So went the advice of Creedence Clearwater Revival (admit it, some of you remember the band) and it's applicable today. Most of us are and should be at home most of the time. Our bird friends are there too. You never know what you're going to see to amuse, inspire, or awe you unless you take the time to look.
Northern cardinal pair, photo by Mr.TinDC, FCC
In my front, side, and back yards, the stars this spring have been the cardinals. Two males and a female have been foraging and chasing one another. They can really fly through tight spaces. Some chickadees are sparing me some arduous clean up. I had about a three foot, rotting stump of an apple tree and decided that a year of procrastination was enough. The stump had to go. But a pair of chickadees started work on it just a couple of days ago. They are preparing a nest? Feeding on insects? Who cares, the stump is theirs for as long as they want it.
I think the house wrens appeared last week, for which I'm grateful. Like many urban homeowners and gardeners, I've been distressed by the appearance of ticks in the yard the last couple of years. Then I learned the wrens eat ticks. They can be noisy but I'd welcome dozens of them.
House wren, photo by Kelly Colgan Azar
Robins are real common and real welcome. Rabbits are also making their presence known, hopping about our and the neighbors' backyards, after, of course, sampling the tulips. Displaying toms and still uninterested hen turkeys are a common sight on our walks around the neighborhood. If the sunlight hits them just right, especially a strutting tom, the birds' iridescence, their metallic sheen, is breath-taking. Some wildlife species are very common, but that does not detract from their beauty or charm.
The perpetual drama in the front yard is between the squirrels and the crows. They compete for some scraps, mostly carbs, that we supply frequently. (With regard to the concern that leftover scraps might attract unwanted visitors, that would seem not be a problem. Everything is always gone, as in vanished completely, within 30 minutes.) Sometimes the two parties just share happily; sometimes they eye one another warily; sometimes, serious competition erupts. Both are smart but so far one squirrel has had a surprising, winning tactic. He had some dinner roll in his mouth when a crow decided it should be his. He flew ahead of the squirrel, landed, and cut off the escape route. The squirrel took to the apricot tree and the crow flew up. Advantage, one might think, crow. The squirrel went higher and higher on thinner and thinner branches with the crow pursuing. At nearly the top of the tree, the squirrel cached the roll and revealed his genius. The branches would not support the weight of the crow when it tried to grab the roll. Off flew a very frustrated crow.
Squirrel v. crow, photos by Joshua Mayer
With winter over, the chipmunks have joined the banquet. They are delighted when the crows and squirrels squabble giving them the opportunity to dash in.
Sometimes the drama is much more urgent. I stepped out the house late last spring just in time to see a Cooper's Hawk (getting to be pretty common in our neighborhood) chasing a crow. To my surprise, the crow did not flee but wheeled and try to catch the Cooper's Hawk. Who, as you might guess, did not back off. The dogfight continued for 4-5 minutes until the combatants disappeared to the east. I doubt that I'll ever see such a jaw-dropping display of bird flight again.
Cooper’s hawk, photo by Fyn Kynd FCC
Possibly the best viewing of the spring is yet to come. With the right combination of temperatures and humidity, sometimes all the blossoms of the apricot tree bloom at once. When that happens, for about three days thousands of bees swarm the tree — little native bees, as well as honeybees, and of course the queen bumblebees. They are so focused on the blossoms you can stand under the tree and stick your hands into the branches. They never notice.
Apricot in bloom, photo by Intrepid wanderer FCC
Hmm, what is the connection to advocacy? Let's be grateful for our local, urban wildlife and enjoy the beauty and surprises they afford us. And please support the organizations like MAS and the National Wildlife Federation that advocate for those species.
And maybe listen to that old CCR album while you look out your backdoor.
Written by Topf Wells, Madison Audubon board member and Advocacy Committee chair
