Freedom and Flames

What bird posed for this silhouette? The lack of color limits the clues to just form and function. The stark contrast makes the head and bill seem surprisingly large, while the downward focus speaks to the bird's behavior. 

Birding by Shape was a concept taught in Seattle Audubon's Master Birder Class - Thank You!

It is amazing how adding color can make some information seem less obvious.

Northern Flickers are a unique type of woodpecker. Similar to other woodpeckers they can be seen on tree trunks and quite often sitting on the tops of trees. Occasionally, you may even see them on housetops, where they will often hammer on the metallic covers to chimneys. (The metal amplifies their territorial and mating communiques.) 

However, unlike their relatives, when feeding they are usually found on the ground. This makes sense because their favorite food is ants. Not the large carpenter ants, that can be found in deadwood, but the smaller ones which create tiny ant hills while excavating their subterranean homes. 

They are perfectly at ease in our lawns...

...and often seen probing the cracks in a sidewalk or...

...checking out crevices and gaps around rocks, while silently searching for ants and their larva.

In our area, the males generally have a distinctive red mustache while the females, see the second photo in this post, lack that bright distinction. 

In Spring, when a male Northern Flicker is spotted excavating wood from a dead tree, nest building is a logical conclusion. For a split second, the wood chips are held in the bill. 

Then, with a flick of his head, the chips fly.

One might assume that this flicking motion is what gives the Flicker its name. However, it is the same motion used by Pileated Woodpeckers, so it would not be fair for Flickers to get all the credit. 

In either case, the chips fall where they may. Some smaller excavating birds carry the chips away from their nest sites, apparently, not wanting to give away the location.

In Spring, Flickers will also bob their heads and make a 'wicka, wicka, wicka' sound. This is often associated with a display of the colored feathers under their tails and wings. One website
(https://www.scienceworld.ca/stories/ever-wonder-about-flickers/) implies that since the term 'wicka' sounds kind of similar to Flicker it may have been the inspiration for the name. 

Another website (https://animals.mom.me/difference-between-woodpecker-flicker-7810.html) states, "They are named for the brilliant yellow or red undersides of their wings and tails that cause the birds to resemble flickering flames when they fly." 

Whether this idea is true or not is almost irrelevant. The concept of flickering flames is such an excellent memory aid it should be commonly used to burn the name into the minds of new birders.

By the way, we seldom see the eastern, 'Yellow-shafted' version of the Northern Flicker around Union Bay. In addition to the yellow versus orange coloring, can you spot two more differences between this male bird and...

...our local 'Red-shafted' variety?

The next day, after watching the male flicking chips out of the prospective nest site, I spotted a female looking out of the same hole. 

A week later, I saw the female perched at the opening. Nesting certainly seemed to be in process.

By the way, Flicker eggs are all white. Possibly this is because there is no need for camouflage inside the nesting cavity. Another reason could be to reflect light and help the adults move about the nest without mishaps. (Thank you to the Burke Museum for allowing this photo.) 

Five weeks later, I got my first photos of young peering out of the nest. Notice the white tip at the end of the bill. I believe this is the egg-tooth that young birds use to fight their way to freedom. I have read that most birds lose their egg tooth within a week or two of hatching. However young flickers appear to still have the tooth at the age of three or four weeks. One idea implied that keeping the highly reflective tooth may help the parents locate the young bird's mouth in the darkness of the nest.

The white gape, where the upper and lower bills meet, is also thought to be helpful for the hurried adults. 

It is interesting to compare the mother's bill and gape with that of the young bird. The adult's visual priority is the opposite of the young. They prefer to fade into the background rather than be easily seen.

Three is the maximum number of young photographed in this nest. Although, All About Birds states brood sizes are usually between 5 and 8. It is difficult to imagine how two adults could supply enough food to keep themselves and eight young adequately fed.

As the young birds get closer to fledging they get larger and louder. They lean further and further out of the nest and stridently beg for food.

Sometimes, a parent will sit nearby and return the call. It seems as if they are saying, "Dinnertime, come and get it!" 

Apparently, leaving the nest is a process and occasionally the parents will still bring food to the young even when they are nearly ready to fledge. In this mid-June photo, the small red fruits falling from the feeding operation are elderberries. Both Pileated Woodpeckers and Northern Flickers will feed their young elderberries when the ripe berries are near the nest site.

When the parents are away, the rapidly maturing young will extend their tongues to explore the outside world. 

Their tongues are uniquely suited to investigating and harvesting tiny ants from their tunnels.

In this case, I suspect the white food falling during this exchange is ant larva.

Sometimes, the young appear to share the view in a remarkably civil fashion.

Sometimes, it looks a bit more like sibling rivalry.

This aggressive young male appeared to 'win' the rivalry and left the nest before his sisters. Notice the difference in the red mustache color between the mature male and the juvenile.

By the way, the two other obvious differences between the Yellow and Red-shafted male Northern Flickers (excluding their flames) are:

A) Red-shafted have red mustaches while Yellow-shafted have black mustaches,

B) the Yellow-shafted have red chevrons on the back of their heads.

It should be noted that in our area we also have male Flickers with a mixed genetic heritage. Looking for these birds can add a lot of 'spice' to your daily birding expeditions.

For example, this bird has the red chevron like a Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker and some black mixed into its mustache. On the other hand, it has the flaming orange feathering of a Red-shafted Northern flicker along with a hint of red mixed in the mustache. 

When the last of the young left the nest I suspect the parents did not have time to experience an 'empty nest syndrome'. 

As soon as the young birds can fly they follow the parents everywhere begging for food. The intensity of the parenting experience only increases. On the plus side, this process will ultimately teach the young where and how to find food. Slowly at first, the juvenile birds will begin to find food faster than the parents can supply it. Before Fall, the elder birds will finally earn their freedom!

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Tsuloss Watch:

By July 3rd, Tsuloss had barely begun 'branching'. Sometime in the next month or so, I hope Tsuloss will learn to fly. Several readers have now sent in their guesses for when Tsuloss will fledge.

If you would like to play along send me your name and the date when you hope or expect Tsuloss will leave the nest. July is just around the corner!

July 1st - Barry Saver

July 4th - Larry Hubbell
July 6th - Joe Clancy

July 8th - Cynthia Jones

July 9th - Lynne Kelly

July 10th - Lynn Adams

July 14th - Helen Spiro

July 15th - Jeff Graham

July 16th - Audrey Weitkamp

August 2nd - Tyler Mangum

(By the way, the nestling period for Bald Eagles, as stated on All About Birds, can vary quite a bit. It is listed as 56 to 98 days. This implies to me that Tsuloss might just as well fledge in late July or even August.)

The only rules I can think of for this impromptu, prize-less contest are:

A) I plan to only publish the name associated with the first entry I receive for each date. I want to encourage the widest variety of dates as possible.

B) Practice hops do not count e.g. when the young eagle flaps, lifts up and then comes right back down in the nest.  Also branching - hopping from branch to branch - does not count. Tsuloss must leave the air space above the nest.

C) Falling does not count. Tsuloss must leave the nest and exhibit an ability to stay in the air. However, if you do see Tsuloss fall from the nest and land on the ground, especially if unable to fly, please call:

 Lynnwood PAWS at 425-787-2500

PAWS has rehabilitated and released 3 out of Tsuloss's 4 siblings during the last 2 years. (The fourth sibling did not require assistance.)

The following information may help you make a more accurate guess:

Eaglet Patrol - The post suggesting when Tsuloss might have hatched.

Tsuloss - The last eagle update.

By the way, Tsuloss is most easily seen with binoculars from the north side of Montlake Cut. The nest site is shown on this Union Bay Map.

My email address is: ldhubbell@comcast.net

Naming Update:

Apparently, there is more than one way to pronounce the number five in the Lushootseed language. Aaron Peterson sent in this interesting update. 

https://youtu.be/_yAmSHJZd14?t=20

Clicking Here will enable you to find the word for five and the link to the pronunciation guide, which I originally used. 

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Have a great day on Union Bay...where Black Birders are always welcome!

Black Lives Matter,

Larry

 

Going Native:

Without a well-funded Environmental Protection Agency, it falls to each of us to be ever more vigilant in protecting our local environments. Native plants and trees encourage the largest diversity of lifeforms because of their long intertwined history with our local environment and native creatures. I have been told that even the microbes in the soil are native to each local landscape. I hope we can inspire ourselves, our neighbors, and local businesses to respect native flora and to support native wildlife at every opportunity. I have learned that our most logical approach to native trees and plants (in order of priority) should be to:

1) Learn and leave established native flora undisturbed.

2) Remove invasive species and then wait to see if native plants begin to grow without assistance. (If natives plants start on their own, then these plants or trees are likely the most appropriate flora for the habitat.)

3) Scatter seeds from nearby native plants in a similar habitat.

4) If you feel you must add a new plant then select a native plant while considering how the plant fits with the specific habitat and understanding the plant's logical place in the normal succession of native plants.

My intention in my weekly post is to include at least one photo each week and visually challenge us to know the difference between native and non-native lifeforms. 

By the way, my friend Tom Brown pointed out that the application named 'Wildflower Search' is extremely helpful. Click on the highlighted link to see for yourself.

What species is this? Is it native to Western Washington?

 

Scroll down for the answer.

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All of the following Dragonflies are native to Western Washington. Due to their somewhat similar look, I have included two different species and both genders. However, I have not included Twelve-spotted Skimmers.

Common Whitetail - female

Common Whitetail - male

Eight-spotted Skimmer - female

Eight-spotted Skimmer - male

Dennis Paulson's book, "Dragonflies and Damselfies of the West" covers all three species and provides many more interesting details about their variations e.g. sometimes white wing-spots are optional.

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The Email Challenge:

Over the years I have had many readers tell me that Google is no longer sending them email announcements regarding my posts. Even more frustrating when they go to 're-sign-up', hoping that will enable them to once again start receiving the announcements, they get a message which says 'Sorry, you are already signed up.' Google has not responded to my requests for help with this issue. 

My functional workaround is to set up my own email list and each week I manually send out a new post announcement. If you are experiencing the issue and would like to be added to my personal email list please send me an email requesting to be added. Thank you for your patience!

My email address is: LDHubbell@Comcast.Net

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Here is one more photo for those who read all the way to the end.

Did you notice the black tips to the tail feathers?

Since woodpeckers use their tail feathers for support, like a third leg when hitching their way up a tree, the tips wear down to a point around the relatively strong central rachis.

Elegance Enqueue

I have seen Western Grebes at a number of different places on Union Bay. However, my most common sightings are in October and immediately east of the Conibear shell-house. This year, these two showed up on time and at the expected location.

While watching them lazily paddled back and forth, I noticed a fairly obvious difference in size.

Initially, I assumed the difference was due to gender. As time passed, I began to wonder, Could the smaller bird be a juvenile? I had no clue how to resolve the issue. I did not remember noticing any age, or gender, related variations between Western Grebes in the past. 

The bird on the left was not only larger and longer but it even seemed to float higher in the water, with a larger percentage of its back and body above the surface. I wondered why.

I think this photo makes the size difference most obvious. Theoretically, if the two birds were nearly the same size, the closer bird should appear larger. 

Later, while reading Peter Pyle's book, 'Identification Guide to North American Birds - Part II', I came to understand that male Western Grebes are often noticeably larger than the females. Among other things, their bills are generally longer. However, in some cases, there can be overlap. A small male could be somewhat smaller than a large female. However, it seems reasonable to assume a visually observable size difference most likely implies the larger bird is male.

In this case, I found the size difference to be quite obvious. However, this did not resolve the question of age. Could the smaller bird have simply been a juvenile, of either gender?

As the afternoon progressed, the smaller bird turned in the water. For a split second, I wondered if it was going to attack the larger bird. It did not. The larger bird simply ignored the antic and they resumed their casual paddling.

Later, the smaller bird appeared to yawn. They must have fed earlier in the day because they did spend much time diving for food. 

As with other birds, I assumed that preening was a secondary activity which might indicate their hunger was satiated. It is interesting, that unlike Pied-billed Grebes, I seldom see a Western Grebe bring their catch to the surface. I suspect, they generally swallow their food underwater.

Only once have I photographed a Western Grebe with a fish out of water. All About Birds says, 'They either spear prey, or capture it with a forceps-like motion of the bill, taking larger prey items to the surface before swallowing.'

The preening turned into stretching. I find grebes to be really quite odd. They have super wide toes, instead of webbed feet, and their legs are attached were their tails ought to be. This is an amazing adaptation for underwater swimming, but it makes walking on land fascinatingly awkward. Please, Click Here to see a rare video, as recorded by Mick Thompson.

By the way, if you want to stump your birder friends ask them, 'What color is a Grebe's tail?'

This bird continued to swim around with only one foot in the water. Due to the angle of presentation, I was initially uncertain whether I was seeing the top or the bottom of the exposed foot. Certainly, a Western Grebe's hip joint does function like mine.

Ultimately, the bird simply laid its foot down on its back. At which point, it seemed obvious that I was now seeing the underside of the foot, which was a dark greyish-black in color. This casual inverse of the leg made me think Western Grebes should be given the title, 'Yoga Masters'.

With its long neck and beak, it was obvious that the grebe could easily reach over its back and thoroughly inspect its foot with its bill.

Little did I know that the yellow top to the smaller bird's foot might imply an answer to my question.

Later, I found the following information in *Birds of North America Online under the heading, 'Legs and Feet'. 'In adults lower surface of tarsi and toes black, upper surface yellow green or yellow orange. In hatchlings legs and feet "nearly black" (Ratti 1977) or "mostly slaty, the lobes somewhat greenish" (Palmer, 1962); upper surface becomes olive green in juveniles and obtains adult coloration in first year.'

I understood this to imply that the smaller bird was most likely an adult since the upper surface of its foot was yellow instead of olive green, as it would be in a juvenile.

This whole photographic process was an incredible surprise for me. At the time, I was out in a rowboat with my friend, Chris Kessler. Chris quietly, rowed the boat around to the sunny side of the birds while I photographed their practice of yoga. It was a wonderful first experience. I have never before had a maritime chauffeur. Thank you, Chris!

I will leave you with a final Western Grebe conundrum. It seems to me that the upper mandible, on the smaller, female bird, often appeared to be a tiny bit longer than the lower half. I think it creates an almost 'up-turned' look to the bill. With the larger male the two parts of the bill appear heavier and precisely the same length. The next time you are observing Western Grebes take a look and let me know whether or not you too can see this potentially, gender-based bill difference.

Have a great day on Union Bay...where nature lives in the city!

Larry

Recommended Citation

LaPorte, N., R. W. Storer, and G. L. Nuechterlein (2013). Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (A. F. Poole, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bna.26a

Going Native:

Without a well-funded Environmental Protection Agency, it falls to each of us to be ever more vigilant in protecting our local environments. Native plants and trees encourage the largest diversity of lifeforms because of their long intertwined history with our local environment and native creatures. I have been told that even the microbes in the soil are native to each local landscape. My hope is that we can inspire ourselves, our neighbors and local businesses to respect native flora and to support native wildlife at every opportunity. I have learned that our most logical approach to native trees and plants (in order of priority) should be to:

1) Learn and leave established native flora undisturbed.
2) Remove invasive species and then wait to see if native plants begin to grow without assistance. (If natives plants start on their own, then these plants or trees are likely the most appropriate flora for the habitat.)
3) Scatter seeds from nearby native plants in a similar habitat.
4) If you feel you must add a new plant then select a native plant while considering how the plant fits with the specific habitat and understanding the plant's logical place in the normal succession of native plants.

My intention in my weekly post is to include at least one photo each week and visually challenge us to know the difference between native and non-native lifeforms.

What types of trees are these cones from? Are they native to Union Bay?

Hint: The green foliage belongs to the same species as the smaller cones. The dried foliage belongs to the same species has the larger cone.

Scroll down for the answer.

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Sierra Redwood (Giant Sequoia) = The larger cone

Coastal Redwood = The smaller cones

Neither species is native to Union Bay.

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The Email Challenge:

Over the years I have had many readers tell me that Google is no longer sending them email announcements regarding my posts. Even more frustrating when they go to 're-sign-up', hoping that will enable them to once again start receiving the announcements, they get a message which says 'Sorry, you are already signed up.' Google has not responded to my requests for help with this issue. 

My functional workaround is to set up my own email list and each week I manually send out a new post announcement. If you are experiencing the issue and would like to be added to my personal email list please send me an email requesting to be added. Thank you for your patience!

My email address is LDHubbell@comcast.net

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