Last month, I compiled images of
birds and
bees
for wordplay and theme. I thought about how short-lived these animals
are compared to humans. We are fortunate to witness their livelihoods,
yet so many people are wrapped up in their own concerns, taking
surroundings for granted. In a meandering thought, humans are way
insignificant in the context of earth age, even more fleeting compared
to the universe age.
Birds-spied Views, Thoughts About Longevities
The birds I'd captured were hawks, mockingbirds, owls, cardinals,
cedar waxwings, and turkey vultures. Thinking back on the captures, I
sensed we humans live lots longer than these flyers. Life expectancies
vary among bird types.
I did Google lookups for "how long do [bird types] live" for the types I'd imaged.
In a hawk inquiry, one result provided info for several birds of prey.
In general, small falcons and Accipiter hawks live about 15
years. Medium-sized buzzards and kites live 20 to 40 years, and large
vultures and eagles have occasionally lived 40 to 55 years (Newton,
1979).
All About Raptors - Longevity & Causes of Death - SeaWorld.org
In my mockingbird inquiry, the life cycle seems breathtakingly fast. No time to waste!
Females incubate the eggs for about two weeks before
hatching; both parents take turns feeding the nestlings. Hatchlings can
leave the nest after 12-13 days followed by another week's worth of care
from their parents before striking out on their own. In the wild,
mockingbirds live eight years on average.
Northern mockingbird | Smithsonian's National Zoo
For owls, I initially looked up owl longevity. I noticed numerous
types of owls exist. Hmmm, maybe looking at several owl sites and videos
might help ID some I'd shot. Thus, I concluded that the images more
resembled Western screech owls than others listed in Central Texas. My
screech owl inquiry yielded an eye-catching set of factoids from racinezoo.org.
Western Screech Owl Fact Sheet
Class: Aves
Species: kennicottii
Lifespan: About 13 years in the wild About 19 years under human care
Reproduction: Females lay 2 to 7 eggs per season in March or April. Hatching occurs within 26 to 34 days.
Size: 7.48 – 10 in. long Wingspan 6.63 – 6.87 in. wide
Western Screech Owl Fact Sheet | racinezoo.org
In my cardinals inquiry, a result mentions 3 to 5 years with explanation of short life for many.
one of the most recognized birds due to their brilliant red
color. The average life span of a northern cardinal is approximately 3
to 5 years due to the hazards they face, which are predators, disease,
accidents, and starvation. Several northern cardinals have been reported
to live up to 15 years.
Cardinal Facts - CARING CARDINALS
In my cedar waxwings inquiry, one result, besides providing life expectancy, also mentions flock socializing.
Cedar waxwings are highly social and communicate with other
members of the flock using noises and physical displays. Both males and
females reach reproductive maturity at one year and live up to eight
years in the wild.
Cedar Waxwing | National Wildlife Federation
National Wildlife Federation
https://www.nwf.org › Wildlife-Guide › Birds › Cedar-...
A result for turkey vulture longevity surprised me!
The average life expectancy is 16 years in the wild, and up to 30 years in captivity.
Turkey Vulture - Elmwood Park Zoo
Birds Captured in Images, Dead or Alive These Days?
Looking over date stamps of images, which ranged from June 2019 to
April 2023, I infer the birds have not reached end of life. It's
somewhat comforting that the images are recent enough that the birds are
still around--flying, roosting, perching, ....
Blooms N Bees, Thoughts About Longevities
Bees have really short lives, with three possible roles and
fates--queen, female worker, and male drone. A queen can live up to a
few years. The female worker can live up to a few weeks if spring and
summer and a few months if winter. Drones mate and die in less than two
months. "Honey Bee Lifespan: How Long Do Honey Bees Live?" and "Bee Lifespan: How Long Do Bees Live?" provide good info and good closeup images.
The short lives of bees is sobering. In my image capturing, they seem
to be ecstatically bathing in pollen or buzzing the sources. Alas,
they're working to primarily collect pollen to take to the hives for
feeding larvae. No rest for the wicked!
The plants that provided blooms that the bees buzzed had varying life
cycles. Some blooms, as in the case of stalky plants, not only lasted
short-term, those plants also became part of the past. Prickly pear
plants that I shot were casualties of the February 2021 freeze. The
thread leaf agave leaned over so far during its time on earth that the
home owner apparently uprooted it and disposed of it.
Some stalky plants' blooms deteriorated within days, losing bee visitors. The plants themselves also became part of the past.
Century plants, which are agaves that enter their final stage that
starts by growing a stalk and bloom clusters. Bees party for some time
before the plant ages to threaten surroundings. In passing, I've
witnessed several such plants entering the final stages, then noticed
their absences.
Another set of plants that I recorded were sotols, which stalked and
flowered gloriously. I did notice some were casualties of the February
2023 ice storm. Would survivors revive? According to Central Texas Gardener's Sotol webpage,
"All produce towering flower stalks in mid to late summer, similar to
their relatives in the Agave family, but unlike Agaves, Sotols do not
die after flowering."
Looks like awhile before I should check for survivor sotols blooming. San Marcos Growers Dasylirion wheeleri webpage states "Flowering occurs only every few years."
Thinking Big and Small Nearby
My images were from nearby walks, camera handy. I've missed
opportunities, but happily captured many items to remember. Lookups
helped me better understand the birds, bees, and blooms a bit better.
Also considered that we're wee and short-lived when thinking large
scale, such as the planet, solar system, and beyond.
Related:
"Birds-spied Views" article | video
"Bees N Blooms" article | video
