Pat Redig on KARE 11

Dr. Pat Redig, one of the founders of The Raptor Center (and who has been following the "bird flu"well before most of us were in the United States) was interviewed by KARE 11 yesterday about avian influenza:

As the federal government warns that the so-called bird flu could wing its deadly way into the United States through migratory birds in a few months, Minnesota is gearing up to be on the look-out.

Though the virus has done much of its deadly work in Asia, where poultry populations have been wiped out and people killed, the migratory link between that region, Alaska, and the Midwest, could bring the virus here.

At the University of Minnesota's Raptor Center, they've begun monitoring raptors such as eagles because they'll often eat small birds.

"They're eating some of them, particularly the sick or dead ones. And it's possible one or two eagles might be the equivalent of sampling several hundred ducks," said Dr. Patrick Redig of the Raptor Center.

Dr. Redig has proposed to the federal government that more raptors be monitored, and that perhaps 10,000 water fowl be checked in the upper Midwest as they fly through the equivalent of a bird highway

"The interesting thing about it is that all of these flyways have some point of convergence up here," said Dr. Redig.

Redig notes that many migratory highways from both Asia and North America intersect in Alaska. That seasonal mixing begins in three weeks. And by next fall said Dr. Redig, "We will have birds coming across the continent of the United States that have spent summer in Alaska and theoretically and potentially have mixed it up with birds from Asia."

Brooklyn Bunny

I have discovered a Bunny Cam! As if I don't have enough to watch on the internet. The current bunny is so cute, he's a dwarf hotot very similar to the first bunny Non Birding Bill and I had named Latte. He's the white rabbit with eyeliner on the Disapproving Rabbits page.

Hey, Cinnamon, do you want us to set up a webcam for you?

"I would disapprove of such an invasion of privacy. I need my personal space."

KARE 11 Changes

I think I'm scooping CJ, (the gossip columnist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune).

Today we filmed the "Goodbye Show" for the KARE 11 Today Show. Last fall, it was reported that after 13 years, the mid-morning show was slightly changing formats. The show has always been an opportunity for local stores to come on and talk about their products and services. That will still happen, but you will now have to pay an advertising fee. The new show has the tentative name of Minnesota Showcase.

In the meantime, the show will continue for the next two weeks, with the Goodbye Show airing on March 24. After that, the new show will be on hiatus and should begin airing in June. I should be back on, I'm certainly going to try. Not all of the segments will be a commercial format, they will keep some strictly informational and I fall in that category. Pat and Roxanne, the hosts will be moving on and two new hosts have been picked. I was told the names, but alas, I am only good at remembering bird names and not people names. (Ask me the name of the American robin, I dare ya'! It's Turdus migratorius.) I just got an email from one of the producers, the new hosts are Rob Hudson and Corbin Seitz.

The show is normally live, but we had to film the final show ahead of time to fit with everyone's schedule. The producers gathered all of the regular guests today for a final group shot. I wish we had some kind of get together sooner. We all knew each other, but never really had a chance to connect on a social basis. I have always felt a connection to Louise, the organization lady. She knows organization as well as I know birds. If you ever need to get your life/home in order, she's the one to call. She teaches classes and she also can be hired to be your personal organizer. The best part is that Louise won't make you feel bad about getting your stuff together, she treats you with her gentle sense of humor.

Some of the regulars are on during days when I'm not on, so I've never had a chance to meet them. For example, today I got to meet Jill Spiegel, the flirtologist. Yes, you read that correctly, she is a flirtologist--she wrote the book(s) on flirting. Again, can I say how much fun I have with what I do? I get to work knee deep in bird watching and meet people with really interesting careers: a professional organizer and a flirtologist--are ya' kidding me? I have read about Jill in People Magazine, and she's been on the national Today Show, Oprah and she has her own program on Saturday nights on fm107. Her books are fairly well known and I don't know if you have ever heard her or have seen her on tv, but she's very excited and intense about what she does. She's like that in person. It was fun to caught up in the whirlwind that is a conversation with her. She's genuine and excited, so you can't help but be excited too.

Speaking of flirting, I saw a peregrine hanging out on the Colonnade Building on the way home. If you have been watching the falcon cams in Minnesota, you can watch the birds getting friendly.

Bluebird Conference Time

The Minnesota Bluebird Recovery Program will be having their annual conference April 22, 2006. If you haven't been to a conference, I highly recommend you go. You can learn great tips for not only putting up bluebird houses, but also for wood ducks, purple martins, swallows and a few other species. If you are not in Minnesota, check here for contacts for the nearest BBRP in your area. There is a national Bluebird Conference, this year in Texas.

Spring Is In The Air

Signs of spring are everywhere in my neck of the woods. Yesterday, I saw my first red-winged blackbird in the metro area over in Wayzata, today I saw my first flock of bluebirds (left) at Schaar's Bluff and red-tailed hawks are pairing up all over the place. My friend Amber and I had a spare couple of hours and took a quick drive south of the Twin Cities to bird. It was foggy and gray and birds were limited but we did see tons of red-tailed hawks and all of them were paired up. When a male red-tail lands next to a female on the same branch or light post, that's pretty much third base for him. One odd thing was a lone male wood duck hanging out next to a hen mallard. Any drake mallards that tried to come close, would be quickly chased away by the wood duck. Amber and I wanted to tell him that we thought that hen was too much woman for him, but when ducks are full of hormones, there's no reasoning with them.

Meanwhile, my cockatiel Kabuki is feeling the change of seasons as well and is singing like a crazy bird. Kabuki can do most of the Andy Griffith Theme Song and his interest in the tune was rekindled last weekend thanks to TV Land's tribute to the late Don Knotts last weekend. Kabuki is also a master of the wolf whistle and will do it over and over and over and over and over in several different incarnations. One of my favorites is when he hunches over, holds his right foot up, closed in a circle and drags the two notes out as long as possible. It looks like he is concentrating so hard on the fusion of the two notes, trying to find the true meaning and essence of the wolf whistle. No one has ever delivered that sound with such heart and feeling.

Some days Kabuki will work on a new sound all together, trying out new tones and whistles, one that sounds almost like a soft pish. He will sit on the top perch and ever so quietly go "pish, pish, pish". When he really gets going, he will try to whistle inside his empty toy dish. Kabuki has a purple cup that we keep beads, balls of foil, little plastic doo dads, etc that he will pick up and drop the floor of his cage--he gets no end of entertainment from this project. Sometimes for fun, when I do laundry I will bring the basket out in front of Kabuki's cage and drop in each article of clothing one by one into it. Those are really fun days for the cockatiel. Each drop appears to be a deep thought to be pondered. When the cup is empty and he is feeling musical, he will stick his head in the whole cup and sing his song (there he is testing his sound in the photo above). He mostly does the wolf whistle but sometimes the Andy Griffith tune will be attempted as well. He appears so proud to have figured out a new way to amplify his sound.

Yesterday, I met up with friends Lori and Melissa and helped clean out some bluebird and wood duck boxes. When Lori and I were cleaning out a wood duck box we found a whole bunch of ants at the bottom underneath all of the cedar bedding. They didn't affect the nest last year, all but one of the eggs hatched, and that one wasn't as developed as the others. I think they came in after the hatching attracted by the egg shells or maybe came in during the cold and just died. It was kind of gross.

Idaho Might Be On To Something

It's important to know what is in your bird seed. One of the benefits of shopping a wild bird specialty store is that those companies work to have quality, local seed stocked in their stores and staff can usually tell you by looking at a mix what seeds are in it.

Stores that don't specialize in bird feeding cannot be so accurate. Below is an interesting news release from Idaho about noxious weed seeds being found in bird and animal feed. Another reason to make sure you are getting a good bird seed and not purchasing based on price at a big box store.

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ISDA FINDS BIRD, ANIMAL FEED CONTAINING NOXIOUS WEED SEED;
AGENCY ISSUES STOP SALE ORDERS

(BOISE) The Idaho State Department of Agriculture has ordered two dozen companies to stop the sale of bird and other animal feeds that contain viable noxious weed seeds.

A routine sampling of animal feed products revealed that several manufacturers have been distributing the feed to stores throughout Idaho contaminated with noxious weed seed. Most of the products containing the noxious weed seed were domestic or wild bird feed mixes, but some were also feeds for hamsters, gerbils and squirrels. The sale of feeds containing noxious weeds poses a major threat to the state’s ability to control the spread of noxious weeds. The state already spends millions of dollars a year combating noxious weeds.

Over the last several months the department has sampled 92 feeds from 34 manufacturers. Idaho State Seed Lab tests concluded that 54 of the 92 seed-type feed samples contained viable noxious weed seeds, including Buffalobur, Jointed Goatgrass, Field Bindweed, Johnsongrass, Canada Thistle and Hoary Cress.

The seeds that tested positive came from 24 bird seed manufacturers. “Noxious weeds are costly to our recreation and agriculture industries. It is important that everyone involved do their part to control and prevent the spread of noxious weeds,” said Pat Takasugi, director of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture.

All of the companies have been notified and several companies have already begun work on additional cleaning techniques that can be used to detect and eliminate noxious weed seeds from each animal feed batch. Retail establishments have also assisted the department in the detection and elimination of potentially undesirable products from the Idaho market. The department will be reviewing each company’s case over the coming months to determine what level of regulatory action may be warranted. State law allows ISDA to issue a warning letter or assess a civil penalty.

There are 36 weeds on the state’s noxious weeds list. The weeds are considered noxious because they destroy wildlife habitat, crowd out beneficial native plants, create fire hazards, poison humans and livestock and spoil recreation sites, including bike paths, lakes and rivers.

Birdchick's Eagle Route

Ian was reading some directions I sent to he and Margery to see eagles towards Red Wing after my segment. Here are the directions he was reading:

This is a route that I use for going to Red Wing to enjoy the eagles.

A Great Route For Eagles

Take Hwy 55 south to where it meets with Hwy 52, keep following it and when it splits, keep following Hwy 55. As you are driving along on this point, you should have seen some red-tailed hawks. When you get near the Shaar's Bluff turnoff for Hwy 42 watch the top of the poles, we have an unusual falcon hanging out here called a gyrfalcon. It's huge and gray and white. If it's there, you won't miss it.

Take Hwy 55 to Hwy 61. Turn left on 61 and then you will take a right at the next light--I believe it's called E 10th Street. Watch for red-tailed hawks and since it's March, you might see some turkey vultures. You can tell them from eagles by their wings. They will hold their wings in a prominent "V" shape and rock back and forth like a kid on a bike for the first time. After a few miles, you should pass a patch of iced up water that is staring to melt. If it's open, you should find Canada geese, wood ducks, mallards, common mergansers, hooded mergansers, goldeneye, and ring-necked ducks, killdeer and great blue herons.

You will notice some marshy areas and cottonwoods as you continue on, watch for large dark lumps in the trees--you should see some eagles. The road will eventually end, turn left (I think the road you turn onto is 200th Street or County 18) and you will turn left and go over a bridge. You can pull off onto the parking and boat launch areas. Often times, you will find eagles hanging out fairly close to the parking area. Also, there are quite a few wood duck boxes, so in the water you should see some wood ducks and hooded mergansers.

Get back onto the road and keep going, follow the signs to Treasure Island. You will come to a three way stop with an abandon gas station on the left (it's the road to the casino). Pull into the parking lot and admire the bald eagle nest across the way. That's certainly one of the largest I have seen and could be one of the largest in the state. I'm not sure how much longer that tree can hold the nest. In the water around the nest, you may find common mergansers, Canada geese, mallards and maybe four trumpeter swans.

After watching the nest, get back onto County 18 Blvd and continue heading south, as you go, you should get another view of the nest on the driver's side of the car. Watch open water and trees on both sides of the road, if the pair of eagles that uses the nest isn't on it, they are probably on the surrounding trees.

The road will go up into the hills and then end up at Hwy 61. Turn left onto 61 and take it all the way into Red Wing. I usually like to stop into the mall in town and grab some hot chocolate or coffee while there to take to Colville Park. Take 61 past the curve, you should see the power plant on your left and should see large dark birds circling on the bluffs on either side of the road--those are ealges.

Watch and follow signs that say City Park, and turn right. You will turn right again, it will almost be a u-turn that will back track and then take to down to the marina. Park in the marina and watch for eagles in the trees, all around the parking lot.

If you want, after you are finished, you can keep heading south to Wabasha to visit the National Eagle Center. Any areas of open water will have eagles, often right on the hwy. Try to do this before the end of March for the best numbers.

Bird Feedery

Yesterday, I was walking through this gorgeous scene (at left) in Wisconsin. Today, I'm in the Twin Cities and the miniscule amount of snow that fell here has melted. Everything looks very dirty.

Birds are on the move in the metro area. Today while at the KARE 11 Studios you could hear Canada geese honking all over the golf course across the street. I'm getting excited for Nebraska and for the Rivers and Wildlife Festival--I can't believe I'm leaving again next week! If you are a person like me who is fascinated by mass movements of birds, Nebraska really is a good time. I know that no one has ever really put the last six words in previous sentence together in that order before, but you've got to believe me that Nebraska truly is a good time. For someone who has to wait for spring for another month or so, the idea of being able to hear western meadowlarks and prairie chickens while watching cranes dance in the distance is really all I have for the nest month or two.

The best part is that the Eagle Optics booth will be at Rowe Sanctuary so I will be able to enjoy the birds while I work. They have a great feeder set up and you have a view of the river with all the large windows.

I have adjusted my feeder set up yet again (here is the last configuration) because of the pigeons. Blasted birds. In the photo below we have a Droll Yankee X-1 Seed Saver holding a Mr. Bird Pecan Seed Log (ask your local bird store if they carry Mr. Bird products. This sunflower, pecans and a tiny bit of millet held together with some type of gelatin). I liked the idea of the log because I don't think piegeons will be able to peck at the food as well as a downy woodpecker, chickadee or cardinal. Also, Non Birding Bill won't have to replenish this as much as he would with loose seed, since he's in charge of the feeders when I travel (I'll make sure not to have any gourmet mole in the home). I was inspired to put the Droll Yankee feeder together based on a similar set up I saw with an Aspects feeder at a Wild Birds Unlimited in Hudson, WI.

The other, smaller feeder is a Clinger's Only Feeder. I can't believe I actually bought the little plastic, green Clinger's Only Feeders. When I ran the All Seasons store in Wayzata, one of my employees had a Clinger's Only and kept telling me I need to carry it. I'm usually a snob about plastic feeders since they can be so easily chewed and we carried so many other feeders, I never took her suggestion as seriously as I should have. A clinging type feeder is meant for only clinging-type birds like chickadees, nuthatches, finches and sparrows. Of course, now that I'm not at that store, I can see Lori got through to the new manager and she's carrying it. Which is lucky for me, because I bought it. Having a massive pigeon problem, this feeder should not accomodate pigeons and allow one spot for the smaller birds to feed. It's far enough out on the bracket that I'm hopeful the squirrels won't jump to it. We'll see how it goes.

The changing of feeders is enough to freak all the birds out so no pigeons have been on them the last few days. A male cardinal arrived first thing yesterday morning. He perched in his normal spot, looked at the two new feeders, chipped a few times and then flew away. Cardinals really don't deal well with change. He made another attempt this morning and went for the X-1 Seed Saver. I haven't put up the Squirrel Twirl with the feeders yet. I want to see what tactics the squirrels and pigeons take before I put that one out again. It needed a rest anyway, the pigeons were wearing out the battery.

As I was repositioning feeders, I left one of my containers of bird seed on the floor and Cinnamon the oh-so-clever rabbit has discovered how to open the container and eat the food on the inside (That's her starting the process at left, by first opening the spigot and will eventually work her way to the larger opening). I don't know whether to exclaim how clever she is or resort to calling her a bunny butthead. I think she's acting out again. Excited as she is to go to with me to Nebraska next week, she just learned that Non Birding Bill and I are heading to Ohio soon and will more than likely have an opportunity to meet Chet Baker. Since this is a plane trip, she will have to stay home and guard the apartment. There is some major disapproval as she sees Chet as a sort of rival. I keep telling her that it's all in her head, Chet is by no means copying her success of Disapproving Rabbits and she should embrace him as a chum, or better yet, a peer. However, she disagrees with his opinions on digging and chasing small furry creatures. Ah well, perhaps some us do better with an imagined rival to help us strive to be better and more creative...then again, I may just be reading too much into my rabbit.

I need to get to bed, I have my 5:45am bird update with the Punnetts tomorrow.

Suet vs Mole

Today is one of my favorite type of winter days: perfect snow falling and sticking to the trees. The temperature was hovering around freezing so it was warm enough to be outside, as a matter of fact it was quite comfortable. The snow is enough to bring all the birds to the feeders so, I was torn. I wanted to go walking around outside, but I was also attracted to the idea of sitting with a warm cup of tea watching the feeder activity.

The birds at Mr. Neil's feeders were on a steady diet of black oilers and I brought over some of the good stuff: Sweet Tweets, a mix of sunflowers in and out of the shell, mixed nuts, pumpkin seeds and dried fruit as well as some Thistle and Chips (or Nyjer and Chips for purists) and goldfinches and juncoes went a little nuts. Speaking on Mr. Neil's feeders, some may recall back in January that Non Birding Bill had some suet feeder issues. None of us were sure how he could confuse suet with mole (make that very expensive mole from island of St. Lucia). Here is a photo, can you tell which is the suet and which is the mole?


The shorter darker substance on the left is the mole, the longer lighter tube is the suet plug. Now, when I picked up the mole I could tell right away by texture that it was not suet. I also noticed the chocolatey smell. NBB said that he doesn't sniff suet the way I do-- like a fine wine I'm about to gulp--hmp. I also noticed, the very hard consistency and asked, "How the heck did you get that into the log?" I always pop the suet plugs into the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds to soften them up a bit. All NBB would say was, "It wasn't easy." He wished he had microwaved it since then he would have smelled that it was chocolate. In fairness, they were both in the same drawer in the fridge and when you look in at them, they do sort of resemble each other.

So, for the record, here is mole:

And here is the suet:


And then here is the beautiful snow scene that I ended up tromping through: