Great Horned Owl Nest
Great Horned Owl Nest One of my many pastime activities is improving habitat on my small parcel of land, such as removing the non-native trees and shrubs and then planting a wide variety of native trees and shrubs. In addition to these plant infrastructure additions, I spend a lot of time building and installing structures for nesting birds. For example, I have built and installed over a dozen Bluebird nest boxes. Over the past couple of years, I have also built and installed an American Kestrel nesting box. I have been successful in attracting a nesting pair of Kestrels for two years now. I have also installed nest boxes for Black-capped Chickadees, Northern Flickers and Great Crested Flycatchers. Five years ago, after seeing a pair of Great Horned Owls on my property, I decided to build and install a nesting platform in hopes that the owls would use it for nesting. I built the nesting platform out of 2 x 6 lumber. I turned the lumber on edge to make a sheltered area inside. The platform measured 3 feet by 3 feet square. After putting some wooden supports across the bottom, I lined the inside bottom with hardware cloth to allow water to drain. I used more 2 x 6 lumber to span across the tree limbs to provide a stable area to place the nesting platform. Because I wanted it to look natural and more inviting, I screwed many 2 and 3-inch branches to the outside of the nesting platform. When I was all done, I used a bunch of dried grass to make a comfortable place inside the structure for the owls to nest and lay their eggs. I installed the nest platform 30 feet up in a tree in the autumn, knowing that Great Horned Owls nest in mid to late winter. And sure enough, a pair of Great Horned Owls moved in the very first winter. They produced one egg, which later hatched into a beautiful baby owl. For the next four years, the pair of owls returned to use the same nesting platform. I was thrilled knowing that I was able to provide critical nesting habitat for such a large predator. But I was always a bit frustrated not knowing when they laid their eggs or how many eggs or just what was going on with the chicks because the nest was too high for me to see. So last October, I installed a camera just above the nest to observe and learn more about the nesting behaviors of the Great Horned Owls. Knowing that Great Horned Owls usually don’t use the same nest for many years in a row, I gambled that perhaps they might come back to nest one more time. While planning how to make this video camera work, I got the idea that perhaps I could live-stream the nesting activities on my YouTube Channel. I have already been live-streaming the Flying Squirrels in my yard when they come into the peanut feeder each evening, so why not stream the nesting Great Horned Owls? I know that everyone really enjoys watching nesting Bald Eagles. After installing a camera with infrared capabilities, so we can watch at night, the camera and nest platform were all set to go. Sure enough, last January, the pair started showing up at the nest and by early February, the female had laid her first egg, then a second and then a third egg. After 35 days of incubation, the first egg hatched on March 11th. We are now waiting for the other eggs to hatch. So, by the time you read this, the other owlets will have hatched and will be growing. You can tune in to watch the live feed for yourself by either going to my website at www.naturesmart.com, then scrolling to the bottom for a link, or by going to YouTube and searching @naturesmartmedia. Join the Nature Smart community there and have fun learning about these amazing owls. Until next time… About Stan Stan Tekiela is an author, naturalist, and wildlife photographer who travels extensively to study and photograph wildlife. He can be followed on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, and contacted via his website at naturesmart.com.
Coyote
Coyote On my recent photo tour to Yellowstone National Park, we had a hard time finding any wolves. The Gray Wolf is always the main species that we want to find and capture images of, but on this year’s trip, it just wasn’t happening. One day, while searching for the wolves, I found some fresh wolf tracks in the snow. I was able to track the wolves for about 5 miles before they turned off and headed up a partially frozen river, which was too dangerous for us to follow due to the thin ice. It was such a disappointment. While pursuing the wolves, we managed to find the next best thing, Coyotes (Canis latrans). So, let’s take a look at one of the coolest critters that often gets overlooked. Saying that the Coyote is a unique critter would be an understatement. There is only one species of Coyote. Unlike foxes, which have around 12 different species, such as the Gray Fox, Red Fox, Swift Fox, and Kit Fox. The Coyote is native to North America and nowhere else. It is truly an American animal. Around the country, it is called or referred to by different names, such as Prairie Wolf or Brush Wolf. Of course, it is not a type of wolf. The Coyote was first scientifically described by naturalist Thomas Say in 1819. Mr. Say had a copy of the Lewis and Clark Expedition journal in his hand, which first described the Coyote in 1805. Say was the one to distinguish between the Gray Wolf and the Coyote. The name Coyote comes from the Nahuati (Aztec) word, which translates to “barking dog”. The name and spelling were officially adopted and became the standard name in the 1880’s. The Coyote’s closest relative is the Gray Wolf (Canus lupus). Recent studies show that they share 98.6 percent of their genetics, which means they can easily interbreed and produce viable offspring. There is a lot of talk, usually amongst hunters, of a coyote and wolf hybrid type of animal running around killing indiscriminately. Studies show that the coyotes in the western half of the country show no interbreeding between coyotes and wolves, and the coyotes in the eastern half of the country show very little interbreeding and are restricted to a small region just east of the Great Lakes. So perhaps they saw Bigfoot’s pet dog! The average male coyote, which tends to be larger than females, is between 20 and 40 lbs, and the average female is between 15 and 40 lbs. This makes them just under half the size of the average Gray Wolf. Unlike wolves, most coyotes look very similar. They are overall gray and tan in color with tints of rusty red, especially behind their ears. They have a long-pointed snout and tall, pointed ears with no real gap between their ears, unlike wolves, which come in all sorts of colors from black to white and gray and have shorter, less pointed ears and larger gaps between their ears. Coyotes are often seen in small groups in winter, especially during the mating season, which is in February. Pair bonds form in the couple of months leading up to the breeding season. Since a Coyote’s main diet is small mammals such as rabbits, squirrels, mice, and voles, they don’t need to hunt in large packs like the wolves, which hunt prey that is often larger than themselves. Over a 4-week period in Yellowstone this winter, my group found and photographed about 20 different Coyote. Each encounter was special, fun, and exciting. While they are definitely not wolves, they are truly wolf-like and always make for wonderful images of this unique American animal. Until next time… About Stan Stan Tekiela is an author, naturalist, and wildlife photographer who travels extensively to study and photograph wildlife. He can be followed on Instagram and Facebook, and contacted via his website at naturesmart.com.
Weasels
Weasels I am fascinated by tiny predators. These mini but mighty critters, such as Elf Owls, Short-tailed Shrews, and American Kestrels, are very small in size and stature but are able to make a living by preying on smaller animals. Their ability to capture, neutralize, and overcome their prey is amazing, especially when you consider their tiny size. One of the more amazing tiny predators is the weasel. There are three species of “true” weasel in America. Each one of them is very small and looks very similar. The smallest of these is the Least Weasel (Mustela nivalis). Not only is it the smallest, but it’s also the least common. It is found in much of the eastern half of the U.S. and into Canada and Alaska. And talk about tiny, this mighty little one is only 6-10 inches long, including the tail, and is considered one of the smallest carnivores alive. It weighs only 1-3 ounces, which would be the same weight as one slice of commercially produced bread. The Short-tailed Weasel (Mustela erminea), sometimes also known as a Stoat or Ermine, is found in the western states and parts of the upper Midwest and New England. It is the next largest weasel. This one is 7-14 inches, including the 4-inch tail. It weighs between 2 and 6 ounces. A stick of butter is 4 ounces by comparison. The Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata) is the largest of our three weasel species. The long-tailed is 12-20 inches, which includes a 6-inch tail, hence the name, “long-tailed”. This weasel weighs up to 12 ounces. This would be about the weight of a can of soda. Now for the confusing part. All of these critters are called different names around the world and also in different seasons. Yep, you read that right, they are called different names in different seasons. These weasels change color from summer to winter. During summer, they are brown with a white or yellow belly and legs and a black tip of the tail. During winter, they turn all white with a black tip to the tail. They are called Ermine in winter when they are pure white in color. When they are brown in summer, they are called stoats. Personally, I find these names difficult to understand and confusing, so I prefer to call them by their common name (see above). Recently, during my winter Yellowstone Photo Tour, I watched a Red Fox pounce and kill a Long-tailed Weasel. I wrote about it in my last column. Watching a predator kill a predator makes you think about things differently. We did have another encounter with a Long-tailed Weasel. My group of photographers was busy following a coyote that was running down a frozen river. The coyote was running from something or running towards something, and we wanted to find out, so we followed. Suddenly, the coyote turned off the frozen river and ran straight up a steep hillside in deep snow. The wind-blown snow slowed the coyote down enough to capture some fun action pictures. Within a minute or two, the coyote was over the hill and out of sight. As we reflected on the events that just took place in front of us, one of the guests said she saw something moving on the hillside. As I turned, I immediately saw a Long-tailed Weasel in its pure white coat and black-tipped tail popping up out of the snow. When these weasels are hunting, they move quickly and decisively. The snow on the hillside was deep enough for the weasel to dive into the snow and disappear, then pop up again, which made capturing images of this speedy critter difficult. At one point, it popped out of the snow and stood still long enough to get my camera to acquire focus. Suddenly, it took off running on top of the snow. As I followed with my camera, I was able to capture one of my favorite images of my 4-week-long trip to Yellowstone. Until next time… About Stan Stan Tekiela is an author, naturalist, and wildlife photographer who travels extensively to study and photograph wildlife. He can be followed on Instagram and Facebook. He can be contacted via his website at naturesmart.com.
Dark-eyed Junco
There is a small and common bird that is often described as “bland” that visits your yard each winter, and perhaps you don’t even know it. It is charcoal gray in color with a white belly. The males are darker than the females. They have a small pink bill, which is really the only splash of color on this bird. They have a pair of white outer tail feathers that stand out strikingly against the dark tail, but are only seen when the bird is in flight. So, what is this common and unnoticed bird? It is the Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis). The Dark-eyed Junco is a type of New World sparrow. This means it is not related to the sparrows found in Europe, Asia, or Africa. They are unique to the Americas. In summer, it is found in the northern reaches of Canada, well into the Arctic, and in several of the northern tier states, where conifer forests can be found. Its genus name, “Junco” is from the Latin word for rush or reed and refers to the grass-like plants. The species name “hyemalis” is also Latin and means winter. So together its scientific name means “a winter bird that lives in reeds”. Well, they got part of it right. They are a winter bird, but it’s not usually seen in reeds or cattails. In summer, they live in conifer forests, and in winter, they are found in open areas. The Dark-eyed Junco shows up in most backyards in late fall or early winter. They are found in each and every state in the nation during winter and even parts of northern Mexico. To say they are widespread and in everyone’s backyards would be an understatement. They are highly migratory, with the females moving further south than the males. The males tend to stay in the northern states, which gives them a head start when returning in the spring to the breeding grounds. Every study shows that the males who return to the breeding grounds first obtain the best territories. These birds can look highly variable depending upon where you live. There are around 15 subspecies of the Dark-eyed Junco, and this is the very thing that drives a lot of people crazy, me included. So, let’s just say that no matter what your Junco looks like, it is still a Dark-eyed Junco. For the past 50 or more years, it was believed that small songbirds like the Dark-eyed Junco had no or very limited ability to smell anything. It was thought that the olfactory system in these birds was underdeveloped to the point of being non-functional. However, recent studies done with Dark-eyed Juncos show just the opposite. They do have the ability to smell and even identify individual family members by their unique odor. Now the most recent studies show that the Dark-eyed Junco have cryptochrome molecules located in the retinas if their eyes. These molecules create light-activated chemical reactions that are sensitive to the Earth’s Magnetic field. In other words, the birds can see the magnetic poles, allowing the birds to determine which way is north or south. To add to this amazing superpower, the Juncos have a strong sense of smell that helps the birds use the odor of the land to help them determine their exact location. It is thought that the birds can smell the landscape as they move about during migration. Experiments are showing the birds can smell the chemicals in the soil, lakes, streams, and other habitats. These two amazing senses help the birds to navigate across unfamiliar territory when migrating. Combining these senses helps determine how far they need to fly during migration and when and if they have reached their final destination. As you can see, we are just starting to understand the superpowers that many birds possess. The next time you look out your window and see one of these Juncos, think about how these birds eyed and smelled their way to visit your backyard. Until next time… Stan Tekiela is an author, naturalist, and wildlife photographer who travels extensively to study and photograph wildlife. He can be followed on Instagram and Facebook. He can be contacted via his website at naturesmart.com.
Black-backed Woodpecker
Black-backed Woodpecker Winter in the Northwoods is a very special place and time of year. There is just something exceptional and inviting about the absolute silence, stillness, and wildness that combines to make it a great place to be alone and experience nature. The wildlife in the Northwoods is unlike any other habitat. Several interesting and unique species occur here. Sure, many of the more familiar species also occur here but it’s the Northwoods specialists that really interest me. Recently, I spent some time looking for a Northwoods specialty bird, the Black-backed Woodpecker. The Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus) is also known as the Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker. Right now, you might be thinking to yourself, Three-toed Woodpecker is a strange name. Obviously, this bird must have only three toes. Let’s take a closer look at this and see what is interesting about this woodpecker. There are 241 species of woodpecker in the world. We have 23 species here in North America. All of these woodpeckers around the world have four toes, except for three. Yep, you got that. Of all the woodpeckers in the world, only three of them have three toes. They are the Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides dorsalis), the Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus), and the Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus). So, two out of the three species of woodpecker in the world that have only three toes live right here in the Northwoods. One of the many amazing things about woodpeckers is their feet. In order to cling to the vertical sides of trees without falling off is the number of toes they have and how those toes are arranged. Toe arrangement in birds is critical. Most birds have four toes, with three facing forward and one backwards. For many woodpeckers, they have a unique toe arrangement. They have two toes forward and two toes back. This is called a zygodactyl foot. The extra toe facing the rear gives them more gripping strength to hold onto the tree and fight gravity. So, what’s up with the species that only have three toes? This specialized adaptation gives the bird an advantage when searching for food. The Black-backed Woodpecker specializes in feeding on the larvae of wood-boring beetles, especially in forests that have been damaged by forest fires. So, these birds move around from year to year following areas of forest that have been damaged by forest fires, which can make finding these woodpeckers challenging. The advantage of the three toes in this woodpecker allows them to lean further back and thus deliver a more powerful hammering blow to remove the tree’s bark. While they pound directly into a tree trunk like other woodpeckers, much of what the Black-backed Woodpecker does is more of a glancing blow. This sideways pecking flecks or peals, the outer bark off the tree, which exposes the larva stage of the beetles, which is the majority of their food source. The larvae range from 2 to 15 mm in length. Each one is a protein-packed package of food. While photographing the Black-backed Woodpecker over 2 days, I watched as they pulled one larva after another out from under the newly flaked bark. When they find a tree with a good amount of bark beetle larvae they usually stay on the tree for upwards of 15 or 20 minutes, moving up and down, flaking off the bark and exposing the larvae underneath. After two days of searching and photographing the Black-backed Woodpecker in the great Northwoods in winter, I was ready to warm up and get back to the office. Until next time… Stan Tekiela is an author, naturalist, and wildlife photographer who travels extensively to study and photograph wildlife. He can be followed on Instagram and Facebook. He can be contacted via his website at naturesmart.com.
The Fox and the Weasel
I think a lot of people believe that nature can be predictable, on a regular schedule, or completely understandable. An experience that I had yesterday shows that nature can never be predictable or understandable. I am writing to you from cold and snowy Yellowstone, where I am in the middle of leading two groups of photographers on a winter wildlife photography adventure. Yesterday, while in a very remote part of the park, accessible only by large snow coaches, think monster truck, that it is, very comfortable for traveling long distances in snowy conditions. We spotted a Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) on a distant snowy ridge. It was clearly hunting because it stopped often to cock his head from side to side while listening to small mammals under the snow. This looked like it might turn out to be a good photographic opportunity, so we climbed out of the snow coach and started to set up our tripods and cameras in anticipation of capturing some hunting action. One of the major goals of these photo adventures is to capture images showing the winter environment and how the animals interact and survive in harsh weather conditions. The fox clearly saw my small group and paused to look at us before it went to a wind-blown snowy ridge and sat down and curled up to rest. Of course, we were all disappointed, but I figured it was worth waiting around to see what transpired. After 45 minutes, the fox got up and stretched. The fox started moving towards us, and I thought we might get lucky, but instead it turned and disappeared behind a short snowy ridge. After a few minutes, we could see the fox pouncing on the snow surface, like a Polar Bear does when trying to break through sea ice to catch marine Seals. What happened next was the hard to understand and totally unpredictable part. The fox came up from the snow with a Long-tailed Weasel (Neogale fermata) in its mouth. I was shocked. I have heard about this happening but never witnessed it myself. The Long-tailed weasel is a slender, carnivorous predator that makes a living by eating small mammals such as mice and voles. They are a fierce predator that has brown fur in summer and changes to bright white in winter. They are super active hunters moving across the snowy surface, then burrowing into the snow to find their prey. They hunt both day and night to find their prey in burrows underground or in trees. They range from southern Canada down across most of the United States and into Mexico. They are one of the larger weasels and appear hyperactive when out actively hunting. The point is, the Long-tailed Weasel is a predator and an efficient killer. So, it’s difficult to understand a predator killing another predator but yet right in front of us, this happened. I am continually amazed at the complexity of Mother Nature and how it finds ways to survive in the most surprising ways. All of this took place over 300 yards away on a bright sunny winter day, so unfortunately, the images I was able to capture and not of very high quality. In fact, they are terrible images, but I did manage to process one of the images to illustrate this story and show you what happened. You can see the long white tail with a black tip, clearly showing that it is a Long-tailed Weasel. It doesn’t happen often, but predators do kill other predators, and here is just one more example of how it goes in the wilds of Yellowstone. Stan Tekiela is an author, naturalist, and wildlife photographer who travels extensively to study and photograph wildlife. He can be followed on Instagram and Facebook. He can be contacted via his website at naturesmart.com.