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Welcome to our monthly celebration of nature and photography!

THIS MONTH:
» Quiz - Birds of Prey!
» Five Things About...swans
» Bird Food Recipe: Bark Butter
PLUS - mystery image | snippets of nature | celebrate nature dates for October

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Mount Wilson
A leaf-covered pathway through the wood invites you take a stroll into autumn.
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_ Where's Lily?

While you're reading this month, be sure to keep an eye out for Lily the Ladybug.

She's managed to hide in one of the photos, but which one?!


Which waterfowl nest the farthest north?

Compare your answer with the answer at the end of the newsletter. 

Here's a close-up image to test your mystery-solving skills.
As usual, you'll find the answer at the end of the newsletter.

Trumpeter Swan
Canis latrans
_ Swans large waterfowl and among the largest flying birds. Some can be as long as 5 ft/1.5 m with a wingspan of 10 ft/3.1m! They are among the most recognizable birds and know for their rather fierce temperament - so watch out!
     
  Male (called a cob) and female (a pen) swans are alike in markings and plumage but females are generally smaller and lighter than males.
     
  Swans are mostly herbivorous. In the water they will dabble (up-end) and use their long necks to get aquatic plants. They also feed on land.
     
  Birds do not have teeth, but swans and an interesting adaptation which allows them to catch and eat aquatic plants. Their bills have serrated edges which look somewhat like jagged teeth!
     
  Swans form monogamous pair bonds which can last for years. Unlike many birds, the male actually helps the female build their nest and even helps incubate the eggs!

This month's quiz features birds of prey.

Can you match the photos of the following birds with the correct name?

Make a list 1 through 8 and start matching! Good luck.

(Don't worry if you have some names left over as there are more names than photos.)
 
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Bird 1
Bird 2
Bird3
Bird 4
Bird 5
Bird 6
Bird 7
Bird 8
Bald Eagle
Barred Owl
Cooper's Hawk
Golden Eagle
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Great Horned Owl
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Merlin
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Osprey
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Sharp-shinned Hawk
Swainson's Hawk
Turkey Vulture
 
Quiz answers are found later in this issue of Whispers.
 

Demonstrate your wisdom and nature know-how by throwing
a few fascinating nature words into your daily conversations!
 
__"I'd love to see a deer right now," I said to my friend as we drove through the mountains on a sunny afternoon.

__"That would be great," he answered. "Not much of a chance of spotting one though because they are crepuscular animals."

What does crepuscular mean?
  a. Not common.
  b. Is most active at dawn and dusk.
  c. Is active mostly at night.
  d. Is most active during a full moon.
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You'll find the answer at the end of this month's Whispers.

This fellow is a Painted Turtle, one of the featured reptiles from this month's highlighted page: State Reptiles. No Canadian provinces have selected an official reptile, but some 26 states have. Check out our photo collection here.

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This cute baby Northern Cardinal stopped by to visit Joyce Cahill in Winslow, Arkansas.
Lucky Joyce also spotted this adorable deer checking out her garden.
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While in Mexico, Tony from Toronto managed to get a great shot of a Streak-backed Oriole.
Judy Howle from Columbus, Mississippi, MS, saw this stunning Great Blue Heron in a wildlife refuge.
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Jane and Walt of Red Gate Farm in Texas had this Black-bellied Duck
This fantastic and unusual photograph of an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly was taken by Jim Noeninger of Shiloh, IL.

What a super selection of photos! Many thanks to Joyce, Tony, Judy, Jane, Walt and Jim.
We really appreciate your contributions!


If you have a nature image you'd like to see in this section, please let us know!.


While wandering down to the lagoon, this Greater Yellowlegs (a large sandpiper) was spotted as it had a successful fish catch.
 
Do you have an idea for a fun caption for this photo?
Here are some ideas:

#1 - "Beep, beep! Out of the way! Move it!"
#2 - "Watch out, I'm right behind you!"

If this month's photo inspires you, please send us your caption in an e-mail.


Watch out! You won't want to bother this American Alligator while it basks in the sun. What an amazing beast!

This month's fantastic snippet comes from Judy Howle of Columbus, Mississippi, who snapped this shot while in the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in east-central Mississippi. Many thanks Judy!
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___A frog was happily driving down the freeway one day, when his cell phone rang. Answering, he heard his wife's voice urgently warning him, "Freddy! I just heard the news. There's a car going the wrong way on the 201. Please be careful!"
___"Honey," replied Freddy, "it's not just ONE car. There are hundreds of 'em!"

"I think I'll just hop along now."
 

Our Monthly Selections
Here are this month's choices:
Bird - Mallard | Wildflower - Orange Plume Flower | Bug - Lapposyrphus lapponicus

Click to visit__ Click to visit__Click to visit
Click on the images to visit the pages.
Tips and Ideas
Hummingbirds spend a lot of energy simply hovering while feeding on nectar.
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Some hummingbird feeders have perches to rest on while feeding. However, it's often hard to get natural-looking photographs of a hummer while it's at the feeder.
 
Placing a perch near the feeder helps a bit as you can hopefully get a picture while the hummingbird takes a bit of a rest.
 
Placing the perch even closer to the feeder will give your
guests a resting spot and a chance to conserve a bit of energy.
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Bird Food Recipe - Bark Butter
This is a favourite recipe with woodpeckers as well as chickadees and nuthatches.

Male Pileated Woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatus
Ingredients:
2 cups of lard (softened)
2 cups of peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
4 cups cornmeal
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups unsalted sunflower seeds OR bird sees
1 tsp honey
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Method:
In a large bowl, mix together the lard and peanut butter.

Add the remaining ingredients, a few at a time stirring each in before adding the next. Stir thoroughly and place in container and let it set at room temperature.

Spread portions on tree bark with a butter knife.

Store in covered container at room temperature.
 
Picture of the Week
Click to visit   Be sure to drop by the Inn every week to see the latest Picture of the Week.
 
You can also do so by clicking on the image to the left or by clicking here.
 
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Past Issues
If you want to see any of the past issues of Whispers, they are available here.
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World Animal Day is here on October 4.
Click here for details.
 
In the U.S. National Wildlife Refuge Week begins on October 9. Check it out!
   
Did you know that is wasn't until June 11, 2015 that the Red-breasted Robin was chosen as Britain's National Bird?

This wonderful photograph was sent by Eileen who lives in the beautiful country of Scotland.
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The first state to select an official reptile was Oklahoma in 1959.
The Collared Lizard was the lucky one to be chosen.
 


- thanks to Tony of Toronto for this


Brant Geese nest further north than any other waterfowl.
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Our mystery image is a close-up of an Anise Butterfly larva.
 

A crepuscular animal
b. is most active at dawn and dusk.

Although you may see them at other times, animals such as deer, bears, skunks, rabbits,
mice and bats, as well as many others, are generally most active at dawn or dusk.

Related words: Diurnal - active through the day | Nocturnal - active at night
 

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Bird 1
Cooper's Hawk
Bird 2
Golden Eagle
Bird 3
Swainson's Hawk
Bird 4
Osprey
Bird 5
Barred Owl
Bird 6
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Bird 7
Merlin
Bird 8
Great Horned Owl
             
And if you're wondering what the two leftover names look like, here they are.
Bald Eagle
Turkey Vulture
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Click here to visit our Mammals Wildzone

Still looking for Lily?

If you need a little clue, click here!
   
Did you find Lily last month?
 
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Thanks for joining us this month. We hope you enjoyed this issue of Whispers. We invite your comments and ideas - just drop us an e-mail. See you next month!
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