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Looking Back at False Eyes

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As my family waited for our pizza at Lakewoods Resort, I looked out over Lake Namakagon and remembered sharing this view with Aldo the American Kestrel. Ten years ago, I snapped a photo after a raptor program here and turned it into my third News From The Mews blog post. Here's a look back at that post: Sometimes even a kestrel needs time to relax after a busy day of work. Aldo had the opportunity to enjoy the view of Lake Namakagon after an outreach program at Lakewoods Resort this week.  As he watched boaters coming and going on the lake, I had a great view of the back of his head. In this photo, you can see the black spots on his nape. These “ocelli” are thought to act as false eyes. They might protect the kestrel from a predator like a Cooper’s or Red-tailed Hawk. The spots might also prevent angry songbirds from getting too close when trying to chase off a kestrel. In either case, they will wait to attack until they have the element of surprise. If the kestrel’s trick works, t...
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A New Crate

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If you've been following my articles, you may know that little things can delight me. One of those little things tickled my fancy this week when I spotted a few plastic dog kennels at the UCC garage sale.  I began picturing our emergency bird crate at the Museum. The crate sits outside, just in case a fire or other disaster prevents us from entering the building. The emergency crate could help us evacuate one of the birds. Unfortunately our emergency crate was pretty janky. A creative person, long ago, modified this crate to stand upright on the metal door. The old emergency crate. (click for larger image) I've only kept it because it would theoretically hold a bird in an emergency.  When I saw the crates at the UCC sale, I realized we could finally replace it with an affordable, more reliable option. My eyes lit up when I saw this particular crate. It's an old style that I can't find online anymore. The plastic is more sturdy and it has perfectly placed ergonomic hand ...
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Reading a Frog's Behavior

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We've been practicing behavior-based feeding with our snakes for a few years. That means we don't feed on a schedule; we feed based on whether the snakes show behaviors that indicate they're hungry.  Our Gray Tree Frog has generally remained on a regular schedule of feeding. But recently, I've noticed some new behaviors like springing off the branch when we open the door or mouth snapping at a water mist. Could these be signs that he's hungry? I'll give him an extra mealworm or two when I see these expectant behaviors in case his stomach is rumbling.
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Mist Bath

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In the summer heat, Aldo the American Kestrel likes taking a shower from a spray bottle!
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Shrieking

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"EEEEEE!" my daughter shrieked shrilly in our cat's face. Calypso's ears flattened and she leaned away from the tiny, loud human.  This had been happening too frequently over the last few weeks for my liking. Calypso is wonderfully patient with our 1.75-year-old daughter, Lucy, with hardly a hiss when poked or prodded. But if the shrieking continued, I worried that someone would get hurt. My animal trainer mind began to analyze the behavior. Lucy's shrieking was becoming more frequent and that meant she was getting something enjoyable from it. What was reinforcing this behavior? I noticed that after shrieking, Lucy looked back at me. What did I do? I usually rushed to Lucy's side, gushing explanations. "Oh no, we can't scream at Calypso. That's scary for her. We can wave at her instead and say 'Hi Calypso.'"  Was my attention the reward Lucy was looking for? Next time I heard a shriek, I glanced over, modeled a quiet wave ("Hi Ca...
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Off-site Programs

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When I travel with the birds, I like to scope out our program location before I start unpacking. There's a lot to consider in a new space. Where should I set up the table? Which end of the table should the bird crates sit? Will people be passing through the space in the middle of the program? How close can kids sit? Is there anything above or behind us (like ceiling fans or windows) that might scare the birds?  Last week I ran across a new challenge when I arrived in Amery for a raptor program. The library, who was hosting the program, had reserved an outdoor stage for our event. I noticed right away that it was incredibly windy with a strong breeze coming from stage left. Since I hold the birds on my left arm and they don't like sitting with wind at their back, I knew that I would have to rotate my body and hold my arm at an angle so the wind would hit their side.  I also carefully considered their travel crate placement. I set the crates on the left side of the stage so the ...
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Gravel Nest

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American Kestrels are cavity nesters. They find holes in trees or utilize nest boxes to keep their eggs safe. Then why does Aldo the American Kestrel make a nest on the ground every year? He creates a depression in the gravel and chatters noisily, bowing up and down, to advertise it to potential mates. Meanwhile, his enclosed hutch remains relatively unused during breeding season.  I once worked with another male ambassador kestrel that tried to nest on the ground. Curious! Both of these kestrels are human imprints - they were raised by people. I wondered recently whether that impacted their nesting preferences. Maybe the people didn't raise these birds in a cavity. Perhaps they were growing up on a flat, open surface, like someone's kitchen counter or a rehab facility's clinic. If they imprinted on their caretakers, did they also imprint on their nest type? That's just my speculation - what do you think?
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