March in May III

Following a round of thunderstorms yesterday, it is chilly and raining in Metro Denver today, the product of an upslope flow behind the potent cold front.  High temperatures today will be in the 40s F and our overnight low is expected to fall into the 30s.

I would complain about the clouds, the rain and the chill but they are just what we need as we hope to recover from a prolonged drought and nearly snowless winter.  The thirsty plants on our Littleton farm are surely relieved by the March-like weather and are resident birds are as active and as noisy as usual.

This cool, wet interlude will last another day or two but it seems the stagnant weather pattern that brought us the drought has broken down.  Bring on an unrelenting Southwest Monsoon!

Addendum:  The title of this post reflects the fact that March-like weather is not uncommon in May along the Front Range urban corridor; the title has been used at least twice before over the history of this Blog. 

Boycotting Racism

Now that the Supreme Court has decimated the Voting Rights Act, Southern States are rushing to complete redistricting before the November elections.  In the process, they are eliminating the representation that black Americans have relied upon since the 1960s.

While public protests and journalistic outrage have developed and will continue, I would suggest that financial consequences will prove more effective.  Americans who support voting rights and fair representation might boycott States that disenfranchise their black citizens; in other words, we night decline to visit and spend our money in those States.  Even more effective would be the decision of the NBA, the NFL and other professional sports leagues to withdraw championships and special events from those Red States.  Finally, major corporations might decline to fund the campaigns of political parties and candidates that support racist legislation.

We can all do our part to voice our outrage; cancelling a vacation to Nashville or New Orleans is not a major sacrifice.  Donations to the ACLU and other human rights organizations should also be considered. 

Bovine Bathing

As summer-like heat builds across the Great Plains, bovine bathing is off to an early start.  Grazing comfortably on verdant pastures just a few weeks ago, cattle are now gathering at ponds and lakes, seeking relief from the heat and the biting insects.

Partly submerged, they are still tortured by flies around their head and neck.  Fortunately, local flocks of swallows take advantage of the insect swarms, filling their bellies and providing some relief for the cattle.  Yet, the swallows are not immune from attack either; as I witnessed today, prairie falcons may zero in on their flocks, hoping to pick off a swallow for lunch.

Beyond the drama at the cattle pools, I encountered a number of Mississippi kites over Hays, Kansas, my routine rest stop on the Plains.  Tomorrow I complete my journey to Colorado, where a cold front will produce near-freezing overnight temperatures early in the week; that same front is expected to ignite severe thunderstorms across the Great Plains and Midwest. 

Back from South America

Mississippi kites have returned to central Missouri after a winter in South America (primarily in southern Brazil and northern Argentina).  Usually migrating in sizable flocks, they begin to split up as they approach their summer range.

Despite their name, these kites are most abundant in the Southeastern U.S. and across the Southern Plains but some nest as far north as Iowa and Nebraska.  As I have reported in the past, they have become increasingly common in central Missouri in recent years; indeed, I saw two late yesterday afternoon.

These spectacular aerialists are best observed in the evening, when they swoop and dive to snare flying insects.  Should they land, usually in the tops of large shade trees, their whistling calls are frequently heard.  They'll stick around until September, when they begin their long journey back to the Southern Hemisphere.

See also: Whistling Kites 

Our Mystery Buckeye

Last summer, we found a small buckeye tree growing in one of our flower beds.  How it got there was uncertain but we assumed its seed had arrived in the feces of a deer and was then buried by a squirrel.  This spring, we learned more about the tree.

Early this month, red flowers appeared (photo).  Since our native buckeye species flower in the summer, this suggested the tree is a Eurasian import, known as a horsechestnut.  Furthermore, its opposite, palmately compound leaves have seven leaflets, typical of horsechestnuts; American buckeyes have five leaflets.  Finally, the red, upright flower clusters, indicate it is likely a red horsechestnut, a hybrid of a common horsechestnut and a red buckeye.

Whatever its exact classification may be, it is an attractive tree and a welcome addition to our flora.  Its presence demonstrates the value of establishing wild borders, allowing nature to determine their resident plants and animals.  Less expense and work for us and more natural diversity on the property.   

Playing the Piano

I "play the piano."  Indeed, I have been playing since the 1980s when we bought one for our kids' piano lessons.  I never took lessons myself and do not read music; this has made all the difference.

Having never endured the expectations of a piano teacher nor been confronted by a jumble of notes on a music sheet, I learned to play by ear.  As it turns out, that technique works over forty years and I enjoy my sessions whether I am playing established tunes or ones that I make up as I play.  Of course, I generally play when I am home alone, not wanting to burden others with my therapy.  The beauty of a piano, unlike many other instruments, is that it is sitting there in plain sight, waiting to be played; no preparation necessary!

As I have written in the past, art and music are, in my opinion, man's only gifts to this planet, just beginning to make up for all the damage we have done.  My piano sessions benefit only myself but I like to think they also enhance my appreciation for the talent and artistry of true professionals. 

Flashback Post LXXVI

On this Mother's Day, I have decided to repost my thoughts from May of 2010.  They seem especially relevant during this period of economic and political turmoil.  Happy Mother's Day to all who have taken up the awesome challenge of raising children and appeasing fathers.

See: Natural Peacemakers

Disappointed at Babler State Park

Always looking for new hiking locations, my wife and I visited Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park, south of Chesterfield, Missouri, this morning.  Home to a pleasing Visitor Center and an Outdoor Education Center, its forested hills are accessed by paved roads that are popular with cyclists and which lead to a number of picnic areas, shelters and camping sites.  An equestrian trail also winds through the Park.

On the other hand, its hiking trails, while leading through mature deciduous forest, into glades and down to spring-fed creeks, are not well engineered.  Neither do they lead to any overlooks that might offer the visitor some perspective of the local topography.  After a night of rain, the soggy trails made foot travel difficult, if not treacherous, in some areas.

One might question why a naturalist, such as myself, would be disappointed by a lack of manicured trails, overlooks and other hiking amenities.  Were it a conservation area, wildlife refuge or nature preserve, my criticism would, indeed, be inappropriate; but, in my opinion, State Parks should encourage exploration beyond traditional human recreation sites and a safe, inviting, educational trail network best serves that purpose. 

 

A Catbird Soliloquy

 Late this morning and into the afternoon, a male gray catbird has been delivering a prolonged soliloquy of musical notes, calls and other harsh sounds from a shrub line in our backyard.  Of course, having just arrived from his wintering grounds, he is staking out his summer territory and trying his best to attract a mate.

Though he tends to remain hidden for much of the day, he does come out to search for insects in the grass before returning to his seemingly endless vocalizations.  Once he attracts a mate, a nest will be placed in the shrubbery and his soliloquies will eventually give way to the mewing sounds for which he is named.  By early autumn, his diet will shift to a mix of insects and berries and he will soon be off to the Southern U.S. or Mexico for the colder months.

Until then, this noisy but attractive summer resident is more than welcome on our property.  After all, like other insectivores, his service is far preferable to the use of toxic pesticides.

Avian Explosion at Eagle Bluffs

Now that this fabulous floodplain refuge has returned to its former glory and we are in the midst of spring, Eagle Bluffs was alive with birds this morning.  Indeed, on my two hour visit, I encountered 43 species, many of them summer residents.

Swallows (all five species), blue-winged teal, dickcissels and indigo buntings were most abundant.  Highlights included a pileated woodpecker,  American avocets, white-faced ibis and soras; the latter, usually best observed on cloudy, rainy days, were especially vocal and visible on this bright, May morning.  Eastern kingbirds and common yellowthroats were more numerous than I had expected and our common waders, great egrets and great blue herons, are gradually regaining their past summer populations.  Ironically, an immature bald eagle was the only raptor that I saw.

Though I had hoped to encounter black terns, a personal favorite, it is a bit early for those late spring migrants.  Nevertheless, my overall experience was more than rewarding and I'll continue regular visits whenever I'm in Columbia. 

A Snowstorm in May

It is not rare for snow to fall along the Colorado Front Range during the month of May.  An unruly spring jet stream, significant changes in elevation and the presence of a storm system crossing the Desert Southwest are the usual ingredients.

The current snow storm, which began yesterday, developed as a deep atmospheric trough (dip in the jet stream) allowed cold, Canadian air to drop southward along the Front Range while counterclockwise winds, around a low pressure center in New Mexico, pulled in Gulf of Mexico moisture from the Great Plains.  This upslope flow dropped two feet of snow in the mountains, a foot of snow in the foothills and rain changing to snow along the Front Range urban corridor.

This welcome moisture will likely have a limited effect on the State's drought and on Metro Denver's water shortage but it is surely welcomed by the regional flora and fauna.  Perhaps the greatest benefit of the storm will be to diminish the threat a wildfires across the eastern slope of the Front Range as the annual fire season gets underway.  Early and prolonged Southwest Monsoons and normal to heavy mountain snowpacks over the coming years are needed to end the drought. 

New Sheriffs on the High Plains

By early April, it is getting too warm for rough-legged hawks on the High Plains of the U.S. and they begin moving back to their Arctic breeding grounds.  There they will nest on rocky outcrops and feast primarily on lemmings as they raise their young.

In their absence, Swainson's hawks take charge on the High Plains, arriving from Argentina where they spent the winter.  Usually nesting in a solitary cottonwood tree, struggling to survive along a dry stream bed, these raptors prefer open country where their diet ranges from rodents to snakes to insects.  They will occupy the High Plains until early October, when the promise of a perpetual summer draws them back to Argentina, often traveling in large flocks.

Today, I observed several Swainson's hawks on our journey across the High Plains of Colorado and Kansas.  We'll spend the night in Hays and complete our roadtrip to Missouri tomorrow.  Details, if warranted, to follow. 

Racism Endures in America

Back in my college days, when we were protesting the Vietnam War, racism and, it seemed, most of our parents' generational beliefs, I imagined a better world, led by my liberalized generation.  Now, more than fifty years later, I acknowledge that little has changed.

The quest for wealth, power and superiority has poisoned my generation as well and a significant portion of American society retains the mysticism, racism, militarism and nationalism that existed back in the Sixties and Seventies.  Though we managed to elect a black President for two terms, the underlying racial hatred in our country surfaced throughout his years of leadership.

Now, led by a racist buffoon and subject to the whims of a far-right Supreme Court, civil rights are under attack.  Each ruling takes us farther back in time, to an era when all "minorities" were second class citizens.

See also:  The Nature of Racism and No Racist

Frustrated by Virga

Anyone who lives in an arid or semiarid environment is familiar with virga, precipitation that evaporates in dry air before reaching the ground.  Viewed from a distance, it resembles a curtain, hanging from the bottom of a rain or storm cloud but not extending down to the terrain below.

During our current drought along the Front Range, many of us check the local radar when rain is expected.  Watching the green or yellow blobs move toward and then over our neighborhood, we anticipate a downpour.  In many cases, however, we stay dry or receive only a light drizzle, a victim of virga.

This phenomenon is enhanced in Metro Denver when storms arrive from the south or west.  As the air descends from higher terrain, it warms up and dries out and precipitation evaporates as it falls into the lower, drier layer of the atmosphere. 

A Honey Bee Swarm

Yesterday, while wandering about our Littleton farm, I came across a large honey bee swarm (photo), having attached themselves to one of our piñon pines.  Its mass consisted of worker bees and a queen, waiting for scout bees to locate a new hive site.

A common event in the spring, this swarming splits the old colony and the remnant colony will attend to a virgin queen, which emerges from a cell in which an egg was laid by the original queen, prior to her departure.  Other virgin queens may leave the hive with small "cast swarms" of worker bees to establish their own colonies.

Swarms, such as the one I found, generally move on within hours or days, once the scout bees have collaborated and agree on a new hive location.  Fortunately, my wife and I are now the only part-time residents of the farm and we can easily avoid the swarm until it departs.  Since they are focused on their moving adventure, the swarm tends to be rather docile anyway. 

Tainted Gold

A disturbing article in the New York Times, released yesterday, describes the varied sources of gold used by the U.S. Mint.  Despite a law passed by Congress in 1985, which requires the Mint to use only American mined or recycled gold to produce its coins, that policy has been ignored.

In fact, much of the gold comes from illegal sources, some run by drug cartels and terrorist groups.  In such cases, environmental protection is nonexistent and workers are exposed to toxic debris.  A variety of other non-American sources are also revealed in the article.  Furthermore, the Times reports that this practice has occurred for decades, over the course of multiple Administrations.

As America's image across the globe takes a major hit from Trump's antics, we cannot deny the fact that our country has long abused the citizens of foreign countries in order to maintain our wealth and power.  What can the average American do to protest such behavior?  We might start by selling any gold coins or gold investments that we own and by not buying the Trump commemorative coins when they become available.

  

Egrets in Centerfield

Attending my grandson's little league game this past weekend, I was pleased to observe a quartet of snowy egrets, feeding in centerfield.  Common summer residents in Metro Denver, they were the first I encountered this spring.

These sociable birds usually nest in colonies, often in groves of trees along lakes or streams.  They feed on a wide variety of aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates as well as fish, amphibians, lizards, snakes and small mammals.  Come autumn, they will head for Mexico or for coastal areas along the Gulf of Mexico or the Baja Peninsula.

Lest readers be concerned about the egrets' safety during the ballgame, be assured that, in my grandson's age group, balls rarely reach the outfield.  Indeed, the ratio of walks to strikeouts generally determines the outcome of a game. 

Common Ravens

In North America, common ravens are found across Canada and Alaska, southward through the Appalachians and throughout most of the Western U.S.  Able to adapt to a wide range of habitats, these large, aggressive, hardy corvids are identified by their large size, thick bills, heavy build, diamond-shaped tail and deep, croaking calls.

Unlike their smaller cousins, American crows, which often move about in flocks, common ravens are generally observed alone or in pairs, often harassing hawks, owls and other perceived enemies.  Their diet consists of invertebrates, nestlings, eggs, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, carrion, food waste and berries; in other words, they are not picky eaters.  Nests are generally placed in conifers or on rock ledges.

Here in Colorado, common ravens are found throughout the mountains and western deserts and have, in my experience, become increasingly common along the Front Range urban corridor, likely taking advantage of roadkill, discarded food and other human handouts.

 

The Bear Creek Greenbelt

Bear Creek rises on the east face of Mt. Blue Sky (formerly Mt. Evans) and flows downward through alpine tundra, forests and meadows.  Below Evergreen, Colorado, it slices through its tortuous canyon in the foothills before rumbling onto the Piedmont, eventually joining the South Platte River.

Before the construction of the Bear Creek Lake Dam (1977-1982) to control flooding, Bear Creek, having also received significant flow from Turkey Creek, to its south, had produced a broad floodplain of wetlands, meadows and cottonwood groves through the west side of Metro Denver.  Once its flow was greatly diminished by the dam, that floodplain began to dry out and a large portion of it is now protected as a Greenbelt for walking, biking and nature study.

Of course, this flood-control project has had a significant impact on the floodplain itself, where the massive cottonwoods are gradually dying off and the wetlands have all but disappeared.  Human development and recreation have been the winners.