Deer, Common Raccoon, American Beaver, Groundhog, Striped Skunk, Little Brown Bat, Big Brown Bat, White-footed Mouse, Meadow Vole, Least Shrew, Common Muskrat, Virginia Opossum
• Amphibians: Bullfrog, Green Frog, Pickerel Frog, Northern Spring Peeper, American Toad
• Reptiles: Eastern Mud Turtle, Snapping Turtle, Eastern Red-Bellied Turtle, Northern Black Racer, Rat Snake, Northern Water Snake, Common Garter Snake