This and That

Temperatures are rising. Next week we’re anticipating days in the 80s, which raises the question, how do birds beat the heat? Osprey build their nests on open platforms that are exposed to all elements. And the Bald Eagles I watch are nesting in a tree that hasn’t yet leafed out to provide shade. These birds can’t just abandon their nests to change locales. Staying in the shade or bathing in a birdbath isn’t an option for them like it is for more mobile species. What options do the eagles and Osprey have? They can pant, which is technically guttural fluttering. They can turn their light colored feathers toward the sun to reflect heat. And, they can droop their wings over their offspring to cover them from the harsh Colorado sunshine.

Otherwise, it’s been a this and a that week, although not a boring one. I saw a Northern Harrier, or more descriptively a Marsh Hawk, with its characteristic white rump patch, as it combed the marshes in search of small rodents. I saw a coyote loping across the adjoining field, perhaps full on a meal of Northern Harrier eggs. While running, my husband and I espied an Osprey catching a fish in a river running narrowly through Cottonwood trees and marveled at the huge bird’s maneuverability. Today, I listened as a squirrel scolded me through my screen door from its perch on a Maple tree. And, every time I leave my house, I curse the dandelions while acknowledging that they provide early food for honeybees.