How to Identify Birds

Photo courtesy of Audubon.org

Recently, I went bird watching for the first time. While I was struggling to use the zoom function on the binoculars, my friend (an avid birdwatcher) demonstrated a keen attention to every bird’s movement. Within seconds, she was able to identify each species we came across. I was impressed with her ability to ID these flighty creatures. But by the end of the morning, I had learned a few basics. 

If you enjoy bird watching at your lake house, but haven’t yet gained expertise like my friend, it’s easy to build up this skill without relying on books. The most experienced audubon society members know that there’s four basic categories of bird identification: size and shape, coloring, behavior, and habitat. And while field guides can be helpful, birds are constantly in motion. By the time you pull out the Sibley Guide to Birds, they could be gone. To make better in-the-moment identifications, we’re going over these fundamental determinants of bird species.

Size and Shape

Image courtesy of Avian Report

The first way to quickly narrow down a bird’s species is by looking at its size. Of course, size is relative, so it can be helpful to compare birds with familiar objects. For instance, pencils (small birds), 12-inch rules (medium sized birds) and bread loafs (large birds) can be useful points of reference. Keep in mind that your proximity to the bird can also skew your perception of distance. If a bird is sitting in a far-off tree, it will appear smaller than the one at your feet. With experience, you’ll be able to determine bird sizes with more accuracy! 

A bird’s shape is also important to keep in your notes. Even if two birds are similar in size, no two will have the exact same shape. Take note of the bird’s general form — does it have a particularly long beak? An extended neck? These aspects are often unique to the bird’s species.

Colors

Photo courtesy of Robert Katzki on Unsplash

Some birds have distinctive coloring, and they’re often named after these unique shades (think: blue jays, goldfinch, red footed falcon, etc). Scientifically speaking, these vibrant pigments are due to carotenoids, which play a key role in birds’ ability to reproduce and communicate. In turn, for bird watchers, coloring is a key component of identification. 

Besides the basic colors, be on the lookout for “field marks.” These are very specific markings that will help you identify a bird more quickly. For example, does the bird have white spots on its wings? An eyebrow stripe? A throat patch? Pay close attention to these often colorful markings to make a more accurate judgement.

Behavior

Photo courtesy of Pery-Pet

There’s more to bird identification than meets the eye. In addition to noticing how a bird looks, you should pay equal attention to what it’s doing. The best way to pick up this skill is to watch birds for a prolonged period of time. Even if a bird is common, continue observing it and notice its behaviors. For instance, is it hopping like a sparrow? Scaling up a tree like a woodpecker? Or searching for seeds in the underbrush like a swallow? When you learn each bird’s unique habits and mannerisms, you’ll be able to identify birds much faster.

Habitat

Photo courtesy of Capitals Coalition

Although birds are known to migrate, thus shifting their habitat based on the season, their general habitats remain the same. For example, great blue herons are known to love bodies of water, and red eyed vireos love forest treetops. However, you’d be unlikely to see one of them in the other’s location. Pay attention to where this species is spending its time. 

Of course, this is not an exhaustive list of ways to identify birds. Other clues include seasonality, voice, flight pattern, and feeding style. However, starting with these basic determinants can help you get started! For more inspiration, continue checking out the Lake Homes blog for other bird-related pieces, and consider joining a bird watching group through the National Audubon Society. You’ll be ID-ing birds like an expert in no time!

5 Reasons Not to Feed Wildlife

Photo courtesy of Sheila Fitzgerald via The Bulletin

It’s a quintessential image — a sunny day, a lake full of ducks, and families with children feeding pieces of bread to the animals. This idea may seem completely harmless; after all, the animals are happy, you get closer to nature, so what’s the problem? However, before you toss your leftovers towards the lake, consider these five reasons that feeding wildlife may not be the best idea.

You Could Get Injured

Photo courtesy of Sky News

Besides putting up bird feeders during the winter months, you should steer clear of feeding any wildlife. Instead, animals should be observed from a safe distance. This is especially crucial with larger animals with lake habitats such as deer and elk. In 2018, one woman in Cortlandt New York suffered several injuries from attempting to feed a male white-tailed deer. For many of these animals, humans are seen as a threat, and your approaching them with food could provoke a defensive attack. By staying back and watching them, you’re keeping yourself safe and minimizing any disturbance of nature.

Animals Could Get Injured

Photo courtesy of Gothamist

Besides the risk of human injury, feeding wildlife leaves animals more vulnerable to injury and fatalities as well. In general, animals are most safe in their natural wild habitats where they can steer clear of risks that accompany proximity to humans. One of the biggest risks is roads — one of the major causes of wildlife mortality is being hit by a moving vehicle. When feeding wildlife, many people encourage animals to come close to roads, cross roads, or enter parking lots. Although it’s done under the guise of helping animals, this coercion actually  leaves these creatures more exposed to danger.

Human Food Isn’t Healthy For Animals

Photo courtesy of Landsil on Unsplash

Many people assume that by feeding wildlife, you’re helping the animals get their nutrients for the day. When animals are used to foraging for food, they might appreciate a nice meal from a human. But while the ducks by the shoreline may look like they’re enjoying those breadcrumbs, their digestive system tells a different story. Animals do not need “people food” to survive, and their bodies aren’t built to absorb it. Over time, this can have disastrous consequences. When animals rely on human food, they might become dependent on people to survive, thus making them more vulnerable to humans in general — including those who mean harm. Their natural fear of people, which often helps them stay alive, should be preserved.

There are Public Health Concerns

Photo courtesy of East Idaho News

Public health concerns are another key reason why you shouldn’t feed wildlife. Although human food is bad for wildlife, animals will tend to gravitate towards the most convenient food source available. If people are readily throwing bread crumbs, animals will follow the source. Over time, large groups of animals will clamor for the next piece of bread, creating “hangout” groups. But when too many animals are in one place, the chances of disease transmission to both humans and other wildlife increases. Plus, the overcrowding and competition for food elevates risk of fighting and injury among the same species.

What Can You Do Instead?

Photo courtesy of National Park Service

The impulse to feed wildlife makes sense. As nature-lovers, we want to see wildlife up close and in-person. However, there are other ways to have contact with wild animals that don’t cause harm. You could search local animal rehabilitation centers near your lake area. Volunteering is a great way to get involved in helping local species! You can also benefit wildlife by planting native plants in your backyard that fosters the ecosystem. At the end of the day, just remember that wild animals are just that — wild. As such, it’s our job to observe and appreciate them safely from a distance.

5 Rarest Freshwater Fish in the World

Photo courtesy of Native Fish Coalition.

As lake homeowners, many of us love fishing. Whether you fish to eat or catch and release, nothing beats the joy of reeling in a freshwater fish. However, many fish –perhaps even in your home lake — could be endangered.

According to The Telegraph, a third of freshwater fish are facing extinction. Water pollution, overfishing, and loss of habitat are some factors that cause this population decline to happen. As a result, many freshwater fish have been declared critically endangered. As of 2020, these five species are some of the world’s rarest freshwater fish.

Chinese Paddlefish

Photo courtesy of CGTN.

Last seen in 2007, the Chinese Paddlefish is likely the world’s rarest freshwater fish. Native to the Yangtze River in China, its long protruding nose makes it one of the world’s longest freshwater fish.

Unfortunately, this fish’s status is unknown, and many scientists think it could be extinct due to human activity. In part, their disappearance was caused by the construction of a dam that split their population. According to new research from 2020, the species is likely extinct.

Although there’s always the possibility that a species thought to be extinct are still alive somewhere, researchers say it’s unlikely for the Chinese Paddlefish. 

Damba Mipentina

Photo courtesy of Art.com.

These cichlid fish are native to river basins in Northern Madagascar. A small number of this species have been bred in captivity; no one has seen this fish in its home waters since 2011.

Part of the reason for its decline (in addition to overfishing and pollution) is the introduction of the invasive Asian Snakehead fish, a non-native species. Fortunately, public institutions like the London Zoo have incorporated captive breeding programs to help save this population from extinction. 

Alabama Sturgeon

Photo courtesy of USGS.

As it turns out, one of the world’s rarest freshwater fish is native to Alabama’s rivers. If you’re an avid angler at your lake house, you’ve probably heard of sturgeon. But did you know that they are critically endangered?

Of all the sturgeon subspecies, the Alabama Sturgeon is exceedingly rare. In 2000, the Fish and Wildlife Service declared it critically endangered, and in the past ten years, only three people have reported seeing one. Despite fears of its extinction, scientists in 2016 discovered its DNA in the Alabama River – restoring hope that this fish is still alive and thriving. 

Diamond Darter

Diamond, Darter, Crystallaria cincotta – National Geographic

The diamond darter is endemic to the Elk River in West Virginia, meaning that this population only exists in this location. Diamond Darters used to thrive throughout the Ohio River watershed until the dam construction changed the population’s habitat.

On the Elk River, coal mining and oil and gas drilling have contributed to this population’s decline. Now, the exact number of remaining species is unknown. However, scientists do know that in the past 30 years, only 19 of these fish have been caught. If you were to see one, its translucent body, small size, and slender shape would make it difficult to recognize.

Devil’s Hole Pupfish

Photo courtesy of nature.org.

These small blue fish are native to Devil’s Hole, a limestone cave lake in Nevada’s Death Valley National Park. Endemic to this small cave lake since the Ice Age, the Devil’s Hole Pupfish live in the smallest geographic range for any vertebrate species. Because of this, it’s always been one of the world’s rarest freshwater fish (never more than 553), but now, its count marks only 35 fish. 

However, there is some hope for their conservation. Ash Meadows Conservation Facility created an artificial environment to replicate Devil’s Hole and breed these fish to restore the population. When diving beetles were found eating the eggs, scientists developed a new strategy in 2018, raising the eggs in a separate lab. Now with more Devil’s Hole Pupfish in the lab than in the wild, some conservationists are optimistic about restoring this population.  

For more information on preserving freshwater species, check out governmental and nonprofit environmental organizations like FreshWater Life, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Wildlife Federation

Fall Lake Activity: Spotting Wildlife

Photo courtesy of nps.org.

With winter just around the corner, we’re all trying to squeeze in the remaining months of enjoyable weather. In particular, autumn is the perfect time to enjoy the great outdoors at your lake house.

There’s Halloween and Thanksgiving’s seasonal charm, an array of beautiful fall leaves, and there’s exciting wildlife to spot. The next time you’re lounging in an Adirondack chair in your backyard this season, keep an eye out for these creatures!

Squirrels and Chipmunks

Wild chipmunk in a Boreal forest, North Quebec, Canada.
Photo courtesy of eekwi.org.

Perhaps one of the most common creatures you’ll find at your lake house is the squirrel. Squirrels are one of the quintessential animals of fall. They spend the entire season preparing for the long winter ahead. This preparation means “fattening up” and burying acorns all across your property. Once winter hits, you’ll find them digging up the acorns that they stashed in October.

Squirrels have the uncanny ability to smell their buried acorns beneath a foot of snow. What’s in store for the nuts they forget? They’ll eventually become trees in your backyard!

Peregrine Falcons

Photo courtesy of fieldmuseum.org.

During autumn, spotting wildlife is not too difficult due to the influx of migrating birds heading south for the winter. One migratory species is the Peregrine falcon. Able to fly up to 200 miles per hour, these majestic birds are the fastest animal on earth.

Each fall, Peregrines travel to South America, and typically, they take a short break in South Florida before crossing the Gulf of Mexico on the remainder of their trip. If you own a lake house in the southern U.S., it’s worth making a Florida Keys trip to watch peak migration during October. Make sure to bring your binoculars! 

Monarch Butterflies

Photo courtesy of wkms.org.

Birds aren’t the only creatures that you’ll find migrating this season. According to the International Union for Conservation and Natural Resources, the monarch butterfly migration northward from Mexico each spring is a “threatened phenomenon.” Despite this endangered state, you’re still likely to spot these stunning butterflies on their journey back to Mexico in October. By November and December, they’ll have settled down, so be sure to enjoy them while you can!

Beavers

Photo courtesy of boredpanda.com.

One advantage of spotting wildlife on the lake is getting double the possibilities of sightings with land and water creatures. During the fall, you may find adorable families of beavers around the shoreline of your lake or another nearby body of water. More than likely, they’ll be busy gnawing at a tree to build their dams.

It’s no wonder beavers are known as “nature’s engineers” as they’re masterfully skilled at constructing habitats. If you’re lucky enough to spot one, be sure to keep a safe distance. If you notice them slap their tail on the water, it’s a sign you’re too close.

Elk

Photo courtesy of Explore Big Sky.

If you own a lake house in the American west, you may be fortunate enough to spot an elk. These massive animals (the largest animal in the deer family) enjoy mountainous areas such as Yellowstone National Park. However, some elk herds have been found in more wooded areas.

If you’re hoping to find an elk during your next outdoor adventure, a piercing bugling noise may reveal this creature’s presence. During the fall mating season, male elk let out these high-pitched calls to attract females. October is part of peak bugling season, so keep your ears open! 

Although we are in the midst of a pandemic, it’s provided an optimal time for lake-lovers like us to observe the natural world around us. Spotting wildlife at your lake house is a fun, timely hobby for the whole family. All you need is a camera, a pair of binoculars, and a keen sense of observation!

Fun Wildlife Family Activity at Your Lake – Can You Find These Animals?

Time spent on the lake provides priceless entertainment and education for those searching for fun wildlife near the water. For an engaging family activity, see if you can spot any of the animals on our fun wildlife lake list.

Cowscow in water

While cows are normally found grazing fields near small ponds they are occasionally spotted on larger lakes.

This particular cow was spotted on Logan Martin Lake in July of 2016.

Cows are the largest domesticated mammalia.

Bullfrogs

Bullfrogs are amphibians. They eat creepy, crawly bugs but are not dangerous to larger species.

These creatures of land and water live in lakes, slow streams and ponds. The bullfrog is the largest of frogs in North America and make a deep loud call which is amplified by their internal vocal sac.

Bull frogs live predominately in the water but can be seen at the edge or on stumps and rocks in moist areas. You will find they are more active during the night.

Turtles

Turtles range in species and sizes. Most turtles are not dangerous, but snapping turtles can take off a finger so stay at a safe distance if you do not know which type of turtle is near you.

They eat bugs and small fish. Turtles spend most of their time in the water but can be seen on land as well.

Ducks

two ducks on rocks

Ducks are one of the easiest animals to spot around lakes and ponds. While they are fun wildlife to observe,  they will snap at you if you get too close.

Their hissing is an interesting sound, but it is a warning that they feel threatened and you should back away.

If you are visiting a campground or live on the lake, ducks are typically more friendly and love to gather as you throw popcorn or pieces of bread.

Beavers

Beavers are natural dam builders. You can find their handy work all around lakes and rivers where they have built dams as their shelters.

They live their lives in the water and are amazing swimmers.

These fury animals should be left alone, but are amazing to watch at work and swim.

Deer

Deer are elegant, graceful creatures that love cool, clear water for drinking. Deer run extremely fast and jump really high when spooked, so try to be quiet when you see them.

These beautiful animals are majestic and docile. In areas that humans visit often like campgrounds and homes on the lake, they become used to humans and may not spook as easily.

If you have a home on the lake, you can plant clover to get the deer to graze near your home. When they venture close to eat your clovers, you will get a great view of your fun wildlife semi-pet deer.

 

Raccoonraccoons on logs over the water

Raccoons are the thieves of the wild, they are rambunctious and fun to watch but can be troublesome for trashcans that tip over easily.

Some raccoons become so used to humans that they will make eye contact then go about their business.

Raccoons may bite if you get too close, so keep a safe distance when observing.

They only come out at night, so if you see a raccoon during the day, call animal control as this raccoon may be ill and dangerous.

For More Fun Wildlife Information

To read about more fun wildlife on lakes Environmental Education for Kids has numerous interesting facts. And check out our article, “Have Fun Exploring The Lake With Geocaching” for another family activity to try!