Spring getting closer, but winter is not over
PHOTOS BY GARRY BRANDENBURG — Early signs of spring are beginning to be felt. In today's featured creatures, Ring-billed Gulls were part of hundreds in a large flock near the marina at Lake Red Rock last weekend. These birds are common, but winter time habitats are usually further south. This particular species of gull can be found inland across the entire United States, whereas many of its cousin gull types, of which there are 50 in North America, are coastal. A new wrinkle in February wildlife sightings was this bullsnake, found sunning itself along the south exposure of a house. This 18" long constrictor snake was observed eating box-elder bug insects. This reptile had best know where to crawl back into its winter den site since the winter season is far from over.
Warmer than typical early February weather has made a mark for some wildlife critters. For birds that migrate, great flocks of snow geese can be found in concentrated areas such at the Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge, as I talked about last week.
The geese are feeling the urge of spring migration impulses and will push northward up to any existing snow cover remaining in the Dakotas. New snow events may well catch those geese and force a temporary southward withdrawal.
The give and take of weather events will eventually give way to spring. Officially, spring season is still one month away, but first, both us humans and wildlife species must endure the balance of February and March with all of its unpredictability and nuances of weather that can and will happen.
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One large flock of Ring-billed Gulls was observed by this author last weekend at the marina area of Lake Red Rock. Ice on the lake dominated, and some open water existed adjacent to some shorelines, which made for good resting/feeding areas for the gulls.
These graceful flyers swooped and dived into the water and occasionally came up with a small fish. To prevent an attempt to steal the fish, the gull that did the work was quick to impale the fish and swallow it.
Ring-billed Gulls are common. They can be found far from coastal areas and will nest and raise their young near any fresh water sources across the interior of the continent.
An easy identifying item for this gull is the black narrow band near the tip of its yellow bill. Otherwise, this waterbird has a typical gull body form, a length of about 17″ and a wingspan of 48″. The body plumage is white. The top of its wings have a light gray coloring and its wingtips are black. Its legs are yellow.
When it comes to food, Ring-bills will eat just about anything — mostly fish,but insect and insect larvae, worms, and fruits. Landfill areas are another place where they will scavenge.
They are colony nesters, so sites that they use to build nests will have many eyes to observe and call out predators from the sky or the land. Nests are minimal things, a scratched out hollow along the shoreline near fresh water, or on sandbars, rocky beaches or bare soil areas.
A selected nest will be lined with twigs, sticks, grasses, leaves or lichens. Two to four eggs will be laid to produce one clutch per year. Incubation takes 20 to 31 days.
Young hatchling gulls have a camouflaged gray and brown downy feather pattern. Their eyes will open by the end of their first day. Leaving the nest may take place on day two.
Ring-billed Gulls may well be a visitor to places like Sand Lake. Look for them this spring as migration times become more intense. Other area lakes to scrutinize will be Hendrickson Marsh, any of the big reservoir lakes like Saylorville, Red Rock, Rathbun.
Up north in Iowa, any of our Iowa Great Lakes like Clear Lake, Spirit, Okoboji will meet the criteria, and of course, Iowa’s border rivers of the Mississippi or Missouri have their appeal also. Migrating birds may be anywhere and everywhere. It may take some work on your part to be in the right place, right time. Any time spent outdoors is time well spent.
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Bull snakes outside their den in mid-February is not a thing most naturalists or wildlife observers could have guessed. Well, it happened this week. I received a call from a landowner who spied one of these snakes taking advantage of warm sunshine near his home’s foundation.
That was an opportunity to observe myself, so away I trudged to the location. Yes, I also found the snake, active and seemingly interested in eating box elder bugs.
It was a small snake, only about 18″ long, but experience near this location has in the past been the site where I have photographed adult bull snakes, one of which was easily six feet long, and had a mid body girth as big as my forearm. According to a publication titled Snakes of Iowa, this non-venomous constrictor can be identified by its dark brown squarish blotches along its back.
The underlying color is yellow-ish brown with smaller dark blotches on its sides extending down toward its creme colored belly. The nose scale of this animal has a distinctive wedge shape. And like all other non-venomous reptiles, its eye pupil is round. Each scale on the body is keeled, a small ridge down its center.
Bullsnakes can grow to be Iowa’s largest with lengths of 50″ to as much as 72″. They eat lots of small rodents, gophers, ground squirrels, and even ground nesting birds and/or their eggs.
The habitats for bullsnakes may be grasslands, prairie or woodlands. The female of this species lays eggs in her underground den site, and those eggs hatch later as the ground warms sufficiently.
Biologists who study reptiles, and snakes in particular, call egg laying snakes oviparous. Other snakes may be known as ovoviviparous, a condition in which the eggs are held internally for hatching and then live young emerge. A third reproduction form is titled viviparous — meaning no egg shells are produced internally and thus giving birth to live young. An example of this is the common garter snake.
If an adult bull snake is encountered, it will hiss loudly and vibrate its non-rattled tail in nearby vegetation or other plant debris to create a loud buzzing sound. This mimicking of the rattling sound is usually sufficient to warn people, or other predators, of a danger of getting closer. If those threats do not work, the snake will strike hard and fast with its mouth wide open, an enthusiastic behavior to convince the potential predator that this snake means business. Bull snakes are constrictors, who attack a prey animal and quickly wrap their body coils around the succumbing animal, and hold tight to squeeze any air out of the prey, causing suffocation.
Iowa has 27 species of snakes. From very small, like the Smooth green snake or the Prairie Ringneck Snake, to the larger types, the variety and uniqueness of each fills many ecological roles within the environment. April is the prime month for snake emergence from winter hibernariums.
Sunshine warming the soils will slowly progress and the snakes respond as they are cold-blooded creatures. Hunting may be done primarily at night. They will swallow the prey, insects or small mammals, whole. A forked tongue is a snake’s smelling organ which will collect chemical agents in the air, and then bring those tongue tips into the roof of their mouth for special nerve sensing work to take place.
Snakes continue to grow as they age. Its skin will be shed periodically throughout the year, several times. A shed snake skin is the inside out duplication of the animal. To be at the right place, right time to observe or photograph a snake shedding its skin would be way cool thing
to witness. In the meantime, do enjoy any time you encounter a snake.
If you don’t like them, just leave them alone to do their thing. You do your things.
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Decorah Bald Eagles are in their nest, and they are being watched 24/7 by a remote camera. Egg laying is likely to happen very soon. Our local bald eagle nests are going through the same process. That is a sure sign of spring to come. Eggs laid now will hatch in a month’s time — right on time for spring weather and new food sources for young eagles.
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Ducks Unlimited chapter of the Iowa River Valley is hosting their banquet on Feb. 24, next Saturday. So this reminder is to make sure and purchase your banquet ticket as soon as possible.
Contact Jeremy Harris at 111 North 16th Street, Marshalltown, IA 50158 for tickets. You may also go online to https://wwwducks.org/iowa#events to get a ticket or two.
The DU banquet location is new for 2024. It is called the Midnight Garden at 1501 S. 17th Avenue, Marshalltown. Doors open at 5 p.m. for games and raffles.
A silent and live auction will take place after the meal served at 7 p.m. Help wetland and waterfowl conservation with your financial support of the mission of Ducks Unlimited.
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The 2024 Iowa Deer Classic is coming up soon. It will be in Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines on March 1, 2 and 3. Friday hours are moved up. Doors open at 2 p.m. Friday until 8 p.m. Saturday hours are 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Sunday hours are 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Iowa’s Deer Classic show is well done and will host a convention floor of exhibitors of all kinds related to deer, deer hunting, taxidermy, sporting outlets and special hunts both in the states or foreign hunts to places life Africa, Asia, or
Europe.
Hunting related seminars will be held, and the usual big buck contest will also be held. A special wall of fame will host returned big buck mounts for display purposes, and as usual a big display of shed antlers will be offered to showgoers.
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Garry Brandenburg is the retired director of the Marshall County Conservation Board. He is a graduate of Iowa State University with a BS degree in Fish & Wildlife Biology.
Contact him at:
P.O. Box 96
Albion, IA 50005
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- PHOTOS BY GARRY BRANDENBURG — Early signs of spring are beginning to be felt. In today’s featured creatures, Ring-billed Gulls were part of hundreds in a large flock near the marina at Lake Red Rock last weekend. These birds are common, but winter time habitats are usually further south. This particular species of gull can be found inland across the entire United States, whereas many of its cousin gull types, of which there are 50 in North America, are coastal. A new wrinkle in February wildlife sightings was this bullsnake, found sunning itself along the south exposure of a house. This 18″ long constrictor snake was observed eating box-elder bug insects. This reptile had best know where to crawl back into its winter den site since the winter season is far from over.
Outdoors Today
Wildlife comes in all shapes and sizes
Bluebirds and Bluebells = Spring
Northern Pike eggs now in Spirit Lake hatchery
Robins adapt to March’s variable weather
Sportsman’s sale at Ikes April 5-6
