Nature Net News
March 2008
Spring Bird Calls
"Those little nimble musicians of the
air,
that warble forth their curious ditties,
with which nature hath
furnished them
to the shame of art."
Izaak Walton
Dear Reader, Who cooks for you? Enjoy! Kathe & Betsy |
The "fee-bee-ee" sound you hear this time of year from chickadees is their spring mating song? In fact, the chickadee has 13 known vocalizations. It's namesake "chick-a-dee dee" call warns of a near-by threat - with more "dees" added the more dangerous the threat. Learn more from the WhyFiles.
What to Do This Month:
Listen for chickadees and robins as they make their spring calls/songs.
Watch for the the return of red-wing blackbirds.
Learn the top ten reasons kids give for becoming bird watchers.
Hit the Great Wisconsin Birding & Nature trail!
Celebrate spring with a taste of Maple syrup at Aldo Leopold Nature Center.
And don't forget, Nature Net's Earth Day Bouquet of Events in April, including Green Day.
Tricks of the Trail for Parents:
Bring in the Birds
How to slow kids down to be able to see and hear bird sounds on the trail? Naturalist Joseph Cornell has some recommendations on how you can attract small birds. Find a spot where your family can comfortably stand or sit motionless and partially hidden. Once you are settled and the activity has died down, begin to make a series of rhythmically-repeated "psssh" sounds: "pssh...pssh...pssh...pssh...pssh". Each series should last about three seconds. Repeat and pause after three or four rounds to listen (and watch) for incoming birds. Why it works: this is a type of "universal" warning or alert sound in the bird world. It often attracts curious on-lookers who want to see what the alert is all about!
Instant Outdoor Expert:
Sing a Song or Make a Call
In general, bird calls are distinguished from bird songs in that they are shorter vocalizations associated with warnings or inter-flock communication. Conversely, songs are associated with courtship and mating and often sound more melodious to the human ear. It turns out, whichever you hear on your outdoor treks, bird communication is more complex than once thought - and there's certainly more behind the clamor than meets the ear. The sounds birds make (other than sonates or non-vocal communicative sounds) turn out to be created quite differently from the human voice. While both humans and birds have nostrils, a mouth, and a trachea through which air travels to reach two lungs, where the tube branches to enter the lungs, birds possess a structure called the syrinx. With tightening of syrinx muscles and changing of the tympanic membranes inside, birds can get quite creative with sounds and since both branches of the syrinx have a membrane, they can create two notes simultaneously. While we use about 2% of the air passing through our vocal cords to talk (or sing), birds use almost 100%.
Interestingly, like humans, birds must learn how to communicate by first listening to adult birds - they even go through a "babbling" stage before becoming proficient in song. Studies conducted on how white crown sparrows accomplish their distinct song found youngsters learn the pattern of whistles, chirps, warbles and tweets as sequential segments (as in, whistle A always precedes chirp B, etc.) and could actually be induced to sing their song backward. Scientists are intrigued as this may help in understanding how human speech develops. Take a listen to this National Public Radio article to learn more. For more general information on the remarkable world of birdsong, visit PBS's The Life of Birds with host David Attenborough.
If you think you're ready to hit the trails and identify birds by their songs or calls, here are a few good websites to get you started: Bird Song Central and Learn Bird Songs.
Eco-Exercise:
Find Your Bird
Hone your "birding by ear" skills and have fun while you do it with this interactive group game. First, print the bird call cards created by Nature Net (.pdf) (you can also pick other phonetic bird calls - or better yet, make up your own). Split your assembly of players into two groups. Mix up the bird call cards and hand each player in "group 1" a yellow card and each player in "group 2" a green card (if you have fewer than twelve players, make sure there are matching yellow and green cards in use). Now, send the yellow card holders out into a field or along the trail (or spread out in the backyard). Once they've found a good location, each player can begin to call out the song or call of their bird, read from their card. Each green card holder must now find his or her matching bird species by listening to the calls. Once everyone has found their match, return to the starting point, shuffle the cards and try again.
Featured Nature Net Site
Nature Craft
Owen Conservation Park
On a hilltop overlooking Madison's west side, this
park was the farm and personal retreat of former University Professor
Edward T. Owen. Today, prairies and oak savannas have risen like a
phoenix to reclaim the landscape. Coneflowers, goldenrod, and bluestem
are among the many plants that yield a harvest of ever-changing color
and texture throughout the year. This park features 93 acres with 3.4
miles of trails, including cross-country ski trails. For convenience,
there is also free parking, restrooms and near-by bus stops (routes 8,
15).
In 2007, Owen Park staff started construction of 3 storm water/wildlife
ponds in the southwest corner of the park which will replace an eroded
channel that carried tons of sediment to Lake Mendota every year. The
first 2 ponds will trap nearly 70% of the sediment. The third pond will
function chiefly as additional wildlife habitat. Native prairie was
planted around the ponds last fall, and in the spring native trees and
shrubs will be installed. Having permanent water habitat will attract
additional wildlife like herons, wood ducks, shorebirds - so get out
there and listen for various birdsongs.
Park hours: 4 a.m. until one hour after sunset
(608) 266-4711
Marbled Eggs
Spring-time bird watching often includes witnessing
birds making nests and, if you're lucky, laying eggs. Create your own
beautiful bird eggs with this fun technique.
First, cover your work surface with newspaper and lay out a few paper towels for holding completed eggs. In each of several containers (i.e. coffee mugs), put one tablespoon each of vinegar, oil and food coloring. Repeat this for each color. Add enough water to each coloring mixture to cover an egg. Stir each mixture with a spoon to create a swirling motion. While the liquid is swirling, place a hard-boiled egg on a spoon and dip it down into the swirling mixture. Remove egg quickly. Pat the egg dry with a paper towel, and set it aside if you're satisfied with the color. If you're not satisfied you can repeat the process with a second color. Do as many color combinations as you like. When each egg is finished, pat it dry, leaving a little of the oil on the egg to give it a varnished look.
You may store the eggs in refrigerator until you're ready to eat
them!
)
Suggested Reading:
"Song Bird" by Amy Poster (age 2-4)
"Loon Song" by Marcia Wakeland (age 2-4)
"The Songs of Birds : Stories and Poems from Many Cultures" by Hugh Lupton
(age 4-8)
"Chickadee Winter" by Dawn L. Watkins (age 4-8)
"Birdhouse for Rent" by Harriet Ziefert (age 4-8)
"Birds Calls (Play the Sounds, Pull the Tabs)" by Frank Gallo (age 4-8)
"Birds, Nests & Eggs (Take-Along Guides)" by Mel Boring (age 4-8)
"Song for the Whooping Crane" by Eileen Spinelli (ages 4-8)
"Marsh Morning" by Marianne Berkes (age 4-8)
"Robins: Songbirds of Spring" by Mia Posada (age 4-8)
"Songbirds: The Language of Song" by Sylvia A. Johnson (age 9-12)
"Birds in Spring" by Stephen Maslowski (age 9-12)
"Beginning Birdwatcher's Book: With 48 Stickers" by Sy Barlowe (age 9-12)
"The Audubon Backyard Birdwatcher: Birdfeeders and Bird Gardens" by Robert
Burton (age 9-adult)
