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 .

Name That Goose!

Lift-off at Hagerman NWR, by Lee Hatfield

Geese have been arriving over the past few weeks to spend the winter at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge and the huge flock, estimated this week at 10,000, is a popular sight for visitors there.   Here are two questions frequently asked, related to the geese, and answers to help identify the various species.

1.  “What do you mean Snow Goose or Ross’s Goose? They all look the same to me!”

That’s true, until you start looking more closely. Ross’s Geese are smaller than Snow Geese, but the relative size can be hard to distinguish when you are looking at a flock of a thousand or more white geese. Instead, look at the shape of the head and bill.

The Ross’s head is more rounded, with a stubby bill which appears thicker at the base. The border at the base of the bill is straight and vertical.  

Ross's Goose, by Rick Cantu

The head of the Snow Goose is more wedge-shaped, with a longer appearing bill. There is a black line between the upper and lower mandibles, or bill, known as a “grin patch”; the base of the bill is more curved that on the Ross’s.

Here are some memory cues – Snow Goose – sloping forehead; Ross’s Goose – round head.

Snow Geese, Blue Phase on left, by Rick Cantu

2.   “Okay, but what are those dark colored geese in with the ‘Snow Geese’”?

The dark colored geese with white heads are dark phase Snow Geese. These were once called the Blue Goose. They will not become white over time, but are a variation.  Dark phase is rare with Ross’s Geese.

A website that is helpful in learning these distinctions is http://www.sdakotabirds.com/diffids/snow_vs_ross.htm.

You may also see a small flock of grayish-brown geese with white foreheads alongside the white Snow and Ross’s geese; these would be the Greater White-fronted Geese shown below.

Photo by Dick Malnory

Next time you go out to see the geese, take your binoculars, or borrow some from the Visitor Center, so that you can take a close look at the head and bill shape and you will find that you can identify the different species!

The winter waterfowl at the Refuge will be the topic for both Youth FIRST, on December 7, and Second Saturday, on December 14, when Dr.  Wayne Meyer will give a presentation.  A guided tour, aboard a TAPS bus, along Wildlife Drive will be offered on both dates as part of the program.

For more information about activities at the Refuge, please check our website, http://www.friendsofhagerman.com . The official site for Hagerman NWR is http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman.

This post includes information from the post of December 2, 2010, by Dick Malnory.

Turkey Time

Did you know that Benjamin Franklin nominated the turkey to be the national bird for the United States of America?

And that President Abraham Lincoln started the tradition of a White House pardon for a turkey on Thanksgiving – the impetus? His son Tad made friends with the turkey that was to be on the Thanksgiving menu (later named Jack!)

The domestic turkey we are familiar with is descended from a subspecies that is now extinct.  There are five subspecies of the wild turkey: Eastern, Osceola, Rio Grande (shown below), Merriam’s and Gould’s.

Wild Turkey at HNWR, by Jim Gay

The wild turkeys  at Hagerman NWR are Rio Grande (named for the general area in which they are found –the central plains states) and there are a number of flocks at the Refuge.  But, this has not always been the case. By the late 1800’s, turkeys throughout Texas had been hunted to very low numbers. Then hunters stepped in to support conservation and restoration, and now thanks to individuals, to legislation and to organizations like the National Wild Turkey Federation, hunting regulations and better habitat management practices have allowed turkey populations to steadily increase in most areas.    Now more than seven million wild turkeys roam America’s woodlands. 

 Several flocks of 100+ turkeys use habitat on and adjacent to the Refuge including brushy areas next to streams and the lake, or mixed oak forests near the creeks. At Hagerman, turkeys are sometimes visible along field edges or roadsides with trees and like to forage for insects and seeds in wooded areas.

An adult female turkey is called a hen. Hens generally weigh between 8 and 11 pounds. Female turkeys less than one year old are called a jenny. Like many other birds, the females’ feathers are more subdued in color than the males’, allowing them to better blend in with their surroundings.

Female turkeys weigh about 10 pounds while males tip the scales at closer to 20.   An adult male turkey is called a gobbler. The name comes from the sound they make in spring, to attract the hens during the mating season. Their iridescent feathers have a green-coppery sheen to them with the tips of the tail and lower back feathers being light tan. Male turkeys are known for their “beards” which are actually bristly tassels rather than feathers and grow for life instead of molting.  A male under one year in age is called a jake.

Wild turkeys can run or fly. They can run up to 19 mph for short distances. They usually fly only short distances but at speeds of  up to 55 mph. They prefer the borders between woodlands and field, which provide low cover for nesting, trees for roosting and for their food source.  Wild turkeys prefer to nest in grass or brush at least 18 inches tall and usually lay 10-11 eggs that hatch in 28 days.  The young turkeys (poults) are up and running behind the hen within the first 24 hours.   Generally ground dwellers, there is a high mortality rate on poults by critters including bobcats, foxes, snakes, raccoons, and hogs, so safe night roosting sites are critical to turkey survival. Turkeys typically seek trees that are 40 feet or taller and tend to roost in groups.

Young turkeys favor insects for their diet. As they mature, mast such as acorns, pecans and berries, along with various seeds and grains, becomes the primary diet for the wild turkey.

Although you may see turkeys any time of year, spring is an especially good time to look for these unique birds. Males can often be seen strutting around and fanning their tail feathers in hopes of impressing the ladies. When you visit Hagerman, keep an eye out for signs of wild turkeys by looking for scratching in the dirt or leaves, spotting their large three-toed foot print, or listen for gobbling sounds coming from the woods.

Wild turkeys are not migratory and often live out their life span within five miles of their hatching site.

Happy Turkey Day!

Material in this post has been combined from previously published posts, "Let's Talk Turkey",  by Refuge Manager Kathy Whaley (11-24-2009) and "Turkey Facts from the   National Wild Turkey Federation", (11-23-11).

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The Geese at Hagerman NWR

From Jack Chiles' weekly bird census at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge:

Last year on November 6, 2012

Greater White-fronted Goose  115; Snow Goose  200; Ross's Goose  150

And - one year later, on November 5, 2013

Greater White-fronted Goose  50; Snow Goose  150; Ross's Goose  18

Last year, on November 13, 2012

Greater White-fronted Goose  280; Snow Goose  2300; Ross's Goose  2200; Cackling Goose  10;
Canada Goose  2

And, this week, on November 12, 2013

Greater White-fronted Goose  122; Snow Goose  112; Ross's Goose  100; Snow/Ross's Goose  2300;

Canada Goose  2

Finally, the third week of November, last year, on November 20, 2012

Greater White-fronted Goose  65; Snow/Ross's Goose  6000

Geese at HNWR, by Steve Frederickson

The numbers tell the story of what to expect at Hagerman NWR  in late fall.  Now for a few goose facts:

Geese – along with ducks and more – are called waterfowl in the U.S., and wildfowl in the UK, according to The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior.  They belong to the family of Anatidae, which encompasses many and varied species.  Geese are in the subfamily Ansinerae, along with swans.

There are six species of geese that breed in North America.  Summer habitat for the Snow Goose, some Canada Geese, and the Greater-White-fronted Goose is the far–northern .tundra, from the High Arctic to the sub-Arctic.  The smaller Ross’s Goose, which breeds in the Central Arctic, is also seen along with the Snow Geese at the Refuge.

Geese are herbivores, feeding on wetland plants and agricultural crops.  The Refuge prepares for the winter influx of geese by planting several hundred acres of wheat each October, for green browse. According to the Sibley Guide, Canada Geese have a bill that is suitable for clipping grasses and seeds, while the bill of the Snow Goose is for digging and cutting roots and tubers of marsh plants.

When Hagerman and Tishomingo national wildlife refuges were established, in 1946, one news article reported the hope that the new refuges would “hold” the migrating waterfowl and keep them off the Gulf Coast rice crops.

Along with swans and whistling ducks, geese have life-long pair bonds.

Snow Geese and Canada Geese may lay eggs in the nests of other geese or even those of other waterfowl species.  Snow Geese lay two – six eggs, with the female building and tending the nest, guarded by the male.  Families remain together during the young’s first winter.

Nests are built near water; then geese families move inland where grasses are more abundant once the chicks hatch.

High altitude migration, at 1000 – 5000 feet is common for geese and Sibley reports sightings of Snow Geese at 20,000 feet in altitude. Snow Geese migrate both by day and by night.

Snow Geese may be white or grayish brown with white heads (the Blue Goose), they are both the same species.

Hunting of Snow Geese was banned in the eastern US when their numbers declined dangerously, in the early 1900’s; now the number has rebounded and they are said to be in danger of overpopulating their habitat.

The oldest Snow Goose on record was age 27-1/2.

Those who enjoy the thrill of hearing the geese can listen to various calls on this site by All About Birds.

Sources:

http://www.sibleyguides.com/about/the-sibley-guide-to-bird-life-behavior/

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/snow-goose/

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snow_Goose/lifehistory