Females prefer to mate with males that have the longest and most symmetrical tails and a dark red chest. When building their mud nest, both male and female make up to 1000 trips collecting the mud.
Signs for us Seniors
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Barn Swallows: Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, PA 6-25-16
Barn Swallows:
Females prefer to mate with males that have the longest and most symmetrical tails and a dark red chest. When building their mud nest, both male and female make up to 1000 trips collecting the mud.
Females prefer to mate with males that have the longest and most symmetrical tails and a dark red chest. When building their mud nest, both male and female make up to 1000 trips collecting the mud.
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Friday, June 24, 2016: Blue Flags & Callas in New Jersey
Today is Wednesday, June 29th and we are staying with sister Marti in Winston-Salem, NC until we fly home this Friday evening.
Friday, June 24, 2016: High Point State Park, New Jersey
Friday, June 24, 2016: High Point State Park, New Jersey
Blue Flag Irises
Aquatic Wild Callas
Sign for us Seniors
Huh???
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Monday, June 27, 2016 Blue Ridge Parkway/ No internet coverage
Monday, June 27th was spent traveling on the Blue Ridge Parkway with frequent stops for short birding hikes. We had no internet/cell coverage at our campsite Monday evening. We just arrived at sister Marti's home in Winston-Salem, NC where we will stay until flying home Friday night.
Question Mark Butterfly
Cliff Swallow
Females are known to lay eggs in their own nest and then carry one of the eggs in its bill and put it in another female's nest.
When young (like the bird on the far left) leave their nest they often will congregate in large groups called creches. A pair of swallows can find its own young in the creche primarily by voice alone.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
Indigo Bunting
They migrate at night, using the pattern of stars nearest the North Star to guide them.
These birds are actually black; the diffraction of light through their feathers makes them look blue. This explains why males can appear many shades from turquoise to black.
Sunday, June 26, 2016
Sunday, June 26, 2016: A Multi-state day (PA>MD>WV>MD>WV>VA)
Sunday, June 26, 2016: A 310 mile travel day with two non-productive stops along the way. We started in Pennsylvania then into Maryland then to West Virginia (Cranesville Swamp Preserve- A Nature Conservancy Property) then back into Maryland (Swallow Falls State Park) then back into West Virginia and we are camped near Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Cedar Waxwing
Low Spider Web
Red-eyed Vireo
An "Audio-Video" of the melodious song of the Red-eyed Vireo
Punography:
This dyslexic man walks into a bra ....
Saturday, June 125, 2016: Pennsylvania
Saturday, June 25th: Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, Pennsylvania.
Bald Eagles have nested here since 1999. In 1980 only two eagle nests were known to exist in all of Pennsylvania because of the use of DDT. With the band placed on DDT in 1972, the environment improved along with Pennsylvania's eagle population. At present there are at least 250 eagle nests in the state.
Governmental money was used to develop this WMA. However, since the area opened in 1973, the maintenance and operation of the area has been financed by Pennsylvania hunters and fur takers whose dollars spent on licenses and hunting equipment provide the bulk of the agency's working capital.
Bald Eagles have nested here since 1999. In 1980 only two eagle nests were known to exist in all of Pennsylvania because of the use of DDT. With the band placed on DDT in 1972, the environment improved along with Pennsylvania's eagle population. At present there are at least 250 eagle nests in the state.
Governmental money was used to develop this WMA. However, since the area opened in 1973, the maintenance and operation of the area has been financed by Pennsylvania hunters and fur takers whose dollars spent on licenses and hunting equipment provide the bulk of the agency's working capital.
Shortly after we pulled into the Visitor Center (one of the best and most comprehensive centers we've ever seen!), 200 or so Bikers rumbled into the parking lot exuding a decibel level comparable to that of LaGuardia Airport. They apparently were using the center as a bathroom stop.
A small portion of the bikes
Red Milkweed Beetle
Both the genus and species names come from the Latin for "four eyes."
Day Lily
Male Brown-headed Cowbird
These birds are brood parasites. They deposit their eggs in nests belonging to birds of other species. Some of the birds they parasitize remove the eggs from their nests or cover them with new nest material so that they are not incubated.
Snow Goose
During migration the Snow Goose flies so high it can barely be seen. They form shifting curved lines and arcs as they fly.
During the summer their heads are often stained red as a result of gathering food in mud containing iron oxides.
A new trip bird for us
Wood Thrush
This bird is the official bird of the District of Columbia.
He serenaded us from a tree over the BirdMobile for 2 hours after we arrived at our campsite.
Their song is beautiful. Just listen to them on this "Audio-Video"
Love the South!
Signs to make you smile:
On a plumber's truck
"Don't sleep with a drip. Call your plumber."
A small portion of the bikes
Red Milkweed Beetle
Day Lily
Male Brown-headed Cowbird
Snow Goose
Wood Thrush
Love the South!
Signs to make you smile:
On a plumber's truck
"Don't sleep with a drip. Call your plumber."
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