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Poems and Thoughts by Frank Maurer

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Ornithology

Revelations of a Birdfeeder Assumptions Corrected opus 15

For forty years, my small farm has been a wildlife refuge.
Among the passerines which flock to my habitat restoration,
Are the striking (for a sparrow!) White Crowned
And its companion, the duskier Golden Crowned.
For years I observed the two species foraging together.
It appeared that the White Crowned greatly outnumbered the other
And I assumed the Golden was the subservient one,
Then, I added a small feeder to my window
And, oh, what was revealed when competition
For seed in a small space was created.
My assumption that the White Crowned was dominant
Was shattered by observing the actual dominance
Of the Golden, constantly defending its feeding position!

I extrapolated this revelation to other life observations.
How wrong we all at times might have been in life
With assumptions which have led us to totally incorrect conclusions.

White Streets?!? opus 18

Trained falcons nor artificial gun noises will ever change their minds--and those and more have been attempted. The warmth of the city is too alluring. But, do these crows continue this practice during the warmer months of the year? No. The fields and arboral areas around the city are generally 10 F degrees cooler than the heat sink of the city!

What to do? Not only are the crows affected by the city's heat sink, but so are humans: heat stroke; uncomfortable, hot pavement to traverse; higher AC electric bills; more watering of lawns, etc.

Is there a solution to this local problem, mingled with the huge--harder to solve--worldly climate change? One solution is to lighten to a light gray, the darker areas of our cities: roofs, parking lots, and, indeed, our myriad of city streets. I have measured, in January, the difference between the temperatures of white streets (measured on a new neighborhood white cement bridge) and black asphalt within 20 feet of the lighter cement pavement where the difference was 10 F degrees with an ambient temperature of 56 F degrees. Just four months later, in April, with an ambient temperature of 88 F degrees, the two temperatures differed by 21 F degrees! In July the difference was 25 F degrees. Los Angeles during hot summers, have recorded more than 25 F degrees difference.

Why do we humans wait to do something? One helpful solution is now clear and easy to solve. Davis, CA proposed to experiment on a city parking lot and indeed, did so in May 2022 (see Cool Pavement Project--Davis, CA).

In conclusion, as a biologist, watching our planet slowly dessicate from the Arctic ice shelves to the wonderful Kalahari (through which I have wandered), I am in agony. As long ago as 30 years, I was struggling with my overheating house and lethal temperatures in my free range chicken barns, where they would crowd together from the heat (that is a chicken's reaction to heat!) and die of suffocation. My house roof was then foamed and painted white, as well as the chicken barn, and the problem was greatly reduced by as much as 15 F degrees.

If an old farmer can partially solve this problem, locally, why can't our cities do the same with thousands of human beings (some with chickens!)? One other point I have contemplated. In the winter, if a street where crows roost is lightened in color, would the temperature differential be enough to actually discourage crows from roosting there and go to a warmer street that is not treated? This could help further solve the winter roosting problem question and would empirically demonstrate that the white streets have an effect on roosting crows.

Of course there are still pros and cons concerning this procedure, but there are enough cities starting this that it is heartening to see we are willing to try. The question is, are we doing it in time?

News Flash!! opus 44

News flash!! (NPR) "Species of bird which are more specialized
Will be more vulnerable to extinction, resulting from climate change."

Duuh! Compare a specialized warbler to a generalized crow or jay!
So this is why the 'generalized' human,
With its opposable thumb, super brain, and upright posture,
Can cause the imbalance of our Earth's climate,
And, if lucky, might be able to repair it?!

(Written on the anniversary of Darwin's publishing his
'On the Origin of Species', 24 November 1859.)

Immutable Species opus 49

One Morgan silver dollar was the daily remuneration for a man's travail.
The obverse was the Lady Liberty, renounced at first by receivers of that dollar.
"She is depicted as an unattractive female."
But so much for the obverse; it is the reverse we wish to consider.

Both Linnaeus and Darwin, and of course many others,
Struggling against the concept of the Scala Naturae and the immutability of species,
Realized the great variation within species viewed, resulting from their studies,
And which did cause the perennial rift between Creation and Evolution.
"Species are immutable as created by god."

Now look at a particular specie (a piece of money; a coin),
And compare this to the biological question.
On the reverse of the Morgan is an eagle with a tail, of course.
The mint in 1878 pressed out eagles with a tail of eight feathers.
"Impossible!" cried out the ornithologists of the day--
"Raptors have only an odd number of tail feathers;
One in the center and the remaining on each side to make the odd total."
So, immutability comes to the enlightened fore,
With the mint (Philadelphia--we had four others!)
Reusing the remaining 8 tailed coins by striking over with the seven,
Resulting in a 7 over 8, with four feather tips still showing beneath,
And proceeded on with the 'proper' created (evolved?) odd number.
So, in 1878, the Morgan eagle had 8, 7 over 8, and 7 tail feathers, all in one year!
Now, today, does this manifest the conflict of the 'immutability' of our 'sacred coins',
As well as the 'god created, fixed morphology' of the living creatures around us?

To Dick Miller, my Friend. d. 2009 opus 52

Dick was mute. Spoke with a whisper and a clacking tongue.
I met him at Antioch College as a student (1962?).
We fell into a wonderful friendship.
I had aspired to teach the blind at Perkins, Cambridge, MA.
Dick appeared, not blind, but I was immediately bonded.
He carried a notepad with him which we would trade back and forth,
Writing our thoughts and phrases to each other.

One day, I declared, "No more notes. I want to read your lips."
Dick, of course, already held that ability.
The paper soon became obsolete and we carried on flowingly.

One day, we were walking through our Ohio forest,
When suddenly I heard a cracking
And saw a distant tree starting to fall to the ground.
I touched Dick's shoulder and pointed to the right.
The great arboreal mass slowly swung down towards the north.
The crash for me was immense; for Dick, a bizzare sight.

We stood for a while together, marvelling each in our own way,
Then slowly pulled ourselves away and walked on, also to the north.
I shall remember that occurrence forever, as long as I live.

Being with Dick, the emphasis of sound
Was engraven in my mind--I could hear; he could not.
Dick, unknowingly, made me treasure my ability to hear;
A gift I treasure after all these six decades.
That afternoon stroll in the Ohio forest imprinted indelibly on my memory,
So that I am constantly conscious of
My beloved bird vocalizations I hear and joy to so often.

Pheasants on a Swedish Lawn opus 58

Living in Sweden, I was traversing a large city lawn,
And to my astonishment several (Mongolian--their origin!) pheasants grazed.
I knew my birds and which had been introduced where,
But this unexpected visual gave me a start--
A start--manifested in this poem--that would never leave me:
Pheasants calmly grazing on a Swedish lawn!
Does Uppsala really glory in all of its inhabitants?

At Dusk by my Table opus 78

Sitting at dusk by my table,
Watching White-crowned Sparrows on the outside feeder.
Bundles of narcissus--all colors clumped together.
A carving of an abstract eagle,
Carved in Norway with my travelling two year old son.
A CD sent from Sweden--one of Ingegerd's daughter's singing.
An Asian Elephant statue in gold--at least the color--
Acquired at a flea market, accompanied by my lovely dog, Sophia.
A hand carved stone petroglyph of Kokopelli,
Created in Colorado, in October 1999,
While attending a Land Trust Alliance Rally
With snow flurries surrounding us all.

I have been to so many places and seen so much.
Comforting thoughts of my past, just sitting next to me.

Little Dinosaurs at my Window opus 103

Little dinosaurs fly onto my birdfeeder,
Reminding me of our Earth's past.
How the wonders of Evolution
Have rendered those present.
Giant reptilian creatures,
Now small (for the most part).
Feathered, hollow boned--pneumatic--
Enchanting and delicate creatures
Of our now world.

Grasping onto a Future Past opus 122

Ornithologists are a very dedicated group--
Studying the relationships of our remnant dinosaurs.
With pending, ominous climate change,
Birds are our climate barometers--
Manifesting sensitive changes of their ranges,
As humans continue to spew waste into the atmosphere.

Many recordings are carefully being created
To preserve the present sounds of the many various habitats--
For future analysis when all is changed or lost.

Lovers of their ornithological creatures

Are, for all of us, truly grasping onto a future past.

Herding Geese opus 131

Herding geese is definitely not like herding cats.
I should know because my little farm produced 600 geese annually.
(And I also had unherdable cats on the farm, thanks to Nora, my now late wife.)
These were not 'water birds' as one might suspect,
Rather they were pasture-raised Embden Geese, A large, handsome, agile-on-land, white bird.

To work with geese, one manipulates them to move anywhere,
Simply by walking near them, raising one's arms--left or right or both,
 And the mass of white, cloud-like life bunches,
Then turns to the left with a right arm signal,
Obviously, turning correspondingly with a left arm raised,
And straight ahead with both arms raised above one's shoulders.
To split a smaller group off from the larger body,
One merely holds both arms raised and walks quickly forward.

Such a wonderful feeling, being able to gently control
Such a large group of fellow farm creatures,
Almost the same as conducting a Brahms symphony,
Leading an orchestra of one hundred!

Birds Coping with the New Heat opus 142

Heat is becoming unbearable for humans inhabiting many parts of the world,
But have we also been considering the plight of our bird populations?
Temperatures are high enough that the normal methods birds
Cope with elevated temperatures are reaching their biological limits.
Gular fluttering--mouth open and 'fluttering' neck muscles
Pumps air in and out of the throat and is used by many birds to cool down,
But this function also causes water loss.
Small birds like Goldfinches just do not have the body mass to cope.
Other species, such as the Curve-billed Thrasher are bound to a desert habitat,
Where temperatures are becoming extremely high--
The Mojave Desert is now reaching 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bill size has been found to correlate with temperature--
Large bill, higher temps, so that blood flow will dissipate temperatures.
Opening out wings while standing alleviates heat build up.
A bird's normal temperature of about 106 degrees F, has been recorded at 111 F.
Tree swallows have been recorded laying their eggs 9 days earlier than normal.
Warblers, especially, have shifted their home ranges northward.
Migration of many bird species are also changing with the heat increases.

For a biologist, becoming more aware of all these changing factors,
The burden of shifting life processes is sometimes overwhelming.

To be as Smart as a Corvid! opus 153

The use of anthropogenic objects in nest building
Might have first been reported in 1933--a crow used barbed wire for its nest.
Since then screws, nails, bolts, wire, even syringes
Have been incorporated into nest building.
Not to be outdone, some avian engineers have used
Windshield wipers, sunglasses, knitting needles, and fireworks.
Perhaps the most bizzare and ironic is the use of anti-nesting spikes--
Originally meant to deter nesting in a building's eves.
The nests of a carrion crow and a Eurasian magpie--both corvids--
Were collected and examined by researchers in Belgium, Scotland, and the Netherlands.
One, Antwerp, Belgian magpie nest contained about 1500 metal spikes,
Gathered from 20 yards of anti-bird pins!

Originally thorny material was used to prevent predation on eggs and young,
But today, there may be more human made stuff lying around,
Than the 'old fashioned' formally desired natural biomass.
Such use demonstrates a modification of a pre-existing natural behavior
And the flexibility of material use in nest-building!

Oh, well, it might be enviable to be as clever and adaptive as a magpie!

Two Invaders, Meeting opus 159

I walked out back, behind the house, where I feed my steer and emu,
Going slowly through the motions in the shade of the trees--it is 100 degrees F today.
Two large wild, 'invading' male turkeys were nearby.
I do not harass them here and we co-exist, quietly together.
(They were transplanted to California from the East,
Where T. Jefferson and B. Franklin argued over which bird
Should be the National Symbol.)
I fed grain to the emu and cow as tidbits to their daily grazing,
And I had an urge to pass on some feed to the nearby turkeys.
I called out quietly and threw the food in their direction.
One responded and slowly walked over to the suddenly produced cornucopia.
I chatted quietly and urged him (it was indeed a great 'bearded' him),
To continue eating in my presence without fear.
The other male partner was most reluctant and continued grazing its farther grass.
(Later, after I departed, the reluctant one too, joined its brother
To peck away at the remaining grain.)

This all reminded me of the beginnings of the dog--
Probably children near middens piles encouraged those wolf pups,
Brave enough to remain near these little human creatures,
To be rewarded with special tidbits from an outreached hand,
And slowly joined the ranks of that bipedal creature who was to soon dominate the planet,

They, the wolf-becoming-dog, being now in the ranks of the other invading myriads!

The Enigma of the Eight-tailed Eagle! opus 181

1878 was the inauguration of the Morgan Silver Dollar.
The Philadelphia Mint started it off with an Eight-tailed reverse eagle.
HORROR! (At least for ornithologists)--
Raptors have only an odd number of tail feathers.
Eight is even! Raptors have one central tail feather,
Thus resulting in the consequential odd number.

So contemplate the Mint's rebuttal action.
Eight was minted, then as Seven, with an interesting caveat--
Leftover Eights were 'recapped' with a new Seven.
The result was four 'Eight tips' protruding out from under the Seven new feathers.
Thus, then, the unintentional creation of yet a new Morgan Error Coin!
1878 P Morgans now and forever shall always have 8, 7/8, and 7 tail feathers.

All these changes, by recognizing ornithologist's credence in their knowledge,
And that although communication was slow,
The world, even with its seeming lethargy, could reach out in detail,
Confusing us all with basic, hardcore, intriguing trivia!

Road Traffic Influence on Bird Wing Length opus 194

How on earth can road traffic influence the process of evolution??
Cliff swallows fly in groups, often along highways
Near bridges under which they nest.
Those birds with slightly longer wings
Are less able to outmaneuver quick moving vehicles,
And are often eliminated from the breeding population.
Those birds with shorter wings
Are able to swerve more quickly, avoiding potential death.

Now, to further reiterate on the fact of wing length:
Albatross with long wings rarely touch ground,
Gliding slowly in one direction,
While hummingbirds possessing short, fast moving wings
Are able to instantly maneuver in all directions.
This, an evolutionary lesson caused by human-created road traffic!
Life morphology is influenced for survival--
Even from a rushing metal gas guzzler!

Trees and Turkeys opus 217

Displaying a DC Christmas tree each year from a different state,
Is far superior than pardoning an innocent turkey at Thanksgiving--
One, the death of a tree in its prime,
The other, life for a domesticated totally innocent bird,
Which is a genetic corruption of a magnificent wild creature.

(Remember the feud between Jefferson and Franklin
to name the national bird--the eagle vs the turkey!
I guess it is best we are not mass slaughtering
our national bird for human consumption,
celebrating a mythical (?) dinner with those whom
we would soon annihilate.)

Music To My Ears, III. Later Years. Cornell opus 232

Well, I began applying to Grad Schools--Duke and Cornell being two.
I decided on Cornell in Ithaca, NY, near my maternal grandparents farm on Seneca Lake.
(When I started flying, I flew to visit the farm,
Repeating the Republic Seabee (pontoon) flight with my father,
When I was about 10 years old, first gliding over that same farm!)
The Cornell program was experimental,
Allowing certain students to skip Masters and proceed straight to Ph.D.
My professor was Charles Sibley in the Conservation Department.
He was an ornithology specialist and we studied that group, using starch gel electrophoresis.
I was being trained in the techniques,
And before I made a decision for a study subject,
Sibley decided to transfer to Yale.
I decided to stay and study with Daniel Q. Thompson, a conservation professor.
So, I took up the torch, working with the vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus.

As all this was occurring, I joined the Cornell orchestra,
Led by the well-known conductor, Karel Husa.
I became first bassist, with many concerts following,
One of which was playing at the Kennedy Center in New York City,
For the one hundredth anniversary of Cornell University!
On about my third year at Cornell, with the Vietnam War raging,
I, remembering my conducting 'history', approached Karel,
And asked if I might conduct the orchestra at some point.
He was very kind, but said that there were many 'professionals' in the orchestra,
And that would really not be appropriate, but added
That if I took his conducting class, I would be obliged to conduct!
Such a wonderful person, who understood a person's real desire.
I took the course, learned many techniques, and prepared my score--
Brahm's Symphony 2 and one of its movements--I remember not which.
I do remember one portion was a delightful two against three rhythm.
After weeks of preparation, my time arrived.
I watched the 'real' music majors doing their stuff--
So weak, with no real strength in their motions.
(A couple admitted to me that they had no interest in conducting.)
I wore a blue Tom Jones large sleeve shirt
And went through the paces with great gusto!
Upon concluding, I was completely elated and on a musical high.

Well, a year passed and the end of the term was approaching.
I was waiting to be conducted by a new batch of student conductors.
After one of the rehearsals, Karel came to me
And asked if I would like to conduct again.
I was delighted and he invited me to view a score--
It was the 'Unanswered Question' by Charles Ives.
The piece had three tempi going on simultaneously!
Karel asked me how I would conduct this short, but complex piece.
I said I would cue the trumpet and then cue the four flutes,
While maintaining my continual conducting of the complete string section.
Karel, who was a flamboyant conductor paused
To check the Ives' notes in the score--
Karel (I suspected) expected that the instructions would be
That one would fully conduct the trumpet and the flutes,
While just cuing the whole orchestra. (Impossible, I thought.)
Goodness, Ives suggested just what I had proposed!
Later, the demonstration went very well,
Of course after much work on the score.
Karel, I guess, was impressed with my performance,
And asked me, since the piece lasted only 10 minutes,
To repeat the whole work once again.
I was honored and terribly pleased.
I left Cornell after my four years with a Ph.D.,
Having aspirations and anticipation for my continuing, unfolding life.

(It is interesting that in my much later (1980's) farm life in Davis, California,
I came upon a new bird guide with excellently painted bird figures,
published by a David Allen Sibley, undoubtedly, Charles Sibley's son,
who took up the ornithological mantle, not with the study of genes,
but through pigment and painting. The names in this book were being
changed as a result of the newest scientific DNA techniques, the
result from some of the work in electrophoresis by his father.
History repeats and spirals upwards!)

Christmas Owls, Nuptially Vocalizing opus 244

I woke early on the Friday before Christmas Monday.
My first Great Horned Owls' nuptial calls of the winter.
How wonderful that they once again have returned to me,
As they have for the almost half century I have lived here.
I had been dreaming of squash and mashed potatoes,
With a parcel of turkey in some unknown kitchen--
All warm with smells of deliciousness.
It is Christmas and my owls are unknowingly
Welcoming this time to be warm of heart and to remember
All the varied past times that we humans
Have created to make a short winter day,
Special for our complex human spirits.

A Christmas greeting from a Humanist.

How Wonderful to be so Royally Goosed! opus 266

I woke on 7 January as usual, ready for the day.
As always, I gazed out the large window,
Overlooking my smallish pond.
Many mornings, there are no waterfowl to excite me,
But this day, twenty Canada Geese were gliding here and there,
Swimming, interacting, and feeding,
Necks disappearing under the surface.
Suddenly, I realized there were three similar, but smaller individuals.
A shot went through my heart, as I recognized that different species!
Although moderately rare in my Davis area,
These were indeed the smaller Cackling Geese,
Intermingling, unopposed with their larger cousins.
For a naturalist, such minor observations of our modern dinosaurs
Give one a jolt of joy, just to behold such a wonderful encounter.

I do wonder, if we could introduce all of our leaders
To ornithology and nature-observation thereof,
Might peace and caring then reign throughout the world?

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii)
    {Only 'recently' split off.}

The Position of the Eagles' Wings opus 268

You have heard, perhaps from me, about the debate
Between Jefferson and Franklin concerning the eagle vs the turkey?
Well, since Jefferson won, many of our coins have eagles!
If you have 'numismatically' studied our US coins,
Upon which are several eagles--
Have you noticed the position of these eagles' wings?

1858: Morgan dollars--wings outstretched to show strength?--
Even though the first minted number of tail feathers
Were even and not odd?
Civil War pending. Perhaps hopeful defiance?

1887:  'Flying Eagle' one cent--wings beautifully outstretched--
Hopeful for a peaceful thought after the Civil War? But, did not last long.

1921+:  The Peace Dollar, minted for only six days in that year--
Wings beautifully folded in hope of no further wars?
Then continued on for an abbreviated amount of time.

1932+:  Or our quarter with George Washington on the obverse
And the unimaginative eagle on the reverse.
Was this because of the devastating Great Depression
Or had we just lost the excitement surrounding our founding fathers
And created only a stereotyped eagle?
The mood of a country may be depicted through its coins.
There are so many more. Susse or ferret them out!
{Know the derivation of those two words? Just wondering.}

History is everywhere for the astute to behold!

Cold Drizzle opus 269

A cloud ceiling dominated the sky,
Spewing a light, cold drizzle over the earth:
(At least cold for a California morning).

A 'V' of Canada Geese pumped the air overhead,
Crying out, perhaps with joy, to be able
To levitate through the misty ether.

Damming the Damning opus 286

I lived with an African Gray parrot for several years
And was witness to its incredible ability to imitate.
The Lincolnshire Wildlife Park in England has had to isolate parrots
Which, within public earshot, started imitating risqué vocabulary.
The decision was eventually made to remove these individuals
Back to the major flock, where it was anticipated,
That the eight offenders would again utter
'Normal' African Gray vocalizations--
Amusing, if the vocabulary had switched in the reverse order!

Another tale I have heard involved a murder case.
The Gray had witnessed the killing of its human companion ('owner').
It imitated the voice and words spoken during the murder.
The prosecution attempted to use the parrot as a witness,
But because the parrot 'was an animal',
The judge overruled the employment of the bird to nail the murderer!

Of course you have heard of groups attempting
To classify chimpanzees as sentient beings,
Who would be treated on a human level.
Perhaps someday, African Gray parrots
Might be included within the human domain!
(Chimps still are also on the waiting list.)

The Egyptian Vulture opus 297

My first university teaching job was in Turkiye (then Turkey).
At Robert College (now Bogazici Universitesi) in Bebek,
On the Bosphorus, north of Istanbul.
The Science Building was quite new and my classes were on the first floor.
I had a laboratory of my own in the 'attic'.
There was a large enclosed, depressed area
Along the whole building on the south side.
During my entire life, even now at 82 in Davis, California,
I have always lived with and studied tortoises.
In Turkiye I worked with two species of Testudo--
T, graeca and T. hermani, observing them in the large depression.
Specifically, my studies included electrophoresis of blood types,
As well as diurnal behavioural movements of the two species.
To be terse, T. hermani's activities began earlier and lasted longer
Than those of its sympatric fellow species, T. graeca.
Thus, their daily movements divided their feeding times, reducing competition!
The appearance of the two is fairly similar.

I collected specimens both on the European
And on the eastern Anatolian territories.
As I moved through the wilder area of Anatolia,
I noticed that a number of the tortoise carapaces (upper shell),
Had large, healed cracks across much of the curved surfaces.
Upon queries and studying, I learned the cause was the Egyptian Vulture.
Tortoise flesh was one of their sources of protein.
I never actually saw this occurring, but the evidence was plentiful;
The vulture simply found a tortoise, flew up in the air,
Grasping the reptile's body with its talons and dropping it from a height
Which, perhaps after several attempts, cracked the shell enough
That the bird could pry it open and consume the protected body!
(In Africa, this vulture would 'fling' rocks with its beak
At ostrich eggs to break them open.)

I began to wonder what phenomenon
Caused the weaker, curved carapace to be cracked
And not the flat plastron, covering the tortoise underside.
North of Bebek, Ahmet the Conqueror had constructed the Rumeli Hisar
From which, paired with a fortress on the eastern side of the Bosphorus,
He could control, using cannons, the movements on the waterway.
(From here he later moved his boats on rollers over the hill,
Ending inside the protected, chained Golden Horn of old Constantinople,
Surprised the Greeks, and conquered the city!)
At any rate, I used that Hisar (fortress) with my students,
To drop preserved, dead tortoise bodies from the high parapets,
Observing how they would fall and land,
Imitating the hunting behaviour of the Egyptian Vulture.
As suspected, the aerodynamics of the curved carapace
Caused the tortoise body to rotate in the air and collide with the ground,
Making vulnerable, the weaker upper tortoise carapace.
From this experience and from so many more,
Turkiye taught me abundantly the enigmas of life.

A Surprise Visit! opus 301

My feeder awaits its visitors.
I, being a voyeur, await as well.
So many White-crowned Sparrows this year!
Where are the Golden-crowns?
I continue to wait and write by the window.
Suddenly two smaller strangers
Arrive for a second, grab a few seeds,
Then quickly flit off to the hedge.
Contemplating my bird ID repertoire,
I just indeed had two Yellow Warbler visitors--
Such a treat for an ornithologist--
Well, at least for a bird watcher.

Eleven Primaries Allow Flight opus 303

For many decades I have taught children (and some adults)
That the first flight feathers (primaries) on the wing of a bird
Number eleven in most birds, with another eleven or so,
Comprising the secondaries on the rear of the wing.
Could there be a tertiary? Yes, rarely, but they exist.
The Mandarin Duck of Asia has such a feather
Poking up towards the rear of the wing!
Our Wood Duck, the only member of the genus, Aix,
And 'cousin' to the Mandarin, is devoid of this extra ornament.

Studies of dinosaurs and the phenomenon of flight
Has been studied by paleontologists,
And nine to eleven feathers appear crucial for flight,
Enabling those later dinosaurs which evolved to birds.
The full story is more complex, but there is no doubt
That some dinosaurs really were able to fly.
So, as you observe a bird flying past you,
Take a moment to pause and realize the special sight before you,
Which binds our present time with the wondrous history
Of the ever-evolving life on our Blue Planet.

Floating Beauty opus 327

Suddenly a green irridescent head
Appears on a once empty, still pond.
The glowing color is paired
With a camouflaged, brown partner.
Watching patiently, a crested,
Magnificient head glides into the open.
This one is also accompanied
With a brown partner,
But, different, with large, light eye rings.

What has been revealed
Are a wonderful pair of Mallards,
Accompanied with perhaps
The most beautiful of all ducks,
A pair of our Wood Ducks in the genus Aix,
Related only to the alternatively
Incredible Mandarin of China!

In Anticipation of a Partial Solar Eclipse opus 341

The early morning sunlight gently flooded my savannah-surrounded pond.
Many native shrubs, planted three decades ago,
Flaunt their ornamental red clusters of mature berries.
Suddenly a rapidly flying cloud crosses the area, then back again--
Rapid movement of a hundred wings,
Completely coordinating the mass of airborne bodies;
Flashes of light-toned feathers, juxtaposed with soft tan;
The flock reels and twists in difficult gyrations.
Suddenly a meeting of two California natives--bird and plant.
The swarm quickly lands, covering the ornamented shrub,
Quickly devouring the coveted energy-filled fruits.
Then just as quickly, the mass of fluttering wings
Rises up as an elevating cloud and flashes onward.

There will be in an hour or so a much anticipated solar eclipse,
But what just occurred outside my window
Is just as wondrous, manifesting yet another natural phenomenon.
May we all remember that minor 'miracles' appear often right beside us,
And that we must learn to marvel at the huge as well as the miniscule.
In my case here, it was the blending of two native beings--
One, the plant, the Toyon ornamented with nutritious fruits,
And the other, our wonderful, attractive and vivacious, Cedar Waxwing.

'The Seasons of Man' opus 345

Humans have various important times during their lives--
The so-called 'Seasons of Man'.
While observing my seed-laden bird feeder,
I have noticed that the myriad of sparrows
During the winter months have declined drastically,
Now that it is almost May. Why?
Contemplating the seasonal food intake of sparrows,
I realized that not only are the natural seed sources now extant,
But that the new voracious nest-bound offspring
Demonstrate the need in their young lives
To have huge amounts of pure protein for growth.
The adult need for seed intake now requires protein-laden insects!
The behaviour of seed gathering
Is dominated by insect hunting for the young.

There are several examples of specific food needs throughout life.
One is the vegetarian frog tadpole
Metamorphosing to the insectivorous-carnivore adult.
Mammals also switch from high nourishment milk
To a carnivorous, vegetarian or omnivorous life.
But, through natural selection, most European humans, especially,
Have managed to continue consuming milk in their 'adult stage'.
We are all familiar with the lactose intolerant individuals
Who, because of the adult, milk consuming culture,
Must have a lactose-free 'milk' to continue imbibing with their fellows!

Two Very Sexy Geese opus 351

I have viewed this afternoon on my little farm pond,
A pair of Canada Geese swimming quietly together.
As I watched (1500 Hours), the two began
Dipping heads and imbibing in unison.
The mirrored movements became ever more rapid,
When suddenly the male gently slid over the back of the female,
Holding her head under water as he mated.
Just as quickly, he slid off but was still hooked
With his intromittent organ.
They swam awkwardly in parallel until he became unattached.
Then as if they were two human lovers, lighting up,
They, in unison, began (1515 Hours) fierce self preening manipulations.
Bills dug into plumage, over and over again,
Followed together by more head dipping,
Wing flapping, and bathing--full body.
At this moment (1525 Hours) a lone male Mallard swam from shore
Then suddenly plunged under water, surfacing twenty feet out,
Next to the pair
(Mallards are dabblers, not usually divers--most interesting behaviour.)
It started to preen and dip, mimicking the 'dance' nearby.
Astoundingly this went on for several minutes,
Then just as rapidly, the duck turned and swam to shore,
Continuing, in its seeming frenzy, to preen on ground.
The goose pair continued to mimic each other with diminishing movements.
The Mallard swam back out to mingle with the two,
Seeming to empathetically be 'joyful' in what had just occurred.
As things calmed down, I was again overwhelmed
That I had witnessed another creature, so very accurately,
Going through the same passions and behaviour
As if I had just viewed a sex film or had remembered
My own sexual behaviour with a mate of my own species!
Then, as if the phone had rung, drawing us back into the 'real' world,
The female goose began to softly cackle several times
Announcing that it was over and business awaits.
The two arose, splashingly, off the water, rose up and headed west
To the field next door, cackling exuberantly as they landed in the 'green graze',
Now ready, with contrasting behaviour, to pluck many blades of grass!

(It is noteworthy that the male Mallard through this whole episode
was totally alone--no female in sight.
An hour later his female returned--from foraging?--
and immediately the male became active around her--
swimming, preening and devoting attention to her!)

Bird Talk--Three Thousand Miles Apart opus 357

I was talking on the phone with my friend, Leland.
I was in California, but a former Easterner,
And he was in Pennsylvania, territory I knew well.
When I talk on the phone, I often attempt to visualize
Just what the speaker is doing or where heesh might be.
Leland was walking outdoors amongst his sights and sounds.
Suddenly, I interrupted to query, focusing on a prominent bird call.
Is that a Cardinal I asked? Leland doesn't know birds--let alone calls.
He walked towards the sound--a questionable brownish bird--a sparrow.
No. I urged him to explore further and suddenly
He described a flash of red--perhaps a robin?
Upon closer scrutiny, he declared--"No, all red!"
With that, he declared, "Right, a Cardinal!"
Fun to bird watch from sound only and thus be part of Leland's world.

My Chickens and Chez Panisse Restaurant opus 403

I started my polyculture 'Research Farm' in Davis, California, in 1978.
I had completed teaching and research
In Turkey; Lesotho, Africa; and Uppsala, Sweden.
I had no vehicle yet, so I bought delivered animals from newspaper ads.
After a year or two, I began raising white Cornish Cross chickens en masse.
(I also raised various ducks, turkeys, and Embden geese.)
With incubators and divided areas in my barn,
I started chicks, delivered through the Post Office,
(A practice started, I believe, by Benjamin Franklin, himself!)
In weekly groups of 100 day-olds.
For the chickens, my market was the famous
Chez Panisse Restaurant in Berkeley, California.
The owner, Alice Waters, had created 'California Cuisine',
Utilizing a restaurant garden just outside her back door.
As her restaurant grew, she sent out 'Foragers' to suss out product.

One day, such a Forager appeared on my farm.
He had heard about my poultry and asked for a 'sample'.
I gave him a bird to return to Berkeley to test it out.
A few weeks later, after I learned they had done blind tests
With Rocky-the-Range, a Pennsylvania product, and my bird,
They wished to buy my birds (50!) each week.
I agreed. We captured birds in darkness each Monday night--5 pounds live, only!
Tuesday morning I loaded up the caged birds at 5:30 AM and drove to Stockton.
There I unloaded the group, off to slaughter as they came out of the cages,
Chatted with the slaughterhouse owner concerning future loads,
And returned to my Davis farm (70 minutes) to commence the day's work.
This went on for about 20 years with my lazy white 'free range' birds,
When I learned of a red Cornish Cross (all were secret hybrids)
Which had been 'discovered' in Germany by a Canadian group.
There were finally two producers in California--one of which I chose.
I told the restaurant my plan, as I had discovered
That the red variety truly walked around in our summer heat.
They agreed and I changed over my whole flock,
Which took several weeks of raising up the new 'reds'.

Well, things went along for a few weeks with the new group,
When I suddenly received a call to come and talk.
The chefs found the meat of the reds was too firm!
They wanted the old 'whites' back again.
I was in a quandary, deciding what to do.
They were advertising a 'free range' product
And I knew that the reds were exactly that.
The meat was firmer, of course, because they ranged much more!
For me, it was an ethical question in advertising.
Even though it was very difficult for me business-wise,
I had no choice but to stop producing for Chez Panisse Restaurant.

A small business, especially farming,
Is always with a perpetual challenge to survive!

The Longevity Bottleneck Hypothesis opus 447

For a long time now, humans have sought a longer life span.
Some slow progress has been accomplished.
There may be, however, something in our deeper past
That has caused our lack of accumulated years.
The name for this has been dubbed the 'Longevity Bottleneck Hypothesis'.
Because dinosaurs found the newly evolved mammals to be quite tasty,
The predation on these small, fuzzy creatures gradually increased.
For more than 100 million years dinosaurs were the dominant predator,
While mammals were usually small, nocturnal, and short-lived.
Thus dinosaurs 'forced' mammals through predation to lose or inactivate
Genes and pathways associated with long life.
In other words, rapid reproduction was more adaptive for survival!
Remember, this is an hypothesis,
(A scientific theory has to be proven from many valid hypotheses),
So it is not accepted by all, but just like the efforts to reactivate the dinosaur tail
In a chicken, reactivation of our 'longevity genes' might result in a similar consequence:
Are we really accomplishing beneficial outcomes--creating little 'chicken dinosaurs',
Or perhaps worse, thousands of really old people who may lack productivity?

The White-crowned Sparrow opus 510

Beautiful White-crowned Sparrow, so plain--as a sparrow should be--
But with those black and white stripes on your crown,
The contrast constantly catches my eye and attention.
So little to attract a human's gaze--just the same as those lines
Attract a desirous female, which is what they are supposed to do!

The Buffleheads' Return opus 522

Such a simple source of joy--
After six years--a return to my pond
Of the elegant but small black and white
Diving duck, arriving momentarily on its
Southward migration from the Arctic north.
This perky, white-crowned creature of flight
Of course, could do nothing else
But create joy in the eye of the beholder.

Our Fellow Bird Vocalizations opus 524

How loud is the peacock's cry breaking the dawn.
The lark follows with melodious vocalizations.
The robin on the lawn, hunting for worms,
Flies to a tree and puffs out its flute-like territorial melody.
A background chiming is uttered by the Song Sparrow,
Followed by the mellow but penetrating
Organ pipes of the Wood Thrush;
As night falls, the longing cry of the Loon.
And in the moonlight, the Pygmy Owl lets out
Its soft, decreasing series of hoots.
A symphony for those who know,
And would appreciate, throughout the daily cycle.

Wings of Birds--Thoughts of a Modern Homo opus 550

I, as a child, and still today, am fascinated with bird wings.
Is the attraction the aerodynamic shape or color patterns,
Or just the mere fact that their proximity partially fulfills the desire to fly?
We Homo sapiens are not the only hominin so attracted.
In Neanderthal butchery sites, it appears bird's wings were treated specially,
With many avian bones bearing ornamental markings.
How wonderful it would be, going back in time,
To actually sit beside a Neanderthal carver,
Witnessing his or her methods,
While (possibly) conversing about the artistic significance.

Tariffs on Chicken Feet?? opus 560

At present, we are diving up and down economically,
As a result of the singular thinking of our second-time repeat leader.
Our farmers depend on a world trade which maintains stability.
Meddling too much in that agricultural trade-stability
Results in unstable pricing and loss of markets to other countries.
Well, ok, but how do chicken feet fit in to all this chaos?
Tariffs on chicken meat are clearly understood,
But with this meat are feet--attached thereto!
One country only, which consumes and adores these is China.
Even in our own country, chicken feet are slipped in via their restaurants.
Ironic, that our chief tariff competitor is China,
The very major consumer and importer of our chicken feet!

The White-crowned Sparrow--A Biannual Reminder in my Calendar (Dedicated to Melissa) opus 561

In my life of 83 years, I have always remarked about Spring and Autumn.
Tucked into that is another Spring-Fall phenomenon
And that is the annual movements of the White-crowned Sparrow.
For 47 years, I have lived with this wonderful bird in California,
Witnessing its East-West seasonal shifts, in and out of the Valley.
Today, we are still in April, and the marvelous companionship
With this species will be ending--it will make its return to the hills.
I must now wait until October to listen for
Its wondrous, teasing, raspy 'zwee-zwee-zwee' vocalization.
With its October return, its call will hit me from the ear to the heart.
I coexist and breathe the same juxtaposed air with my companion,
The White-crowned Sparrow.

Sounds for a Birder opus 562

The Neanderthal are gone by 40,000 years,
But there is still a link between us Moderns and the extinct ones--
The vocalizations of most of the birds we live with today.
As a population, the Neanderthal would have been far more aware
Of the varied, juxtaposed calls of their avian neighbors
Than Modern Homo would be in our present time.
These creatures were their alarm clock at sunrise,
Their lullaby in the Demerung (Twilight) as they attempted to sleep,
And their warning, denoting some occurrence
Of which they should be aware.
Birds were their constant companions, as well as their nourishment.
An intimate relationship with another creature for sure!

On Ornaments and Clothing, with Easter in Mind opus 568

Humans (Homo sapiens) are a naked ape with a flattened face.
This is the result of neoteny, an adult form, maintaining juvenile characters.
Humans have no natural pigments as with Mandrills.
We know that Neanderthals utilized some forms of decoration,
But humans have gone all out for bodily adornment--
Painted faces, use of feathers, jewelry, and regal robes.
It is Easter today, and outstanding clothing, including garish hats,
Are in great prominence during this one day of holiday time.
As one commentator stated, "To catch the eye of god" (and man and woman).
Human bodily decoration, be it jewels or cloth, are always prominent.
The garment industry makes millions and causes great waste,
As our decorations go out of fashion. Many garments just go to the dump.
One example is the killing of egrets for their plumes--
Almost to the complete decimation of that species.
(That is one reason why the Audubon Society was created, by women,
In order to raise awareness and create laws to save birds.)
We, as a 'decorating species', must now consider:
Fewer changes of clothing, purchasing good used garments,
Not always following mindless trends, and recycling clothing responsibility.
Read Thoreau's 'On Walden' focusing on 'On Clothing'.
I say no more.

Summer Splashes of Red opus 621

It is July and the White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows
Have long departed.
The feeders are empty and quiet after a winter's bustling.
Suddenly, there appeared a beautiful House Sparrow pair--
Sparrow-brown, but the male with splashes of red
On chest, neck, and crown of the head.
How joyous that little dinosaurs of another ilk
Have come to feed and amuse my eyes with their dancing!

Watching a Wild Turkey Harvest Seed opus 631

While working in my office, the center of my little universe,
A wild turkey was 'grazing' within sight.
It was working on grass seed from a two-foot-high plant.
As I observed, it was plucking seed from the tall grass,
One seed at a time--repeating this over and over,
When, suddenly, it grabbed the stalk in its bill
And pulled upwards, stripping many seeds at once!
This is how I, as a human, gather groups of seed with an upward pull.
I had never before seen this harvesting technique with a turkey.
I was quite thrilled. See how little things in the world get me so excited.

On the Wall opus 646

Young, early sun rays on the wall.
Sleepy eyes first opening to the day.
All is still, anticipating unfolding time.
Quick shadow flashes on the wall;
Just for a paused second--
Hummingbird hovering by the window.

Why do Female Mammals Live Longer than Males? opus 656

It is well known that women usually live longer than men.
But more than that, female mammals in general also do so.
The answer lies in deeply rooted evolutionary history.
Research has revealed that in mammals, 72% of females
Live on average 13% longer that males,
While studies on birds show the opposite;
That 68% of male birds outlive females by about 5 %.
Mammalian males are the heterogametic sex,
Having an X and Y chromosome,
While females have two X chromosomes,
Making females more protected from lethal mutations
And thus a survival advantage.
In birds the female is the heterogametic sex
And thus the male lives longer.
However, there are exceptions such as with birds of prey.
Females are larger and longer-lived than males,
Rendering chromosomes as only one factor.
Following from the facts above, polygamous,
Competing male mammals generally die earlier as well.
Monogamous male birds with lower competitive pressure
Often live longer.
Parental care by female mammals, raising young, tend to live longer.
Long-lived species such as primates see the female living longer.
These are adaptive for survival of those species.
Should male humans start thinking about marrying older women?
This would even out the widows who sit alone--unless they wish to!

White-crowneds Juxtaposed with the Great Horneds opus 658

October. The crying wheeze of the White-crowned Sparrow. 
They have returned from their East-West migration,
To delightfully and voraciously 'gourmand' from my hanging feeders:
The feeders of which have been basically vacant all summer,
Except for a family of House Finches weaning their young to seed,
Now that they are strong from their entomophagous first diet.
Soon will be November, accompanied with the short days of winter,
Bringing in a new sound of the courting Great Horned Owl pair.
They have sheltered in our huge non-native Eucalypts for decades,
And the regular call and response of the pair are heard throughout the night;
One series of hoots is lower than the higher alternating responder.
The female owl, as with all raptors, manifests a larger body than her male.
For a time, I mistakenly assumed she had the lower vocalization,
But with research, I found the opposite to be true.
How wonderful a concert--White-crowns all day and gentle hoots during the night.
These are sounds, having entertained ancient Natives, centuries before.
Yes, the same sounds we enjoy today, if we care to stop and listen.
Well, those 'same calls', given that, as with all language evolution,
We today might be hearing just a slight , indiscernible shift of a note or two!

{Deicated to Melissa, Her Uncle, and Her CHildhood with the White-crowned Sparrows.}

An Unexpected Attack opus 659

July. My grandson, Rowan (5 now), visited me on my farm for another adventure.
We were feeding the calf and the emu when suddenly,
Rowan discovered scattered, strikingly-colored black and white varied feathers.
He began collecting them as any 'nature-child' would do:
Many from the body, several from the tail, and one partial right wing,
Maintaining the first eleven primary flight feathers.
These were all the remains from a preyed-upon Redshouldered Hawk.
What on earth had attacked and killed such a top-of-the-chain raptor?
Rowan and I discussed together as a five-year-old and a grandfather might do.
We slowly agreed that the only possibility was another resident raptor--
Which could be only the summer-roosting Great Horned Owl !
What a perplexing possible event, leaving us both astonished--
Nature around us often comes up with the unexpected.

Pigeons. Also Called Rock Doves (Pigeons) or Feral Pigeons opus 675

I introduced racing pigeons to my little educational farm (1980's),
So I could demonstrate their remarkable homing abilities.
Andrew D. Blechman has written a book called 'Pigeons',
With a subtitle:  'The Fascinating Saga of the World's
Most Revered and Reviled Bird.'
The common pigeon is an Old World (Europe, Asia, N.Africa) species of bird.
It was introduced to the New World by European settlers 
In the 16th and 17th centuries.
Being called a Rock Dove defined its original roosting and nesting habitat as cliffs.
The great buildings of Europe and later the Americas,
Were the coveted new nesting places of this species, commensal with humans.
They were associated with humans for perhaps 10,000 years, 
And selectively bred from 4500 BC..
Rock Doves have four main plumage types: natural, checkered, dark, or brown.
They were trained and utilized by the ancient world for communication,
And especially for vital messaging between warring parties.
They were used by Hannibal.s military; by Ghengis Khan in his vast empire;
The Egyptian pharaohs announced the Nile's annual flooding;
The Persians used them to maintain control over their great empire;
And, of course, they were vital during both WWI and WWII.
Pigeon racing has been practiced since the 19th century in Belgium.
Of course, as with most creatures domesticated by humans,
They were selected for large, edible carcasses (the King Pigeons). 
The King originated in the US, during the 1890's, crossing four older varieties:
The Duchess for grace, the Homer for alertness, the Maltese for style (and compactness),
And the Runt for body and size.

This is a creature which has shared life with humans, 'almost forever',
And as a result, has been genetically altered for many human-determined tasks,
Including the 'task' of eliciting just plain pleasure from its commensal partner.
Also, don't forget the publication in 1859 and Darwin's use of pigeon breeding,
To demonstrate, abstracted from human animal breeding systems,
The selective breeding system in Nature which 'created' the various species.

My First Photo, Featuring a Flicker opus 706

I was 8 and had hung my first bird feeder,
Created from a Christmas tree stump with drilled holes,
Stuffed with a peanut butter-seed mix.
I had become very interested in our (New England) birds.
I also had a feeling I would be good at photography,
Watching my father with his old (then new) Argus camera.
Birds began feeding, especially the Flicker, 
Which greatly attracted me.
One Sunday morning while at breakfast,
As that Flicker was clinging there on the stump,
I shyly asked my father if I might borrow his camera
And somehow attempt a photo--somehow.
I had never ever snuck up on a bird with a camera.
(Remember, telephotos were rare for 'commoners' back then.)
He said yes, reviewed the operating instructions,
And off I went, out the door into the snow,
Being as 'invisible' as I was able.
I crossed the driveway and started up the side bank.
My untrained, young mind said I had gone far enough.
I raised the camera and snapped twice.
The bird miraculously remained undisturbed--
Either because of my 'great approaching skills',
Or that bird was just plain hungry!
The film was developed, and a week(!) later,
Surprised us all, delightfully, with my first bird photos--
In fact, with my first photos of any sort.
I was hooked and many more photos 
Continued on from there throughout my life.

Invaders!? opus 715

Today, 24 December 2025, after decades 
Of having bird feeders on my farm,
Two male House Sparrows came, for the first time, 
To feed with my other native sparrows.
As a biologist, so many thoughts and emotions went through me--
Non-native introductions, non-native competition,
Which ravage our state (and the world).
The ever-changing world through a biologist's eyes;
Visions of a hundred years from today and its then, reality.
New dynamics are ever-looming, most out of my control.

The Christmas Bird Count (A Christmas Remembrance) opus 717

The US Audubon Society, this year, 126 years ago, 
Began the Christmas Bird Count.
The winter season was chosen to count bird populations,
Which are settled in for the winter, and more accurately counted.
These 'amateur' data gathering efforts aid scientific understanding 
Of bird population dynamics.  
As a child, birds were a major group on which I focussed.
Starting with many avian observations in my home yard,
I grew restless to explore beyond my half acre homestead.
I learned about the Audubon Christmas Bird Count 
And gained permission from my parents to join a count,
Which unfolded for me on the Massachusetts coast.
Sea birds were all unfamiliar to me and I drank in all the new species.
Many years later, I began the count on the Quail Ridge Reserve,
Which Nora and I labored so diligently to create and see flourish.
On pondering this wonderful past, I began to calculate
That, now being 84, and having joined my first Count at about 12,
(Before the halfway mark of its existence!)--
A bit of a shock, and then pride welled within me
To realize I had been participating in such an historical flow of events.

The Airborne Turkeys opus 740

Wing beats, displacing the air.
My cohabiting wild turkeys
Are dispersing one by one
To their high roosting tree branches.
As they raise themselves into the air,
Powerful wing beats pull their bodies upward.
They rise over my narcissus flower beds
And, as they do so, displace air downward,
Inviting the white blossoms below
To momentarily dance in unison,
Delighting my eyes and my living core.

New Avian Competition on My Feeder opus 756

I have inhabited my small farm in Davis, California,
Living, teaching, and farming since 1978.
Over the years, I have maintained various bird feeders.
In all those years, I have never seen a non-native sparrow,
Rather, only two native sparrow species, 
The White-crowned and Golden-crowned individuals.
This year (2026) in January, I was shocked by 
Observing two House Sparrows on the feeder.
This species is known for its aggressiveness.
Watching carefully, I calculated how often the House Sparrow
Displaced the other two species off the perches.
The House Sparrow most often succeeded.
Then, when the seed level got very low, barely reachable,
The House Sparrow, yet more rigorously, maintained the perch position.
This seems to be because at the end of the seed supply,
It must be defended more vigorously.
Moreover, the House Sparrow strongly defended its position 
Because of its bill size,
Which was heavier and slightly longer than that of the other two species,
Thus, it more easily reaches the remaining seed.
(This non-native species is also reported displacing others for nesting sites.)

It was instructive to document this aggressiveness close up,
And not just receive reports of this type of behavior.
Now I need to observe everything much more accurately!