Episode #13
Mini-Awe-Polis 10
Welcome to Awe, Nice !, where we highlight moments of wonder while working outdoors. My name is Maddy Butcher, I'm the creator and producer of Awe, Nice!. Occasionally, I produce Mini-Awe-Polis segments. They are departures from our usual interviews, snippets of notes and observations, like hay in my jacket pockets. Animals are on the move this time of year. The Canada Geese have my attention although I have not figured them out. I live near McPhee Reservoir and sometimes they seem to be gathering and heading out. Sometimes they are flying in from afar and staying, at least for a moment. As often as not, they seem to be flying north, not south. Always though, they are calling, honking. Canada Geese seem to be particularly noisy when they're first getting going. Maybe this is part of settling into that familiar V formation and getting everyone on the same page. When I see them, not long after they have pushed off from McPhee, they don't see organized at all and can be quite honky. Smaller groups are quieter. They say Canada Geese mate for life and I'm going to assume this is accurate, although we have thought so of other species and been wrong. I often count smaller groups to see if they are even-numbered, since this would support the mates-for-life notion. I get odd numbers as much as even. Of course, things happen to geese just like anything else. Last year, I saw a big V formation fly over head. More than 50 geese. Then one peeled away abruptly, honking all the way back to where they'd come, like it had just realized its partner was not among them. I wonder if they reconnected. I find it amazing that animals can find each other so well in this big world. Other birds have brightened my days this summer: I saw a blue-grey gnatcatcher valiantly feeding one of its fledglings near my place. The baby bird was about three times bigger than the adult. It was a young cowbird. As you might know, cowbirds are parasitic, laying their eggs in other birds' nests. Boy, that gnatcatcher was working hard. By the way, cowbirds? Not monogamous. Not to focus entirely on birds you all might not love, but I've been intrigued by the local turkey vultures, too. With breeding season over, they are starting once again to flock up. Some seem like family groups. But I see them in the dozens together, riding the thermals together, roosting in cottonwoods or evergreens. I suspect there are some new and unusual patterns of bird travel and behavior because of the drought and climate change. I'd never seen pinon jays in my neighborhood until this summer. Scrub jays and Steller's jays, yes. But this season, I see pinon jays regularly in big chatty groups of five to 15. Like they do, but something scrub jays and Steller's do not. Enjoy the birds! Awe, Nice! welcomes interviewees. If you have a moment you experienced while working outside and would like to share it, contact us . Awe, Nice! also welcomes your support. You can find a donate button on our about page . We thank Kershaw knives and Redmond salt for their sponsorships. Music is by my friend, Forrest Van Tuyl . Keep your eyes, ears, and mind open. Until next time.
