The Chat Lakeland Audubon Society November 2018

November27Program

WhoopingCraneConservationattheInternationalCraneFoundationByLizzieCondon,WhoopingCraneOutreachCoordinator

ThestoryofWhoopingCraneconservationisdramatic.Inthistalk,LizziewillgiveabriefoverviewofthehistoryofWhoopingCranepopulationsandhumaneffortstobringthisspeciesbackfromthebrinkofextinction.ThiswillincludeanupdateontheEasternMigratoryPopulationreintroductionproject,whichhasgonethroughmanychangesinrecentyears.ShewillalsotalkabouttheInternationalCraneFoundation’songoingresearcheffortsandhowtheInternationalCraneFoundationappliesscientificknowledgetoprovideworkingconservationsolutions.RecentresearchatNecedahNationalWildlifeRefugeinWisconsinhasshedmorelightonwhythisflockhasnotyetbecomeself-sustaining,andpointedtonewmanagementactions.

AlthoughWhoopingCraneshavecomealongwayfromtheirbrushwithextinction,theystillfacemanythreats.ThesurvivalofWhoopingCranesdependsontheactionsofpeople—peopleprotectingtheecosystemswhereWhoopingCranesliveandpeoplelivinginharmonywiththebirds.LizzieisworkingtocreatecommunitiesthatgiveawhoopaboutWhoopingCranesthroughusingsocialmarketingtacticstoraiseawarenessandprideinthesebeautifulbirds.Lizziewillexplainthetacticsusedforthiscampaign,whichsheworkedoninAlabamaandIndiana.

TheprogramisscheduledonNovember27at7pmattheLionsFieldHouseinWilliamsBayandisfreeandopentothepublic.Refreshmentswillbeservedbeforeandafterthemeeting.

DirectionsTheLionsFieldHouseislocated0.4milesnorthofGenevaStreetinWilliamsBayonHighway67.TurnonStarkRoadonthewestsideofHighway67,acrossfromKishwauketoeNatureConservancy.Turnrightatthenextintersectiontogototheparkinglot.

WhoopingCranepair.ThesetwobirdswereraisedincaptivityandreleasedintothewildusingtheInternationalCraneFoundation’sinnovativecostumerearingtechnique.

ValleyoftheKingsSanctuaryandRetreat

Sunday,November18,2018atNoon

MarkyourcalendarsforthisspecialtourforLakelandAudubonSocietymembersTheValleyoftheKingsislocatedatW7593TownHallRoad,Sharon,Wisconsin.Forthosewishingtocarpooltothesanctuary,wewillbemeetingattheLionsFieldHouseat11:30a.m.

ValleyoftheKingsSanctuaryandRetreatishometo50largecatsandotheranimals.Forover30years,theValleyoftheKingshasbeenhometotigers,lions,bears,wolves,farmanimals,andmanymoreanimalsinneedofcareandsafety.Itisavolunteer-runfacilitydedicatedtothecareandwellbeingoftheserescueanimals.Onthistour,you’lllearnabouttheanimalsandtheirheartrendingstories.TheSanctuaryisaprivate,non-profit,tax-exemptcharity,with90%ofitsfundingdonatedbythepublic.Learnmoreaboutthisuniquesanctuaryathttp://votk.org/pr

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SurprisedbyaBlackbirdByWayneRohde

Thisfall,whilecampingalongLakeSuperior’sNorthShore,wesawoodlesofbig,blackbirds.Anditwillcome as no surprise that these big, black birds included not only the American Crows which are soplentiful in southernWisconsin, but also the Common Ravens which are rightly associated with theremoteandruggedNorthwoods.I’vealwaysenjoyedthevocalizationsandanticsofravens. NumerousstudieshavedemonstratedthatCorvids are among our most intelligent birds, and the commensal relationship between ravens andwolveshasfascinatedmeforquitesometime.But crows and ravens are not, as all birders realize, our only or even best-known black birds. Thatdistinction undoubtedly goes tomembers of the blackbird family: the Icterids. Now I’ll immediatelygrantthat(1)notallsmall,blackbirdsareblackbirdsatall(thinkstarlings),and(2)notallmembersofthe blackbird family are black by way of dominant coloration (think meadowlarks with their brightyellowbreasts,andbobolinkswiththeirlargewhitewingpatches,andorioleswiththeirshowyorangeor brick-red patches). Indeed, even Red-winged Blackbirds and Yellow-headed Blackbirds possess, astheir most flashy colors, prominent red wings and yellow heads, respectively … despite their largelyblackbodies.(Isn’titnicethatsomebirds,unlikethePurpleFinch,areaptlynamedinthisregard?)Nevertheless,anddespite the fact thatsomeblackbirds feature iridescentpurpleandgreensheens,afewofourblackbirdsappeartobeprettymuch…black.(Isupposethisisthecounterpartofournativesparrows,whichareprettymuch…brown,asin“littlebrownjobs”).Thefactthatanumberofspeciesshare this predominant black coloration poses an identification challenge to birders. Yet as a youngbirder I learned that the relative size differences among these species, alongwith the proportionatelength of their tails with respect to their bodies, helped me figure out which blackbird was which:cowbirdswerethesmallest,withfairlyshorttails;grackleswerethelargest,withlong,keel-shapedtails;andtheBrewer’sandRustyBlackbirds--muchlikeRed-wings--weresomewhereinthemiddle.

Wayne’sSurpriseBlackbirdI have no intention of assisting readers in the trickymatter of distinguishing these lattertwo species from one another in this particular article. That is, perhaps, anotherassignment for another day. No, I simplywant to share a quick story about a blackbirdwhich surprisedme thispastOctober: a singleblackbird --aRustyBlackbird--whichwasforaging at close range on a cold, windy, rainy day while we were camped next to theworld’s largest freshwater lake, about half way between Duluth and Grand Portage,Minnesota.AdaywhenI’dreallyhopedtogetoutandhiketoyetanotherwaterfall.Although I’ve seen Rusty Blackbirds onmany occasions, particularly in wooded swampsduringfallmigration,whenlargeflockscanbeseenperchedintrees,anddetectedbytheirloud “squeaky hinge” vocalizations, this species has experienced a significant decline inpopulation in recent decades. So to see this lone yellow-eyed individualwas a surprise,indeedapleasantsurprise,inseveralways:Ihadn’texpectedtoseeaRusty,thisonewasallby itself, itwas nowhere near awooded swamp, and it remained under a shrub at fairlycloserange–lingeringthereforquitesometime,thusallowingmetofetchmycameraandcaptureafewimagesofthisbeautifulblackbird.Perhaps this story doesn’t seem like much of a story to you. Perhaps it isn’t! But forsomeonewhowaslargelyconfinedtohiscamperononeotherwisemiserableweatherday,thatRustyBlackbirdwasonemightyfinesurprise.Andanotherreminderthatbirds,evenblackbirds,canbrightenourdays

 

 

Lakeland Audubon Society, Inc.

Box 473 Elkhorn, WI 53121

 

 

 

LAS BOARD

President: Kevin Dickey (262) 889-4262  

Vice President: Susan Seefeld (262) 537-4921  

Treasurer: Mike Wisniewski (262) 949-4174  

Secretary: Dale Jefchak (262) 723-3025 

Christmas Bird Count: Lisa Granbur (262) 275-5808  

Editor of Chat: Mariette Nowak (262) 642-2352  

Bird Seed Sale Chairman: Harvey Larson (262) 248-4535 

Director at Large: Pat Parsons (262) 248-1232 

 

Tips for your Yard 

From NWF Backyard Habitat Ohio Nature Scoop Newsletter 

- Put down the rake: don't throw out next year's butterflies. Leave the leaves - place whole leaves underneath trees and in your garden for cover. 

- Increase the number of bird feeders because birds increase food consumption as the temperature drops 

- Save fall pruning and pile it in a corner organized into a brush pile to create cover, if regulations allow. 

- Leave plants standing until spring 

 

 

The Chat is the newsletter of the Lakeland Audubon Chapter of the National Audubon Society, P.O. Box 473, Elkhorn, WI 

53121. Subscription is $10 per year for printed copies sent by US mail. To unsubscribe, send request to: 

LakelandAudubon@gmail.com