Backyard Birding: Hooded Oriole

Ever heard of nectar robbing? 

It's what happens when a pollinator (a bird, bee, other insect) takes nectar from a plant without transferring pollen. You might be wondering....uhhh how is that possible?

Simple! Flowers are very soft and can be easily pierced by a beak or mouth part so instead of this...

happening where the bee is making physical contact with the pollen of the flower...

this happens...

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the pollen is not touched by the pollinator but the animal still gets its sugary treat!

Cheating perhaps...but this is one clever, time saving trick that has been developed by many pollinating species such as the Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus).

This vibrantly vocal bird is native to coastal northern Mexico and migrates into the southwestern states during breeding season. Orioles are sexually dimorphic - meaning males and females have obvious physical differences which we use to tell them apart. The one above is the male - they have the characteristic black bib which extends above their beak and can range from bright yellow to orange. The female is still very colorful but not to the same extent.

She lacks the black bib and her wings are grey rather than black but they share the same white bars and curved beak...though the female's is a little shorter. This curvature and a long agile tongue allows for more efficient nectar collection. We often see them at the hummingbird feeders...

Photo Credit: Trevor Adler

scaring off the hummingbirds -_____-

Orioles are also big time insectivores which is also made easy by that thinly arched beak. You'll often see them maneuvering around eucalyptus and palm trees searching for bugs.

Palm trees are a favored nesting location...this particular male oriole has been so illusive and edgy this season that I've had to con him out of hiding to get any decent photographs. This last weekend I played some pre-recorded oriole vocalizations to draw his attention and the first place he showed up was on a nearby palm tree...where we assume his nest is placed.

Orioles will build hanging nests hidden in fan palm trees and have 3-5 eggs per season which both parents will care for until the young leave the nest after about 14 days. I recently caught the mama oriole scouting out the hummingbird feeders with what I first thought was a second female adult...but the next day realized was her young female offspring.

The offspring is on the right above and left below

It was really sweet watching the mother oriole show her baby the ropes of being a bird. While her daughter sat at the feeder, the mom hopped around and kept a vigilant eye out for any predators which include raptors, cats or crows. If you're wondering how I know it was a juvenile female, it is because the juvenile males of this species start developing their bib but it doesn't extend as far as their adult form...looks like...

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So what can we learn from these beautiful birds?  

1. Birds (and animals in general) are highly adaptive. They have variable diets and variable mechanisms/strategies to get that food. If stressed to eat or survive they are capable of finding a way, learning and teaching their offspring. This says a lot about their intelligence and cognitive abilities. Animals are in no way dumb and mindless. Very cool!
2. They are great parents! Way better parents than we could ever be to them. Could you fly around and teach a young oriole how to identify food sources and look for predators? Sounds like fun but us humans just can not --- I'm sad about it too. This is why we urge the public to never ever ever keep wild animals (other than it's very illegal in many states)

So next time you're visiting the southern states or Mexico and you hear something like....

take a look at the nearby palm trees and see if you can spot the Hooded oriole.

For more vocalization examples, use this link.

Happy Birding!!

In the News - Drought and Wildlife Sightings

Good Evening Readers,

This short article from SF gate about a black bear in Nipomo, CA caught my attention as I lived in San Luis Obispo County for a couple years and never once saw a bear or mountain lion. Over the past few months, coyote and mountain lion sightings, and more recently black bears, have been on the rise and human-animal conflicts are too. So why are there all these normally illusive animals just now showing up around town and causing a ruckus? 

The main reason, other than further human encroachment on their territories, is the drought. This has been a huge problem down here in Southern California, and the West Coast in general, because with the dry weather has come an early wildlife season. Just as fires create frightening situations for us humans the same applies to our beautiful wildlife. This is the time of the year where nests are being made and babies are being born and parents are getting pressed to provide their young with food and water and safe shelter. With our ever shrinking natural water supplies, wild animals must travel further to gain access to water which we have directed to our own homes...therefore, wild animals in or around our homes.  

So what do we do? Let coyotes snag our house cats? Watch our beautiful birds disappear? Preferably not. For all of you fellow nature lovers, coexistence and safety are what we aim for so...

Some things to remember during drought weather:

• Do Not Handle Wildlife: If you stumble upon wildlife, especially large mammals and avian species, do not attempt to handle them as high temperatures and water shortages are a breeding ground for certain diseases including botulism and cholera. Call your local animal services, wildlife hospital or humane society if you need assistance with wildlife in your neighborhood and keep your pets and their food inside. Try not to panic if you come across wildlife as they are mostly wary of humans, leave them alone and they should leave you alone too.

• Do Expect Increased Predation Events: Unfortunately, drought means animals are going to become gradually more desperate. This sucks for them and for us because they will come around for hand outs and become more aggressive. The only thing we can do is be understanding and careful as coexistence is the goal here. Don't leave your trash accessible (bring it in or lock it up), bring all pets and their food inside especially at night, reinforce garden fencing and don't wait too long to harvest. While this sounds like a pain in the @$$, it simply requires a little extra prep and vigilance, I promise it will be worth it in the end.

• Consider Xeriscaping: This means using plants in your yard which are drought tolerant and in California, that means using native plants. This is a solution which also takes prep but is possible using this 7-step system. Not only will you save money on your water bill but you will also provide habitat for local species, mostly birds and small mammals. Providing for these smaller animals means providing for the larger ones. The downside to this is you might encounter more large mammals...see above. 

• Volunteer: Crises like drought and fire are extremely detrimental to wildlife and they suffer just as much as we do. If this is something that concerns you then please consider volunteering with your local wildlife rehabilitation hospital or humane society or donate to these agencies. Orphaned and injured wildlife need our help to return to the wild and this is a great opportunity to gain a deeper appreciation for wildlife and their importance in our lives. Here is a list of rehabbers in California.

Unfortunately our options pretty much stop there. Drought is a condition exacerbated by climate change and at this point all we can do is learn to cope, humans and animals alike. While it's frightening to think we could encounter large predators in our own neighborhoods, I encourage you to think of it as an opportunity to embrace rare interactions with wildlife and learn about the secret living world around you. For decades it's been a common mindset that wildlife is unnecessary and a nuisance to our existence but we are now finding out how much we rely on healthy ecosystems. There is so much we can learn and gain from appreciating wildlife and now is a better time than any to do just that!

Have a great night!!

Get Involved by Getting Informed.

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In the News: Urban Gardening

Good Morning Nature Lovers,

Came across this awesome video on urban gardening from the Nat Geo News website and had to share it with you all!

I took a few horticulture classes during my coursework a couple years ago and since then I have fallen in love with growing plants, any plants! all the plants! With drought on the rise and food prices soaring and being the mostly broke student that I am, saving money and still eating healthy are always on my mind. Growing your own food is a great way to do this! Whether you're growing plants from seeds, seedlings bought at a nursery or tissue cuttings it is relatively cheap to garden once you have all the initial tools/supplies necessary.

I'm in the process of getting all of these things together and then I'll do a grand blog post on it, in the meantime, check out the video and the following links for more information on the pros & cons of having a garden and where to get started.

Get Involved by Getting Informed!

Happy Memorial Day everyone!!

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Additional Links:

Why grow your own food?

Common problems with urban gardening

3 reasons your garden will fail <--plan to avoid these by planning it all out first!

Check out these two links on easy edible container gardens:

Growing edibles in containers

10 tips for your edible garden

Aaaaaand We're Back!!

So that semester was craaaazy!! 60 hrs of work and 13 credit hours...thankful it's over and now I can get back to having adventures and exploring my new home of San Diego :)

There are a few projects I've been wanting to work on which would, as a result, will improve my photography skills. The first study will be in macro photography and the other in black and white and I'm excited to really get working on them. Keeping that all in mind, Trevor and I did some hiking a few months ago - sadly that's the last time I went hiking - and we stumbled upon some really great vistas and plant life. Check it out!

A view of Otay Lake

Lots of beautiful textures in an initially dull landscape

And colors!

And if you look very close...there's quite a bit of life :) 

The steep cliffs and navigating the dirt roads made the trip more interesting 

Stumbled on some old bunkers which were fun to poke around

It's amazing all of the the wonders you'll find if you take a minute to stop and take a look around.

After getting a feel for Trevor's macro lens, I started dabbling in black and white photography to take away the distraction of color and focus more on textures and composition. This is what I've come up with thus far.

The best days to experiment with black and white photography are the cloudy ones 

These flowers are actually green and yellow and orange but in B&W they glow! 

I loooove onion blooms 

Guess what this is from? 

Trevor's carnivorous plants bloomed and their flowers are gorgeous pink but simply lovely in B&W 

Anyways, I'll be back to my usual posting schedule now that classes are over so look out for recommendations on fun outdoor activities, How-to's on your favorite outdoor nerdery and much much more!! As always, please comment about questions or topics you want more information on!

Happy Memorial Day all!!

Get out and Explore More!

In the News: Canadian Government Wants to De-list Humpback Whales

This is a hot topic circulating the internets today. The Toronto Star reported by the recommendation of the Minister of Environment, Canada could be stripping the once endangered Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) of it's governmental protections. This comes at the same time the Canadian government is also approving the construction of an oil pipeline which will supply shipping routes with half a billion barrels of oil a year but the catch is it will overlap with crucial humpback territory. An population assessment conducted by a third party committee - The COSEWIC or Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada - has concluded that the humpback population is on the rise and therefore it is appropriate to remove their protection status. Unfortunately, this oil pipeline would be built through whale feeding and rearing grounds which are important for the preservation of this rebounding species. 

Research done on noise pollution and whales has been on going for the last decade or so and all findings have conclusively shown negative results to whales in the presence of noise pollution. Some of these negative effects include: whales moving away from feeding grounds, strandings, and decrease in calf birth rate. Other well known threats to humpbacks include collisions with ships and fishing net entanglements.

Does our need for oil outweigh our guardianship of these gentle ocean giants? 

You decide.

Get Involved By Getting Informed.

The Wild Wanderlass & Student Life

Hey all! I'm fighting to keep up with my posts lately but student life is rough! 

Here is what my day looks like...

early mornings at the gym (the only time I can get there)...or sometimes late night...which looks exactly the same.

white boards covered in this junk! 

3 hr labs ending around 10pm - Atleast I get to wear this nerdy lab coat

oh and more o chem...tonight we were doing distillations...kinda fun actually but when I've been up for 12+ hrs already, nothing is really that fun

plus 2 jobs!! one of them is heavy on data entry (yaaawn) but pays my bills so I always find time to get it done. The other requires me to lesson plan and teach 200-level biology and mentor my peers which I'm really growing to love...but most of the day I'm on my computer doing one thing or the other and it's windows on windows on windows and looks a lot like this...

I love being a supplemental instructor. I never thought I'd want to teach because people are annoying! hahah but it is a beautiful thing getting to see the *click* when someone finally gets a concept and the pride and accomplishment they feel is evident. It's also really fun seeing my peers just as excited about science as I am! I've learned a lot about how people think and learn and communicate and how I do those same things as well. 

But by Friday morning....I'm like

......ya....... 

Over it!!

Thankfully, the semester is almost over because I need a long break to adventure and photograph and share the amazing outdoor world with all of you!

I've starting training with Project Wildlife in San Diego to get back into wildlife rehabilitation and I'm really excited to get back into it and learn about the beautifully diverse animals native to that area.

Coming soon - How to attract birds to your yard with bird houses and our trip to the US-Mexico Border. I'm also come across some super interesting articles lately and we'll get to discussing those in the next week :) 

Stick around folks! Summer is almost here and it's going to get really fun!!

Goodnight!

Backyard Birding - Western Kingbird

I've loved moving around so much the past couple years because I get the opportunity to see such a variety of wildlife. Southern California, while it is very desert-y has quite the abundance of life and because it's finally spring we've seen an influx of so many cool new species and it's been so much fun. Trevor and I often spend time at his father's house on the weekends where we have access to a wildlife preserve and the opportunity to observe some really beautiful animals from the backyard. Just a couple weeks ago he spotted one that I had never seen before and all we could figure out was that it was some kind of flycatcher. He spotted it sitting on a fence by the open field and diving down to catch bugs (typical flycatcher behavior) and all we could make out was a yellow splash on its belly. I grabbed the binoculars while Trevor snuck down to lower yard to get a better look with his long lens. (All photos provided by Trevor Adler)

What are you little bird?!

It seemed very skittish so we had to ninja down there and try to get close enough to get pictures of it from all angles if possible. 

Finally, we got got close and captured these few beautiful shots.

I'd never worked with this bird before so it took a little research to find out it was called the Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis). If you know any Latin or Spanish, you can probably get an idea of this bird's personality. It's name translates to vertical tyrant which holds to natural history information I found on AllAboutBirds.org about the Kingbird being feisty and territorial. They will aggressively fend off predators as big as Red-tailed hawks and will raise their red crowns in response to attacks. 

Looks something like this...

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This illusive bird is known to spend it's winters in Central America and then migrates through Mexico to Western Northern America for the summer breeding season. Sometimes they will wander into Florida or Alabama during their fall migration but not usually their spring migration.

 You'll be able to find these little flycatchers near open fields, especially rural areas posted up on fence posts and wires. Look for it dipping down into the grass to catch bugs and a flash of yellow from it's brightly colored belly. 

I'm looking forward to seeing more of this bird in action now that I know what to look for :) 

Happy Birding everyone!!