I beseech you!

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On a walk at Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge the other day, the common yellowthroats were remarkably active, and vocal. Intensely vocal.

The males were establishing and contesting their territories at the wetland near Steamboat Island.

Male birds do not fight over females, they tussle over territory. It's the means to the end. Good real estate improves your chances with the ladies.

This concept was introduced into the science of ornithology by amateur birdwatcher Eliot Howard. He first writes about it in 1908, "Breeding territory is a matter of the greatest importance to the males, frequently leading to serious and protracted struggles when two of them are desirous of acquiring the same area." Howard later expanded his ideas in the 1920 landmark book "Territory in Bird Life."

For the yellowthroat, the most often used mnemonic to remember their song cadence is "wichety wichety wichety wich." But at one point in the 1800s he was known as the Maryland beseecher singing hotly, "I beseech you! I beseech you! I beseech you!" Which works perhaps even better since he seems to have something to emphatically proclaim. As if to say, “I beseech you! I beseech you! I beseech you! This is my place. Stay away! Go find your own.”

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sunny fields

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Cindy Spangler e-mailed me. She wondered: were the fields of sunflowers blooming at Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area?

And, yes indeed, they are. TWRA didn't seem to plant as many fields as they have in the past. But the one beside the Will Skelton Greenway at mile marker 2.75 is just beginning to reach full flower.

I took the above photo Wednesday after work. I also heard one white-eyed vireo and a lone common yellowthroat, but the two species still singing often and loud were indigo buntings and field sparrows. Perhaps the latter simply enjoyed the sunflowers, and was simply singing an "Ode to Joy."

And who could blame it?

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