Mountain Times Volume 49, Number 13: March 25-31, 2020

Columns
24 • The Mountain Times • March 25-31, 2020
Around the middle of March, I begin to feel that
springtime urge to hit the road, to lace up the winterneglected
running shoes and start slogging through
some miles. My early-season
jogs take me past a wetland
area that stubbornly spans both
sides of a road near my home.
It’s a usual – and very welcome
– happening to spot red-winged
blackbirds here, even while snow
lingers around the cattails and
The Outside
Story
By Meghan
McCarthy
McPhaul
Yes, it is I…looking “forward”
instead of “back” in my column.
Why? Because we all need something
to look
forward to in
a world that
has changed
in what
seems like
a “New York
minute!”
So, for as
long as these
difficult days
last I will
attempt to
brighten all of our days by reminding
us of what Mother Nature will
be doing to cheer us up. “She”
has already started if we just look
around.
The crocuses on the Woodstock
Avenue side of the Godnick Center
are one of the first signs of spring.
brushy willows.
Red-winged blackbirds are
among the earliest migrating
birds to return in spring. The
males seem natural show-offs,
with their flashy red-and-yellow
wing patches and loud, persistent
song. Often, focused as
I am at putting one foot in front of the other, I’ll hear
the blackbird’s distinct konk-la-reee, with its extended
ending trill, before I think to look for these early spring
arrivals.
While the red-winged blackbird’s song is not the
loveliest, it is certainly most welcome this time of year,
as is the flash of color these birds imbue onto the still
dull landscape.
“I think of redwings as the true harbingers of spring,”
said Ken Yasukawa, professor emeritus of biology of
Beloit College, who has studied red-winged blackbirds
and their habits.
Yasukawa explained that the timing of birds returning
from their winter homes in the southern United
States is mainly a matter of procreation. An early return
helps male blackbirds compete for the best territories.
Having the best territories means they’re more likely to
attract the most females, who start to arrive about two
weeks behind the males. Attracting the most females
means a better chance of passing on those red-winged
genes to the next generation.
As with many bird species, male red-winged blackbirds
are more colorful – and more vocal – than females.
And they’re most vocal during early spring mornings,
Looking
Forward
By Mary Ellen Shaw
Red-winged
blackbirds return
They are in the grassy bank that
is easily visible as you drive by or
while you are waiting at the stop
light by Beauchamp’s Pharmacy.
This year I noticed them for the
first time in mid-March. That is
earlier than usual but it happened
right about the time that the coronavirus
was changing our day-today
lives. The yellow blossoms in
particular show the sunny side of
life as they resiliently emerge after
being buried in snow and sleet.
You may wonder why the grass is
allowed to grow longer in that area
as spring progresses. The flowers
when they sing at a rate
of 10 songs a minute.
Yasukawa said that
while male redwings sing less
later in the day, and later in the
season, they are rarely silent.
Although female redwings
have the long, pointed bills
and somewhat stocky
stature of males, they
don’t have red wings
at all; they are mostly
brown and heavily
streaked. One
common trait of
both male and
female redwinged
blackbirds,
however, is
that both will mate
with multiple partners.
“Males will attract multiple females to their territories
and will fertilize at least some of their eggs,” Yasukawa
said, noting that one study in Washington state
showed 33 females nesting in a single male’s territory.
Females, likewise, will often mate both with the male
within whose territory they are nesting, as well as with
those in neighboring territories.
“It’s not at all unusual for one brood to be sired by
two or more males,” he said. “On my study area in Wisconsin,
about one third of young were sired by males
other than the territory owner.”
Where one bird’s territory ends and another’s begins
is sometimes revealed by the display, or concealment,
of the bright wing patches, also called epaulets.
“If you see two males perched next to each other on
a territory, one – the territory owner – will be showing
his epaulets, and the other – the trespasser – will be
concealing them,” Yasukawa said. “If you see two males
side-by-side with both showing their epaulets, they’re
probably on either side of the boundary between their
territories.”
Males use those flashy red wing patches both to
Red-winged black birds > 27
Early spring flowers bring delight
need to “die off” on their own. So
when flowers are grown in grassy
areas it means no mowing. The
grass may look a little unkempt
The yellow blossoms in particular
show the sunny side of life as they
resiliently emerge after being
buried in snow and sleet.
for awhile but that is necessary in
order for the crocuses to return
next spring.
There are a couple of beautiful
early gardens that I look forward to
seeing every April and May. They
are easily visible to those who
want to check them out. I walk by
one of them each week as I enter
Christ the King Church from the
Engrem Avenue parking lot. The
flowers are sheltered from the
Looking forward > 26
COVID-19:
media and markets
In recent weeks, we’ve seen several major stories in
the news. On the political front, in addition to the arrival
of the presidential election through the 2020 caucuses
and primaries, we have just experienced the third presidential
impeachment in American history. In international
news, the latest coronavirus
outbreak has hit China, now
referred to as COVID-19, leading
to closed borders and heightened
screening at hospitals worldwide.
It’s not so much the facts of
what’s going on that are unusual
– none of these matters are
Money
Matters
By Kevin Theissen
unprecedented – but the way that
they are reported in the media
can be alarming. Even frightening.
How might this affect me?
When major events make headlines,
it’s easy to put yourself in the picture. Knowing, as
well, how such events might affect the financial markets,
it’s also easy to wonder how your investments and retirement
strategy might fare.
The truth? Political ups and downs, virus outbreaks,
and other circumstances might lead to some short-term
volatility on Wall Street. But it’s important to remember
two things:
1) Your portfolio should be positioned to reflect your
risk tolerance, time horizon, and goals.
2) The way we experience news has changed over the
years, and not all of it for the better.
Never-ending news
On June 1, 1980, businessman and broadcaster Ted
Turner debuted Cable News Network (CNN), the world’s
first 24-hour television news channel. In the four decades
since, other similar channels have emerged. Collectively,
they changed how the world experiences news.
Notably, it was the dawn of the 24-hour news cycle.
Before 1980, news was very different. Major newspapers
might have published several editions during a day,
but most areas only had a morning or evening edition.
Radio might offer news break updates at the top of the
hour, with news programs in the morning, afternoon,
and evening. Television followed a similar pattern.
The never-ending news cycle means that news
organizations have an interest in continuing to report
on the same news story even though little or nothing
has changed. Twenty-four hours is a lot of time to fill,
and they need ratings in order to be of value to advertisers.
While this doesn’t necessarily mean that the news
has become inaccurate or sensationalistic, it might be
perceived as repetitive.
It’s also becoming ubiquitous. With our smartphones,
we’re often receiving news updates immediately
throughout the day.
The volume and attention given to COVID-19 has
been overwhelming and the number of media mentions
have exceeded 1 billion. This is greater than SARS, HIV,
MERS, Ebola, Malaria and pneumonia media mentions
combined.
Keep informed, but don’t be rattled. Your investment
and retirement strategy should have considered big
news events, both major and minor. A good strategy
gives you room for market changes that might see reactions
that last a few days – even a few years. Staying the
course is often the smartest move, partially because
you aren’t reacting immediately to a dip, and you might
benefit from a potential recovery.
So, keep yourself informed and instead of getting too
worried, do something productive for yourself. Exercise,
eat healthy, get plenty of sleep, connect with friends,
laugh and practice gratitude.
Kevin Theissen is the owner of HWC Financial, Ludlow.