February Nearly Gone

It seem that time passes so quickly these days. Here it is at the end of February and it seems like it was just yesterday that we were celebrating the arrival of the new year.

This week we have had true Texas weather. One day it was in the high 90's and the next day there was a light freeze. You have to love this Texas weather. Of course weather is not the only thing that can change quickly.

Suddenly we are seeing more birds. Every day this week we have seen a flock of white wing dove checking out the food supply. We are also seeing more bluebirds. There is a pair that is showing a lot of interest in the nextbox in the cow pen. We see them not only sitting on top of the box, but flying in and out. Hopefully they will be successful nesters this year.

For several days Dustin and Dylan have heard a woodpecker. We have been diligently looking for it. They were so excited when they finally spotted him. He looks like a ladderback woodpecker. He is probably the one of which we snapped this picture last year.

On Tuesday evening we heard the owl. Every once in a while we will see it sitting on the power line post or swooping into the trees where the guineas roost. I am sure that the dissappearance of guineas at night are to be attributed to him.

Monday of this week, Howard and I attended the annual Wildlife Management Workshop. We heard great speakers from the Texas Parks and Wildlife, the Texas Bluebird Society, the FDA and more. One of the sessions was on trapping cowbirds. We are now certified to trap cowbirds. I guess the next step is to build the trap. Some people wonder why any bird should be dispatched to bird heaven -- well, the cowbirds affect the songbird population. They lay their eggs in the next of the songbirds and leave. The songbird mother, incubates the egg; it hatches; then because the cowbird is so much bigger than the songbird babies, it hogs the food. So since our management plan for our property is to provide habitat for the songbirds, we will discourage cowbirds from living here.

Sharon

Treasures2YourDoor

Cardinals and Doves

02-16-08
This week the cardinals have been fighting to see who will win the territory of the magnolia tree. The two males are chasing each other. The females sit on branches and chirp. There is usually one next built in the magnolia tree and then another in some shrubs.

The flocks of dove are showing back up. Some of them are really big.

February 5 and 6, 2008

We have unseasonably high temperatures for February for the past few days. I believe the songbirds are thinking that Spring is here. On February 5, I heard at least three different cardinals singing. We also saw a Bluebird sitting on the garden fence.

On February 6 I saw a Bluebird checking out the nest box that is in the cowpen. Before long it will be time to check the next boxes and see if they are going to be used this Spring.

February 4, 2008 CowBird

One of the uses of our land is to teach our grandchildren how to be good stewards of the earth. To successfully manage for wildlife sometimes means that some of the population of species must be controlled.

On February 4, 2008 the opportunity arose to teach the kids and their Uncle Junior about cowbirds. Cowbirds are not good birds to have around. They lay their eggs in the nest of the songbirds then the female cowbird flies off to go her merry way with no responsibilty for her offspring. The songbird, on the other hand, is stuck with a fledgling that is not hers and most times is much bigger than her own. The bigger bird demands the most food and often it grows and the natural offspring of the songbird dies. That is why cowbirds are not encouraged on our place.

Monday afternoon, one appeared in the chicken yard. It is okay to dispose of these birds, so out came the bb and pellet guns. Fortunate for the bird, the guns were not sighted in so when they were shot, the pellet didn't hit the target. After the third pellet whizzed by the cowbird, she got the message and flew off.

I have to say the next hour or so was spent getting the guns sighted in so that the next time a cowbird appears, it won't be able to fly off!