MIKE JACOBS
ALWAYS IN SEASON: ‘Lark woodpecker’: A trickster in the bird world
A long-delayed and very compressed migration is now at full tide. The first barn swallow of the season showed up at my place west of Gilby, N.D., on Thursday evening.
By Mike Jacobs , May 12, 2013
ALWAYS IN SEASON: Ibis sightings liven up spring
Valley wanderings put birds beyond northern range
By Mike Jacobs , May 05, 2013
ALWAYS IN SEASON: Slowly, winter birds give way to spring species
It’s tempting this week, with this weather, to write only about winter birds.
By Mike Jacobs , April 20, 2013
ALWAYS IN SEASON: If these are American kestrels, it must be spring
Paul Kannowski often chided me for thinking that birds were reliable signs of spring. Plants are better indicators of the passing seasons, he said. Insects better still.
By Mike Jacobs , April 14, 2013
ALWAYS IN SEASON: Curious in several ways, starlings make us curious, too
The starling is a curious bird — in both senses of the word. It is an eager learner, especially of songs, and an energetic explorer of its surroundings. It is also a bit odd. They also evoke questions from human observers, and I’ve found them quite fascinating.
By Mike Jacobs , February 10, 2013
ALWAYS IN SEASON: Collared doves conquer the continent
Probably no species has conquered North America more quickly than the Eurasian collared dove.
By Mike Jacobs , December 02, 2012
ALWAYS IN SEASON: Early winter brings unusual bird sightings
Last week brought the expected and the not so likely in the bird world.
The first snowy owls of the season showed up, right on time. Most years, these birds are here by mid-November. So far, reports are encouraging, and it could be a good year for snowy owls.
By Mike Jacobs , November 18, 2012
ALWAYS IN SEASON: Birds have an uncanny knack for turning up as anticipated
It’s uncanny how often a bird shows up soon after someone mentions it to me, and quite often when I simply think of the bird myself. Sometimes I think the birds are sending out brainwaves, subtly invading my consciousness.
By Mike Jacobs , October 21, 2012
ALWAYS IN SEASON: Red-tailed hawks come in many variations
A couple of weeks ago, I confessed confusing a red-tailed hawk for a goshawk, another raptor. But goshawks and redtails are not particularly closely related nor very similar in appearance or habits.
By Mike Jacobs , October 14, 2012
ALWAYS IN SEASON: What if you gave a bird walk and nobody came?
No people showed up at a bird walk I was supposed to lead a week ago Friday, but the birds came anyway.
By Mike Jacobs , October 07, 2012
MIKE JACOBS/ALWAYS IN SEASON: Early guess proves wrong in bird identification
Mary J. Gust thought it was an eagle at first, but when the bird turned, she noticed bright white legs and a spotted belly. These field marks led to a tentative identification: Red-tailed hawk.
By Mike Jacobs , September 23, 2012
ALWAYS IN SEASON: Movement of birds remains a mystery
Perhaps invasion is too strong a term, because it implies malevolent intent. Nevertheless, it is the word that scientists use to describe what’s going on. The species in question is the red crossbill. Its invasion may be abetted by its close relative, the white-winged crossbill.
By Mike Jacobs , September 09, 2012
ALWAYS IN SEASON: Bird behavior reflects change of seasons
Much of the summer, I’ve wondered how many swallows my buildings hosted. Swallows are hard to count, though. They rarely stay still. Instead, they’re aloft or in flight, resting (briefly) or chasing airborne insects.
A peculiar combination of conditions produced an opportunity to count the swallows last week.
By Mike Jacobs , September 02, 2012
ALWAYS IN SEASON: Sapsuckers have big impact on ecosystems
The yellow-bellied sapsucker has probably had more influence on the natural world at our place west of Gilby, N.D., than any other bird species. The sapsucker is an unlikely candidate for such a role. It’s a generally inconspicuous bird that’s probably quite often overlooked.
By Mike Jacobs , August 19, 2012
ALWAYS IN SEASON: Wren an odd choice for ‘king of all birds’
European folklore holds that the wren “is the king of all birds.”
This seems an odd choice, since the wren is among the smallest of birds.
By Mike Jacobs , August 12, 2012
View your ad here! Cost effective targeted advertising.
Contextual advertising starting as low as $79/month. This includes targeted ad delivery and search results!
Add your business to the Marketplace »
RSS Feeds