Saint Paul Audubon’s annual field trip to see the Sandhill Cranes at Crex Meadows took a few unexpected turns this year.
The drought of 2021 has dried up the feeding fields around Crex and according to Chase Davies, who led the group, along with Louise Eidsmoe, “There hasn’t been enough rain for the creeks that bring the water, much less the usual flooding that supports the cranes, other wildlife, and the vegetation that feeds them all.” The cranes were clearly roosting someplace else, and Crex Meadows staff suggested going ten miles south to the Gretturn Flowage in the Fish Lake WMA, where up to 5000 a night had been reported.
A line of 17 cars, some with first-time birders, caravanned to the new site, which provided a somewhat different viewing experience. “We were closer to the cranes than usual and the noise level was far greater than what we experience at Crex,” said Chase. “Scopes revealed massed choirs of birds in the distance and binoculars were actually useful.”
“Parked along the flowage road, we watched the arrivals and listened to the adults and a few young individuals socializing as they settled in for the night,” said Chase. “Everyone in our group stayed through sundown, which unexpectedly coincided with a huge orange harvest moon rise.” This year the cranes were joined by “over 50 Trumpeter Swans, a few coots, mallards and Canada Geese,” said Chase, “along with a Bald Eagle and a Harrier seeking supper from among the wetland plants. The dearth of small birds such as finches and sparrows, lingering warblers, and blackbirds was notable. Another difference – in fact totally unique in my years of Craning – is that the birds stopped coming in right at 7:15. As though the spigot had suddenly been turned off. Usually the sound of cranes streaming in continues through dusk until it’s too dark to see them on the wing. I left at 8:07 after 20 minutes of near total quiet other than an occasional goose honk, duck squawk, young crane tin whistle, or adult ‘garoo.’”
January Speaker Series | Bird Monitoring Program in Belize
/in Membership MeetingAbidas Ash, bird biologist and lead bird bander for the program in Belize, will talk about the current MoSI (Monitoring of Overwintering Survival of Neotropical Migrants) program and how they have been working as a network. She will talk about the current status of each station, providing data on total banded birds, species diversity, and interesting finds so far. In addition, she will talk about the future of the program and bird conservation in Belize.
Abidas Ash is from Belize and grew up learning about sustainable agriculture, permaculture, and conservation from her parents, who have been practicing sustainable farming for 50+ years. She has a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Management from the University of Belize. As an undergrad, she learned about bird conservation and bird monitoring techniques. She worked at a field station for 2 ½ years, where she expanded her skills and knowledge in bird banding. She then joined the University of Belize Environmental Research Institute, where she has been leading the MoSI program for the past six years. She is the lead bird bander for the different MoSI stations and has conducted many training sessions and demonstrations with students and community members.
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Dec 2021 Cardinal Newsletter
/in CardinalSaint Paul Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count will take place on Saturday, December 18, 2021. This year’s count
will be modified to conform to guidelines set by the National Audubon Society for conducting a COVID-19 safe and socially-distanced count.
December Speaker Series | Charles Grolla presents “Ojibwe Bird Stories and Legends.”
/in Membership Meeting, NewsOgimaagiizhig-Charles Grolla, a member of the Bois Forte band of Ojibwe, will present “Ojibwe Bird Stories and Legends.” His presentation, based on his book Ojibwe Bird Stories, will give an Ojibwe perspective on birds, based on a lifetime of stories and legends he acquired from elder family and Ojibwe family members. Grolla will tell us about Ojibwe names, and cultural uses and functions in traditional Ojibwe society.
Grolla teaches the Ojibwe language and culture at Cass Lake-Bena High School. He was formerly a police and conservation officer at the Red Lake reservation. He has a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a master’s in differential instruction. He is also a traditional Ojibwe knowledge keeper.
Join us virtually on Zoom – Thursday, Dec 9 @ 7:00 pm.
Bird-Friendly Buildings
/in Advocacy, Education, NewsResearch indicates that up to 1 billion birds may be killed per year in the U.S. alone due to window collisions. Birds hit buildings at all hours during the day and night. At night migrating birds can be distracted by bright lights in our cities. During the day the problem is reflection or other confusing aspects of glass.
The increased use of glass in our modern buildings, including large expanses of highly-glazed or ultra-clear glass, presents a serious hazard for birds. Most birds don’t perceive glass as an obstacle. Instead, they see the things they know and need, such as habitat and open sky, reflected in the glazed surface or on the other side of one or more panes of glass.
Join Audubon’s Bird-Friendly Communities team for an exciting two-part webinar series focused on the issue of bird-window collisions, solutions we can take to address this problem, and lessons learned from across the Audubon network.
Register below for each event
A Discussion with Researcher Dr. Daniel Klem
Tuesday, November 16, 2021
7–8:30 pm Eastern
REGISTER HERE
Solutions and Successes Across Audubon
Tuesday, November 30, 2021
7–8:30 pm Eastern
REGISTER HERE
The Cranes at Crex trip brings surprises this year
/in Field Trips, NewsSaint Paul Audubon’s annual field trip to see the Sandhill Cranes at Crex Meadows took a few unexpected turns this year.
The drought of 2021 has dried up the feeding fields around Crex and according to Chase Davies, who led the group, along with Louise Eidsmoe, “There hasn’t been enough rain for the creeks that bring the water, much less the usual flooding that supports the cranes, other wildlife, and the vegetation that feeds them all.” The cranes were clearly roosting someplace else, and Crex Meadows staff suggested going ten miles south to the Gretturn Flowage in the Fish Lake WMA, where up to 5000 a night had been reported.
A line of 17 cars, some with first-time birders, caravanned to the new site, which provided a somewhat different viewing experience. “We were closer to the cranes than usual and the noise level was far greater than what we experience at Crex,” said Chase. “Scopes revealed massed choirs of birds in the distance and binoculars were actually useful.”
“Parked along the flowage road, we watched the arrivals and listened to the adults and a few young individuals socializing as they settled in for the night,” said Chase. “Everyone in our group stayed through sundown, which unexpectedly coincided with a huge orange harvest moon rise.” This year the cranes were joined by “over 50 Trumpeter Swans, a few coots, mallards and Canada Geese,” said Chase, “along with a Bald Eagle and a Harrier seeking supper from among the wetland plants. The dearth of small birds such as finches and sparrows, lingering warblers, and blackbirds was notable. Another difference – in fact totally unique in my years of Craning – is that the birds stopped coming in right at 7:15. As though the spigot had suddenly been turned off. Usually the sound of cranes streaming in continues through dusk until it’s too dark to see them on the wing. I left at 8:07 after 20 minutes of near total quiet other than an occasional goose honk, duck squawk, young crane tin whistle, or adult ‘garoo.’”
Pig’s Eye Regional Park Report
/in Advocacy, NewsThe following report was created by Jarita Chen, a Macalester College student, supported by the college’s Chuck Green Fellowship. She spent hours afield with Kiki Sonnen, Tom Dimond, Kathy Sidles and others while we documented the changing landscape of Pig’s Eye Regional Park during the summer of 2021.
We witnessed an oil spill into the Creek after a train engine’s diesel fuel tank was punctured. We monitored the cleanup. We watched frogs and turtles and fish in the Creek. We saw numerous birds throughout the spring and summer. We tracked various governmental actions taking parkland from the public and turning it over to expansion of heavy industrial use.
All the while Ms. Chen was gathering from numerous sources information, maps, graphics, charts, diagrams, photos. She pulled all the information together into a remarkable document now available for public review. Ms. Chen worked under an environmental justice internship for the Lower Phalen Creek Project. Her professor is Kiristina Sailiata.
Thank you to all for Jarita Chen’s great contribution to environmental justice.
Sandhill Cranes in Crex Meadows SWA
/in Field Trips, Of InterestSince historic times, Greater Sandhill Cranes have congregated by the thousands every autumn evening in the marshes and ponds now called Crex Meadows, located on the north side of Grantsburg, WI.
Oct & Nov 2021 Cardinal Newsletter
/in CardinalAug & Sept 2021 Cardinal Newsletter
/in CardinalJune & July 2021 Cardinal Newsletter
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