Food

 

Food, and  feeding animals especially is a complex and often misunderstood subject. Often this is because different groups of people have different ideas about the basic concepts we use to discuss the issues. As spring-like weather conditions begin in the Corrales bosque, this bears repeating for those of us nature watchers who see changes coming.

Often,biologists tie themselves in knots trying to categorize animal behavior into "courtship" or "territorial behavior", "feeding", or "socializing". Watching these white winged doves at a bird bath I think the activities would be basically "flexing". They are all on the dance floor, and later will pair off as the party winds down, so to speak. Bird feeders are very popular during the winter, and allow the support of a large number of social birds. And by social, I mean, of course, bossy brats.

 

 

In science, to observe something clearly is to categorize it into something with well defined attributes. Something is, or it is not. But life can be messy. This crow is very handsome, and acts smart up close. But they are also messy, noisy and pests as well. This not a "good" or "bad" thing. It is just something to be observed. Notice how the other crows are waiting to see how this french fry transaction goes down before making any more plans. This is a different sort of bird feeder, not socially sanctioned by the city of Albuquerque (although only feeding city pigeons has a city sanction)

 

Shelter and food activities are so intertwined I feel they should be considered one term, maybe "homesteading"? Along the clear ditch there are many burrows, some new, some old. Many are made by muskrats and other rodents, and are then borrowed by shy, reclusive birds such as snipes, woodcocks, avocets, rails, sandpipers and yellow-legs. Most people will never see these mud feeders because these birds don't advertise themselves. Even most birders will wait for an observation to pop up on a popular birding program before flocking to a documented sighting to get a sought after a "lifer" for a "checklist". A good birding camera is about $1500 and a good pair of binoculars costs $300 so individuals take this hobby seriously. Most of these kinds of birds appear on birding lists around February and it takes real skill, luck, practice, and some determination to find them.

In the spring, you should see a lot more burrows of the Botta's pocket gopher around. This hole is likely from a male looking for a female's burrow. These gophers are otherwise very antisocial and quite fierce for a furball only 10 inches long. This hole was quickly plugged after a day, apparently no females in this area. An open burrow is good for surveillance, but invites too many visitors. Still, the risk of a home invasion is pretty low during the winter months.However, I know of at least one gopher snake that is hibernating at this location, and they have that common name for a reason...

Homesteads come in many forms. In the winter the old trees often shed branches after a freeze. Not only does this open the interior of the tree trunks for nest cavity builders like owls, but the sections that fall can open areas of the canopy when the forest is very dense. This allows new growth to take advantage of the light. This phenomena is well studied in the Pacific Northwest, but is also relevant in areas of dense mid story forest cover in the southwest, like the Corrales bosque.

Old trees are of no interest to loggers, or others natural resource industries. Hardwood trees in the desert southwest are even less in demand as they grow crooked, small and are full of fungus and imperfections. This cottonwood stump in the bosque as a great maze pattern caused by weathering, beetles, and fungi. The outer bark shows burn scars. This tree supports a lot of life, even after it died.

 

 While silverfish are still know as "pests" I would suggest that most houses are not the damp, cold places they were in Victorian times and do not often have moldy books and old fabrics like wool, cotton, wallpaper and silk lying around on the ground for silverfish to infest. This insect is sometimes found in old tree stumps and has the rare distinction of being able to digest wood, and pretty much anything else organic. It is also able to live for a year without food, if necessary. A true survivor species.

  

This is a non biting gnat genus Chironomidae. They will start appearing as soon as the temperature is above freezing at night and the ground is damp. I think they must be the first active insects of spring.They form a buzzing swarm of males to attract mates. The eggs are then laid in water. Many small birds like phoebes eat huge numbers of these insects, catching them one by one in their tiny tweezer-like beaks.

Coyotes have got to be the most polarizing wild animals in Corrales. It feels like no one wants to admit that these canids cannot be controlled, or that they are also anxiety provoking. On the other hand, humans will always attract coyotes as long as we continue to have livestock and pet owners. Food to a coyote includes fruits and vegetables, as they are omnivores, unlike those sneaky bobcats that prey on people's chickens. There is a den nearby that has 2-3 adolescent coyotes that are just learning about daytime, cars, domestic animals, and dog-walkers. This is the shy one. It just watched me this morning, learning what it could. Their mom has begun the process of abandoning them, and they are likely on their own now. This means this is a male, as the females stay with the pack.

This other coyote sibling was the more opportunistic one, but likely gets into more trouble. It was trying to get back to safety, but I was in the way, so it had to run past. No aggression (unlike most dogs, and dog-walkers) just had places it needed to be. Coyotes feel ill at ease in the daylight, as they are prey animals often hunted by wolves, mountain lion, bears, but mostly people. Over 1,000 coyotes are killed daily in the US. No one seems to know how many coyotes there are, but as long as humans kill their competitors, open the forests, and provide foraging opportunities, they are going to be around.

Everyone loves this big, dumb bird. Mostly because of that wonderful ruff of feathers on it's neck. While they are known for fishing, herons will also hunt gopher, mice and ducklings. Animals are not choosy, even those that are strictly carnivores, like this big lug.

I find this picture so odd in many ways. This is an introduced trout. These cold water fish are pursued relentlessly by people throwing fishing hooks into the water, and throwing trash everywhere else. The trout themselves alter ecosystems by eating everything else and harassing what is left. This particularly unlucky fish likely suffocated after a fisherman crushed it's delicate gills by rough handling. The government breeds more to replace them because anglers do pay (about 268 million dollars a year in NM!) for the privilege of fishing, unlike the majority of other non-lethal outdoor enthusiasts. In warm weather the trout die off if there is no deep, or fast flowing water, as the warm water cannot hold enough oxygen for them to survive. Salmonids, like trout are a fascinating area for study and depend on clear, cold water to thrive in the wild. This encourages investment in conservation efforts. This trout is likely going to end as a meal for the crayfish that are beginning to return to our waters after the recent drought.