Ravens are Very Smart Birds

Sunday, 26 February 2012 17:20 Written by Administrator

Student Response Worksheet (Upper)

Student Response Worksheet (Lower)

The boreal forest is home to so many interesting birds but perhaps the most intelligent is the raven. Ravens are the largest of all the songbirds. They are 2 feet long and have a 4 feet wingspan. They are jet black and have shaggy feathers around their neck. Ravens have a distinct bill with a curve on the upper part. Their tails are wedge shaped and long. Ravens make a very loud, sharp, “krak” sound. They also make a sound like a low throaty rattle.

We see ravens often here. If we walk into the dog yard in the middle of the day, we usually see several ravens flying away. They like to hang around the sled dogs. The ravens will eat any left over dog food that falls on the ground.

At one time, raven populations in the eastern U.S. decreased because of the logging of old growth forests. Today they are making a comeback and are found in a variety of different habitats such as deserts, mountains, boreal forests and along coastal cliffs. Boreal forests are coniferous forests that are known for their long winters, short summers, and evergreen trees. Common ravens are found throughout Alaska, the western US, the Great Lakes area, the Northeast, and the Appalachian mountains.

Ravens are extremely intelligent. They have been known to find sick or dying animals. Then they squawk to alert predators of their find. Signaling to the predators is good for both the ravens as well as the predators. The squawking strikes the predators' curiosity and they will often wander over and find the victim. Since the ravens are not able to kill large animals they rely on wolves, foxes, or eagles to do the job. Once the predator has made the kill, the ravens move in to take their share of the meat. Wolves have learned to fill up with all the food they can because the ravens will eat the leftovers. Ravens are even known to signal to people about a sick or injured animal.

Ravens sometimes "pick on" submissive wolves but they don't pick on high ranking wolves. It appears that ravens can distinguish dominant wolves from submissive wolves. They seem to stay away from dominant wolves when they are feeding because they realize they are more likely to fight back. The ravens tend to swoop down and peck at submissive wolves when they are feeding to try and make them leave the kill. The next time you are in the woods listen for the loud squawks of ravens and maybe you can even follow one to see what the ravens have discovered!

More Information About Ravens

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/raven/

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Raven/id/ac

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/ravens/discover-the-brainpower-of-the-bird-in-black/1507/

Fennel's Field Notes

I had a good week. It snowed a few days ago. I like snow. I have big paws that act like snowshoes. I also have long legs, so I can run through the snow easily. Some of the smaller dogs have a harder time pulling the sled in the deep snow. It almost looks like they are swimming!

I went on a camping trip with Dave. We spent two nights on Crockett Lake. I had a good time. In the evening, all the people would go inside a big tent. It was warm in there. I would try to come in too. Sometimes Dave would open the door and I would try to sneak in. The people told me to stay outside! I guess it was too crowded for a dog to come in their tent.

Boundary Waters Beavers

Monday, 20 February 2012 13:32 Written by Administrator

Yesterday, I was skiing in front of two dog teams. Fennel was running in lead next to his new friend, Monax. I skied up over a bump. The dog teams followed, up and over. The bump was a beaver dam. In the winter we travel through many areas where beavers live. We see plenty of evidence of the beavers. We see their dams, blocking streams to form ponds. We also see their lodges, where they live.

Beavers can have a big effect on their landscape. Beavers change the landscape with the dams they build. A dam is a barrier that stops the flow of water and forms a pond or lake. These new ponds make it easier for beavers to access trees found along the shoreline. They collect logs and branches in a pile to create the dam and then use grass and mud to fill in the spaces between the branches. Eventually the water will pool up on one side of the dam to form a pond. These dams are very strong. They are even strong enough for us to dogsled over the top of them.

Beavers use their strong teeth to cut down trees. Their teeth help them eat the bark of the trees. Once they have eaten the bark off of a tree, they will use the tree to build their dam or lodge.

Beavers live in shelters called lodges. Beavers start working on their lodges in the fall. The lodges must be ready by winter to shelter the beavers away from hungry predators such as wolves, foxes, and otters. Lodges are usually cone shaped with underwater entrances. The beavers build from the inside out using mud, grass, and branches. Most predators find it too difficult to break through the complex network of branches and mud so the beavers stay protected.

We don't ever see the beavers in the winter. They spend the entire winter inside their lodges. In the fall, before their ponds freeze, the beavers store food (fresh branches) in the water around their lodges. Remember, the entrance to a beaver lodge is under the water. In the winter, a beaver will swim out of the lodge to get food under the ice.

We can tell if beavers are inside a beaver lodge by looking at the very top of the lodge. In the winter, their breath and body heat will rise. This melts the snow at the top of the lodge. Sometimes if we listen carefully at the top of the lodge, we can hear the beavers inside. We can also smell them.

Even though we don't get to see the beavers, the winter gives us a chance to see their homes and their dams up close. I enjoy dogsledding past so many beaver lodges and dams.

Food for Thought

Follow these links to learn more about beavers:

http://www.wildernessclassroom.com/blog/component/resource/article/7-wilderness-library/157-beaver.html

http://www.beaversww.org/beavers-and-wetlands/about-beavers/

Fennel's Field Notes

I ran next to a different dog this week. Her name is Monax. I had fun getting to know her. She is small and brown. Her bark is high-pitched. She is from Duluth, Minnesota. We have been really busy lately. Every dog in the kennel is running. She came with three other dogs too.

I showed her the ropes. She seemed very nervous at first. She would turn around to look at the other dogs. Any time we stopped she would lunge forward, trying to get the team started again. Her paws are tiny and she has a little pointed nose. Did I mention that she is an Alaskan Husky.

I think we made a good team. I kept us going in the right direction and she kept me running at a fast pace. After meeting her, I decided that I like Alaskan Huskies.

Chopping Chicken for the sled dogs.

Friday, 17 February 2012 12:00 Written by Administrator