ThinkingAfield.org

I had put in a long workday without any breaks other than a bowl of soup for lunch. With just enough light remaining and a relatively warm-weather day, I thought I’d finish just one more project outdoors. An old playhouse/turned shed inherited from the previous property owner at the homestead was in need of a final coat of paint to finish the renovation. The first two sides were complete, when I went inside the garage for more paint. As I looked out the back window, where I feed the perching birds in the pine straw, here they came: three jake turkeys for some fast food.

These year-old birds have been around the property since last spring, when there were nine of them in the family group including the mother hen. During our severe cold weather with a substantial layer of ice on the ground, I knew it was going to be rough on the birds and was happy to see them come in routinely for some chow. Now the gang has been pared to seven birds including four hens but I hadn’t seen much of them recently.

The adolescent big-game birds were now scratching and pecking through the pine needles mere feet from the garage, where I had become voluntarily captive; there was no way out of the building without being seen and frightening my guests. I laughed to myself and headed over to the refrigerator for a cool drink ready to watch the antics of the three brothers. The paint job was going to wait.

For some 20 minutes they remained until one of them began walking away; the other two followed. They got about 20 yards from the feeding area but not far enough yet for me to escape the confines of my lookout, so I stayed right there watching. One bird that apparently is the boss brother started jumping and with a stretched out neck, began circling one of the other birds. Obviously a show of dominance, the antics continued in my midst for another 15 minutes, as the group slowly moved away.

When the visitors got to about 50 yards from the garage, it was time to make a move with my paint bucket. I peered from the passage door and could still see them interacting but I stepped outdoors thinking enough is enough. One bird soon picked me off and all of them halted with heads high and eyes tuned to me. I took a few non-threatening steps toward the shed and big brother gobbled for all he was worth. It was as if to say, “Watch it, buddy. You’re invading our space!” Another step by me and another short gobble hurled at me.

Jakes don’t gobble quite the same as the adult males; it’s more of an abbreviated rendition of their effort. However, to see them and to hear them confirms that such gobbling emanates from young birds. This local group was not entirely committed to leaving and was content to take a few painting lessons from me, albeit from a comfortable distance.

I won’t be hunting these youngsters this season and am hoping they’ll survive another year and become mature. In the meantime, I’m glad to have watched the show.

With a casual glance or two back, a Canada lynx left its holding carrier in under a minute Friday and trotted off over the snow into a stand of pine trees in central Schoolcraft County.

The lynx had been brought north to be released in a cooperative venture by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Detroit Zoological Society.

“It went perfectly,” said John DePue, a DNR wildlife biologist who supervised the release of the cat. “She didn’t dart out of the carrier like some other animals would have, but that’s pretty typical lynx behavior.”

See a video of the release.

The lynx – an animal only rarely seen in Michigan – had been making headlines since it was discovered about a month earlier on a farm in Sanilac County. Read more

Around Michigan this spring, some people may find a surprise in their gardens and flower boxes, or even in landscaping near office buildings. Bird nests can be found in some interesting locations.

Female mallard ducks often build nests in landscaping, gardens or other unlikely places. If you do come across a duck’s next, simply leave it alone. If the eggs hatch, the mother will lead her ducklings to the nearest body of water, often the day they hatch.

Canada geese sometimes build nests near houses or in parks, often near water. Like mallards, geese will lead their young to water soon after hatching. Because adult geese can be protective of nests and young, they may chase people or animals away by hissing and running or flying toward the intruder. If possible, avoid the nesting area. If you must go near the area, carry an umbrella and gently scare the bird away by opening and closing the umbrella.

Mute swans also can be plenty protective. As with Canada geese, give the swan family ample room. Try not to walk or boat near the family to avoid conflicts.

Nests built in your yard already may have baby birds just starting to outgrow them. It’s common to find birds on the ground after a first attempt at flight. If you find one, don’t touch it. The parents will continue to care for it, even on the ground. One exception: If you find a sparsely feathered chick on the ground, it may have accidentally fallen from the nest before it is ready to fly. If you know where the nest is, return the chick only if you can do so safely. Read more

Today, dozens of national, regional, and local hunting and fishing groups submitted final comments on the EPA’s proposed rollback of Clean Water Act protections for 50 percent of wetlands and 18 percent of stream miles in the U.S. Their comments underscore the potential economic consequences for rural communities and outdoor recreation businesses and the species that stand to lose habitat if clean water standards are weakened.

The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership has also mobilized more than 3,500 individual sportsmen and women to submit comments opposing the rollback during the brief comment period. Read more

The goal is to conserve habitat and protect migratory birds

Ottawa, ON, and Ithaca, NY— A new paper published Monday in the journal Nature Communications shows a blueprint for conserving enough habitat to protect the populations of almost one-third of the warblers, orioles, tanagers, and other birds that migrate among the Americas throughout the year. Read more