California Towhee Guarding a Chick

The California towhee (Melozone crissalis) may not be a colorful bird, but it's full of personality. 

A large member of the sparrow family, CA towhees are found throughout western California, a small area of Oregon, and down into Baja Mexico. They are truly residents of the California floristic zone. 

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A pair of CA towhees lives in our yard and raises their chicks here every year. This monogamous species doesn't waste a lot of energy on fancy feathering. Their relationship is based on displayful dancing and successful co-parenting.

The CA towhee's call sounds like the piercing "beep" of a smoke-detector alarm when it needs a battery replaced. The towhee uses that call to keep in contact with a distant mate or, in this case, to communicate to a chick: "Stay hidden!" The closer I got to the chick, the closer together the alarm calls.

CA towhees nest in chaparral and they urge their chicks out of the nest as soon as possible. Frequently, chicks are just barely feathered. The youngster will stay hidden or sit motionless on a small branch until a parent comes to feed it or move it. A fledgling bird may not have fallen out of a nest, its parent may have moved it out for its own safety. A nest can attract predators. 

This chick was so well hidden we didn't see it, but the action of the parents told us it was there. Take a moment to watch the birds around you. If you pay attention their behavior may surprise you. They are intelligent creatures with purposeful actions.

More Earth Minutes with birds:

Ruffled Feathers - What's That Bird
Bewick's Wrens Build a Nest 
LA River through Atwater
Walk the Beach at Malibu, CA
Birding Descanso Gardens
Bird on a Frozen Big Bear Lake 
Birds and Marine Mammals of CA Channel Islands 
Mamukala Wetland, Kakadu National Park Northern Australia
Sulphur-crested Cockatoos on the Defense 

Earth Minutes with Birds and other Wildlife 

Visit Each Week for a New Earth Minute 

Before Breakfast - Lamoille Canyon , Nevada

Lamoille Canyon, Nevada - Sunrise

Thomas Canyon Campground

The sun takes a while to get down to warm the chilly campers.  

 At 7600 feet the Thomas Canyon Campgrounds
is a world away from the Nevada desert floor.

 

Walk with me before breakfast:

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For more videos on Lamoille Canyon, visit us at 

TheEarthMinute.com

The Voices of a River - Lamoille Canyon, NV

Busy Beavers in Nevada?

Band-tailed Pigeons take over Feederwatch!

Band-tailed pigeons (Patagioenas fasciata) are some of the larger  native birds we find in our backyard. 

Flocks of over 35 at a time have come to jostle each other and eat in shifts from our feeder.

 

 
They usually eat acorns, nuts and small fruit that grows wild in the neighborhood.

 

But they LOVE the shelled peanuts in the bottom of the feeder tray!!

Visit us at TheEarthMinute.com!  

And view more in Southern California:

Honey Bees in a Lemon Tree 

This Morning In a Habitat Yard 

Backyard Breakfast Buddies - Reptile Style 

Ring-necked Snake in the Garden

This Morning in a Habitat Yard 

Santana Winds Come to Los Angeles October 29, 2015

The Santana Winds have come to Los Angeles.

 October 29, 2015

The term "Santana winds" is said to have originated in Spanish California when the hot, dry winds were called "devil winds."

Maybe you've heard of them as "SANTA ANA WINDS"? 

At the turn of the last century, an Associated Press correspondent mistakenly identified Santana winds as "Santa Ana" winds in a 1901 dispatch.

Raymond Chandler wrote a 1938 short story about them called 

 "Red Wind"

"There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks.
Anything can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge."

View a video from our yard as the winds parch the drought stressed plants early the  morning....

 And view more in Southern California : at TheEarthMinute.com

View more videos!

 Leaves on CA Native Plants Fight Drought

This Morning in a Habitat Yard 

 (CA towhee, band-tailed pigeons, ruby-crowned kinglet, Bewick's wren, CA desert tortoise) 

Visit Pierce College Botanical Garden 

California Misses the Rain -Take an Autumn Walk in New York's Central Park

In Southern California we are in the middle of a record drought.

This October we visited New York City's iconic

Central Park and took a walk on a wet and beautiful fall day.

Join us on our rainy day stroll through the park! 

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Subscribe and visit us every week to watch more at:

 TheEarthMinute.com

The Voices of a River - Lamoille Creek, Nevada

River water flows across rocks and through narrow turns,
speaking to all who will listen.

Take a minute to hear Lamoille Creek's voice
sing from different throats along it's course.

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Lamoille Creek is one of the largest 

in the Ruby Mountains of Nevada.

From Elko, Nevada follow State Route 227 to

Lamoille Canyon.

The stream flowed through a wonderful campground at Thomas Canyon.  And further up Lamoille Canyon beaver had created habitat for wildlife. 

Hear other location specific audio.

Visit each week to see and hear a new

 The Earth Minute.

Sea Birds on the Great Barrier Reef - Michaelmas Cay, Queensland, Australia

22 nautical miles from Cairns, Queensland, is Michaelmas Cay, a bird reserve and incredible place to snorkel, dive or do some bird watching! 

A dive boat, certified for ecotourism, takes you directly to a strip 

of sand beside the protected nesting sites.

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The sounds were fantastic!  So have a look at the video and listen to the recording from the beach. Wait for the surprise!

Can you spot the brown booby among the common noddies? 

We used Seastar Cruises, and they were so great and knowledgeable!   Below is one of their pictures.

Listen to the River! Russian River Adventure Canoe Trip Healdsburg, CA

Summer is a hot time in California.  
What better plan than a canoe trip on the Russian River just outside of Healdsburg in Sonoma County?

Listen to the sound of the birds, the inflatable canoe squeaking along, the dip of the paddles, and the sounds of the river flowing by.

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Enjoy and cool down a bit! 

An easy paddle and float trip - Then head to Healdsburg Plaza Park for an outdoor concert?!

http://russianriveradventures.com/ has great trips!

Bewick's Wrens Build a Nest

Sometimes an EarthMinute happens on your doorstep.
 
The Bewick’s wren (Thryomanes bewickii) is a small brown bird with a large voice and a constructive nature. The male builds several nests and his mate chooses the one she likes best. Nests are built in cavities–holes in trees, nest boxes, even baskets and gourds. One year Bewick's wrens built a nest in a pot on our back porch.  This year they’ve built a nest in the brain cavity of a cow skull.

Listen for their vocalizations as they communicate with each other.

For an extended 4 minute version with more building action, check out AnimalBytes.net.

 

Watch Green Tree Ants, Cape Tribulation, Queensland, Australia

Green tree ants (Oecophylla 
smaragdina) are found through out the tropical rainforest of northern Queensland, Australia. They are occasionally referred to as weaver ants as they form large leafy nests fastened together by strands of silk secreted by their own larvae.
 These large ants range in size from 4-10 mm in length. These green ants were about 7mm - over a quarter of an inch long.
This HD video and audio were recorded in Cape Tribulation in Tropical North Queensland, Australia on the railing of our bungalow in the rainforest. Listen for the sounds of the rainforest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weaver_ant