The songbirds around my yard have been very careful and quiet this summer. I have a Merlin nesting in my trees, and raising a family. Many people call to ask what they can do about "those terrible hawks" that kill their birds. I always try to get people to understand that those hawks are an important part of the biodiversity in the area. The so-called "good birds" and hawks have been living together in this world since birds evolved, and although the relative population numbers may tip one way or the other, neither side ever gets the best of the other. Each species fills a niche in the world, and if it is removed, the overall health of the environment suffers. People sometimes have an unrealistic perception of the value and "character" of a species. For instance, most tend to think of the Bald Eagle as "noble". Granted, it looks very fierce, and seems to personify strength and integrity, but in fact the Bald Eagle is a scavenger, and only hunts when it must. They hang around the brown bears fishing for salmon in the northwest, and grow fat on the parts the bears leave. They also are spending the winter around Kentville, Nova Scotia now, living on the dead chickens from the poultry farms around there. Does this make them any less worthy of our admiration? Just watch and enjoy the birds and animals that you see, and try to learn a bit about them.

A recent report in many newspapers about Middle Island in Lake Eerie, Canada's most southerly point, had an error in it. It said that the Black-crowned Night Heron exists only in the United States, and on this island, but nowhere else in Canada. It is very definitely here in Alberta! There are breeding records of this heron around Beaverhill Lake, and in Elk Island Park as well. This summer, a pair of night herons was nesting on our local golf course! Wildscape has a continuing battle with media people about incorrect reporting on the natural world. Sometimes we win the battle, as happened recently with the Discovery Channel. I had reported errors in the nature information on their web page, and it took 8 months of reminding them, but they finally answered my concerns and corrected some of the problem areas.

Nature is full of courtship behaviours that can be interesting, odd, or just funny to watch. There are singers, musicians, and performers of many other actions that make the study of behaviours so fascinating. Our native grouse are among the musicians, with the Ruffed (not ruffled) Grouse being the most accomplished drummer. Anyone living near forested areas will hear the drumming of this grouse, starting with a slow thump, thump, and slowly increasing to a rapid drum roll. The male will find a proper performance area, one that has a nice horizontal log for him to strut back and forth on, and then take his place on the log, look around, and start his solo for the enjoyment of any female grouse in the area. The Spruce Grouse, called by some the "Fool Hen" because of its trusting ways around humans, has a much shorter drum performance. When the male is displaying for the female, he will often fly across a clearing towards the trees, and just before reaching them, will clap his wings together over his back twice. Simple, but effective.

There is one bird that does something that always makes me laugh when I see it on film. This is the Tragopan, which lives in South-east Asia. This bird has a wattle-like throat pouch, and uses this to impress any prospective lady-friends. When he sees one in his area, he hides behind a rock, and inflates this pouch, which is white skin covered with brilliant blue and red lines and spots. When it is arranged to his liking, he slowly rises up from behind his rock like a Jack-in-the-box in slow motion. The female seems to be looking at him in utter amazement, wondering what on earth is going on! However, Tragopans seem to be managing to raise families, so the females must see something in this performance that I don't.