Bird Call: August 2017

08/20/2017

Pygmy Owl (in the Dark)

Hey! Total eclipse in the U.S. tomorrow. People are driving to watch from all over the country. The whole continent even. The last one was in 1991. So this one’s a pretty big deal. First time ever that 20 million cell phones witness a total eclipse.

Be careful if you go. Some say they have a profound effect on people. I can see that. This one may cause the biggest traffic jam ever.

And if you are planning to watch be sure to use those special glasses. I’m sure you have a pair and are all ready. But if they were out of them at Walmart don’t worry. They say you can still look at it. But only during the couple odd minutes the moon completely covers the sun. And never, never look at even a sliver of sun. I see a problem with that. How do you know when not to look? Without looking?

Oh, and be careful. I read there are knockoffs out there that are nowhere near dark enough. Your retinas could be toast. If they’re good glasses you shouldn’t be able to see anything besides the sun. (Be careful walking around in them while testing yours.)

So what if they don’t meet the test? NASA says there is still a way.

Wear a welder’s helmet. No kidding. If you have one. But even then it needs a special lens. Extremely dark. Class 12 or something. For special kinds of welding. Very uncommon. So NASA says be sure to check the class. Because you probably don’t have one.

So now. Finally. How will birds act?

Take this tiny Northern Pygmy Owl. Here are a few facts. He is only 6” long, give or take an inch. Spread your forefinger and little finger wide open. Like Texas Longhorn fans. (Texas A & M alumni use your imagination.) The distance from pointer to pinkie is about how big this owl is. Top of head to end of tail. But he’s all heart. He can take prey as big as pigeons. Even chickens.

And he’s diurnal (see Bird-nerd-word.) That’s birder for “flies-around-in-daylight.” So. Will two and a half minutes of darkness during the day make any difference to him?

Who knows? Certainly not me. And I’m not alone. No one Knows.

But scientists are intent on finding out. So they made an app. iNaturalist. They want people to report what birds are doing before, during and after the eclipse. Good idea. I hope you’ll take part.

But there is one thing that’s not clear to me. How are you supposed to watch what birds are doing?

You’ll be in the dark.

Wearing a welder’s helmet.

Posted at 04:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

08/11/2017

Bird-nerd word: Catbird Seat

This is a catbird. A Gray Catbird to be precise.

And this is a catbird seat.

So there you have it. (Just kidding.)

“Sitting in the catbird seat" means—as you may know-- having the upper hand. Sitting pretty. Got it made.

It probably originated in the south. Some say it stems from how a Gray Catbird will sit in the top of a tree to sing. Except they don’t much. They prefer to skulk around in low shrubs. And they usually do their singing from there. So I guess that leaves room for interpretation on how they might have the upper hand.

Who exactly came up with this one I can’t say. But I can say who made it famous. Well maybe I can.

By most accounts a baseball announcer named Red Barber picked it up in a poker game in the south and started using it in his broadcasts for the Dodgers. About the same time it showed up in the James Thurber story: The Catbird Seat. Barber said that’s where he first saw it. You’d think he’d know. Trouble is the story names him. And says he used it during Dodger broadcasts. When questioned he stuck to his guns.

Confusing. Both stories can’t be true. So hmm.

Pretty obvious to me. Old Red didn’t want his wife to know he was in that poker game.

The name Catbird comes from the fact that the little mimic likes to make sounds like a cat. Pretty good ones.

I got these photos in New England last month.