Nature Notes and more

Nature Notes and more

By Allen Batt

Nature isn’t far away. That’s a beautiful thing.

The visually stunning male goldfinches flock to the feeders to gather food for mates and young.

I heard a whistle, a plaintive “Ken-ne-dy.” Here’s a fun fact: only .003 percent of eastern wood peewee males are named Kennedy. That’s not true. I kid because I love. The peewee produced this call: “pee-a-wee!”

I found wild turkey and blue jay feathers in the yard. Does that mean there will be cold turkeys and jays this winter? Turkeys molt all of their feathers each year, and molting is most pronounced during summer. Jakes molt first, followed by the hens that didn’t nest or hatch a brood, and toms molt after their breeding activities wane when spring turns to summer. Successful hens with broods and hens that have renested molt last. Blue jays also molt in summer, and some jays drop all their head feathers simultaneously. That’s why I see bald blue jays each year.

On a lovely day in August, what better thing to do than to consider winter? Winters can be treacherous, and it’s the only season that happens twice a year. According to folklore, a narrow orange band on a woolly bear (woolly worm) caterpillar predicts a harsh winter, while a wide orange band means a mild winter. Folklore also says the number of fogs in August will correspond to the number of snowfalls in the coming winter. Farmers’ Almanac predicts a cold winter with an average snowfall for the upcoming winter for the Midwest. January 20 to 27 could provide abundant amounts of snow.

There had been two wild turkey hens in the yard. They came with an established pecking order. One was the numero uno, and the other was the runner-up. A third hen showed up. She brought a poult with her. The original two hens had produced no young. Things were good for a couple of days. Peace reigned. Then, the new hen with a poult decided she should move up the organizational chart. An epic battle ensued. It was a protracted fight. A scuffle to reshuffle the hierarchy. The two combatants locked bills and bumped chests while doing a fierce shoving dance across the yard, like bucks locking antlers. They moved this way and that way. It ended with the current champion ousting the newcomer. The runner-up, an enabler during the fight, tossed in a peck on the head of the loser after the bout had ended in a 10-round unanimous decision. The runner-up had maintained her position, and the poult’s mother was OK. After all, she had finished third.

Q&A

“When do Baltimore orioles leave Minnesota?” I’ve heard for years that they are all gone by the end of the first week of September, but that isn’t true. The median departure date in the northern part of the state is September 20 and October 25 in the south. Their migration peaks in August and September.

“Why are so many tiny acorns falling from my oak tree? They’re producing so many acorns this year.” Oak trees rock. One tree is a woodland. Premature dropping of green acorns indicates that the tree is stressed because of adverse weather. Trees have a natural cycle where they produce a larger than normal number of acorns in a year known as a mast year or oak masting, to overwhelm predators’ appetites. The belief that the number of acorns is an indicator of the winter ahead is a myth.

“Are there any bad birds?” No, just birds that are misunderstood or have bad reputations.

“What part of a poison ivy causes the rash?” Poison ivy rash is caused by an allergic reaction to the oily resin called urushiol found in the leaves, stems and roots of the plant. Wash the skin that came into contact with urushiol right away. This might reduce the chances of developing a rash, which can be itchy and last for weeks. Mild poison ivy rashes can be treated at home with soothing lotions and cool baths. Severe or widespread rashes may require prescription medication.

“Is wild parsnip dangerous?” Wild parsnip is a tall, non-native plant with hollow, grooved stems, leaves resembling large celery leaves and small, yellow flowers clustered together in a flat-topped array. It can inflict

burns that look like a rash with blistering and discoloration of the skin that came into contact with the sap from the plant in the presence of sunlight. Wild parsnip thrives in open places such as roadsides, pastures, and disturbed areas.

Thanks for stopping by

“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.—Henri J.M. Nouwen.

Do good.

Allen Edward Batt, American writer, speaker, storyteller, tour leader. He and his wife have one adult son.