Cedar waxwings love fruit trees

Spring is almost here, and the heightened bird migration activity means many birds are moving into unfamiliar places looking for food. The cedar waxwing can fly up to 30 miles per hour, even in close proximity to shrubs, trees and buildings. Take care to prevent collisions at your home by planting fruiting trees and shrubs further from your windows.

The cedar waxwing is a beautiful little brown, gray and lemon-yellow songbird. Bright red spots adorn their wing feathers. As a forest bird, they are very fast, and gather by the hundreds in the fall to eat berries. They will also fly over water, picking off insects as they go.

Learn more about them and listen to their high, thin song here.

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Vagrant hummingbirds don't migrate south

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the most common species that breeds in the eastern half of North America.  They are curious and territorial, once they find a feeder they regard as a great food source.  Not intimidated by humans, they will hang out near the feeder that they have claimed to guard against unwelcome intruders.  They can lick the nectar 13 times per second, so fast we can't really see that endeavor.

The birds have a very brief courtship, and the female raises her young alone.  The nest is built on a tree limb, about the size of a walnut, lining the inside with dandelion or thistle down.  After laying two pea-sized eggs, the mother incubates the eggs for 18-23 days.  When the chicks hatch, they are fed by their mother sticking her long beak down the chick's throat.  After leaving the nest, fledglings are fed by their mother for about 10 days.

Ruby-throats are roughly 3.5 inches, weighing 1/8 ounce, with a body temperature of around 105 degrees.  Their heart beats 250 times per minute when resting, up to 1200 times when feeding.  They can fly 30 miles per hour and up to 500 miles nonstop.

Hummingbirds are known as the most accomplished flyers, because their wings can turn 180 degrees, allowing them to fly side-to-side, upside down, backwards, and hovering for long periods.  The hovering allows them to reach food easier and escape predators. Their wingbeats range from 80 - 200 times per second, making their metabolic rate one of the highest of warm-blooded animals.

Most Ruby-throats winter in Mexico, Central America, and on Caribbean islands, although a few remain in the Gulf states and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. They can make an unbelievable non-stop crossing of the Gulf in18-20 hours.

The NC Museum of Natural Sciences is studying "vagrant hummingbirds," those that don't seem to migrate for the winter and end up staying here.  The reasons for them staying over are not known, but more sightings during the North Carolina winter are being documented.




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Leaping lizards are anoles

Our native lizards are Green Anoles , and their pink bubble on the neck is called a "dewlap."

Apparently they show their dewlap to court a female anole or to scare off predators. They easily leap from tree to shrubs or decks.

They will also readily drop their tails if need be, to escape a predator. The twitching tail jumps around on its own, hopefully distracting the predator so the little anole can get away. Then he grows back a new tail. Amazing nature.

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Alligator turtles lurk in creeks and rivers

Looking like a prehistoric reptile, the alligator turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in North America, and is only found in the southeastern United States. Its long tail and spiky shell recall the larger alligator, hence the common name. Males can weigh up to 175 pounds; females 50 pounds. That's a big turtle!

Alligator snappers spend most of their lives in water, coming up for air only after 40-50 minutes. The turtle has a bright red tongue that it uses to interest fish or frogs to come close, so it can snap them up. A severe reduction in population due to unregulated harvesting and habitat loss has led states to protect them throughout most of their range, and they are listed as a threatened species.

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Brown pelicans hatch on Pelican Island

Audubon reports that the first eggs in nests on North Pelican Island hatched this week. The island is an Audubon-managed sanctuary and Important Bird Area in the lower Cape Fear River. It is one of three islands that support over 40% of North Carolina's Brown Pelicans.

The tiny pelicans emerged from their large white eggs naked, blind, and totally dependent on the care of their parents over the next 10 weeks until they can fly on their own. Since the island is managed by Audubon, the tiny birds will be protected while they live there.

After they leave in late summer/early fall, it will be up to them to learn to plunge-dive and survive on their own. We hope to see them back in a few years to nest as adults and start the cycle again.

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This Least Tern shall be first

Audubon NC staffers just spotted the first Least Tern of the spring, standing on a sandbar in Topsail Inlet. It was nonchalantly preening, most likely after a long trip north from Central or South America.

The Least Tern's name reflects its small size compared to the Common Tern. It is only about 9 inches long, with a 20 inch wingspan, weighing 1.5 ounces. Males and females look the same; they are easily identified due to their yellow bill, which is unique among terns.

Despite the fact that it is the smallest of the terns, it is assertive about defending its nest and can be seen diving at intruders, including people if they come too close. Habitats are sandy or gravelly coastal areas adjacent to the shallow water where they feed; they are also found along inland river banks and lakes with broad exposed sandbars.

They eat small fish, crustaceans and insects, as well as small mollusks or worms. Both the male and the female build the nest, incubate the eggs, and care for the young.

Least Terns leave in the fall and move to tropical waters further south to Central and South America. Sounds like the right idea!

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Coyote-Ugly is all around us

Once found only in Western North America, coyotes have expanded their range, and in North Carolina they can be found in all 100 counties, an estimated 50,000 population. They are about the size of a small dog - 20-50 pounds - and will cover many miles in search of food. The "Coyote-Ugly" phrase came from the fact that a trapped coyote will chew off his own leg to escape, as will a man who is stuck with an ugly woman.

Considered a nuisance because they will prey on small animals and livestock, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission offers the following suggestions to avoid conflict with a coyote.

• Secure garbage in containers with tight-fitting lids, and take them out in the morning of pick up, not the night before. Coyotes and other wildlife will scavenge trash.
• Don’t feed or try to pet coyotes. Feeding a coyote rewards it for coming in close proximity to people. Once a coyote becomes habituated, it loses its natural wariness of people and may become bold and aggressive.
• Protect your pets by keeping them inside, leashed, or inside a fenced area.
• Install coyote-proof fencing around your home to protect unsupervised pets.
• Feed pets indoors or remove food when your pet is finished eating outside. Coyotes and other wildlife are attracted to pet food left outdoors.
• Keep bird-feeder areas clean. Use bird feeders that keep Preventing Conflicts with Coyotes seed off the ground. Coyotes are attracted to small animals congregating on the ground. If coyotes are frequently seen, remove all feeders.
• Close off crawl spaces under sheds and porches. Coyotes and other wildlife may use these spaces for resting and raising young.
• Cut back brushy edges in your yard, which provide cover for coyotes.
• Don’t be intimidated by a coyote. Maintain its wariness by throwing a small object, such as a tennis ball, at it, making a loud noise or spraying it with a hose. Let it know it is unwelcome near your home.
• Clear fallen fruit from around fruit trees.
• Educate your neighbors. Your efforts to prevent coyote conflicts will be less effective if some neighbors are still providing foods.
• Allow hunters or trappers access to your property, so the local coyote population can be managed. Coyotes avoid areas in which threats are perceived.

If you already have a problem with a coyote:
• Implement the non-lethal steps described above.
• Contact a Wildlife Damage Control Agent, a private individual who charges for his/her services.
• Contact a licensed trapper during the regulated trapping season.
 • Coyotes can be hunted year-round using firearms and archery equipment. However, check to see if local ordinances restrict the discharge of firearms. A landowner can shoot a coyote in the act of causing damage.

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Night herons

The black-crowned night heron is common along the coast and is the most widespread heron in the world.  They hunt at night, stalking fish, crayfish, snakes and other shallow water residents.  They build nests out of twigs, usually less than 10 feet up.  The immature night heron is streaked brown; the adult night heron has the black crown and white underparts. 

Their "song" is more like a squawk - unmistakeable and annoying.  They may nest in trees already inhabited by herons or ibises.  The young adults sometimes disgorge their stomach contents if surprised or disturbed.  So you might not want to bother them.

They also apparently will brood chicks not their own, since they don't distinguish between their own and those in other nests.  Habitats include various wetlands - salt, brackish and freshwater areas.



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Great egrets wait patiently

The Great Egret is distinguished from the Snowy Egret by his yellow bill, black legs and greater size, with a wingspan up to 4 feet. He likes to stand in the marsh for long periods of time and wait for the quick kill. The male builds the nest in a tall tree in the spring and attracts the female in this endeavor. The young egrets in their nest can be aggressive toward each other, sometimes killing the weaker siblings.

The great egret is the symbol of the National Audubon Society, perhaps partly due to their conservation success story. Because of their beautiful plumage, their numbers were reduced 95% in the 19th century due to hatmakers' demand for the feathers. After legal protection was passed in this century, they are now abundant and thriving in many coastal areas of the world.

Populating in colonies, often with Great Blue Herons , the egrets are a delightful inhabitant to observe - simple beauty, majesty and solitary grace.

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A skink by any other name…

A skink by any other name is still a skink . Perfect name for this slithery lizard, apparently the most "diverse" of the lizard family, with over 1200 species. This little guy can also drop off his tail when threatened by a predator, and it sits there twitching to distract the enemy while he gets away.

Not sure why people would keep these as pets but some do. Gives a whole new meaning to the term "pet." You have to feed them insects, worms and even small rodents... now that would be worth watching.

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A Moth in Waiting

The wild silkworm moth has "eyespots," believed to be his means to scare off birds. The eyes resemble those of bird predators like primates or cats. However, a recent study cited by National Geographic found that the eyes are simply large, "loud" markings that scare off the birds.

The beautiful moth emerges from its cocoon, does not feed but lives only on that which was consumed as a caterpillar. He only lives to mate, perhaps that same day or within a couple of days. His potential mate emits pheromones that the male can detect from miles away. He finds her, they mate, she lays eggs, then they die.

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Painted buntings rock!

UNCW's Professor Jamie Rotenberg is our resident expert on the beautiful songbirds called Painted Buntings . He has enlisted several hundred volunteers - from here to Florida - to monitor the movements of the painted buntings.

They only live along the coastal southeastern United States, so Wilmington is as far north as they seem to go. They winter in Florida and even Cuba, and fly back north to the same areas they left. Dr. Rotenberg and his team band individual birds so they can track their movements. Interested birdwatchers as well as the scientists are part of the Painted Bunting Observer Team (PBOT)

Audubon has put them on their watch list due to population declines. No one is certain why they're declining, however degrading habitats and the bird trade in Mexico are considered the primary reasons.

If you live near a marsh or low shrubbery, you might see them in the spring and summer. Dr. Rotenberg advises to put out a feeder with white millet - that's the "whipped cream" for painted buntings.

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