Who Made these Tracks?
Looking at our connections in the electronic era.
On Sunday I enjoyed a breakfast of left-over apple pie and eggs. Apple pie goes so well with eggs! Then it was time to get the Christmas Tree up. The bright lights really perked us up, now that Thanksgiving is over and the days are getting even shorter.
Today I hope to get the outside lights and decorations up as well. We must light up the night to keep away the darkness. I think it is a deep instinct.
Then it was time to take the Boston crew to the airport. The low clouds were still hiding the sun, but from time to time there was a patch of blue peeking through.
Back at home I crashed on the couch for a needed nap, then headed out for an equally necessary walk. The clouds seemed to be thinning out a bit. The edges of the lake and creek were frozen, though a trickle of water kept flowing. Looking down from the little bridge I saw some huge bird tracks!
There were only two possibilities I could imagine: Great Blue Heron or Sand Hill Crane. I’ve seen both species along this little creek.
Now, looking at just the photos I took from the bridge, it’s hard to appreciate just how big these prints really are. I need to get another picture with some reference point so you can really see the size of these prints.
This morning I went back through some Sand Hill Crane pictures I had taken on one of my walks at Kensington Metropark. Success!
Check out those feet!
I think I’ve found the match. Sand Hill Cranes. Can you see the rear facing toe, high up, not touching the ground? This is called the “game bird track pattern,” or “incumbent,” according to the website of Alderleaf Wilderness College.
If the tracks show a rear-facing toe, they’re called “anisodactyl” tracks, or “classic” bird tracks, with three toes pointing forward and one backward. Almost all songbirds, herons, egrets, eagles, hawks, and even vultures have this rear facing toe in contact with the ground when they walk. I learned something!
I wonder how long these big Sandhill Cranes will stick around. This map shows that Michigan is located in the southern part of their breeding range (dark orange). The dark yellow shows their migratory routes, and the blue shows their overwintering areas.
The dark purple areas denote year round habitat. Credit Wikipedia. I’m a bit surprised they are still here making tracks in the snow.
For you new subscribers, here are links to some of my earlier stories that featured these beautiful Sandhill Cranes, including some videos.
Nature Center Visit: Gadwalls!
I hope to get back to Kensington this week and check on the status of the migratory ducks. I’ll report on the Sandhills too.
Last night we enjoyed watching Christmas Vacation. It’s sort of an unofficial tradition. One thing that really struck me this year is that there are no cellphones. The kids sit in the backseat and listen to the parents in the front seat singing Christmas Carols. No headphones or video games in sight.
It will be interesting to see what changes occur in our species now that we are all wired. I wonder what metrics we should be collecting to determine the effects of wiring?
At least in the developed world, by 2010 more than half of the population had a cell phone. By 2014 it was over 80%. My guess is that today most kids over the age of 14 have a phone.
Since so many people rely on text messaging, some researchers are finding that communication skills are suffering. For example, MIT sociologist Sherry Turkle warns that “conversation is the most human and humanizing thing that we do. It’s where empathy is born, where intimacy is born…we’ve actually moved away from conversation in a way that my research was showing is hurting us.”
“How Have Cell Phones Changed Us Socially?” University of the People
This is important: “conversation … is where empathy is born.”
Why is empathy important? It’s what connects us to others, making us a caring society. When I used to pick juries as a trial lawyer I would ask folks about the difference between sympathy and empathy. Jurors are not allowed to take sympathy into account in rendering a verdict. But that doesn’t mean they can’t or shouldn’t be empathetic.
Sympathy means “I feel sorry for you.”
Empathy means “You hurt. I understand.”
It is empathy that makes us human. Maybe someone has devised a test to measure empathy. My guess is that if they have, we may be on a downward trend.
Resolved: to be more empathetic!
But there is one thing about being wired that is positive. We are able to communicate better with each other. That can’t be bad!
Thanks for helping me work that out!
And thanks for traveling along. So glad you’re here~!
Those sandhills are running late!! They better beat (black feet) wings down here right away. Sandhills are already feeding along our coast in their traditional wintering grounds, as are the whooping cranes near Port Aransas.
One of our T-Day dinner guests is already preparing for his annual leading of ‘bird walks’ during the Whooping Crane Festival next February.
It’s a Big Deal down here along our coast, bringing in birders from all over the US and even other countries.
They wanted to hang around for a photo op.