Sunset in Indy

When most people think of beautiful sunsets, Indianapolis probably does not first come to mind. However, on my way home from work the other day, the sunset was so wonderful I had to stop along the road a couple of times to snap a few shots. Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

Mugwamp

This bird is a Mugwamp.

And why is this bird called a Mugwamp?

Drum roll, please....

Because its Mug is on one side of the fence and its Wump is on the other. :)

This is a joke my Dad would tell and I was reminded of it today. (photo by Charles Creamer)

Zombie Cardinals?

If you pay attention, you can learn something new every day. And today, I learned that cardinals will eat meat. Yep, they are vicious killers and should be watched carefully around foo-foo dogs,
kitties and such. No, I am totally making that up. But, like many animals, they are opportunists; if food is available, they will snack away.

Nice photo or mug shot? Pic by my big bro, Charles Creamer.

I love puzzles and weird nature stuff, so when Brad Bumgardner posted a story on IN-bird, a birdwatching listserv in Indiana, my interest was peaked. Theresa Rody had discovered a mouse that had fallen into a fish tank at the Salamonie Interpretive Center and drowned. She threw the dead mouse outside into the snow.

Is that snow on this female cardinals beak or bits of brains? Pic by Charles Creamer.

Later in the day, when she and Lynnanne Fager looked out the bird window to see what species were there, they witnessed an amazing thing. Right out of a horror movie for rodents, a Northern Cardinal had grabbed the dead mouse and was eating its head. Now I have heard of zombies eating heads and brains and such, but not our chipper little cardinals! You can view the photos here.

Checking a few sources, I found out this is not the norm, but not unheard of. Birds of North America Online does not mention cardinals eating mice. They eat 29% animal matter, mostly insects, and also spiders, slugs, snails, centipedes and bivalves. 71% of their diet is plant based, mainly berries and seeds. They referenced a paper by W. L McAtee from 1908 called the Food Habits of Grosbeaks.

Don't get any closer, junco, or I'll pierce your eyes and devour them!

Pic by Charles Creamer.

Digging a little more, I checked Bent. Good ol' Arthur Cleveland Bent and his Life Histories of North American Birds. He didn't let me down. He referenced the same paper by McAtee, but added "He mentions that a male cardinal was seen eating a field mouse." Apparently, the BNA didn't have any other collaborating references, so they left it out. I now wonder if cardinals only scavenge on mice that are already dead, or if they will go for live ones as well. Sounds like a research project for a willing grad student. Nature never ceases to amaze!

Wishing for Spring

I like snow. Honestly. But, I am so over it. Four inches yesterday paired with bitter cold just about did it. Yuck.

So, I am wishing for spring today and have been looking through some of my ephemeral wildflower pictures.

Trout Lily

I love Trout Lilies. One of the first spring wildflowers. The speckled leaves, spotted like a trout, give it its name.

Hepatica

Hepatica comes in many color varieties. I have seen snowy white, pale to vivid pink, but this deep blue is easily my favorite.

Bloodroot

Its delicate white petals make Bloodroot a crowd favorite. This is one you have to get out early to see, for a strong wind or rain will knock the petals right off. The root, if broken, produces a deep red liquid similar to blood, hence the name.

Dutchman's Breeches

Like little pantaloons strung on a clothesline, Dutchman's Breeches is a uniquely shaped flower that is realted to Bleeding Hearts. This one always makes me smile. I love hearing kids giggle about the name.

Hope you enjoyed this small taste of spring. I can't wait until it is here to stay.

Happy Groundhog Day????

What a a bizarre holiday. Take an overgrown member of the squirrel family, stick it outside, then gather crowds around to stare at it to determine whether spring will be early or late. Yep, just plain weird.


Groundhog, whistlepig, woodchuck. All names for a large rodent in the squirrel family that has somehow become a traditional predictor of spring.


I have never understood the whole concept. Since my aunt's birthday was on Groundhog's day, my mom would watch the news just to see what the groundhog predicted and would talk about it for weeks. Drove me crazy!


There are a lot of flaws in this whole groundhog-spring-predicting-rigamarole. One, it just depends on whether it is cloudy or sunny whether the groundhog sees its shadow or not. Sunny=late spring, cloudy=early spring. No groundhog needed.


Yet, some say the groundhog is needed in the process. That it must see its shadow for spring to be delayed. How do you know Mr. Groundhog saw its shadow? Maybe it wasn't paying attention. Maybe it was too busy hamming it up for the cameras. How do you tell if a groundhog has actually seen its shadow? Does it do something to indicate it? Growl, chatter, wiggle its bottom?These are questions I would ask my parents and I never got a straight answer.


Another big flaw in the woodchuck-weather-predicting-hoopla. Groundhogs are true hibernators. The wild ones are still asleep in nice, warm burrows under the ground on February 2nd. So they shouldn't be out looking at their shadows, anyway. They eat plants and do not normally emerge until March or April. They don't chuck wood either. The woodchuck name comes from "wuchak", the Algonquian name for the animal.


So, I am not convinced. Yet, for all you believers out there, I will post the results from around the countryside. Boo, Puxatawny Phil, you naysayer! I am going with Malverne Mel's and Dunkirk Dave's predictions. Spring is just around the corner!


Early Spring-Roxborough Jorge Naba
Early Spring-French Creek Freddie
6 more weeks of winter-Buckeye Chuck
Early Spring-Saskatoon Evan
6 more weeks of winter-Balzac Billy
Early Spring-Malverne Mel
6 more weeks of winter-Woodstock Willie
6 more weeks of winter-Jimmy the Groundhog
6 more weeks of winter-Octoraro Orphie
Early Spring-Staten Island Chuck
6 more weeks of winter-Wiarton Willy
6 more weeks of winter-Shubenacadie Sam
6 more weeks of winter-Punxsutawney Phil
Early Spring-Dunkirk Dave

Superbowl Sunday

So who do you think I would like

to win the Superbowl???

Photo by John Howard

Go Cardinals!