A   SHINING LIGHT

Naomi Hartzler was a shining light in my life and all others who had the privilege of knowing her. Her smile lit up a room and she was always optimistic and thinking of others.  My Brother Bob described her as "a kind, gentle person".  From the time I first met her in the Summer of 1946 until now, I loved her and considered her an important part of my family. On Friday December 18 I received an email from Sanford King (a relative) informing us that she had passed away. She was 94.

Recently, I decided to call family and friends. Naomi was the first person on my list. I called her at the Valley View nursing home in Belleville where she lived as a resident on Wednesday December 9. She answered with her cell phone  and said she was in "rehab". She seems surprised and happy with my call. She proceeded to explain to me why she was not in her room. She had gotten up from her bed to go to the bathroom, felt dizzy and fell. She said "I have some bruises but will be ok". I said I hoped she would get  better soon.  She did not sound sick.  Our conversation was short, but seemed normal.  

Friday evening after I received his e-mail, I spoke to Sanford on the phone.   According to him, she had fallen in her terrace room on Sunday 12/6.  On Monday 12/7 she was tested for COVID-19, her test came back positive and she  was placed in the area of Valley View set aside for covid patients.  Her "rehab" was really the covid unit.  Sanford's wife who spoke to her regularly, said she reported on my phone call to her with "You won't believe who called me---Dick Brown". Sanford reported that she grew weak and tired but did not really start to deteriorate until about 48 hours before her death. He said her voice was weak and she developed pneumonia.

 

Naomi Hartzler joined the Porter and Marian Brown family in the summer of 1946.  I was six years old. My mother had become ill for reasons I did not understand, but I knew were serious because she was bedridden and very weak.  I remember seeing her in bed in the "good" room which was not normal.  This bedroom in our home was always reserved for guests who came to visit. Only much later would I learn that my mother's illness was actually a miscarriage. A clue came in a letter to my mother written by Nellie Metz Strayer at  the time of her experience.

Somehow my Dad heard about Naomi and hired her to work for us in the summer of 1946.  This was always a very busy time with canning, freezing, gardening and lots of work to do. She quickly learned what needed to be done and for a time ran the household under my mother's direction. Mom  eventually was strong enough to move about the house and help Naomi with the work.  As time wore on and my mother regained her strength, she assumed full control and Naomi became more of an assistant doing the gardening and yard work as well as the normal household duties.  She remembered getting ready for silo filling when family and neighbors came to cut, haul and blow the corn into the silo for winter cattle food. She remembered it as a very busy time with lots of baking and other food preparation. 

Naomi spent most of the Fall working for my mother. My Dad picked her up Sunday evening, she lived and worked at our place until Friday evening when he would take her home to Allensville.  She lived in an apartment above Updegrove's General Store with her mother and Grandmother. I remember the stair as being long and steep.

When Naomi retired  she  and her sister bought a cottage at Valley View.  Her sister moved into he nursing home section, so Naomi had the house to herself.  Over the years when I would go to Big Valley, I made it a point to stop and visit for a time. She was always glad to see me and shared her memories  and stories of her time with us.

She recalled my brother Bob, age three or so, standing at the doorway and asking "Nomi I want a peanut butter sandwich".

He would play outside, his feet would be dirty and if he came in with dirt on his feet he probably got yelled at, so he would balance himself on the door step and call in.  Naomi thought this was really funny. The first year, I believe she worked at our place until the holidays.

Naomi did not drive, so my folks decided she should learn how to drive a car. At the time we had a black 1940 Ford that my parents purchased before WWII. It had a gear shift  in the floor and was not easy to operate.  One day my Mother decided to give Naomi some driving lessons.  It did not go well---using a clutch, a brake and an accelerator did not come naturally to her.  After some jerky movements and "bunny hopping" Bob and I, who were sitting in the back seat started screaming:  We're all going to die". She never forgot the experience. 

Eventually she got the technique of driving to the point where she could take her driving test.  My Dad took her to Huntingdon for her test---she failed.  She had three learning permits and on the the third try she passed. Dad decided to let her drive home. He suggested that they stop and get the mail.  Our mailbox was positioned with several others in front of the Roxbury School. She drove up to get the mail and proceeded to mow them  all down. She was mortified. She eventually did buy a car and as far as I know she never had any other issues with driving. 

As far as I can remember Naomi worked for my Mother in the summer  in 1947 and again 1948 when my brother Fred was born. One thing I remember during that time was going to Bible School at the Mennonite Church Naomi attended.  It was interesting to see the men sit on one side of the church and the women and children on the other.

The last time Naomi worked for my folks was in January 1949 when my Dad and Mother went to Florida to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. My grandparents Fred and Margaret Brown went along.  They stayed about 2 weeks. Bob and I stayed with Aunt Anna Brown in our Grandparents house in Airy Dale. Naomi kept house and took care of  baby Fred.  Dad hired a local farmer to come each day to milk the cows and do the barn work.When they returned Grandma Margaret came home but Grandpa Fred stayed in Florida  and returned when the weather warmed.

Over the years Naomi continued to interact with us.  She came to our family gatherings, funerals and in recent years she joined us at the Metz Family Reunion.  She will be missed

BABY BIRDS HATCHING, AN AMOROUS PORCUPINE, AN ORANGE SQUIRREL AND MAMMA HAWK

BLUEBIRDS HATCHING

On Friday (4/28) I returned to my old home in Big Valley.  I stayed in Bob's House. This visit was a somber occasion to celebrate the life of one of my relatives who had recently passed away, after reaching 100 years of age. 

After the Saturday funeral I visited with Amish friends. They have a beautiful home with a Purple Martin house  and a least one Bluebird nest box. While we were sitting on their porch, four adult martins buzzed the house and seemed to be checking it out by landing and looking in the holes. Jonas said "Today was the first time we have seen so many of them". He and his wife Sara have retired from farming and enjoy their place and the many birds that visit. Sara has been known to use a 22 rifle to shoot starlings that bother the martins. The nest box had a Bluebird nest with one egg in it.

One of the reasons I go to Big Valley is to see how the local populations of Tree Swallows and Bluebirds are doing.  I have been putting up boxes for a long time and I try to check them when I am able. This time (4/28---5/1) I found at least 10 pair of Bluebirds, 4 pair of Tree Swallows and one box being used by a House Wren. Bluebirds start nesting in early April, while Tree Swallows start about May first. At least 2 sites had newly hatched baby Bluebirds and 2 sites had Tree Swallow eggs. The subsequent cold, wet weather since my visit may have been bad news for the newly hatched chicks.  They rarely survive such conditions.

TREE SWALLOW NEST WITH 5 EGGS

At about 2:30 am Sunday (4/30) morning my brother Bob was awakened by a loud sound coming from outside the house.  He described the sound as a "very loud guttural scream" followed by "soft cooing".  The call continued for some time, so he found a light and proceeded to go outside in his night clothes to see what was making these very unusual  sounds. He was able  to determine that the sound was coming from up in a tree, so he shined the light to the spot and there was a porcupine sitting on a branch. Suddenly, he heard a rustling in the leaves nearby and discovered another porcupine. Once it saw Bob, it quickly turned away and left. A great image---a grown man in his underwear in the middle of the night staring down an amorous porcupine. Much to my dismay, they did not return Sunday night for a repeat performance.

On a previous visit (4/13) I discovered a large nest in a tree near Bob's house. I could not really see much with binoculars, but with my spotting scope I was able to identify a female Red-Tailed Hawk sitting on eggs.  She would sit still for long periods of time and then suddenly stand up, shake herself and then settle down on the eggs once more. 

RED-TAILED HAWK STANDING ON EDGE OF NEST

Sunday (4/30) morning I set up my scope  to view the nest and she was still there sitting on the eggs.  New leaves  partially obstructed my view, but I could clearly see her head, wings, and red tail. During this time she did not move. Later in the day, I returned to look at the nest and just a few minutes later she flew from the nest. Wow, now what? About 10 minutes later she returned, sat on the edge of the nest, looked down and seemed to be pondering what she saw.  She leaned into the nest and dipped her head as if in a feeding action several times.  A short time later she left.  

Monday (5/1) I checked back and she was again sitting on the nest in her incubation position. Question? It was obvious that at least one chick had hatched, but her continued sitting on the nest would suggest that there must be eggs still in the nest. Eggs are usually laid at two day intervals, so they often do not hatch at exactly the same time.  As I was watching the nest I wondered where the male was and then I heard KREEEEEEEEE. I looked in the directions of the call and sure enough there he was in a tree about 300 yards from the nest. As I watched he flew out of sight.

FOX SQUIRREL

As I was eating breakfast Monday morning, Bob remarked "There is a Fox Squirrel chewing on the wood of my shed".
I had not seen one of these orange-gray squirrels in years, so I rushed to the window to get a good view.  This fellow, for what ever reason, came right up to the house, climbed up a small maple tree and from about 15 feet away looked at me through the kitchen window. This larger relative of the Gray Squirrel is an absolutely beautiful animal and to see it so close was a real thrill.

Needless to say, my recent visit to Big Valley was really interesting.

   

MY SPECTACULAR BIG VALLEY VISIT

MY SPECTACULAR  BIG VALLEY VISIT

I grew up on a dairy farm in Big Valley in South-central Pennsylvania. This place sometimes goes by its Indian name of Kishacoquillas Valley. It is a V-shaped  limestone  valley with sandstone mountains on either side forming the sides of the V.  It is about 5 miles wide at the northeast near Reedsville,  Pa  and about a mile wide  as it trends to the southwest at Airy Dale. It was settled In the late 18th century by Mennonite, Amish and Scottish (sometimes referred  to as Scots-Irish) farmers. The descendants of these ethnic groups still live in the valley today.  It is one of the most productive agricultural areas in Pennsylvania and is surpassed only by Lancaster County in the southeastern part of the state.

My name is Richard Metz Brown so I am a hybrid of the German Metz Lutherans and Scottish Brown Presbyterians.  The Browns moved to the Valley in 1790 and settled on a property at the very SW end, near the point sometimes called tight-end. Today Brown descendants own and farm 6 adjoining properties that extend along the base  of Jack's Mountain and follow a stream called Sadler's Creek. The Metz's arrived in the early 1800s and settled on lands further "down" the valley.

I decided to go to the Valley over  the Labor day weekend for two reasons, One was the Headings Family Reunion  and the other was Penn State football.  Both were on Saturday.


I arrived in the Valley late Friday afternoon, stopped at the County Line Store for a "footlong" hoagie and some moon pies; and as is my habit I checked bluebird boxes.  I have put  up about 25 or so bluebird/tree swallow boxes over the years and I try to keep tabs on them when I visit. This time of year it mostly involves removing old nests and assessing what may have happened over the summer.  There are often good clues left behind by the occupants that can tell if the nesting failed or was successful. The first boxes I checked are on light poles roughly 350 feet apart and after I finished near the creek, I stopped to do some bird watching.   A pair of Bluebirds flew up from the pasture fence, an Eastern Phoebe sat on the fence in front of me scanning for flying insects and I counted 13 Mourning Doves sitting in a nearby dead tree. As I was leaving  the area I stopped and visited with John and Dan Brown.  John, his brother Dan and John's sons  run a big dairy operation  and do the  work on the Brown Farms.  In the evening I visited with Scott and Emily Brown in their new home on the "Home Farm".

HOME FARM WITH NEW HOUSE FALL 2015

The house I grew up in has been removed and replaced with a new structure. Later I retired to "Bob's House". My brother Bob built his house all by himself and it has no heat, no electricity and no running water.  It has ramp and is just one story, so it is perfect for a handicapped person like me. It has a bathroom, toilet, and septic system so I don't have to use the outhouse.  Since there is no insulation, it does get a bit chilly when it gets cold outside.

Saturday morning I ate breakfast (it's always cold)  and started my day.  I checked bluebird boxes  and then went to Mark's Place.  Mark Brown and his wife Phyllis own the original homestead settled  by John Brown and his family in 1790.  He is currently remodeling the old house to bring it up to modern standards.  We believe the house and barn were built in the early 1800's.  He had an Amish boy named Elmer helping him.  Elmer is just about at the end of his formal education and now is preparing to work toward a trade of some kind.

I checked the boxes in Mark's yard and moved to a third box on a pasture fence and was very surprised to find a pair of Bluebirds feeding chicks.  The four youngsters in the box were fully feathered and had their eyes wide open.

BLUEBIRD CHICKS

 This is highly unusual for Bluebirds to nest so late, but not unprecedented.  This is probably the third nesting for this pair.  We had a very cold, wet late April into May just as the Bluebirds were nesting and earlier in the summer I discovered several failed nests with dead chicks.  The weather is a major factor in young bird survival.

At noon I attended  the Headings Family Reunion, ate a wonderful meal and had a nice visit with many relatives.  Shortly after 2 pm, I headed to State College and the Penn State football game. I had recently bought a handicap ticket for the game and was planning on using my wheelchair. When I arrived I was directed to an ADA parking lot where they lifted me into a shuttle and I was taken to the stadium. A young attendant  led me to my seat location in the north end-zone and just as I was rolling down the ramp toward my seat I saw the kick-off.  WOW, I made it.  It was an interesting, exciting but not as efficient a win for PSU as I would have like to have seen.  I stayed until the end and watched the Blue Band post-game show. I was in the end-zone at field level and one of the perks at that spot is that the Lionnettes, a PSU dance troupe of about 30 coeds, performed there for about a half hour.  Neat. I rode the shuttle back to my car, returned to Big Valley and Bob's House for the night.

Sunday I decided to birdwatch.  What a day!  As I drove out the driveway I noticed some birds sitting in the large field below me. They were sitting in a low spot where they were not clearly visible, so I decided to  motor in that direction and when I was hundred feet or so away, the flock took off.  I counted at least 15 Turkey Vultures, a  Black Vulture and a Raven flying up.  Off to the side there was a flock of 11 Wild Turkeys walking through a field eating insects.  When I reached the spot, I discovered why the birds were there---two dead possums. The field had been mowed a couple of days earlier and the animals had been killed by the mower. As I continued there were 3 deer grazing in the same field. That was interesting.

I again visited John Brown's farm and stopped to birdwatch. I was almost immediately treated with  a beautiful Red -Tailed Hawk swooping over the lush green meadow in front of me and landing on a post in my full view.

MALE BLUEBIRD

FEMALE BLUEBIRD WITH FOOD

 After checking another bird box, I headed to Mark's place to see if I could get some Bluebird photos.  I parked about 25 feet from the box and waited.  The adults feed about every 15 minutes or so, but they are reluctant to go to the box when an unusual object or person is nearby---so it took awhile.  I did get some pictures.  As I was sitting on my tailgate a young groundhog came running down the road toward me, so I started taking its  picture,  it just kept coming until at a distance of  about 10 feet from me, we made eye contact.  He turned and quickly ran into the vegetation.

GROUND HOG

On my way back to Bob's house for lunch I drove through the field with the dead possums.  I could see there was at least one bird at he spot and when I drew near I could see it was a mature Bald Eagle with the typical white head and tail---what a spectacular sight!  The possum were mostly gone.

In the afternoon I stopped to see Neil and Luann Renna. I was interested in information about the old barn on their property.  It turns out it was built in 1836 and has a very large cave-like room lined with stone under the barn bridge.  Later I visited with Jonas and Sara Detweiler Zook. Sara was a classmate of mine at the local one-room schoolhouse back in the 1940's.  I spent the evening visiting with T.  Ray and June Metz and then back to Bob's House.

Monday Labor Day---Another birdwatching day.  This time of year I look to dead trees for  good views of birds and as I was going down the driveway  I scanned some dead snags. Down at the bottom  of one of the trees I spied a Great Horned Owl looking right at me with his tufts clearly showing. It was sitting on a horizontal branch about 10 feet off the ground---an unusual sight in broad daylight.

I drove to the home farm and set up for bird watching in the meadow near the creek where I had  a good view of a number of dead trees.  I sat there for about 3 hours.  I have good binoculars and a spotting scope, so I have the equipment I need to get good views of wildlife.  The species I observed at this spot included the Mocking Bird,  Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Kestrel, Bluebird,  Goldfinch, Grackle and Crows. However the most spectacular was the large hawk-like bird sitting in the top of a dead tree about 1000 feet away.  It was streamlined with a black back, light chest and a black head with large white patch right behind the eye.  I couldn't believe what my eyes and bird book were telling me---it was a Peregrine Falcon.  I watched it for quite a while.  It sat there bobbing its head up and down as if looking for prey and then it flew down out of sight  Later it returned and I had a second look. As I was leaving I ran into Dan Brown and he said that it (the Peregrine) sits on their tallest silo and won't let the pigeons out of the opening.  In Big Valley there are hundreds of farms and probably thousands of pigeons---a happy hunting ground for a Peregrine Falcon.

BIG VALLEY AT THE 3 MILE OR SO WIDTH WITH JACK'S MT 

I headed "down the Valley" toward home, stopped to see a relative about family history and enjoyed the beautiful scenery on this glorious day. The weather for the four days has been wonderful with warm sunny days and cool nights--could not ask for more.

I ate supper with Naomi Hartzler in Belleville who just turned ninety in August.  She took care of our family 70 years ago when my mother was sick and she has been part of us ever since.

It was truly a spectacular visit for me in every way.

THE RED BIRD

A red bird has been attacking the mirror on my car for months.  He stands and gazes into the mirror and sees only himself.  This guy pecks at his picture in a frantic attempt to convince his other self how great he is and all the while pooping all over my car.  No matter how frantically he kisses the mirror his image keeps coming back and just will not leave.

His love for himself knows no bounds as he continues to visit the mirror for hours on end.  And when he is not kissing himself on the glass he is off on a nearby structure singing his praises at the top of his lungs telling the world what a wonderful red bird he is.

Will all this self adulation convince the powers that be to elect Red Bird KING?

ZIKA REVISITED

During the past year there have been numerous news  reports about the spread of the Zika virus through South America, Central America, the Caribbean and Puerto Rico  . This disease is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito  Over the last year scientists have observed a strong correlation between this disease and a spike in children born with a birth defect called microcephaly.  Brazil has been particularly hard hit, but the disease is spreading fast and has reached much of the warmer parts of the Americas.  These mosquitos can breed in a tiny amount of standing water and the slums of Brazil and other countries are the perfect locations for this epidemic.  Many of these "shanty towns " do not have sewer systems or  good sources of clean drinking water.  Rain that falls, collects in  puddles and abandoned trash like plastic cups.  The mosquitos have a perfect habitat for their life-cycle that only takes a few days. In the United States cases of Zika have been reported in many areas of the country,  so far all have resulted from  travel to Brazil or other areas where the disease is prevalent.

Why should we care?  Recent evidence suggests that the babies carried by pregnant women  are at extreme risk of acquiring the virus.  This pathogen apparently has the effect of creating the retardation/birth defect we call Microcephaly where the head and the brain are much smaller than normal.  Many babies have been born in Brazil and other parts of the Americas with this condition.

There is NO quick fix.  No cure or treatment. No vaccine. There is not even a reliable test for this disease. It may take years to bring this pathogen under control. At this point experts indicate that controlling the mosquito is the best way forward.  However, recent information indicates that the virus can not only pass from mother to child but also between sexual partners as well which is a first for a mosquito borne disease.  Adult who become infected with Zeka can come down with the neurological condition called Guillain-Barre syndrome This means this disease can spread without mosquitos, which makes it a threat to the human population world wide.

The  prospect of millions of babies being born with microcephaly or other birth defects as a result of a Zika infection, has sent shock waves throughout the medical community.,  Our government has requested 1.9 Billion dollars to deal with  this disease and women who are pregnant are being cautioned not to visit areas in the "Zika Zone".

It is still too early to predict what will happen, but the potential economic ramifications  of this disease could be devastating.  Any person going to see the Olympics in Brazil  in the Summer of 2016, will have to factor into their thinking  that there is a real possibility of contracting Zika.  Are people willing to take the risk of getting sick and potentially destroying an unborn child? Already the Brazilian government has panicked and is using its military to spray insecticides and do other things to try to get rid of the mosquitos---these efforts may ultimately  do more harm than good.  The economy of Brazil is already in trouble  and this epidemic is not going to help.

On a human level this is a tragedy   A Time magazine photo of a young Brazilian couple with their microcephaly child, was  heart wrenching.  As this disease continues to spread, millions of couples across the planet will make the difficult choice of postponing  having a child or accept the risk of  bringing a child into this world who faces an early death or at best a life full of problems.

The recent Zeka funding bill passed by the House of Representatives is a disgrace.  It is wholly inadequate in the face of this terrible threat.  The radicals who run the House are going to live to regret their stupid behavior.  Many of these members of Congress represent areas in the south where the disease will hit first because they have the most mosquitos and  it has the potential to do the most damage. When young mothers begin having retarded children because of their incompetence their lack of foresight will come back to haunt them.

FEATHERED DINOSAURS ARE LIVING IN YOUR YARD

FEATHERED DINOSAURS ARE LIVING IN YOUR YARD


Every Spring we are serenaded by mourning doves, cardinals, robins, mockingbirds, wrens  and other song birds as they prepare for the spring mating season.  Humans get an emotional boost when birds begin singing in the early Spring  because they know the weather will get warmer; and the vegetation will start to grow and everything will begin to green-up.

Recent fossil discoveries in China have found that not all of the dinosaurs died out in the big meteor strike about 65 million years ago.  Modern birds are descended from a flying feathered dinosaur that some how survived the disaster. Why did they survive when so many other species became extinct within a very short time?  Being small, mobile and warm blooded probably helped.

Bird song is interpreted by us as a pleasant experience, but for birds it is part of a threat display that is anything but pleasant.  If you translated a robin's song into English you probably could not print it or say it on TV. The male robin who arrives on site first uses his beautiful song to create a "wall" between himself and other male robins in the area.  Unlike humans who create actual walls, fences and hedges to separate themselves from their neighbors, the robin's wall is invisible. If you doubt this just watch the birds for awhile as they chase each other back and forth  until they agree on the boundary. Once the territory boundaries  are  defined the female robin will join her mate and they will get down to business.

In most bird species the female builds a nest while  the male stands guard. Each kind of bird has its own technique in nest building. The behavior is instinctive, meaning the steps followed are programed into the bird's tiny brain. The choice of  location, materials used and the procedures followed are all set in this animal's DNA. As remarkable as it may seem robins, cardinals and Baltimore orioles will make a nest exactly like the one they were born in, even without ever having seen one. The oriole weaves a bag-like nest that hangs from a branch that must weather rain, heat and wind as it holds mother and young for more than a month. And she does this with a beak and two feet. I challenge any human who has seen such a nest to create one with just your fingers---you can not do it.

Once the chicks hatch, typically both parents carry food to the nest.  Why do they go to all this work to care for their offspring? Love? To make sure their children grow up to be good productive citizens in bird society?  Not really. If you look in a nest you will see baby birds open their mouths in anticipation of food. A scientist once placed  a test-tube painted with the same color as the birds mouth in a nest.  The result---the parents filled the test-tube with worms. When the baby opens its brightly colored mouth this is a signal "Mom,  go get food".  If it is cold, wet or the babies do not feel well they will not open their beaks and the parents stop bringing food---result is death to the young.  This Spring was cold and wet; and when I monitored some bluebird boxes, I discovered several young bluebirds dead in the boxes. Absent a signal, their parents had simply stopped feeding them.

The flying dinosaurs  living in our landscapes are beautiful, fascinating creatures that have managed to survive for millions of years.  They certainly brighten our lives with their songs, their wide variety of colors and their fascinating behavior.  If you do not have these creatures visiting your yard on a regular basis, adding native shrubs and trees  to the landscape will provide the habitat they look for each Spring as they prepare to keep their species going.

GREEN CONCRETE AND WALLPAPER PLANTS

   

GREEN CONCRETE AND WALLPAPER PLANTS

As the human population skyrockets and human civilization creeps over planet Earth we are seeing the natural environment we have  inherited, being destroyed.  If you look at our cities from the air  they resemble large tumors as they grow out from a central core, consuming everything they encounter. Native landscapes are eaten up and replaced with buildings, green concrete and wallpaper plants. 


We are surrounded by green concrete. It is found in our parks, playgrounds, in people's yards; around schools, corporate headquarters and college campuses throughout America. It encircles our homes in small towns, rural areas and the big cities. We pay to have it "installed"; spend MILLIONS of dollars for toys to keep it in its place; and use MILLIONS of gallons of oil and natural gas products to maintain it. We Americans raise more than 40 million acres of the stuff every year. It is the biggest crop in the country.

Wallpaper plants include mostly alien, exotic vegetation imported from Asia, Europe, Africa or South America.  The nursery industry prefers these plants because they are easy to maintain and provide much of their income. Since wallpaper plants are not native to North America they often do not do well and require frequent replacement.

The pastoral landscape Americans seem to love is an alien, sterile place. Have you ever tried eating the grass in your yard? Right , it tastes awful. Guess what, nothing eats it, unless you import sheep or cows. Oh, I take that back---Canada Geese love it and you can find lots of poop as evidence. The only thing more sterile than the American lawn is bare concrete or blacktop. 

Maintaining this foreign landscape damages the environment and is dangerous to the health of our children and ourselves. If a weed or bug appears we spray it. We add fertilizer to make it greener. We water it when it gets dry in summer  and complain when we have to mow it.  The fertilizers and sprays pollute our waterways; the fumes from the mowers create air pollution; the fuels and chemicals used for maintenance are mostly derived from fossil fuels; the noise is annoying and damaging to our hearing; watering lawns is a waste of precious water; turf absorbs very little runoff from rain storms; and worst of all, almost nothing can use it as a home.

If you insist on a green lawn, why not just "plant" green astro-turf?---it stays green, needs no water or fertilizer and you never have to mow it. Just look at the money you will save.

However if you want to improve your environment, then I suggest you look at your landscape and eliminate some of your lawn and wallpaper plants. Replace them with native wildflowers, grasses, trees and shrubs. The changes will amaze you. Butterflies, bees, birds, mammals and other creatures will be attracted to your territory because they prefer natives.  To start, educate yourself and  visit your local store that carries landscaping materials.  Also there are many native plant sales this time of year. The Manada Conservancy and the Brandywine Conservancy provide native plants to the public.

Join the native plant movement. The planet will thank you.

SNOW GEESE AND TUNDRA SWANS AT MIDDLE CREEK

SNOW GEESE AND TUNDRA SWANS AT MIDDLE CREEK

This year the Snow Geese began to show up at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area toward the end of February. They reached their peak number of 65,000 about the first of March. The 30 inch snowfall we had the last week of January kept the birds away until most of the snow melted.  They spend most of the winter in the wetlands of Maryland, Delaware and Virginia and do not visit Middle Creek until the fields are free of snow and they have an area for feeding.  They are attracted to this place by the 400 acre lake and the thousands of acres of farm fields in the surrounding areas.  Snow Geese travel in large flocks of several thousand, eat waste grain and  graze on the fresh green shoots of plants found in fields in early Spring. 

During the day they range over Lancaster, Berks, Dauphin and Lebanon Counties in search of suitable feeding sites, but usually return to the lake at night.  

The dark colored bird in the center of this photo is called a "Blue Goose" and is a dark gray variety of an adult Snow Goose. Most of the birds are white with black wingtips.

On March first I was watching this flock and they suddenly all took off in a cloud of moving white heading for the lake to roost for the night.

By the end of March the Snows are usually gone, heading to northern Canada and their summer nesting grounds.

The Tundra Swans travel and roost in small family flocks of a 100 or so and also are attracted to the area because of the open countryside. This year about 2000 swans were observed at Middle Creek.  They are all white with black bills, are larger that Snow Geese; and tend to scatter over the entire lake as they roost while the Snow Geese usually roost in larger more compact groups.

The swans have a flute-like call and listening to them sitting on the lake can be quite pleasant until the Snow Geese show up.  
The Snows have a loud raucous call that they use all the time, even at night as they jockey for space on the lake.

By the middle of March the Tundra Swans have moved on west to Montana and from there they head north to Alaska's north slope.
The tundra areas above the Arctic Circle  in northern Alaska are the nesting grounds for these beautiful swans.

Several years ago some of us had an opportunity to assist with a research project studying the swans.  The birds were attracted to an area with corn and a cannon net was fired to trap them. We were able to hold the birds while biologists examined them and took blood samples. Unlike most wild animals the swans were very calm, did not try to bite us or struggle to get away. They looked at us as if to say "Who the heck are you?".  The feathers on their neck and breast felt like silk and it was really cool to hold such a beautiful animal. Several of the female swans were fitted with devices that emitted signals giving scientists information about their migration route to Alaska.

Each year thousands of people visit Middle Creek to observe the huge flocks of geese, swans, ducks and other waterfowl that use this site as a stop on their migration route north. The best time of day to see Snow Geese is early in the morning at dawn or in the late afternoon into the evening  A lady I spoke with during my March 1st visit had discovered the place on the internet and had traveled all the way from Boston to see the birds. The best time of year to see the Snow Geese and Tundra Swans is from February first until March 15th, depending on the weather.  Once the  tour road through the property is opened on March first, visitors have more opportunities to see large flocks of Snow Geese and other wildlife. 

The Pennsylvania Game Commission owns Middle Creek and they provide up-to-date information about the area on their website at www.pgc.state.pa.us.   The Visitor Center opens February first each year and is available to visitors Tuesday through Saturday 8 to 4, Sunday 12 to 5 and closed on Mondays. The phone is 
(717) 733 -1512.

NOTE: There is a pair of Bald Eagles currently nesting along the lake at Middle Creek. At least one egg has hatched and the adults have been observed feeding young in the nest.  

WOOD FROGS---"POLAR BEARS" OF THE AMPHIBIAN WORLD

Monday morning March 6th  we awakened to the calling of Wood Frogs.  We had about one month of winter this year from the end of January to the beginning of March.  The 30+ inches of snow we had at the end of January was about all the real winter we had this year. Yes it stayed cold with temperatures in the single digits a couple of times, but in early March the temperatures shot from the 30's to the 70's in just a couple days  and that was the signal to these frogs that Spring is here.

The Wood Frog singing sounds more like barking and is quite loud.  We have 4 water areas and all of them were captured by these amphibians for their annual Spring mating ritual.

I first encountered these fascinating animals when we moved to Mt Gretna in the 1990's.  They hibernate during the cold of winter, but with the first warm days of March they suddenly appear in open water  areas like vernal pools and small ponds and begin to "sing".  I have seen them do this when there are still large pieces of ice in  the water.   The temperature remains at 32 degrees until the ice melts, so I do not know how they are able to stir up the energy to be jumping all over the place like they do.  They are cold-blooded, but something about their makeup allows them to function at very cold temperatures.

When we were in Alaska in 2003  we stayed at a bed and breakfast owned  by Judy Cooper.  She was a musher, had lots of dogs and lived on a large piece of land near Fairbanks in the central part of the state..  When i asked here about the wildlife in the area, she mentioned that she had a vernal pool in her woods and every year she had Wood Frogs appear and mate just as they do here  in PA.  Now the ground  in this part of Alaska is permafrost, so somehow these little guys can survive being frozen, wake up and mate every year.  No other reptile or amphibian can survive that far north, only Wood Frogs.

After about 2 weeks the frogs stop calling and return to the forest leaf litter where the spend most of the year feeding on creatures they find there.  I rarely see them except when mating season occurs.  In a week or two the gelatinous  masses  of eggs will explodes with hundreds of tadpoles that will develop legs and lungs  and join their parents in the forest ecosystem..  So we have  again enjoyed the announcement  of Spring by the barking  of our resident Wood Frogs.

THE ZIKA VIRUS----GOOD OR BAD FOR THE PLANET?

Recently there have been numerous news  reports about the spread of the Zika virus through Central and South America. This disease is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and its mild  rash-like symptoms have not drawn much attention until now.  Within the last year scientists have observed a strong correlation between this disease and a spike in children born with a birth defect called microcephaly.  Brazil has been particularly hard hit, but the disease is spreading fast and has reached much of the warmer parts of the Americas.  These mosquitos can breed in a tiny amount of standing water and the slums of Brazil and other countries are the perfect locations for this epidemic.  Many of these "shanty towns " do not have sewer systems or  good sources of clean drinking water.  Rain that falls, collects in  puddles and abandoned trash like plastic cups.  The mosquitos have a perfect habitat for their life-cycle that only takes a few days. In the United States cases of Zika have been reported recently in Florida, Texas and Hawaii, all the result of travel to Brazil or other areas where the disease is prevalent.

Why should we care?  Recent evidence suggests that the babies carried by pregnant women  are at extreme risk of acquiring the virus.  This pathogen apparently has the effect of creating the retardation/birth defect we call Microcephaly where the head and the brain are much smaller than normal.  More than 4000 babies have been born in Brazil with this condition.

In my opinion the biggest problem facing the world today is too many people fighting over our limited natural resources of clean fresh water, land, clean air, fertile soil and those needed to sustain our modern economy.  The wars in the Middle East and  the ensuing migration crisis are just the most recent reminders of what we as a species face on this piece of space dust we call Planet Earth.
Some are predicting that the human population could  double from 7.3 billion currently to as high as 15 Billion  in a hundred years.  The planet's resources can not  sustain that level of increase.

In the natural world the systems maintain a balance between resources and living creatures  by a process called  "Survival of the Fittest". We humans also have followed this difficult path for most of our existence.  However starting with the development of agriculture about 10,000 years ago we had a more stable food supply and villages and cities gave us more security.  The result was a marked increase in the number of humans on the planet. Now with the advent of modern medicine almost everyone survives.  People are just "not dying anymore".

As I see it the human species has a choice.  The intelligent way to proceed would be to institute birth control and family planning worldwide.  The UN, the United States and other countries have moved in that direction, but some cultures and religious  groups are resisting the effort.  No one wants to see the death rate rise, but if the countries of the world  do not take it upon themselves to solve this problem, than the natural systems will do it for them.  There are a lot of creatures "out there" that want to "eat us" and one of these days........

Here comes Zika. If this disease is as bad as it appears to be, it could have a real dampening effect on human population growth. The  prospect of millions of babies being born with microcephaly or other birth defects as a result of a Zika infection, has sent shock waves through the medical community worldwide,  Our government has requested more than a Billion $ to deal with  this disease and women who are pregnant are being cautioned not to visit areas in the "Zika Zone".

It is too early to predict what will happen in this situation, but the economic ramifications  of this disease could be devastating.  Any person going to see the Olympics in Brazil  in the Summer of 2016, will have to factor into their thinking  that there is a real possibility of contracting Zika.  Are people willing to take the risk of getting sick and potentially destroying an unborn child? Already the Brazilian government has panicked and is using its military to spray insecticide and do other things to  try to get rid of the mosquitos---this may do more harm than good.  The economy of Brazil is already in trouble  and this is not going to help.

On a human level this is a tragedy   The recent Time magazine photo, of a young Brazilian couple with their microcephaly child, was  heart wrenching.  As this disease continues to spread, millions of couples across the planet will face the difficult choice of postponing  having a child or face the risk of  bringing a child into this world who faces a life full of problems.

There is NO quick fix.  No cure or treatment. No vaccine. There is not even a reliable test for this disease. I believe it will take years to bring this pathogen under control. At this point experts indicate that vector (mosquito) control is the best way forward.  However, new information indicates that the virus can not only pass from mother to child but also between sexual partners as well.  If this proves to be true, then this disease can spread without mosquitos which makes it a threat to the human population world wide.

Through the long history of Planet Earth populations of living things have been controlled  by what we call limiting factors. Limiting factors include available food or water, a disaster like the dinosaurs suffered, a change in climate, invasion by a new species or a disease.

It is my view that we will shortly know if the Zika virus is going to be a limiting factor in the continued population growth of the  human species on Planet Earth.





  

THE EIGHT POINT BUCK I NEVER SHOT

THE EIGHT POINT BUCK I NEVER SHOT

My wife Bea and I live in a log home on six acres of woods adjoining 2000+ acres of game lands owned by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. We have a resident population of white-tailed deer that we see on a regular basis.  On Friday December 11, 2015,  I drove my tractor up to our barn near the edge of the woods.  When I shut off the engine I heard  rustling in the leaves nearby and I observed a deer stand up and move further into the trees where it stopped and turned its head.  Wow! It had a big rack, but it was getting dark so I could not really count the points.  I was surprised a buck with that set of antlers had survived hunting season.

When I returned to the house I mentioned this to Bea and she remarked that "I hope they don't shoot Bambi tomorrow".  Saturday, the twelfth of December, was the last day of Deer Season and when we heard loud shots during the day we feared the worst.

We did not see any sign of this buck until after the big snow storm.  It started to snow at 3:30 on Friday January the 22end  and ended on Saturday  evening about 9:30. After 30 hours we were looking at 27 inches of the white stuff.

Sunday was "dig out day".  A neighbor plowed out our driveway and I dug paths so we could get around and I would  have access to my bird feeders. I dug out my feeders in the backyard and to help the birds get through this sudden storm, I scattered some birdseed and corn on a piece of plywood.

Monday morning I noticed  the seed and corn had disappeared over night and the area was surrounded by deer tracks. As I was scanning the area for birds I was amazed to see  a four-point antler lying in the snow just beyond the feeders.  Apparently a buck came through the hemlock trees shading the feeders and caught his antler on a low hanging branch causing it to break off.  Although I can not be sure, I do  believe this is the same big buck I saw back in December. Bucks do lose their antlers in winter, but this is the first time I have found one where the location and date could be precisely determined.  Wow! Now I have my 8 point buck (at least half of it).

The antler was still in place when my grandchildren came to visit on Saturday January 30th. When I pointed it out to my granddaughter Bridget, she immediately asked if she could take it to school and show it to her first grade classmates.  I told her she could take it with her when she headed home.  A few minutes later I looked out the window and a gray squirrel was chewing on one of the antler's prongs. Bridget started to worry that the squirrel would eat the whole thing.  We assured her that it could not eat it that fast, but that  the observation of chewing by a rodent would  explain why antlers and bones do not last long in the natural world where just about everything gets recycled.

In rural central Pennsylvania where I grew up, deer hunting is not just recreation, its a passion bordering on religion that is passed from one generation to the next. Everything shuts down on the first day of deer season. Businesses are closed, and schools close at least for the first day.  The reason?  Many adults and any kids 12 years old or older could be out hunting whitetails.

My Dad was a good hunter and he took me along, but my heart was never into hunting like other members of my family. I would go hunting after school and come back with nothing.  Dad once said I enjoyed watching  animals more than I liked to hunt them.  He was right.  I did bag some small game, but I never actually shot a deer. Over the last forty years as a naturalist,  I have enjoyed watching wildlife and trying to understand what make the world we live in tick. It has been the best path for me.

I  support hunting as a recreational activity, but it is not for everybody.  The Eight-Point Buck was the status symbol for a successful deer hunt where I grew up.  The beautiful four-point antler  dropped in the snow in my backyard is as close as I will  ever get to that elusive Big Buck.








  

FOUR EAGLES TAKING A BATH

FOUR EAGLES TAKING A BATH

MIDDLE CREEK  WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA

(NOTE---Willow point is the black dot along the lake)

Last Thursday, the day before the big snow storm. I decided to visit one of my favorite places---Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area.  This 6000+ acre site is located on the Lancaster/Lebanon County line and is owned by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Middle Creek encompasses a wide variety of habitats including upland forests, farm fields, meadows and wetlands, so it is home to many different species of plants and animals.  This time of year the main focus is the 400 acre lake  that proves attractive to the many species of waterfowl that are looking for a place to feed and roost.

Middle Creek  was created in the early 1970's to provide hunting opportunities for goose and duck hunting. Since its inception this place has had a resident population of Canada Geese and has attracted migrating Canada Geese, Tundra Swans  a good variety of ducks and other waterfowl during the Spring migration.  However the stars of the Middle Creek show, the Snow Geese, did not show up until the 1990's.  Unlike the other birds who arrive in small flocks, the Snows show up in early Spring in huge flocks of a couple thousand. When they are coming they look like a white wave and their loud raucous calls tell all that something important is about to happen.  I have watched them come in on a clear Spring morning with their white bodies and black tipped wings glistening in the bright sunlight against a bright azure sky.  It is truly an awesome sight.  Once they reach the lake they begin to descend in swirling masses  that resemble large snowflakes.

Bald Eagles visited Middle Creek regularly once the lake was established  but did not stay until 1998 when a pair created a nest without producing any young.  The following year this resident pair finished their nest and raised young.  After that success, eagles have been a fixture at Middle Creek ever since.

When I arrived at Middle Creek I drove around for a bit, but did not see much, so I decided to head to the Willow Point viewing platform next to the lake.  I loaded my spotting scope onto my roll-later (I'm handicapped) and motored to the Point.  More than half of the lake was frozen over with patches of open water here and there. As I scanned the lake I could see large numbers of Tundra Swans with their snow-white bodies, long necks and black bills, but to my great disappointment I did not see a single Snow Goose. I guess those that had  been  there had headed out when they heard about the gigantic snow storm that was coming. Beside the several thousand swans there were large numbers of Canada Geese and a good variety of ducks roosting on the lake.  They seem to prefer swimming around in the water to standing on the ice.

I had been at the Point only a short time when a guy showed up and after looking at the scene for a couple of minute he said " there are eagles out there".  Sure enough when  I looked at that  spot there were eagles, lots of them.  I scanned the whole area and  counted eight of them. This was unbelievable---I have never seen this many Bald Eagles at Middle Creek.  They were scattered along a spit of ice just beyond the resting flocks of waterfowl.  They all appeared to be immatures---none of them had the brown body and white head of a mature Bald Eagle that appears  after five years.   At least two were all brown while the others were mottled with some white feathers.  All of them faced the waterfowl resting a 100+ feet away and nervously paced around and took short, low flights along the ice as if anticipating something.

Four of them stood together and even when they moved around they always came back together, so I decided to put my scope on them and see what happened.  They seemed to know each other and did not show any aggressive behavior toward each other. They stayed in one spot for quit a while and then they did something I have never seen before.  They took a bath. Apparently there was open water directly behind the ice they were standing on and three  of the eagles jumped into the water.  They immediately began waving their wings and jumping up and down much like we often see a robin  bathe in a birdbath.  I could see the water splashing  and this went on  for couple of minutes while eagle # 4 stood watch. It reminded me of three little kids jumping into a old swimming hole.  After the trio had finished they hopped back on to the ice and eagle #4 took his/her turn.  They probably have lice or some other parasites that are annoying them, so the sudden cold bath must help alleviate the irritation. It was quit a sight  and  a once in a lifetime experience. Note: Most birds have an oil gland that provides them with waterproofing for their feathers, so they dry quickly.

It was quite cold and as I was getting ready to leave, I noticed one of the eagles walk right up  to a group of Tundra Swans.  The swans looked at the young eagle with disdain as if asking what the heck are you doing here?---he quickly retreated back to the  ice spit.  The swan  is bigger than the eagle and a healthy adult would be more than a match for any attacking eagle.  Like most predators Bald Eagles  look for prey that is old, sick or injured.  As I was leaving that is what the eagles were doing.  They would fly or walk up to the waterfowl buffet in front of them to see if they could locate any likely candidates for a quick meal.  At MiddIe Creek it is common to see eagles eating their prey on the ice in the winter time.

Several years ago while I was working at the desk in the Middle Creek Visitor Center, a lady came in  literally jumping up and down with excitement.  She had witnessed  a mature Bald Eagle fly at a flock of Snow Geese, pursue a single goose and  catch it with both birds crashing to the ice.  (Reminds me of the fighter battles in Star Wars.) She described the next scene with "white feathers flying " as the eagle plucked the feathers from this very unlucky bird.

I was sorry to leave the Point, but this time of year it feels like the tundra and I needed to warm up.

The next time you take a bath or shower just imagine what it would be like to bathe in a tub of ice cubes with the water at 32 degrees.

Aren't' you glad you are not a bird?






.

BATS, SNAKES AND FLYING SQUIRRELS

Recently my wife, Bea remarked that we had not yet caught any mice this Fall.  Then she added "I guess the black snake must be in the basement".  The black snake is our resident Black Rat Snake that we see from time to time both inside and outside of our buildings  It is a beautiful animal with a coal-black body, a snow-white belly and is about 5 feet long. It feeds almost exclusively on rodents and is a welcome resident.

A couple of weeks ago I was awakened in the middle of the night by the "swish" and breeze of a bat flying around our bedroom.  Our resident pair of bats live in our attic, but they seem to have a problem finding there way outside. From their roost they have two avenues to leave and they sometimes make the wrong choice and end up downstairs. They are annoying, but have always
found their way outside after a few minutes of flying around.  I guess they soon realize that our living quarters don't have a lot of flying insects to eat.

In early August, Bea was sitting in her recliner watching TV, when i heard her say "One just fell on me"  The "One" was a baby Northern Ring Neck Snake that had just fallen from the ceiling.  Each Summer the female Ring Neck Snakes crawl into our attic and lay their eggs.  The heat of summer incubates the eggs and once hatched, the 5 inch babies start looking for a way out and often find a crack in our wooden board ceiling as an exit. So in late Summer, we can always plan on it "raining" snakes.

We have a resident population of Northern Flying Squirrels living in our woods.  When we first moved to our home some years ago, I live-trapped 13 of these animals in our attic.  It took several years to find and plug all the holes they were using to get into the house. These cute little guys are nocturnal and at night they would be scurrying around in the attic while we were trying to sleep, so excluding them was a necessity.

One time I heard a very loud scream.  Bea had discovered a sleeping squirrel in a bag of nylons in our closet. I trapped the squirrel and put it in a large cage.  I included a bluebird box so it would have a place to hide.  Several days later, I took the box (the squirrel was inside) to a wooded area some distance away.  I opened the box and the squirrel jumped out and ran about 20 feet. I saw a small object fall out  and heard a tiny squeak in the box. The squirrel turned around  and ran right toward me and jumped back into the box.  The "object" was a baby squirrel. I put it back in the box with the mother and took the box back home.  I set the box with the mother and babies inside, on a shelf in my barn, where she could finish caring for her young. That was a really neat experience.

This time of year we often hear acorns and hickory nuts falling  on our deck in the middle of the night.  It means Our Flying Squirrels are busy gathering food.

Living in a Log House in the woods, that was built like a sieve, is never boring.
 

BLUEBIRDS ARE FASCINATING

My fascination with Bluebirds began about 45 years ago when I took a hike with my son Andy on the home farm in Big Valley in Central PA.  I noticed a Bluebird flying, so we followed it and discovered a pair feeding young in a nest is the hollow of a Black Locust snag. I decided we would observe the birds for a while, so we sat down  right in front of the hole. I told Andy, who was 5 years old at the time, that he had to sit still and not make any movements at all. 

The drive to feed chicks is very strong in bird parents, so both soon showed up with food. They landed on a nearby branch and looked down on us. They looked at each other, did some chattering and looked at us again.  It appeared they were trying to size us up as to what danger we posed to them and their brood. They would fly down near the hole and then fly away without entering.  This went on for several minutes. (It seems like forever when you are sitting perfectly still.)  After about 5 to 7 minutes, the female finally went to the hole, fed the chicks and flew away; followed immediately by the male who did the same thing. 

Andy never moved or said anything during that entire time. As soon as the male fed the chicks we moved on.  It was a really neat experience that I will never forget. Does this mean females are more adventuresome than  males? That debate will have to wait.   

Soon after this experience I began making and putting up boxes for Bluebirds.  I don't make them anymore, but I am still putting them up when I can. In April of this year, after we returned from Florida, I decided to go to Big Valley for a visit.  I did not have big plans, but I decided to take along 4 new Bluebird boxes. I spent 5 days visiting relatives, bird watching and working on the various bluebird boxes that I had put up in the past.  Many were in disrepair and others had been destroyed.

I repaired those that could be salvaged and replaced those that were gone.  
On April 16 I replaced boxes on the light poles that carry electricity to the home farm.  About 15 minutes after I put up the first house, there were two pair of Tree Swallows and a pair of Bluebirds all swarming around this one nest box. I was amazed. Both species landed on the box and inspected the inside.  It seems they were all in the area looking for housing. When I returned 6 weeks later the nest was occupied by Tree Swallows.

At the end of May I returned to Big Valley to bird watch and check the boxes. Of the 14 available houses, seven had Bluebird nests, eggs or chicks.  Four had Tree Swallow activity and one was being used by a House Sparrow (I took this box down). Two boxes remained empty.

It seems the Bluebirds of Big Valley are doing well.  There were at least 5 active pair that had chicks or eggs either right before or during the time I was visiting.  The two boxes with empty Bluebird nests did not have any birds defending the sites, so I could not determine their status.

The success of these beautiful birds in this area can be traced to the help of  local residents Dan Brown, Fred Brown and T. Ray Metz who have monitored these birds and put up boxes to replace those damaged.  On behalf of the birds I thank you. Keep up the good work.

THE BATTLE OF HOUSE WRENS

MALE HOUSE WREN #1

This Spring and Summer has been an active time for wildlife here in Mt Gretna.

On April 1st, our first day back from Florida, we were greeted with the singing of wood frogs.  A bit later Mallards and Turkeys came calling.  A pair of Mallards were here for more than a month and frequently visited our bird feeders and water gardens in search of food.  They became quite tame as they grew used to our comings and goings.  I did not look for the nest, but I believe it was near our pond.  They appeared to have hatched their young sometime around Memorial Day when we were away.

One day we looked out our front window and were surprised to see a Turkey Gobbler and two hens prancing around.  Fred (our nephew) had seen them earlier during the winter.
The Gobbler moved on to an another area and we often have heard him calling.  However, one of the hens stayed behind and established a nest.  We would see her often scratching around in the leaves for insects and other tasty creatures.  Her nest appeared to be behind our guest house.

This year the animals that take the prize for most interesting are the House Wrens.  Usually when  the male House Wrens show up in the Spring they wreck havoc on all the other song birds that are trying to nest in bird boxes in our yard.  These "cute" little demons will go around and destroy other bird's nests, remove their eggs and even their chicks. Then they fill the box with sticks.  Not a "nice" little bird in human terms.

BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE CHICKS

However this year was different.  We had Black-Capped Chickadees nesting in two different boxes about 400 feet apart.  Both pair had established their nest and laid eggs when the male House Wrens arrived about May 1st.  Both sites had male House Wrens calling nearby and my fear was that they would destroy the Chickadees's nest, but to my pleasant surprise they did not.  Both pair of chickadees completed their nesting and had young fledge.

HOUSE WREN BOX OF STICKS

When the male House Wrens first showed up, I put up two new bird boxes hoping that might keep them from disturbing the Chickadees. It seemed to work. One of the boxes was immediately claimed by a male House Wren and he proceeded to fill the box with sticks.  He soon attracted a wife and they were in business. We will call him MHW #1.  This pair raised 5 chicks that fledged during the second week of June.

At about the time the young House Wrens left the nest, an interloper male House Wren

(MHW #2) showed up. He began calling on a second new box about 30 feet from the box of MHW #1.  This guy (MHW #2) immediately filled his box with sticks and was frantically calling all around it.  Meanwhile, the original resident, MHW #1 continued to call on his box.  During this time I observed frequent fights between the two males.  I could not really tell where the female was in all this.

Over the last couple of days I  have made some interesting observations.  On Sunday (6/21) I saw a female enter the box guarded  by MHW #2.  Tuesday (6/23) I checked that box  and discovered 3 tiny eggs.  Meanwhile MHW #1 continues to  call on his box, but his nest cavity is empty.  Conclusion:  The female House Wren left her original mate and has moved in with the interloper---MHW #2.

WOW.

Our human reaction is predictable. "MHW #2 stole the "wife" of MHW #1".  "She is a slut who will sleep with anybody."  "An example of infidelity in the bird world."  "Birds are as immoral as humans."

FEMALE ON FENCE, MHW #2 FLYING ABOVE

Actually fidelity in the world of songbirds is more like--- "What have you done for me lately."
When faced with a choice, the female had to weigh the qualities of the two males and  decide which one best suited her needs.  Since I always go on the hypothesis that The Fittest Survive, there must have been something about MHW #2 she liked.  Does she like him because he is young, has a loud song or was it the layout of the home he was offering?  We will never know.

You just never know what may be happening right in your own backyard.