Posts

Posted on

The Christmas Bird Count is a Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Downy Woodpecker Male at Feeder, Courtesy & © Hilary Shughart, Photographer
Downy Woodpecker Male at Feeder
Courtesy & © Hilary Shughart, Photographer

Downy Woodpecker Using Tools? Courtesy & © Hilary Shughart, Photographer Downy Woodpecker Using Tools?
Courtesy & © Hilary Shughart, Photographer

When the winter chill sets in, that’s my cue to start filling the suet feeders, plug in the heated bird bath, and keep the Black Oil Sunflower Seed in stock for the grand variety of birds which visit my home through the Winter. I feed the birds because I know that my visitors will have better success in raising their families next Spring, but also because they are such fun to watch! Just yesterday I was mesmerized by a Downy Woodpecker taking black oil sunflower seeds one by one from the hanging squirrel-proof bird feeder, flying onto the deck railing, and hopping along about six feet to place the seed in a knothole serving as a mortar to the beak pestle, thus gaining access to the tasty seed inside the hard shell. I immediately wondered if this behavior might qualify as tool use, but suspected it would not meet a strict definition. Sure enough, this clever problem-solving activity is not considered to be tool use, but it is no less fascinating!

This is a great time to discover the joy of bird watching and contributing to community science. The annual National Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count is hosted by many organizations in many locations, with a single day selected between December 14th through January 5th. The Christmas Bird Count database was established by Frank Chapman in 1900, when holiday shooting parties were replaced with counting parties as a proactive response to the noticeable decline bird numbers.
Cache Valley (Logan) Utah Circle 125th Annual Christmas Bird Count Visit BridgerlandAudubon.org
The Bridgerland Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count is always hosted on the first Saturday on or following December 14th, and we have been contributing Cache Valley, Utah data to the National Audubon database since 1956. You can watch from home if you live within the 15-mile diameter watch circle area centered at Main Street and Hyde Park Lane – that is if you live within 7.5 miles of the intersection of Hwy 91 & 3600 N, which includes all or part of Amalga, Smithfield, North Logan, Hyde Park, Logan, Logan Canyon, River Heights, Providence, Mendon, Benson, and unincorporated Cache County. Check the interactive map on our website to determine if your home is inside the watch circle. There’s limited space available with the wandering watch groups, too.

Even if you only see the occasional American Robin or Magpie, please do consider participating in a Christmas Bird Count near you. We welcome newcomers and beginners, and hope that you will enjoy contributing to the longest running community science program which provides data for scientists worldwide.

For identification assistance you can post photos on our Facebook group. Please don’t forget that Zero is a number – we want your final report even if you didn’t see a single bird outside your home. Consider hosting a cozy watch party, sharing hot chocolate with friends and neighbors while sharpening observation and identification skills, keeping hearts and minds full and growing in wonderful ways.

For more information check our website to register at no cost at BridgerlandAudubon.org – that’s Bridgerland Audubon A-U-D-U-B-O-N dot org.

I’m Hilary Shughart with the Bridgerland Audubon Society, and I am Wild About Utah!

Credits:
Images: Courtesy US Fish & Wildlife Service, Leah Schrodt and Brett Billings, Photographers
Featured Audio: Courtesy & Copyright © Kevin Colver, https://wildstore.wildsanctuary.com/collections/special-collections/kevin-colver & Friend Weller, https://www.upr.org/people/friend-weller
Text: Hilary Shughart, President, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/
Additional Reading: Hilary Shughart and Lyle Bingham, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional ReadingSupplemental food and water are important ways we can reduce stress for backyard birds
WildAboutUtah pieces by Hilary Shughart, https://wildaboututah.org/author/hilary-shughart/

ChristmasBirdCount.org which forwards to the following National Audubon page: https://www.audubon.org/community-science/christmas-bird-count

Christmas Bird Count on the National Audubon website: https://www.audubon.org/community-science/christmas-bird-count/join-christmas-bird-count

Regional Christmas Bird Counts found on UtahBirds.org: http://www.utahbirds.org/cbc/cbc.html

Bridgerland Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/cbc/

Posted on

Footprints of Dinosaurs in Our Past

Dinosaurs in our past: Dinosaur Footprint Cast, The Prehistoric Museum, USU Eastern Campus, Price, UT Courtesy Mary Heers, Photographer
Dinosaur Footprint Cast
The Prehistoric Museum,
USU Eastern Campus, Price, UT
Courtesy Mary Heers, Photographer

Dinosaur Footprint Display, The Prehistoric Museum, USU Eastern Campus, Price, UT Courtesy Mary Heers, Photographer Dinosaur Footprint Display
The Prehistoric Museum,
USU Eastern Campus, Price, UT
Courtesy Mary Heers, Photographer

When I saw my first giant dinosaur footprint a the Natural History Museum of Utah, I said it was terrific.

“Dime a dozen, “ said my father-in-law, who was standing next to me. “The ceiling of the coal mine is littered with them.”

My ears perked right up. “Really,?” I said. “Maybe I could get one?”

As a young mining engineer right out of college, my father in law had been hired to run the Sunnyside coal mine about 25 miles outside of Price. He went on to explain that it was impossible to take a footprint out of the mine ceiling with risking bringing the whole roof down on your head. I had to agree it sounded difficult, but that didn’t stop me from sighing and saying, “I sure would like a dinosaur footprint for Christmas. “

In the end, he compromised by arranging a trip into the mine to see the footprints.

So, on a day no one was working in the mine, we climbed into the low riding miner’s car that carried us deep, deep into the heart of the mountain. When we got to the face we stopped and got out. In the dim light of our headlamps I could see we were in a huge cavernous room with massive pillars of coal, seven feet high and almost as wide, holding up the roof. And then I looked up and saw them – three toed footprints pressed down into the ancient mud that had turned into coal millions of years ago. Whole families of dinosaurs had strolled through this prehistoric swamp, leaving big prints, as long as two feet, and small ones, as small as six inches.

I found out later that the preservation of these footprints was a happy accident of sand filling up the prints soon after they were made. Millions of years later, when the decaying swamp plants were compressed into coal, the sand (itself pressed into sandstone,) held the shape of the foot.

A similar lucky mix of sand, water and pressure was needed to preserve dinosaur bones. Not all bones become fossils. So you can imagine the excitement in the scientific community when a fossil bed containing more than 12,000 dinosaur bones were discovered 30 miles south of Price. There were enough bones to qualify as a crime scene. To this day, my favorite spot in the Natural History Museum of Utah is the corner where 4 paleontologists on 4 TV screens square off with their earnest explanations for this massive bone pile-up.

    One says it was a watering hole that dried up so the dinosaurs died.

    “No,” says the second. There was too much water. The site became so muddy that the dinosaurs got stuck in the mud.

    The third offers up the idea that it could have been poison or a lethal germ that got in the water.

    “Oh, no,” says the fourth. The dinosaurs died somewhere else, and floodwaters floated them here.

It’s a mystery still waiting to be solved, and that’s what makes studying Utah’s past so interesting.

This is Mary Heers, and I’m Wild About Utah.

Credits:
Photos: Courtesy Mary Heers,
Featured Audio: Courtesy & Copyright © Friend Weller, Utah Public Radio upr.org
Text: Mary Heers, https://cca.usu.edu/files/awards/art-and-mary-heers-citation.pdf
Additional Reading: Lyle Bingham, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional Reading

Wild About Utah, Mary Heers’ Wild About Utah Postings

Sunnyside Coal Mines, UtahRails.net, Last Updated March 8, 2019, https://utahrails.net/utahcoal/utahcoal-sunnyside.php

Prehistoric Museum, USU Eastern Campus, Price, UT, https://eastern.usu.edu/prehistoric-museum/

Natural History Museum of Utah, Rio Tinto Center, University of Utah, https://nhmu.utah.edu/

Posted on

Mindful Birding

Goldfinch Courtesy Pixabay, Beto MdP, Contributor
Goldfinch
Courtesy Pixabay, Beto MdP, Contributor
Mindful birding- hmmm? Mindfulness has become a common word and way to a better life they say. As I understand, “mindfulness” is a mild form of meditation, where one is “in the moment” focusing on a thought or object that is all consuming. My personal experiences of this type are when I’m painting a picture, weaving a basket, or sitting very motionless for long periods while hunting deer where every sound and sight is in the moment. Birding, not so much, unless an unexpected species presents itself through sight or sound. A goshawk sitting on its kill nearby- a rarity I can vividly recall, including its surroundings. The sound of a peregrine falcon flying above Temple Square in Salt Lake City. Thus, my interest was piqued when I first saw the phrase “mindful birding”. To gain some enlightenment, myself and another Bridgerland Audubon board member attended a “Mindful Birding” workshop in Colorado to gain some insight into this enigma.

These opening statements at the workshop encapsulated its essence- “Mindful birding combines observing birds with mindfulness techniques, creating a practice that incorporates heightened awareness. Labeling or identifying birds is not the primary focus; instead, we intend to slow down and notice, using birds as our guides. Mindful birding deepens our relationship with birds and our connection with the natural world.”

“Whether it's observing a goldfinch delicately pecking at a sunflower seed or witnessing a raptor stealthily hunting its prey, the profound sense of wonder experienced when we slow down and immerse ourselves in nature is truly remarkable. Research demonstrates the mental and physical health advantages derived from engaging with the natural world.”

As the day progressed, we put these statements into practice, as we watched a Swainson’s hawk sitting in a large cottonwood tree while clutching a rabbit in its talons. We surmised it was a young bird whose eyes were larger than its stomach, not knowing quite what to do with such large quarry. Swainson’s typically capture grasshoppers and small rodents. Oops! The highlight came when my traveling companion spotted a barn owl with young in a tree hollow. We all became “mindful” emitting oohs and ahhs to express our delight. For Meg, this was her moment as she focused her powerful camera lens and nailed the perfect photo to capture the moment- mindful photography!

The workshop was emphatic that mindful birding is for everyone, all inclusive, regardless of their seeming limitations or reservations. Bird language was stressed for the blind, which I rely on for songbirds who are often hidden in foliage. This week, I will be presenting birds to an assisted living facility in Logan. I plan to attached a window feeder so residents can enjoy them from their central meeting room: Another mindful bird activity.

“There are times when the primary intention of Mindful Birding may be self-care. And, there are other times when it may be more relational – a search for a deep connection with nature through our love and curiosity about birds.” Mindful birding network

Jack Greene for Bridgerland Audubon Society Let us get mindful about Utah’s Wild Birds!

Credits:
Image: Courtesy Pixabay, Beto MdP, Contributor https://pixabay.com/photos/goldfinch-bird-animal-wildlife-7228334/
Audio: Courtesy & © Kevin Colver https://wildstore.wildsanctuary.com/collections/special-collections/kevin-colver
Text: Jack Greene, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/
Additional Reading: Jack Greene & Lyle W Bingham, Webmaster, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional Reading:

Jack Greene’s Postings on Wild About Utah, https://wildaboututah.org/author/jack/

As a postscript Jack wrote:
Numerous resources and organizations are working towards greater
inclusivity in outdoor spaces, particularly in the birding community. Some
notable groups include:

The American Psychological Association's Inclusive Language Guide is an excellent starting point for guidance on inclusive language.

A Good IDEA for Birding, Birdability, [accessed November 18, 2024], https://www.birdability.org/a-good-idea-for-birding

Lundin M, Bombaci S. Making outdoor field experiences more inclusive for the LGBTQ+ community. Ecol Appl. 2023 Jul;33(5):e2771. doi: 10.1002/eap.2771. Epub 2022 Dec 29. PMID: 36271764. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36271764/

Yuhas, Daisy, Five Ways to Connect With Nature and Boost Your Mood No Matter Your Schedule, Audubon Magazine, Fall 2024, https://www.audubon.org/magazine/five-ways-connect-nature-and-boost-your-mood-no-matter-your-schedule

McGlashen, Andy, Donna Posont Helps Blind People Become Birders—and Whatever Else They Want To Be, Audubon Magazine, Fall 2024, https://www.audubon.org/magazine/donna-posont-helps-blind-people-become-birders-and-whatever-else-they-want-be

Posted on

Election Day

Bald Eagle Gliding on a Thermal Courtesy Pixabay, Dave Eslinger, Photographer/Contributor
Bald Eagle Gliding on a Thermal
Courtesy Pixabay, Dave Eslinger, Photographer/Contributor
I stepped outside on election morning, into a gusty, cold wind. Leaves skidded across the ground, mixed with heavy graupel which fell hard from sky, pelting me from all directions. Graupel is a type of snow—soft hail-like miniature snowballs—that fall with turbulent winds typically associated with either the beginning or the end of a storm cycle. It seemed fitting and it made me smile—in a curious and uneasy sort-of-way.

To the west, through the dim-gray rage of the storm, the Wellsville Mountains appeared to glow in the morning light.

Regardless of the outcome of the election, the earth keeps turning. And though elections can—and do—have direct impact on the wildlands of Utah and the health of our planet, today, the crows in the yellow pine in my front yard still call out, “Caw! Caw! Caw!” The snow still accumulates on the highest peaks. Squirrels still scurry frantically to cache enough supplies for winter. The Bear River keeps flowing to the Great Salt Lake, steady and silent.

In this climate of divisiveness I want to believe, at the core, we all share similar values that we express differently.

US Flag Courtesy Pixabay, RoadTripGuys photographer/contributor
US Flag
Courtesy Pixabay, RoadTripGuys photographer/contributor
I found myself reflecting back on September 11, 2001—how helpless I felt watching the news throughout the day. Late in the afternoon, I headed up Logan Canyon to center my thoughts and to finish a climbing route I had been working to establish. I carefully painted the last bolt anchor at the top of the climb with stars and stripes—it wouldn’t be visible from below—and named the route “Old Glory.”

That time alone on the mountain brought clarity. I came home, called the Scouts in my troop and told them we were flying the flags and to meet at my house as soon as they could. Troop 1, at the time, volunteered to hang the US flags on Main Street in Logan for holidays—it was a task I dreaded sometimes, because it was an inconvenience. Suddenly it felt like the most important thing we could do.

I didn’t ask permission from anyone. I had the key to the flag shed.

Four or five teens and I loaded one hundred American Flags into my van. As we drove slowly down Main Street—hazards flashing, stopping at each light post so the boys could mount each flag—everyone driving past honked and cheered. The boys knew we were part of something special that night—something that mattered. We were part of building a sense resilience and unity.

I have flown the flag at my house ever since.

United we stand.

Votes are being cast as I write. When this segment airs on Monday, we should know the outcomes of local, state, and national races. And those first rays of sunshine that set the Wellsville’s aglow through the graupel this morning—I hope they are a signal for all of us that the end of this storm is near. I hope we can all move past hate, past fear, past division, to a place of understanding that the left wing and the right wing are extensions of the whole bird.

My wife shared Mary Oliver’s poem, “I Worried,” with me this morning and I think I shall do as Mary did:

She wrote: “Finally, I saw that worrying had come to nothing. And gave it up. And took my old body and went out into the morning and sang.”

I am Eric Newell and I am Wild About Utah

Credits:
Images: Bald Eagle-Courtesy Pixabay, Dave Eslinger, Photographer/Contributor, https://pixabay.com/users/dave_e-6829662/
US Flag-Courtesy Pixabay, Road Trip Guys, Photographer/Contributor, https://pixabay.com/photos/us-flag-old-glory-american-flag-3838582/
Featured Audio: Courtesy & © Kevin Colver https://wildstore.wildsanctuary.com/ and Rubber Rodeo-Before I Go Away, Producer, Hugh Jones, Writer, Barc Holmes, https://www.discogs.com/artist/311765-Rubber-Rodeo
Text: Eric Newell, Edith Bowen Laboratory School, Utah State University
Additional Reading: Eric Newell

Additional Reading

Wild About Utah Pieces by Eric Newell

https://avalanche.org/avalanche-encyclopedia/snowpack/weak-layer/storm-snow-weak-layers/graupel-rimed-particles/

https://www.mindfulnessassociation.net/words-of-wonder/i-worried-mary-oliver/