Oct 2004 CAWS Newsletter Madison Audubon Society
Content
THE MADISON AUDUBON
NEWSLETTER
OF THE MADISON AUDUBON SOCIETY
222 S. Hamilton St. / Madison, WI 53703 / 255-BIRD / http://madisonaudubon.org October 2004
Jane Roberts Speaks on the United Nations Population Fund
• Human population numbers are at 6.2 billion and may rise to 9 or 10 billion by 2050. • A billion people live in absolute poverty, with no jobs and no hope for the future. • A billion people have no access to clean drinking water. • Family planning and reproductive health care slows human population growth and the misery it causes. During the past 30 years, UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) has been one of the most successful development efforts in lowering fertility rates, from 6 to 3 children per woman, improving the health of women and their children. Still 48 of the poorest nations in the world face populations likely to triple in the next 50 years. For the past three years, our government has withheld US funding, $34 million, which is our American share of UNFPA. This is in spite of bi-partisan support, congressional approval and the recommendation of the Administration's own blueribbon panel of experts to continue funding. UNFPA is the world's largest international source of funding for population and reproductive health programs. Since its inception in 1969, UNFPA has provided nearly $6 billion in assistance to developing countries. It works with local organizations in more than 140 countries, at national request, and with the support of the international community. More than 100 nations donate to UNFPA. abortion-related activities anywhere in the world. Experts estimated that the loss of $34 million to international family planning efforts will lead each year to two million unwanted pregnancies, 800,000 induced abortions, 4,700 maternal deaths and 77,000 infant and child deaths. Jane Roberts decided this was unacceptable. In 2002, Jane began contacting her friends by e-mail and urged them to send $1 to support UNFPA programs. 34 Million Friends of UNFPA was born. The spontaneous, informal, grass-roots effort is raising money to support women's health and family planning around the world, in the most destitute countries. Learn more at www.34millionfriends.org and at www.unfpa.org. Find out why 34 Million Friends of UNFPA is important to Madison Audubon. This program is co-sponsored by Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin and University of WisconsinMadison Wildlife Ecology. You are invited to join our speaker, Madison Audubon board members, and friends for a pre-program dinner at Paisan’s restaurant at 5:15 p.m. Please call the office at 608/255-BIRD (255-2473) if you have any questions.
Free Public Program What: Jane Roberts and 34 Million Friends of United Nations Population Fund When: Tuesday, October 19, 2004 7:00 p.m. - Refreshments 7:30 p.m. – Program Where: Bolz Auditorium, Meriter Hospital, 124 S. Brooks St. Madison Parking: Meriter Hospital paid parking ramp across the street, on the street, or Lot 51 north of Regent and Mills St.
UNFPA helps formulate population policies and strategies in support of sustainable development. Programs help women and men plan their families and avoid accidental pregnancies; undergo pregnancy and childbirth safely; avoid sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, and combat violence against women. UNFPA funds do not support abortions or
Annual Audubon Membership ___New ___Renewal ___Gift
When you receive a renewal notice from National Audubon use this form to renew and thereby direct some of your donation to local causes. Find your expiration date at the top right corner of your address label. Name for Membership:
Field Trips: Fall Fascinations
(See our web site for more details) Saturday, October 2: Mushrooms and Lichens of Devil's Lake Join trip leaders Marie Trest, Matthew Nelsen, Tom Volk, and Diane Derouen in an exploration of the mushrooms and lichens of Devil's Lake State Park. Learn growth forms, ecological importance, and reproductive strategies, as well as some common mushroom and lichen species and characters used for identification. We will hunt in the lowlands and up the bluffs. Tom is a mycologist at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Check out Tom's website: http://www.TomVolkFungi.net. Marie and Matt study lichens as graduate students at UW-Madison. WI lichen website: http://www.botany.wisc.edu/wislichens/ Diane is a lab coordinator for the UWMadison fungi course. Meet to carpool at 9:00 am in the parking lot of the Middleton Copp's Food Store at the intersection of Century Ave. and Allen Blvd. or, meet at 10:15 am in the parking area nearest the trailhead for East Bluff Trail, near the Nature Center.From Hwy 12 take Hwy 159 east and follow signs to the North entrance of Devil's Lake State Park. A state park sticker is required to park. Bring binoculars (we won't always be looking down), a hand lens, if you have one, and all those mushroom and lichen questions that have been puzzling you. Please dress appropriately for the weather. If fungi are abundant, we may continue into the early afternoon, so you might like to bring a sack lunch. If you have questions, contact Matt or Marie at 608-262-9873 or [email protected]. Field trip is jointly sponsored by Madison Audubon and the Wisconsin Mycological Society-Madison Interest Group. For more information about this group for people interested in fungi, contact Betsy True at 608-821-0048; [email protected]. MADISON AUDUBON SOCIETY
President: Joanne Herfel, 241-8009 Vice-president: Debra Weitzel, 836-4051 Goose Pond Resident Naturalists: Mark and Sue Martin, 635-4160 Editor: Lynn Smith, 242-0933 [email protected] Graphic design: Mary Liebig Printed by Roemer Printing
NAME ADDRESS PHONE EMAIL
___$20 special First-year New Member ___$15 Senior or Student – new or renewal ___$35 Renewal __$40 Double Audubon Membership (New or Renew + Gift Membership) ___$15 CAWS newsletter subscription only (Non-member) Membership amount $_______ Additional contribution $_______ TOTAL Enclosed/Charged $_______ Please make check payable to: Madison Audubon Society Charge my __VISA __Master Card Name on Card:
CARD # EXP. DATE SIGNATURE
___I do NOT wish to receive the National Audubon magazine. ___Business/Corporate Membership Please call the MAS office 608/255-2473 This is a Gift Membership from:
NAME ADDRESS PHONE EMAIL
Z02 7xCH
Saturday, October 2: Raptor Migration at Eagle Valley - NOTE DATE CHANGE Join MAS on this day-long trip, led by Bill Smith and Brett Mandernack. We will hike in the Eagle Valley Nature Preserve, a 1,450 acre preserve located on the bluffs of the Mississippi River near Cassville along a major flyway. The trip is timed to coincide with the peak of fall migration. We hope to see peregrines, eagles, ospreys, sharp-shins, turkey vultures and much more. A round trip walk of approximately 3 miles on level ground is required to reach the observation area and return to the parking lot. In the event of bad weather, participants may have the opportunity to take a side trip to visit the preserve's oak forests, bluff prairie restorations and a river corridor. This side trip will be on moderately steep trails and will add another mile to the round trip. Bill is a raptor biologist working for the DNR and Brett is the resident caretaker and migration counter at Eagle Valley. This is a private nature preserve that can only be visited by permission. Meet to car pool at 7:00 am at the Cubs food store parking lot on the right side of Verona Road (Hwy 151 & 18) heading southwest one stoplight past the Beltline. Bring lunch, binoculars, water and a scope, if you have one. Parking at Eagle Valley Preserve is limited, so car pooling is encouraged. The trip will last until 5:00 p.m. This trip is limited to 25 people. Call Bill evenings at 608-255-0665 to register for the trip and if you have questions. Sunday, October 3: Evening at Pheasant Branch Mike McDowell and Tom Bernthall will lead an evening bird watching walk at Pheasant Branch Conservancy on the Dane County parcel. Migrating fall sparThe mission of the Madison Audubon Society is to educate our members and the public about the natural world and the threats that natural systems are facing, to engage in advocacy to preserve and protect these systems, and to develop and maintain sanctuaries to save and restore natural habitat.
Mail to: Madison Audubon Society 222 S. Hamilton St., Suite 1 Madison, WI 53703-3201
THE AUDUBON CAWS is published
September through June by: Madison Audubon Society, 222 S. Hamilton St., Madison, WI 53703, (608) 255-BIRD (2473). Birding hotline, 255-BIRM. Madison Audubon Web Page: http://madisonaudubon.org E-mail: [email protected] E-mail services donated by Berbee Contribution deadline is October 11 for the November issue, for which items may be sent to Lynn Smith at [email protected]
rows and late warblers will be the focus of our search, but we'll probably find other interesting birds. Tom Bernthall, DNR wetland ecologist and board member of the Friends of Pheasant Branch, will point out parts of the water system that feeds the springs, marsh and Lake Mendota. He will describe recent wetland and water quality restoration work in the Conservancy. Mike McDowell is an avid birder/bird nature photographer whose bird pictures appear regularly in the Wisconsin State Journal. Meet at 4:00 pm at the Dane County parcel of Pheasant Branch Conservancy about 1.5 miles north on Pheasant Branch Road from Century Avenue in Middleton in the 3rd parking lot on the right (east) side of the road, after passing the Conservancy Condominiums. If you have questions, please contact Mike McDowell at 608-850-4122.
County Hwy DL intersects from the east. Bring sturdy hiking shoes, a lunch and binoculars. Dress appropriately for the weather. The trip includes about 6 miles of walking on rocky, rough trails over the hills, including a 600 foot climb to the bluff top. If you have questions, call Gary at 608-249-7870 or email him at [email protected].
Sunday, October 10: Baraboo Hills Ice Age Trail Dane County Ice Age Trail expert Gary Werner will lead this joint trip with the Dane County Chapter of the Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation on a new segment of the trail in Devil's Lake State Park. We will climb out of the Devil’s Lake gorge on the newly constructed section of the Ice Age Trail and follow the terminal moraine as it winds across the hilltops before descending into the Parfrey’s Glen State Natural Area. As we hike along, Gary will explain how this rugged, ancient and young terrain was formed through several episodes of "earth building”. He will point out evidence of dramatically sculptured glacial features that reflect the most recent of these episodes and are the basis of much of the delightful biological diversity of the Baraboo Hills. With luck we may enjoy the fall colors of this wooded segment of the Ice Age Trail. Although not a birding trip, we may see a few late fall migrants and some resident birds. Meet to carpool at 8:00 a.m. in the parking lot of Middleton Copps food store at the intersection of Century Ave. (County Hwy M) and Allen Blvd. Or meet at 9:15 a.m. at the Rosnos Meadows parking lot on the west side of State Hwy 113 just north of where
Saturday, October 16: Whooping Cranes in Training at Necedah Wildlife Refuge This new fall trip to the NWR, located in the Great Central Wisconsin Swamp, is scheduled to observe Whooping Crane chicks in training and includes a behind-the-scenes tour of the refuge. We also hope to see some of NWR’s abundant wildlife, including turkey, RedHeaded woodpeckers, migrating waterfowl, beaver, coyote and gray wolves. We will meet at the NWF Observation Tower at 6:45 am to view Whooping Crane chicks practice flights, weather permitting. After a short break at the Headquarters at 8:00 am, we will view a 30 minute video, then have an hour to browse the shop or the refuge on our own for birding and photography. At 10:00 am we will board a van for a tour of the refuge. Space on the van is limited, so please sign up with tour leaders. Aside from the van tour, participants can join our group anytime. We may do some additional waterfowl observing before leaving NWR. We will carpool from the southwest corner of the Home Depot parking lot off Verona Road, leaving at 4:45 am. Driving time is about 2 hours. Please dress for cool/cold weather, wear study footwear, brings snacks or lunch, water, binoculars, scopes and cameras. It is possible that the chicks may have left Necedah by mid-October, or if the weather isn't favorable, may not be training that day. Contact Mara McDonald at 608-274-2534, [email protected] or Anne Lacy at 608-356-9462 ext 146, [email protected] to sign up for the van tour or for more information. For refuge information see http://midwest.fws.gov/Necedah/
Sunday, October 17: Scope Day at Lake Farm Park Join Dorothy Haines and Pat Ready from 2:00 - 4:00 pm for Scope Day at Lake Farm Park. We'll have viewing scopes and will be looking for migrating waterfowl and other birds from two viewing sites: the deck of the Lussier Heritage Center and the viewing platform at the end of the boardwalk into the marsh near the E-Way parking lot on Lake Farm Road. Children's activities, led by Paul Noeldner, will be centered at the lower level patio at the rear of the Heritage Center. To reach the park, turn west from the South Beltline on South Town road, and then left on Moorland, which becomes Lake Farm road at a curve. Less than a mile up the road is the sign, indicating the road to the Lussier Center. These sites are on the bike path route around Lake Monona, and also on the e-way hiking trail. If you have questions, call Pat Ready at 608-873-1703 or email him at [email protected]. Saturday, October 30: Lake Michigan Birding Join us as we bird Lake Michigan and its shoreline. This trip is timed to coincide with the migration of hawks and waterfowl through Milwaukee and Ozaukee Counties. We will be scoping the lake for specialties like Surf, Black and White-Winged Scoters, Long-tailed Duck, Harlequin Duck and RedThroated Loon. If the weather cooperates we will have excellent views of migrant hawks from some of the lakeside bluffs. Unusual raptors seen from the hawk watch in past years include: Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Rough-Legged Hawk and Goshawk. Be sure to dress for the weather and pack a lunch. Bring a scope if you have one. A high ratio of scopes to people will make this trip more enjoyable for everyone. We will meet to carpool in the middle of the parking lot of the east side Cub Foods. From Hwy. 30 take Hwy. 51 (Stoughton Road) North to Nakoosa Trail, turn right and proceed east to Cub Foods. We will carpool and leave at 6:30 am. We will return to Cub foods between 4:30 and 6:00 pm. If you have questions, call Aaron at 608-294-9618 or send an email to [email protected].
Southcentral Wisconsin Prairie Pothole Initiative Benefits Wildlife and People
Southern Wisconsin’s glaciated mosaic of wetlands surrounded by tall grass prairie and oak savanna once provided extensive habitat for migrating and breeding birds, but human activity has erased much of this natural environment. Today, urban sprawl poses a serious threat to wetland and grassland habitat within the project area: Columbia, Dane, Green Lake, Jefferson, Marquette, Rock, Walworth and Waushara Counties and the eastern edges of Adams and Sauk Counties. The human population is growing faster in Southcentral Wisconsin than in any other region of the state. For example, between 1990 and 2000 Dane County added more than 59,000 people, equivalent to three communities the size of Sun Prairie. Columbia County added almost 7,500 people, or another DeForest. Over the decade, both counties grew by 16% while Wisconsin’s total population grew by 9.6%. Wetland and grassland bird species will benefit from this NAWCA project, with additional breeding habitat for waterfowl such as mallards, bluewinged teal, wood ducks and Canada geese; more foraging areas, nesting, and migratory stop-over for shorebirds, waterfowl, and water birds such as Wilson’s phalarope, greater yellowlegs, northern pintail, lesser scaup, American bittern, black tern, and marsh wren; and additional nesting habitat for grassland species such as sedge wren, dickcissel, eastern meadowlark, and grasshopper sparrow. The project will also develop critical habitat for the state listed Blandings turtle, and state and federally listed plant species such as prairie bush clover and prairie white-fringed orchid. In addition, people will benefit from project activities that will improve surface and ground water quality, reduce damaging floods, develop economically important recreation areas, and enhance aesthetics.
The Southcentral Wisconsin Prairie Pothole Initiative is a tribute to Wisconsin’s conservation heritage, incorporating Aldo Leopold’s land ethic and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services
ecosystem approach, bringing resource agencies, organizations, and private landowners together to contribute to the protection of migratory birds and Wisconsin’s prairie-wetland ecosystems.
At Riverland Conservancy’s Partner Recognition and Picnic, government officials learned about the South Central Wisconsin Prairie Pothole Initiative-II NAWCA grant. Attending the July 14, 2004 event were (left to right): Jonathan Ela, Secretary, Wisconsin Natural Resources Board; Jeanne Bruce, Office of Senator Russell Feingold; keynote speaker Scott Hassett, Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; Kim Cates, Office of Senator Herb Kohl; and Spencer Black, Wisconsin State Representative. Photo by Doug Wollin, Alliant Energy
NAWCA partner representatives at the July 14, 2004 South Central Wisconsin Prairie Pothole Initiative-II NAWCA grant announcement included (left to right): Jeff Nania, Wisconsin Waterfowl Association; Dave Caflisch, Wisconsin state trustee, Ducks Unlimited; Deb Frosch, Riverland Conservancy; Nicole Van Helden, The Nature Conservancy; Tim Grunewald, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; Kevin McAleese, Sand County Foundation; Art Kitchen, US Fish & Wildlife Service; Craig Schlender, Pheasants Forever, Sauk County; and Marsha Cannon, Madison Audubon Society. Representatives of Aldo Leopold Foundation and Dane County Parks were unable to attend. Photo by Doug Wollin, Alliant Energy
Conservation Organizations Partner to Save Land for Wildlife
On July 14, the Southcentral Wisconsin Prairie Pothole Initiative II partners announced plans to purchase and/or restore more than 3,300 acres of wildlife habitat. Eleven organizations and one private landowner will invest more than $3 million in wetland and grassland habitat, including a $1 million North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and more than $2 million in matching funds. The partners will work with willing sellers to acquire land or easements. The announcement was made at Riverland Conservancy’s Partner Recognition and Picnic at Merrimac Preserve in Sauk County. About 125 participants heard comments by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary Scott Hassett and Riverland Conservancy’s chairman and president, Chris Lindell. By September 2005, Phase II partners plan to own or control permanent easements on at least 1,500 acres of wetlands and associated uplands to benefit wildlife. They also plan to restore 800 acres of wetlands and about 1,000 acres of grasslands. Wisconsin has an enviable record of obtaining NAWCA grants due to the tremendous partnerships that go after these grants, said Steve Miller, Bureau Director, Facilities and Lands, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Phase II partners include nine private sector partners and three government entities. The partners are: Aldo Leopold Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Madison Audubon Society, Pheasants Forever, Riverland Conservancy, Sand County Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Wisconsin Waterfowl Association, a private landowner, Dane County Parks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Phase I of this initiative was completed in 2003. Eleven partners cooperated to protect and/or restore 6,400 acres with a total investment exceeding $4 million.
Neotropical Migrants: Insuring Their Return Special WBCI/WSO Symposium Friday & Saturday, February 4-5, 2005
Make plans now to attend a special two-day symposium “Neotropical Migrants: Insuring Their Return.” The Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative (WBCI) and Wisconsin Society for Ornithology (WSO) are jointly sponsoring the event on Friday & Saturday, February 4-5, 2005 in Wisconsin Rapids. The conference will have a twopronged approach. On Friday, speakers will examine what happens to the birds that breed in Wisconsin during migration and on their wintering grounds. At the end of the day, we should have a heightened awareness of the amount of time “our” birds spend away from their nesting grounds and of the risks they face. As a result, we will have a strong base on which to build an understanding of how to help conserve their populations – which leads us to Saturday. Saturday’s speakers will present various projects and provide concrete ways in which our organizations and we can become involved. In all, there will be more than a dozen speakers from across the U.S., including Chandler Robbins, who will give the keynote speech Friday evening. He is the brother of Wisconsin’s revered Sam Robbins, is a senior ornithologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Maryland, and he has written more than 400 papers, reports, and books on ornithology, including the Golden Guide to Birds of North America. A recent recipient of National Audubon Society’s prestigious Audubon Medal, which recognizes substantial accomplishments in conservation or environmental protection, Robbins was honored for his outstanding contributions to our understanding of bird migration and identification techniques. In 1965, Robbins initiated the federal Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), a program that tracks bird populations. One of the keys to the success of the BBS is his understanding of the importance of volunteers and his insistence that amateur birders can contribute a great deal to the science of ornithology. Friday’s luncheon speaker will be Bill Evans, pioneering researcher who has worked with monitoring migrant birds across the United States and has refined the identification of night migrant birds by their sounds. For Bill, it all began with a large nocturnal passage along the Minnesota/Wisconsin border in late May of 1985. Soon after that night he began studying the phenomenon of flight calls of night migrating birds and has continued, largely in eastern North America, for the last 20 years. He recently co-authored an identification catalogue of the vocalizations that enables researchers for the first time to acquire detailed species information of birds in active night migration. His publications on acoustic monitoring are available online at http://www.oldbird.org/. A limited number of rooms are blocked at the Hotel Mead & Conference Center, Wisconsin Rapids, for Thursday and Friday nights at special rates ($79 for one person, $89 for two people, plus tax, per night). The hotel will be quite busy that weekend, so reserve your room early. Call 800843-6323 and mention WSO or WBCI. Registration materials will be available beginning in October. For more information, contact Christine Reel, WSO Treasurer, [email protected].
Seed Collecting Continues At Goose Pond And Faville Sanctuaries
Seed collecting is in full swing at both our Goose Pond and Faville Grove Sanctuaries, but we have much more to go for this year's prairie restorations. We will have volunteer work parties at both locations every Saturday through November 6, from 9:30 am - noon or 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm. Come out to enjoy the fall prairies and help restore critical habitat. Bring clippers and work gloves if you have them. If conditions are wet, we will most likely work inside on seed cleaning, so give a call for directions.
Goose Pond Pheasant Brood Count
As our prairie restorations increase in acreage, we wonder how wildlife populations are impacted. Ring-necked pheasant roosters are easy to count in spring and their broods are fairly easily observed in July and August mornings when they come to road edges in the mornings to dry off from the dew. We assume that if pheasants were successful in nesting that other ground nesting birds such as blue-winged teal would also be successful. August 28, 2004 was an excellent morning for pheasant broods count. At 6:15 am it was calm and clear with heavy dew when Gene Woehler, retired pheasant biologist and I began. For three hours we slowly drove the trails and roadsides in the Goose Pond area looking for pheasants and other wildlife. We counted the number of pheasant young and Gene estimated their age. Ground nesting birds can be negatively impacted by cool wet conditions in May and June that impact young birds. This year’s conditions were cool and wet. However, in April we counted 52 roosters and thought a good number of hens were also present. We were pleasantly surprised to find 11 pheasant broods. Broods ranged from 5 to 11 weeks old with most broods being about 7-8 weeks old. Young pheasants can be hard to count with the tall cover and only two broods had complete counts. We also saw 3 roosters and 5 hens without broods, later in the day I saw one more brood. We will long remember seeing 3 white tail bucks rise up from a prairie restoration about 40 yards from us and bound away. We estimated two of the bucks were 2.5 years old with large racks. We also saw 5 rabbits, our sandhill crane pair and their youngster, and another pair of cranes. Raptors found included a red-tailed hawk, great horned owl, northern harrier, 2 American kestrels and a Cooper’s hawk carrying a blackbird.
Faville Grove Sanctuary:
In addition to the regular Saturday collecting times, a group will get together most Tuesdays for collecting. Tuesday work parties will meet at 9:00 a.m. at the Lake Oasis truck stop on the north side of I-94 at Highway 89. Saturday work parties will meet near the Faville Grove Sanctuary sign on Prairie Lane and we may drive to nearby areas. Take I-94 to Highway 89 (Lake Mills/Waterloo exit) and head north to County G. Turn right on G, go 1.5 miles north, and turn right onto Prairie Lane. Contact Sue (Pech) Knaack at [email protected] or call 920-326-3532 with questions.
A delicate and fragrant native orchid, Great Plains lady's tresses bloomed for the first time this fall in MAS's 1999 Tillotson Prairie restoration at Faville Grove.
Goose Pond Sanctuary:
No experience is needed for seed collecting. Bring gloves and nippers if you have them. Seed will be collected every Saturday from September 18 though October 30th. Seed will be collected from 9:30 am. to Noon and from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm at and Goose Pond Sanctuary. Meet at the residence at the end of Prairie Lane. Call Mark or Sue at 608-635-4160 for more information at Goose Pond. You can also contact the Martins at [email protected] for more information or to be placed on an e-mail volunteer list.
Asters blooming in Audubon's fall 2002 Crawfish Prairie restoration at Faville Grove Sanctuary provided a riot of color (and abundant nectar) this fall. Species observed included sky blue aster (right), heath aster (far right), New England aster (above, with tiger swallowtail), as well as smooth aster, small and large marsh asters, arrow-leaved aster, and frost aster.
Wildlife Food Plot
Thanks to Pheasants Forever for providing seed to establish seven acres that include eight wildlife food plots using six varieties of sorghum, millet, and a mix plot of sunflower, corn, buckwheat
and sorghum. This will be a good test to see what varieties do best and which are best for wildlife. Wet conditions delayed planting until June 9th and also prevented fertilization and ideal weed control efforts. Growing conditions for sorghum are warm and dry. Warm weather in September really helped the sorghum to mature. Much of the area is covered with foxtails and will
provide seeds for songbirds. In September, dickcissels were feeding in the food plot. This winter it will be interesting to see how many tree sparrows, dark-eyed juncos and other birds will use the food plots. We probably have the best songbird habitat in the local area.
YES, I want to make Madison Audubon Society’s vision a reality. Here is my contribution to the Wildlife Sanctuaries Campaign.
[ ] Acre Maker. $2,000 or more to buy and restore another acre of land. [ ] Half-Acre Maker. $1000-$1999. [ ] Quarter-Acre Maker. $500-$999. [ ] Adopt An Acre. I pledge $100 a year for three years ($300 total) toward Goose Pond restoration. Here is my first installment. [ ] Nest Egg. I pledge $50 a year for three years($150 total). Here is my first installment. [ ] My Own Vision. $ ____ to help as much as possible. [ ] My Gift. $ ____ for MAS Program Support (I.E. Education & Newsletter)
Direct my gift to:
[ ] Where it will help the most [ ] Endowment fund to restore and maintain the sanctuaries Gene Woehler, in the sunflower, corn, buckwheat food plot. [ ] Land acquisition at Faville Grove [ ] Land acquisition at Goose Pond [ ] MAS Program Support
Reflections by the Old Mill Pond
By Dick and Jane Dana
We sit silently near sunset on Indian Point, jutting like a croc’s tail into the moody wetland. The Baraboo Hills rise as islands from the settling mist and we can easily imagine this very scene playing out eons ago. No human sounds, no visible signs of humanity at all. But oh the wildlife! The heron stands knee deep in the golden water…an egret flies west to east… a family of sandhills comes back from their evening snack of soybeans and crickets and the woodies, scores of them, seem to be playing a duck’s version of musical chairs as they fly from bay to bay. Within a fortnight, hundreds of Canada geese will gather to head south as they take up residence for daily forays to feed and grow strong. Otters, beavers and muskrats go about their business and we just sit in wonder. When Slentz Dam first straddled a winding Seeley Creek in 1853, its sawmill helped open the wilderness that was Freedom Township with lumber for houses and barns. The backwater it created was known as the Mill Pond. The road that cuts along the northern shore is said to have been part of the road system from Fort Winnebago to Fort Crawford, and those early settlers in our valley used that artery to find their patch of livelihood and alter the landscape for crops. We sit here though, and it feels timeless…and wild. Just behind us sits an ancient oak savanna that surely withstood the frequent prairie fires rolling up the sandstone bluff they still silhouette. Rare ecosystems tucked into the rocky quartzite on the south side of the Mill Pond remain undisturbed and pristine…acid bedrock glades, cool stands of northern white birch and artesian springs. We know that prehistoric people camped on these very stream banks.
continued on page 8
NAME ADDRESS In Memory of In Honor of For Gifts Honoring Another: Send Acknowledgement to: NAME ADDRESS
Contributions will be acknowledged near the Madison Information Board at Goose Pond as follows: $1,000 or more-name to appear on a permanent plaque; $250$999-name to appear on engraved paving brick. [ ] Do not acknowledge in Madison Audubon Society Newsletter
Make checks payable to: Madison Audubon Society Mail to: Madison Audubon Society, 222 S. Hamilton Street, Suite #1, Madison, WI 53703
Gift is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Madison Audubon Society’s financial statement is available upon request.
Donations Continue
MY OWN VISION Anonymous
Madison Audubon Society, Inc. Joanne Herfel, President 222 S. Hamilton St. Suite #1 Madison, WI 53703
Non-profit organization U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 1831 Madison, Wisconsin
TOO EARLY TO THINK ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS?
Check out the new Audubon holiday cards and other licensed products at http://www.audubon.org/market/licensed/holidayCard.html
10/04
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Old Mill Pond continued From page 7
This past winter, an archeologist discovered two rock shelters near the millpond with 1,500 year-old pottery shards, waste flakes from quartzite tools, and foodstuff including freshwater mollusk shells and cracked deer bones. All this bounty, this connection with the past was just laying on the surface, under a layer of mere leaves. These Native American cultures certainly walked gently on this land and inspire us still. What does the future hold for this land? What relics will we leave behind to inspire others? The immediate future is clear, however. In mid-October, the Operation Migration pilots will fly their ultralights leading the latest troop of young Whooping Cranes out of Necedah to learn a new migration route to Florida. We’re lucky our farm is their second stop on their trip south. Joe Duff in the lead plane will fly past our grass airstrip, dip his wing left to circle with the birds over the millpond, enticing them to take note of this potential homeland for future years.
But here and now, watching the sun finally disappear we’re reminded of Yeat’s eloquence and yearning to be “in the bee-loud glade” where “peace comes dropping slow.” The inhabitants of old Mill Pond _ our egrets, cranes, woodies, swallows, finches and warblers nestle down for the night. What a blessing to bear witness each day to the grand dance of ornithological wonder. Could anyone ask for more? We confess, that someday, we hope to sit and watch a pair of Whooping Cranes nesting off Indian Point. Dick and Jane Dana are Sauk County landowners dedicated to environmental stewardship on their 500 acres. They are currently looking for a great neighbor and interested buyer who shares this land ethic for Creekside Farm, the special piece of property described above. If you are interested or know anyone looking for a unique land acquisition, please contact them at 608-522-3362 or [email protected]
MAS Calendar at a Glance
Friday, October 1: CANCELLED Saturday, October 2: Mushrooms and Lichens of Devil's Lake Saturday, October 2: Raptor Migration at Eagle Valley NOTE DATE CHANGE Sunday, October 3: Evening at Pheasant Branch Sunday, October 10: Baraboo Hills Ice Age Trail Saturday, October 16: Whooping Cranes in Training at Necedah Wildlife Refuge Sunday, October 17: Scope Day at Lake Farm Park Saturday, October 30: Lake Michigan Birding
1321 E. Mifflin St. Madison, WI 53703 (608) 256-1066
MAS has an account at the Madison Recycling Center on Fish Hatchery Rd. Remember MAS next time you recycle.
NEWSLETTER
OF THE MADISON AUDUBON SOCIETY
222 S. Hamilton St. / Madison, WI 53703 / 255-BIRD / http://madisonaudubon.org October 2004
Jane Roberts Speaks on the United Nations Population Fund
• Human population numbers are at 6.2 billion and may rise to 9 or 10 billion by 2050. • A billion people live in absolute poverty, with no jobs and no hope for the future. • A billion people have no access to clean drinking water. • Family planning and reproductive health care slows human population growth and the misery it causes. During the past 30 years, UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) has been one of the most successful development efforts in lowering fertility rates, from 6 to 3 children per woman, improving the health of women and their children. Still 48 of the poorest nations in the world face populations likely to triple in the next 50 years. For the past three years, our government has withheld US funding, $34 million, which is our American share of UNFPA. This is in spite of bi-partisan support, congressional approval and the recommendation of the Administration's own blueribbon panel of experts to continue funding. UNFPA is the world's largest international source of funding for population and reproductive health programs. Since its inception in 1969, UNFPA has provided nearly $6 billion in assistance to developing countries. It works with local organizations in more than 140 countries, at national request, and with the support of the international community. More than 100 nations donate to UNFPA. abortion-related activities anywhere in the world. Experts estimated that the loss of $34 million to international family planning efforts will lead each year to two million unwanted pregnancies, 800,000 induced abortions, 4,700 maternal deaths and 77,000 infant and child deaths. Jane Roberts decided this was unacceptable. In 2002, Jane began contacting her friends by e-mail and urged them to send $1 to support UNFPA programs. 34 Million Friends of UNFPA was born. The spontaneous, informal, grass-roots effort is raising money to support women's health and family planning around the world, in the most destitute countries. Learn more at www.34millionfriends.org and at www.unfpa.org. Find out why 34 Million Friends of UNFPA is important to Madison Audubon. This program is co-sponsored by Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin and University of WisconsinMadison Wildlife Ecology. You are invited to join our speaker, Madison Audubon board members, and friends for a pre-program dinner at Paisan’s restaurant at 5:15 p.m. Please call the office at 608/255-BIRD (255-2473) if you have any questions.
Free Public Program What: Jane Roberts and 34 Million Friends of United Nations Population Fund When: Tuesday, October 19, 2004 7:00 p.m. - Refreshments 7:30 p.m. – Program Where: Bolz Auditorium, Meriter Hospital, 124 S. Brooks St. Madison Parking: Meriter Hospital paid parking ramp across the street, on the street, or Lot 51 north of Regent and Mills St.
UNFPA helps formulate population policies and strategies in support of sustainable development. Programs help women and men plan their families and avoid accidental pregnancies; undergo pregnancy and childbirth safely; avoid sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, and combat violence against women. UNFPA funds do not support abortions or
Annual Audubon Membership ___New ___Renewal ___Gift
When you receive a renewal notice from National Audubon use this form to renew and thereby direct some of your donation to local causes. Find your expiration date at the top right corner of your address label. Name for Membership:
Field Trips: Fall Fascinations
(See our web site for more details) Saturday, October 2: Mushrooms and Lichens of Devil's Lake Join trip leaders Marie Trest, Matthew Nelsen, Tom Volk, and Diane Derouen in an exploration of the mushrooms and lichens of Devil's Lake State Park. Learn growth forms, ecological importance, and reproductive strategies, as well as some common mushroom and lichen species and characters used for identification. We will hunt in the lowlands and up the bluffs. Tom is a mycologist at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Check out Tom's website: http://www.TomVolkFungi.net. Marie and Matt study lichens as graduate students at UW-Madison. WI lichen website: http://www.botany.wisc.edu/wislichens/ Diane is a lab coordinator for the UWMadison fungi course. Meet to carpool at 9:00 am in the parking lot of the Middleton Copp's Food Store at the intersection of Century Ave. and Allen Blvd. or, meet at 10:15 am in the parking area nearest the trailhead for East Bluff Trail, near the Nature Center.From Hwy 12 take Hwy 159 east and follow signs to the North entrance of Devil's Lake State Park. A state park sticker is required to park. Bring binoculars (we won't always be looking down), a hand lens, if you have one, and all those mushroom and lichen questions that have been puzzling you. Please dress appropriately for the weather. If fungi are abundant, we may continue into the early afternoon, so you might like to bring a sack lunch. If you have questions, contact Matt or Marie at 608-262-9873 or [email protected]. Field trip is jointly sponsored by Madison Audubon and the Wisconsin Mycological Society-Madison Interest Group. For more information about this group for people interested in fungi, contact Betsy True at 608-821-0048; [email protected]. MADISON AUDUBON SOCIETY
President: Joanne Herfel, 241-8009 Vice-president: Debra Weitzel, 836-4051 Goose Pond Resident Naturalists: Mark and Sue Martin, 635-4160 Editor: Lynn Smith, 242-0933 [email protected] Graphic design: Mary Liebig Printed by Roemer Printing
NAME ADDRESS PHONE EMAIL
___$20 special First-year New Member ___$15 Senior or Student – new or renewal ___$35 Renewal __$40 Double Audubon Membership (New or Renew + Gift Membership) ___$15 CAWS newsletter subscription only (Non-member) Membership amount $_______ Additional contribution $_______ TOTAL Enclosed/Charged $_______ Please make check payable to: Madison Audubon Society Charge my __VISA __Master Card Name on Card:
CARD # EXP. DATE SIGNATURE
___I do NOT wish to receive the National Audubon magazine. ___Business/Corporate Membership Please call the MAS office 608/255-2473 This is a Gift Membership from:
NAME ADDRESS PHONE EMAIL
Z02 7xCH
Saturday, October 2: Raptor Migration at Eagle Valley - NOTE DATE CHANGE Join MAS on this day-long trip, led by Bill Smith and Brett Mandernack. We will hike in the Eagle Valley Nature Preserve, a 1,450 acre preserve located on the bluffs of the Mississippi River near Cassville along a major flyway. The trip is timed to coincide with the peak of fall migration. We hope to see peregrines, eagles, ospreys, sharp-shins, turkey vultures and much more. A round trip walk of approximately 3 miles on level ground is required to reach the observation area and return to the parking lot. In the event of bad weather, participants may have the opportunity to take a side trip to visit the preserve's oak forests, bluff prairie restorations and a river corridor. This side trip will be on moderately steep trails and will add another mile to the round trip. Bill is a raptor biologist working for the DNR and Brett is the resident caretaker and migration counter at Eagle Valley. This is a private nature preserve that can only be visited by permission. Meet to car pool at 7:00 am at the Cubs food store parking lot on the right side of Verona Road (Hwy 151 & 18) heading southwest one stoplight past the Beltline. Bring lunch, binoculars, water and a scope, if you have one. Parking at Eagle Valley Preserve is limited, so car pooling is encouraged. The trip will last until 5:00 p.m. This trip is limited to 25 people. Call Bill evenings at 608-255-0665 to register for the trip and if you have questions. Sunday, October 3: Evening at Pheasant Branch Mike McDowell and Tom Bernthall will lead an evening bird watching walk at Pheasant Branch Conservancy on the Dane County parcel. Migrating fall sparThe mission of the Madison Audubon Society is to educate our members and the public about the natural world and the threats that natural systems are facing, to engage in advocacy to preserve and protect these systems, and to develop and maintain sanctuaries to save and restore natural habitat.
Mail to: Madison Audubon Society 222 S. Hamilton St., Suite 1 Madison, WI 53703-3201
THE AUDUBON CAWS is published
September through June by: Madison Audubon Society, 222 S. Hamilton St., Madison, WI 53703, (608) 255-BIRD (2473). Birding hotline, 255-BIRM. Madison Audubon Web Page: http://madisonaudubon.org E-mail: [email protected] E-mail services donated by Berbee Contribution deadline is October 11 for the November issue, for which items may be sent to Lynn Smith at [email protected]
rows and late warblers will be the focus of our search, but we'll probably find other interesting birds. Tom Bernthall, DNR wetland ecologist and board member of the Friends of Pheasant Branch, will point out parts of the water system that feeds the springs, marsh and Lake Mendota. He will describe recent wetland and water quality restoration work in the Conservancy. Mike McDowell is an avid birder/bird nature photographer whose bird pictures appear regularly in the Wisconsin State Journal. Meet at 4:00 pm at the Dane County parcel of Pheasant Branch Conservancy about 1.5 miles north on Pheasant Branch Road from Century Avenue in Middleton in the 3rd parking lot on the right (east) side of the road, after passing the Conservancy Condominiums. If you have questions, please contact Mike McDowell at 608-850-4122.
County Hwy DL intersects from the east. Bring sturdy hiking shoes, a lunch and binoculars. Dress appropriately for the weather. The trip includes about 6 miles of walking on rocky, rough trails over the hills, including a 600 foot climb to the bluff top. If you have questions, call Gary at 608-249-7870 or email him at [email protected].
Sunday, October 10: Baraboo Hills Ice Age Trail Dane County Ice Age Trail expert Gary Werner will lead this joint trip with the Dane County Chapter of the Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation on a new segment of the trail in Devil's Lake State Park. We will climb out of the Devil’s Lake gorge on the newly constructed section of the Ice Age Trail and follow the terminal moraine as it winds across the hilltops before descending into the Parfrey’s Glen State Natural Area. As we hike along, Gary will explain how this rugged, ancient and young terrain was formed through several episodes of "earth building”. He will point out evidence of dramatically sculptured glacial features that reflect the most recent of these episodes and are the basis of much of the delightful biological diversity of the Baraboo Hills. With luck we may enjoy the fall colors of this wooded segment of the Ice Age Trail. Although not a birding trip, we may see a few late fall migrants and some resident birds. Meet to carpool at 8:00 a.m. in the parking lot of Middleton Copps food store at the intersection of Century Ave. (County Hwy M) and Allen Blvd. Or meet at 9:15 a.m. at the Rosnos Meadows parking lot on the west side of State Hwy 113 just north of where
Saturday, October 16: Whooping Cranes in Training at Necedah Wildlife Refuge This new fall trip to the NWR, located in the Great Central Wisconsin Swamp, is scheduled to observe Whooping Crane chicks in training and includes a behind-the-scenes tour of the refuge. We also hope to see some of NWR’s abundant wildlife, including turkey, RedHeaded woodpeckers, migrating waterfowl, beaver, coyote and gray wolves. We will meet at the NWF Observation Tower at 6:45 am to view Whooping Crane chicks practice flights, weather permitting. After a short break at the Headquarters at 8:00 am, we will view a 30 minute video, then have an hour to browse the shop or the refuge on our own for birding and photography. At 10:00 am we will board a van for a tour of the refuge. Space on the van is limited, so please sign up with tour leaders. Aside from the van tour, participants can join our group anytime. We may do some additional waterfowl observing before leaving NWR. We will carpool from the southwest corner of the Home Depot parking lot off Verona Road, leaving at 4:45 am. Driving time is about 2 hours. Please dress for cool/cold weather, wear study footwear, brings snacks or lunch, water, binoculars, scopes and cameras. It is possible that the chicks may have left Necedah by mid-October, or if the weather isn't favorable, may not be training that day. Contact Mara McDonald at 608-274-2534, [email protected] or Anne Lacy at 608-356-9462 ext 146, [email protected] to sign up for the van tour or for more information. For refuge information see http://midwest.fws.gov/Necedah/
Sunday, October 17: Scope Day at Lake Farm Park Join Dorothy Haines and Pat Ready from 2:00 - 4:00 pm for Scope Day at Lake Farm Park. We'll have viewing scopes and will be looking for migrating waterfowl and other birds from two viewing sites: the deck of the Lussier Heritage Center and the viewing platform at the end of the boardwalk into the marsh near the E-Way parking lot on Lake Farm Road. Children's activities, led by Paul Noeldner, will be centered at the lower level patio at the rear of the Heritage Center. To reach the park, turn west from the South Beltline on South Town road, and then left on Moorland, which becomes Lake Farm road at a curve. Less than a mile up the road is the sign, indicating the road to the Lussier Center. These sites are on the bike path route around Lake Monona, and also on the e-way hiking trail. If you have questions, call Pat Ready at 608-873-1703 or email him at [email protected]. Saturday, October 30: Lake Michigan Birding Join us as we bird Lake Michigan and its shoreline. This trip is timed to coincide with the migration of hawks and waterfowl through Milwaukee and Ozaukee Counties. We will be scoping the lake for specialties like Surf, Black and White-Winged Scoters, Long-tailed Duck, Harlequin Duck and RedThroated Loon. If the weather cooperates we will have excellent views of migrant hawks from some of the lakeside bluffs. Unusual raptors seen from the hawk watch in past years include: Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Rough-Legged Hawk and Goshawk. Be sure to dress for the weather and pack a lunch. Bring a scope if you have one. A high ratio of scopes to people will make this trip more enjoyable for everyone. We will meet to carpool in the middle of the parking lot of the east side Cub Foods. From Hwy. 30 take Hwy. 51 (Stoughton Road) North to Nakoosa Trail, turn right and proceed east to Cub Foods. We will carpool and leave at 6:30 am. We will return to Cub foods between 4:30 and 6:00 pm. If you have questions, call Aaron at 608-294-9618 or send an email to [email protected].
Southcentral Wisconsin Prairie Pothole Initiative Benefits Wildlife and People
Southern Wisconsin’s glaciated mosaic of wetlands surrounded by tall grass prairie and oak savanna once provided extensive habitat for migrating and breeding birds, but human activity has erased much of this natural environment. Today, urban sprawl poses a serious threat to wetland and grassland habitat within the project area: Columbia, Dane, Green Lake, Jefferson, Marquette, Rock, Walworth and Waushara Counties and the eastern edges of Adams and Sauk Counties. The human population is growing faster in Southcentral Wisconsin than in any other region of the state. For example, between 1990 and 2000 Dane County added more than 59,000 people, equivalent to three communities the size of Sun Prairie. Columbia County added almost 7,500 people, or another DeForest. Over the decade, both counties grew by 16% while Wisconsin’s total population grew by 9.6%. Wetland and grassland bird species will benefit from this NAWCA project, with additional breeding habitat for waterfowl such as mallards, bluewinged teal, wood ducks and Canada geese; more foraging areas, nesting, and migratory stop-over for shorebirds, waterfowl, and water birds such as Wilson’s phalarope, greater yellowlegs, northern pintail, lesser scaup, American bittern, black tern, and marsh wren; and additional nesting habitat for grassland species such as sedge wren, dickcissel, eastern meadowlark, and grasshopper sparrow. The project will also develop critical habitat for the state listed Blandings turtle, and state and federally listed plant species such as prairie bush clover and prairie white-fringed orchid. In addition, people will benefit from project activities that will improve surface and ground water quality, reduce damaging floods, develop economically important recreation areas, and enhance aesthetics.
The Southcentral Wisconsin Prairie Pothole Initiative is a tribute to Wisconsin’s conservation heritage, incorporating Aldo Leopold’s land ethic and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services
ecosystem approach, bringing resource agencies, organizations, and private landowners together to contribute to the protection of migratory birds and Wisconsin’s prairie-wetland ecosystems.
At Riverland Conservancy’s Partner Recognition and Picnic, government officials learned about the South Central Wisconsin Prairie Pothole Initiative-II NAWCA grant. Attending the July 14, 2004 event were (left to right): Jonathan Ela, Secretary, Wisconsin Natural Resources Board; Jeanne Bruce, Office of Senator Russell Feingold; keynote speaker Scott Hassett, Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; Kim Cates, Office of Senator Herb Kohl; and Spencer Black, Wisconsin State Representative. Photo by Doug Wollin, Alliant Energy
NAWCA partner representatives at the July 14, 2004 South Central Wisconsin Prairie Pothole Initiative-II NAWCA grant announcement included (left to right): Jeff Nania, Wisconsin Waterfowl Association; Dave Caflisch, Wisconsin state trustee, Ducks Unlimited; Deb Frosch, Riverland Conservancy; Nicole Van Helden, The Nature Conservancy; Tim Grunewald, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; Kevin McAleese, Sand County Foundation; Art Kitchen, US Fish & Wildlife Service; Craig Schlender, Pheasants Forever, Sauk County; and Marsha Cannon, Madison Audubon Society. Representatives of Aldo Leopold Foundation and Dane County Parks were unable to attend. Photo by Doug Wollin, Alliant Energy
Conservation Organizations Partner to Save Land for Wildlife
On July 14, the Southcentral Wisconsin Prairie Pothole Initiative II partners announced plans to purchase and/or restore more than 3,300 acres of wildlife habitat. Eleven organizations and one private landowner will invest more than $3 million in wetland and grassland habitat, including a $1 million North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and more than $2 million in matching funds. The partners will work with willing sellers to acquire land or easements. The announcement was made at Riverland Conservancy’s Partner Recognition and Picnic at Merrimac Preserve in Sauk County. About 125 participants heard comments by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary Scott Hassett and Riverland Conservancy’s chairman and president, Chris Lindell. By September 2005, Phase II partners plan to own or control permanent easements on at least 1,500 acres of wetlands and associated uplands to benefit wildlife. They also plan to restore 800 acres of wetlands and about 1,000 acres of grasslands. Wisconsin has an enviable record of obtaining NAWCA grants due to the tremendous partnerships that go after these grants, said Steve Miller, Bureau Director, Facilities and Lands, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Phase II partners include nine private sector partners and three government entities. The partners are: Aldo Leopold Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Madison Audubon Society, Pheasants Forever, Riverland Conservancy, Sand County Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Wisconsin Waterfowl Association, a private landowner, Dane County Parks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Phase I of this initiative was completed in 2003. Eleven partners cooperated to protect and/or restore 6,400 acres with a total investment exceeding $4 million.
Neotropical Migrants: Insuring Their Return Special WBCI/WSO Symposium Friday & Saturday, February 4-5, 2005
Make plans now to attend a special two-day symposium “Neotropical Migrants: Insuring Their Return.” The Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative (WBCI) and Wisconsin Society for Ornithology (WSO) are jointly sponsoring the event on Friday & Saturday, February 4-5, 2005 in Wisconsin Rapids. The conference will have a twopronged approach. On Friday, speakers will examine what happens to the birds that breed in Wisconsin during migration and on their wintering grounds. At the end of the day, we should have a heightened awareness of the amount of time “our” birds spend away from their nesting grounds and of the risks they face. As a result, we will have a strong base on which to build an understanding of how to help conserve their populations – which leads us to Saturday. Saturday’s speakers will present various projects and provide concrete ways in which our organizations and we can become involved. In all, there will be more than a dozen speakers from across the U.S., including Chandler Robbins, who will give the keynote speech Friday evening. He is the brother of Wisconsin’s revered Sam Robbins, is a senior ornithologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Maryland, and he has written more than 400 papers, reports, and books on ornithology, including the Golden Guide to Birds of North America. A recent recipient of National Audubon Society’s prestigious Audubon Medal, which recognizes substantial accomplishments in conservation or environmental protection, Robbins was honored for his outstanding contributions to our understanding of bird migration and identification techniques. In 1965, Robbins initiated the federal Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), a program that tracks bird populations. One of the keys to the success of the BBS is his understanding of the importance of volunteers and his insistence that amateur birders can contribute a great deal to the science of ornithology. Friday’s luncheon speaker will be Bill Evans, pioneering researcher who has worked with monitoring migrant birds across the United States and has refined the identification of night migrant birds by their sounds. For Bill, it all began with a large nocturnal passage along the Minnesota/Wisconsin border in late May of 1985. Soon after that night he began studying the phenomenon of flight calls of night migrating birds and has continued, largely in eastern North America, for the last 20 years. He recently co-authored an identification catalogue of the vocalizations that enables researchers for the first time to acquire detailed species information of birds in active night migration. His publications on acoustic monitoring are available online at http://www.oldbird.org/. A limited number of rooms are blocked at the Hotel Mead & Conference Center, Wisconsin Rapids, for Thursday and Friday nights at special rates ($79 for one person, $89 for two people, plus tax, per night). The hotel will be quite busy that weekend, so reserve your room early. Call 800843-6323 and mention WSO or WBCI. Registration materials will be available beginning in October. For more information, contact Christine Reel, WSO Treasurer, [email protected].
Seed Collecting Continues At Goose Pond And Faville Sanctuaries
Seed collecting is in full swing at both our Goose Pond and Faville Grove Sanctuaries, but we have much more to go for this year's prairie restorations. We will have volunteer work parties at both locations every Saturday through November 6, from 9:30 am - noon or 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm. Come out to enjoy the fall prairies and help restore critical habitat. Bring clippers and work gloves if you have them. If conditions are wet, we will most likely work inside on seed cleaning, so give a call for directions.
Goose Pond Pheasant Brood Count
As our prairie restorations increase in acreage, we wonder how wildlife populations are impacted. Ring-necked pheasant roosters are easy to count in spring and their broods are fairly easily observed in July and August mornings when they come to road edges in the mornings to dry off from the dew. We assume that if pheasants were successful in nesting that other ground nesting birds such as blue-winged teal would also be successful. August 28, 2004 was an excellent morning for pheasant broods count. At 6:15 am it was calm and clear with heavy dew when Gene Woehler, retired pheasant biologist and I began. For three hours we slowly drove the trails and roadsides in the Goose Pond area looking for pheasants and other wildlife. We counted the number of pheasant young and Gene estimated their age. Ground nesting birds can be negatively impacted by cool wet conditions in May and June that impact young birds. This year’s conditions were cool and wet. However, in April we counted 52 roosters and thought a good number of hens were also present. We were pleasantly surprised to find 11 pheasant broods. Broods ranged from 5 to 11 weeks old with most broods being about 7-8 weeks old. Young pheasants can be hard to count with the tall cover and only two broods had complete counts. We also saw 3 roosters and 5 hens without broods, later in the day I saw one more brood. We will long remember seeing 3 white tail bucks rise up from a prairie restoration about 40 yards from us and bound away. We estimated two of the bucks were 2.5 years old with large racks. We also saw 5 rabbits, our sandhill crane pair and their youngster, and another pair of cranes. Raptors found included a red-tailed hawk, great horned owl, northern harrier, 2 American kestrels and a Cooper’s hawk carrying a blackbird.
Faville Grove Sanctuary:
In addition to the regular Saturday collecting times, a group will get together most Tuesdays for collecting. Tuesday work parties will meet at 9:00 a.m. at the Lake Oasis truck stop on the north side of I-94 at Highway 89. Saturday work parties will meet near the Faville Grove Sanctuary sign on Prairie Lane and we may drive to nearby areas. Take I-94 to Highway 89 (Lake Mills/Waterloo exit) and head north to County G. Turn right on G, go 1.5 miles north, and turn right onto Prairie Lane. Contact Sue (Pech) Knaack at [email protected] or call 920-326-3532 with questions.
A delicate and fragrant native orchid, Great Plains lady's tresses bloomed for the first time this fall in MAS's 1999 Tillotson Prairie restoration at Faville Grove.
Goose Pond Sanctuary:
No experience is needed for seed collecting. Bring gloves and nippers if you have them. Seed will be collected every Saturday from September 18 though October 30th. Seed will be collected from 9:30 am. to Noon and from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm at and Goose Pond Sanctuary. Meet at the residence at the end of Prairie Lane. Call Mark or Sue at 608-635-4160 for more information at Goose Pond. You can also contact the Martins at [email protected] for more information or to be placed on an e-mail volunteer list.
Asters blooming in Audubon's fall 2002 Crawfish Prairie restoration at Faville Grove Sanctuary provided a riot of color (and abundant nectar) this fall. Species observed included sky blue aster (right), heath aster (far right), New England aster (above, with tiger swallowtail), as well as smooth aster, small and large marsh asters, arrow-leaved aster, and frost aster.
Wildlife Food Plot
Thanks to Pheasants Forever for providing seed to establish seven acres that include eight wildlife food plots using six varieties of sorghum, millet, and a mix plot of sunflower, corn, buckwheat
and sorghum. This will be a good test to see what varieties do best and which are best for wildlife. Wet conditions delayed planting until June 9th and also prevented fertilization and ideal weed control efforts. Growing conditions for sorghum are warm and dry. Warm weather in September really helped the sorghum to mature. Much of the area is covered with foxtails and will
provide seeds for songbirds. In September, dickcissels were feeding in the food plot. This winter it will be interesting to see how many tree sparrows, dark-eyed juncos and other birds will use the food plots. We probably have the best songbird habitat in the local area.
YES, I want to make Madison Audubon Society’s vision a reality. Here is my contribution to the Wildlife Sanctuaries Campaign.
[ ] Acre Maker. $2,000 or more to buy and restore another acre of land. [ ] Half-Acre Maker. $1000-$1999. [ ] Quarter-Acre Maker. $500-$999. [ ] Adopt An Acre. I pledge $100 a year for three years ($300 total) toward Goose Pond restoration. Here is my first installment. [ ] Nest Egg. I pledge $50 a year for three years($150 total). Here is my first installment. [ ] My Own Vision. $ ____ to help as much as possible. [ ] My Gift. $ ____ for MAS Program Support (I.E. Education & Newsletter)
Direct my gift to:
[ ] Where it will help the most [ ] Endowment fund to restore and maintain the sanctuaries Gene Woehler, in the sunflower, corn, buckwheat food plot. [ ] Land acquisition at Faville Grove [ ] Land acquisition at Goose Pond [ ] MAS Program Support
Reflections by the Old Mill Pond
By Dick and Jane Dana
We sit silently near sunset on Indian Point, jutting like a croc’s tail into the moody wetland. The Baraboo Hills rise as islands from the settling mist and we can easily imagine this very scene playing out eons ago. No human sounds, no visible signs of humanity at all. But oh the wildlife! The heron stands knee deep in the golden water…an egret flies west to east… a family of sandhills comes back from their evening snack of soybeans and crickets and the woodies, scores of them, seem to be playing a duck’s version of musical chairs as they fly from bay to bay. Within a fortnight, hundreds of Canada geese will gather to head south as they take up residence for daily forays to feed and grow strong. Otters, beavers and muskrats go about their business and we just sit in wonder. When Slentz Dam first straddled a winding Seeley Creek in 1853, its sawmill helped open the wilderness that was Freedom Township with lumber for houses and barns. The backwater it created was known as the Mill Pond. The road that cuts along the northern shore is said to have been part of the road system from Fort Winnebago to Fort Crawford, and those early settlers in our valley used that artery to find their patch of livelihood and alter the landscape for crops. We sit here though, and it feels timeless…and wild. Just behind us sits an ancient oak savanna that surely withstood the frequent prairie fires rolling up the sandstone bluff they still silhouette. Rare ecosystems tucked into the rocky quartzite on the south side of the Mill Pond remain undisturbed and pristine…acid bedrock glades, cool stands of northern white birch and artesian springs. We know that prehistoric people camped on these very stream banks.
continued on page 8
NAME ADDRESS In Memory of In Honor of For Gifts Honoring Another: Send Acknowledgement to: NAME ADDRESS
Contributions will be acknowledged near the Madison Information Board at Goose Pond as follows: $1,000 or more-name to appear on a permanent plaque; $250$999-name to appear on engraved paving brick. [ ] Do not acknowledge in Madison Audubon Society Newsletter
Make checks payable to: Madison Audubon Society Mail to: Madison Audubon Society, 222 S. Hamilton Street, Suite #1, Madison, WI 53703
Gift is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Madison Audubon Society’s financial statement is available upon request.
Donations Continue
MY OWN VISION Anonymous
Madison Audubon Society, Inc. Joanne Herfel, President 222 S. Hamilton St. Suite #1 Madison, WI 53703
Non-profit organization U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 1831 Madison, Wisconsin
TOO EARLY TO THINK ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS?
Check out the new Audubon holiday cards and other licensed products at http://www.audubon.org/market/licensed/holidayCard.html
10/04
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Old Mill Pond continued From page 7
This past winter, an archeologist discovered two rock shelters near the millpond with 1,500 year-old pottery shards, waste flakes from quartzite tools, and foodstuff including freshwater mollusk shells and cracked deer bones. All this bounty, this connection with the past was just laying on the surface, under a layer of mere leaves. These Native American cultures certainly walked gently on this land and inspire us still. What does the future hold for this land? What relics will we leave behind to inspire others? The immediate future is clear, however. In mid-October, the Operation Migration pilots will fly their ultralights leading the latest troop of young Whooping Cranes out of Necedah to learn a new migration route to Florida. We’re lucky our farm is their second stop on their trip south. Joe Duff in the lead plane will fly past our grass airstrip, dip his wing left to circle with the birds over the millpond, enticing them to take note of this potential homeland for future years.
But here and now, watching the sun finally disappear we’re reminded of Yeat’s eloquence and yearning to be “in the bee-loud glade” where “peace comes dropping slow.” The inhabitants of old Mill Pond _ our egrets, cranes, woodies, swallows, finches and warblers nestle down for the night. What a blessing to bear witness each day to the grand dance of ornithological wonder. Could anyone ask for more? We confess, that someday, we hope to sit and watch a pair of Whooping Cranes nesting off Indian Point. Dick and Jane Dana are Sauk County landowners dedicated to environmental stewardship on their 500 acres. They are currently looking for a great neighbor and interested buyer who shares this land ethic for Creekside Farm, the special piece of property described above. If you are interested or know anyone looking for a unique land acquisition, please contact them at 608-522-3362 or [email protected]
MAS Calendar at a Glance
Friday, October 1: CANCELLED Saturday, October 2: Mushrooms and Lichens of Devil's Lake Saturday, October 2: Raptor Migration at Eagle Valley NOTE DATE CHANGE Sunday, October 3: Evening at Pheasant Branch Sunday, October 10: Baraboo Hills Ice Age Trail Saturday, October 16: Whooping Cranes in Training at Necedah Wildlife Refuge Sunday, October 17: Scope Day at Lake Farm Park Saturday, October 30: Lake Michigan Birding
1321 E. Mifflin St. Madison, WI 53703 (608) 256-1066
MAS has an account at the Madison Recycling Center on Fish Hatchery Rd. Remember MAS next time you recycle.
