There’s a construction project near you, an avian flurry of activity to build a nursery, backing and forthing with a blade of grass, a twig the right length and shape, a bit of lichen, some moss, a ribbon to add an artistic touch, maybe a gum wrapper, animal fur, even old feathers.
Nest-builders don’t have to be a feathered Frank Lloyd Wright. Anything that helps to contain the eggs, protects from the elements, and camouflages enough to create protection from most predators will work.
Unless you’re a minimalist peregrine falcon, happy to leave the eggs on a ledge on a cliff — or a skyscraper.
Lowell resident Sharon Nelson can testify to avian creativity. A robin’s nest was embedded into a stepladder. Once the basic structure was built, “she started to gather dried magnolia leaves and put them around it, like a ruffle!”
The shape varies with the species: burrow (kingfishers), cavity (woodpeckers), cup (robins), pouch (Baltimore orioles), platform (ospreys), scrape (killdeers) and dome-shaped (winter wren).
Some birds aren’t into construction. The brown-headed cowbird lays its eggs in a suitably sized nest and leaves another mother to handle the duties.
In a recent study, researchers found that cowbirds aren’t total deadbeats. There’s indication that the cowbird pays close attention to how successfully her chicks are raised to the point of returning to lay eggs in the most successful host nests, avoiding those that have failed.
If you see a bird nest, whether it’s under construction or carrying eggs or chicks, keep away. How would you like it if someone peered into your window while you’re rocking your baby? If you need a close-up, grab your binoculars.
New online system. Olympic National Park Wilderness Information Center opened its new online reservation system through recreation.gov. Backpackers can check the availability of sites in real time, plan their trip and receive immediate confirmation.
But don’t wait until the last minute. It will take a bit to become familiar with the site, or so I am told.
Reservations are strongly encouraged when planning trips that include one or more nights to quota areas and group sites, which include Ozette Coast (Yellow Banks to Point of the Arches), Royal Basin/Royal Lake, Lake Constance, Upper Lena Lake, Flapjack Lakes (including Gladys Divide), Grand Valley and Badger Valley, Sol Duc/Seven Lakes Basin, Hoh Lake and CB Flats, Hoh River Trail group sites, and Upper Hoh River Trail sites (Elk Lake, Glacier Meadows, Martin Creek).
The fee for online, phone, or in-person reservations will be $6 in addition to the regular permit fees. Wilderness fees are $8 per person, per night for individuals 16 or older. Annual wilderness passes are $45 per person, which covers regular permit fees for the pass holder.
For more information about wilderness permits and backpacking in Olympic National Park, visit the park website, www.nps.gov/olym.
Quick, before it’s too late. Several classes at the North Cascades Institute are full or almost full, so head for ncascades.org. For instance, “Exploring Yellow and Jones Island on the Orion” is already full.
Opportunities include exploring lichen, field journaling, spring birding, geology of Mount Baker’s Easton glacier, wildflowers and night photography. For more information, call 360-854-2599 or email info@ncascades.org.
Predator and prey. Food might be more important than fear, according to a report in the March issue of the journal Ecology. University of Wyoming researchers have found that driven by the need for food, moose in the western part of the state are less likely to change their behavior to avoid wolves as winter progresses and the food supply shrinks.
The results also highlight the complexity of the relationships between wolves and big-game species, making it difficult to reach general conclusions about whether and how fear of wolves has impacted the ecosystem, the researchers say.
Columnist Sharon Wootton can be reached at 360-468-3964 or songandword@rockisland.com.
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