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4 - Orono Weekly Times Wednesday, January 23, 2008 Birds of a Feather Birding by Markus Lise Spring had returned The Wild Turkeys appear to be coming closer to my home all the time. One of these mornings I am going to have some eating out of my feeders. At the moment they are feeding in the corn fields on the ground and at night find a perch on some of the trees that make up a little forest. The Red Bellied Woodpecker is extending the time of her visits every day. She spent most of this morning on the tree branch of one of the Black Locusts trees and the feeders. The Trumpeter Swans come and go as well as the Mute Swans. When the nine Mute Swans arrive by flying in over the Graham Creek they are a sight to behold. Meanwhile I am continuing to befriend the Trumpeters in preparation of having ornithologist Harry Lumsden come down to tag/band them. There are hundreds and thousands of Mallards and Canada Geese here every day. There have been at least a dozen Common Goldeneyes swimming and diving in the entrance of Graham Creek from Lake Ontario and a few Buffleheads & Red Breasted Mergansers. I am patiently waiting for the King Eider and Harlequin to make their first appearance. There have been a few Long Tailed Ducks but they don't stay long. The Horned Larks continue to pick away on the side of the roads for weed seeds. Only if one drives slowly will one be able to view them, otherwise they are scared off quite easily. King Eider photo by Jean Iron photo supplied Plastic surgery helps Bruce the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig see again. Pig has plastic surgery When Bruce, the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig, was donated to Bowmanville Zoo last spring he was so heavy that his eyes were only visible as slits on his face. As a pig that enjoyed his groceries, he was nearly twice the body weight he should have been. Once staff put Bruce on a special diet and exercise program at the zoo, he gradually started to lose weight. But as this happened his keepers realized that Bruce's eyes were still not visible and he needed a daily warm towel "facial" to keep his eyes clean, since they seemed very runny. Zoo veterinarian Wendy Korver diagnosed him with "entropion," a painful condition that is not uncommon in pot-bellied pigs, where the eyelids roll in and the lashes rub directly on the eye. As soon as Bruce was down to a healthy body weight, he was anesthetised at the Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic, where Dr. Korver performed a plastic surgery procedure to correct the problem and allow Bruce to be able to see and blink without pain. "It is wonderful to actually be able to see his beautiful blonde lashes now" Dr. Korver said. Bruce now lives a life of leisure at the Zoo. The yellow color with a black border on the male's throat is becoming brighter in distinction from the female and immature who have a pale color on their throats. They prefer wide open spaces. The destruction of forests and the plowing of croplands have helped expand its range, since mated pairs require bare ground on which to build their nests. Arriving early at the breeding grounds, the male Horned Lark, like so many birds of open country, performs his courtship display on the wing. Soaring to heights of up to 800 ft., he circles for several minutes, caroling a sweet song before tucking in his wings and dropping with a sudden silent rush to the ground. Try to enjoy the Horned Larks as much as you can because they become inconspicuous during the summer months; they are mostly visible and noticeable in winter, when they gather in flocks that may number in the hundreds and thousands, and head for open terrain. Directions: Take 440 exit from 401 and go south and drive along the Lakeshore Rd. or any side road. Markus Lise lives in Newcastle. He is a retired minister who now works as a "Minister of Nature."