WSO, residents oppose new Kohler golf course

Newsletter of the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, Inc.
WSO is an educational and scientific organization founded in 1939 “to encourage the study of Wisconsin birds.”
The Society achieves this goal through programs in research, education, conservation, and publication.
August 2014
#641
WSO, residents oppose new Kohler golf course
More than 300 people turned out July 16 for a public hearing that
will help decide the fate of an ecologically valuable 247-acre parcel of
land bordering Lake Michigan just north of Kohler-Andrae State Park
in Sheboygan County.
The Kohler Co. owns the land and wants to remove 125 acres of
forest and fill some wetlands to build a championship golf course.
Many local residents and environmental groups, including the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, oppose the project. During the three-
hour hearing by the Town of Wilson Plan Commission more than 70
people spoke; only four supported the proposed 18-hole course.
The commission decided to defer action on Kohler’s request for
a conditional use permit, which would be required to override the
town’s 20-year Comprehensive Plan.
Among those testifying against the Kohler proposal were three
WSO members, each speaking in a different role.
Here are their statements, as offered to The Badger Birder:
Peter Blank,
WSO conservation chair:
... I have a Ph.D. in ecology. My research
for much of the last 15 years has been on
developing recommendations for improving bird habitat. I am here to oppose the
building of a golf course in the Black River
Forest because it will destroy important
bird habitat.
Clearing forest land for this golf course
will reduce habitat for many of Wisconsin’s
bird Species of Greatest Conservation Need.
These are birds that have low or declining
populations in the state and are in need of
conservation action.
What we know about many species of
conservation need is that they often need
large areas of habitat, most of them are
declining because of habitat loss, and what
happens in the surrounding landscape affects if they use certain areas.
Because this golf course is set to be
developed in and around Kohler-Andrae
State Park, this means that what happens to
the land adjacent to the park will affect not
Photo by Gary C. Kline, courtesy of the Sheboygan Press
A large crowd attended a hearing by the Town of Wilson Plan Commission, which is
considering a plan by the Kohler Co. for a lakefront golf course south of Sheboygan.
only the birds on that property, but also in
the park.
According to e-bird, an online database of
bird observations, at least 20 bird Species of
Greatest Conservation Need that use forest
and shrubland habitats have been observed
at Kohler-Andrae State Park.
These are exactly the types of habitats
(Continued on Page 3)
Look for scheduling changes for the 2015 WSO Convention
Scheduling changes are afoot at the 2015
WSO convention,
The Society will convene next year at the
Best Western Midway Hotel in Wausau over
Memorial Day weekend, with the Upper Wisconsin River and its flowages as the event’s
primary focus. The Wausau Bird Club will be
assisting WSO with convention planning.
The convention committee decided to
take advantage of the longer holiday weekend to try to respond to feedback received in
THE BADGER BIRDER
recent post-convention surveys by shifting
the Thursday-Friday all-day field trips to
Sunday and Monday and pre-registering the
car caravan groups.
Making this change will:
1) Make it possible for some people to attend the convention without missing a day of
work. (The later-in-the-month schedule also
accommodates students.)
2) Deal with the concerns expressed by
many that they were too tired to enjoy Sat1
urday’s main convention sessions because
they had been up before dawn for three days
in row.
3) Allow convention-goers to learn more
about the field trip itineraries and other
local birding hot-spots on Friday afternoon
and evening -- before any field trips begin.
4) Minimize the confusion that has attended the Thursday morning car caravan
lineup and lunch-distribution as field trip
(Continued on Page 3)
AUGUST 2014
Editor’s Note:
The newsletter of the
Wisconsin Society for
Ornithology is published
11 times per year.
Contributions are
welcome! E-mail your
articles, photos, event dates and information,
comments and suggestions to the editor.
Editor: Carl Schwartz
[email protected]
7239 N. Barnett Lane
Fox Point, WI 53217
414-416-3272
Design: Barbara Schwartz
Membership:
Jesse Peterson
[email protected]
7680 Payvery Trail
Middleton, WI 53562
608-836-8334
WSO OFFICERS
President
Kim Kreitinger
[email protected]
415-265-9153
Vice President
Michael John Jaeger
[email protected]
608-335-2546
Secretary
Jennifer Wenzel
[email protected]
262-488-8077
Treasurer
Michelene O’Connor
[email protected]
11923 W. Bender Rd.
Milwaukee, WI 53225
414-353-2624
Editors, The Passenger Pigeon
Charles A. Heikkinen and Delia O. Unson
5018 Odana Road
Madison, WI 53711
608-274-4043
[email protected]
Thank you, Mary Uttech!-- and some new features
Before I introduce longtime readers of WSO’s monthly newsletter to some new features in
our publication, I want to take a moment to say thank-you to Mary Uttech, who retired as
editor of The Badger Birder this summer after 13 years of exemplary service.
When I did the research this past year for an article in our quarterly, The
Passenger Pigeon, on WSO’s last 25 years I was struck both by how few hands
have steered this newsletter and by how much it has grown since the days of
Mary Donald’s mimeograph machine. A majority of members now use the eBadger Birder option, which has trimmed production and distribution costs.
Under the editorships of Randy Hoffman (who succeeded Donald in 1991), Jennifer
Nieland and, for the last 13 years, Mary Uttech, The Birder has grown in size, frequency of
publication and design sophistication. From four pages in 1993, the newsletter now ranges
from 8 to 16 pages and has included field trip reports, profiles, reports on the convention,
annual awards and other Society news.
Longtime readers will notice that The Birder is continuing to evolve, along with the Society, with a greater focus on conservation issues and some regular new features, including five
you will find in this issue:
FOUND IN OUR ARCHIVES: WSO historian Nancy Nabak digs into the WSO Archives at
UW-Green Bay and unearths some treasures.
CALL NOTES: Jim Knickelbine, who chairs WSO’s Education Committee, tips his hand
about where he is headed with this new column -- aimed at better connecting us
with nature -- when he writes: “Anything we do to make life better for birds, in a
sensible way of course, probably improves our own lives.”
KATE’S QUOTES: I confess that this column was my wife’s idea. Naturalist Kate Redmond
is always finding wonderful quotes and sharing them with folks. I’m just enlarging
her audience.
BIRD OF THE MONTH: Diana Hierlmeier tells me that “when I am not watching or counting birds I am reading about them.” She shares what she knows about some key
species in this monthly column.
LET’S GO BIRDING: This recently introduced feature, written by WSO member and avid
birder Dani Baumann, now has a name. It’s designed to encourage enjoyment of
Wisconsin’s rich birding opportunities and acquaint more readers with “Wisconsin’s Favorite Bird Haunts.”
-- Carl Schwartz, Badger Birder editor
KATE’S QUOTES
A monthly quote or three on birds, nature, conservation and life around us, compiled by
Kate Redmond of rural Ozaukee County, whose early interest in birds kicked off a career
as an environmental educator. She is passionate about wetlands, photography,
prairies, photography, insects, birds, photography and writing.
(Her 35-year addiction to photography is almost her only vice....)
“When you have seen one ant, one bird, one tree, you have
not seen them all.” -- Edward O. Wilson
“If I had to choose, I would rather have birds
than airplanes.” -- Charles A. Lindbergh
“A man who never sees a bluebird only half lives.”
-- Edwin Way Teale
THE BADGER BIRDER
2
AUGUST 2014
WSO members speak out against new Kohler golf course near Sheboygan
(From Page 1)
planned to be cleared for this golf course. And because we know that
the surrounding landscape matters for birds, this means at least 20
bird species already in need of protection could be affected by this
development. And once the habitat is gone, it’s nearly impossible to
get the birds back.
I am not just a bird watcher and an ecologist; I’m also a golfer. I’ve
been golfing since I was a kid and would like to see the game of golf
grow and thrive. But I believe there are better ways to grow the sport
than to destroy precious wildlife habitat.
I agree with the Friends of the Black River Forest that golf courses
should be built on landfills, old agricultural fields, or areas not
particularly valuable to biodiversity. I’m not against building golf
courses. But I am against building ones that will take away important
habitat for birds. Please tell the Kohler Company to look for another
place to build their course. This one is too important for the birds.
Carl Schwartz,
Bird City coordinator:
The issues raised here tonight obviously are of intense local concern, but I want to explain why the Plan Commission’s decision on
whether to follow its Comprehensive Plan or grant the Conditional
Use Permit is of great significance statewide and beyond.
That is why I am here both as steering committee chair of the
Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory and as state coordinator for Bird City Wisconsin, which has recognized 81 communities
for ... working to protect their birds.
The 247 acres in question are part of what has been formally
designated by the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative as an Important Bird Area under a worldwide program to identify sites that
provide essential bird habitat.
Known as the “Harrington Beach-Kohler-Andrae Lakeshore
Migration Corridor,” this site also has been evaluated under the
Department of Natural Resources’ Wisconsin Stopover Initiative as an
important migratory stopover site for all bird groups.
Stopover sites are critical for the long migrations linking breeding
grounds as far north as Greenland to wintering grounds as far south
as Tierra del Fuego. Birds need suitable habitat where they can rest
and refuel to complete their journey.
Shoreline habitats are crucial because they provide first landfall
for birds negotiating large ecological barriers like Lake Michigan.
Our long history of agriculture, residential and commercial land
development has left us with precious little remaining forested land
along the Lake Michigan coastline.
Under the Stopover Initiative, the Wisconsin DNR and The Nature
Conservancy catalogued key sites in a broad 2011 report that I am
going to leave with the commission. But let me summarize what it
had to say specifically in its just completed “Sheboygan Shore Stopover Site Evaluation.”
The Sheboygan coastal area is an important migratory bird stopover site. According to its habitat models, features identified as high
priority for all bird groups (landbirds, raptors, waterfowl, waterbirds
and shorebirds) occur in and adjacent to Kohler-Andrae State Park.
These features suggest that high concentrations of birds from each
group are likely to occur consistently during spring and fall migration.
And lest anyone be unmindful of just how important birds are to
state residents, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service this spring released
a report ranking Wisconsin second nationally in the proportion of
citizens that are considered birders.
Diane Packett, wildlife ecologist,
Wisconsin Stopover Initiative:
As others have said, these lakeshore areas are critically important
to the survival of many species of birds that concentrate along shorelines during migration, and they are becoming increasingly rare.
Every town has a golf course and more and more towns have a Pete
Dye golf course -- there are already two in Sheboygan County -- but
few have the pristine lakeshore areas that you have.
The golf course designers will tell you that Pete Dye golf courses
are environmentally sensitive, designed in harmony with the landscape, that they recycle their water and construct wetlands. What
they want is for golfers to have the illusion of being in a forest, preferably a forest with a water view.
I received my Master’s degree at Purdue University in Indiana,
which hosts a Pete Dye championship golf course. I’ve been on the
course because a professor took our class there to demonstrate the
lack of biological diversity. They may be beautiful in the way that
suburban gardens are beautiful, but no matter how well designed,
the wide fairways and greens, the large mowed areas and tree plantings are in no way like a forest.
The retention ponds that course designers are so proud of do not
replicate the functions of a healthy wetland. Once you destroy a wetland or a sand dune, you never get it back, not without many years of
work and maintenance and great expense.
On the other hand, if the Town of Wilson were to refuse this development, this unique area of shoreline, wetland, and forest will provide much greater return to the town with its natural beauty, cleaner
air and water, wildlife conservation, and year-round educational and
recreational opportunities for people of all ages and incomes.
Your children and grandchildren will appreciate that you resisted
pressure and followed your town’s comprehensive plan to leave
them an oasis in a desert of development and a higher quality of life.
2015 Convention to begin on Friday, with all-day field trips on Sunday, Monday
(From Page 1)
participation has tripled in recent years.
5) Make Sunday a real convention day and
not just a getaway day.
Under the new format, which was
reviewed by the WSO Board of Directors
July 20, registration will begin on Friday
afternoon. Away from the hotel, there will be
a free “member appreciation” picnic in the
late afternoon.
The core convention schedule will remain
unchanged with registration continuing on
Friday evening, leading up to the Passenger
THE BADGER BIRDER
Pigeon Awards ceremony and reception.
Saturday will start early with local area field
trips, followed by a soup-and-salad luncheon, the business meeting, paper presentations and birding workshops.
A Saturday evening social hour at the
hotel will conclude the silent auction and
lead into the banquet and keynote speaker.
The all-day field trips will depart from the
hotel on Sunday and Monday mornings, with
a special “Birds and Beer” event planned for
Sunday evening in Wausau.
3
One of the factors leading to the scheduling change, according to Convention Committee Chair Christine Zimmerman, has been
the enthusiasm for the all-day trips.
“Older members may recall that these
all-day trips were originally known as the
‘pre-convention bus trip’ and involved just
47 people,” Zimmerman said.
“This year, we had more than 140 people
on the bus or in the car caravans. That’s
wonderful but it’s a much bigger challenge
to manage!”
AUGUST 2014
New efforts aim to reduce threat to wildlife on Hwy. 49 in Horicon
By WILLIAM MUELLER
and JOEL TRICK
For birds and many other wildlife species,
the main threat posed by roads is death
caused by collisions with vehicles.
In the United States, vehicles are estimated to be directly implicated in approximately
80 million bird fatalities each year.
In Wisconsin, one area that has proven
especially deadly for birds is the stretch of
State Highway 49 that lies across the northern end of Horicon National Wildlife Refuge.
A recent incident stirred attention in the
state’s largest circulation daily newspaper,
the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. An adult
Trumpeter Swan was struck on July 2. It was
injured but survived, at least for now, and
was still being seen with its mate and four
cygnets during the third week of July.
The collision-caused wildlife mortality
on Highway 49 has been a problem for many
years.
Representatives from the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (which manages the north end of the
marsh), the state Department of Transportation, the Department of Natural Resources,
the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative,
Audubon chapters, the Friends of Horicon
National Wildlife Refuge and other
groups have met and worked on potential
solutions over the past two decades.
It is a complex problem, involving not
only speed limits but also how the marsh
and highway are managed and maintained,
A rendering of a proposal to protect
wildlife along Highway 49 in the
Horicon Wildlife Refuge.
as well as the design of the highway itself.
The various government agencies and conservation groups have not always agreed and
so far have not arrived at a solution.
The highway was put in place before the
area north of Highway 49 was managed for
wildlife. There are multiple species posing
multiple problems, hence the need for multiple solutions – turtles and frogs, rails and
ducklings require different solutions than
flying terns, bitterns and blackbirds.
The most recent encouraging develoment
is that USFWS has contracted with a team
from the Western Transportation Institute at
Montana State University.
They are an excellent group of scientists
specializing in highway vs. wildlife issues
and road ecology and have worked on projects on several continents.
One team member, Dr. Marcel Hisser,
was in Wisconsin during June interviewing
stakeholders. The institute’s plan involves
an effort to re-engage the federal wildlife
agency and various non-profit organizations.
This is a hopeful and potentially effective
move. The institute and its scientists may
be able to get the stakeholders to agree and
work toward solutions in a fashion that has
not previously occurred.
The Journal Sentinel article listed some
potential solutions: Erecting poles that
would presumably force birds to fly higher
over the road, constructing bridges over
some waterways, lowering speeds or
installing speed bumps, building fences and
culverts in strategic spots, or even rerouting
the highway altogether.
The Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat
Observatory, based in Ozaukee County, asked
students from the University of WisconsinMilwaukee to examine the issue. One of their
ideas is pictured at left.
To see their overview, go to http://wglbbo.org/highway-49-road-mortality-issue
For its part, WSO’s Conservation Committee intends to remain engaged in the issue,
so stay tuned for more information to be
published online at http://wsobirds.org/
and in The Badger Birder.
--------------------------------------------------------William Mueller is director of the Western
Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory; Joel
Trick is recently retired from the staff of the
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; both are longtime
WSO members.
Kiosk recognizing the Greater Prairie-Chicken is rededicated
By MICHAEL JOHN JAEGER
WSO Vice President
I represented the Wisconsin Society
for Ornithology on June 7 at a rededication ceremony for a refurbished
informational kiosk in the Buena Vista
grasslands.
The kiosk is located in the heart of
the Buena Vista Wildlife Area near the
intersection of County Highways W and
F in Portage County.
The kiosk was built in 1993 and recognizes the contribution of the Greater
Prairie-Chicken to our state’s natural
history. It has also served as a gateway
to the Buena Vista, welcoming visitors
to the grasslands.
“Over the years, the kiosk had fallen into
disrepair, and it became apparent that there
was a need for a structural repairs and a
more informative kiosk that was visually
attractive to visitors” said Lesa Kardash, the
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
wildlife biologist who presided over the
ceremony.
THE BADGER BIRDER
The major renovation of the kiosk began
in the summer of 2010. The renovation
resulted in structural repairs, updated displays, a more informative kiosk, and a new
audio system.
This was a wide ranging community
participation project. WSO, which had
helped fund the original construction, was
one of many financial contributors to the
renovation. Other individuals and groups
4
contributed significant time and labor to
the project.
The updated kiosk will provide a more
informative, memorable experience for all
who come to visit the Buena Vista grasslands for years to come.
WSO’s contribution is recognized
on metal plaques mounted inside the
kiosk. In 1957, WSO purchased 60 acres
of Greater Prairie-Chicken habitat in the
Buena Vista area in Portage County. The
land is now leased to the DNR for active
management through grazing and spot
treatment of invasive plants.
The Greater Prairie-Chicken has
experienced severe range contractions in
Wisconsin over the last century, and is now
restricted to four core areas.
Buena Vista is one of the last strongholds
for these birds because of their requirement for large, open grassland landscapes.
WSO is proud to be a long-term partner in
the conservation and recovery of this threatened species.
AUGUST 2014
FOUND IN OUR ARCHIVES
Nancy Nabak, the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology’s historian since 2013, has been
spending a lot of time lately in the WSO Archives, housed at the Cofrin Center
for Biodiversity on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
After long hours invested in organizing the archives, Nancy prepared
an amazing vault display of memorabilia at the Society’s recent
75th anniversary celebration in Prairie du Chien The positive reaction
prompted The Badger Birder to ask Nancy to keep on digging and offer us
a monthly look at something she “found in our archives.” Here’s her first offering:
This little journal belonged to CARLETON TOPPE, a charter member of WSO,
which was founded in 1939. The journal is dated 1933-‘34 and labeled
as his hike and bird list. On the inside cover it says, “Senior Year.”
Inside the journal, eight bird songs were written in musical score.
The Bobolink song pictured here was one of them.
THE BADGER BIRDER
-- Nancy Nabak
5
Rare birds, vagrants spice
up summer birding
By MARK KORDUCKI
While summer birding is much slower
than May, there are still enough late migrants and vagrants to keep things exciting.
Some of these vagrants set up territories and
can be much easier to track down than the
transient migrants in May.
A pair of BLUE GROSBEAKS were quite
reliable in Sauk County. Evidence strongly
suggests that these birds were nesting.
Another male BLUE GROSBEAK with a possible female was found in Marinette.
A CHUCK-WILLS-WIDOW was reliably
heard and occasionally seen on territory in
Walworth. A PAINTED BUNTING in late June
was an amazing find for this time of year in
Green Lake. Unfortunately, this bird was only
seen at a feeder for a few hours, following
the species’ typical spring pattern.
Washington Island in Door County continued its hot streak of rarities. The BLACK
VULTURE and CRESTED CARACARA were
seen intermittently. Local birders also
turned up SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER,
WESTERN KINGBIRD, PRAIRIE WARBLER
and a lingering SNOWY OWL.
An impressive list of birds for Wisconsin!
Marathon County also continued that area’s rarity trend from the spring. A WHITEWINGED DOVE was found at a feeder for a
few days. A WESTERN KINGBIRD was a one
day wonder but was documented.
Summer can be a good time for vagrant
wading birds. WHITE-FACED IBIS were
found a few locations, including Winnebago
County and singletons in Dane and Dodge.
A nice adult YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT
HERON was seen with good regularity along
Lake Michigan in Milwaukee. A SNOWY
EGRET was seen in Dodge. CATTLE EGRETS
were found at several locations in Dodge,
Calumet and Winnebago. The BLACKBELLIED WHISTLING DUCK continued at
Horicon Marsh into early June.
Sheboygan and Manitowoc were the focal
points with double digit totals of LITTLE
GULLS early in the summer. This is the highest count for this species in Wisconsin in
the last 20 years. LESSER BLACK-BACKED
GULLS were also unusually numerous in
Sheboygan. One individual tallied at least
25. Single LAUGHING GULLS were recorded
from Manitowoc south to Milwaukee.
As we enter the dog days of summer, shorebird migration is well underway. Check wetlands for vagrants. And keep your hummingbird feeders cleaned and filled as western
and tropical vagrants typically begin to show
up in mid- to late summer.
------------------------------------------------------Mark Korducki, longtime voice of the old WSO
Hotline, is coordinator for Wisconsin’s 92
Breeding Bird Survey routes.
AUGUST 2014
LET’S GO BIRDING
Washington Island and Rock Island
Adapted from Wisconsin’s Favorite Bird Haunts,
Fifth Edition
BY DANI BAUMANN
Crested Caracara. Black Vulture. Scissortailed Flycatcher. If you had any of those this
year, you probably made a trip somewhere
down South… or you just might have made a
trip to Washington Island, Wisconsin.
These species may have been the talk of
the spring rarities this year and brought up
the question “What else is going to show up
on Washington Island?”
Well, I can’t tell you what the next rarity to
show up there will be but I can tell you what
you can regularly find there and what spots
to try first.
Maybe your next trip there will include a
rarity of your own!
You can reach Washington Island via the
car ferry that leaves from the Northport
dock. Take Highway 42 from Sturgeon Bay
through Gills Rock and east 2 miles to the
dock. Call the Washington Island Ferry Line
for schedules at 800-223-2094 or go to
wisferry.com .
Habitat on these islands, especially Washington, includes northern hardwood forest,
boreal forest, fields and grasslands, marshes,
cliffs, rocky shores and sand beaches.
The following areas highlight these habitats.
Area A - Death’s Door
The half hour trip from Northport to Detroit
Harbor on Washington Island can provide
excellent birding opportunities in all seasons. Watch for gulls, terns, herons, grebes,
loons, cormorants, and ducks in the appropriate season.
Area B - Ferry Dock and Green Bay RD.
At the ferry dock one can get good views of
the harbor and Detroit Island and look for
gulls, terns, herons and waterfowl. Taking
a left onto Green Bay Road near the docks
leads into the Richter Forest, a northern
hardwood forest that attracts numerous migrants. Alternately, one can park at the Visitor Center right beyond the dock and walk
along Detroit Harbor Road a short distance
to the Mary Richter Trail.
Area C - Sand Dunes
Follow Detroit Harbor Road around to Range
Line Road and turn right to head onto South
Shore Drive. Eventually you will come to
an open sandy area with a few dunes. The
marshy ditches along both sides have Sora
and Virginia Rails and other marsh birds.
Just beyond, at the beginning of the woods,
is Sacred Dune Park, which is a good place to
view gulls, terns and shorebirds.
THE BADGER BIRDER
Area D - Perry Johnson
County Park and Hog Island
From Area C continue on South
Shore Drive to Hemlock Drive.
Turn right and continue to its
junction with Lake View Road.
Turn right a short distance
to the park and a view of Hog
Island. Along this east shore
and on Hog Island watch for
shorebirds, waterfowl, herons,
gulls, terns and raptors. A scope
is recommended for viewing
Hog Island. Drive west on Lake
View Road through swampy areas that hold various warblers
and other migrants.
Area E - Interior Grasslands
Continue on Lakeview Road
west to East Side Road and
turn right. At the next intersection with Michigan Road is an
excellent area for grassland
birds. On Michigan head west to
Airport Road while looking for
Grasshopper, Savannah and Field Sparrows,
Bobolink, Upland Sandpiper, Northern Harrier and Eastern Meadowlark. Turn North
on Airport Road and listen for Clay-colored
Sparrow. Snow Buntings with an occasional
Short-eared or Snowy Owl may be seen here
in winter. Continue north to Jackson Harbor
Road and turn right (east).
Area F - Jackson Harbor
Follow Jackson Harbor Road east to this
area. To view the water, when Jackson Harbor Road turns north into Indian Part Road,
go one block, then right on the first road to
view gulls, terns, ducks and shorebirds. Also
in this area is the Jackson Harbor Ridges
Natural Area, composed of open and wooded
sand ridges and boreal plant species where
a variety of birds nest. During migration
numerous migrants can be observed. In
addition, if hawks are moving, this is a good
spot to watch their passage.
Area G - Rock Island
At Jackson Harbor continue north on Indian
Point Road one half block to the sign for
Rock Island State Park and turn right to the
parking lot. The “Karfi” is a people-only ferry
and it runs about every two hours during the
high traffic tourist season. Rock Island itself
is a state park approximately 1 by 1.5 miles,
mostly covered with woods. The birding
habitat on the island consists of three major
areas: the ferry landing, the campground
and beach, and the shore trail. The ferry
landing is a great place to observe numerous
6
swallows and gulls, plus birds that frequent
the open and shrubby areas. The campground and beach are reached by walking
a quarter mile southeast. Along this walk
watch for Mourning, American Redstart and
Canada Warblers plus various flycatchers
during June and early July. Hiking the shore
trail is the best way to see the island and
appreciate its beauty and bird life. By hiking
in a northeasterly direction an assortment of
warblers are usually encountered including
Chestnut-sided and Black-throated Green.
After about three-tenths of a mile, the trail
enters a thin spruce woods where Northern
Parula Warblers can be heard singing. If
you wish, the trail to the southwest can be
followed back to the boathouse. Or you can
continue north and circle the island, a trip of
two to three hours.
Well, now what’s stopping you from
planning your next birding adventure to
Washington Island? Get on the ferry and find
the next Washington Island rarity!
------------------------------------------------------------Born and raised in Milwaukee, WSO member DANI BAUMANN was first introduced to
birding when she jumped in feet first on a long
weekend birding trip to Wyalusing State Park.
Since then, she spends any time she can studying and watching the birds she has learned to
love.
This feature is designed to eintroduce readers to Wisconsin’s Favorite Bird Haunts, Fifth
Edition, compiled by Darryl Tessen for WSO
and available for purchase online from the
WSO Bookstore. An order form can be found
on Page 11 of The Badger Birder.
AUGUST 2014
Two Peregrine Falcons named after beloved birder Noel Cutright
The late Noel Cutright played a key role
in helping bring the Peregrine Falcon back
from the brink in Wisconsin, so it seems only
fitting that not one but two of those speedy
birds of prey blessed with superb vision,
hooked upper beaks and strong, grasping
feet have been given his names – both of
them.
One of two peregrines banded in midJune Monday at the Port Washington power
plant has been named “Noel” in honor of the
widely known and well respected ornithologist and WE Energies terrestrial ecologist.
And an adult peregrine, which just began
work as a feathered ambassador at the
Schlitz Audubon Nature Center in Bayside,
has been named “Cutright.”
Greg Septon of the Peregrine Falcon
Recovery Program told spectators as he
banded the male chick that he had worked
with Cutright in the 1990s to get the program going.
Cutright, who lived in the Town of
Saukville, often attended the peregrine
bandings,
“In Noel’s memory, we want to name one
peregrine for him,” he was quoted by the
Press as saying. “It’s only fitting. We just
want to commemorate his spirit and all the
support he provided over the years for the
peregrine recovery efforts.
“Hopefully, the chick we named after him
today will survive and prosper and someday
raise young of his own.
The winged “Cutright” was hatched in
captivity 12 years ago, raised and trained to
be a falconer’s bird. He hails from Oklahoma
and has a scar on his cere from a past battle.
Recently retired from the chase, he is enjoying a more sedentary life in SANC’s raptor
education program,
Diane Visty, the raptor program manager,
said “Cutright” would have his public debut
at We Energies Park during the Wisconsin
State Fair. He will appear at both the morning and afternoon shows.
“It’s so fitting that the bird will make its
debut at the Fair. Noel thought that the SANC
Raptor Center was doing important work,
and he loved working at the Fair.
“Each time Cutright is at a program, we
The Peregrine Falcon named
Cutright (above) will have his public
debut at the Wisconsin State Fair. Two
peregrine chicks (right) were banded by
Greg Septon of the Peregrine Falcon Recovery Program at We Energies’ power
plant in Port Washington. The male was
named Noel and the female was named
Juneau. The birds were a little more than
three weeks old at the time.
Photos by Diane Visty (above) and Sam
Arendt (right), courtesy of the Ozaukee Press
will be able to relay Noel’s conservation
message,” Visty said.
The late Noel Cutright told the Ozaukee
Press in 2011 that one of his life goals was to
keep all bird species from declining.
“He gave an environmental conscience to
everything we did. He was a giant in many
ways,” said Bruce Ramme, We Energies’ vice
president/environmental.
Outside of work, Cutright devoted his life
to bird conservation and citizen science,
serving as a catalyst for change and connecting people with work that needed to be
done.
Noel and his sister Juneau were affixed
with a black-and-green band on one leg and
a purple federal Fish and Wildlife Service
band on the other, and a blood sample taken
to provide a DNA sample for a repository in
Minnesota. The chicks are the 49th and 50th
peregrine falcons born at Port’s power plant
since the first was born in 2000.
Peregrines, an endangered species in Wisconsin, historically nested on the cliffs over
the Mississippi River and along the lakeshore of the Door County peninsula, but the
DDT that was once used on crops decimated
their numbers.
The last pair of wild peregrines nested in
Wisconsin in 1964. In 1987, the first pair
of captive peregrines were released in the
state.
Power plants are an ideal spot for peregrines to nest, Septon said, because they
are typically near water and provide a high
place for the birds to settle. About half come
from nests at power plants, he said.
Welcome to new members of the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology
(Between April 1 and June 30, 2014)
Diana Beck, Fond du Lac, WI
Thomas Burke, Algoma, WI
Mary Danforth, Ann Arbor, MI
Steve Gebhard, Superior, WI
Annette Gomez, Stoughton, WI
Mary L. Jenks, Mukwonago, WI
THE BADGER BIRDER
Derek Johnson, Dorchester, WI
Neil Kent, Minocqua, WI
Darcy Kind, Madison, WI
Dennis Kirschbaum, Prairie du Chien, WI
Katie Lageman, Milwaukee, WI
Paul Mchugh, Oshkosh, WI
Shane Moore, Crandon, WI
Sonya Nikiforov, Madison, WI
7
Ruth Oppedahl, Madison, WI
Cheri Rose, Green Lake, WI
Rebecca Schroeder, Spring Green, WI
Maria Spenner, Port Washington, WI
Jeff Trapp, Madison, WI
Isabella Weiss, Minocqua, WI
Elizabeth J Wheeler, Racine, WI
Mike Worland, Gleason, WI
AUGUST 2014
Federal Duck Stamps – Conservation at its best!
Buy them from The Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, Inc.
What is a Federal Duck Stamp?
A Federal Duck Stamp, formally known as the Migratory Bird Hunting and
Conservation Stamp, is a revenue stamp that waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and
older must purchase and carry with them each year to hunt. It is also a conservation
stamp because proceeds from stamp sales help purchase and protect wetland
habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Why Buy Federal Duck Stamps?
Conservationists buy Federal Duck Stamps because they know that the stamp is,
dollar for dollar, one of the best investments they can make in the future of America’s
wetlands. Some 98 percent of the proceeds go to secure wetland and grassland
habitat within the system. Birders and other outdoor enthusiasts annually buy
Duck Stamps to gain free admission to national wildlife refuges. The stamp is valid
from July 1 to June 30.
2014–2015 Duck Stamp art – Canvasback
How Much Land Has Been Purchased?
Federal Duck Stamp sales raise about $25 million annually, and they have helped acquire and protect more than six million acres of
wetlands within the National Wildlife Refuge System. In the continental United States, at least one national wildlife refuge in every state has
acquired important waterfowl habitat with Duck Stamp funds. Wisconsin refuges funded in part by Federal Duck Stamp sales include:
� Horicon National Wildlife Refuge
� Necedah National Wildlife Refuge
� Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge
� Wisconsin Waterfowl Production Areas, which preserve small natural wetlands and their associated uplands
How Can You Display Your Support for Conservation?
By using WSO’s holder to display a Duck Stamp you can demonstrate that birders contribute voluntarily to habitat preservation.
To learn more, visit the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service website: www.fws.gov/duckstamps
WSO’s Program
Stamps are available from WSO beginning late in June and ending February 1. NO ORDERS WILL BE ACCEPTED BETWEEN
FEBRUARY 1 AND JUNE 1. In a consignment program, WSO purchases Duck Stamps and sells them at the price offered by other outlets
(WSO does not make a profit on these sales). If you prefer, you can also buy Duck Stamps at many U.S. Post
Offices and national wildlife refuges, and at some sporting good and outdoor equipment stores (Cabela’s,
Walmart, etc.).
WSO also offers a reusable clear-plastic key-ring-type holder for the Duck Stamp (shown at right) that you can
attach to your binocular strap, pack, etc., so everyone can see that you support this worthwhile conservation
effort. Stamps and holders are available from WSO on a prepaid basis only.
� If you want only stamps, send a check for $15 for each stamp, plus one self-addressed stamped envelope, to the address below.
OR
� If you want stamps and reusable plastic holders, send a check for $18 for each stamp and holder, plus the form below.
Make checks payable to WSO and send your request to:
WSO Duck Stamps
c/o Christine Reel
2022 Sherryl Lane
Waukesha, WI 53188
Questions: 262-844-8187 or
[email protected]
If you are ordering stamps and holders, include your name and address on the following form – this form will be taped to a mailing envelope;
if you are ordering stamps only, do not use this form.
Name
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Address ________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
THE BADGER BIRDER
8
AUGUST 2014
Bird of the Month
The Indigo Bunting: Passerina Cyanea
BY DIANA HIERLMEIER
The Indigo Bunting is one of our best
known songbirds. Due to the increase in
their favorite habitat of woodland edges,
power line clearings and roadsides, it is
thought this species is more abundant now
than in 1650s.
Its genus, Passerina, is derived from the
Latin word passer for true sparrow and
similar small birds, while the species name
cyanea is from the Latin word meaning dark
or sea blue.
Indigo Buntings breed in eastern North
America and winter primarily in southern
Florida, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean islands. The birds migrate at night,
orienting themselves to the stars.
One individual first mist netted in 1984
in Sarasota, Fla., was recaptured on Andros
Island in the Bahamas and then found after
hitting a large window in Nova Scotia in
1986.
A constant singer
The Indigo Bunting is a constant singer
from the time it arrives on its breeding territory until the second brood is out of the nest.
They even sing during the hottest part of the
day. The songs they learn and sing depend
on social interactions with other buntings
in their first breeding season and not the
songs they hear as nestlings or fledglings.
Neighboring males share their songs in local
song dialects. These distinct song themes
can persist for as long as 20 years or about
10 bunting generations.
Buntings prefer brushy and weedy habitat
along the edges of cultivated lands, woods,
roads, railway sidings, riparian habitat,
open, deciduous woods in clearings with
fallen trees, abandoned farm fields and
swamps. Where suitable habitat is present,
populations may return and breed for 50
years or more.
Buntings sometimes breed in their natal
area, but most settle at least a few miles
away. Territory size averages 3.5 acres, but
can vary from 0.9 acres to 19 acres -- with
the smallest being in the shrubby edge of
woods and old fields and the largest found in
shrubby swamps.
Choosing a mate
A female bunting will choose her mate
and the pair will have two to three broods.
Most breeding males have a single female on
their territory, but 15% have two or more
females, either simultaneously or over a
season. The male follows the female closely
during her nest building and laying period;
otherwise he does not attend her.
THE BADGER BIRDER
Nests are usually built within 3.5 feet of
the ground, and females often change sites
as vegetation changes through the summer;
later nests are often in plants such as goldenrod. The nest is an open cup of soft leaves,
coarse grasses, stems and strips of bark.
Nest building usually begins with green
strips woven around two or three supporting stems. Nest materials are held together
by weaving and wrapping with spider web,
especially around the rim. The cup is lined
with finer material, including deer hair.
How many eggs?
Clutch sizes range from two to six white to
bluish eggs with incubation ranging from 11
to 14 days. Eleven days is common in summer while 14 days is more common in cooler
spring weather. The female provides all the
parental care of the eggs and nestlings.
Indigo Buntings are subject to Brownheaded Cowbird parasitism, which can have
a major impact on nest success. The other
major known predators of brooding females,
eggs and young are raccoons, opossums, cats
and Blue Jays.
On average this species has a low survival
rate, although individuals reaching 10 years
of age have been recorded. Indigo Buntings
have been known to crossbreed with Lazuli
Buntings where their breeding ranges overlap.
Indigo Buntings have a diversified diet
that includes; insects, plant lice, cicadas,
weevils, grasshoppers, caterpillars, weed
seeds, oats and some berries.
On their wintering grounds, they roost in
groups of hundreds and even thousands in
tall grass and bushes near rice fields.
A group of buntings are collectively
known as a “decoration,” a “mural” or a
“sacrifice.”
Why do they have blue feathers?
Richard Prum, an ornithologist at Yale discovered birds make blue feathers differently
than birds without blue feathers.
As a blue feather grows, inside each cell
keratin molecules separate from water.
When the cell dies, the water is replaced
9
by air, leaving a structure of keratin interspersed with air pockets.
When white light strikes a blue feather, the
keratin pattern causes red and yellow wavelengths to cancel each other out, while the
blue wavelengths reinforce and amplify each
other and reflect back to the observer’s eye.
The resulting blue is an example of
structural color, rather than pigmented color.
Different shapes and sizes of air pockets and
keratin make different shades of blue.
How to help the Indigo Bunting?
Place decals or other decorations on
windows to help birds avoid collisions.
Keep pets away from areas where the
birds are known to be nesting.
Allow some cultivated land to revert
back to shrubs and grass, thus creating additional habitat.
To dig more deeply:
Bent, Arthur C. Life Histories of North American Cardinals, Grosbeaks, Buntings, Finches,
Sparrows and Allies, Dover, 1968.
Cutright, Noel J., Bettie R. Harriman, Robert
W. Howe, Atlas of Breeding Birds of Wisconsin,
Wisconsin Ornithological Society, 2006
Payne, Robert B. The Social Context of Song
Mimicry: Song Matching Dialects in Indigo
Buntings, Animal Behavior, 31 788-8 0, 1983.
Payne, Robert B. Indigo Bunting, The Birds of
North America No. 4, 1992.
Sibley, David Allen. The Sibley Guide to Birds,
Alfred A. Knopf, 2000.
Sibley, David Allen. The Sibley Guide to Bird
Life and Behavior, Alfred A. Knopf, 2001.
Stedman, Stanley and Annette. A Remarkable
Traveler, North American Bird Bander, AprilJune, 1988.
Terres, John K. The Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North American Birds, Knoph, 1980.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Diana Hierlmeier moved to Wisconsin
in 2002 from Leavenworth, Wash., on the
eastern slope of the Cascade Mountains.
She helped establish the Leavenworth Bird
Festival and partnered with Washington State
Audubon to produce the first section of the
Great Washington Birding Trail.
She was a naturalist steward for the Nature Conservancy. She, her husband, two dogs
and an indoor cat enjoy an acre of farmland
in Random Lake that is a certified Wildlife Habitat and an Advanced Bird Habitat
through the National Wildlife Federation.
Bird of the Month will be a regular column
in The Badger Birder.
AUGUST 2014
BOARD MEMBER PROFILES
Meet The Pigeon’s new editors: Delia Unson and Chuck Heikkinen
You were elected to succeed Bettie and Neil Harriman at
the May convention. So tell us about your background.
We are both retired psychologists. Chuck spent most of his
working career at the Counseling and Consultation Services of the
University of Wisconsin-Madison. Delia worked for several different
universities - University of Houston, University of Houston-Downtown and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. In the last 15 years
of her career she was in private practice in Madison.
What first got you interested in birds?
When we were first spending time together, we took many
nature walks. One spring day, we noticed two Red-tailed Hawks riding the thermals. Wanting to observe birds more closely, we bought
our first pairs of binoculars for $20 each. Armed with super-vision,
we turned to watching smaller birds, then went to southeast Arizona on a birding vacation. That resulted in a passion for birding.
So where did that lead you, and how did you come to
join WSO?
life-long interest. And on our first birding trip to South Texas, we met
Christine and Don Reel, who got us interested in WSO.
Wishing to learn more, we volunteered for the Christmas
Bird Count and had the luck to be assigned to Sam Robbins. Sam really opened our eyes to the magic of birds and bird observation and
talked us into taking part in the first Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas.
In the last six years, we have also fallen in love with bird
photography. A recent trip to Colombia with an excellent bird guide
and photography guru was the most exciting 16 days of birding and
bird photography we’ve ever experienced.
Working on the Atlas was the best possible learning experience as we returned over and over to different habitats and watched
birds court, build nests, feed and fledge their young. We had found a
So where and what things have gotten you exciting
about birding lately?
Locally, our favorite birding haunts are Odana Marsh, the
Pheasant Branch Conservancy, Horicon Marsh and Schurch-Thompson Prairie.
CALL NOTES
Making a personal connection with nature
BY JIM KNICKELBINE
Much is made about money not buying
happiness, especially by those of us who
don’t have a lot of money. Of course, the
two aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive, or
causative either.
Happiness also doesn’t correlate with
having fun either. A meaningful and joyful
experience occurs in an infinite number of
ways.
For many of us, whether we realize it
or not, natural elements provide those
experiences. For me, simply going from my
kitchen to the porch outside is enough to
evoke sigh of relief -- induced by the sound
and smell of fresh rain, the touch of a mild
breeze, and the sight and sound of birds in
the yard.
Thirty years ago we decided to, in a minor
way, emulate Leopold with the purchase
of our own worn-out farm, cultivated and
mined for gravel over the years.
In our tenure, we’ve mostly allowed the
land to reclaim itself with a little help -removing the invasive bully here and there
and planting wildflowers and berries and
trees for cover.
Now it’s not unusual to count 30 species while sitting on the porch sipping tea,
and watch haggard parents followed by
THE BADGER BIRDER
gaggles of begging
fledglings, all the
while attempting to think deep
thoughts.
Is this fun?
Perhaps. Joyful?
Definitely. The
act of restoring
land, Leopold
realized, was a
critical practice. The beauty and diversity of
birdlife, and the opportunity to save species,
is obvious motivation to do so.
Ecologists have given us the tools and
interpreters like Vickie Piaskowski, Mariette
Nowak, and many others have provided the
owner’s manuals.
We nature enthusiasts have long stressed
that we are all connected to nature, and
research more and more strongly seems
to support that. We carry ecosystems on
and within us, billions of organisms, and
perhaps, even more than our senses, they
connect us with the ecosystems around us.
That includes connecting us with birdlife,
and anything we do to make life better for
birds, in a sensible way of course, probably
improves our own lives.
Maybe there’s room for one more
10
mulberry bush, or hackberry tree, or
bittersweet vine in a corner of the yard....
How to make a difference:
http://www.birdcitywisconsin.org/Protecting/PlantsThatProvideFoodForSongbirds.
htm
-------------------------------------------------------Board member Jim Knickelbine is education chair for WSO. A native of Manitowoc, he
grew up in a rural setting along the Manitowoc River. He attended UW-Manitowoc and
UW-Milwaukee and was fortunate to have
mentors who were passionate about nature
and its conservation, one of whom was a
student of Aldo Leopold.
In his spare time, he began volunteering at
Woodland Dunes Nature Center and was later
hired there as a naturalist; he now is executive director. Jim enjoys birding and spending
time outdoors with his family. He is a licensed
bird bander, has received the Rahr Diamond
Award for conservation in Manitowoc County,
is president of the board of Conservation
Education, Inc., and a member of the steering
committee for the Lakeshore Invasive Species
Management Area.
Call Notes will be a regular column in The
Badger Birder.
AUGUST 2014
WSO Bookstore Order Form
Date ______________________
Phone ____________________________ Email _________________________________
Please print – this address will be taped onto your package as an address label.
Name
________________________________________________________________
Address
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
County (if shipped to a Wisconsin address) _________________________________________
If ship-to address is different, check here and include it (suitable to be taped onto the package).
Catalog
Number
13-001
Price per
Unit
Title
Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Wisconsin
Quantity
Total
Price
$40.00
Covers 214 species in depth. Hardcover, 624 pages.
Edited by Cutright, Harriman, Howe. 2006.
13-002
Wisconsin’s Favorite Bird Haunts
$30.00
Describes birding hotspots in every Wisconsin
county. Spiral bound, 556 pages. Compiled, edited
by Tessen. 2009.
13-003
Wisconsin Birds: A Checklist with Migration
Graphs (Bluebook)
$0.48
Depicts relative species abundance during each month.
19 columns for recording bird sightings. 36 pages.
By Temple, Domagalski, Cary. 2003.
13-004
Wisconsin Birds, Field Checklist
$5.00
Three-panel card lists 346 species of regular to casual
occurrence in Wisconsin. Pack of 25. 2012.
13-005
WSO Barred Owl Cap
(packs of 25)
18.00
Khaki cap with embroidered design. Adjustable. 2011.
13-006
WSO We Brake for Birds! Bumper Sticker
2.00
Blue with white lettering. 3" x 12". 2013.
Shipping & Handling Charges
(via USPS media mail, US addresses only)
Item Total
Shipping & Handling
(see chart at left)
Item Total
S&H
up to $2.00..................................................... $1.50
$2.01–$20.00 ................................................$5.00
$20.01–$40.00.............................................. $6.50
$40.01–$55.00 ............................................. $8.00
$55.01–$70.00 .............................................. $9.50
$70.01–$85.00 .............................................$11.00
over $85.00...................... call or email for amount
Taxable Subtotal
(items + shipping)
Sales Tax (to Wisconsin
addresses; see chart)
TOTAL
Include payment made payable to WSO
Bookstore (US funds only) and mail with
form to:
WSO Bookstore
c/o Penny Fish
5539 Indian Mound Circle
Sheboygan, WI 53081
Sales Tax
Wisconsin County
Sales Tax Percent
Calumet, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Menominee,
Outagamie, Sheboygan, Winnebago .............. 5.0%
Racine, Waukesha ........................................... 5.1%
Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington................. 5.6%
All others ..........................................................5.5%
THE BADGER BIRDER
Questions: contact Penny Fish,
920-918-6892, [email protected]
11
AUGUST 2014
The Badger Birder
August 2014
FIELD TRIP CALENDAR
Shorebirds Etc.
August 17 (Sunday)
Horicon March NWR
Meet at 8 a.m. along Highway
49, on the north end of Horicon
Marsh. We’ll bird areas around
the marsh that harbor some of
the best birds or have the most
variety of birds during this time
of year. We expect to find a
variety of shorebirds and water
birds, as well as resident and
early migrant passerines.
Fall Warblers
September 6 (Saturday)
Green Bay
Meet at 8 a.m. at Bay Beach
Wildlife Sanctuary, which can
be reached off I-43, exit-187
(Webster Ave.) to East Shore
Drive. Use the parking area near
THE BADGER BIRDER
the Nature Center. Wear good
walking shoes; there will be
some hiking, though leisurely.
Jaegerfest
September 19-21
Wisconsin Point Weekend
Meet at 7 a.m. (each morning)
at the first beach parking area
along the Moccasin Mike Road,
which leads to Wisconsin Point.
Weather plays such an integral
part in birding this area, in fact
the worse the weather the more
incredible the birding could be.
So prepare for the possibility
of wet, cold weather as well as
typical cool fall temperatures
along Lake Superior. Participants may want to bring old
bread, popcorn, beef suet, etc.
for “chumming” for gulls. If you
are staying in a motel, make sure
you book your reservation early!
Hawk Watch
October 12 (Sunday)
Harrington Beach
Meet at 8 a.m. at the lower
beach parking area of Harrington Beach State Park .
(This trip originally was posted as
dual-date event; that is no longer the
case.)
Turn east from I-43 onto
Highway D in Ozaukee County,
north of Port Washington. Please
note that there is a state park
entrance fee. Bring a bag lunch
or cooler.
This trip may also visit the
“Big Sit” event at Forest Beach
Migratory Preserve where at 11
a.m., the Western Great Lakes
Bird and Bat Observatory and
the Ozaukee Washington Land
Trust will dedicate a small grove
of trees that were purchased for
the observatory by its founder,
Noel Cutright, before his death
12
last fall.
Saw-whet Owls
October 25 (Saturday)
Linwood Springs(Stevens Point)
Meet at 7:30 p.m. Join WSO at
the Linwood Springs Research
Station and have a close encounter with Wisconsin’s smallest
owl, the adorable Northern
Saw-whet! You’ll learn about the
owls’ capture through infrared
video surveillance. There will
also be a presentation on Project
SNOWstorm about Wisconsin
owls. The field trip will be led
by WSO Field Trip co-chairs Jeff
Baughman and Tom Schultz, and
raptor biologist Gene Jacobs. A
$15 registration fee is required
for this trip and registration is
limited to 23 people. Directions
and registration information can
be found at http://raptorservices.rezgo.com/details/56750/
owl-banding-field-trip
AUGUST 2014