Home › Archives for October 2009

Live Bats at Fenner Nature Center

See Bats Of The World Nov. 1, 20091:30-2:30 for young kids 3:00-4:00 for older kids.Register at the door, which opens a 1/2 before show. Fees $5.00/person & $15.00/familyFOFNC members: $4.00/person & $12.00/familyBats common in Michigan are insectivorous, catching small flying insects, by echolocation. Some bats...
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How many kinds of bats live in Michigan?

Bats comprise one-fourth of the world's 4,000 species of mammals. Fruit-eating bats are nature's most important seed-dispersing animals. Nectar bats pollinate many rain-forest trees, shrubs, and flowers and without their help the forest would be less diverse.The ability of insect-eating bats is phenomenal--one little brown...
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Innovative Birdfeeder Design: Quick Clean Big Tube

I have been anticipating the arrival of the new Quick Clean Big Tube since spring. I wasn't sure about the new design so I only ordered one to check it out. It came in last week and wow-o-wow. It's beautiful!.I sold that one before I could even price it and have been waiting to write about it until we restocked. More arrived...
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Can I feed goldfinch year round?

I just started to feed the goldfinch this summer. Do they stay in Michigan year round?.I love the American Goldfinch! The great state of Michigan is lucky enough to have goldfinch year round and if you enjoyed watching them in the summer they'll also bring you joy in the winter. They do lose their bright yellow color but...
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Did you know butterflies have ears on their wings?

The location of butterfly ears on their wings was discovered in 1912. Today, new research has discovered a clever structure in those ears that potentially makes it able to distinguish between high and low pitch sounds.The Blue Morpho butterflies, which are native to Central and South America, are more famous for their...
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Why would you build a peanut vending machine for crows?

Josh Klein did an initial experiment in 2008 in an attempt to teach crows how to live more purposefully for man, so that man would not annihilate the species. If you can train them to put coins in a machine for peanuts, could you teach them to collect garbage in exchange for peanuts? What if the crows could be used for search and rescue, in the same...
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Did I spot a rare bird?

I think I spotted a western species of junco at our feeder the other day. It was more of a brown bird instead of the usual slate-colored junco? Do you think it was blown off course by the recent winds?In 1973 by the American Ornithologists’ Union grouped five junco species into a single species called the Dark-eyed Junco....
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Can you name that bird just by its feet?

As I wrote about earlier, the knee joint of a bird is usually hidden under feathers. The backward bending leg joint that you see when birds are walking is the ankle. And when we talk about a birds’ foot we are actually talking about its toes.Most birds we observe have four toes, but the exact number of toes and their arrangement,...
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How many birds would you say die or get injured during migration?

That is impossible right now for scientists to calculate. One estimate is that about 50% of the migrating population won’t return to their original birthplace.There has been a lot of talk lately about the whirling blades of wind farms not only creating renewable energy but killing flying birds and bats. It’s already known...
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Share Nature's Bounty

Now is the time for fall harvest. As you start preparing for the holidays, don’t forget about your birds! Here are a few ways to take advantage of seasonal items to attract birds to your yard:1. Squash and pumpkin seeds Whether you are carving a pumpkin, or preparing a pumpkin pie, set aside the seeds. Nuthatches love...
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Guest Blogger Chuck: Rare Bird Sighting

I'm not a blogger but I need to tell you about something that happened last evening that I've not experienced at my house ever before.I was eating my supper at about 6 p.m. and something outside the window caught my attention. Just as I looked over to give it my full attention it seemed as if two hummingbirds zipped away...
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Great Day in the Yard

The day began when I woke up to what sounded like chickadees singing under water. Even though I was anticipating the arrival of the White-throated Sparrows it was still a surprise to hear their song among our usual backyard glee club members. You’ll only hear this yodel-like song of White-throated Sparrows for a few weeks...
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