Spring 2016 MarshMadrona Marsh Preserve Mailing and Nature Center Marsh Mailing is also available in full color at www.friendsofmadronamarsh.com A Docent’s Eyes and Ears - And Some Help From the Marsh Dave Jamieson As a docent for Madrona Marsh, I have the honor of seemed to enjoy and appreciate my input, judging leading young children on walks through three aspects from the questions they asked. of a learning experience The second group (Preserve, Nature Center was all boys except for and Native Garden) and a single girl and their translating that teacher. They were experience into excited about the something that makes Preserve and kept sense to someone who forgetting that nature is sees it as foreign and best enjoyed with an strange. attitude of calm and Recently, I led a tour quiet––with emphasis through the Marsh that on not disturbing was part of a unique things. This is not group. This was the unusual, and I have second day in a row that learned to deal with we had guided the same what is, after all, school (the tours had excited children trying been divided into two to contain themselves. separate days, since the I took the kids to the entire 5th grade was to Photo courtesy of Jun Saito duck pond and pointed come from Central Los out that we would have Angeles). This particular tour was also to include a seen many more ducks, but they had heard us water lab, which is a fourth aspect of the learning coming and gotten nervous. As we continued, I experience and is taught by specialists. was explaining the raccoon footprints near the Due to the size of each day’s group, it was further water when one of the boys whispered, “There is divided in half, with one half touring the Preserve while the coyote you told us about.” I was at the front of the other was in a water lab. The water lab tours work the group and facing backwards, so I didn’t see it, best this way when we have such large groups. Due to and wasn’t positive of what they had seen, so I the uniqueness of the tour, as it worked out, I was to was surprised to see the coyote trot within ten feet lead two consecutive one-hour tours of the Preserve. of us and cross our path. Immediately, the group froze and stopped The first group was lucky enough to see a Red- talking amongst themselves. They stayed like that tailed Hawk circling overhead, while two crows pestered for the rest of the tour. her. I took advantage of the opportunity to explain how My reaction was to explain to the children that this is normal, and humanized the scene by explaining humans are responsible for bringing calm and the three most important things that everything in nature peace to situations, since we are the apex needs to do: 1) Get something to eat, 2) Don’t be predators. I also pointed out that coyotes are something to eat, and 3) raise your family. The group ____________________ “Docent ...” continued on page 3 -1- Western and Cassin's Kingbirds by Vincent Lloyd O n e d a y tyrant. The call of back when I first the Western, T. started watching verticalis, sounds b i r d s , I w a s like a fast squeaky astonished to see wheel. a big Red-tailed Cassin's Kingbird Hawk being is named after the harassed by a American small grey bird, ornithologist John which, through Cassin (no, he sheer audacious- wasn't French, he ness, persuaded was a Quaker) who the big raptor to described 200 new go away. species of birds in It was a the 1800s, many of Western King- them birds of bird. The aggres- western North siveness of male America. Both kingbirds in Cassin’s, left, and Western Kingbirds (Wikipedia) kingbirds belong to defending their the genus Tyrannus territory is legendary; it has inspired both their of the family Tyrannidae. The order of songbirds common name and their scientific name, Tyrannus, (Passeriformes) is divided into two groups, the the tyrant bird. Here at the Marsh we see not only the oscines and suboscines, the family Tyrannidae Western Kingbird but also Cassin's Kingbird. belonging to the suboscines. Kingbirds all look pretty much alike: grey upper The most obvious difference between these two parts, yellowish lower parts, and blackish tails (the groups is that the suboscines, which are mostly bizarre Scissor-tailed Flycatcher being an exception). birds of the New World tropics, have only simple In both species, the male and female look alike. A rite songs compared with the more musical songs of the of passage for beginning naturalists in Southern oscines. It is thought that the suboscine songs are California is to learn to differentiate between the all innate rather than learned from the parents, as is Western and Cassin's Kingbirds. Compared with common among the oscines. Since they are Cassin's Kingbird, the Western Kingbird is lighter grey considered to be more primitive, the suboscines are on the upper side. If you happen to see the two of placed at the beginning of the Passeriformes in them perched in the same tree, the difference is taxonomic order, and of them the family Tyrannidae obvious, but otherwise it's a bit tricky to judge, as appears at the very top of the list, as is befitting a shades of color are affected by light and shadow. tyrant. In my experience, one good way to tell them apart The tyrannids are all flycatchers, with broad flat is that the whitish throat of Cassin's contrasts with its bills for catching insects in the air. An interesting and head and breast much more than the Western's poorly understood feature are short bristles that are throat. Another difference is in the tail: the Western found at the base of the beak. No one really knows has bright white edges to the outer tail feathers which what they are for. The idea that they might aid in is obvious when it flies; Cassin's has grey or white tail catching flying insects has been disproved by tips instead. However, as is often the case with experiments in which the bristles were taped down flycatchers, the most obvious difference is the voice: or clipped off entirely; the loss of the bristles didn't Cassin's has a loud, raucous call, which suggested its noticeably hamper their hunting success. scientific name, Tyrannus vociferans, the vociferous Eight of the 13 Tyrannus species are found north of the Mexican border, but only Western and Cassin's regularly breed in California. The Tropical Kingbird (T. melancholicus) is seen every fall and Marsh Mailing is a quarterly newsletter designed to sometimes in the winter. The Thick-billed Kingbird (T. provide information about activities and upcoming crassirostris) is occasionally seen in the winter; events at or relating to the Madrona Marsh Preserve. believe it or not it has a really thick beak. The Contributions are welcome and may be e-mailed to Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (T. forficatus) is seen every Editorial Advisor, Bill Arrowsmith, [email protected] or couple of years; one was seen at Madrona Marsh in Editor, Diane Gonsalves at [email protected] or 2013. The Eastern Kingbird (T. tyrannus) has may be dropped off or mailed to the Nature Center, P.O. occasionally bred in California. Box 5078, Torrance, CA 90510. _____________________ “Kingbirds ...” continued on page 3 -2- “Kingbirds ...” continued from page 2 Donations of $100 Or More Kingbirds subsist mostly on flying insects, mainly flies. They perch out in the open and fly into the air Spring 2016 when they spot a passing insect, a practice called Date Donor Donation Comment "hawking" or, more colorfully, "sallying." Picture Sally the Kingbird darting up into the air to get her breakfast. December Frank Miles $200 Unlike other tyrannids, who mostly have a very upright December George & $200 posture, kingbirds often perch horizontally. Its specific Kathleen Tendick name, verticalis, suggests that the Western perches December Mark & Sharon $100 more upright than other kingbirds. Angelos The breeding range of the Western Kingbird—no December Rebecca Moore $200 surprise here—is the western U.S. as for north as the Canadian border. Its range expanded northward and December Native Plant $800 In appreciation eastward in the 20th century and now breeds as far Society for Friends’ help east as Iowa, greatly overlapping the breeding range of with plant sale the Eastern Kingbird. Oddly, the Western Kingbird was December Bob and Roberta $500 Shanman originally named the Arkansas Kingbird, until someone January Torrance $300 noticed that they don't breed in Arkansas. Woman’s Club The Western Kingbird winters in southern Mexico January Gertrude $110 and the Pacific coast of Central America. Its wintering Moriguchi range is separated from its breeding range by hundreds January Paul De Alleaume $100 of miles, although occasionally isolated individuals are seen in Southern California in the winter. A small January Norman & $200 population has been wintering in south Florida since Suzanne George 1915. Cassin's Kingbird breeds from northern Mexico to January Ted Kotzin $150 the southwest U.S.; in California it breeds as far north January James Justiss $200 Boeing Gift- as the Sacramento Valley. The winter range of Cassin's Match Program extends from Southern California to central Mexico, February Clark Mitchell $924 Raytheon Gift- greatly overlapping its breeding range. Any kingbird Match Program seen in California in the winter is almost always a March Chris & Ellen $100 Cassin's.