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Backyard bird feeding is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding hobbies on earth. Join Cheryl and Kiersten as they talk all about bird feeding in the desert Southwest area of the United States. They talk birds, seed, feeders, and dealing with those pesky unwanted visitors!
Episodes
Monday Jan 31, 2022
Monday Jan 31, 2022
Summary:What is safflower? Who eats it? and How do I feed it? Join Cheryl and Kiersten as they tell you all about this under used but wonderful seed.
Show Notes:
https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/carthamus_tinctorius.html
https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/weeds/plants/safflower.html
To see a great shot of safflower flowers just search ‘safflower’ and chose images and plant will come up.
Background bird song: Naturescapes Backyard Birdswww.naturescapes.com
Our New email address, please reach out with comments, questions, or suggestions: thefeathereddesert@gmail.com
We are no longer sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited, Mesa but through personal experience we highly recommend their products.
Thursday Jan 27, 2022
Thursday Jan 27, 2022
Summary:A three-minute podcast from the hosts of The Feathered Desert about individual bird species found in the desert Southwest.
Show Notes:Song provided by Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, recorded by Ron Batie
Wild Birds Unlimited, Mesa https://mesa.wbu.com
Our New email address, please reach out with comments, questions, or suggestions: thefeathereddesert@gmail.com
Monday Jan 24, 2022
Monday Jan 24, 2022
Summary: The Gilbert Riparian Preserve in Gilbert, AZ is an oasis for birds and people in the center of the Phoenix Valley. Join Cheryl and Kiersten as they talk about this wonderful birding area and amazing water recycling development.
Show Notes:
Naturalist information came out of Desert Rivers Magazine Fall 2022 Issue: A New Naturalist Arrives at Gilbert Riparian Preserveby Liz Farguhar.
https://www.gilbertaz.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/riparian-persrve-at-the-water-ranch
Background bird song: Naturescapes Backyard Birdswww.naturescapes.com
Our New email address, please reach out with comments, questions, or suggestions: thefeathereddesert@gmail.com
We are no longer sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited, Mesa but through personal experience we highly recommend their products.
Monday Jan 17, 2022
Monday Jan 17, 2022
Summary: Have you ever wondered who is singing in your backyard? This series of The Feathered Desert can help you become an excellent audial birder. Join Cheryl and Kiersten as they play bird songs and calls in conjunction with discussing some of our desert birds. This is an interactive podcast so have your bird ID guide ready!
Show Notes:
References - The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America by David Allen Sibley
iBird Ultimate: Ultimate Guide to Birds App
Bird Song for Cactus Wren, Curve-billed Thrasher, Gila Woodpecker, and Gambel’s Quail provided by Kiersten Gibizov.
Bird song for Lesser Goldfinch and Great Horned Owl provided by Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Goldfinch recorded by Paul Marvin and Great Horned Owl recorded by Timothy Spahr
We are no longer sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited, Mesa but through personal experience we highly recommend their products.
Thursday Jan 13, 2022
Thursday Jan 13, 2022
Summary:A three-minute podcast from the hosts of The Feathered Desert about individual bird species found in the desert Southwest.
For our hearing impaired listeners, a transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean.
Show Notes:Song provided by Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, recorded by Nate Peterson
References: The Hummingbird Handbook by John Shewey
Our New email address, please reach out with comments, questions, or suggestions: thefeathereddesert@gmail.com
Transcript
Host voice - Welcome to the Feathered Desert’s What’s That Bird? A three-minute glimpse into the birds that we share this amazing desert landscape with.
Kiersten - Anna’s Hummingbird
This delightful resident of the SW is 3 and ½ to 4 inches in size with an eye-catching coloration including vibrant green on the head and back. Both males and females have a gray under belly. Adult males will have bright, rose red to pink iridescent feathers on the face, crown of the head, and throat with a thick white eye-stripe that cuts through the red feathers. Adult females have a small patch of red or pink feathers on the throat. These feathers are commonly known as gorget feathers. Males use these feathers to mesmerize the females during courtship. The bill of this hummer is dark colored and fairly straight in both sexes.
Here in Arizona we have the Anna’s Hummingbird all year round. Until the 1930’s, the Anna’s breeding range was confined to central and southern California but as people moved north and planted the flowers that hummers like and began offering hummingbird feeders, the Anna’s followed making them the northernmost year-round resident hummingbird. For this little gem, human expansion helped to increase their range and allowed them to survive winter weather. Since this happened so recently in the Anna’s history they never devised a migration path and have had to develop ways to survive the winter weather including relying on human offered nectar and employing torpor, a slowing down of body functions such as the heartbeat, to conserve energy to survive the cold nights. Our warm winter weather here in Arizona is especially attractive because our flowers bloom year round and our residents who love to watch these little wonders offer nectar in feeders all year long.
Anna’s Hummingbirds eat both nectar and small, soft bodied insects such as fruit flies and gnats. This species of hummingbird eats more insects than any other North American hummingbird.
Males and females are extremely territorial and guard their chosen areas aggressively. When you hear this song (Anna’s Hummingbird Song plays) know that you are most likely in the territory of a male Anna’s Hummingbird.
This is The Feathered Desert’s What’s That Bird? Bird song provided by The
Macaulay Library at The Cornell Lab of Ornithology recorded by Nate Peterson.
Monday Jan 10, 2022
Monday Jan 10, 2022
Summary: Join Cheryl and Kiersten as they talk about Arthur Augustus Allen, the first professor of ornithology and the designer of Sapsucker Woods. Dr. Allen was instrumental in developing Cornell University’s ornithology program as we know it today and he has a local connection to our Arizona community!
Show Notes:
Dr. Allen Information: Interview with Ingrid Dye, Dr. Allen’s great-niece
Sapsucker Woods: Cornell University’s Exciting New Sanctuary by Arthur A. Allen
Cornell Bird cameras: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/cams/
Background bird song: Naturescapes Backyard Birds www.naturescapes.com
Our New email address, please reach out with comments, questions, or suggestions: thefeathereddesert@gmail.com
We are no longer sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited, Mesa but through personal experience we highly recommend their products.
Monday Jan 03, 2022
Monday Jan 03, 2022
Summary:Join Cheryl and Kiersten as they take a peek inside the lives of one of our largest songbirds, ravens. This is the first of a four part series about Family Corvidae, a group of birds that have been boggling the minds of humans for generations.
Show Notes:
Further Raven Reading: Ravens in Winterby Bernd Heinrich
Mind of the Ravenby Bernd Heinrich
In the Company of Crows and Ravensby John Marzluff and Tony Angell
Dog Days Raven Nightsby John Marzluff and Collen Marzluff
Raven Sounds video: https://www.birdnote.org/explore/sights-sounds/video/2015/02/common-raven-chatter-and-some-comfort-sounds
Plant Spotlight: Queen’s Wreath aka Coral Vine http://southwestdesertflora.com/websitefolders/all_species/polygonaceae/antigonon%20leptopus,%20coral%20vine.html
Background bird song: Naturescapes Backyard Birdswww.naturescapes.com
Our New email address, please reach out with comments, questions, or suggestions: thefeathereddesert@gmail.com
We are no longer sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited, Mesa but through personal experience we highly recommend their products.
Monday Dec 27, 2021
Monday Dec 27, 2021
Summary: We love our birds and we love our cats but these two animals do not mix. Join Cheryl and Kiersten as they talk about the impact of feral cat populations and outdoor domestic cats on our songbirds. Learn about ways that we can all live together successfully.
Show Notes:
https://www.jacksongalaxy.com/blog/- blog about catios, walking a cat on a leash , and indoor cat play
Plant Spotlight: Ziziphus obtusifolia v. canescens, Gray Thorn https://southwestdesertflora.com/websitefolders/all_species/rhamnaceae/ziziphus%20obtusifolia,%20lotebush.html
Background bird song: Naturescapes Backyard Birdswww.naturescapes.com
Our New email address, please reach out with comments, questions, or suggestions: thefeathereddesert@gmail.com
We are no longer sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited, Mesa but through personal experience we highly recommend their products.
Thursday Dec 23, 2021
Thursday Dec 23, 2021
Summary:A three-minute podcast from the hosts of The Feathered Desert about individual bird species found in the desert Southwest.
For our hearing impaired listeners, a transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean.
Show Notes:Song provided by Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, recorded by Rich Hoyer
Our New email address, please reach out with comments, questions, or suggestions: thefeathereddesert@gmail.com
Transcript
Host voice - Welcome to the Feathered Desert’s What’s That Bird? A three-minute glimpse into the birds that we share this amazing desert landscape with.
Kiersten - The lesser nighthawk is in the nightjar family and is found in the desert SW of Arizona during spring and summer. It overwinters in Mexico and Central America. The lesser nighthawk is a crepuscular bird, hunting for insects on the wing during sunset and sunrise and occasionally at night during full moons. They are 8 to 9 inches in length, are mottled brown, gray, and black in coloration on most of their body. A white throat stripe and wide, white wing bands distinguish them in flight. The beak is small but opens wide to catch insects. Semibristles which are specialized sensory feathers with a stiff central shaft and barbs at the base grow near the nighthawk’s mouth to help it sense and catch insects. They are often referred to as “flying cigars.”
When you hear this call (Lesser Nighthawk call plays) you know you have lesser nighthawks swooping and diving to catch insects such as mosquitos, beetles, moths and grasshoppers near you. They hunt most often near ponds and along desert washes. During the day they roost on the ground in the shade of small shrubs where their mottled coloration blends them seamlessly into the background. During breeding season, they also make their nests on the ground using only small pebbles to keep their eggs steady during incubation.
Lesser nighthawks are attracted to yards with abundant insect activity. Planting native trees, shrubs , and flowers to increase good insect activity very well may bring the Lesser Nighthawk to your yard.
This is what’s that bird?. Bird Song Provided by Macauly Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology recorded by Rich Hoyer.
Monday Dec 13, 2021
Monday Dec 13, 2021
Summary:Technology is entwined in our daily lives. Cheryl and Kiersten have discovered some of the ways that scientists are utilizing technology to make strides in conservation. Join them as they tell you about some of the technology that is helping save our wildlife!
Show Notes:
https://www.ducks.org/conservation-goes-high-tech
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/01/10-top-conservation-tech-innovations-from-2017/
https://qz.com/1630392/conservation-scientists-are-using-cutting-edge-tech-to-save-the-kakapo/
https://birdcast.info/news/a-primer-for-using-weather-surveillance-radar-to-study-bird-migration/
https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-a-geographic-information-system-gis
Our New email address, please reach out with comments, questions, or suggestions: thefeathereddesert@gmail.com
We are no longer sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited, Mesa but through personal experience we highly recommend their products.