365Caws is now in its 16th year of publication. If I am unable to post daily, I hope readers who love the natural world and fiberarts will seize those days to read the older material. Remember that this has been my journey as well, so you may find errors in my identifications of plants. I have tried to correct them as I discover them. Likewise, I have refined fiberarts techniques and have adjusted recipes, so search by tags to find the most current information. And thank you for following me!
Monday, April 24, 2017
Spring Beaks
Day 193: One of the happiest moments in my year is when I hear the first "Churp?" of an Evening Grosbeak at the feeder. From that point on, I wait anxiously for the arrival of the flock and the time when the querulous "churping" of porch-parrots outside the window becomes almost constant. Yes, they have arrived and are consuming black-oil sunflower seeds as fast as those great green beaks can crack the shells.
During breeding season (i.e., spring), the beaks of both males and females turn a bright chartreuse. In courting his lady-of-the-moment, the male (right) effects a bobbing dance, sometimes fluttering the wings like a juvenile bird soliciting food. Nest-building is done largely by the female (left) who selects a site in the fork of a branch. Locally, the preferred nest-tree is Douglas Fir, although these birds nest may nest in deciduous trees as well. The female will produce 2-5 eggs (generally 3-4). Incubation is done solely by the female; the male will bring her food. Both parents tend the young who will be ready to fly about two weeks from hatching. During the months they are here, I keep a steady supply of sunflower seed in the feeders to assure the return of the flock next year.
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