by Roland D. Hallee

One of the educational things I do for myself every day is read the comics in the daily newspaper. It kind of sets the tone for the rest of the day for me. I have my favorites: Peanuts, Hi and Lois, Beetle Bailey, Garfield, etc. I even like to read Mark Trail just to see what kind of adventure he sets out on, and invariably, brings to a successful and happy ending.

The one that caught my eye was a certain theme that Doonesberry was presenting. It seemed this certain person declared himself a “birder” and was on a quest to find a certain warbler to add to the list of birds he had witnessed.

That got me thinking. Claiming myself to be an amateur birder, I wondered how many varieties of birds I have seen in my life time. So, I set out to make a list.

Once I got to about 73, I decided I was wasting too much time on this. So, the thought came to me that maybe I should single out one that was intriguing to me.

Having seen birds as small as a ruby-throated hummingbird, and as large as a Great Blue heron, it was difficult to see which one in between would get my attention. Then it dawned on me.

These particular birds are mostly envisioned as pests, vagrants, scavengers and dirty inhabitants of parking lots, churches, parks, and just about everywhere else you can go in the world, leaving behind messes and clear indications of their presence, if you know what I mean. What is more intriguing than the common Rock Dove.

More commonly known as pigeons, rock doves vie with the domestic chicken for status as the world’s most familiar birds. They are not indigenous to the western hemisphere. They were introduced into North America from Europe long ago and are conspicuous in cities and villages throughout much of the world.

There are few visible differences between males and females, and the species is generally monogamous.

Feral pigeons have become established in cities around the world. The species is so abundant, that an estimated population of 17 to 28 million feral and wild birds exist in Europe alone.

With only its flying abilities to protect it from predators, rock pigeons are a favorite almost around the world for a wide range of raptors. I remember several years ago when I kept seeing pigeon body parts strewn all over my yard. One day, when I just happened to be looking out the window, I noticed a large flock of pigeons cleaning up on the ground under my bird feeders. Like a lightning strike, I saw a broad winged hawk dive head first into the pile, and came out with his next meal. To protect the pigeons, I temporarily suspended the feeders until the hawk found a new place for his hunting grounds. That poor pigeon didn’t stand a chance.

Pigeons, though, get a bad rap. They have been falsely associated with the spread of human diseases. Contact with pigeon droppings poses a minor risk of contracting diseases, and exposure to both droppings and feathers can produce bird fancier’s lung. Pigeons are not a major concern in the spread of West Nile virus. Though they can contract it, they do not appear to be able to transmit it.

Pigeons, in fact, have been associated with humans for several thousand years. Believed to have been the first domesticated birds, they were raised for meat as far back as the time of the ancient Egyptians.

Because of their powers of flight and their remarkable homing ability, pigeons have played important roles in history. A domestic pigeon taken from its home loft and released many miles away will almost invariably return. And if a message is tied to the bird’s leg, the result is a kind of air mail – a fact that humans learned to exploit many centuries ago. When Julius Caesar marched against Gaul, the news of his victories was carried back to Rome by a network of carrier pigeons. Other pigeons carried messages for Alexander the Great and for Hannibal. In modern times opposing armies in both World War I and World War II made use of thousands of carrier pigeons, also known as war pigeons. Curiously, many pigeons have received bravery awards and medals for their services in saving hundreds of human lives. A total of 32 pigeons received medallions or medals for their gallant and brave actions during World War II. And today, pigeons are still bred for their homing ability.

The next time I see a disgusting-looking pigeon on the ground, I may stand at attention, salute, and thank it for the many contributions their collective ancestors made for the human race.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Name the eight NFL teams that have the initials of their host city on their helmets.

by Roland D. Hallee

It’s a new year!

Boy, that was a news flash.

Anyway, we’ve turned the calendar to a new year, the holidays have passed, and we are now settling into the reality of at least three months of winter.

We are sure to suffer some aches and pains of moving the snow – and anything else that nature throws our way.

With all of this turbulence, there is one thing that still brightens my day, and that is watching the birds at the feeding stations.

Following a couple of years where my wife stopped feeding the birds because of the constant battle with squirrels (I know, squirrels have to eat, too), she decided to give it another try. This year, she was introduced to a new bird seed, one that repels squirrels, and decided to try it. Besides relocating the feeders that make them less accessible to the little gray rodents, the new seeds have been a success.

I have seen two squirrels (that would be Martha and Stewart) sit on the porch railing and assess the situation, knowing that what is going through their clever little minds is trying to figure out how to attack the stations. Well, they have tried, and they have failed.

In the meantime, the activity around the feeders has been remarkable. Every day we see a plethora of birds coming and going: chickadees, nuthatches, gold finch, cardinals, house finches, the occasional tufted titmouse, and the most unlikely of all, a hairy woodpecker. We have lots of crows and bluejays around, but so far have stayed away from the feeders.

Sometimes there are more birds than there are feeding stations. That causes a problem, for the birds that is. They engage in a little bit of rough housing. Maybe that is what is keeping the crows and blue jays at bay.

That is fine with me.

Ironically, my wife and I, following a hectic weekend, sat and watched the Alfred Hitchcock classic film, The Birds, last Sunday night. As we watched the birds, mostly crows – ravens? – and seagulls, take over the small hamlet of Bodega Bay, supposedly located north of San Francisco, driving out all its residents, I really didn’t make a correlation between that, and the birds that have, literally, taken over my side porch at the house.

What if…?

That could never happen, could it?

Monday morning saw me standing at my kitchen window, watching as the onslaught continued at the bird feeders. My imagination, which has been described as a little on the strange side at times, began to take over. What if those little feathered creatures decided there wasn’t enough food or feeding stations, and decided to try to enter the house to get at the feed bag? Maybe they could even engage the cooperation of the squirrels. Maybe we’ll need some eye protection!

Slap! Slap! Wake up, and get a hold of yourself. They are only tiny little creatures. They couldn’t possibly do the kind of damage those big birds did in that film.

Could they?

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Has there ever been a shutout in the Super Bowl?

by Roland D. Hallee

It’s become obvious that the warmer weather is behind us, and winter is patiently waiting in the wings. The other day, after doing some fall chores outside, I watched as squirrels scampered around, up and down trees, and were just plain busy.

Last week on my security cameras around my house, during the early morning hours, I saw a skunk and a very well fed raccoon, on two different occasions, pass before the lense of the camera. That got me to thinking, what do these animals do during the cold months of December, January and February?

You may already know the cold weather could drive rodents like mice, rats and squirrels into your home this season. But what about other mammals? Do you have to worry about raccoons in winter?

Unfortunately, it is possible. They might sneak into your attic or crawl space during colder months. Raccoons are omnivores, meaning they eat other animals, insects and vegetation. However, their meal of choice is going to depend on where they live. For example, raccoons that live near the water may snag crawfish or frogs from streams and creeks. These mammals may also steal eggs from birds’ nests or sniff out insects or mice. And urban raccoons are definitely not above rummaging through your trash can or eating any pet food you might keep outside. To put it simply, raccoons will take whatever they can get.

Raccoons are not true hibernators, meaning they do stay active year-round. That being said, you may see fewer raccoons in winter. This is because some raccoons, especially those in more northern states, may store up body fat in the spring and summer so they can spend most of the winter sleeping in their dens. In the winter months, they’ll sleep several weeks at a time, and it is possible to find several raccoons sharing a single den.

Skunk males, for their part, spend the winter alone in their own hole. Generally, skunks enter their lethargic sleep phase from December to March. They lose about 30 percent of their weight over that period. They look for places like patios and garden sheds, under which they can dig a hole to hide until spring.

During winter months, skunks enter a phase of lethargic sleep, without falling in a complete state of hibernation. We can sometimes smell a skunk’s odor during wild weather, when it gets out of its hiding place to feed. Females get together to spend the winter, and there can be as many as 12 of them in a single hole.

Youngsters will share a den with their mother during the winter months. In warmer climates, skunks will stay active most of the winter. In colder areas, they will sleep through the coldest periods, but do not hibernate. Often skunks will use the same winter den used the previous year.

Gray squirrels sleep in tree nests during the winter and only venture out during the morning and evening. Instead of hibernating, they rely on sheltered nests or dens in trees, fat reserves, and stored food to survive the long, cold winter.

These critters are homeotherms, which means that unlike some mammals, their body temperatures remain fairly constant throughout the year; they don’t hibernate. In the winter, squirrels spend less time foraging outside their dens, and it’s more common for several squirrels to share a den.

Squirrels can survive temperatures as low as -40°F, especially those adapted to Arctic environments. Their thick fur and hibernation behaviors help them endure such extreme cold.

Now, recently we discussed opposums and what seems to be a growing population in our area. So what do thet do?
Because their fur doesn’t provide much insulation from the cold, opossums typically spend the winter in dens that are dry, sheltered and safe. Opossums are vulnerable to frostbite on their hairless tails, ears and toes, so they often “hole up” during extremely cold spells. Their dens may be in hollow logs or trees.

Opossums do not hibernate. Their greatest challenge during winter, especially in colder climates, is simply to survive. Very often opossums will alter their foraging habits during winter, coming out during the day when it is warmer rather than at night.

So, there you have it. Some of your “favorite” critters that rummage around your yard, and how they survive the winter.

Roland’s trivia questionn of the week:

Who was the tallest player ever to play for the Boston Celtcs?

Canada geese

by Roland D. Hallee

Sometime between 5 and 5:30 a.m., a few weeks ago, I was unceremoniously reminded the season on Canada geese had begun in Maine. It’s rather startling when you’re awakened from a sound sleep with the clapping of gun fire. For a second, I thought I was back in Vietnam. There was either a lot of hunters, or they were bad shots.

Hunters had positioned themselves in a cove just below from where our camp is located and the rapport from the shotguns sounded like it was right under our bedroom window.

The Canada goose is a wild goose which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and brownish-gray body. (For your edification, the proper name of the bird is Canada Geese, and not Canadian Geese.)

The black head and neck with the white “chinstrap” distinguishes the Canada goose from all other species of goose. They are generally 30 – 43 inches long with a 50 to 71-inch wingspan. The male usually weighs 7 – 14 pounds, and can be very aggressive in defending its territory. The female looks virtually identical to the male but only smaller, and has a different “honk.”

The species, native to North America, breeds in Canada and the northern United States in a variety of habitats. Its nest is usually located in an elevated area near water such as streams, lakes, ponds and sometimes on a beaver lodge. Its eggs are laid in a shallow depression lined with plant material and down.

By the early 20th century, over-hunting and loss of habitat in the late 19th century and early 20th century had resulted in a serious decline in the numbers of this bird in its native range. The Giant Canada goose subspecies was believed to be extinct in the 1950s, until, in 1962, a small flock was discovered wintering in Rochester, Minnesota. With improved game laws and habitat recreation and preservation programs, their populations have recovered in most of their range.

In recent years, Canada goose populations in some areas have grown substantially, so much so that many consider them pests (for their droppings, the bacteria in their droppings, noise and confrontational behavior). They have a tendency to attack humans when they feel themselves or their goslings to be threatened. First, the goose will stand erect, spread its wings and produce a hissing sound. Next, the goose will charge. They will either bite or attack with their wings.

The problem is partially due to the removal of natural predators and an abundance of safe, man-made bodies of water (such as golf courses, public parks and beaches, and in planned communities).

Like most geese, the Canada goose is naturally migratory with the wintering range being most of the United States. Although a migratory bird, some flocks in Canada choose not to migrate, even during the winter, if food (such as human leftovers) is constantly available throughout the season.

The calls overhead from large groups of Canada geese flying in V-shaped formation signal the transitions into spring and autumn.

By the way, should you see Canada geese flying north this time of year, it doesn’t signal early spring. Some will winter in this area, fly down the Kennebec River, looking for food, then fly back north to their nesting site.

Canada geese, Branta canadensis, are primarily herbivores, although they sometimes eat small insects and fish. Their diet includes green vegetation and grains, such as wheat, beans, rice and corn. When in the water, they feed from silt on the bottom, and aquatic plants such as seaweeds. In urban areas, they are also known to pick food out of garbage bins.

Properly prepared, the meat of Canada geese is very tasty. I had some once at a wild game dinner, and, after being awarkened in the early-morning hours by those hunters, I sure wouldn’t mind having one on my dinner plate.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Who is the all time leader in career touchdowns for the New England Patriots?

by Roland D. Hallee

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about different colored squirrels and what was the cause. That prompted an email from a reader who wrote, “Might you consider writing about their various calls? A week ago Thursday, I heard something making noise in my far tree line. After listening for about a half hour, I started to walk out and look, and it stopped. Sounded like a pained cry followed by what sounded like repeated pants. Happened over and over. I kept watching for someone on my neighborhood watch page to report a missing pet. On Saturday, I heard the same noise and could see a gray squirrel up in my maple tree making the same sound and flicking its tail in agitation. Mystery solved and feeling relieved that what I first heard wasn’t something dying. Still don’t know what agitated it either time.”

Well, let’s take a look at their tendencies.

A high-pitched squeal can indicate fear or pain, while a low-pitched growl can indicate aggression.

Most likely, the crying is coming from a female who is, let us say, lonely for a little male companionship. But whether it’s a come-hither cry, conversational chattering or a high-pitched chirp to get off their turf, there is nothing we need do for them except let them be.

Red squirrels are known to produce both loud and soft “chucking” noises, a vehement “wrruhh-ing” as well as various moans and teeth chattering. Piercing screams have been documented during particularly aggressive encounters and red kittens produce “shrill piping calls”.

Not moving or moving very slowly if you approach it is a sign a squirrel is sick or injured. Obvious injuries, for example, if it’s been hit by a car or caught by a cat or dog. Swollen or sore areas on the face, which can be a sign of infection. Hunched-over posture.

On the flip side, what sounds do squirrels make when they’re happy?

Squirrels may make barking sounds when they feel threatened or when they want to communicate with other squirrels. Squirrels may make whistling sounds when they are happy or content.

When distressed, squirrel kits make high-pitched, chirping noises similar to birds. Squirrels use sound to protect themselves and their territories. Their alarm calls are made up of screeches, rattles, barks, and snorts.

Squirrels express frustration by twitching their tails when they are angry. Those familiar with these expressive rodents know how they let their anger be known: a guttural growl, a chattering of teeth, a stamping of feet. But the key to interpreting their emotions may also lie somewhere else: in the curve of their majestic, bushy tails.

Ever notice a squirrel staring at you? Mainly fear, but he’s also sizing you up. Squirrels have a lot of predators, which means that to survive, they constantly have to stay alert to potential dangers. When a squirrel encounters a new potential threat, it may stand perfectly still to determine the danger level.

When they are mad, researchers believe tail flagging may be an expression of frustration. Aggression is another big sign of frustration, which explains why many of the squirrels given locked boxes actually attacked the box by biting and dragging it.

Screaming? Squirrels use high-pitched screams or screeches to alert other squirrels of danger. Deep, guttural barks are a squirrel’s way of protecting their territory but may also be part of a mating ritual.

What does it mean when a squirrel barks at you?

The sound can resemble a dog barking but is much more high-pitched. This can be heard when they feel threatened by another animal coming near their territory, or if someone comes too close to them while they are eating. It usually means they are warning other animals to stay away from the area.

Also, shaking their tails is basically a squirrel’s way of shaking a fist at you. They usually do this when they sense a threat somewhere.

What does it mean when a squirrel stands up?

Squirrels also present themselves with a puffed-up, enhanced and erect posture when defending territory. They will often stand on their hind legs to let intruders know they are a formidable enemy should advances be made further into the territory.

So now, when we see those clever, sometimes mischievous critters in the backyard, or those bird feeders they seem to enjoy so much, you might be able to tell what is going through their little heads.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

What New England Patriots coach took the team to the Super Bowl in his first year of coaching?