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 and Nature Outing: Walk like a Crane – Sept 22, 2019

9/24/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Pond Marsh at Picnic Point - currently with a higher than normal water level
PictureAlex Kerr
It rained most of the day. Participants in Sunday’s field trip could imagine a bit how cranes walk in wetlands, as the group was stepping carefully in and out of puddles and through wet spongy grass. Alex Kerr, International Crane Foundation Conservation Outreach representative and AJ Binney, new ICF Alabama Whooping Crane representative, explored with 16 eager participants the PicnicPoint marsh area, a heaven for water fowl, frogs, and birds. They also visited the Eagle Heights Community gardens where the Preserve’s resident Sandhill cranes often forage with much success. 
 
Cranes, Alex explained, are one of the oldest birds, going back 300 million years. Today they are one of the most endangered species. Of the 15 kinds of cranes in the world, 2 species live in Wisconsin, the now quite common grayish-brown Sandhill crane and the white feathered Whooping cranes,, both with a red spot on the crown. Thanks to the enormous efforts of the International Crane Foundation (ICF), which moved to Baraboo in 1983, and partner organizations, there are now about 100 Whooping cranes in Wisconsin, up from zero. 

PictureAJ Binney, expert ornithologist
​The intrepid "walkers in the rain" marveled about the clever nesting strategies of cranes to protect their eggs from predators. They build their nest high enough above the water level not to get wet - they can't swim - but away from solid ground and predators like foxes. They return every year to the same nesting area. In the Preserve are now two such areas of Sandhill cranes, one at the rather inaccessible south side of the Marsh of 1918 and one here in the Pond area at Picnic Point. The colts of both the Sandhill cranes and Whopping cranes have protective colors, gray and brown. It is quite a sight to see them take off for their first flight led by their ever watchful parents. 
 
While we didn’t see any cranes on this walk, AJ Binney spotted plenty of other birds for us to enjoy. The Pond marsh is frequented by many warblers in spring and fall, and we were treated to the sight of a Redstart and Golden winged warbler, as well as Chickadees.. We watched a Downy wood pecker peck away at a low tree truck and a Red bellied woodpecker high up. It was special to watch a pair of Wood ducks on the other side of the marsh, photographed by our youngest visitor, 11-year old Sarah. The final treat was a Red-tailed hawk at the Community gardens. Friends host was Gisela Kutzbach, Photos by Doris Dubielzig and Sara Mcclish.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    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