Trip to the Zoo - Rhino Hornbill

 The zoo has always been one of my favorite places to visit, even as an adult it remains at the top of the list. I especially enjoy going there knowing that new animals have arrived, such as the case with Virginia Zoo’s new pair of Rhinoceros Hornbills.

It looks almost prehistoric doesn’t it?

Rhinoceros hornbills are native to southeastern Asia where they are currently under extreme pressure for survival due to deforestation and poaching (for there feathers). Rhino Hornbills are an indicator species in their range and their absence indicates a poor ecosystem. They eat a variety of fruit and play a vital role as important seed dispersers for Southeast Asian tropical forest ecosystems.

That’s why programs such as AZA’s Species Survival Plan Program (AZA stands for Association of Zoos and Aquariums) work hard with accredited Zoos and other organizations to manage and conserve threatened or endangered species.

These juveniles became part of the Virginia Z0o last November. The goal of the zoo is to establish a breeding pair among the two birds. They are only 3 years old right now and become reproductively mature at the age of around 6 years. In captivity, it’s important to attempt pairing these birds early so they can build their relationship/bond.

Like with most other hornbills, the male has orange or red eyes, and the female has whitish eyes.

One of the other distinctive characteristics of hornbills is the presence of the “casque”, a structure on top of the bill that is unique to hornbills. All hornbills have some type of casque, but few are as impressive as the rhinoceros hornbill.  The purpose of the casque is not entirely clear but it is thought to play a role in amplifying sound and used in mating behavior as well.

I found it interesting that Hornbills are the only birds in which the first two neck vertebrae (the axis and atlas) are fused together; this is obviously due to the extra weight from the bill they carry around.

It’s still early, but all indications from the zoo show that they’re getting along well and seem to be happy in their new environment.

This post was submitted to this weeks edition of Bird Photography Weekly (#167). Be sure to stop by and check it out.

My Virginia Gardener Blog

 I wanted to write a quick and slightly overdue post to publicize another blog I’ve been contributing too since the beginning of this year. I consider myself fortunate to be a part of the State-by-State Gardening Publication team as one of their bloggers for the state of Virginia, alongside my blogger pals Les and Jan.

State~By~State Gardening has been publishing state gardening magazines for 11 years and provide quality magazines that have proven to be useful tools for gardeners in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Now, in addition to the magazine, each state has its own set of online garden bloggers. Here’s a link and logo to my Virginia garden blog (also located on the right side bar of this blog).

If you enjoy reading and learning about nature and gardening, be sure to stop by and check out my blog there, along with some of the other great blogs there as well. It doesn’t matter whether you live in one of these states or not, there’s something present for everyone that appreciates gardening.

Close Encounters

What a cool insect – looks like something from an alien movie doesn’t it? I’ve always liked praying mantises, they seem so cool and sophisticated.

Mantises are at the top of the insect food chain and will eat just about anything it can grab and hold with its powerful front legs. It didn’t take me long to realize why this particular praying mantis was stalking the area. Yes, it may be hard for some to comprehend (even myself), but these insects are capable of taking down a hummingbird if given the opportunity.

Hummingbirds passing through my area now are very active, franticly feeding and bulking up for their long journey south for the winter; but this large female praying mantis (above) has her own agenda. She will be laying eggs soon and could use the extra nutrition herself.

Out of curiosity I watched as a cautious hummingbird approached the feeder, while the mantis watched closely and tried to angle itself in a position to attack.

There are lots of species of mantis’s, but the one in these photos is the Chinese Mantis (Tenodera sinensis). It’s a non-native insect introduced to North America in the late 1800s to aid in pest control. The Chinese Mantis can grow to a length of more than 6 inches. Our native mantis’s are about half that size when fully grown making it easy to distinguish between the two.

Situations like this in nature don’t normally affect me, it’s just part of the circle of life and the way nature balances itself out. However, this particular insect is non-native, and it’s also stalking a man provided food source that's been put out for the birds. Under those circumstances, I feel as if I’m somewhat responsible for the birds safety. I guess one could argue that it’s no different than hawks that stalk backyard birdfeeders, but in the hummingbirds case, it’s just a matter of relocating the feeder to a safer location. And that’s what I did.

Just remember to always keep an eye out on your feeders to ensure that they’re in a safe location for the birds. Things will happen beyond our control but at a minimum we can at least eliminate the obvious dangers.

There’s an article on the Birdwatchers Digest Site titled “Praying Mantis Makes Meal of a Hummer”, along with photos. If your not too sensitive to such things like this be sure to check it out!

Surviving Irene

After experiencing a couple hurricanes and a few more close calls in my lifetime, the anticipation of Hurricane Irene wasn't a welcomed one. I wasn’t that worried about the storm itself, but more so the dreaded aftermath that such a storm can leave behind. Experiencing the wrath of Hurricane Isabel in 2003, I know the kind of damage that these winds and rains can bring.

Although not entirely the event that the news media made it out to be in our area, Irene was a storm to be reckoned with that flooded many low-lying areas and unfortunately took several lives. Damage in our area was mostly due to falling trees, which as a result, kept us in the dark for 5 days. Being without electricity definitely makes you realize the little things that we often take for granted. But I’m thankful nevertheless, it could have been much worse. With the exception of some minor siding damage to the house, and being without power for a few days, I’m pleased to report all is well with me and my family.

Here’s one of the many downed trees in our area –

This unfortunate family had one tree fall on their house, causing major damage, and to add insult to injury, a second one (shown below) fell across their front yard knocking down power lines that fell into the street and blocked the entrance/exit of their driveway.

For many, the rain from Irene was a welcome site. Normally this isn’t the type of rain that you would wish for, but for many local farmers who have been dealing with below normal rainfall for the last couple of summers welcomed it. Better yet, the rainfall from hurricane Irene contained most of the forest fire in the Great Dismal Swamp that has been gagging everyone in the area for a good part of the summer.

If interested, more Dismal Swamp fire photos are available from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Northeast Flickr account: http://bit.ly/ohNf6s

Believe it or not, there are still a few smoldering areas in the swamp, but hopefully the latest rains we’ve been getting this week (remnants of hurricane Lee) will help put an end to the remaining flare ups.

If you’re a hard core birdwatcher, hurricanes can offer one the opportunity to see some rare birds, especially along the coast. Strong winds blow many pelagic birds off their course, driving them closer to the coast, offering opportunities to spot them in areas that they normally wouldn’t be. You can read about some of the cool birds that were seen as a result of hurricane Irene here.

Here’s a quick photo (below) I took of a house finch (sorry for the poor quality) taking cover during the storm on our back porch up next to the house. A pair of house finches hung out most of the day there surviving the storm. Birds are very sensitive to changes in air pressure and know instinctively to take shelter. A sharp drop in barometric pressure alerts them that a big storm is on the way. This photo kind of gives you an idea what a lot of these little birds go through in times like these – not only do birds have to deal with the harsh heat of summer and freezing winters, but events like hurricanes can be costly to small birds. Read more about the effects of hurricanes on birds here: http://www.birding.com/hurricanes.asp

And while we’re talking birds and hurricanes, check out this really cool video about a bird that got caught up in the middle of hurricane Irene and survived:  http://youtu.be/wlbCZG-wGuY

Lessons from the Purple Martin Field Day

Last weekend I look a little road trip up to the northern part of my state (VA) to attend the 17th annual Purple Martin Field Day. It was my first time attending and despite the 2 hour, 45 minute drive I had a great time. It’s a small festival, but what it lacked in size it made up for in quality.

As a somewhat new Purple Martin landlord I’m always seeking to learn more about the hobby and meet people in the “business” that’s willing to share their knowledge and experience with beginners like myself. It’s a rewarding hobby but establishing and maintaining a healthy Purple Martin colony can be difficult, not to mention, very frustrating at times. That’s why it’s great to meet with individuals to discuss issues and realize that I’m not alone.

The featured speaker, Lance Wood, is an expert on Purple Martins and has published several articles about them in national publications. Mr. Wood has expanded his colony from four pairs of Purple Martins 20 years ago, to more than 130 nesting pairs today – wow! He shared his knowledge, techniques and best equipment available for successful martin attraction and management.

During the lectures we enjoyed watching hundreds of purple martins soaring overhead and feeding their young.

I won’t go into the detail on everything discussed, but if anyone reading this is considering, or would like to start their own purple martin colony the three basis things a person must have, according to Lance, is knowledge, some up-front funds to get started, and ‘moxie’; meaning the courage to do a few unpleasant things (like eliminating non-native competitive species like house sparrows and starlings).

As for the martins themselves, they require housing that’s erected in open spaces, away from tall trees and buildings but near human dwellings, quality housing that wont fail in strong winds, and adequate protection from predators such as owls, hawks, snakes and raccoons. Read more about the standards for Purple Martin Housing here and here.

Lance’s recommends natural gourds for purple martin housing, but if that’s not available, good quality plastic gourds will do fine. You can read about his thoughts on gourds here.

One of the best ways to get started and learn is to visit the Purple Martin Conservation Association (PMCA) and read some of the publications and other useful information on there site. PCMA also has a mentor program set up by region with contact information of experienced purple martin landlords in your area to help answer any questions you may have.

If you meet the basic requirements for purple martins, consider putting up houses for these birds. They are wonderful to have around and the effort is well worth it.

Also in attendance was Ron Kingston sharing his expertise on Eastern Bluebirds. Ron is best known for his invention of the Kingston Stove Pipe Baffle. If you have bluebird nesting box(s) in your yard be sure they’re protected from predators such as rat snakes and raccoons. Kingston Stove Pipe baffle is a great option and very easy to make. It will also work well on purple martin mounting poles.

Wild Birds Unlimited Giveaway Winner

I want to thank everyone who participated in my recent Wild Birds Unlimited Giveaway. I’m happy to announce that the winner was Julie G! Congrats Julie, and I hope you enjoy your new Medium Quick-Clean Finch Feeder – I know I have really enjoyed mine.

Julie blogs over at Nature’s Splendor. If you get a chance stop by her blog and check it out – she has some great stuff there!!

Wild Birds Unlimited Giveaway Reminder

For those that may have missed it, or just haven’t had the chance to participate, there’s still time to get your comments in on my Wild Birds Unlimited product giveaway. Whether you’re a regular reader of this blog or just happened to stop by, anyone can participate. A winner will be chosen on 5/20/11, so be sure to get your comments in before the end of the day on Thursday, 5/19.


Here is the link - http://www.birdsnsuch.com/2011/05/wbu-product-review-and-giveaway.html