Twelve Days of Winter at Hagerman NWR

On the first day of winter, at Hagerman we see - one Bald Eagle in a dead tree.

On the second day of winter, at Hagerman we see - two Red-tails soaring and one Bald Eagle in a dead tree.

On the third day of winter, at Hagerman we see - three Harriers harrying, two Red-tails soaring, and one Bald Eagle in a dead tree.

On the fourth day of winter, at Hagerman we see - four leaping Deer, three Harriers harrying, two Red-tails soaring, and one Bald Eagle in a dead tree.

On the fifth day of winter, at Hagerman we see - five Hiking Trails, four leaping Deer, three Harriers harrying, two Red-tails soaring, and one Bald Eagle in a dead tree.

On the sixth day of winter, at Hagerman we see - six Warblers warbling, five Hiking Trails, four leaping Deer, three Harriers harrying, two Red-tails soaring, and one Bald Eagle in a dead tree.

On the seventh day of winter, at Hagerman we see - seven Shovelers shoveling, six Warblers warbling, five Hiking Trails, four leaping Deer, three Harriers harrying, two Red-tails soaring, and one Bald Eagle in a dead tree.

On the eighth day of winter, at Hagerman we see - eight Birders birding, seven Shovelers shoveling, six Warblers warbling, five Hiking Trails, four leaping Deer, three Harriers harrying, two Red-tails soaring, and one Bald Eagle in a dead tree.

On the ninth day of winter, at Hagerman we see - nine Herons fishing, eight Birders birding, seven Shovelers shoveling, six Warblers warbling, five Hiking Trails, four leaping Deer, three Harriers harrying, two Red-tails soaring, and one Bald Eagle in a dead tree.

On the tenth day of winter, at Hagerman we see - ten Pintails dabbling,  nine Herons fishing, eight Birders birding, seven Shovelers shoveling, six Warblers warbling, five Hiking Trails, four leaping Deer, three Harriers harrying, two Red-tails soaring, and one Bald Eagle in a dead tree.

On the eleventh day of winter, at Hagerman we see - eleven Geese-a-browsing, ten Pintails dabbling,  nine Herons fishing, eight Birders birding, seven Shovelers shoveling, six Warblers warbling, five Hiking Trails, four leaping Deer, three Harriers harrying, two Red-tails soaring, and one Bald Eagle in a dead tree.

On the twelfth day of winter, at Hagerman we see - twelve Bluebird boxes, eleven Geese-a-browsing, ten Pintails dabbling,  nine Herons fishing, eight Birders birding, seven Shovelers shoveling, six Warblers warbling, five Hiking Trails, four leaping Deer, three Harriers harrying, two Red-tails soaring, and one Bald Eagle in a dead tree.

The Big Chill

Icy Refuge by Skip Hill

Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge was iced in much of the first half of December, 2013, and when roads became passable once again, visitors found that the geese had headed for greener fields and the ducks had moved elsewhere also.  The wheat fields were totally frozen over, and there was ice on the marshes.  Even the birders stayed home and there was no Tuesday bird census, for December 10, 2013.

Those attending the Second Saturday program on Winter Waterfowl at Hagerman NWR got a great education from Dr. Wayne Meyer, but did not get to view the expected huge flocks of geese and the many species of ducks normally seen at the Refuge in December.

Then on Sunday afternoon about 3 p.m., voila’ – a large flight of geese soared over the lake and settled back in Big Mineral!  What a thrill to view!  Welcome home to our star winter attraction!  The numbers are not back to pre-ice levels, but on the December 17, 2013 bird census reported by Jack Chiles,  we see:

Snow Goose  1000
Ross's Goose  1000
Snow/Ross's Goose  2200
Gadwall  71
American Wigeon  67
Mallard  66
Northern Shoveler  96
Northern Pintail  145
Green-winged Teal  78
Canvasback  22
Redhead  28
Ring-necked Duck  3
Lesser Scaup  2
Bufflehead  6
Common Goldeneye  1
Hooded Merganser  27
Ruddy Duck  82

Geese in Flight by Johnny Beall

Hopefully the moisture from the melted ice and sleet will get the wheat growing again so that the geese can remain now at the Refuge until time to depart for the nesting season! 

Northern Cardinals Cheer the Landscape

Northern Cardinals, or “redbirds”, are flocking to North Texas backyard bird feeders this week, and are an especially cheery sight with their red or reddish brown plumage contrasting so well with the snow and ice covered trees and lawns.  The bright red color makes them a favorite subject for holiday cards  also. 

Northern Cardinals at HNWR by Charlie Hernandez

Cornell’s All About Birds has this to say about Cardinals:  

The male Northern Cardinal is perhaps responsible for getting more people to open up a field guide than any other bird. They’re a perfect combination of familiarity, conspicuousness, and style: a shade of red you can’t take your eyes off. Even the brown females sport a sharp crest and warm red accents.

Northern Cardinals do not migrate and are found primarily in the Eastern half of the United States, as well as in Texas and Arizona, and in Mexico and Central America.   During the 2012 Christmas Bird Count at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge,  213 cardinals were reported.

Cardinals mainly eat seeds and fruit and also insects.  Hands down, sunflower seed are their favorite at the backyard feeder.  While large numbers of cardinals may be seen in flocks much of the year, when breeding season begins they fiercely defend their territory. They will nest in shrubs in residential areas as well as in the wild; cardinals may have one or two broods in a season, with 2 -5 eggs in a clutch.

The cardinal is a popular choice as a mascot for athletic teams and has been chosen as the state bird for seven states.  According to Word IQ  the bird's name comes from the red-robed Roman Catholic Cardinals. Its crested head is also said to resemble a bishop's mitre. 

These colorful birds were once sold for caged pets but this became illegal  with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

A note about the photo - Hernandez always enjoys photographing the cardinals at the Refuge when he visits, as they are not normally seen in his home state of California.

Art for Wildlife

Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling was a nationally syndicated editorial cartoonist who became famous for his witty commentary on the many different subjects that concerned the U.S.   In both 1924 and 1942, Darling won a Pulitzer prize for his work, back in an era when newspapers were the predominant media.

An avid hunter and fisherman, Darling became alarmed at the loss of wildlife habitat and possible extinction of many species, and began working this theme into his cartoons.  In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Darling Director of the U. S. Biological Survey, the forerunner of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  While Director, Darling initiated the Federal Duck Stamp program and vastly increased the acreage of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

First Federal Duck Stamp, designed by J. N. Ding Darling

With the passage of the Migratory Bird Hunting Act, all waterfowl hunters 16 and older are required to buy a Federal Duck Stamp.  Proceeds from sales of these stamps have been used to purchase nearly 5 million acres for the protection of wildlife habitat.

Darling also designed the Blue Goose logo, the national symbol of the refuge system.  Rachel Carson, well-known author and scientist, wrote of the emblem 

“Wherever you meet this sign, respect it. It means that the land behind the sign has been dedicated by the American people to preserving for themselves and their children, as much of our native wildlife as can be retained along with our modern civilization.

The next time you visit Hagerman NWR, look for the  Blue Goose logo, and – if you have children with you – have their photo made with Puddles, in the Visitor Center!

J. N. Darling signed his cartoons with the nickname “Ding” which he created by  combining the first initial of his surname with the last three letters.  J. N. Ding Darling NWR, on Sanibel Island, was established in 1945 and named in his honor in 1947, due to his effort in blocking sale of the valuable habitat to developers.  

For further reading, The Ding Darling foundation recommends the biography, Ding: The Life of Jay Norwood Darling, by David L. Lendt. See also  http://www.fws.gov/dingdarling/About/DingDarling.html .