The bevy of beautiful birds and animals that come to the backyard at various times make it difficult to choose the first to begin this series. I have to begin with The Northern Mockingbird. It is, after all the State Bird of Texas. And it is truly ubiquitous. Backyards and front, the streets and lanes and the parks all have one or several of this gutsy little song birds perched high up on the top branches of a sycamore or a telephone pole singing their hearts out. They are brilliant mimics and can imitate the song of many other song birds in the area.
The Northern Mockingbird is found all over North America from Canada through the USA and into Mexico, and the islands in the Caribbean Sea. The Mockingbirds stay year round, and only in particularly harsh winters do they migrate to the Southern States and return in the spring.
The Northern Mockingbirds are usually about 8 or 9 inches long, their feathers are gray on their backs and white in the breast and belly. The wings are gray, black and the underside is white, the tail is long and slender. When the bird sets off in flight it is a flurry of black, white and gray. The beak is small, sharp and colored gray black. The legs are black and the talons are also black. Their eyes are bright orange and gleam in the sun as the bird swirls his head around in a characteristic manner. These birds are very observant and aware of any incursions into their space, regardless of the species, man or bird.
Mockingbird males are very territorial and lay claim to trees and are fearless in defending their claim on it. They can often be observed chasing off not merely members of their own species but bravely seek to attack hawks and eagles. Jim Baines the Bald Eagle photographer has a favorite photograph of a Male Mockingbird determinedly trying to chase off a Bald Eagle, a brave and singularly ineffective struggle and gutsy beyond measure.
Mating season with Mockingbirds can be a display of song and flight. When the male seeks to impress the female he does looping dancing flights and sings the songs of numerous other birds. The greater his repertoire the more appealing he is as a potential mate to the female of the world of Mockingbirds. Theirs is a courtship replete with music and dance.
Once a mate has been chosen by the female, the couple begins nest building in earnest. In mid February and they gather small twigs, bits of dry grass, dried leaves and lint and threads when available. The female allows the male to do most of the nest building work. She then lays the eggs, a light blue green color, the clutch is between three and six. The female broods for 2 weeks until the chicks emerge. For the next 2 weeks the chicks are totally helpless and rely on their parents for food. Both parents work hard to feed the chicks. Once the chicks have some or most of their feathers grown they venture out of the nest hop onto the nearby branches, and even on to the ground. Soon they begin flying close to the nest initially and then further out.
The diet of the Mockingbird is insects, spiders and even very small snakes. As the colder months come the birds switch their diet from insects to berries and seeds. There is a confident cheeriness to Mockingbirds. They sing as they look for food, sing when seeking a mate and sing for the sheer joy of it. People have been known to complain about their singing being a “nuisance” but that is way beyond my comprehension. The songs of Mockingbirds cover the range of songs of most of the other birds in the area. They are often heard singing their little hearts out, cheerfully and in an unmistakable celebration of being alive in this glorious world.
The Northern Mockingbird is the state bird of, not just Texas, but also of Florida, Arkansas and Mississippi. There is a belief in the South that Mockingbirds are special and to kill one of them is a sin. This theme is expounded on in Harper Lee’s book “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Occasionally Mockingbirds become pets and there is documentation that Thomas Jefferson, the father of the US Constitution owned a pet Mockingbird. Jefferson called his pet Mockingbird Dick. Clearly these birds have graced our skies and our yards for eons and have been enjoyed and appreciated for a long time. In Texas they continue to charm and delight us on a daily basis.
The Buddha said: “Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.” Happy Holidays to all of you and may we all have the wisdom to live as The Buddha suggested. Year End reflections :
2011 is rapidly winding down and and easing away. It has been an interesting, stimulating, challenging year for me. I have spent the year with what I have called my American Icon Series. The animals and birds that I have written about, photographed and painted were at one time plentiful in North America. The European invaders and settlers described each of these species in detail. The rapidity of the expansion of settlements placed enormous pressure on the natural landscape and many a species was driven to the brink of extinction. Some of these were showcased in my blogs in 2011 and each of these was brought back from the edge of extinction by the concerted efforts of a lot of dedicated people. This journey of learning and documenting these species is winding down.
In 2012 I will be embarking on a different journey altogether. This one will not require going very far. I will be focusing on the birds and animals that visit my backyard, observing, learning, reading and writing, photographing and painting these visitors. The birds that come to the feeders for a quick snack or a full meal. The ones that fly in for a drink of water and the others that come and splash and bathe in the little pond.
The squirrels are an everyday presence, harassing the birds, teasing the juveniles, eating pretty much anything set out for them and then reaching for the bird food, they are a definite presence in my yard. The wild hares are still visiting but are much more circumspect, tentative and cautious. They get hungry and thirsty and venture in clearly hesitant and quick to flee at the first sign of danger.
I plan to observe and learn about each species, read and write about what I have gleaned, photograph and paint some of them. My goal for 2012 is to get acquainted with the the energy, the activity , the life and death struggles that are being played out in my backyard. This will be a time to live in Mindfulness
An Interview with Mr. Jim Baines photographer par excellence:
The Colorado River courses through the Canyon of Central Texas and has long been a winter haven for Bald Eagles. The Bald Eagles come down in September and build their nests, raise their chicks and along with the juveniles return to the North in March of the following year. Eight years ago one Bald Eagle pair (The eagles mate for life) wandered further south to the Llano River and found the Sycamore and Ficus trees between the Llano River and Highway 29 appealing. This pair built a nest alongside Highway 29. Year after year the pair came to the Llano river site refurbished their nest, had their brood, raised the chicks and returned to their summer home up north. Two years ago the Eagles moved to second tree a little further up the road. They built a completely new nest and have used this nest for the past two years in row. The Bald Eagles have returned again in 2011 and are presently busy keeping the nest comfortable and feeding the hatchlings, even as I write this vignette.
And watching them with respectful eyes is Mr. Jim Baines. He has served in the United States Army for his entire adult life. His military career spanned four decades the years were devoted to duty and honor, serving his country, both overseas and stateside. Four years ago, he retired and settled down in Kendalia, an hour’s drive from Llano.
The propinquity of the Bald Eagles in Llano and Mr. Baines quite naturally led to their paths crossing and for Mr. Baines it was an immediate recognition of a deeply felt connection and respect for this, the National Bird of the USA. Mr. Baines began coming to watch the Bald Eagles and take an occasional photograph. His interest has now become a commitment to monitoring and photographing the Bald Eagles of Llano on a once or twice weekly basis and recording their entire stay in Llano from September of each year to March of the following year. Mr. Baines is now the Official Photographer of the Bald Eagles in Llano and posts his exquisite pictures at http://job2458.zenfolio.com/p424037029 and visitors to the site can enjoy the pictures of the Bald Eagle Family.
1) When and how did you begin your watching the Bald Eagles that come to Llano every year to nest and have their chicks?
It was early in '07. I retired as a Department of Army Civilian (DAC) on 3 Jan 07 and began spending as much time outdoors as I could. I roamed the back roads every chance I got, which was often. On really nice days I rode a '02 Harley Davidson Softail with a Point & Shoot Coolpix 8800 as my companion. I discovered the eagles' nest enroute to Llano specifically to look around town and see the Llano River. I took my very first eagle photo with that 8800 but found out quickly that it was quite inadequate for the distances involved. The 8800 had a nice digital zoom, 35-350 (35mm equivalent). But even that wasn't strong enough, so I bought a 1.7x adapter with lens and went back as soon as I got it. I had no idea what I was doing as you can tell from the photos attached. They were taken on 16 March '07 just before he fledged. He was actually hovering over the nest that day, but the 8800 shutter release is not fast enough to catch the action.
But it was on that day, 16 Mar 07, that I got hooked on the icon that I had served under for over 47 years, half active military and half civilian. I became determined to learn how to bring home decent photos to share with others and learn as much as I could about this magnificent raptor that represents the USA. The Army taught a lot about Old Glory, but it seems they never gave any training about the Bald Eagle. All I knew was that they were scarce and I had never seen one in the wild until that day in 2007.
After the eaglets fledge I shift my focus to other birds, insects, arachnids, wildflowers, and anything else I happen upon while beating the bush. I am currently in the midst of a project of my own involving the Yucca Moth (Tegeticula yuccasella), the only insect that pollinates our Twist-leaf yucca (Yucca rupicola). An extremely interesting relationship nothing short of miraculous. And I am the photographer for another ongoing project at Doeskin Ranch, a part of Balcones National Wildlife Refuge. I was selected my Dr. Walter Stewart to photograph his efforts in expanding the range of the Eastern Shooting Star (Dodecatheon meadia). Currently there are only about 50 plants in existence in this area.
3) What are the most interesting aspects of the day to day life of these birds that captures your interest?
I am intrigued by their vision. They can obviously see sharply for miles. I would love to be able to see through Bald eagles eyes for a day.
Their ability to communicate. I know nothing about their hearing abilities, but surely it must be honed to about the same degree as their sight.
Surely both of these senses account for their ability to communicate with each other so efficiently. Viewing from a distance with the distractions of road traffic, wind, background construction on the ranch, all of these things deafen my ability to hear their calls, but it seems they take it all in stride as though it doesn't even exist!
Just the other day (18th) when I arrived the female was on the nest. She left the nest for a nearby dead tree trunk and as soon as she perched the male flew in with a huge amount of fresh grass. He settled into the nest and within a few minutes she joined him. But I never head a sound because of the distractions, but I know they did. For them it was all so efficiently prearranged.
I am in awe of their unpredictability, their element of surprise. And that is what makes visits to the nest so exciting and entertaining. I recall my first visit to the nest trying to capture a photo. I was thinking, "I'll just focus on the nest, when it mounts the edge of the nest for take-off that's where I'll be focused." So I did that, but to my surprise the eagle flew straight out of the bottom of the nest, there was no preflight preparation, no launch pad. It just happened instantly and I missed the photo because my tripod was locked in place and I could not react fast enough. I quickly learned to never lock it in place.
Two years ago (20 Dec 09) an ultra-light aircraft swooped over the scene and circled the nest tree several times. I wasn't sure if it was lawful or not, but had ill feelings about it so captured a few photos and reported it to Texas Parks & Wildlife in Brownwood. They investigated the incident, as they have other similar ones, and have issued fines and warnings. During this incident neither the male nor female showed any signs of fear that I could tell. However, the female was on the nest and she did go into a 10 minute display of wing spreading and wing flapping which continued even after the ultra-light had left the scene. I think she was rather upset over the entire event and wanted it out of there.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20110216a
Additionally, I am sometimes surprised by seeing deer and coyotes on the opposite side of the road as well as other small bird species. There is a Loggerhead shrike that hangs around the brush piles there; I see it on almost every visit.
5) How long do you think you will continue to watch and record the Bald Eagles that come annually to Llano, Texas?
I will continue for as long as the eagles come and I am physically able to do it. I look forward to it with enthusiasm each season. My time there is quality time and I always look forward to the next visit.
Addendum:
For all those of us who love Wildlife and are delighted by marvelous photographs representing all aspects of the lives of Llano’s pair of Bald Eagles let us hope Mr. Baines will keep his vigil, take his fantastic photographs and allow us to enjoy them on his Zenfolio site for many years to come.
It is December 2011 and I have been writing about one species of animal or avian of North America every month of this year. Each of these species went to the very edge of the abyss, the brink of extinction and was then pulled back to thrive and slowly and painfully increase in numbers. Many of these have been written about extensively by Conservationists. I chose 12 different species for my series “ American Icons “ 2011. I have read about them, to inform myself, written about them and painted them over the past year. It has been a joyous journey of discovery and education of each of these 12 species. They have become family members to me. It has been a time of renewal of hope and faith. We humans make a lot of mistakes during our stewardship of the planet but we have also shown courage and wisdom in recognizing some of our missteps and changing course as needed. This makes me optimistic about the future.
The choice of animals and birds for this series “American Icons” has been strongly influenced by Jane Goodall’s book “Hope for Animals and their World.”
American Icon Series: The Red Wolf by Shyamala Rao
The Red Wolf, Latin name Canis Lupus Rufus, was found all across the North Eastern United States. Red Wolves were present from New York in the North to Florida in the South. The Red Wolf is genetically closely related to the Gray Wolf and to the Coyote. In 1970 the Red Wolf was declared extinct in the wild in the United States. The remaining fourteen animals were taken into captivity and the numbers have increased slowly until today we have 200 of these mammals in captivity and a 100 have been released into the wild and are being monitored closely. The Red Wolf population is very fragile and is still on the Endangered Animal List.
The Red Wolf is a beautiful creature, a full grown adult weighs about 75 pounds and it has beautiful rust colored fur, a sweet face with a broad forehead, almond shaped eyes, an alert and inquisitive demeanor. This slender, elegant, graceful and swift apex predator was once seen all over the Eastern and south central United States. The numbers swiftly declined with the advent of Europeans to the USA, expansion of farmland and the mistaken belief that this mammal is a threat to livestock. Red Wolves eat Raccoons, hispid cotton rats, muskrats and do not as a rule seek sheep, goats or cows. They were feared and vilified perhaps from the time of the story of Red Riding Hood. There is no record of a Red Wolf eating a human ever in the entire United States. This fact has not prevented them from being shot, poisoned, hunted, trapped and ruthlessly destroyed with relish and delight. Their hunters truly believed these mammals were a danger to livestock and to humans. As has been documented by numerous biologists taking out an apex predator means populations of raccoons and rats grew exponentially.
The Red Wolf lives in the classic packs of all wolves, a breeding pair, with the offspring of prior seasons and the current pups of the season when they are being observed. They hunt alone rather than in packs, feed the pups in the den by returning there and regurgitating the kills. The wolves become sexually mature at 21 to 22 months of age and have one litter per year. The number of pups each year is between 2 and 4 occasionally there may be 5 or 6 pups, but this is rather the exception. The pups stay with the pack until they are at least two years old. The males leave earlier than the females.
In the wild Red Wolves mate with Gray Wolves and with Coyotes, if other Red Wolves are unavailable. Apparently Red Wolves, Gray Wolves and Coyotes are genetically completely alike and indistinguishable. The Conservation program for Red Wolves has been successful in breeding Red Wolves in captivity. In 1970 a Red Wolf Breeding program was set up in Point Defiance Zoo in Texas. Since 1976 repeated attempts have been made to reintroduce Red Wolves to the wild. It has been a slow painful process with many missteps along the way. At present thirty facilities are participating in the Red Wolf Survival Program. From the time of declaration of the Red Wolf Extinct in the United States in 1970 to the present time when there are a total of 300 alive in North America. These smart sinuous glorious ancestors of domestic dogs are still definitely at risk for extinction but so many people have expended so much effort to bring them back from the very brink. The animal had been declared extinct in the wild in 1970. It has taken immense dedication and hard work to increase the numbers and the attempts to reintroduce into the wild have been having mixed results. Red Wolves are gorgeous and extremely elegant creatures and have been historically significant. Literature is replete with stories of infants taken into the care of a Female Red Wolf and then suckled and nurtured into becoming a healthy toddler. Remus and Romulus, the founders of Rome were suckled by a Red Wolf. Mowgli was adopted by a Wolf and cared for by the wolf
until he was able to enter a village and become a member of the Human Community. Somehow these stories seem to have been trivialized by the fear and misinformation about wolves. So even though neither humans nor livestock are the preferred prey of Red Wolves somehow this became the source of the fear and the reason for hunting them into extinction.
Fortunately the Red Wolf is not extinct and has been successfully brought back into viable numbers thanks to dedicated naturalists, biologists, conservationists , environmentalists and legislators have all worked together to keep the Red Wolf in our consciousness and in our environs in North America.
American Icon Series: The Red Wolf
The Red Wolf, Latin name Canis Lupus Rufus, was found all across the North Eastern United States. Red wolves were present from New York in the North to Florida in the South. The Red Wolf is genetically closely related to the Gray Wolf and to the Coyote. In 1970 the Red Wolf was declared extinct in the wild. The remaining fourteen animals were taken into captivity and the numbers have increased slowly until today we have 200 of these mammals in captivity and a 100 have been released into the wild and are being monitored closely. The Red Wolf population is very fragile and is still on the Endangered Animal List.
The Red Wolf is a beautiful creature, a full grown adult weighs about 75 pounds and it has beautiful rust colored fur, a sweet face with a broad forehead, almond shaped eyes, an alert and inquisitive demeanor. This slender, elegant, graceful and swift apex predator was once seen all over the Eastern and south central United States. The numbers swiftly declined with the advent of Europeans to the USA, expansion of farmland and the mistaken belief that this mammal is a threat to livestock. Red Wolves eat Raccoons, hispid cotton rats, muskrats and do not as a rule seek sheep, goats or cows. They were feared and vilified perhaps from the time of the story of Red Riding Hood. There is no record of a Red Wolf eating a human ever in the entire United States. This fact has not prevented them from being shot, poisoned, hunted, trapped and ruthlessly destroyed with relish and delight. Their hunters truly believed these mammals were a danger to livestock and to humans. As has been documented by numerous biologists taking out an apex predator means populations of raccoons and rats grew exponentially.
The Red Wolf lives in the classic packs of all wolves, a breeding pair, with the offspring of prior seasons and the current pups of the season when they are being observed. They hunt alone rather than in packs, feed the pups in the den by returning there and regurgitating the kills. The wolves become sexually mature at 21 to 22 months of age and have one litter per year. The number of pups each year is between 2 and 4 occasionally there may be 5 or 6 pups, but this is rather the exception. The pups stay with the pack until they are at least two years old. The males leave earlier than the females.
In the wild Red Wolves mate with Gray Wolves and with Coyotes, if other Red Wolves are unavailable. Apparently Red Wolves, Gray Wolves and Coyotes are genetically completely alike and indistinguishable. The Conservation program for Red Wolves has been successful in breeding Red Wolves in captivity. In 1970 a Red Wolf Breeding program was set up in Point Defiance Zoo in Texas. Since 1976 repeated attempts have been made to reintroduce Red Wolves to the wild. It has been a slow painful process with many missteps along the way. At present thirty facilities are participating in the Red Wolf Survival Program. From the time of declaration of the Red Wolf Extinct in the United States in 1970 to the present time when there are a total of 300 alive in North America. These smart sinuous glorious ancestors of domestic dogs are still definitely at risk for extinction but so many people have expended so much effort to bring them back from the very brink. The animal had been declared extinct in the wild in 1970. It has taken immense dedication and hard work to increase the numbers and the attempts to reintroduce into the wild have been having mixed results. Red Wolves are gorgeous and extremely elegant creatures and have been historically significant. Literature is replete with stories of infants taken into the care of a Female Red Wolf and then suckled and nurtured into becoming a healthy toddler. Remus and Romulus, the founders of Rome were suckled by a Red Wolf. Mowgli was adopted by a Wolf and cared for by the wolf
until he was able to enter a village and become a member of the Human Community. Somehow these stories seem to have been trivialized by the fear and misinformation about wolves. So even though neither humans nor livestock are the preferred prey of Red Wolves somehow this became the source of the fear and the reason for hunting them into extinction.
Fortunately the Red Wolf is not extinct and has been successfully brought back into viable numbers thanks to dedicated naturalists, biologists, conservationists , environmentalists and legislators have all worked together to keep the Red Wolf in our consciousness and in our environs in North America.
The Black Footed Ferret by Shyamala Rao
The Black Footed Ferret has a Latin name Mustela Nigripes. It is small mammal which belongs to the class of animals that includes badgers, otters, polecats, minks and weasels. The Black Footed Ferret ranged in the North American Prairies and lived over a full third of this continent. The Black Footed Ferret lived alongside the giant herds of American Bison and the large herds of Prairie Dogs. The Black Footed Ferrets evolved to keep the population of the Prairie Dogs in control. As the population of the Prairie Dogs declined the numbers of the Black Footed Ferret diminished substantially. By 1960 the Black Footed Ferrets were estimated to have lost 98% of the lands they once roamed in. Places where they had raised their kits and thrived in. for centuries.
The Black Footed Ferret is a small carnivorous mammal. It grows to a maximum size of twenty to twenty five inches in length. The Ferret has a tail which is about six inches in length. Adults when full grown weigh a little less than two pounds. They have an elongated attractive face with large black eyes, and Jane Goodall describes them as “tiny in size, mighty in courage and utterly enchanting. They are covered with fur which has white roots and black and brown ends. The face is almost all black and their feet are completely black.
The Black Footed Ferrets spend most of their time underground and some biologists estimate that the animals spend 95% of their time in their underground burrows. They usually find the burrows of other animals and reside in them. Black Footed Ferrets’ eat rodents, birds and prairie dogs. Black Footed Ferrets mate in the spring in April and May. Their gestation period is forty days. They have up to three or four kits in each litter. In the wilds the Black Footed Ferrets live for about four years. In that four year life span the female may have a total of three litters.
As their habitat disappeared the bison and the prairie dogs disappeared and the Black Footed Ferret which is a reclusive animal was seen more and more infrequently. In 1937 the Black Footed Ferret was declared extinct in Canada. In 1967 the Black Footed Ferret was put on the endangered species list. In 1996 the Black Footed Ferret was declared extinct in the wild in the USA.
A concerted effort by biologists and conservationists has led to a slow return in numbers and reintroduction into the wilds and the hope is for the status to be downgraded to a threatened species.
Conservation and the Black Footed Ferret:
This agile, lively and gutsy little carnivore, the Black Footed Ferret was declared extinct in the wild in Canada in 1937 and in the USA in 1967. They had roamed all across the North American Prairies for eons and shared their habitat with the Bison and the Prairie Dog. As the North American prairies disappeared the Prairie Dogs and the Black Footed Ferrets declined in numbers. The decline in the numbers of the secretive and seclusive Black Footed Ferret went quite unnoticed by biologists.
In 1981 biologists made a surprising and welcome discovery of a population in the wild of Black Footed Ferrets in Wyoming. Biologists began studying this population. The numbers began declining fast and by 1986 there were only twelve left of this group of Black footed Ferrets in the wild. They were taken out of the wild and placed with the others for captive breeding in zoos.
In 1991 the biologists began reintroduction of Black Footed Ferrets into the wild. Several different reintroduction techniques were experimented with including soft and hard releases. The recovery plan was gradually developed and the goal was to have them back in the wild in all of the states in North America that they lived in before becoming extinct in the wild. By 2010 the saga of reintroduction has become a success story and the species will now be listed as threatened rather than endangered.
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