Song

 Life and death are but one thread, a thin line viewed from different sides - Lao Tzu

As the signs of spring spread across New Mexico it really does feel as if the earth is waking up, albeit in fits and starts. There are many ways it is seen; in the mid afternoon warmth, bird migrations, flower and bud emergence, or new problems such as flying insects or weeding in a constant yearly cycle.

 

 The beautiful birds go through the most obvious changes as some come, and others go. The sandhill cranes leave, and the colorful hummingbirds eventually take their place. In Corrales, the ducks are some of the most obvious migrants to notice. This male merganser is very striking. Among birds, and ducks specifically, the beak identifies what the bird eats. This long, hooked bill is designed well for catching fish and is edged with tiny, backwards pointing serrations that act a little like teeth.

 

The gadwall is a small duck very much at home in small ponds out in the prairies. It is a vegetarian dabbler, but will eat insects and snails during the breeding season. This can be seen in the short bill used to grasp and shred vegetation.

The red shafted flicker is a common winter bird, but can be found in Corrales year round. During the summer it feeds on ants, and in the winter it eats berries and seeds. It is a type of woodpecker, but uses its long bill to probe soil rather than soft wood. It hunts in trees, so has the stiff tail feathers common to all woodpecker species.

The house finch is a common bird that feeds on weed seeds, and plant buds. The thick bill is also ideal for opening seeds found at bird feeders. It is native to the Southwest, but has colonized the whole of the US due to New York pet stores in the 1940's which sold them under the name of "Hollywood finches"

Western Bluebirds like to ambush insects from a low perch. Their delicate bills are perfect for plucking small insects from the air, or the ground.

Woodhouse scrub jays look a bit like blue birds, but are much bigger and stout. They can be found anywhere there are peanuts being offered at bird feeders, they are common in the lateral ditch in Corrales due to several houses putting out peanuts for them. That tough bill is the perfect compromise between many different feeding styles.

A clear sign of spring is the return of the wood ducks. These small ducks have claws for gripping the furrowed bark of mature cottonwood trees where they roost and nest. Their distinctive warning whistles will become very common by the time summer has arrived.

There are some insects we know little about. The cockroach is not one of them. These insects are actually pretty rare in Corrales due to all the natural predators that feed on them. They are often found near farms and houses in the evening due to the need for moisture. Their presence often suggests a water leak, and refuse.

Small cobweb spiders are outside during the day and dominate the sides of stucco houses until the ants become widespread in the summer. Their common name is "comb footed spider" but there are many different species in this group.

While the mass hatchings of insects is still months away, there is some mayflies coming out. This small hatching is enough for the birds and fish to become more active, and presages the flood of insects used to raise the next generation of fins and feathers.

This carpet beetle is a common pest of museums where they eat natural fibers. Some of their famous cousins in the desmestid beetle group are used to clean skulls for taxidermy. They are also famous for being model organisms for studying circannual cycles in birds and mammals (including humans). While these adults feed on pollen, their larvae feed on...humans. Specifically their discarded skin particles, also known as household "dust", along with leather, silk, feathers, cotton, and wool products. They are not bed bugs, but you'd be forgiven if you got confused during research among the plethora of pest control articles on carpet beetles.

 

 While that beetle doesn't look like the voracious scavenger that it is, this animal needs no introduction as a dangerous, bloodthirsty.... okay, whatever. I'm not out to change anyone's opinion of coyotes. I will say I know these song dogs mostly eat small rodents and apples in Corrales, when they can find them. They are VERY misunderstood and demonized creatures, but they are thriving in spite of human misunderstandings and clearly don't need my help to thrive. They do rarely kill domestic animals, but also are prey animals themselves to mountain lions. Unsupervised dogs are a far more dangerous canine in terms of risk to people and their pets.

The warm weather has just enticed the first of the turtles out of hibernation. These masters of camouflage are not the snapping mousetraps the internet makes them out to be...at least in the cold of spring. But like all animals, they are worthy of respect. The small ones also release stinky musk as a way to deter those who get too close. Those "holes" are elm bud caps landing on the thick mud of the shell.

The ditch banks are a complex mosaic of interacting ecosystems. Here, the banks have not been mowed. The long grass strands have become gothic arches leading into sun dappled tunnels used by frogs, birds, and rodents to travel while protected from predators of both fur and feather.

Dead plants, like this stand of willow bacchus are vital to controlling moisture, temperature, and shade to other plants. The dry stems are nurseries to grasses and sensitive tree seedlings as well as hiding the seeds. The plants also collected cottonwood leaves around their bases and the extra nutrients foster further plant and insect growth, sustaining the whole bosque ecosystem. The roots not only stabilize soil, but also aerate and break up soil below ground.

Spring time is also a period when many animals are vulnerable. Those that are weak from cold or starvation will fall prey to bacteria and viruses that begin to spread as the temperature rises. This dark eyed junco likely died from an infection. They often catch colds such as conjunctivitis at bird feeding stations, which is lethal as they slowly starve to death while blinded.

Turtles are slower during the cold evenings of spring. Often, the earliest to leave hibernation will die as they migrate to breeding sites. This one looks like it was run over by a vehicle as it warmed up in the evening sun. It is a maxim of biology that life and death are the same thing in the endless evolution of species. Each death also leads to life for other species as energy travels through the trophic levels as species use it to resist entropy. The beauty of a merganser's bill, and the pale intestines of a dead turtle are all part of the same circle that links all of us people together.