Wild Things on Tuesdays

We've got a host of wild things this Tuesday to listen to on 91.7 KAXE including John Latimer, Harry Hutchins, Bill Berg and  Marty Jacobson.  John gets Phenology reports from schools including Roosevelt Elementary in Virginia and Hill City Elementary.  Harry talks gray jays for A Talk on the Wild Side at 7:45 and Bill Berg is in to talk wildlife winter survival at 8:10.  Marty Jacobson sits in for Bobbi Kleffman on All Things Equine to talk about horse safety with kids.

What WILD THINGS are you seeing out there?  Send us an email or comment here!  Here's a recent phenology note we received from Aitkin:

While I was in the basement Sat. morning putting duct tape on my gloves before going out to cut some wood,  there came a scream from the kitchen where my wife had been baking “ there’s a bat in here”  she was no longer in the kitchen !! But there was indeed a bat in the kitchen and it was soon caught and placed outside where it froze.

 We have a story and a half home with full basement, fairly warm and cozy for us, but about once a year we have a bat appear that unnerves the Mrs. They must come from the attic but why this time of year?

Baby It's Cool Outside: John Latimer's Guide to How to Be Cool When Talking About Winter Weather

John is a stickler when it comes to how we say how cold it is.  He gets especially worked up when we lose our cool when saying how cold it is.  So, here's the guide to keeping your cool when talking about cold.:

30 to 20 degrees above zero is cool;

20 to 10 degrees above zero is pretty cool;

10 above to zero is kinda cold;

zero to 10 below is cold;

10 to 20 below is very cold;

20 to 30 below is bitterly cold;

and 30 below or colder is damned cold.       

A Talk on the Climate Side

By Harry Hutchins.

I am sitting here eating Habanera hot salsa. Some say the climate isn’t changing--just like my tongue isn’t reacting much to this mild salsa.  I’ll try the hot stuff.  It was on sale.  Shouldn’t bother me, eh?  Heck I lived Arizona for 3 years and once spent a month in the land of Hot food – Sichuan, China.  Holy cow that was a quick change!!!!  I felt that hot habanera this time!

We humans don’t like quick change.  And we deny it until that truck is just a few feet away from hitting us.  Reminds me of many of us in the United States. This is the way we are reacting to climate change.  The trouble is, we better not wait till it gets to close because like the truck or the hot sauce, it is going to seem to happen quickly when it does.

So if 2007 ornithologists told you they saw Cedar waxwings in a fruit tree in Grand Rapids yesterday, I bet you’d believe them, right?  So why not believe 2007 climate scientist who are the top experts in their field?  Why is some science OK and other science observations are incorrect from our point of view.  Science takes no stance.  Policy does.  What more evidence do you need?

I believe Jeff Masters who has a 30 plus years climatology background and a PhD in that field when he tells us there are no written records of these kinds of extreme events that have happened in the past few years.  13” of rain in Tennessee? Or Dr. Heidi Cullen another climatologist who not only researches the science behind climate change, but interprets and communicates it very well. And you should believe it too.  The weather may very well change as quickly as different salsas and create a widely oscillating climate.  That is called climate change.  Europe in a deep cold and snow.  Hey, that was a prediction by climate scientist too.

What kind of world do we want?
What do you want?  That’s what David Suzuki asked in his latest book The Legacy: An Elder's Vision for Our Sustainable Future to the people of Canada, his home country.  Do you want clean water to drink and to catch non toxic fish?  Do you want carcinogenic chemicals in your food or in the air you breath?  Do you want to be able to walk a Lake Michigan Beach without cutting your toes upon non native zebra muscles? What he was saying is let us get together with our politicians and find all those things we agree upon.  We have a good idea now from the science what makes a healthy planet.  Set some targets and make policy to get to those targets. Let’s not wait any longer.

Harry Hutchins Dec. 22, 2010

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Harry Hutchins is a Forestry Ecologist at Itasca Community College and teaches in the Forestry Program and co-hosts A Talk on the Wild Side on 91.7 KAXE Tuesday mornings at 8:45. Click here to listen to "The Wild Weather of 2010," a piece by Living on Earth that talks with Jeff Masters, Dr. Heidi Cullen and other scientists about the weather extremes in the last year.

Like a Snowy Owl Sitting on a Telephone Pole

We have all kinds of pix to share :) Check out this picture of a Snowy Owl in our Online Photo Album. Got pictures to share? Email them to photo@kaxe.org, please include your name and where the picture was taken.

Video: Frost on the Banks of the Mississippi

John Latimer, Phenologist for Northern Community Radio, takes us to the banks of the Mississippi River next to the KAXE Studios in downtown Grand Rapids, MN and talks about the different types of frost that can form on these cold mornings when you're near open water.

Check out more MN nature news, pix, and vids on the Phenology Page at http://www.kaxe.org

Big Belching Bog

You'll often hear John Latimer talk about the wonders of bogs on KAXE's Phenology Show on Tuesday mornings.... he talks about the flora and fauna that you can find there.

There's a new book out for kids about the ecosystem of a bog - it's called "Big Belching Bog".  Phyllis Root is the author and Betsy Bowen does her amazing woodcut illustrations.  Inside you'll find things like "If you come to the big bog go slowly (you can't hurry a bog) and listen."

We've got copies of this vibrant book available if you pledge your support to KAXE at $10/month $120/year....218-326-1234 or 800-662-5799.  You can pledge online too!!!

Thanks to the University of Minnesota Press for their generous contribution of books!

The Minnesota Phenology Network: Phenology at Your Fingertips

The Minnesota Phenology Network Facebook site is up and going. John Latimer and some of the KAXE Phenology Show regulars are already posting observations, pictures, asking questions and starting discussions. The network is not for "experts", but for everyone who is curious about our wild world here in northern Minnesota. Your observations and questions will help create data for those who study the biology of our region.

How To Make a Willow Whistle

At the end of the KBXE Phenology Walk and Birding Expedition in Clearbrook with John Latimer, John displayed to the group how to make a willow whistle. The secret? A sharp knife and pocket full of band aids. Follow along step by step as as John shows the cuts and twists involved:



John Latimer hosts The Phenology Show, which has been on 91.7 KAXE for over 25 Years. Northern Community Radio, which has been operating KAXE for over 34 years, is building a new community radio station to serve Bagley, Bemidji, Blackduck, Birch, Buzzle, and beyond. Read more about KBXE here: http://kbxe.blogspot.com/ or http://www.kbxe.org.

First Cowbird of the Season at the KAXE Studios

by Doug MacRostie

Spring is an exciting time of year with all the returning birds and foliage, and it's always a thrill to see the first Red Wing Blackbird or hear the first call of a returning Woodcock. But, when you work at KAXE and compete with the likes of John Latimer and Scott Hall it's hard to be the 'first' to notice anything. Hence my excitement when I spotted a bird sitting outside on the windowsill!

Harry Hutchins had just finished hosting A Talk on the Wild Side and was getting ready to ride his bike to work when I pointed it out to him. "A female Cowbird," he said, "She's here a little early. Normally the males arrive first in early May. That's the first one I've seen this year." I jumped for joy! I spotted the first Cowbird at the KAXE Studios in 2010! Finally, I could swell with pride...

That's when Jennifer Poenix chimed in, "Aren't Cowbirds bad?" I knew the name sounded familiar, "I remember Laura Erickson talking about them taking over other nests," Jennifer finished. I was crushed. I spotted the 'bad bird.'

As Harry helped further explain, they are "brood parasitic" birds, which means they will lay their eggs in the nest of another bird - relieving themselves of parental responsibilities and giving them more time to play Modern Warefare 2 online... or something like that. They usually only leave one of their own eggs per nest (but, multiple females may lay an egg in the same host-nest). Obviously, such behavior is damaging to the host - and this is (seriously) called an "evolutionary arms race." See what you can learn just by looking out the window?

So my excitement over a 'first' of the year was tainted slightly by the knowledge that my discovery was in fact a free-loading, irresponsible, and generally harmful to its neighbors bird that shrugs off it's paternal responsibilities for more opportunity to find things to eat and play video games.

On second thought, I kind of relate. Sometimes you got to feed yourself! If KAXE's community was a flock of birds, I can handle being the Cowbird. Scott Hall would be the female Cardinal (he's from St. Louis), Jennifer would be the Scarlet Tanager because all of her secretive behavior, Heidi Holtan would be the Indigo Bunting because she has such a bright personality and Maggie Montgomery with her long tail would be the Magpie. John Bauer would be a Sparrow because they fly into the window the most, Steve Downing would be a Raven for the obvious reasons and Mark Tarner would be the Oriole (he's from Baltimore). Penny would be the Whooping Crane (have you ever seen her open a can of whoopass? exactly).

What have seen happening in the nature in your life?

Join John Latimer for a Phenology Walk/Birding Expedition

by Doug MacRostie

"I need an angle to write a blog about the Phenology walk coming up," I said to Heidi Holtan while sipping my soda and spinning around in my chair. "How about your love of donuts?" she asked. I paused..., she said, "Oh wait, that's MY love of donuts." And such was my dilemma.

It is true there will be donuts and even tea and coffee and sugar and cream (powder) at 8:30am this Saturday at the Gathering Place in Clearbrook (the old school gym), and I really enjoy donuts - but that's not why I'm excited. I don't have any idea what to expect on the Phenology Walk/Birding Expedition starting at 9, especially not in rice paddies. But, I guess that's what's fun about nature walks, you never know what you'll find! And when someone as passionate and knowledgeable as John Latimer is leading the way (don't tell him I said that!) tiny little plants or critters that I normally don't notice suddenly become specimens of some exotic creature. A butterfly floating by isn't a fleeting moment, it's an opportunity to observe, identify and appreciate.

With the crazy weather we've been having this Spring (and the last year) it's hard to predict what we may find. There could be thousands of migrating birds... or not. But there definitely will be coffee and tea, there will be good company, and it's looking like great weather to get outside and explore around Clearbrook and see what we find. And just like the fun of not-knowing-what-comes next of a nature walk, we've got the mixed-tastiness of a potluck at Noon back at the Gathering Place! Booya!

All are welcome at the Phenology Walk/Birding Expedition with John Latimer this Sat., the 24th at the Gathering Place in Clearbrook (221 3rd Ave SW - here's a Google Map), meeting at 8:30am for coffee and rolls, walks starting at 9 and a potluck at Noon. If you're on Facebook, the event is listed here. As you can see in the picture to the right, John is so good at this, students from all over MN send him hand-drawn portraits! BE THERE!

This event was orchestrated by the KBXE Publicity Committee, a group of local volunteers working to raise awareness of 90.5 KBXE, a new, local station being built by Northern Community Radio, who have been operating 91.7 KAXE for 34 years in Grand Rapids, Hibbing, Virginia and the Iron Range, also heard at 89.9 in Brainerd and 105.3 in Bemidji. Get more information at KBXE.org

Phenology Notes: Black-Backed Woodpecker and Morning Cloak Butterfly

Entries from John Latimer's Phenology Notes:

April 12th, 2009: In the black spruce swamp west of the house a black-backed woodpecker was busy flaking bark from the trees. His motions were economical and extremely facile. Supporting himself with his tail he leaned to the left and struck the bark with one or two well placed blows. Quickly shifting to the right he struck a blow and the whole piece of bark flaked off. A quick inspection for insects followed and the whole sequence was repeated. There were no wasted motions. It was like watching a well choreographed dance. The male black-backed and the male northern three-toed are the only woodpeckers of the northern boreal forest that have no red on their heads. Both sport a medium sized yellow cap.

May 5th, 1998: The spring azure and mourning cloak butterflies are out and flitting around today. The spring azure is a lovely small blue butterfly. Butterflies employ several strategies to get through our winter. Some like the mourning cloak over-winter as adults hiding in cracks and cavities, while others like the monarchs migrate. The spring azures are the first butterfly to emerge from a chrysalis in the spring. They spent the winter wrapped in silk awaiting transformation to the butterfly stage. Though they live for only a week or so as adults they add immeasurably to the beauty of the north woods. First juneberries are seen in flower, while on the forest floor the wood anemones are starting to bloom.

Pussy Willows in March with John Latimer [Video]

Did you know there are 18 different species of willow shrubs in MN? Did you know a pussy willow is male OR female? Did you know they come in a variety of colors? Did you know you can make willow whistles? Here's the latest in our continuing series Phenology Videos with John Latimer, this time on Pussy Willow:



Check out more about John Latimer and The Phenology Show at www.kaxe.org.

Winter Bird Calls with John and Harry

John Latimer talked with Harry Hutchins about winter bird calls in our area during A Talk on the Wild Side. You can click here to listen to the entire conversation, or we have it broken into pieces below if you want to hear a certain bird. We also suggest if you're interested in either of the owls you listen to both pieces - the conversation sort of bleeds together from one to the other. If you'd like to download the bird calls and try playing them in your yard as Harry suggest, simply "right click" on the file you want and "Save link as," then choose where to save the file and click "save." You can get more nature and phenology news at The Phenology Page on KAXE.org.

Pine Grosbeak
John and Harry Discussion

Pine Grosbeak Call



Crossbill
John and Harry Discussion

Crossbill Call




Waxwing
John and Harry Discussion

Waxwing Call




Great Horned Owl
John and Harry Discussion

Great Horned Owl Call




Barred Owl
John and Harry Discussion

Barred Owl Call




Full Conversation - if you would like to hear all of this as one full piece.

Phenology poetry from Ms. Hagelie's 4-5-6 graders at the Emily Charter School

Each week on phenology talkbacks with John Latimer, we get to hear students from around the region call in their phenology sitings. One of the regular contributors is from Ms. Hagelie's class at the Charter School in Emily. This week we got a treat of poetry inspired by white pines. Enjoy! (Thanks to Eli Sagor of My Minnesota Woods.org for the photos)

White Pine
White Pine of beauty,
Sticky sap and big pine cones,
Your beauty is so grand.
Roots that go so far,
Green needles against blue sky,
The king of trees is pine.

Written by:
Zinnia

White Pine Big Tree
It has rough bark,
It is the biggest tree ever.
It has lots of needles,
It also has big branches.
It has no leaves.

Written by:
Dawson

Old White Pine
Tall, thick, round, wide, rough,
Soft, pointy, odd,
Old White Pine

Written by:
Charles

White Pine
The White Pine is mossy,
It is hard.
It has thick branches,
It is tall and wide.
It has many branches,
Its needles fall off.
It has indentations,
Some branches are cut off.

Written by:
Ally

The White Pine
Its bark is rough,
Its rather tough.
Its tall and round,
Weighs more than a pound.
Its full of moss and needles,
Home to birds and beetles.
Its bark is as brown as a penny,
It is loved by many!

Written by:
Justine

Our White Pine
The branches are long.
It has lots of pine needles.
Trunk is really wide.

Written by:
Annie

White Pine
The big White Pine towers over the rest.
It’s a big rough and tough tree.
It’s bark is rough, it’s needles pointy,
It’s one great tree!
The branches twist and turn,
Our tree is a White Pine.

Written by:
Nasha

White Pine
So sweet and fine,
You’re the big White Pine.
You’re the biggest I can see,
You are bigger than those other trees.

Written by:
Riley

Now Hear This! Audio Highlights from KAXE

There is always a lot going on around the KAXE Studios, and this last week is a good example. Here is a sampling of recent audio highlights:

Making Sausage of Proposed Out-State Health Coverage
Republican commentator Chuck Marohn and DLFer Colleen Nardone talk about Governor Pawlenty's proposed change to allow Minnesota residents to buy health insurance from companies located outside the state.

Guido's Guide to the Arts
Steve Downing (Guido) is what you might call a renaissance man. Writer, patron and slave to the arts, hunter, hair model, connoisseur of fine wine, beer and food, recycler and fashion guru.

Heidi and the Bullhead Queen
Minnesota author Sue Leaf talks about her memoir "The Bullhead Queen: a Year on Pioneer Lake" where she asks the questions what is our relationship to wild animals and what is our responsibility to them?

Digging For Your Roots
The 28th Annual "Digging For Your Roots" Genealogy and Local History Conference is Sat. Oct 17th at the MN Discovery Center in Chisholm and we talked with Dr. Melissa Stewart, the new museum director and she talked about tracking down the source of a quilt.

Gun Lake Potato Farm
Roger & Markel Vogt talked about the potato harvest this year, and the growing season, varieties and marketing the Gun lake Potato Farm in Palisade.

Monthly Forestry Update w Eli Sagor
University of MN Extension educator Eli Sagor gives his monthly update about Minnesota forests. Eli manages www.myminnesotawoods.org

Namco Museum Essentials
A downloadable game for the PS3 network which includesPacman!!! But is there anything else do this boringly-named game? LISTEN!!! And enjoy more at The Binary Boys page.

The Public Speaking Bear is Going To Maul You
Aaron Brown would much rather give a 5 minute talk than die horribly before his time. Public speaking is a like a bear that never kills but instead just bats you around for 15 or 20 minutes every time it sees you. Check out more from Aaron at his blog MinnesotaBrown.com. On Between You and Me.

Subtleties for Sound Bites?
Michael Goldberg has the Last Word on "Public Speaking." Let's face it, things were never like they used to be...what about our own time, right now - when all the world is one wide web. On Between You and Me.

Bloom & Doom: A Flurry of Phenology

The Phenology Show w John Latimer is almost 26 years old, covering the nature of our area. Or, as John says, "the rhythmic biological nature of events as they relate to climate." Phenology is a great example of the high quality, local program produced at KAXE.

This week on Phenology Plus we heard about the crashing Moose population in north-western MN with an unbelievable population decline: 20 years ago there were over 4000 Moose, today the number is estimated to be 84! Very sad news about such a majestic creature. Wildlife biologists aren't sure why this is happening and the research is ongoing; you can help by reporting any Moose sightings to the DNR by clicking here. Mark Johnson is a the Executive Director of the Minnesota Deer Hunter's Association and he talked with us about what he learned, click here to listen to that conversation.

A related issue is diseases that are carried by a rising Deer population that are deadly for Moose. The increased Deer population also has an effect on White Pine stands. Click here to listen to our converstaion with retired Forester Keith Matson; we asked if you can have Deer and White Pine too?

You can also use the following links to listen to John Latimer's Phenology Report & Phenology Talkbacks, and John and Harry Hutchins talking about the wild life they've observed during this late summer/early fall during A Talk on the Wild Side.

You can listen to previous episodes, get real time Phenology updates from John Latimer, check out nature videos and pictures and more at The Phenology Page at www.KAXE.org.

Peregrine Falcons at MN Power in Cohasset

Last night on Phenology Plus, Scott Hall talked with Bob Anderson with the Raptor Resource project about the peregrine falcons that nest at the MN Power plant in Cohasset.

You can see the falcon on their nesting boxes on a webcam here. You'll have to choose the Cohasset MN Power webcam on the left hand side of the page.

The world around us on Phenology today

Staff Phenologist John Latimer talked about how winter affects the critters and mentioned Bernd Heinrich's "Winter World - The Ingenuity of Animal Survival". We love to hear what you are seeing in the natural world around you - email us or call our talkback line 218-999-9876.

Phenology-related programs happening in the listening area - this Thursday at the Forest History Center from 6-8pm:

Birds in Flight: The Art and Science of How Birds Fly with Carrol Henderson-DNR

They soar and they glide, they flap and they flutter, they swoop and they plummet. Solo or en masse, in formation or pas de deux, birds in flight are in their element, their airborne behavior as varied and distinctive as their plumage.

Join us for a special family program, to learn insights into spotting and identifying birds with flight with special guest, Carrol Henderson-DNR. This will be a great opportunity to see Henderson's exquisite close-up photographs of airborne birds, as well as detailed information based on firsthand research. Participants will appreciate hearing about the beauty of an iridescent hummingbird pollinating a flower, the majesty of a condor soaring above the Andes, the impressive spectacle of migrating geese in Minnesota, black storks in Kenya, or Swainson's hawks in Bolivia. The program will deepen our appreciation of the beauty of birds, and the fascinating science of how, precisely, birds fly.

Carrol Henderson has been the supervisor of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Nongame Wildlife Program since 1977. He Has a Bachelors of Science in zoology from Iowa State University (1968) and a Master of Forest Resources degree in ecology from the University of Georgia (1970).

During the past 32 years Henderson has developed a statewide program for the conservation of nongame wildlife that has received both national and international recognition. He has helped plan and carry out restoration of peregrine falcons, bald eagles, eastern bluebirds, river otters and trumpeter swans in Minnesota. He is involved in promoting wildlife tourism, and he has provided leadership in promoting nature tourism projects in Minnesota, Manitoba, Costa Rica and the Amur region of eastern Russia. He and his wife Ethelle have led 47 birding trips during the last 20 years throughout Latin America, New Zealand, Kenya and Tanzania.

Henderson is the author of eight books including Woodworking for Wildlife, Landscaping for Wildlife, Wild About Birds, the DNR Bird Feeding Guide, and the Field Guide to the Wildlife of Costa Rica. He is Co-author of the Travelers Guide to Wildlife in Minnesota and Lakescaping for Wildlife and Water Quality. Recent books include Oology and Ralph's Talking Eggs and Birds in Flight: The Art and Science of How Birds Fly.

Date: Thursday, February 19, 2009 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Location: Forest History Center, Grand Rapids, MN 55744
Info and Registration: University Extension Office-Itasca County 218-327-7486

Help Support Phenology!

KAXE's Phenologist John Latimer and DNR Forest Ecologist John Almendinger talked with Welby Smith, the author of "Trees and Shrubs of Minnesota".

Welby Smith is the foremost botanist of Minnesota and endangered species expert. Here's some information about the book:

With more than two hundred tree, shrub, and woody vine species in Minnesota, anyone with an interest in the outdoors has likely encountered an unfamiliar plant and wondered about its name, origin, characteristics, and habitat. In this new identification resource, the state's foremost botanist and endangered species expert Welby R. Smith provides authoritative, accessible, and up-to-date information on the state's native and naturalized woody plant species. This fully illustrated resource features: - Easy identification: more than one thousand color photographs of fruit, flowers, bark, and leaves for every species, as well as more than one hundred illustrations by botanical artist Vera Ming Wong - Distribution maps: more than five hundred maps, including state and North American range maps - Interesting background: descriptions of each species' habitat, natural history, and ecology, which provide context to the entries - Comprehensive coverage: includes all native and naturalized trees, shrubs, and woody vines in Minnesota from Abies balsamea" to Zanthozylum americanum." Written for everyone from scientists and environmentalists to teachers and people interested in horticulture and gardening, Trees and Shrubs of Minnesota" will engage and educate anyone with a curiosity about the natural world. Welby R. Smith is a botanist for the Division of Ecological Resources at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. He is the author of Orchids of Minnesota" (Minnesota, 1993).

All this year, this 25th year of Phenology, we are celebrating by creating a fund that ensure that Phenology will continue into the future. Continue on the airwaves of 91.7KAXE and in the classrooms of Northern Minnesota. What is phenology?

As John Latimer says at the beginning of every show, "Phenology is the rhythmic biological nature of events as they relate to climate".

If you listen to Phenology once or twice or every week, you realize that you start to witness the world around you in a different way. Instead of saying "oh that's a pretty little bird" you might say, "Hey, that's the chickadee I heard about - the one that has that fee-bee call." And suddenly you know more about trees and lakes and bogs and the world outside our windows.

You can support the efforts of John Latimer - as he goes to the classrooms of the kids of Northern Minnesota - classrooms of children who have learned to notice and name the birds and critters and vegetation of where they live. Your contribution will also help support the raingarden at KAXE as well as the martin bird houses.

If you pledge your support at $250 for the year we'll get you a wonderful Phenology t-shirt, a hand lens to examine the outdoors more closely AND Welby Smith's amazing reference book "Trees and Shrubs of Minnesota". Thanks to the University of Minnesota Press for their generous contributions.

How can you support Phenology in its 25th year? Call us at 218-326-1234 or email comments@kaxe.org. THANKS SO MUCH!!!

Christmas Bird Counts continue until January 3rd

Check out the Minnesota Ornithlogical Union for their information on the Minnesota bird counts that continue...

John Latimer talked today about one of his favorite Christmas presents this year from his daughter - it was a book on woodpeckers (see the beautiful photo of the red bellied woodpecker) by Arthur Cleveland Bent called "Life Histories of North American Woodpeckers".





Did you participate in any Christmas bird counts this year? Let us know what you saw!!!