Rechargable Batteries & the Awareness of Little Things

This blog entry is about batteries… yes, it is a bit off-topic regarding birds. I am very excited to share with you handfuls of ideas on how to make more ecologically-sound decisions in your lifestyle, and to become more aware of overall resource consumption (which in turn, can help wildlife in the long run... including cute little Boreal Chickadees mentioned in past blogs)! The first topic I thought I’d write about is a simple, yet thought-out purchase of batteries. Take a look around your house... are there any batteries being used nearby?

I was in need of some batteries today. Due to having a wireless mouse for my computer (it’s a low-energy-consuming mouse)... a small set of batteries was on my list of things to get today. I try to minimize my need for batteries on a regular basis. As with most people nowadays, one of the most regularly used batteries is a heavy and bulky car battery, and my other battery needs are for my camera - for all of the bird photography I do, and for my wireless computer mouse. From the get-go, if you can walk the distance to where you need to go (within reason), why not walk instead of drive? Riding the bike, rollerblading, and many other options are available too, depending on the season of course. I have walked the 20 minute walk to the grocery store from my house many times when the temperatures were just above/below 0F this winter. You bundle up, you experience the refreshing cold, and you get a work out - it's a win-win situation right there :-)

I had a few other things to get done in town today, and while shopping around came across the wide selection of vividly-colored battery packages. Without question, I didn’t even bother to consider some of the standard, non-rechargeable batteries. One brand of non-rechargeable batteries were even on sale, but the thought of disposing batteries after a one-time use is out of the picture. Two brands were left for rechargeable that the store had in stock (the off-brand rechargeable weren’t in stock). Energizer and Duracell. I was unaware of any ecologically-supportive actions/contributions that either of these companies made, and wanted to read some of the fine print on the back of each package, just in case…

As I held each of the 4-pack containers of AA batteries, I noticed that the Duracell package was almost entirely plastic, with a thin strip of paper just dazzled to no end, to get buyer’s attention. Although nearly the same size as the Duracell package, the Energizer package was mainly paper-based, with a small “compartment” of plastic just large enough to contain the batteries within the paper housing. You might be thinking “where in the heck is Erik going with this?? It’s a little bit of easily-disposable packaging, that takes up the same size for each of the batteries he is considering; plus, it's barely anything.”

That’s true; each container was about the same size. Here’s the kicker :) The Duracell packaging is almost entirely plastic… which is derived from crude oil… which increases our need for off-shore oil drilling, “harvesting” the oil sands in Canada, and demanding more oil from other sources located throughout the world. The little bit of paper in this packaging didn’t mention anything about origins of the paper, or harvesting practices that were taken place in order to produce this little piece of paper. As a whole, the Duracell batteries seemed like most other high-tech products nowadays... sealed in thick layers of fused plastic.

The Energizer package, with nearly-identical product size, had significantly less plastic used. There was just enough plastic to contain the batteries, and hold them together within the paper housing. On the backside of was the SFI logo (Sustainable Forestry Initiative, note in the lower right corner on the back of the packaging). This label ensures that the paper/pulp harvested for making this product was done so in a sustainable manner, and was not harvested from “controversial sources.” There is no perfect world for large-scale harvesting of forests; however it is these organizations and certifications that help ensure we will not instantaneously deplete our forests due to the high-demand for paper. Last spring and summer, I worked on the logging roads, doing bird surveys within the mountainous “tree farms,” as they are known as. Although it would be wonderful to see the large sections of land just left alone, it was very reassuring to see how well the long-term use of forested lands were harvested, then planted, grown, and as a whole, protected.

The link below will take you to more information regarding SFI:

http://www.sfiprogram.org/

Going back to the Duracell vs. Energizer packaging – I am not implying that Energizer is an incredibly “green” company, however during my purchase today, I feel that I made the most ecologically-minded purchase between these two options. The small, un-numbered pieces of plastic in both battery packages cannot be recycled, however the paper can! These four batteries that I purchased today can be charged up to 250 times! Recyclable batteries pay for themselves, especially for people who happen to use batteries on a more frequent basis. Recycling smaller batteries is quite rare, but is slowly becoming more common, mostly in more heavily-populated areas of where we live. If you can reuse/recharge goods, you'll minimize your impact on how much waste is created in the long run!

Sometimes it’s the small things, and the food-for-thought moments, that can lead to a life of raised awareness about what we consume, what we need, and even when considering money; which companies we choose to support via our purchases. Just something to think about until next time! Speaking of which, can you find the deep-in-thought Boreal Chickadee in this photo?

Good birdwatching, and thanks for reading!

Erik

Tail-propping Chickadees in the Winter

It was a brisk, February morning here in Duluth, MN... about 3 days ago actually. I decided to go birdwatching over in Wisconsin and see what winter-dwelling gulls were around. While I was at Wisconsin Point, right along Lake Superior, a group of high-strung Black-capped Chickadees made an appearance, flitting about from seed cluster to seed cluster, just inches above the ground. The wind-chill that morning was dipping down to the -25F to -30F range with the occasional gusts. To say it was humbling to see these little troopers out in the cold was an understatement! They manage to survive these harsh elements, staying warm only by eating, creating warmth as a by-product, and having a fluffy layer of insulation surrounding the outermost entirety.

Upon further viewing of this little flock of 8 chickadees, I noticed that many of them were feeding with the support of their tails touching the ground, almost in a woodpecker-like fashion. The chickadees would cling to the stems/stalks of the grass, pull their legs in (likely to retain heat), and use their tails as a crutch, or brace, to keep them upright as they picked through the bent-over seed pods. This is a behavior that I have never heard of with chickadees, or any birds for that matter. Woodpeckers regularly exhibit a behavior very similar to this, where the birds use the tail as a brace, or support, to keep themselves pressed up against the trees. When they move up the trees, they actually open their feet up to let go of the tree for a split-second, and then pump themselves up the tree with the stiff-shafted tail feathers. Going back to the chickadees, it was sure neat to see these little birds behave in such a manner! Just before writing this, I did a little bit of research to find out if there were any other documented sightings/recorded observations of chickadees tail-propping themselves, and was unable to find any accounts. Have any of you ever seen this?

It is so incredible to see birds coping with the harsh conditions, especially this time of year. Their insulating capabilities are amazing. Especially up here in the Northwoods; having temperatures dip down to the -20's and even -30's some winter nights is expected. On some brisk days in February, the temperature might not peak above -10ºF during the middle of the day! These birds, both big and small, do not have an option, but use their bodies and physiological adaptations to bear through these cold times of the year.Some people may think it's odd when I mention "humbling" as a way of describing my feelings towards birds. The more I learn about birds, the more I am humbled by the lives they lead, and the difficulties they regularly face on a daily basis, and the feats they regularly complete. They don't have groceries stores to shop for a well-balanced diet, they don't have furnaces that create artificial sources of heat, and the idea of having health insurance is not a consideration (nor do I have health insurance either) :-)

It's not just a "something" about birds, its the everything about birds that is amazing, and I'm looking forward to sharing these humbling experiences with you, fellow blog readers!

Thanks for reading my blog!

Good birdwatching,

Erik

Photos of birds in Sax-Zim Bog

Here are a few non-owl photos from the past week while visiting the bog. I hope you enjoy the photos, and in a few moments will share a blog post on the life of a Northern Hawk Owl.

Cheers!
Erik





Hairy Woodpecker











Ruffed Grouse









Sharp-tailed Grouse (very first bird-in-the-bog seen on Saturday's tour! Two were seen together in a large field!)











Boreal Chickadee

Experiencing the life of a Northern Hawk Owl

Over the past week, I've visited Sax-Zim Bog on two separate occasions. The first visit was with a friend from Hawk Ridge. We saw some wonderful birds, including a Northern Hawk Owl and a Great Gray Owl, all in the same day! The second visit to the bog was showing 5 friends around on a guided tour, and although we didn't see a Great Gray Owl, we saw nearly every other bird that can be seen in the bog! If that doesn't get the heart racing... I don't know what does!

Owls are unique and beautiful in their own way, but seeing them, in their preferred habitat is so cool! The Great Gray Owl and Northern Hawk Owl are both habitat specialists. A habitat specialist is a species that is found in a single/small variety of habit types. Northern Hawk Owls are typically a Canadian Boreal Forest species. Lucking for any nature-lover in northern Minnesota, there is a small stretch of Boreal Forest that stretches from Canada southward, along the North Shore of Lake Superior. Northeastern Minnesota is one of the few places in the entire lower 48 states to see Northern Hawk Owls!! Great Gray Owls love the Boreal Bogs, however they can also be found in mixed dense forests (thick deciduous over there.... coniferous over there... mixing in the middle) - yeah, that's what makes their home, their home. The most reliable spot to find these two owl species would be to visit a bog, and that's what Sax-Zim Bog consists of. A Beautiful Black Spruce Bog.

There is something about being there in the moment with these beautiful owls. To give you a feel of what it was like observing the Northern Hawk Owl, imagine looking at the owl shown in the adjacent photo. The falcon-shaped body and bull-headed owl turns to you... The beautiful yellow eyes produce a deep and almost trance-like gaze. The yellow bill is well insulated, tucked in the thin bristles around the bill (most birds have what are called rictal bristles, which are stiff "hairs" that line the outer edge of bill). The beautiful rusty-colored barring just glows against the contrasting head of the owl, which is covered by an elaborate helmet of black, white and subtle grays, and is even finer-detailed in white speckles. Now imagine this owl staring at you, then turning away in a quick and abrupt fashion. Movements with owls are quick and brief. Drawn-out movements can will only advertise the owls' presence. It doesn't take an owl to know that being mobbed by crows is unpleasant.

The owl stares at the snow in the other direction, away from you. It rocks back and forth, doing a little dance of shifting feet on the branch as the wind gusts test the owls' balance atop the branches. Northern Hawk Owls have well-insulated feet, to keep the feet warm during those harsh winter months which they experience every winter of their life. Quickly, the owl's attention is focused towards a slightly different spot in the snow... It triangulates (I will get back to the owl story in a moment)...

Triangulates? What the heck is that? The owl is actually hearing in 3-D! Here is how it works; Unlike humans, and most other living creatures that can hear, the owls have a unique ear setup (the ears are actually offset in non-symmetrical places on the sides of the head). It's a subtle difference, but by having one ear placed on the upper side of the head, and the other ear being lower on the opposing side, the ears will hear sounds at slightly different times. By having two ears independently located in different locations, the sounds that the bird hears will reach each ear at an ever-so-slightly moment. As a result of this, the owl not only hears how loud or soft something is, but also "hears" distance and depth. Here are two little tests that that you can do to see what I am talking about with the owls' unique senses.

Look at something complex in your house, maybe a cluttered desk, or a freshly-set dinner table, or maybe some birdfeeders out the back windows. Notice how you can see the far and close items, and get a sense of depth. Then, close one eye, keep looking at the same items, and notice how you cannot get that same depth perception. Your brain is only connecting a one-plane view to your eye, and that's what makes the view seem flat. Having two eyes open allow your brain to combine two angles into one "observed image," which produces the depth in what you see. The owl's ears work in a similar way with deciphering distance and depth. But, there's more that you have to do, in order to get a feel for what the owls hear!

Listen to some music, walk to the other side of the room that the music is playing in, and close your eyes. Relax. Cover one of your ears with your hand... wait a few moments, and try your best to point where the music is coming from. Tricky, huh? Your are hearing in a one-plane atmosphere. Now, take the one hand off your covered ear (eyes closed. no peeking)! Notice how right away, you get a sense of direction that the music is coming from? Now, even though this is beyond human, imagine combining the depth-deciphering abilities of two open eyes, with the direction-deciphering sound-listening abilities of two open ears, and make that an all-in-one sense of hearing. As humans, we don't hear in this complex manner, but this specialized sense allows owls to "see" under the snow, with their ears. :-) They can hear the little rodents running under the snow, and figure out exactly where the mouse is!



Triangulating is when the owls rocks the head back and forth, staring at once spot, to get a feel for "ok, with my head being here, the sound is that far. Now, with my head being a few inches over, the little critter is exactly there, under the snow." Now back to experiencing the Northern Hawk Owl...

So the owl triangulates, crouches, then freezes..... stands up again, crouches, and stares. The wind blows, but the owl is unaffected. Cars may drive by, and the owl is unaffected. Hyperfocusing has taken place, and the owl gets ready for an all-out hunt! It pounces off of its perch, wing are closed for a moment, momentarily looking like a feathered bulled. The wings flap once, twice, and the stealth-bomber wing formation takes place. The swift and near-silent owl hits the snow; then silence.

Immediately after piercing the layer of snow, the owl provides a complimentary talon-massage for the rodent. Birds of prey kill their prey using only their talons. A bill is never used to kill a live animal, as it is much safer to do damage at a distance (with long legs), than for the owl to risk potentially lose an eye, fracture a bill, etc. The owl flies up to the nearest snag, to enjoy a well-earned meal.

Good birdwatching,
Erik

Here is a neat sequence of photos played quickly to show what the lifestyle is like of the beautiful and petite Burrowing Owl. For as unique as these prairie-dwelling owls are, they are quite secretive, yet are always keeping a look out for predators!

Burrowing Owls from Mac Stone on Vimeo.

Hawk travels 1,500 miles by train

Here is a remarkable story that was just shown on TV recently, about a Ferruginous Hawk that was hit by a train, "traveled" 1,500 miles on the front end of the train, and ended up in wonderful & caring hands of wildlife rehabilitation experts in Chicago, at the Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation center. Amazing story, and even more touching is the sheer size and beauty of Ferruginous Hawks!



This link below will take you to the Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation Center:
http://www.flintcreekwildlife.org/