| Volume 11, Issue 10 |  | October 21, 2009 |
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In this Issue:
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Birding: Up Close and Personal
| Volume 11, Issue 10 | | October 21, 2009 |
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In this Issue:
|
Birding: Up Close and Personal
As one might predict, close encounters with birds do not occur nearly as frequently as sightings made on a walk through the woods, driving down the highway, or watching migrating flocks far overhead. Often, they occur when least expected. I've been amazed at the poor observational powers of white-winged doves as they land by our pond to drink. This can happen when I am within arm's reach of them. I might be weeding the garden or cleaning out plants in the pond, and suddenly, with a sweep of feathers, a dove lands nearby. At such times, I am usually so startled that I jerk away, and the motion then brings me to the attention of the bird and it flies away. But there was the brief moment when we made eye contact and I could see every feature and feather of its dumbfounded face. Maybe it thought the same of me.
 A hummingbird claims my flower subject as its own |
Perhaps the most frequent avian visitors to a garden are hummingbirds. Who has not been inspected by one of these little sprites, and instinctively ducked to avoid what sounds like a huge wasp or bee? Sometimes, the flower I'm photographing is the same one that a hummingbird wants too. Some of the funniest episodes I've watched in our backyard involve a pair of males: one a ruby-throated hummingbird and the other a neon skimmer. The latter is a brilliant red dragonfly that lives in and around our pond. When I am near the pond, the dominant male neon skimmer will always check me out, hovering nearby, perhaps hoping I will go away so he can get back to the job of watching for females. There are also flowers near the pond, which are of no interest to the skimmer, but certainly get the attention of hummingbirds. Sometimes, and I presume it is the red color of both that sets them off, male hummingbirds and dragonflies will chase each other around, even flying all the way around the house in only seconds and ending up back by the pond. Sometimes the bird chases the dragonfly and sometimes it is the other way around. Each is protecting a valuable resource, even if they don't happen to agree on what it is.
When I was about 6 or 7 years old, we had a large bird feeder in our backyard garden. It was up on a pole, well over my head, and was shaped like a triangle. Two sides were glassed in, while the open end had a flat fin-like projection; the whole contraption swiveled with the wind, just like a weather vane, keeping the open side leeward. One summer, a robin laid her eggs in a perfectly constructed nest right in the middle of this protected haven. With the help of my parents, I could get a lift up to see, first the eggs, and then later the nestlings. I took great delight in using tweezers to put earthworms into their gaping mouths. After we'd fed the brood, the parent would then appear and try to get them to eat even more. However, they were already stuffed and it was funny to see the adult almost scratching her head in confusion over babies that didn't want to eat.
Most chances to actually hold a wild bird occur when the bird is injured. Sometimes it ends well, such as once when a brilliant red cardinal flew into our glass door. We put the lovely creature into a box to see if it would recover. When we opened it up a short time later, it flew off as quick as any healthy bird might. Other times, there is no hope for the bird. Once, when riding my bike home from college, I found a blue jay in the road that had been hit by a car. It was flopping around but its neck was obviously broken. It was heartbreaking to have to put it out of its misery, but I also couldn't stand to leave it there to suffer.
A favorite vacation destination for our family was Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Our main activity there was always beach walking, and one time a storm had left several loons high and dry near the dunes. These are large birds, with feet so far back on their bodies that they have trouble moving about on land. My sister and I noticed that they couldn't seem to make it down the beach to the water. So, intrepid teenagers that we were, we went ahead, grabbed the beak to keep from being stabbed, lifted each struggling bird (careful to point the rear end away from us) and carried them down to the water. Once in the waves, they pushed off and swam away in no time.
 A cormorant tangled in fishing line awaits his fate |
Birds that learn to beg for food from humans, or even just get acclimated to their close presence, are usually easy to approach if not downright aggressive. I've been attacked by swans and geese that obviously feel that I'm withholding food when I don't even have any. Not to mention those that are protecting nests that I might kayak too close to. Herons and cranes in Florida routinely grab bait and catch alike from fishermen, and gulls can be so excited by the possibility of a free meal that it can feel like a scene from du Maurier's story, "The Birds."
I can only vaguely remember the myriad times I've seen flocks of birds overhead, from cloudlike swarms of blackbirds to thousands of cranes in an aerial highway far up in the sky, but the memories that remain in clear detail are those that happen to be close. Going home from high school, I once suddenly heard a loud whooshing sound and looked up to see a flock of Canada geese, flying just over the tops of the single story houses between which I was walking. On a recent trip to Wisconsin, we saw four trumpeter swans fly low over the field where we were planting trees. While walking the dog early in the morning, I've been buzzed by hawks, surprised by the silent flight of a very close owl, and totally alarmed as a turkey flung itself across the path, making so much noise that it sounded like a whole bevy of birds. Some birds just weren't meant to fly.
One of the cutest encounters was with a tiny burrowing owl. This was quite some time ago, and occurred at the edge of a parking lot on my morning dog walk. The little owl swept up from the side and landed on a boulder just 10 feet from me, and less from the dog's surprised face. It stood there for a while, staring us down, looking exactly like the birds in television documentaries that I'd seen. It cocked its head back and forth. And it didn't back down. We did. I pulled the dog away and we continued on our trek. I wasn't about to argue over territory with a feisty little owl!
Whether its the sudden discovery of a nest full of babies, a brief but memorable chance meeting, or an opportunity to help a bird out of a tricky predicament, there's nothing that beats the thrill of up-close birding.
| (The Terra Tabloid is a venue for the discussion of issues pertaining to the past, present, and future of our planet and human interaction with it.) |
Solar flares of the intensity of this Carrington Solar Flare are now not expected to occur more than about once per half-millennium, which is just as well for the health and stability of modern civilization. Scientists caution, however, that solar flare research is still in its early phase and that we do not yet know enough to rule out a repeat of an 1859 type event in our lifetimes. The 1859 super-flare caused devastation for the communication systems of even that day, with widespread melting of telegraph wires in Europe and North America, igniting numerous fires. Much upper atmosphere ozone was destroyed by the event as well. Northern lights phenomena, normally visible only in higher latitudes, were noticed as far south as Cuba, Rome, and Hawaii. Those in the Rocky Mountains were so bright that during the middle of the night gold miners there got up and began preparing breakfast, convinced it must be morning.
In 1989, a powerful solar flare knocked out communications throughout much of the French speaking Canadian province of Quebec. But the Carrington flare was three times stronger than that one. A similar occurrence today would likely overload power and communications lines with electrical surges and turn satellites into useless hulks of metal. As much of global commerce depends on the rapid transmission of information and communications via satellites and electrical grids, the 2008 near economic meltdown might seem afterward a mere hiccup compared with the havoc such a super solar storm could create. A few examples: controllers might be without data with which to guide landing aircraft in the congested skies above major airports; ATMs may stop working and providing cash; long-distance telecommunications could cease; credit cards authorizations may no longer be made; etc. To begin to restore things to normal might take many months. Meanwhile, depletion of upper atmosphere ozone would allow more of the Sun's powerful rays to reach the Earth's surface, detrimental to the biosphere generally and increasing the incidence of skin cancers.
With current technology, there is little that might be done to protect vulnerable grids and satellites from a Carrington-class solar event. At best, operators would have a chance to save information and shut down vital earth-based systems in advance of a super-flare's arrival, to minimize losses and accidents. Satellites in orbit might simply have to be replaced. It would be best to have a series of new ones waiting in the wings for launch once the solar storm had passed.
Given the stakes and the importance of preventative actions in advance of a new super flare's appearance, the study of solar flares and monitoring of the Sun's surface are given elevated priority among space agencies worldwide.
Primary Sources:
A Super Solar Flare. Trudy E. Bell & Dr. Tony Phillips in Science@NASA; May 6, 2008.
150 Years Ago - The Worst Solar Storm Ever. Robert Roy Britt in SPACE.com; September 2, 2009.
In honor of the upcoming Halloween holiday, this month's backyard beast features a true masquerader. What looks convincingly like a southern yellowjacket queen (Vespula squamosa) is actually a yellowjacket mimic syrphid (Spilomyia alcimus). This fascinating insect does not have a traditional colloquial name, so I simply gave it a descriptive one. While not numerous, it does show up regularly in the spring, feasting on the nectar of flowers.
This is a true fly, in the order Diptera. It is in the family Syrphidae, commonly called hover or flower flies. The family contains many wasp and bee mimics, and this particular species has one of the most elaborate costumes. Although their body shapes are similar, flies differ superficially in several respects from wasps, such as having two wings instead of four, larger eyes, and shorter antennae. It certainly makes sense that many flies, with little natural protection of their own, have evolved to mimic something a bit more dangerous, and resembling a large stinging wasp is definitely a good way to give predators pause.
As one of the largest of syrphid flies, this species is in fact the same size as a real queen yellowjacket. The basic colors are so close that it can fool even discriminating eyes, such as those of birds. The abdomen matches perfectly, the thorax is close, and even the legs are the same color. The wings have dark markings that make it look as if there are two pairs instead of just one. The large eyes have dark bands to give the impression of a smaller eye with a light band behind it, just like the model has. The fly is still missing the long black antennae of the wasp. If threatened though, it will hold its black front legs out and wave them up and down in a very good imitation of the movements of the wasp's antennae. Even when the fly is simply feeding at flowers, it moves just like wasps do, clambering about on the flowers more often than flying between them, and rarely pausing in its foraging.
Such an amazing impersonator must be seen firsthand to fully appreciate its design. During the spring, be sure to take a second look at the "wasps" feeding on small, densely packed blossoms.
Accordingly, I am not a cheerleader for REIT investing at this time. Rather, I would approach this investment category warily. Stocks have had a run-up of around 60% since March and REITs have done even better! One rarely sees this kind of short-term bull market without noting plenty of red flags warning the careful contrarian of imminent declines. A big sell-off is not guaranteed, but the risks are now apparently greater on the upside than the downside.
That being the case, why am I even bothering to mention REITs now? First, though one may occasionally call it right in the short-term, trying to time the markets perfectly, getting all in or out of them based on what one thinks they will do, is seldom an effective way to invest. Instead, some prefer to keep a certain percentage of their assets in liquid real estate assets at all times, as a way of better allocating their portfolios and so limiting overall risk. REITs usually do not go up or down right in synch with stocks. And, as mentioned, they tend to provide higher income. With foreclosures going up, more homes on the market, less consumer spending and so greater pressure on commercial real estate as well, real estate is no doubt going to be getting cheaper for awhile. This will be an opportunity for the better run REITs to buy more properties cheaply. In addition, given how much greater government debt levels are than only a couple years ago, there is concern about inflation just over the horizon, and REITs often perform well in an inflationary environment.
Yet, due to that big increase in REIT prices of late, I want to only get into this type investment a little at a time. Below, then, are several real estate investment trusts I think still look reasonably good and are worthy of consideration. Their average yield is 6.34%. (While HPT has no current dividend, it has a reasonably low price to earnings ratio [below 12]). With my own money, I intend to purchase some shares now and then review these assets later. If they still look attractive, I expect to buy more on market dips.
| Company | Symbol | Recent Price | Recent Yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Associated Estates Realty Corp. | AEC | $9.90 | 6.95% |
| Chimera Investment Corp. | CIM | $3.95 | 12.34% |
| Hospitality Properties REIT | HPT | $21.83 | 0.00% |
| Washington REIT | WRE | $28.02 | 6.07% |
As with all investing suggestions, though, I encourage one to first do her or his own duly diligent research, and/or consult a financial advisor, before acquiring any shares.
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With the demise of free webspace on Geocities (as of late October, 2009), some of our websites and pages have had to be moved. Nothing has disappeared from cyberspace, and our sites' internal links have all been updated, but the URLs of some segments, such as larvalbugGIF (a clipart resource), have changed. Enjoy the upcoming holidays of Halloween and All Saints' Day.
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| For others who may have chanced upon this site, larvalbug bytes is a monthly family-and-investment newsletter, put out by an old codger and sweet thing, with sometimes a little help as well from our engaging pooch, Peri. We invite readers' comments by and would also be happy to readers when new issues are published. Articles and stories from back issues are available in our archives. |
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Copyright © 2009 by LARVALBUG.
"Nightmare" and larvalbug web design by Valerie.
