End of the Trail
Posted at 4:50 AM on May 15, 2009
by Dale Connelly
(34 Comments)
The last day of the member drive feels like a homecoming after a long, exhausting journey. But before any of us start whining about our 8 day trek through the repetitive forest of fundraising pitches, consider the plucky bobolink.
Barb in Blackhoof reports the sighting of at least 8 male bobolinks at her farm yesterday. The return of these birds and their elaborate, bubbling song, is a sure sign of spring.
Bobolinks travel a bit. Their winter is spent on the other side of the equator. It's likely that the birds Barb noticed yesterday started their journey from South America in early March. Travelling mostly at night, they crossed the Gulf of Mexico from the Yucatan peninsula to Texas and Louisiana, and then northward across the plains to arrive here just in time for the fine weather.
Their annual round trip is estimated to be 12,500 miles. That's about the same mileage I put on my car each year, but I don't have to flap my arms the whole way.
Mary Deinlein's article about them online at the Smithsonian's Migratory Bird Center has lots of interesting information.
One standout conclusion - the late 1900's was one of the finest times in history to be a bobolink. Who knew there was a "good old days" for birds, too? Back then, widespread horse-based agriculture meant lots of open land and plenty of hay, which are key components of your basic bobolink infrastructure. Today's modern harvesting techniques and fewer farms and meadows in North America mean there's a less hospitable environment at this end of the journey, and more farms growing of tasty rice in South America means bobolinks are trapped and shot with increasing fervor at on the other end of their travels.
Sometimes it's tough to be a tourist.
By comparision, our week together on the membership trail was a lark - which is an entirely different sort of bird.
We should offer a more generous hello to bedraggled visitors, don't you think?
Which Trial Balloon readers operate bird welcome wagons?
How good are you at keeping water fresh and seed in the feeders?
And bartender! A fresh round of insects for every bobolink in the house!
Comments (34)
My daugher and I are newbie bird feeders (my last dog, Tristan, was insane about birds... didn't want to lure any unsuspecting feathered friends to their doom). We just put up the feeder a few weeks ago and have already noticed we're feeding more squirrels than birds. So, we're using up the first huge batch of dimestore feed (phrase my girlfriend used) and then we're moving to thistle and safflower seed, which might deter the squirrels a bit. We also very hopefully put up a hummingbird feeder, but no takers yet. No birdbath, since this would just be a water dish for the current big dogs.
Happy Friday Heartlanders!
I always like to see bobolinks which I sometimes see in hayfields which very few farms have in our part of the state. The latest bird to return to our back yard is the wren which I think I saw fliting around and heard loudly singing, proably lelling off a cat or some animal, maybe me, who was getting too close.
thanks, Dale, for the great natural history of bobolinks! we stop putting seed in feeders in late April up here, since bears and raccoons get things even before the squirrels. but we operate a 32 acre feeder - lots of varied habitat from hilly red oak to low wetland. two ponds for water and water birds and plenty of elderberry, juneberry, and BUGS. and a nice big old hayfield that we don't cut so the ground nesting birds can safely bring up that next generation. (if a field doesn't have to be cut, one should wait until early August so that the kids have flown the coop.) then, when Bart is back in his den for hibernation, up go the thistle and black oil feeders for the winter birds.
thanks Dale for the star songs honoring the Bobolink!
Sadly, I haven't had Bobolinks in my meadow since the first summer 30 some years ago. We started cutting hay and using the meadow for pasture so the grass doesn't get long enough. The Killdeer have given up on my place as well. But this year I have a couple very active Phoebes nesting somewhere near. Get them gnats!
I do feed year round. The Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks. American Goldfinches and Red-winged Blackbirds are frequent visitors right now...along with the resident Blue jays. Chickadees, Red-Breasted Nuthatches, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers.
The White Throat Sparrows have been feeding for the past week or so. The hummingbird feeder is out, but no sign of them yet. Caroll Henderson said last week on Midmorning that they come with the Yellow-Bellied Woodpeckers. Looking forward to seeing them soon as well as the bright orange Northern Orioles.
Friday at last! Hope everyone enjoys a restful weekend.
--Elinor
Birds are certainly welcome in my backyard. I have cardinals and robins - they both like the apple tree. It'd be nice if they deterred bunnies!
Please excuse me for going off topic but it's the last day of school here! The kids asked yesterday if they could dance in our room today to celebrate and I thought, "what a great idea!" I'm taking in Tom Jones' What's New Pussycat?, but would welcome other dance music suggestions for 7-yr. olds. (I'm here to take them til roughly 7:23.)
Yesterday's Tom Swifties tripped my trigger. Here's one I thought of later on based on a conversation I remember hearing on TMS last fall.
"I like onions, but they don't agree with me," Jim Ed expelled.
"I always thought it was garlic you had a problem with," fumed Dale silently.
Donna - congrats on getting through another year! I always wish that you had been my teacher when I was 7!
How about the "Albert Dance Around" song? I love to dance to it now, so maybe I would have enjoyed it when I was younger!
From a Tom Waits fan...really really enjoying this! Thanks for requesting and for playing...
Good one Sherrilee! It has the word damn in it, but I'll do a voice-over. (you're so nice!)
up here i usually see first hummingbird on May 15
Donna, what about "Feet Don't Stop Me Now" for dancing. i always have to dance when i hear it.
thanks for the throat singing, Dale and Mike! Hi Ann! Good morning All and i'm outta here to milk.
We feed birds all late fall and winter, but have recently taken down the feeder because it hung over the new raised vegie bed and we didn't want seed with our salad. The feeder and bath will be up again when the rest of the yard is done this summer.
We see a lot of house finches, cardinals, chickadees and sometimes mourning doves, woodpeckers, and others. Right now the robins have taken over the 'hood.
Hi everyone,
It's good to be back and always fun to join in the blogging.
There wasn't a song about goats in my personal library, so I brought Cattle Call.
Ann
Morning Ann - never worry about not being on topic with this group! As my teenage daughter says about the Trial Balloon Blog ... "you all are kind of random, aren't you?"
Thanks Barb. I don't have that one, but maybe if it's put in today's program, I could hit the archive button later.
Hi Ann,
I have your Songs For MN cd. Is there a song on it you would recommend for dancing? Or just any other you can think of that compels you to boogie?
Hi Donna,
Well, let's see ... "Try Lutefisk" is a candidate. Then there's (dare I say it) "The Fair" but if you play that, it will stick.
Ann
I just say a Hunmingbird at the feeder! Can summer be far behind?
Thanks Ann - I'll use them! You're funny. Bet you could come up with some great Tom Swifties!
Dale, Mike, and Ann,
I was wondering if you had Bob Dylan's A Simple Twist of Fate in your library? If not could Ann do a live prefornance of it if she knows it, or wants to I guess.
Good Morning!
We haven't been filling the bird feeders for a few years and may need to put up some hawk outlines on our new deck. It has solid glass panels for the railings and I have been finding birds on the ground after having tried to fly through it. It doesn't work and it makes me sad. Somehow the cat doesn't seem to mind.
On the happier side of birds, I have been seeing more Eagles flying around the rivers and lakes just about every time I go out for a ride particularly out near Fort Snelling or Lake Minnetonka.
So as we wrap up pledge week, perhaps Dale/Mike/Ann could play "It's a Good Day", could it be Peggy Lee who does it?
Happy Friday everyone!
I wish I had hummingbirds but haven't been able to attract them to the feeder yet.
I do have many finches - house finches and gold finches and they are, to me, a sign of spring.
Ann
Thank you for playing that! The place Ann was talking about that does the Dylan Sound A Like contest is the 400 bar on the west bank. They still do it every year, yet I never have been, Thanks again,
Aaron
Oh! I love Chet Atkins' version of Mr Sandman! That was such a treat to hear. Do you have anything by Lenny Breau and Chet Atkins together in your library?
Ooh - "protecting the dirt" - great phrase! Is a song in there somewhere?
on the last day of the drive, i have to say that one of the reasons i like radio heartland is that it wakes me up weirdly sometimes....
like today!
didn't have my eyes open yet, although the cat was nudging me a bit with her careful one-claw-extended head scrape--when the radio turned on and tom waits said, What is he building in there? waking slowly to that in the darkness was a bit odd but strangely good, too. then throat singing....which did in fact wake me and even got my toes taping under the covers.....so i get up, feed the cat, make a cup of tea, and head back to bed for a few more minutes of RH, and when i walk in the door, i hear "Do you want to buy a bunny?"....freaky! my head tilted over and my eyeballs were spinning like those of a dazed cartoon character!!!
i love it and it made me laugh...but if my day is weird, i'm blaming you, dale!
off topic, i'll write y'all next week from utah, where i'll be vacationin!
OMG i hope donna has the kids listening right now!!!!!
i remember that chicken fat song, too---crazy---i had to get up and move!!!
Hi Kay,
Wow - waking up to Tom Waits and Tuvan throat singing ... yikes.
Thanks for listening!
Ann
Dale,
Great choice from Yma Sumac.
Keep up the good work!!!
Thanks for the Simon & Garfunkel! They're my favorite and I love At the Zoo :) Also, thanks for the Iron & Wine and The Be Good Tanyas! A fantastic selection today. Though, it's great everyday...I just know more songs today, haha.
Hi Everyone,
Birds; great comments! We always look forward to the Barn Swallows return; I saw the first one about 10 days ago while I was out doing field work. (I farm). Just the one that day; the 'scout' we call him... couple days later the rest had returned. Love their chatter and flight; like Star Wars 'X-wing' fighters! They don't require a feeder of course...
Just saw two Orioles this morning in a tree right outside my daughters bedroom window so need to get their feeders out. Couple years ago I had an Oriole that would cling to the window screen and tap on the window if the feeder was empty. Didn't have the luck with Orioles last year...
We keep 5 feeders; sunflower, thistle and a mix; plus hummingbird and Oriole...
Our latest issue may be the new deck I've built just to the side of the feeders and the birds 'rest' there waiting for the feeder... making a bit of a mess if you know what I mean...
Have a good day everyone!
Ben
I'm getting the most incredible birdsong early in the morning, and haven't figured it out yet. We're getting the finches and jays and cardinals and nuthatches and chickadees, and am hoping to attract orioles this year. Although I'm in the city, I'm just off a nature parkand marsh, plus have a railroad track in the way back, so no alley, and we get herons flying over... very lucky!
Holy buckets batman! I'm listening to the archives and just heard my name on the radio! Way cool!
Ahhhhh, Michael Monroe. Can't get enough of him.
Who can't welcome the birds. One of my favorite birds are bluebirds. As we speak "my" bluebirds are tending to their young. Very fun to watch.
OK -- so I have to admit that I tune in to KFAI while MPR is pledging -- I'm a sustaining member, so I don't think I should have to listen to all that "please contribute" stuff. But now It's Sunday night, and I'm listening to RH on the computer for the first time in about a month because my husband totally screwed up our computer so we couldn't get any sound for SUCH a long time. How do you do it, Dale and Mike? Patsy Montana, Ella, Greg Brown, Slaid Cleaves, all my other favorites and people I have never heard of, all within the last 15 minutes. I think I love you. Keep it up. It's incredible.
Nancy
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