Bird Series
In January 2011, I was invited to join a new team competing in the Carden Challenge where teams compete to identify the greatest number of bird species in a 24 hour period. My song ID skills at the time were not great so I spent the next three months studying and listening and practicing. At the time, I thought I was doing it just for the Challenge. Now I realize that those months spent learning have led to some pretty fantastic work opportunities.
I was interested in birds long before I had any clue that geocaching existed. So when it came time to place some caches, what better way to combine the two interests. How many of these birds can you identify?
Ruffed Grouse
Whenever I see a ruffed grouse I can't help but smile. This crazy bird will often sit on the road and when your car approaches, it does not run. Nope, instead it will start moving ever so slowly on tiptoe as though it is thinking, “If I move slowly enough, they won't see me.”
If you encounter one in the woods though, it is likely to give you a heart attack as they will wait until you are nearly stepping on them before they burst up from the undergrowth.
If you listen carefully, you might hear the male drumming – a sound made by rapidly beating his wings. People will often say that they “feel” the sound more than they hear it. As the bird quickly rotates its wings forward and backward, the air that rushes into the temporary vacuum beneath the wings generates a deep thumping sound wave that can carry up to a quarter of a mile.
In our northern area, ruffed grouse will bury themselves in snow which provides insulation against colder night-time temperatures. After those occasional days of freezing rain when the surface becomes a sheet of ice, birds have been known to break their necks as they try to dive deep.
The Kris Starr Sanctuary is owned by the Couchiching Conservancy. The Conservancy is working on establishing guidelines for cache placements. I obtained permission to place this one cache near the entrance to the property.
