FRIENDS OF THE LAKESHORE NATURE PRESERVE
  • Home
  • People & Events
    • Field Trips
  • The Preserve
    • Maps >
      • 1918 Marsh
      • Eagle Heights Woods
    • Birds
    • Animals
    • Plants
  • Support us
  • About
    • Newsletter
    • Mission and Goals
    • Annual Reports
    • Committees & Contact

Bird Banding in the Preserve — August 4, 2018

8/13/2018

0 Comments

 
​Pleasant weather graced the volunteers and observers on Saturday morning at BioCore Prairie. The Bird Observatory there has operated for several years, so it has a following of regular volunteers who are ably led by Jackie Sandberg, Wildlife Rehabilitation Training Coordinator at  the Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Center. Ten of the volunteers came on Saturday to assist Jackie with putting up mist nets, checking them at regular intervals, extracting birds, and then banding them and collecting data on species, age, reproductive status, molt, and morphology. Five nets, set up in the northeast corner of the prairie, yielded nine birds of five different species: House Wren (1), American Goldfinch (3), Gray Catbird (2), Common Yellowthroat (1), and Song Sparrow (2). In all, 24 bird species were observed, including Cedar waxwings and Red-tailed hawks that frequented the trees and sky above us. With boundless enthusiasm, Jackie provided expert information on banding and bird measurements. We were also visited by several rabbits and caught a glimpse of two weasels darting across the trail and into the prairie. 
 
Only three people came to observe in response to the Friends’ promotion of this event, but several more paused on their Saturday morning walks through the Preserve to learn a little  more.Bird banding at the Preserve is conducted most Saturdays during the summer. To learn more, contact Jackie Sandberg.
Picture
Jackie Sandberg is holding a bird for banding. Assistants keep records and get the bands ready.
The Bird Observatory, originally founded in 2001 by Dr. Mara McDonald (1947-2016), is an all-volunteer bird banding operation that monitors bird populations in the Lakeshore Nature Preserve. The Observatory is a permitted research project approved through the UW-Madison Lakeshore Nature Preserve. Banding offers a wonderful opportunity for people to see birds up close, learn about their migration and nesting patterns, and understand how natural areas enhance their biological success. Volunteers of all skill levels are welcome to attend banding operations on Saturday mornings from 7 am - 12 pm between the months of April and September each year (weather and schedules permitting). Volunteers are taught species identification, mist-netting procedures, handling techniques, and basic banding procedures. We are currently entering our 18th year in operation, and we are excited to have you with us!
 
Banding requires significant time and experience by those who are licensed and authorized to capture wild birds. At the Observatory, a master bander supervises and trains volunteers, including UW students, staff, retirees, and members of the Madison community. Each bird is caught in a mist net, carefully removed, measured (weight, age, sex, and a variety of other measurements), banded and released. Between 2001 and 2006, more than 1394 birds of 70+ species were netted. About 60 million birds, representing hundreds of species, have been banded in North America since 1904, and about 4 million bands have been recovered and reported. Data from banded birds are submitted to and managed by The North American Bird Banding Program which is under the general direction of the U.S. Geological Survey and the Canadian Wildlife Service.

The Biocore Prairie Bird Banding Observatory in Madison, Wisconsin is currently managed by three volunteer coordinators.
0 Comments

Native Pollinators in the Preserve — July 29, 2018

8/13/2018

0 Comments

 
This warm, calm Sunday morning was perfect for observing native pollinators. Susan Carpenter, Native Plant Gardener at the UW Madison Arboretum, was a knowledgeable guide and good role model for the 20 potential citizen scientists who attended the hike. Susan explained that her expertise in native pollinators grew incidentally out of her work with native plantings. Working with the DNR, she has begun to promote and train volunteers for the Wisconsin Bumble BeeBrigade, which seeks to expand our knowledge of this crucial species guild. 
 
Susan led us past the rain gardens by the Picnic Point entrance and up to BioCore Prairie, taking ample time to stop and observe the five species of bumble bees we encountered along the way. She explained the life cycle and behaviors of several different bumble bee species and discussed threats to their existence, as well as ways we can help sustain them. Friends host and photographer: Paul Quinlan
Picture
Susan Carpenter explains a handout: an ID guide to the 21 bumble bee species known from Wisconsin is available online.
0 Comments

Bird & Nature Outing: What is a Bioblitz?  — July 22

8/1/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
​The 4th Sunday of the month Bird and Nature Outing at Lakeshore Nature Preserve featured What is a BioBlitz led by Paul Noeldner with help from Pat Becker, Doris Dubielzig, and Olympia Mathiaparanam with Friends of the Lakehore Nature Preserve.  About a dozen participants including a couple kids learned why scientists do BioBlitzes to get a holistic picture of an area's biodiversity and ecosystem health. Then everyone joined Bug, Critter, Plant and Habitat teams (anyone could help any of them) to help find and count as many different living things as they could along the Picnic Point path, from a Catbird singing in a Sumac bush to a Monarch on an Ironweed and a Leopard Frog jumping into a trailside rain garden full of bright red Cardinal Flowers in full bloom. 

Someone would shout New One! whenever a different new living thing was spotted, and the Recorders for each team would jot down the name of the species if known on a large tagboard, or a description or drawing of the color, number of legs, and similar details for the team Researchers to try to look up the species if not known. The Photogs in the group helped take pictures to document the findings. There were many interesting things to see and talk about and examine with binoculars or a magnifying hand held loupe. The group only got 500 feet down the Picnic Point path in about an hour, as might be expected. A scientific Bioblitz might go for 24 hours and involve lots of skilled researchers and specialists as well as opportunities for Citizen Scientists including families and kids to help spot things.
Back at the starting point the teams added up totals. The Critters team tied with the Bugs team with each having a total of 21 different species noted.  The Plants team found 37 different kinds of trees, flowers, moss, ferns and vines. The Habitat team found areas with different wind speed (0-5mph depending on cover), lumens of light reaching the ground (17,000 in open areas with cloudy sky and 3,000 below tree canopy, temperatures (75F in a pond, 70 in a lakeside glade, 85 on gravel path), sound levels (40db at a rain garden, with background calls of Yellowthroat and Catbirds), and a variety of landforms that together created an estimated 7 different ecosystem habitat niches that can be occupied by different plants and critters. The Kiosk area creek pool looked fairly clear but measured 368TDS (total dissolved solids) and the salinity was at the top of the handheld refraction meter scale. Everyone had a great time and learned about the fun and fascination of looking at a variety of ecosystem details by thinking Bioblitz! when taking a nature recreation and nature education walk. Thank you, Paul, for a great experience. Photos Paul Noeldner. ​
Birds observed
4 Mallard 
2 Sandhill Crane 
3 Ring-billed Gull 
2 Mourning Dove 
1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 
1 Downy Woodpecker 
1 Northern Flicker 



1 Warbling Vireo 
1 Blue Jay 

3 American Crow 
2 Tree Swallow 
1 Black-capped Chickadee 
1 White-breasted Nuthatch 
3 American Robin 
2 Gray Catbird 

4 Cedar Waxwing 
1 Common Yellowthroat 
1 Song Sparrow 
3 Northern Cardinal 
5 Red-winged Blackbird 
1 House Finch 
3 American Goldfinch 
Number of Taxa: 22
0 Comments

    Archives

    June 2024
    May 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017

    RSS Feed

    People & Events
    2017
    2016
    2015
    2014

         January - April 
         May-December
Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve
 P.O. Box 5534
 Madison, WI 53705 

UW-Madison Lakeshore Nature Preserve website

Documents
Picture
Related websites:
UW Nelson Institute
UW Arboretum
Clean Lakes Alliance
Groundswell Conservancy
Pleasant Valley Conservancy
Pheasant Branch Conservancy
Friends of Amphibians
​Friends of Cherokee Marsh
Friends of Olin Turville

Wild Warner Park
  • Home
  • People & Events
    • Field Trips
  • The Preserve
    • Maps >
      • 1918 Marsh
      • Eagle Heights Woods
    • Birds
    • Animals
    • Plants
  • Support us
  • About
    • Newsletter
    • Mission and Goals
    • Annual Reports
    • Committees & Contact