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Help Protect Nature! |
Welcome to Knock on Wood, The Nature Conservancy's reality series that allows readers to follow along as relocated red-cockaded woodpeckers mate for life, nest and support newborn chicks at The Nature Conservancy's Disney Wilderness Preserve.
June 29, 2009: Final Thoughts on our Second Season
Thanks for following the Conservancy’s “reality series” – our RCW cast has had its ups and downs! But unless the unexpected occurs, this is the season’s final episode.
Some of you are concerned about June and Ward, whose tree suffered a direct lightning strike last week.
Great news! We spotted them, alive and healthy, in the same territory. All cavities known to be occupied were peeped on June 24, and no eggs were found. Staff will continue monitoring the cavities through July but we may not see additional nests this season.
Generally, Knock on Wood was promising! Of the 20 RCWs relocated to The Disney Wilderness Preserve, 15 remain. This far exceeds the normal 50 per cent retention rate. Better yet, six pairs have bonded and set up housekeeping – and four couples produced eggs this year, showing promise for the future.
Recently we were thrilled to band three chicks, one of which – named Uno – survived to fledge the nest. She is thought to be the first RCW to fledge on the preserve since the 1970s and, although she apparently did not survive long after that, we honor her gutsy achievement.
A young, small population like ours faces an uphill battle in the best of years. But our cast endured a serious drought and inadequate buffet of bugs, followed by a deluge of record-breaking rains with vicious electrical storms. Hoo-boy.
Yet (big round of applause) the RCW cast is adapting well to its new environment. And (drum roll, please) additional new juveniles will be brought in next October to join them! We’ll offer you an update on this site when that occurs.
Otherwise, please join us in March 2010 for Season 3. And let’s hope that Mother Nature will be a bit gentler with Forrest, Lily and the rest of the gang next spring.
Monica
June 18, 2009: Forrest reports a lightning strike
Monica flew north on vacation this week, so asked me to report out to you. No problem.
Our new assistant director, Jen, slogged through flooded roads on Wednesday to visit everyone’s territory. She’s doing a fabulous job but didn’t find much action.
We’re trying not to take things personally. However, today’s big news is that a lightning bolt hit June and Ward’s tree. As you can see from the photo: Ka-blammm! Right below the front door. Any eggs in their nest would have been fried. We don’t know for sure if the tree will stay healthy, or if the couple is okay. They weren’t home when Jen peeped.
Lightning scar © Jen Milikowsky/TNC
There are no RCW chicks or eggs this week. Several couples still want to nest, but Lily and I may give it up. We’ll try again in 2010 (gee, that sounds like a campaign slogan: Try Again in 2010.) I’m a year older than Lily, but we expect to have many good years together.
In the romance department, Desperado still hasn’t attracted either of the single females despite having built up a really fine territory. Chew on some peppermint, dude.
And darn this weather anyhow!
Forrest
June 11, 2009: Foiled again
Disappointed again! We followed George and Gracie around their territory for over an hour yesterday, but their behavior did not lead us to believe that Uno remains alive. We believe that a predator took her after she fledged, during her first vulnerable days out of the nest.
However, all active RCW clusters were peeped and we saw what appears to be the beginning of a second wave of nesting. June and Ward may be getting ready to lay their second nest of the season, and Zelda and Arlo – a young Season 2 couple – may be nesting as well. Both females were flushed from the nest cavity when they would normally be out foraging.
All the activity up to now was apparently just practice. When the first batch of nests fail, it is common for birds to regroup for a couple of weeks and then create a second wave. This year’s first efforts were probably doomed by the early drought and shortage of insects.
But now Florida’s steady seasonal rains have returned, the bugs are booming and our stars are aligned! We have high hopes for the second wave, and will look for new eggs by the end of next week.
Monica Folk
June 8, 2009: Where's Uno?
When Knock on Wood began in April, we promised you adventure, romance, heartbreak and intrigue. There’s been plenty of the first three so far, and today we offer up some intrigue. Uno, the most successful chick of the season, was due to fledge the nest last week. When we tried to visit, she was nowhere to be seen.
Newly fledged chicks will often “free-roost” a distance from their cluster for their first few weeks. Uno’s parents, George and Gracie, did a super sneaky job of losing us when we tried to follow them to her location. We’ll look again mid-week, and I am hopeful that Uno has just been hiding.
We were disappointed to find Forrest and Lily’s second nest empty. There is no clear explanation, although it is obvious that Brooke is still hanging around. Two unrelated females living in the same cluster is not a good situation. Move along, Brooke, and let these two live in peace. A handsome bachelor is just a mile and a half away!
Good news (for birds): Busloads of bugs have arrived.
We’ll be back later this week.
Monica Folk
June 4, 2009: News from the preserve
Recently the Conservancy’s stage crew ventured hopefully into RCW territory. But today we must report a setback, and encourage you to join us on Monday evening for what we hope will be exciting news.
It is time for Uno to fledge, and by Monday we should know if she succeeded!
Also by Monday, we will have chatted with Forrest and Lily and – with luck – have videotape to introduce you to their new family. The nest was not peeped earlier this week, because that might have disturbed eggs in the midst of hatching.
However, I am sad to report that little Ashley – the sole remaining chick of Rhett and Scarlett’s nest of three – has died. We found her remains in the cavity with no obvious signs of disease or injury.
The RCW population is seeing similar losses across Florida, and we assume that excess water in the cavity was to blame. June and Ward’s nest was empty. There is plenty of time to re-nest this year, so please join us in wishing these hard-working couples well.
And don’t be discouraged … we are immensely proud of this pioneer population of RCWs. It’s remarkable that 15 of 20 translocated birds remain. To see bonded pairs create their first nests – and watch their tiny chicks hatch – seems nothing short of a miracle!
Monica Folk
June 1, 2009: RCW crew caught on camera
They grow so fast! Above is recent peeper-scope video. This chick’s head is quite clear in the video, and a lack of red feathers indicates she is likely a girl. At about 15 days of age, males begin to develop a small patch of red feathers on each side of the head.
The camera captured stage crew members Monica Folk and Jen Milikowsky being blown around by a rather nasty storm. Kristina Jackson, state RCW Safe Harbor Coordinator, also helped while conducting a required site inspection. As gently and steadily as possible under the conditions, they inserted the peeper-scope camera into the RCW cavity. At about 35 pounds, the peeper-scope has a maximum extended reach of 50 feet.
Follow Forrest on Twitter.
May 28, 2009: Forrest speaks out!
Forrest, the no-longer lonely RCW bachelor from Season 1, has been bursting with news, so Monica Folk graciously allowed him to take over her blog today.
Producers at The Nature Conservancy and host Monica Folk apologize to any serious birders who are offended by this tongue-in-cheek blog, and acknowledge that birds don’t actually speak.
Thirteen inches? All that rain – in May?!? – shattered records. We’ve got bugs out the wazoo now, but some of these huge storms brought their own problems. Water in the cavity is serious, plus it’s hard to work my trees or go foraging in a constant downpour. I know that some of you were concerned about us, and thanks.
But we’re tough little birds and have hung on with both wings. All of us are so proud of Uno – who appears to be a girl, by the way. She looks great, you’ll hardly recognize her!
And one of Rhett and Scarlett’s little Mother’s Day chicks, banded just last week, has survived – we’ve dubbed it Ashley. It’s too cute and looks pretty healthy.
The most important news, of course, comes from my beautiful Lily and me. We started our first nest on May 12. Sadly, no eggs survived. But, we picked ourselves up, wrung ourselves out and have begun a second nest! Monica was tickled pink when she peeped and found me sitting on another egg (yes, I’m secure in my manhood).
June and Ward were late starters this year, but she was spotted incubating two eggs. Considering everything, they may have been smart to wait. Arlo and Zelda – still nothing.
But out of 15 birds and six possible nesting pairs, we now have four active nests! Hey, we’re one mean RCW machine.
Brooke is still alone at the back of my cluster, and Desperado (gosh, he reminds me of myself last year!) returned to his lonely bachelor pad in the northeast. What to do? Other folks’ problems are so easy to solve. Maybe the threesome in the eastern territory will work it out, but none of us is holding his breath.
Please cross your fingers for Uno, Ashley and the eggs in our current nests. Believe me, here on the preserve we are knocking on wood!
Forrest, the no-longer lonely RCW
May 20, 2009: Banding RCW chicks
Scarlett and Rhetts's chicks being banded.
Technical difficulties (downpouring rain and wet cameras) prevented an updated video of Uno's banding. But please check out the video above and photographs below of Rhett and Scarlett's tiny new chicks being banded!
The rain dance must have worked – Hurray! Some areas in central Florida have gotten up to 8” of rain in the last few days. The food supply for our RCW’s should greatly improve now as Florida’s legendary bugs begin to proliferate. Wetlands have seemed to fill up almost overnight on The Disney Wilderness Preserve.
We made it to Rhett and Scarlett’s nest early on Monday morning, and were thrilled to see that two hatchlings had survived! The chicks were banded VERY carefully. Banding is necessary to help scientists identify each bird and monitor the population of this endangered species.
Both chicks were underweight, at 16 and 13.5 grams – the average is about 20 grams at banding age of 7-9 days. We hope that these two little ones benefit from the rains and live to tell their tale.
Monica banding new RCW chicks © Alena Jackson
Weather restricted us from peeping into all of our occupied cavities, and we will be kept guessing about what the rest of the cast is up to for a few more days. Will Uno be closer to fledging the nest and will Forrest and Lily be feeding some chicks? Check back next week, I’ll update you when we’re able to do another full peeping.
FYI - the white and silver bands on the right leg is the population code for the preserve—on the left leg, the top color is the "cohort" color for all birds born in a season – red this year – and the other two colors are flexible.
Monica Folk
May 12, 2009
Exciting news – three RCW nests are in active stages of development at The Disney Wilderness Preserve! And, central Florida’s seasonal rains have finally begun. Bugs should now be plentiful at every feeding, improving the survival rate of our future hatchlings.
Still in first place, stars George and Gracie saw one chick survive from the four that were hatched on Cinco de Mayo. This is likely a result of previous drought conditions, requiring Mom and Dad to deliver available food to the strongest chick.
As you can see from the video above, baby Uno is big, fat and healthy-looking! The “bird lice” seen here are considered normal for baby birds – they are standard issue for every baby bird I’ve ever seen.
Now in second place, all of Scarlett and Rhett’s three eggs have hatched – two of them on Mother’s Day. The parents were actively feeding their chicks, although one hatchling did not look well when we peeped.
In third place, (drum roll, please) Forrest and Lily’s first egg was laid on Tuesday! We expect that another egg or two has since been added to the nest. If successful, these eggs should begin to hatch on May 24. You can follow Forrest on Twitter.
In other territories around the preserve, two additional nesting pairs were looking strong. They may well begin to nest in the next week or so. Will we have a fledgling this season? We’ll update you with news, photos and videos whenever possible.
Monica Folk
May 11, 2009
Gracie and George's eggs have hatched! This footage was taken through our Peeper-scope (a camera-on-a-stick) when they were only days old. Surviving chicks will be banded at about 8 days of age. Stay tuned
May 6, 2009
Mama Mia! Two young moms-to-be have earned gold stars on their trees for being productive and responsible. Yesterday when we peeped, both of these female RCWs were sitting on and vigorously defending a full nest of eggs.
George and Gracie’s four eggs were still intact, although they are THIS CLOSE to hatching. If you look closely, you can see where the first two chicks have used the little bump on the tips of their beaks (an “egg tooth”) to “pip” their way out of the eggs. All should be hatched by Saturday, May 9.
RCW eggs in hatching process © Monica Folk/TNC
Scarlett sat on three beautiful eggs yesterday, while Rhett was not home. Scarlett indicated he was “off gallivanting”, but who knows – he may have been just been out picking up lunch. Those two! Scarlett’s eggs are expected to hatch on May 10, Mother’s Day.
Around the preserve, several other couples positioned themselves for action while certain birds still play Musical Cavities on the eastside. It’s nesting time, kids, let’s settle down! May-June-July, got it?
For those of you following along at home, here's a map of all our active RCW clusters.
Committed partners Arlo and Zelda were spotted near their tidy cavities. Last season’s busiest nesters, June and Ward, have good clean cavities but still no nest. One of these couples may be the next to lay eggs.
A Season 2 male, Desperado, had set up housekeeping in the northeastern-most territory for months. A girlfriend joined him for a while but then flew the coop. Now it seems he has tired of being alone, deserted his digs and is roaming the preserve. Desperado, why don’t you come to your senses?
Come to think of it, why don’t you come and flirt with Brooke – she is still hanging around Forrest and Lily’s territory and being a pest. Those two young stars are still keeping clean, active cavities – good signs! – but were not present when we peeped. Follow Forrest on Twitter!
Central Florida still has no rain in the forecast, which could be a problem for the cast. Restored habitat at The Disney Wilderness Preserve includes magnificent groundcover due to careful management and regular prescribed fire, but rain is a necessary ingredient for the Big Bug Buffet needed to feed lots of little beaks.
Monica Folk
Stay tuned. Later this week, Monica goes searching for our more elusive cast members who tend to avoid the paparazzi!
April 28, 2009
The game is on! Surging to first place is a dark horse couple from Season 1, George and Gracie. Four big, beautiful eggs – count ‘em, four – rest in the sawdust at the bottom of George’s cavity. Last year this pair had no eggs, so what a surprise!
George and Gracie's eggs
Gracie was sitting on her eggs when our team arrived, and flew to a nearby tree to scold us as a camera was briefly inserted into the cavity. Before leaving, we wrapped the bottom of the tree with 4 feet of slippery aluminum foil to help discourage rat snakes – the main predator of RCW chicks and eggs. Gracie’s eggs should hatch early next week!
For those of you following along at home, here's a map of all our active RCW clusters.
Second place goes to Rhett and Scarlett. Although they were not present in the cluster, a lovely fresh egg was spotted in Rhett’s cavity – probably laid just hours before. The pair is not expected to begin incubation until the second egg is laid, which was expected to happen on Wednesday. We hope Scarlett’s eggs hatch on May 10th.
Forrest and Lily are in third place. Their cavities are clean and well-worked; both birds flew around the area, watching us carefully as we peeped. And Brooke is still hanging in there, apparently not getting the hint.
But it’s early in the season – chicks and fledglings could result from any of our couples. Most occupied RCW cavities show promise: they are well-worked, sappy and nicely chipped.
As suspected, this year’s eggs are coming earlier. Gracie’s four eggs indicate that she is healthy and fit, and trusts her environment to support a large family. Trouble may come if seasonal rainstorms are delayed, because showers produce the cornucopia of bugs that RCW chicks will need.
A big Conservancy “atta-girl” goes to Olivia Page, whose 1-year internship ends this week. Olivia experienced the best and worst of Knock on Wood. She enjoyed using a spotting scope and tripod to identify the cast as they flitted elusively around the preserve in early mornings.
But she also cleaned all the cavities prior to the arrival of Season 2 birds, blowing out roaches, ants and worse. She was surprised by a rat snake and angry nest of wasps, while perched on a tall ladder and tied to the tree! Hey, somebody’s gotta do it. Happy trails, Olivia.
Monica Folk
Follow Forrest on Twitter!
April 21, 2009
Lights, camera, action! Nesting Season 2 for the RCW cast at The Disney Wilderness Preserve is underway and … well … please shield the younger children’s eyes.
The Nature Conservancy wants to give you a front-row seat, however, to observe who is nesting and laying eggs. Which couple might be the first to see chicks hatch in this region of Florida since the early 1970s?
Use this map of the prepared tree clusters, or “neighborhoods” to help you follow along.
Last week, scientist Monica Folk and her intern used the peeper-scope to look into each of 74 known Red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW) cavities. This week they looked into all cavities known to be active.
The following is Monica's report:
Brooke, girl, give it up. We hope you had fun this week, because it might well be your last in Forrest’s cluster. Forrest and Lily are side-by-side in trees at the front of the cluster; Forrest’s tree and cavity are super-clean and sappy. Your solitary roost at the back says your days are numbered.
Meanwhile, June and Ward from Season 1 were spotted in and are actively defending their very clean cavities. This couple laid three sets of eggs last year, and may do so again as soon as next week.
Arlo and Zelda from Season 2 may not be far behind. They have clearly committed to one another and are faithfully keeping a clean and active cluster at the northernmost site. But, they were not present this week when we peeped.
Another Season 1 pair, George and Gracie, did not lay eggs last year but now their cavities look good. Their neighbors Rhett and Scarlett have been busy defending their territory from outsiders – as they did last year as well – which may prevent them from raising a family. Better luck to both couples.
A number of the Season 2 birds are playing musical cavities along the eastern border. Ah, kids. One lone male has readied his cluster and is patiently awaiting a female. Will Brooke finally get the picture, leave Forrest and Lily’s cluster, and join him? Or will she be too slow once again? (Another Season 2 single female has been roosting nearby and may be eyeing this same dude. Get moving, Brooke!)
We have spotted two mysterious RCWs – sometimes appearances are fleeting – who may well throw an interesting twist or two into the plot. Stay tuned.
Some of you have wondered how we recognize the birds. It’s simple: Each was banded with a unique arrangement of five colored “bracelets” around their feet before they were released onto the preserve. If chicks are born this year, each will be banded before it fledges from the nest.
Conservancy staff can see this color coding through spotting scopes. But because Black-Silver-Yellow-Pink-White is hard to remember for casual readers, we refer to that cast member as “Forrest” – our sought-out bachelor from Season 1. These names will help you follow their story.
Monica Folk
Next week Conservancy staff will peep into active cavities again. We hope to soon have photos of eggs from the front-running RCW couple. Which will it be?
New: Follow Forrest on Twitter!
Interview with Brooke and Lily: April 15, 2009
Quiet on the set! Nesting season for the red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW) is almost upon us at The Disney Wilderness Preserve. The cast of Knock on Wood – birds reintroduced to the preserve in Season 1 (October 2007) and Season 2 (October 2008) – are preening, prepping and being carefully observed as our cameras get ready for action.
The Nature Conservancy ensures that each bird in the feathered cast is given the best possible chance to be a winner in this reality series. It cooperates with stringent guild-lines that are set and supervised by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
This week scientist Monica Folk goes deeper with two females from Season 2, Brooke and Lily, who seemed to be setting up a potential love triangle with Forrest. The lone bachelor from Season 1, Forrest was busy upgrading his digs all winter and may have gotten more than he bargained for.
Monica Folk: So Brooke, what attracted you to Forrest?
Brooke: That nerdy bird who spends all his time manicuring the front lawn? He’s okay, but a little stuffy compared to the young dudes who came in with us last October.
I’m not that into romance, anyway. Honestly, what attracts me is Forrest’s territory. It’s first class: perfect neighborhood, lush groundcover, well-maintained cavities. I enjoy a nice home as much as the next bird, and easily got used to this.
Monica Folk: You haven’t been foraging much lately with Forrest and Lily.
Brooke: I try to hang out with them, but they get all lovey-dovey with each other and fly off. I just want to be friends. Lily’s personality has really changed and she spends SO much time making eyes at Forrest! It’s a little disgusting.
All female woodpeckers in the cast are fairly social, and I resent being snubbed like this. Don’t forget, I just left my family in Apalachicola last October when I was selected for this program, and would normally still be hanging out with my parents and siblings.
Monica Folk: Lily, what’s your take on this?
Lily: Brooke is so immature. Hasn’t she noticed that it’s time to nest? Forrest is a great provider and will always be a dedicated partner to me and a good father to our offspring. (Oops – am I getting ahead of myself here?) The guys from Season 2 are so juvenile compared to my Forrest!
Give me another week with him, and Brooke will be history. Nothing personal, but she’s a late bloomer and three’s a crowd. When I make my intentions clear, she should eventually leave the cluster to find her own friends. If not, I might have to get a little … insistent.
Monica Folk: Do you foresee a future with Forrest?
Lily: You bet. I’ve got the hormones, the interest and a chosen mate. Thanks to the great resources at this preserve, I’m well on my way to being ready to lay some eggs. Forrest is super; he’s bustling around renovating the cluster even as we speak. He and I are likely to make our first nest in his cavity soon.
Some of the Season 1 birds have started creating their own cavities beside the ones that the Conservancy prepared, but I am happy with Forrest’s little pre-fab – placed just so, up high in a nice longleaf pine tree with white painted markings so you can find us easily. The only thing missing, in my mind, is a picket fence and some young ones.
Monica Folk: Have you two noticed the stage crew in your territory lately?
Brooke: Well, duh. Last month you snuck into our cluster at sunrise or sunset a few times, watching us with those funny glasses. It looked like you were checking which clusters were occupied, and who was hanging out with whom. Lately you’ve put your “peeper-scope” into our tree cavities every Tuesday. Thanks for knocking first, by the way – I hate to be startled.
Lily: If I lay eggs, you’ll probably tell everybody! They could hatch after only 11 days and some people might think the chicks are ugly at first. They’ll develop for about four weeks while Forrest and I bring juicy bugs to them in the cavity. Then they “fledge”, or fly from the nest, and should start feeding themselves and find their own sleeping cavity. You might catch it all with that camera.
Monica Folk: Before I go, can you tell us about the neighbors?
Lily: Several couples from Season 1 have set up nice homes. One pair living to the north – Ward and June – has been in the neighborhood the longest and is trying hard to have kids. A couple to the south of us is a little bit wild, but Rhett and Scarlett may yet settle down. Who knows? Woodpeckers talk.
Brooke: Eight of the 10 original cast members from Season 2 remain on the property. Several are flirting with each other, but most are like me and may not be serious enough to have kids this year. Arlo and Zelda have settled down and might start a family. Lily is the most mature from Season 2 – she says she wants to lay THREE eggs with “her” Forrest.
Monica Folk: Thanks, ladies, and good luck to both of you this season.
Knock on Wood will run weekly during nesting season, with intimate news and views from the Conservancy’s peeper-scope, a camera-on-a-stick that takes you into each active RCW cavity. The first clutch of eggs could be spotted as soon as late April or early May. Will it be Lily & Forrest’s?
Interview with Forrest: April 8, 2009
Season 1 viewers were sympathetic to the plight of Forrest – a handsome, happy-go-lucky lad who nonetheless remained single as three couples paired up around him. (Two birds from the premier season chose not to stay, and another female eventually went missing.)
Season 2 will star all seven birds released in October 2007, along with a cast of fresh-faced actors from last fall’s translocation. Scientist Monica Folk recently checked in with Forrest.
Monica Folk: Would you describe your first year on the preserve?
Forrest: What an adventure! I was five months old and living in Apalachicola National Forest when selected for the program. I remember when the curtains went up and we flew out into a brave new world that first morning. I had never even met the young lady who was my cluster-mate that first night.
All ten of us woke early that day, and within hours had scouted the 12,000-acre neighborhood, The Disney Wilderness Preserve. We spotted all 50 trees you had carefully prepared, and began picking our territories. It was rough for me when I was left without a mate for the breeding season.
So I overcompensated this year!
Monica Folk: What was it like when ten Season 2 birds were released last October?
Forrest: Those of us from Season 1 were solidly established and quick to defend our clusters from the new birds. I was checking out the young females, of course, and hoping one would join me.
The new kids are still confused. They want to be with other RCWs, like they would be back home in their family group. But their hormones are kicking in – especially the females. They get these urges to pair up and defend a territory against other RCWs. I remember those awkward days. Ugh.
Still, as a “colonial species” we like having other established territories around. I hope the neighborhood eventually fills all 15 possible territories with nice young couples, raising families.
Monica Folk: You’ve vastly improved your cavity tree cluster! Is it ready?
Forrest: Yes – I picked my territory late last year, between two of the breeding couples. Location, location, location. This winter I created “wells” or holes around the cavities in several of the living pine trees in my cluster. This makes sap flow around the entrance and protects us from predators, especially snakes. The ladies have noticed!
I hear that Conservancy scientists determined where to put our 15 cavity tree clusters, each at least one-half mile from another, by feeding metrics into a computer program. Then biologists picked the five or more best trees in which to install artificial cavities.
We birds didn’t read your manual, but you must have had a pretty clear idea of what we wanted. More than half of these pre-fab, woodpecker condo clusters are now occupied, thanks.
Monica Folk: And how is your romantic life this year?
Forrest: What a turnaround! This spring I have TWO of this season’s new females competing for my attention. It must be because my cluster is so hot. I’m checking them both out. One will likely become my mate and the other will be sent from the cluster.
We mate for life, so don’t want to be hasty. I hope to begin nesting by May with either Brooke or Lily and – knock on pine wood – would love to see our first chicks hatch soon afterward. We may not succeed this year because my mate will be so young, but it is good practice for the next seven or eight years that I hope we remain together.
Monica Folk: Will it bother you when our camera peeps into your nest every week?
Forrest: That’s the price we pay for living in this beautiful new territory that the Conservancy restored, but please – keep the photo sessions brief! Better a little camera in my cavity for a minute than having you guys clamber up the tree to look.
Don’t humans find it awkward, being so earth-bound?
Monica Folk: I’ll ask the questions, Forrest.
Join us at this site next week, when Forrest’s “girls”, Brooke and Lily, are interviewed.
Producers at The Nature Conservancy and host Monica Folk apologize to serious birders for this tongue-in-cheek blog, and acknowledge that birds don’t actually speak.
Nature picture credit: (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © James Hanula/USFWS (red-cockaded woodpecker); Photo © Anna Berardi (Monica Folk); Photo © TNC (Jen Milikowsky); Photo © David Dadurka/TNC (Judy Althaus); Photo © TNC (RCW eggs).
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