Mind-Altering Parasite

Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled protozoan parasite of humans and other mammals (particularly cats) that infects 30-40 percent of the world’s human population, causing a condition called toxoplasmosis. According to a study conducted in Australia, this parasite can increase a woman’s attractiveness to the opposite sex but also make men more stupid.

Relevant excerpts from an article by Dr. Nicky Boulter, a researcher of infectious diseases at Sydney University of Technology, in Australasian Science:

Interestingly, the effect of infection is different between men and women.

Infected men have lower IQs, achieve a lower level of education and have shorter attention spans. They are also more likely to break rules and take risks, be more independent, more anti-social, suspicious, jealous and morose, and are deemed less attractive to women.

On the other hand, infected women tend to be more outgoing, friendly, more promiscuous, and are considered more attractive to men compared with non-infected controls.

In short, it can make men behave like alley cats and women behave like sex kittens.

Nearly one-quarter of adults and adolescents in the United States have been infected with T. gondii. So, if your neighbor’s wife suddenly starts looking more attractive to you, take heed. Don’t be stupid!

Sphagnum Mosses of Berrien County, Michigan

The sphagnum mosses are plants that belong to the Class Sphagnopsida, which consists of a single order (Sphagnales), a single Family (Sphagnaceae), and a single genus (Sphagnum). Some 285 species of sphagnum mosses are known worldwide, with 89 occurring in North America and 33 in Michigan. Sphagnum moss is sometimes called peat moss because the decayed and compacted remains of sphagnum moss form an organic product called peat. In contrast to the true mosses, the sphagnum mosses have the unique ability to absorb large quantities (up to 25 times their dry weight) of water in their cells. They are characteristic plants of bogs and other wetland habitats.

The following provisional list of the sphagnum mosses of Berrien County was derived from scanning the distribution maps in the online Flora of North America. Surprisingly (to me, at least), as many as 27 species of sphagnum mosses may occur in Berrien County, as all of the species listed below appear to have wide distributions that encompass Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Common names are taken from ITIS (where called Sphagnums) or British Liverworts and Mosses—a field guide (where called Bog-mosses). An asterisk (*) denotes a species treated in Henry T. Darlington’s (1964) The mosses of Michigan.

ORDER SPHAGNALES

Family Sphagnaceae:

Sphagnum angustifolium (=recurvum), Fine Bog-moss*

Sphagnum capillifolium, Acute-leaved/Red Bog-moss

Sphagnum centrale*

Sphagnum compactum, Low Sphagnum or Compact Bog-moss

Sphagnum contortum, Contorted Sphagnum or Twisted Bog-moss

Sphagnum cuspidatum, Toothed Sphagnum or Feathery Bog-moss*

Sphagnum fallax, Flat-topped Bog-moss

Sphagnum fimbriatum, Fringed Bog-moss*

Sphagnum flexuosum (=recurvum), Flexuous Bog-moss*

Sphagnum fuscum, Rusty Bog-moss*

Sphagnum girgensohnii, Girgensohn’s Sphagnum or Bog-moss*

Sphagnum henryense, Henry’s Sphagnum

Sphagnum isoviitae

Sphagnum lescurii, Lescur’s Sphagnum

Sphagnum magellanicum, Magellen’s Sphagnum or Magellanic Bog-moss*

Sphagnum palustre, Prairie Sphagnum or Blunt-leaved Bog-moss*

Sphagnum papillosum, Papillose Sphagnum or Bog-moss*

Sphagnum platyphylum, Flat-leaved Bog-moss

Sphagnum pulchrum*

Sphagnum rubellum

Sphagnum russowii, Russow’s Sphagnum or Bog-moss

Sphagnum squarrosum, Spiky Bog-moss*

Sphagnum subsecundum, Slender Cow-horn Bog-moss*

Sphagnum subtile

Sphagnum teres, Rigid Bog-moss*

Sphagnum warnstorfii, Warnstorf's Sphagnum*

Sphagnum wulfianum*, Wulf’s Sphagnum

Darkling Beetles of Berrien County, Michigan

The darkling beetles (Family Tenebrionidae) are the fifth largest family of beetles (Order Coleoptera), with more than 1,300 species in the U.S. and Canada. They are a rather obscure family of relatively small beetles. Most of them are largely or entirely black or dark brown, and many spend a majority of their time hidden away in dark recesses, such as under the bark of dead and decaying trees, under fallen logs, or under rocks. A few are pests in stored food products, such as processed grains.

Perhaps the best known of the darkling beetles is Tenebrio molitor, the larva of which (the common “mealworm”) is sold in pet stores to feed to tropical fish, lizards, and the like. They are also highly touted as food for wild birds; some people even raise their own mealworms for this purpose! Mealworms are also commonly used in classroom science projects.

A provisional list of the darkling beetles of Berrien County was compiled using James C. Dunford et al.’s The darkling beetles of Florida and eastern United States. The list is restricted to species reported from both Michigan and Indiana. Based on the best distributional information currently available, this provisional list of the darkling beetles of Berrien County includes 57 species representing 9 subfamilies and 34 genera.

The darkling beetle fauna of Berrien County represents something less than two-thirds of the more than 85 species known from Michigan, 44 percent of the 129 species known from the western Great Lakes, 25 percent percent of the 225 species known from eastern North America, 4.1 percent of the 1,400 species known from the U.S. and Canada, and 0.3 percent of the 19,000 species described worldwide.

In the following list, States in the western Great Lakes with confirmed records for each species are identified in brackets by 2-letter postal codes (illustrations of most species are available in Dunford et al.):

Subfamily Alleculinae# (comb-clawed bark beetles):

Hymenochara rufipes [IN, MI, OH]

Hymenorus melsheimeri [IN, MI]

Hymenorus niger, Black Comb-clawed Bark Beetle [IN, MI, WI]

Hymenorus obesus [IN, MI, WI]

Hymenorus pilosus [IN, MI, OH, WI]

Isomira oblongula [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Isomira pulla [IN, IL, MI, OH, WI]

Isomira quadristriata [IL,IN, MI, OH, WI]

Isomira sericea [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Lobopoda nigrans [IL, IN, MI, OH]

Mycetochara bicolor [IN, MI, WI]

Mycetochara binotata [IN, MI, WI]

Mycetochara foveata [IN, MI, WI]
# Formerly considered a distinct family, Alleculidae.

Subfamily Bolitophaginae:

Bolitophagus corticola [IN, MI, OH, WI]

Bolitotherus cornutus, Horned Fungus Beetle [IN, MI, OH, WI]

Subfamily Coelometopinae:

Alobates morio [IN, MI, OH, WI]

Alobates pennsylvanicus, False Mealworm Beetle [IN, MI, OH, WI]

Haplandrus fulvipes [IN, MI, OH, WI]

Iphthiminus opacus [IN, MI, OH, WI]

Merinus laevis [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Strongylium tenuicolle [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Strongylium terminatum [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Xylopinus aenescens [IN, MI, OH, WI]

Xylopinus saperdioides [IN, MI, OH, WI]

Subfamily Diaperinae:

Cynaeus angustus [IN, MI, OH, WI]

Diaperis maculate [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Neomida bicornis [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Pentaphyllus pallidus [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Platydema ellipticum [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Platydema excavatum [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Platydema picilabrum [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Platydema ruficorne, Red-horned Flour/Grain Beetle [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Platydema subcostatum [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Platydema teleops [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Rhipidandrus paradoxus [IN, MI, OH, WI]

Subfamily Hypophloeinae:

Corticeus parallelus [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Subfamily Lagriinae# (long-jointed bark beetles):

Arthromacra aenea [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Paratenetus fuscus [IN, MI, OH, WI]

Paratenetus gibbipennis [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Paratenetus punctatus [IN, MI, OH, WI]

Statira gagatoma [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]
# Formerly considered a distinct family, the Lagriidae

Subfamily Opatrinae:

Blapstinus metallicus [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Blapstinus moestus [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Subfamily Phrenapatinae:

Dioedus punctatus [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Subfamily Tenebrioninae:

Alphitobius diaperinus, Lesser Mealworm Beetle [IN, MI, OH, WI] {Introduced}

Centronopus calcaratus [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Idiobates castaneus [IN, MI, OH, WI]

Meracantha contracta [IN, MI, OH, WI]

Neatus tenebroides [IN, MI, OH, WI]

Palorus ratzeburgi, Small-eyed Flour Beetle [IN, MI, OH, WI]

Tenebrio molitor, Yellow Mealworm Beetle [IN, MI, OH, WI]

Tribolium castaneum, Red Flour Beetle [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Tribolium confusum, Confused Flour Beetle [IL, IN, MI, OH, WI]

Uloma imberbis [IL, IN, MI, OH]

Uloma impressa [IN, MI, OH, WI]

Uloma mentalis [IN, MI, OH, WI]

Uloma punctulata [IN, MI, OH, WI]

In Brinkley, They Still Believe

They still believe in the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, that is, despite the lack of follow-up confirmation since 2004, as reported by Laura at O Arkansas.

My Peculiar Reading Habits

One of the nice things about retirement is that it leaves with you more spare time to pursue your interests. One of my interests, beyond birds, is reading. Though still not a prolific reader, by any means, I’ve found the time to read more books in the past year than in any other 12-month period of recent memory. So now, without further ado, brief synopses of the books I’ve read in 2008:

Arnett, Ross H., Jr. 1993. American insects: a handbook of the insects of America north of Mexico. 1st edition. The Sandhill Crane Press, Gainesville, Florida. 850 pp. (This isn’t the kind of book you sit down and read through from cover to cover, but I’ve found it to be an invaluable reference. If you decide to buy this book, make sure you purchase the 1st edition, not the 2nd edition linked to above, as the usefulness of the book has been severely compromised in the 2nd edition.)

Berendt, John. 2006. The city of falling angels. Penguin Books, New York, New York. 432 pp. (Mystery and intrigue in the historic city of canals, Venice.)

Delatte, Carolyn E. (with forward by Christoph Irmscher). 2008. Lucy Audubon: a biography. Revised edition. Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 248 pp. (The little-known story of the woman who supported John James and his family through many trials and tribulations, and helped bring his dream to fruition.)

Kurlansky, Mark. 1998. Cod: a biography of the fish that changed the world. Penguin Books, New York, New York. 304 pp. (It turns out that the history of this fish is inextricably intertwined with that of salt.)

Kurlansky, Mark. 2003. Salt: a world history. Penguin Books, New York, New York. 498 pp. (An exhaustive, if somewhat repetitive, history of this mineral and its influence on world cultures.)

Larkin, Emma. 2004. Finding George Orwell in Burma. Penguin Books, New York, New York. 304 pp. (A unique and frightening insight into what it’s like to live in the world’s most repressive country, where “Orwell’s words . . . continue to resonate.”)

Myers, Robert C. 2003. Lost on the lakes: shipwrecks of Berrien County, Michigan. Andrews University Press, Berrien Springs, Michigan. 277 pp. (An excellent local history of a nautical nature.)

Schroeder, Lucinda Delaney. 2006. A hunt for justice: the true story of a woman undercover wildlife agent. The Lyons Press, Guilford, Connecticut. 270 pp. (Not great literature, but a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at a wildlife sting operation in arctic Alaska.)

Steinberg, Michael K. 2008. Stalking the ghost bird: the elusive Ivory-billed Woodpecker in Louisiana. Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 173 pp. (Steinberg—a self-proclaimed ‘true-believer’—summarizes the results of a series of interviews with individuals from various walks of life, all of whom claim to have had personal encounters with the IBWO or otherwise believe that it continues to exist in the swamps of Louisiana. Believers will love it, while skeptics will scoff at the lack of scholarship.)

Weidensaul, Scott. 2007. Of a feather: a brief history of American birding. Harcourt. Harcourt, New York, New York. 368 pp. (An engaging and wide-ranging survey of the growth of American birding, from John James Audubon to Roger Tory Peterson and on into the 21st century.)

Bear-ly Tolerable Situation

Charlie Vandergaw, a 70-year-old retired teacher, has been befriending bears (both black and grizzly) on his remote homestead north of Anchorage, Alaska. Now, authorities with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game—who claim that Vandergaw has caused reckless endangerment of the public through a food-conditioning program that has attracted two dozen bears to his property—are considering bringing charges against him. Vandergraw prides himself on being smarter than Timothy Treadwell—who, along with his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, was famously devoured by one of the Grizzly Bears they had sought to ‘befriend’—and “in better control of his situation.” Only time will tell.

Bald Eagle as a Backyard Bird

Having lived in coastal Alaska for 17 years of my adult life, I was accustomed to seeing Bald Eagles, and lots of them. But I never really expected to see one in Berrien County, Michigan, and certainly not in my own yard, but that's exactly what happened this morning.

Stepping out the front door this morning at 8:00 AM for my morning bird walk, I had an adult Bald Eagle fly directly over our house—on Crescent Lake in Buchanan Township—in flapping flight at fairly low elevation headed in a southerly direction. What a way to start the day!

And later, at about 10:00 AM, as I was mulching leaves in the backyard, I spotted a large, dark bird perched in a tree on the north shore of the lake. Viewing it through binoculars, it proved to be an adult Bald Eagle, presumably the same bird. I judge it to be a 4th-year bird based on the amount of dark smudging on the side of the head, especially the traces of a dark eye-line. The bird remained perched there for about 45 minutes before it disappeared.

Acknowledgment: The above photograph is used courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Digital Image Library.

Christmas Bird Counts of Berrien County: 1961-2007

With the Christmas Season looming on the horizon (yes, it’s true) I thought it would be fun, and hopefully instructional, to provide a quick overview of Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) in Berrien County. So here goes . . .

Caption: European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), the most abundant species recorded on Berrien County CBCs. Image is from the Introduced Species Summary Project at Columbia University.

The history of the CBC in Berrien County spans a 47-year period, 1961-2007. Over those 47 years, 157 counts were conducted at 4 locations: Berrien Springs (47 counts: 1961-2007), Coloma (36: 1972-2007), New Buffalo (29: 1969-1975 & 1986-2007), and Niles (45: 1961-1978 & 1981-2007). That effort resulted in 10,588 encounters (i.e., an encounter entails the detection of one species, regardless of the number of individuals, on one CBC) with 1,539,691 individuals of a nominal 183 species; on average, that equates to 9,807 inviduals of 67 species/count/year. One hundred fifty-nine species were recorded at Berrien Springs, 139 at New Buffalo, and 131 each at Coloma and Niles.

Evenness of Distribution: One hundred and twelve species (61 percent) were recorded at all four CBC sites, 17 (9 percent) at three, 17 at two, and 36 (20 percent) at just one.

Yearly Regularity: Thirty-three species (18 percent) were recorded in each of the 47 years, 27 (15 percent) in just one year; the median regularity was 22 years, or 47 percent.

Frequency of Occurrence: Fourteen species (8 percent) were recorded on all 157 counts, 27 (15 percent) on just one count; the median frequency was 32 counts, or 20 percent.

The Big Twelve: The following species are ranked in decreasing order of abundance based on a combination of three criteria: (a) total number recorded; (b) mean count when detected, and (c) median count when detected. The values for each of these criteria are presented as percentages relative to the highest-ranking species in each category (European Starling;i.e., the median count for Northern Cardinal was 9.2 percent that of the starling). Ranks (overall and for individual critera) are in curly brackets. Each of the species listed below ranked in the top 10 in at least one of the three abundance criteria:

European Starling {1} — (a) 100{1} [n=372,201] — (b) 100{1} [Mean=2,373.9] — (c) 100{1} [Median=1,213]

House Sparrow {2}: (a) 47.2{2} — (b) 47.2{2} — (c) 75.0{2}

Dark-eyed Junco {3}: (a) 32.2{3} — (b) 32.2{3} - (c) 53.5{3}

American Tree Sparrow {4}: (a) 16.5{6} — (b) 16.5{7} — (c) 28.2{4}

Canada Goose {6}: (a) 16.0{8} — (b) 20.4{5} — (c) 24.8{5}

Ring-billed Gull {7}: (a) 21.2{4} — (b) 23.4{4} — (c) 15.1{13}

Mallard {7.7}: (a) 16.3{7} — (b) 16.3{8} — (c) 24.0{8}

Herring Gull {8.7}: (a) 16.8{5} — (b) 17.2{6} — (c) 13.5{15}

Mourning Dove {8.7}: (a) 14.3{9} — (b) 14.4{10} — (c) 24.2{7}

House Finch {10.3}: (a) 8.5{13} — (b) 13.8{12} — (c) 24.4{6}

Rock Pigeon {10.3}: (a) 12.7{11} — (b) 15.6{9} — (c) 15.5{11}

American Crow {10}: (a) 13.8{10} — (b) 13.8{11} — (c) 20.1{9}

Northern Cardinal {11.7}: (a) 9.2{12} — (b) 9.2{13} — (c) 17.4{10}

Notable High Counts: Of the 94 species detected 30 or more times, 10 had high counts that exceeded the median by a factor of 50 or more. Information provided for each species includes the high count (the site and year of the high count); and the factor by which the high count exceeded the median:

Common Merganser 1,224 (Berrien Springs, 1972); 84x

Red-breasted Merganser: 1,524 (Berrien Springs, 2003); 254x

Ring-necked Pheasant: 429 (Berrien Springs, 1973); 54x

American Coot: 2,175 (Coloma, 1994); 272x

American Robin: 1,366 (Berrien Springs, 2004); 137x

Red-winged Blackbird: 235 (New Buffalo 2001); 59x

Common Grackle: 3,120 (Berrien Springs, 1984); 1,040x

Brown-headed Cowbird: 818 (Berrien Springs, 1982); 136x

Lapland Longspur: 4,141 (New Buffalo, 1973); 1,035x

Common Redpoll: 1,300 (Berrien Springs, 1969); 52x

Acknowledgment: This overview was compiled with the aid of the CBC database.

Additions to the ABA Checklist

The 19th published report of the ABA (i.e., American Birding Association) Checklist Committee (Pranty et al. 2008) adds 10 species to the list of birds documented from the ABA Checklist Area. With these additions, the ABA Checklist now stands at 957 accepted species. Details follow:

Graylag Goose (Anser anser): drill-ship in Atlantic Ocean 167 nautical miles off Newfoundland and Labrador; April 24-May 2, 2005 (Maybank 2005)

White-chinned Petrel (Procellaria aequinoctialis): 2 miles north of Rollover Pass, Galveston County, Texas; April 27, 1986

Townsend’s Shearwater (Puffinus auricularis): Del Mar, San Diego County, California; August 1, 2007 (Unitt et al. 2008)

Tristram’s Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma tristrami): Southeast Farallon Island, California; April 22, 2006

Brown Hawk-Owl (Ninox scutulata): St. Paul Island, Pribilof Islands, Alaska; August 27-September 3, 2007 (Yerger and Mohlmann 2008)

Loggerhead Kingbird (Tyrannus caudifasciatus): Fort Zachary Taylor State Park, Key West, Florida; March 7-26, 2007

Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus): Gambell, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska; September 30, 2007 (Rosenburg and Lehman 2008)

Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos): Saint-Fulgence, Quebec; November 11-17, 2006 (Auchu et al. 2007)

Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis): south Florida, where this exotic species—first noted in 1982—is now deemed established (Pranty 2008)

Yellow-browed Bunting (Emberiza chrysophrys): Gambell, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska; September 15, 2007 (Lehman 2008)

The Committee also announced that the 7th edition of the ABA Checklist is anticipated to be published in late 2008. This will be a welcome revision, as the 6th edition (published in 2002) has been out of print for two years.

Literature Cited:

Auchu, C., C. Girard, and G. Savard. 2007. First record of Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) in North America. North American Birds 61:10-12.

Maybank, B. 2005. Atlantic Provinces and St. Pierre et Miquelon [spring 2005 report]. North American Birds 59:396-399.

Pranty, B. 2008. Status and distribution of the Common Myna in Florida. North American Birds 61:658-665.

Pranty, B., J. L. Dunn, S. C. Heinl, A. W. Kratter, P. E. Lehman, M. W. Lockwood, B. Mactavish, and K. J. Zimmer. 2008. Annual report of the ABA Checklist Committee: 2007-2008. Birding 40:32-38.

Rosenberg, G. H., and P. E. Lehman. 2008. First North American record of Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) at Gambell, Alaska. North American Birds 62:178-181.

Unitt, P., M. A. Faulkner, and C. Swanson. 2008. First record of Newell’s Shearwater from the mainland of North America. Western Birds in press.

Yerger, J. C., and J. D. Mohimann. In press. First North American record of Brown Hawk-Owl (Ninox scutulata) on St. Paul Island, Alaska. North American Birds 62:4-8.

Precipitation Summary for October 2008

Daily precipitation was recorded on 24 of 31 days at our home on Crescent Lake, near Buchanan, Michigan, following CoCoRaHS (the Community Collatorative Rain, Hail, & Snow Network) protocols. Cumulative precipitation on the remaining 7 days (October 23-29) was determined from a multi-day report filed on October 29; days on which measurable moisture fell were inferred from precipitation maps.

Precipitation Summary: Measurable amounts of precipitation (i.e., ≥0.01 inches) in the form of rain or snow fell on 17 (55 percent) of 31 days, with a total accumulation (water equivalency) of 3.48 inches (0.11 inches/day, 0.20 inches/day with measureable precipitation). Precipation in the form of snow was recorded on 1 day (October 28th), with a total accumulation of approximately 1.0 inches and a liquid equivalent of 0.30 inches (as determined by a core measurement that was taken 24-hours later).

Comparisons: At CoCoRaHS stations elsewhere in Berrien and surrounding counties, measureable precipitation was recorded on 44.3 percent (360) of 813 reporting days, with values ranging from 34.7 percent (n=129) in St. Joseph County to 62.5 percent (n=40) in Cass County. Rainfall totals at 13 other CoCoRaHS stations in Berien and surrounding counties with 31 consecutive days (or equivalent) of measurements ranged from 3.11 to 3.99 (median 3.48).

Temperature, Relative Humidity, and Dew Point (at 7:00 AM): These readings were recorded on 25 days (October 1-22 and 29-31).

Temperature: High 58 (on 14th), Median 46, Low 30 (on 30th)

Relative Humidity: High 88 (on 8th), Median 79, Low 48 (on 29th)

Dew Point Temperature: High 53 (on 8th), Median 39, Low 19 (on 29th)

Hooktip and False Owlet Moths of Berrien County, Michigan

The hooktip and false owlet moths (Family Drepanidae) are represented in Berrien County, as documented in Sherman Moore’s (1955) Annotated List of the Moths of Michigan (.pdf), consist of just 2 species (representing 2 subfamilies and 2 genera).

The hooktip and false owlet moths of Berrien County represent 9.5 percent of the 21 species known from the U.S. and Canada and 0.6 percent of the approximately 1,000 species known worldwide.

Taxonomic classification and scientific names follow the All-Leps North American Checklist, while common names are from the BugGuide. An asterisk denotes a species documented from Berrien County by Moore:

Subfamily Drepaninae (hooktip moths):

Drepana arcuata, Arched Hooktip*

Subfamily Thyatirinae (false owlet moths):

Pseudothyatira cymatophoroides, Tufted Thyatirin*

Silkworm Moths of Berrien County, Michigan

The known silkworm moths (Family Bombycidae) of Berrien County, as documented in Sherman Moore's (1955) Annotated List of the Moths of Michigan (.pdf), consist of just 2 species (representing 1 subfamily and 2 genera). These are medium-sized moths with a wingspread of about 2.0 inches.

The silkworm moths of Berrien County represent 33.3 percent of the 6 species known from the U.S. and Canada and 2 percent of the approximately 100 species known worldwide.

Taxonomic classification and scientific names follow the All-Leps North American Checklist, while common names are from the BugGuide. An asterisk denotes a species documented from Berrien County by Moore:

Subfamily Apatelodinae:

Apatelodes torrefacta, Spotted Apatelodes*

Olceclostera (=Apatelodes) angelica, The Angel*

Underwing Moths of Berrien County, Michigan

The underwing moths are the best known and most colorful of an assortment of otherwise rather drab and obscurely marked middle-sized moths assembled within the Family Erebidae. Often lumped with the owlet moths of an immense family known as the Noctuidae, the All-Leps North American Checklist has raised the underwing moths and their close relatives to the family level, a classification followed here.

Sherman Moore’s (1955) Annotated List of the Moths of Michigan (.pdf) documents the occurrence of 64 species of underwing moths and their allies (representing 7 subfamilies and 28 genera) from Berrien County.

Scientific names and higher-level classifications used in this list follows All-Leps. Common names are primarily from the BugGuide, supplemented with Charles V. Covel’s Eastern Moths in one or two instances. An asterisk (*) denotes a species documented from Berrien County by Moore, while a string of question marks (?????) denotes a species of questionable validity (i.e., I could not confirm Moore's original identity with a known species in All-Leps or the BugGuide).

Subfamily Boletobiinae:

Melanomma auricinctaria, Gold-lined Melanomma Moth*

Oxycilla basipallida (=panatela]* ?????

Subfamily Calpinae (fruit piercing moths):

Plusiodonta compressipalpis, Moonseed Moth*

Scoliopteryx libatrix, The Herald*

Subfamily Catocalinae (underwing moths):

Allotria elonympha, False Underwing*

Caenurgina crassiuscula, Clover Looper*

Caenurgina erechtea, Forage Looper*

Catocala amatrix, The Sweetheart*

Catocala amica, Girlfriend Underwing*

Catocala cara, Darling Underwing*

Catocala cerogama, Yellow-banded Underwing*

Catocala concumbens, Pink Underwing*

Catocala ilia, Ilia Underwing*

Catocala insolabilis, Inconsolable Underwing*

Catocala junctura, Joined Underwing*

Catocala neogama, The Bride*

Catocala parta, Mother Underwing*

Catocala praeclara, Praeclara Underwing*

Catocala relicta, White Underwing*

Catocala ultronia, Ultronia Underwing*

Catocala unijuga, Once-married Underwing*

Drasteria [=Syneda] grandirena [=limbolaris]*

Panopoda rufimargo, Red-lined Panopoda*

Parallelia bistriaris, Maple Looper Moth*

Spiloloma (=Strenoloma) lunilinea, Moon-lined Moth*

Zale lunata, Lunate Zale*

Zale lunifera, Bold-based Zale*

Zale obliqua, Oblique Zale*

Zale undularis, Black Zale*

Subfamily Eublemminae:

Ledaea (=Spargaloma) perditalis, Lost Owlet*

Metalectra discalis, Common Fungus Moth*

Metalectra quadrisignata, Four-spotted Fungus Moth*

Subamily Euteliinae:

Marathyssa inficita, Dark Marathyssa*

Paectes oculatrix, Eyed Paectes*

Subfamily Herminiinae (dried-leaf moths):

Chytolita morbidalis, Morbid Owlet*

Chytolita petrealis, Stone-winged Owlet*

Idia (=Epizeuxis) aemula, Common Idia*

Idia (=Epizeuxis) americalis, American Idia*

Idia (=Epizeuxis) denticulalis, Toothed Idia*

Idia (=Epizeuxis) forbesii*

Idia (=Epizeuxis) julia*

Idia (=Epizeuxis) lubricalis, Glossy Black Idia*

Idia (=Epizeuxis) rotundalis, Rotund Idia Moth*

Idia (=Epizeuxis) scobialis, Smoky Idia*

Lascoria ambigualis, Ambiguous Moth*

Macrochilo (=Hormisa) absorptalis, Slant-lined Owlet*

Macrochilo (=Hormisa) litophora, Brown-lined Owlet Moth*

Palthis angulalis, Dark-spotted Palthis*

Palthis asopialis, Faint-spotted Palthis*

Phalaenostola (=Philometra) eumelusalis, Dark Phalaenostola*

Phalaenostola larentioides, Black-banded Owlet*

Renia factiosalis, Sociable Renia*

Renia flavipunctalis, Yellow-spotted Renia*

Renia salusalis*

Renia sobrialis, Sober Renia*

Zanclognatha laevigata, Variable Zanclognatha*

Zanclognatha lituralis, Lettered Zanclognatha*

Zanclognatha ochreipennis, Wavy-lined Zanclognatha*

Subfamily Hypeninae (owlet snout moths):

Hypena (=Bomolocha) abalienalis, White-lined Bomolocha*

Hypena (=Bomolocha) baltimoralis, Baltimore Bomolocha*

Hypena (=Bomolocha) deceptalis, Deceptive Bomolocha*

Hypena (=Bomolocha) manalis, Flowing-line Bomolocha*

Hypena (=Bomolocha) palparia, Mottled Bomolocha*

Hypena (=Plathypena) scabra, Green Cloverworm Moth*

Subfamily Scolecocampinae:

Amolita fessa, Feeble Grass Moth*

Amolita (=Arzama) obliqua, Oblique Grass Moth*

Isogona tenuis, Thin-lined Owlet*

Scolecocampa liburna, Dead-wood Borer Moth*

Giant Silkworm and Royal Moths of Berrien County, Michigan, and Vicinity

The giant silkworm and royal moths (Family Saturniidae) are among the largest and most brightly colored North American members of the Order Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). Adults of some North American species attain wingspans of up to 140 mm (5.5 in).

Collectively, Sherman Moore’s (1955) Annotated List of the Moths of Michigan (.pdf) and Butterflies and Moths of North America (BaMoNA) list 10 species (representing 3 subfamilies and 9 genera) as having been confirmed in Berrien County plus the neighboring counties of Cass and Van Buren in Michigan and La Porte and St. Joseph in Indiana. Also, another 4 species (representing 2 additional genera) are likely to occur in the region based on their widespread distribution in Michigan and adjacent States (BoMaNA).

In total, then, 14 species representing 3 families and 11 genera have been cofirmed (or are likely to be found) in Berrien County and vicinity. These 14 species represent 82.4 percent of the 17 species documented from Michigan, 18.2 percent of the 77 species found in the U.S. and Canada, and 1.27 percent of the approximately1,100 species known worldwide.

In the following list, species documented from Berrien County are boldfaced, counties with confirmed records are listed in parentheses, and species whose presence is suspected based on their documented occurrence elsewhere in Michigan and surrounding States are in brackets (with indication of States where recorded). Species denoted with an asterisk (*) are from Sherman, those with a hat (^) are from BoMoNA. Scientific and common names follow All-Leps and the Bug Guide.

Subfamily Ceratocampinae (royal moths):

[Anisota stigma, Spiny Oakworm Moth^ (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)]

[Anisota senatoria, Orange-tipped Oakworm Moth^ (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)]

Anisota virginiensis, Pink-striped Oakworm Moth*^ (Berrien, Cass)

[Citheronia regalis, Regal Moth^ (IL, IN, MI, OH)]

Dryocampa (=Anisota) rubicunda, Rosy Maple Moth^ (Berrien, Cass, La Porte, Van Buren)

Eacles imperialis, Imperial Moth*^ (Berrien, Cass, La Porte, Van Buren)

Syssphinx bicolor, Honey Locust Moth^ (Berrien)

Subfamily Hemileucinae (buck and io moths):

Automeris io, Io Moth*^ (Berrien, Cass, La Porte, Van Buren)

[Hemileuca maia, Buckmoth^ (IN, MI, OH)]

[Hemileuca nevadensis, Nevada Buckmoth^ (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)]

Subfamily Saturniinae (silkmoths):

Actias luna, Luna Moth*^ (Berrien, La Porte, Van Buren)

Antheraea polyphemus, Polyphemus Moth*^ (Berrien, La Porte, Van Buren)

Callosamia angulifera, Tulip-tree Silkmoth*^ (Berrien, Cass, Van Buren)

Callosamia promethea, Promethea Moth*^ (Berrien, Cass, La Porte, St. Joseph, Van Buren)

Hyalophora cecropia, Cecropia Moth^ (Berrien, La Porte, St. Joseph, Van Buren)

Hawk Moths and Sphinx Moths of Berrien County, Michigan, and Vicinity

The hawk moths and sphinx moths (Family Sphingidae) are relatively large, colorful, and readily identified members of the Order Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). Adults of some species so very much resemble hummingbirds in flight (see, especially, the Hummigbird Clearwing) that they are often mistaken as such by lay persons. The moths of this group are recognized as important pollinators.

Collectively, Sherman Moore’s (1955) Annotated List of the Moths of Michigan (.pdf) and Butterflies and Moths of North America (BaMoNA) indicate confirmed records of 18 species (representing 3 subfamilies, and 13 genera) in Berrien County. Plus, BaMoNA lists another 13 species (representing an additional 3 genera) from the neighboring counties of Cass (2) and Van Buren (9) in Michigan and La Porte (5) in Indiana, and another 3 species (representing an additional 2 genera) that are likely to occur in the region based on their widespread distribution in Michigan and other Great Lakes States (BaMoNA).

In total, then, 34 species representing 3 subfamilies and 18 genera have been confirmed (or are likely to be found) in Berkeley County and vicinity. These 34 species represent 85 percent of the 40 species found in Michigan, 27.4 percent of the 124 species found in the U.S. and Canada, and 2.8 percent of the 1,200 species known worldwide.

In the following list, counties with confirmed records are listed in parentheses; species documented from Berrien County are boldfaced; and species whose presence is suspected based on their documented occurrence elsewhere in Michigan and surrounding States are in brakets (with indication of States where recorded). Species denoted with an asterisk (*) are from Sherman, those with a hat (^) are from BaMoNA.

Subfamily Macroglossinae:

Aellopos tantalus, Tantalus Sphinx*^ (Berren—the only record for MI of this tropical species)

Amphion floridensis, Nessus Sphinx^ (La Porte, Van Buren)

Darapsa choerilus (=pholus), Azalea Sphinx^ (Berrien, Van Buren)

Darapsa myron, Virginia Creeper Sphinx*^ (Berrien, Cass, La Porte)

Darapsa versicolor, Hydrangea Sphinx^ (Cass)

Deidamia inscriptum, Lettered Sphinx^ (Van Buren)

Eumorpha achemon, Achemon Sphinx^ (Van Buren)

Eumorpha pandorus, Pandorus Sphinx*^ (Berrien, La Porte, Van Buren)

Hemaris diffinis, Snowberry Clearwing^ (La Porte, Van Buren)

Hemaris thysbe, Hummingbird Clearwing*^ (Berrien, Van Buren)

[Hyles gallii, Bedstraw Sphinx^ (IL, MI, WI)]

Hyles lineata, White-lined Sphinx*^ (Berrien, La Porte, Van Buren)

[Xylophanes tersa, Tersa Sphinx^ (IL, MI, WI)]

Subfamily Smerinthinae:

Amorpha juglandis, Walnut Sphinx*^ (Berrien, Cass, La Porte, Van Buren)

Smitherinsis cerisyi, One-eyed Sphinx^ (Van Buren)

Smitherinsis jamaicensis, Twin-spotted Sphinx^ (Van Buren)

Pachysphinx modesta, Modest Sphinx*^ (Berrien, Cass, Van Buren)

Paonias excaecata, Blinded Sphinx*^ (Berrien, Van Buren)

Paonias myops, Small-eyed Sphinx*^ (Berrien, La Porte, Van Buren)

Subfamily Sphinginae:

[Agrius cingulata, Pink-spotted Hawkmoth^ (IL, MI)]

Ceratomia amyntor, Elm Sphinx^ (La Porte)

Ceratomia catalpae, Catalpa Sphinx^ (La Porte, Van Buren)

Ceratomia hageni, Hagen’s Sphinx^ (Laporte)

Ceratomia undulosa, Waved Sphinx^ (Berrien, Cass, Van Buren)

Dolba hyloeus, Pawpaw Sphinx*^ (Berrien, Cass, La Porte, Van Buren)

Lapara bombycoides, Northern Pine Sphinx*^ (Berrien)

Manduca quinquemaculata, Five-spotted Hawkmoth*^ (Berrien, La Porte, Van Buren)

Manduca sexta, Carolina Sphinx*^ (Berrien, Cass, La Porte, Van Buren)

Sphinx canadensis, Canadian Sphinx^ (Cass)

Sphinx chersis, Great Ash Sphinx*^ (Berrien, Van Buren)

[Sphinx drupiferarum, Wild Cherry Sphinx^ (IL, MI, OH, WI)]

Sphinx eremitus, Hermit Sphinx* (Berrien, La Porte, Van Buren)

Sphinx kalmiae, Laurel Sphinx*^ (Berrien, La Porte, Van Buren)

Sphinx luscitiosa, Clemen’s Sphinx^ (Van Buren)

Sphinx poecilia, Poecila Sphinx^ (Van Buren)

Unusual Field of View

It’s not often that one encounters Wood Ducks and American Robins in the same binocular view, but that’s what happened to me yesterday, probably for the first time in my life. Taking advantage of mild afternoon temperatures (in the high 60s), I put the rowboat in the water and rowed along the northern shoreline of Crescent Lake. Approaching a shallow northwesterly extension of the lake that is surrounded by woods on all sides, I spotted two Wood Ducks in the water very close to shore. I quickly put my binoculars on them and found that they were a pair, a male and female, both in high plumage. I soon realized that, immediately behind the Wood Ducks, on the adjacent shore and between them, was an American Robin. Nervous at my presence, the Wood Ducks slowly inched their way along the shoreline away from me. As they did so, the robin kept pace, hopping along the shore with them. It was amusing to see this unusual pairing of species not usually encountered in the same habitats (or at least not in the same field of view): an American Robin framed stunningly by a pair of Wood Ducks.

Birding and Business

It never occurred to me that there might be skills or strategies employed by top birders that could be adapted by successful business executives to improve the success of their businesses, but the Harvard Business Review claims there are. In 2002, the HBR published an articled entitled Spotting Patterns on the Fly: A Conversation with Birders David Sibley and Julia Yoshida which is still available for purchase. More recently, John Michl of the Thinking Analytically blog has published a series of short posts examining these skill sets, with pattern recognition and randomness being just two of them. I don’t suppose there would be something in here that would help bail out Wall Street?

Birds May Pick Up Chemical Cues from Insect-Damaged Trees

New research out of Finland suggests, not surprisingly, that insectivorous birds are attracted to herbivorous insect-damaged trees. What is surprising is that the birds may be attracted to insect-infested trees not so much by the presence of the insects themselves, as they are by the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) given off by the trees as a protection against insect herbivory.

2008 Blogger BioBlitz—My Results

Damn! I missed the Blogger BioBlitz—for the second year in a row! Either it wasn’t well publicized or I’ve not been keeping up on things, but most likely it was the latter. Luckily, not all is lost. The official dates for the 2008 Blogger BioBlitz were September 20-28. As it happened, I conducted standardized bird counts on seven days during that period, September 20-26, using a protocol defined by eBird as an “area count.” The area that I surveyed included my yard, adjoining Crescent Lake, adjacent scrubby areas, and a hardwoods forest on the opposite side of the lake. Between 1 and 2 hours were devoted to the daily counts.

Rather than submitting my results in the form of a “datasheet download,” I chose to provide a written summary here. I recorded a total of 55 species (min/day: 14, med: 26, max: 42) and a minimum of 1,874 individuals, or 268/day (min: 69, med: 205, max: 595); 17 species were observed just once during the 7 days, while 21 species were observed on 4 or more days. A detailed species list follows:

Canada Goose – 7 days, min. of 152 birds* (30.4/day); max: 65 on 24th

Mute Swan – 6 days, 12 birds (2/day, a resident pair)

Wood Duck – 6 days, 31 birds (5.2/day); min: 1, med: 5, max: 11 on 21st

Mallard – 3 days, 16 birds (5.3/day); max: 7 on 24th

Pied-billed Grebe – 1 bird on 25th

Double-crested Cormorant – 1 bird on 26th (I watched as this bird flew into and landed on Crescent Lake and then began feeding immediately)

Great Blue Heron – 1 bird on each of 4 days (1/day)

Great Egret – 1 bird on each of 2 days (25th & 26th)

Turkey Vulture – 3 days, 6 birds (2/day); max: 3 on 22nd

Red-shouldered Hawk – 3 days, 5 birds (1.7/day); max: 3 on 25th

American Coot – 1 bird on 26th

Ring-billed Gull – 6 days, 453 birds (75.5/day); min: 1, med: 39.5, max 313 on 25th

Mourning Dove – 6 days, 19 birds (3.2/day); min: 2, med: 3.5, max 4 (4 different days)

Eastern Screech-Owl – 2 days, 2 birds (1/day, heard calling)

Great Horned Owl – 1 bird heard calling on 21st

Chimney Swift – 4 days, 35 birds (8.8/day); max: 17 on 24th

Ruby-throated Hummingbird – 1 bird on 24th

Belted Kingfisher – 1 bird on 26th

Red-bellied Woodpecker – 5 days, 11 birds (2.2/day); min: 1, med: 1, max: 6 on 26th

Downy Woodpecker – 6 days, 11 birds (2.2/day); min: 1, med: 2, max: 3 on 26th

Northern Flicker – 3 days, 16 birds (5.3/day); max: 10 on 26th

Olive-sided Flycatcher – 1 bird on 24th

Alder Flycatcher – 1 bird on 24th (heard calling)

Eastern Phoebe – 6 days, 16 birds (2.7/day); min: 1, med: 1.5, max: 6 on 24th

Great Crested Flycatcher – 1 bird on 24th

Red-eyed Vireo – 2 days, 3 birds (1.5/day); max: 2 on 26th

Blue Jay – 7 days, min. of 109 birds* (21.8/day); min: 15, med: 19, max: 30 on 20th & 24th

American Crow – 6 days, minimum of 16 birds^ (4/day); max: 5 on 20th & 24th

Northern Rough-winged Swallow – 30 birds on each of 2 days, 21st & 22nd

swallow sp. – 2 days, 25 birds (12.5/day); max: 15 on 26th

Black-capped Chickadee – 4 days, 4 birds (1/day)

Tufted Titmouse – 6 days, 8 birds (1.3/day); min: 1, med: 1, max: 2 on 24th & 26th

White-breasted Nuthatch – 7 days, 17 birds (2.4/day); min: 1, med: 2, max: 6 on 24th

House Wren – 1 bird on 20th

American Robin – 7 days, 240 birds (34.3/day); min: 1, med: 18, max: 110 on 24th

Gray Catbird – 6 days, 84 birds (14/day); min: 1, med: 13.5, max: 26 on 26th

Brown Thrasher – 4 birds on 26th

European Starling – 6 days, 40 birds (6.7/day); min: 1, med: 2, max: 31 on 25th

Cedar Waxwing – 3 days, 75 birds (25/day); max: 30 on 20th

Magnolia Warbler – 1 bird on 26th

Yellow-rumped Warbler – 2 days, 8 birds (4/day); max: 7 on 26th

American Redstart – 2 days, 6 birds (3/day); max: 5 on 20th

Ovenbird – 2 birds on 24th

Common Yellowthroat – 1 bird on 20th

Wilson’s Warbler – 1 bird on 26th

Eastern Towhee – 2 days, 6 birds (3/day); max: 5 on 24th

Chipping Sparrow – 5 days, 78 birds (15.6/day); min: 5, med: 15, max: 23 on 24th

White-throated Sparrow – 1 bird on 26th (first of the fall)

Northern Cardinal – 7 days, min. of 30 birds** (5/day); min: 2, med: 5, max: 10 on 20th

Rose-breasted Grosbeak – 13 birds on 20th

Red-winged Blackbird – 3 days, 19 birds (6.3/day); max: 15 on 25th

Brown-headed Cowbird – 1 bird on 24th

Baltimore Oriole – 3 days, 6 birds (2/day); max: 4 on 24th

House Finch – 7 days, min. of 31 birds* (6.2/day); min: 5, med: 7, max: 7 on 3 different days

American Goldfinch – 7 days, min. of 180 birds** (30/day); min: 20, med: 30, max: 50 on 26th

House Finch – 4 days, 14 birds (3.5/day); max: 10 on 20th
^ Numerical estimates were made on only 4 days for this species
* Numerical estimates were made on only 5 days for this species
** Numerical estimates were made on only 6 days for this species

Project FeederWatch: Database Integrity

I signed up for Project FeederWatch today. I’ve never been a FeederWatch participant, but have always been under the assumption that it was a worthwhile citizen-science project that yielded useful information on winter bird populations.

After signing up, I went to the “Explore Data” section of the FeederWatch web site, as suggested in their press release. Once there, I pulled up a summary for the State of Michigan for 2007-2008. Imagine my surprise upon finding records of Common Ground-Dove (showing an “average group size when seen” of 14.1) and Black-billed Magpie (with an “average group size” of 11.0)! Both of these species are on the Michigan Bird Records Committee’s “Review List.” Their searchable database shows three records of Common Ground-Dove (most recently in 2000) and eight records of Black-billed Magpie (most recently in December 2006-January 2007), with no more than a single individual of each species reported during each sighting.

Other questionable species listed for the 2007-2008 count from Michigan include Mountain Chickadee, Juniper Titmouse, Black-crested Titmouse, Pygmy Nuthatch, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Cactus Wren, and Pyrrhuloxia. Needless to say, there are no confirmed records of any of those species in Michigan.

While I still believe that Project FeederWatch provides useful information on winter populations of common winter birds, internal controls (such as those instituted for eBird and the Great Backyard Bird Count) need to be put into place before such dubious records as those noted above make it into their online database.

Project FeederWatch Benefits Birds and People

Yeah, I know it seems like fall just rolled around. After all, the college football season is less than half over, and I haven’t even raked the leaves in my yard yet. Heck, most of the leaves haven’t even fallen yet. And fall migration is still in full swing.

Be that as it may, the start of the 2008-2009 season for Project FeederWatch is barely more than month away. That’s right, mark your calendars for November 8th and get ready for the all fun and excitement of being a FeederWatcher, while also making a useful contribution to our knowledge of winter bird populations. For information on how to participate, please read this news release from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:

Ithaca, NY-¬More than 100 studies have shown that getting closer to nature reduces stress and promotes a feeling of well-being in children and adults. So, filling feeders and counting the birds that visit may be just what the doctor ordered! For more than 20 years, that’s what participants in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Project FeederWatch have been doing-¬benefiting themselves and the birds.

"It is a great winter time activity for the whole family," says Alaska FeederWatcher Nancy Darnell. "If you have children, they will come to love watching the birds. All of this is fun and a chance to contribute to scientific studies, too!"

The 2008-09 season of Project FeederWatch gets underway November 8 and runs through April 3. Participants count the numbers and kinds of birds at their feeders each week and send the information to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Participants submitted more than 115,000 checklists during the 2007-08 FeederWatch season, documenting unusual bird sightings, winter movements, and shifting ranges-¬a treasure-trove of information that scientists use to monitor the health of the birds and of the environment.

"Being a FeederWatcher is easy and fun, and at the same time helps generate the world’s largest database on feeder-bird populations," says project leader David Bonter. "We are grateful for the contributions our participants have made for the birds and are proud of the joy they say it brings to their busy lives. Since we started in 1987, more than 40,000 people have submitted observations, engaging with the wildlife beyond their windows."

"Project FeederWatch opened up a whole new world for me," says participant Cheri Ryan of Lockport, Kentucky. "It’s so interesting to watch the activities of the birds. I learn something new each time I participate."

Scientists learn something new from the data each year, too, whether it’s about the movements of common backyard birds or unusual sightings of rarely-seen species. Highlights of the most recent season include the largest southward movement of Red-breasted Nuthatches in the history of the project¬-part of an expected influx of northern birds that fly farther south when their food supplies run short. Other northern species showing up in record numbers included Common Repolls and Pine Siskins. Among the rare birds reported was a Streak-backed Oriole in Loveland, Colorado-¬the state’s first report of this bird, native to Mexico. A December nor’easter deposited a Dovekie in Newton, Massachusetts, the first time this North Atlantic seabird has ever been reported to Project FeederWatch.

Long-term data show some species increasing in number, such as the Lesser Goldfinch in the Southwest. Other populations continue a downward trend, such as the Evening Grosbeak throughout their range. Once one of the most common species seen at feeders in the northern half of the continent, the grosbeaks are declining for unknown reasons.

Beyond the benefits to birds and science, however, is the benefit to participants. "Nature is not merely an amenity; it is critical to healthy human development and functioning," says Nancy Wells, Cornell University assistant professor of design and environmental analysis. Her studies find that a view of nature through the window or access to the environment in any way improves a child’s cognitive functioning and reduces the negative effects of stress on the child’s psychological well-being. Wells also notes that when children spent time with nature early in life it carries over to their adult attitudes and behavior toward the environment.

Project FeederWatch welcomes participants of all ages and skill levels, from scout troops and retirees to classrooms and nature center visitors. To learn more and to sign up, visit www.feederwatch.org or call the Lab toll-free at (800) 843-2473. In return for the $15 fee ($12 for Lab members) participants receive the FeederWatcher’s Handbook, an identification poster of the most common feeder birds in their area, a calendar, complete instructions, and the FeederWatch annual report, Winter Bird Highlights.

Many FeederWatchers echo this comment from Mary Strasser of Wisconsin: "The greatest reward for me as a participant in Project FeederWatch these many years has been observing birds and behavior that I might have missed had I not been part of this project."

Visit the "Explore Data" section of the FeederWatch Web site to find the top 25 birds reported in your region, rare bird sightings, and bird summaries by State or Province.