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Open pipes=bird death trap
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The Kern River Preserve in California discovered a 8" vent tube with hundreds of dead bird skulls and carcasses inside.
Sean Rowe of Audubon California's Kern River Preserve suggests the following: Pipes of all sizes are a problem. We have found dead birds in pipes from 1 1/2” to 10” in diameter. A very high percentage of pipes I’ve looked into contain at least one dead bird. And pipes don’t have to be in place very long. Twice I have leaned a 3” steel pipe against a building, expecting to use it within a few days, only to find dead birds inside. 2 House Finches in one and a Rock Wren in another.
- In our area 8-10” steel pipe (often old well casing) is used to make gate posts. We’ve documented dead American Kestrels, Northern Flickers, Ash-throated Flycatchers, and western fence lizards.
- "3” steel pipe – used for fence corner posts – house finches & rock wren
- "1 1/2 - 2” plastic pipe – tree swallow
- "2-3” outhouse vent pipe – common yellowthroat
Solutions:
- Remove pipes that can be removed
- Plug pipes with sand/gravel or a heavy well fitted rock. Even a few sticks if absolutely nothing else around.
- Pipes that can’t be capped – eg. Plumbing vent pipes (on your rooftop) – cover with1/4” mesh hardware cloth held in place by a stainless steel hose clamp
- Large gate posts – fill with sand, concrete or gravel. Weld on steel caps – some ranches do this, or we have capped with a concrete plug.
- Small steel pipes – used for signs or chain link fence posts – cap with metal cap or crimp top together."
In addition, Mary Whitfield says, "I was just on the roof of my house and found three uncapped plumbing vent pipes on it, I'll be covering them this weekend."
Click here for a guide (567kb pdf) for land managers and home owners was prepared by Kern River Audubon. |
Toward Harmony With Nature Conference
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January 28
8 AM - 4 PM
Oshkosh Convention Center
Native Plants & Natural Landscapes
A day-long seminar on native landscaping presented by Wild Ones Fox Valley. Northeastern WI Audubon supports natural landscaping to develop bird habitat. This is an inspiring conference.
- Keynote speaker Steven Apfelbaum, Chairman of Applied Ecological Services in Brodhead, Wisconsin will present “Nature’s Second Chance: Restoring the Ecology of Stone Prairie Farm.” His book, “Nature’s Second chance” has been called “the twenty-first century sequel to the best-selling classic ‘A Sand county Almanac.’”
- 3 workshop sessions, with a choice of 3 different speakers each time, on the whole spectrum of native plants and natural landscaping topic
- Butterflies and other Insects' Relationship with Native Plants
- Wetlands
- Wild Orchids, Other lesser known native plants
- Prairies
- Urban Natural Landscaping
- Woodland Gardens
- Rainwater
- Booths with Non-profit Organizations, Vendors and Exhibitors
- Silent auction.
Call 920-730-3986 for more information or go to http://www.towardharmonywithnature.org
On-line registration available at http://harmony16.eventbrite.com/
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There are many excellent places to go birding in our area. Here are a few birding lists for some of our local hotspots.
- Baird Creek Parkway: This checklist is still a work-in-progress. This greenway is within the city of Green Bay and is stewarded by the Baird Creek Preservation Foundation.
- Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve: This checklist is produced by Barkhausen. You can also pick up a copy at their Interpretive Center.
- Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary: We have modified their bird list to fit on standard paper, but it takes 3 pages. Stop in at their Nature Center (directions) to pick up their brochure of their bird checkllist, on a single sheet of paper.
- Nicolet National Forest: This checklist comes from the Nicolet National Forest Breeding Bird Survey. Visit their site for more information about the survey.
- Point au Sauble: This checklist is from work done by students at the University of Green Bay's Cofrin Center for Biodiversity.
- Point Beach State Park: This checklist came from the park.
- Whitefish Dunes State Park: Because this park has a variety of habitats, you can see a diversity of birds. Use this condensed checklist or pick up a double-sided 4-columned version at the park, north of Sturgeon Bay. The DNR is updating their website, so a link to specific directions will wait.
More Birding sites
- An excellent resource for northeast Wisconsin is the online version of the Great Wisconsin Birding & Nature Trail. Click on the region you are interested in, then click on each marked point to get the same information available in the print version.
- While there are many areas within the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest which are excellent for birding, we recommend visiting the Halley Creek Bird Trail as an excellent day outing.
- Ridges Sanctuary in Door County
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When birds hit a window it is frequently fatal. Even if they are just stunned they are easy prey for cats and other predators. Placing hawk or owl silhouettes on your glass is often recommended but only somewhat effective. Carl has developed a new method: stringing feathers with monofilament line across windows or glass doors. He used to have many birds, especially ovenbirds, meet their fate against patio doors. Stringing one feather across each window pane has prevented all bird collisions. Of course, only wild game or domestic fowl feathers should be used--never those of song birds or raptors.
How does this work? The feathers flutter with very little air movement. Wildlife react to movement. Static objects, like silhouettes or decals, do not cause the same reaction. One theory is that the movement causes the birds to shift their focus from the distance they see through the window to the surface where the feather is moving.
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Update your Tackle!
- 26 species of water birds are impacted by poisoning from remains of lead fishing tackle. Up to half of adult loon deaths can be attributed to lead poisoning. One lead sinker or jig head or a couple of lead shot can kill an adult loon, eagle, or swan from lead poisoning.
- A high number of Trumpeter Swan deaths are caused by lead.
- Bald Eagles can be poisoned from fragments of lead bullets in carcasses they feed on. Humans may also be affected by these minute fragments, though we generally aren't exposed to the same levels. as eagles.
- Lead shot on trap and skeet shooting ranges can accumulate to hazardous levels. Birds using the area when humans have left can ingest lead.
- Sinkers are easily ingested by birds.
- Lead can be toxic to birds even at low levels of exposure, and damages the nervous system, leading to paralysis and death. Sublethal effects include neurological, tissue, and organ damage, and reproductive impairment
For more information on the effects of lead on birds, read the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative's paper here.
If you know someone who hunts or fishes, give them a gift of nontoxic ammunition and lead-free tackle. If you can't find nontoxic tackle at your local store, check the Raptor Education Group site.
Your old lead tackle can be sold at many scrap metal yards. Brown County residents may bring these to the Brown County Household Hazardous Waste Facility, 2561 South Broadway. For questions, call Brown County Recycling Hotline at 920-448-4400. Some gun shops will buy back old ammunition--call and ask.
 Click on the card to see it full size.
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"Making our communities healthy for birds...and people"
Full details for Bird City Wisconsin are here.
Milwaukee Audubon Society is heading the development of Bird City Wisconsin, modeled on the successful nationwide program Tree City USA.
They received an $8,000 Together Green grant funded by Toyota for this partnership among Milwaukee Audubon Society, the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, Wisconsin Audubon Council, the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison Audubon Society and the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin for developing the criteria for Bird City recognition, and preparing for a public launch of the program in 2010.
Bird City Wisconsin participants can learn how to protect and manage green space, landscape with native plants in backyards and parks, adopt architecture and lighting systems that reduce collisions, and many other tools hospitable to breeding, wintering, and migrating birds which seek safe places to spend time and find food.
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Green Bay is one of the first cities approved as a Wisconsin Bird City. As we hear about them, bird city events will be listed on our calendar page, specially labelled in green.
Brown County, Bailey's Harbor, and Ephraim/Peninsula State Park have also received Bird City (County) status.
Howard, Oconto and the Oneida Tribe are working on their Bird City application. |
January 12, 2012 Epharim wins Bird City status
The Village of Ephraim and Peninsula State Park have partnered to gain Bird City recognition. Bird City status recognizes the importance of Peninsula and Ephraim as a migration corridor, as Wisconsin Great Birding Trail destinations, and as places attractive to eco-tourists. Watch for future announcements about special bird-themed programs planned in 2012.
“The people who fought to establish Peninsula knew it was an irreplaceable landscape,” said Peninsula Naturalist Kathleen Harris, who worked on the Bird City application with the Ephraim Business Council’s Tourism Administrator Rachel Willems and Ephraim Trustee Steve Sauter. “Some of those people were Ephraim residents and along the way they set aside wonderful gems in their own village.”
Though Peninsula State Park safeguards 3,775 acres, Ephraim’s smaller holdings are just as compelling. The Ephraim Preserve at Anderson Pond is a 27-acre Door County Land Trust property. Ephraim resident Susan Peterson has documented 31 nesting species along the site’s ancient beach ridge and wooded bluffs. Another interesting area is the Ephraim Wetlands Preserve located south of the village. A quiet hike through this site’s maze of boardwalks delivers sightings of migrating song sparrows in May, the “teacher-teacher-teacher” sound of the red-eyed vireo, and (if you’re very, very lucky) a glimpse of a different kind of flying jewel, the endangered Hines emerald dragonfly documented here several years ago. This site was saved from development nearly two decades ago. Stumps of slashed cedar trees are still visible.
Of course, it’s the shoreline that residents and visitors can’t get enough of; nor can the birds. It’s a cinch to spot mallards and ring-billed gulls. Bring along binoculars and you’ll see much more. Until Green Bay freezes over, you can also catch a glimpse of buffleheads and goldeneye ducks paddle offshore. Come summer, Bonaparte gulls may stopover in the water across from Wilson’s Restaurant. Killdeer stick around all summer while other shorebirds, such as the least sandpiper, skitter across the sand flats, poking longish bills in search of snails before journeying further north.
“The Ephraim Business Council thanks the Village of Ephraim, Peninsula State Park and community members for their partnership in gaining Bird City designation for Ephraim,” said Willems. “The park is an asset to our community. This designation compliments the diverse offerings of the village and we hope it opens doors to future collaboration.”
To find out more about best places to bird in Peninsula State Park call the Nature Center at 920-854-5976. For directions to birding areas in Ephraim, contact the Ephraim Visitor Information Center at 920-854-4989 or visit www.Ephraim-DoorCounty.com. Bird sightings are routinely posted at the Friends of Peninsula State Park facebook site, too. |
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