The male club-winged manakin (Machaeropterus deliciosus) uses dance and sound to attract the ladies but he doesn’t open his mouth. He uses his wings!
Watch and listen as he bows and flares. The loud buzzy noise is made by his secondaries. Cornell Lab writes:
The secondary wing feathers of the male Club-Winged Manakin, a bird from South America, are large and rigid. He strikes them together at about 107 times per second to create a buzzing sound, which is used during courtship displays.
Ornithologists have known for a long time that the males’ secondary feathers are deformed. This 1871 drawing shows the difference between the males’ deformed and the females’ normal feathers.
Modification of Manakin Pipra deliciosa = Machaeropterus deliciosus wings for sound production, from Darwin’s – The Descent of Man
Now that we have high definition video we can see why they’re like that. He makes his feathers sing.
p.s. Click here for the location of secondary wing feathers.
Great horned owl mother and nestling, Florida 2010 (photo by Chuck Tague)
Nesting season is over but it’s nice to look back at this mother great horned owl and her nestling. Today is their special day.
August 4 is International Owl Awareness Day, an annual celebration of owls. To get you in the mood, here’s a quick video that promoted last year’s event at the Oregon Zoo in Portland.
And here are some of today’s worldwide International Owl Awareness events:
Unbanded young female peregrine visits Cathedral of Learning nest, 2 August 2016 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)
Yesterday at 5:30pm Carol D. and Megan Briody saw something that the rest of us missed: This unbanded 1-year-old female peregrine bowed with Terzo at the Cathedral of Learning nest.
Apparently Hope was not at home.
Hope was last seen on camera on Sunday evening, July 31 at 6:49pm. No peregrines visited the nest on Monday. Then yesterday afternoon, August 2, Terzo visited alone several times and often looked up. Was he looking for someone?
At 5:29pm Terzo came to the nest and called to someone. Soon an unbanded young female arrived and they bowed for five minutes. Her color is a mix of gray and brown because she’s molting into adult plumage.
Unbanded young female, back to camera, bows with Terzo (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)
When the session began Terzo was in the back corner but the male peregrine (almost) always leaves the ledge first so the two had to change places. That maneuver was so clumsy that it looked as if the young female chased Terzo away.
But no, Terzo paused on the nestrail to watch her as she bowed again.
Unbanded young female bows to Terzo (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)
He left. And then she left.
Unbanded young female peregrine leaving Cathedral of Learning nest, August 2, 5:32pm (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)
Female “intruders” at this site have become a routine occurrence. As I said in my reply to Carol D, Hope has probably gone wandering. Her behavior shows she’s a weak owner of the Cathedral of Learning so I won’t be surprised if she’s chased away next spring and replaced by a new female.
p.s. Click on these links to read Carol D’s and Megan‘s reports. (You might have to scroll down.)
This year the outing will remember our late president Chuck Tague who passed away in June.
What: Wissahickon Nature Club outing led by Dianne Machesney
When: Saturday, August 6, 10:00am
Where: Jennings Environmental Education Center, also called Jennings Prairie, Butler County. Directions From Pittsburgh: 79N to 422E roughly 5.8 miles to 528N. Go 7 miles. Meet in the Jennings Prairie parking lot on the left (west) side of the road.
Bring binoculars, field guides, lunch, beverages and water for the trail. The Prairie is hot and shadeless. Wear a hat and sunscreen.
This walk is open to the public. All are welcome and encouraged to bring a friend.
Fuzzy pink and yellow, the rosy maple moth (Dryocampa rubicunda) lives only a week in this beautiful body. Its wing colors are highly variable but its head and back are usually yellow with pink belly, legs and antennae.
Most of its life is spent as a green-striped caterpillar, eating maple leaves, and passing through five instars. When fully mature the caterpillar crawls down the tree and pupates underground.
In western Pennsylvania the moths are above ground from May to September but are easiest to find in late July. The adults don’t eat. They have only one job, to procreate.
The action begins around sunset. The females perch on the undersides of leaves and exude pheromones. The males fly around “sniffing” the air with their big fluffy antennae. Perhaps this division of labor is why the females have insignificant antennae. (My guess is that the moth in Don Weiss’ photo is female.)
If you’re lucky to see the rosy maple moth you’ll be surprised at how small it is — only 1″ long. Click here to see one on the tip of a finger.
