Birding

This Is for the Birds

Northern Parula, a small warbler, in its fall and winter foliage

As many of us settle into late summer and early fall, birders around Ohio and across the country are observing fall migration. For birds, fall migration is a rather lengthy process that starts at the end of June, when some hummingbirds start heading south and lasts until the end of December when some waterfowl begin their migration journey. For birders, it’s a great time to reap all the health benefits of birding, as well as be on the lookout for the usual suspects, migrants, and even vagrants.

Fall migration is unique because it occurs over a longer period of time, compared to spring migration which tends to happen in a more consolidated timeframe as birds rush north to their breeding grounds. Another difference between the two is that the number of birds that migrate in the fall is larger than the number that migrate in the spring. The reason is that in the fall, adult birds are also joined by the young birds that hatched over the summer.

Birds prepare themselves for migration by eating extra food and storing fat. But did you know there are also helpful things we humans can do to assist our feathered friends on their taxing journeys? You can help migrating birds by doing these four things:

  1. Prevent Window Collisions. Anywhere from 365 million to nearly 1 billion birds die every year as a result of lethal window collisions. Not only are windows invisible to birds but since they often reflect the sky or outdoor scenery, they are often inviting places to fly into. If you live or work in a building and witness bird strikes, the American Bird Conservancy offers extensive information to prevent future collisions.
  2. Turn Out Your Lights. Another easy way to protect birds is turning off your household lights from dusk until dawn. Since many birds migrate using the stars and moon to guide their way, birds are easily confused by artificial light. To learn more, visit Audubon’s Lights Out initiative.
  3. Provide Food, Water, and Shelter: During migration, birds travel thousands of miles and need energy along the way. Dr. Mike Ward, Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois, suggests we can “both enjoy the passing of these colorful birds, as well as help them along the way, by planting native shrubs, having areas on your property that are just “messy” (an area with some annual weeds, pokeweed, and some fruiting plants), and by keeping cats indoors during migration.”
  4. Participate in Project FeederWatch. Turn your love of feeding birds into scientific discoveries by participating in this November-April survey of birds that visit backyards, nature centers, and community areas throughout North America. Track what is happening around your home and contribute to a continental citizen science project about bird distribution and abundance.

If you’re interested in doing more for our feathered friends throughout the year, you can consult Cornell Lab of Ornithology and their Seven Simple Actions to Help Birds. Together, we can marvel at the sights and sounds of birds on their long journeys and feel good knowing we are helping them on their way.

Seven simple actions to help birds from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Looking for more resources about birds? Visit go.osu.edu/nature-matters-birds for educational resources, booklists for adults and children, and more information to get started birding or keep you going on your birding journey!

Written by: Laura M. Stanton, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Warren County. Email: stanton.60.osu.edu        

Reviewed by: Shari Gallup, Assistant Professor and Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Licking County. Email: gallup.1@osu.edu

Photo Description: Northern Parula, a small warbler, in its fall and winter foliage as it proceeds South on its annual migration.
Photo Credit: Adobe Stock.

Sources

American Bird Conservancy. (n. d.). Glass Collisions: Preventing Bird Collisions at Home. https://abcbirds.org/solutions/prevent-home-collisions

Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (n. d.). Seven Simple Actions to Help Birds. https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/seven-simple-actions-to-help-birds

Kaufman, K. (n. d.). Timing of fall migration. Black Swamp Bird Observatory. https://www.bsbo.org/timing-of-fall-migration.html

Leonard, P. (2023, March 8). Grassroots data is vital for reducing deadly bird-window strikes. Cornell Chronicle. https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2023/03/grassroots-data-vital-reducing-deadly-bird-window-strikes

Pankau, R. (2018, November 1). Bird migration and native shrubs. Illinois Extension: The Garden Scoop. https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/garden-scoop/2018-11-01-bird-migration-and-native-shrubs

Stanton, L. M. (2021, February 11). Benefits of being a bird nerd. Ohio State University Extension. https://livehealthyosu.com/2021/02/11/benefits-of-being-a-bird-nerd

Load Up on Vitamin N(Nature) this Spring

Sharp-lobed Hepatica blooming, a spring wildflower

Monday, March 20th marked the first official day of Spring. Now is the perfect time to get outside and commit to increasing your daily dose of Vitamin N(Nature). Why should you go outside? The health and wellness benefits of being outdoors are numerous. If you want to dive deep into these benefits, read Florence William’s book, The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative. For now, you might want to watch her short video, What Happens When You Spend 5 minutes in Nature? Her advice: “Go outside. Go often. Bring friends. Breathe.”

Need ideas of things to do to increase your Vitamin N? Here are four activities to try outside this spring:

1. Search for spring wildflowers, also referred to as spring ephemerals. These early bloomers have been blooming for weeks and are a welcome sight year after year. Want to learn more about wildflowers? Visit the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Wildflower website to find the Spring Wildflowers of Ohio field guide, weekly wildflower bloom reports, videos, a wildflower checklist, and featured locations throughout the state.

2. Watch the stars, planets, and moon. Visit What’s Up: Skywatching Tips from NASA, an educational website with monthly highlights, daily skywatching guides, night sky news, and other educational resources about our galactic neighborhood. Have you ever seen the International Space Station in the night sky? You can enter your location on NASA’s Spot the Station website and get a calendar of sighting opportunities in your community.

Male Red-winged Blackbird singing

3. Look and listen for migrating birds to return to your yard and community. Have you noticed the return of the chatty Red-winged Blackbirds? They are often one of the first migrants of the season. The male birds, with their black body and yellow and red shoulder patches, returns to their nesting grounds before the dark brown, streaked females. Be on the lookout for migrating waterfowl, hummingbirds, and warblers. To learn about birds, visit All About Birds and eBird, two websites maintained by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. These websites provide enormous amounts of information about different bird species, their migration patterns, their songs and calls, their behavior, and identification information.

4. Walk, stroll, or ride on the 1,523 miles of bike trails in the Buckeye State. To learn about the different trails and find a trail near you, visit the Ohio Bikeways website hosted by the Ohio Department of Transportation. This site features trail safety tips, a bikeways brochure, and a downloadable map.

Seedlings growing in an egg carton.

If you or someone you love has limited mobility or a difficult time getting outside, consider bringing nature indoors. Sowing seeds indoors is a fun and educational Spring activity. Using a cardboard egg carton is an easy, economical, and environmentally friendly way to plant your seeds.

Every day is an opportunity to get outside and get a healthy dose of Vitamin N. Even better, get outdoors and bring others with you. Be sure to get out and enjoy all that nature has to offer this Spring!

Written by: Laura M. Stanton, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Warren County. Email: stanton.60.osu.edu     

Reviewed by: Shari Gallup, Assistant Professor and Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Licking County. Email: gallup.1@osu.edu

Sources:

Louv, R. (2016). Vitamin N: The essential guide to a nature-rich life. Algonquin Books.

Stanton, L. M. (n.d.) Nature matters. OSU Extension, Warren County.  go.osu.edu/nature-matters

Stanton, L. M. (2021, April 19). Get out! Celebrate nature on Earth Day and every day. Live Healthy Live Well.  https://livehealthyosu.com/2021/04/19/get-out-celebrate-nature-on-earth-day-and-every-day

Stanton, L. M. (2022, May 2). How’s your environmental wellness? Live Healthy Live Well. https://livehealthyosu.com/2022/05/02/hows-your-environmental-wellness

Tedrow, S. (2022, March 8). Selecting and starting seeds. OSU Extension, Wayne County. https://wayne.osu.edu/news/selecting-and-starting-seeds

Williams, F. (2018). The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative. W.W. Norton.

Williams, F. (n.d.). The Nature Fix: What Happens When You Spend Just 5 Minutes in Nature? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwQkTuhId-o

Photo Credit: All photos from AdobeStock.

Under Our Wing: Connecting with the Next Generation of Birders

Three young people standing outside, one looking through binoculars and one pointing

Recently, I met an 11-year-old who likes birds. Since I self-identify as a bird nerd, we started talking and I quickly realized this young person had a genuine curiosity and passion for birds. She told me she had checked out Smithsonian Handbooks: Birds of North America from her school library and had no intention of returning it.

As a parent of teenagers, I struggle to get my kids off screens and out in nature, despite my constant reminders about the health benefits of getting outdoors. Here was a young person who wanted to get outside, so we made plans to go birding together.

And birding we did. The two of us spent 5 hours out in the cold on a gloomy, gray day and we had a blast. She brought (and I carried) the large, heavy Smithsonian library book with her. When we spotted a bird, she knew exactly where to find it in the book.

It was delightful to bird with a young person who was excited and engaged. I look forward to birding with her and other young people in the future. After spending time with a young birder, it became clear to me why we should take young birders under our wing:

  • They are connecting with nature: Our young people are disconnected from the natural world. Studies found that 8- to 12-years-old spend 4 to 6 hours on screens every day, while teens spend up to 9 hours. Time spent on screens almost always equates to time spent indoors, disconnected from nature.
  • They can showcase their strengths: Birdability is a non-profit organization that “ensures that birding truly is for everybody and every body, regardless of disability or other health concerns.” Their blog has stories from birders who are autistic, color-blind, hearing-impaired, and mobility-challenged. One young birder described her ADHD as her birding superpower since she saw and heard so many details around her!
  • They benefit from Vitamin N (Nature): There are decades of research that show the positive impact that spending time outdoors has on our mental and physical health. Nature has unique health benefits to young people, especially when it comes to kids with ADHD, allergies, asthma, weight issues, and mental health challenges.
  • They are becoming environmental stewards: Children who spend time in nature are more likely to feel connected to nature as adults, and therefore, more likely to care for and protect the natural world.

After our birding outing, I purchased my new birding buddy her own copy of the Smithsonian Handbook. I am selfishly hoping the returned library book will inspire another young birder at her school. I also added a Birds of Ohio Field Guide to her collection so the next time we’re out birding, neither of us has to lug a 752-page handbook.

Additional Birding Resources:

To find more information about birds and birding, please visit: go.osu.edu/nature-matters-birds

25th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count photo

Written by Laura M. Stanton, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Warren County, stanton.60.osu.edu

Reviewed by Shari Gallup, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Licking County, gallup.1@osu.edu

Photo Credit: Kindel Media from Pexels

References

Alsop, F. J. (2001). Smithsonian Handbooks: Birds of North America: Eastern Region. New York, NY: DK Publishing.

Wells, N. M. & Lekies, K. S. (2006). Nature and the Life Course: Pathways from Childhood Nature Experiences to Adult Environmentalism. Children, Youth and Environments, 16(1), 1–24. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.16.1.0001

Louv, R. (2008). Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.

Scripps Health. (2022, January 10). Do Your Kids Spend Too Much Time in Front of a Screen? https://www.scripps.org/news_items/4688-do-your-kids-spend-too-much-time-in-front-of-a-screen

Stanton, L. M. (2021, February 11). Benefits of Being a Bird Nerd. https://livehealthyosu.com/2021/02/11/benefits-of-being-a-bird-nerd

Stanton, L. M. (2021, April 19). Get Out! Celebrate Nature on Earth Day and Every Day. https://livehealthyosu.com/2021/04/19/get-out-celebrate-nature-on-earth-day-and-every-day

Stanton, L. M. (2021, November 30). Wonder and Wander in Nature this Winter. https://livehealthyosu.com/2021/11/30/wonder-and-wander-in-nature-this-winter

Tekiela, S. (2020). Birds of Ohio Field Guide. Cambridge, MN: Adventure Publications.

Benefits of Being a Bird Nerd

Last year, I transformed into a self-proclaimed bird nerd. The change started in the spring of 2020 when I started working from home because of COVID. I placed my desk next to a window and in April, I noticed a robin building a nest. Watching the robin sit on her nest for hours upon hours was fascinating and I was quickly hooked.

In May, bluebirds visited my suburban backyard for the first time and after putting up a bluebird house, we hosted the pair of bluebirds and their 3 adorable babies several weeks later. I was fascinated by the whole process, from the nesting, feeding, and successful fledging (developing wing feathers that are large enough for flight). I cheered the first day the babies flew out of their box and also experienced sadness when they left their house for good. My sorrow was quickly replaced with joy when a pair of Baltimore orioles passed through for a couple of days. I was enthralled watching the colorful birds eat the grape jelly I set out. Summer brought ruby-throated hummingbirds and warblers. This winter, I am enjoying a barred owl who lives nearby and occasionally graces me with his majestic presence.

Picture of a Barred Owl by Laura Stanton.
Barred Owl
Photo by Laura M. Stanton

Although the joy of birding happens right outside my window most days, whenever possible, I safely visit different habitats to expand the variety of birds to watch. Whether I am inside or outside, I notice so much more than just the birds. I notice positive changes happening within.

The benefits I have experienced from watching our feathered friends have been confirmed by research. Why is birding good for your health? Watching birds:

  • Promotes mindfulness. Mindfulness is paying attention on purpose, in the moment, and without judgment. Whether you are birding inside or out, you are in the “here and now” which has been shown to decrease stress, anxiety, and rumination, and improve attention, memory, and focus. In addition, mindfulness can reduce chronic pain.
  • Requires stealth and silence. Spending time in silence lowers blood pressure, increases blood flow, and enhances sleep. Silence can also be therapeutic for depression.
  • Encourages meditation. During meditation, you eliminate the “noise” in your mind, creating a sense of calm and peace that benefits your emotional well-being and your overall health.
  • Relies on your sense of sight and hearing. A study found that just listening to bird song contributes to perceived attention restoration and stress recovery. Click here to listen to a sample of common bird songs.
  • Prevents nature-deficit disorder, a phenomenon related to the growing disconnect between humans and the natural world. Americans, on average, spend approximately 90% of their time indoors.
  • Benefits your heart. Regular exposure to nature is associated with improvements in cardiovascular disease and longevity.
  • Stimulates a sense of gratitude, which is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness.

Sources
Carter, S. (2016). Nature deficit disorder. Live Smart Ohio. Retrieved from https://livesmartohio.osu.edu/mind-and-body/carter-413osu-edu/nature-deficit-disorder   

Louv, R. (2008). Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Algonquin Books: Chapel Hill, NC.

Powers-Barker, P. (2016). Introduction to mindfulness. Ohioline. Retrieved from
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-5243

Stanton, L. M. (2020). Barred Owl. JPEG file.

Stanton, L. M. (2020). Noises off: The benefits of silence. Live Smart Ohio. Retrieved from
https://livesmartohio.osu.edu/mind-and-body/stanton-60osu-edu/noises-off-the-benefit-of-silence

Written by Laura M. Stanton, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Warren County, stanton.60.osu.edu

Reviewed by Misty Harmon, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Perry County, harmon.416@osu.edu