Fall Warblers Present Ultimate Birding Challenge
Abandoning their summer homes in the North Country, tiny wood warblers are on the move. For Iowa birding enthusiasts, the season’s most challenging migration has begun. I use the word challenging because no other grouping of birds is more difficult to correctly identify than autumn warblers. Magnolia warber Even when warblers are bedecked in their finest spring plumage, making an accurate identification can be frustrating. During the fall migration, things get even tougher as those same species arrive in their...
read moreSeptember Odds & Ends
Triplets: Joyce Klunder called the other day. She lives at the west end of Clear Lake in the Ventura Heights and wanted to report that she had just seen a white-tailed deer with fawns near the entrance of the Heights bike trail. Although seeing a doe with her spotted offspring is always a heart-warming sight, the event usually doesn’t warrant a phone call. It is, in fact, a common sight for those who spend much time poking around in the out-of-doors. But this doe was special. Instead of being followed...
read moreTiming is Everything
They say that timing is everything. I think most of us would agree with that statement. I’d also add that rarely has that well known phrase been more dramatically illustrated than during this year’s September 1st opening of Iowa’s 2020 Teal Season. Reinstated by the feds in 2014, Iowa teal seasons are designed to intercept southbound flocks of blue-winged teal, a duck species that often builds to peak numbers during early September but may migrate out of the state before regular waterfowl seasons begin. So, if...
read moreStudying Ants
I bought another small farm last week. I’m still pretty excited about that. OK, so I should probably note that it’s only a plastic Ant Farm, but I’m excited just the same. I know you might be wondering why a guy my age would purchase a product that’s normally found in the kiddie section of the local hobby shop. Good question. I don’t really know what started it all, but I’ve been fascinated with ants for about as long as I can remember. Much of my early knowledge was obtained from...
read moreIowa’s September Teal Season Provides Recreational Windfall
The first of this year’s fall waterfowl seasons begins with a special, 16-day teal hunt opening September 1. The purpose of the statewide early season is to provide Iowa duck hunters with an opportunity to pursue flocks of early migrating blue-winged teal. Although blue-wings occur as an abundant nester across the Dakotas and prairie Canada, the bulk of their population typically passes through the state well in advance of traditional duck season openers. Authorized by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in 2014, the Iowa...
read moreSummer Entertainment
The red-headed woodpecker is one of Iowa’s best-known birds. It is also one of our most popular. Easily recognized by its redder than red head, black and white checkerboard plumage, and bluish chiseled bill; it would be hard to mistake this bird for anything else. Getting up close and personal, I’ve recently enjoyed the opportunity to observe the daily activities of a red-headed pair nesting in the woodlands adjacent to Clear Lake’s south shore. The red-headed woodpecker is an amazing creature. Like...
read moreVelvet Antlers
The white-tailed deer is one of Iowa’s most economically and recreationally important species of wildlife. For deer hunting enthusiasts, it’s never too early to start thinking of fall. I was reminded of that fact earlier this week when a yearling buck suddenly stepped out of the woodland shadows and into full view. Pausing at a distance of around twenty yards, the deer provided a good view. The first thing I noticed were the blunt, velvet covered appendages jutting from the top of its head. Although the...
read moreFledging Woodpeckers
Female Hairy Woodpecker Feeding Fledgling While photographing an energized gang of scurrying chipmunks at the abandoned woodpile, I couldn’t help but notice an excessive amount of activity on the part of a nearby pair of hairy woodpeckers. I soon discovered the reason for the commotion. The woodpeckers’ nest — containing two young — was in the process of fledging. Male Hairy with Fledgling Taking full advantage of the event, I began slowly moving my portable blind, an inch at a time, until I was in good...
read moreDo Chipmunks Make You Smile?
Can’t say for sure what it is, but there’s just something about a chipmunk that makes people smile. It doesn’t seem to matter where the chipmunk is or what it’s doing – you might spot one sitting atop an old stump munching on an acorn, cautiously peering around a stack of firewood, or high tailing it across a forested trail. Doesn’t matter. Even the briefest, snapshot glimpse of a playful ‘chippie is all it takes to make us feel happy. Familiar to most folks through the mischievous antics of cartoon...
read moreIowa’s Bird & Bunny Season Has Begun
It’s that time of year again. Iowa’s Baby Bird & Bunny season has officially begun. During the past few days, I’ve seen lots of wildlife babies. Baby birds, baby rabbits, baby squirrels. I even spotted the season’s first pair of spindle-legged twin fawns. Each new sighting is cause for celebration – a vivid portrayal of the annual renewal of life. The sightings also serve as a reminder for me to fire off this column. Doesn’t take much to put this one together. Filed...
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