Upcoming EventsNov 8 BCW program Freshwater AlgaeNov 12 ALAS field trip Heart of the Mississippi FlywayDec 17 ALAS program Christmas Bird Count

Newsletter of the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society, Inc. November 2011

www.aldoleopoldaudubon.org

Aldo Leopold Audubon Societypresents

Wednesday, November 16

7 p.m.

Lincoln Center1519 Water Street, Stevens Point

Travis Livieri, speaker

RetuRn of the PRaiRie BanditBlack-Footed Ferret Recovery in North America

photo by Travis Livieri

Upcoming EvEnts

Botanical Club of WisconsinFreshwater Algae of Wisconsin

November 8, 7:30 pm

Dr. Bob Bell will present Freshwater Algae of Wisconsin: A Microscopic and Ecological Glimpse UWSP-TNR 170. Dr. Bell is a Professor of Biology; he teaches botany and phycology. The event is free and open to the public!

ALAS Field TripHeart of the Mississippi Flyway

November 12, 7:00 am

We will meet at 7:00 a.m. at the M&I Bank of Plover (west side of Post Road, just north of Hwy 54). Our timing should be good to see literally thousands of Tundra Swans and tens of thousands of ducks. There will be ample time to locate 12-18 species of ducks along this flyway of international significance. We will stop for lunch at one of the quaint cafés along the way. Return time to Stevens Point should be between 4:30-6:00, but people can return any time after lunch that they wish.

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thE grEEnhoUsE projEct UpdatE Central Rivers Farmshed recently hired their first Interim Executive Director, Layne Cozzolino, and signed a lease agreement on October 12 for the recently purchased Sorenson’s Garden Center to turn the dilapidated site into a community food center. Local author Patrick Rothfuss, who bought the property, is leasing the facility to Farmshed.

The Greenhouse Project will transform the vacant downtown garden center into a model education and demonstration site that creates rich compost from local organic waste streams, maintains indoor and outdoor space and resources for growing plants, and manages a community kitchen for demonstrating seasonal food preparation and preservation processes.On Saturday, October 12, despite the autumn chill, almost 60 volunteers showed up to knock down makeshift plywood walls, mortar-rooted seedling tables, and dusty irrigation systems, and to eliminate any doubts that The Greenhouse Project would get off the ground. Three hours later, Farmshed hosted the HallowGreen Barn Bash, a benefit for The Greenhouse Project at Wetter’s Farm. Approximately 500 guests came, some in costume, others not, to pledge their support for The Greenhouse

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rEtUrn of thE prairiE Bandit

Return of the Prairie Bandit–Black-Footed Ferret Recovery in North America will be presented by Travis Livieri at the November 16 Aldo Leopold Audubon regular program. This program will be held at the Lincoln Center on Water Street in Stevens Point at 7:00 p.m. ALAS programs are free and open to the public, and families are encouraged to attend.

Travis will cover the history and conservation of black-footed ferrets, the only ferret species native to North America. They were once thought to be extinct until a ranch dog changed the course of conservation history. The ups and downs were dramatic and by 1987 only 18 individuals remained. Successful captive breeding has allowed restoration to the wild in 8 US States, Mexico and Canada.

Travis is a Wisconsin native and obtained a B.S. in Wildlife and Biology in 1993 and an M.S. in Natural Resources with wildlife emphasis in 2007, both at UWSP. He began working with black-footed ferrets in 1995 when he started a temporary position in South Dakota with the National Park Service. He fell in love with the species and the prairies, and has worked with black-footed ferrets since that time. Over the years, he has worked for 4 different federal agencies and conducted his M.S. research on black-footed ferrets in South Dakota. His research interests include ferret population dynamics, resource selection modeling, and application of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) to wildlife management.

In 2001, Travis founded Prairie Wildlife Research, a non-profit organization with the mission to conserve and research wildlife of the prairies. In his role as Executive Director, he states, “We are an on-the-ground organization that does field work on black-footed ferrets across their range. We work closely with federal, state, NGOs, tribes, universities, and private landowners and our extensive experience and flexibility has been a benefit to black-footed ferret recovery. Recently our work in Canada was featured in a 50-minute documentary.”

More information can be found at his website: www.prairiewildlife.org

Please come and join us for a fascinating and entertaining look into the world of the Black-Footed Ferret.

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prEsidEntial ramBlings

Larry Graham

The Green Bay Packers won their game with the Minnesota Vikings today, giving them seven wins and no losses this year. We listened to the game while scrounging curbside bags of leaves to insulate our house foundation this winter and till into the garden next spring. October has been a busy month, and is over two-thirds gone as I sit down to ramble this evening.

Friday we dug potatoes from the garden. Soon I will be tilling it under except for brussels sprouts, which will hold up for a while. Last year we lost all our apples to a mid-May freeze, but this year we have a bumper crop and are anxiously awaiting ripening before we press them for juice. We enjoy our own apple juice for breakfast all winter long.

We had two really beautiful days in the woods this week working on the 2013-2014 firewood. A number of trees had been dropped in early March. To avoid oak wilt, one must cut trees before the beetles that spread the disease become active. We are now scurrying to get them blocked up, hauled to the barnyard, split, and stacked in the woodshed. In addition, there are a number of really good trees that were blown down during this summer’s storms that we would like to salvage.

Speaking of trees blowing down, Stevens Point suffered the loss of a large number of trees in a windstorm in late July. We left for a two-week trip the day after the storm, and were unaware of the extent of the damage. Upon our return, I had a message from Nancy Stevenson suggesting that ALAS might be able to help the city by donating bird

friendly trees for replanting. Our Board approved a $1500 grant and on October 5, Anne and I, Pat Perzynski, and Nancy Stevensonhelped the city plant bur oak, hackberry, Eastern red cedar, hawthorn, and serviceberry, all bird-friendly trees, in Forest cemetery. We feel that it is important for the city to plant several different species of trees to promote diversity.

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l-r: Nancy Stevenson and Pay Perzynski of ALAS help plant trees in Forest Cemetery

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Our donation is a win-win situation, for Stevens Point has been designated a TREE CITY U.S.A. as well as a BIRD CITY WISCONSIN. Planting bird- friendly trees encompasses both. And the diversity provides food and shelter for the birds and adds beauty and greenery to our city.

We hope to continue this effort next spring. We encourage individuals and other organization to help out also. Anne and I have made a pledge to contribute two trees for the cemetery and a third for a street boulevard this coming year. If you are interested in contributing to this effort please contact me.

On the same day that we planted trees, I heard Larry Meiller and Scott Cravens on Wisconsin Public Radio talk about the recovery of the black-footed ferret over the past thirty years. This was once presumed to be an extinct species, and now there appears to be a viable population. Note elsewhere in this newsletter that this very topic will be our program at our November meeting. It’s funny how Aldo Leopold Audubon connections are everywhere I look….

cEntral Wisconsin KEstrEl rEsEarch program

final rEport 2011Janet and Amber Eschenbauch

We have realized that we remember each box by a story associated with it. Box 47 was the easiest adult ever to hand grab (we caught her 4 different times). Box 13 was the squirrel up the shirt, box 35 was the mice down the shirt. Box 72 was where Amber jumped off the ladder (mice), Box 30 was where I fell off the ladder. Box 30 was also the box where Sally jumped into a ditch full of water. Box 25 is our Eric Anderson box. Box 41 is where Maureen and I always see the Red-headed Woodpeckers and where the bridge got stolen. Honestly, who steals a bridge?!?! This year, box 31 earned its story. It is the box that was torn off a pole by a tornado. Sad but true, we lost this box with kestrel eggs and an incubating female to a tornado, never to be seen again. It is a little reminiscent of scenes in the Wizard of Oz.This was an outstanding year for catching adults. We easily broke our re-cord from last year with a total of 44 adults. More than half of the adults caught were recaptures. We caught our oldest known bird this year, a fe-male banded as an adult in 2005, making her at least 7 years old. We owe our success catching adults to the net that we started using last year and to spending more time on the marsh. The high cost of travel is a limiting factor to field research, so thank you to the Natural Resource Foundation

Continued on page 8

Delightful BirDs i have Known

Canada goose (Branta canadensis)

Alan Haney

I cannot resist stopping to listen and look at migrating geese. Aldo Leopold captured this primitive urging with his poetic prose: “And when the dawn-wind stirs through the ancient cottonwoods, and the gray light steals down from the hills over the old river sliding softly past its wide brown sandbars—what if there be no more goose music?” In this essay, Leopold lamented how poor the world would be without wild species with whom we share it.

Through October and into early November, until winter takes command of our lakes and rivers, Canada geese can

be seen nearly any day one is outside. Moving about in flocks of ten to a hundred and more birds, the geese move from lake to field, and field to pond, fattening up for the lean days ahead. Those that we see are mostly the “Common” subspecies, one of at least six races of Branta canadensis. Variation among the six subspecies is remarkable, not so much in appearance as in size. The smallest race is the Cackling Goose, weighing only 3.5 pounds at maturity. The Aleutian and Richardson’s subspecies weigh about 5 pounds, the Lesser about 6 pounds, and the Dusky nearly 8 pounds compared to the nearly 10 pounds for an adult Common variety. The Aleutian, Cackling, and Dusky subspecies migrate along the Pacific coast. The Lesser, Richardson’s, and Common subspecies occur primarily east of the Rockies and historically migrated to the southern states and northern Mexico for the winter, but many populations, especially of the Common race, now spend their winter near open water farther north, even in southern Wisconsin. Although Canada Geese disperse for the breeding season, many do not move very far. Others range from the Arctic coast to the Gulf coast, some migrating over several thousand miles.

As recently as 1991, Robbins, an authority on Wisconsin birds, considered Canada Geese as “uncommon” both as winter residents and during the breeding season in Wisconsin. We now have a far different situation than when Leopold expressed concern about their survival. Canada Geese now nest in every county in Wisconsin, and large flocks are common not

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Canada Goose photo by Gerry Janz

only during migration but throughout the year. Even during the breeding season, flocks of unmated birds can be seen. Because birds do not reach sexual maturity for two or three years, unmated birds can be quite abundant. Many Canada Geese in Wisconsin are no longer migratory in the true sense, although they may move as necessary to locate open water and food during the winter. These birds probably originated from captive flocks with state and federal efforts to restore goose populations. Resident Canada Geese in Wisconsin are increasing by an estimated 15.7% per year based on the Breeding Bird Survey data from 1966 through 2002.

Canada Geese begin nesting as soon as ice and snow retreat. Migrating flocks pass over central Wisconsin as early as March. Nests, usually concealed in heavy vegetation near water, are constructed of dry grass, moss, sticks, and other vegetation, with down added as eggs are laid. Mean clutch size is about 5 eggs with incubation taking approximately four weeks. The peak of hatching is generally mid-May in our area. If early nests are destroyed, a second clutch will often be laid. Young can leave the nest in a couple of days after hatching, typically led by the gander. If disturbed, young may dive beneath water. Parents are very protective and can be aggressive in defending their young.

Canada Geese eat a wide variety of shoots, roots, seeds, fruit, insects, crustaceans, and mollusks. The young will remain with the parents for several weeks. Canada Geese have long-term pair bonding, and a high fidelity to nesting territory. Often the same pair will return year after year to nest, sometimes reusing a nest.

Most people are unaware that the Canada Goose is one of conservation’s success stories. Rare in Wisconsin as recently as 25 years ago, we now have abundant goose music to delight our ears.

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Project. The event raised just over $8,000 for the project. With amazing turn-outs at both events, energy and hopes for The Greenhouse Project abound. Farmshed believes the visible support for the project and vast improvements to the site are indicators of the strengthening community pulse needed to fuel the Greenhouse refurbishment efforts and more. More information can be found on Farmshed’s website, www.farmshed.org and on their Facebook page. There will be many upcoming opportunities to volunteer and contribute financially to the project. To be added to the growing list of volunteers, please send your area of interest, name, and contact information to Layne Cozzolino at info@farmshed.org

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hElp alas mEmBErship groW!Four year ago, ALAS ran an advertising campaign to attract new members by offering interested people an opportunity to try out our organization by participating in a “Free Trial—Email Membership.” We had over 600 people take us up on that invitation, and 300 of them decided to continue with their memberships as regularly paid members. We are once again offering this trial membership to those individuals who would like to know more about what we do as an organization.

As regular members, you can assist us to attract new members by having them send John Munson their name and their email address to barbjohn@charter.net and indicate that they would like to try out the email membership to learn more about ALAS. Invite all of your friends to join, and help us reach our 2013 goal of having 1500 regular ALAS members. ALAS does not share email addresses with any other group, and utilizes the address only to communicate ALAS business and program information.

Please help us attract new members. The trial membership begins December 1, 2011.

BirdfEEd salE—anothEr sUccEss

Thanks to everyone who supported the ALAS Birdfeed Sale on October 7 and 8. This includes all of you who purchased seed as well as those of you who helped with the sale. In spite of high prices everywhere this year, we still made over two thousand dollars. If you missed us, we will be back again next fall. Your support helps us pay for our many great programs and activities.

and Aldo Leopold Audubon Society for helping make this all possible with your donations.2011 was not such an outstanding year for chicks. We only banded 83 chicks, which is well below our average. It was an extremely cold and wet spring, which seems to affect nesting success rates. There were also many flooded fields. The water was so deep in some places that it prompted my family to buy me hip waders. We have our fingers crossed for a warmer and dryer year in 2012, hopefully we will be back to over 100 chicks again.Thank you to everyone who stopped on the road to ask us questions, lis-tened to our talks or came on the field trips. We enjoy sharing the kestrels with you.

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saW-WhEt oWl fiEld trip rEportDebbie Manthey

About 35 participants were treated to an ALAS-sponsored field trip to the Linwood Springs Raptor Research Station for Saw-Whet Owl Banding on the evening of October 27. Individuals and families learned about the natural history of Saw-Whet Owls through video and oral presentations given by Director Gene Jacobs. Each fall, Northern Saw-Whet Owls are captured and banded to gain information about their migration routes, molt patterns, mortality, and winter and summer ranges. Over 11,000 Saw-whets have been banded since netting operations began in the fall of 1988.

Participants also experienced the “hands-on” aspect of the research when a small, male Saw-Whet Owl was captured in one of the nearby mist nets. The owls are attracted toward the nets by a recording that plays the Saw-Whet owl mating call throughout the night. Gene demonstrated to the group gathered outside the meticulous configuration of the nets, and the video camera setup that continuously monitors the nets. He then showed how to carefully extract the owl from the net. The owl was taken inside the station to be weighed, measured, evaluated for age, and banded. He determined this particular owl was a first-year youngster that hatched in the spring of this year.

The owl was subsequently “adopted” and named “Tiny” by one of the families in attendance through the research station’s “Adopt-A-Raptor” program. For the $15 adoption fee, the family received a color photo (8x10) certificate with the banding date, age, sex, weight, and the band number of their bird. Should the bird be caught or recovered by this or another station in the future, they will receive a postcard with information about location and the journey taken by their bird. After holding and posing for photographs with their bird, the family took “Tiny” outside and released him.

Culminating the evening was the rare capture of a Long-Eared Owl. Because only three Long-Eared Owls have been captured during the 22-year history of the research station, the capture of this fourth bird caused quite a sensation among the researchers and attendees. Raptor researcher Janet Eschenbauch gave everyone a close-up look at this beautiful and marvelous bird.

For more information, go to: http://www.raptorresearch.comJanet Eschenbauch and

Long-Eared Owl

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BaBcocK, sandhill WildlifE arEaPat Perzynski

Azure sky Gives way to molten light

Sandhill cranes arrive Like drawstrings to the setting sun

Clatter cries Duos echo

To their mateLooking like

A weathered barn board With a touch of paintA badge of courage To the setting sun

Cattails mimic The dance and the prance

Of the Sandhill crane Across the molten mirrored plain

Sanctuary A roost

From the Canine’s toothMarsh snags

Resemble totem Of the Sandhill crane

Aldo Leopold Audubon Society

OfficersPresident Larry Graham 344-0968Vice-President Alan Haney 592-6949Secretary Chris Schmelling 345-1720Treasurer Maureen Brocken 677-6772Committee ChairsBird Seed Sale 344-0968 Anne Graham/John MunsonConservation Kent Hall 344-8081Education Karen Dostal 592-4706Field Trips Stan Skutek 544-0572Membership (Mailing list) Barb Munson 341-1208Membership (Recruitment) Bob Lane 824-3978Newsletter Lora Hagen Barb DeWeerd 341-9037Programs Kathleen Taft 341-1574Web Wizard John Zach 252-8532

DirectorsEric Anderson 592-4423Sue Hall 344-8081Gerry Janz 341-6384Ned Grossnickle 693-6095Jean Klein 341-5389Carol Kropidlowski 677-4831Debbie Manthey 341-6897Pat Perzynski 252-2100Joe Schultz 341-5521Jeremy Solin 342-4643

Emeritus Directors Bob Freckmann 344-0686Anne Graham 344-0968 Bob Juracka 824-5339 Loretta Klingenberg 824-5475 Donna Martens 457-2276Nancy Stevenson 341-0084Toni WanserskiJen Zach

ALAS Audubon Chapter _____Yes, I would like to join the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society of Central Wisconsin I will receive the almanac newsletters describing chapter activities and events. My check for $25 is enclosed. ALAS will notify you when your annual membership is to be renewed. Your dues will be used in their entirety to support the local ALAS chapter. You will not receive Audubon magazine.

_____National Audubon Society Yes, I would like to join the National Audubon Society. Please send the Audubon Magazine and my membership card to the address below. My check for $25 is enclosed. You will also receive membership in the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society of Central Wisconsin, but the majority of your dues will be used to support National Audubon Society events and activities. The National Audubon Society will notify you when your membership is about to expire.

Name:

Address:

City:

State: Zip:

Email:Please send my newsletter via email

Please make all checks payable to: Aldo Leopold Audubon Society, and mail to:

Aldo Leopold Audubon Society Membership Chapter code: Z11 7XCHPO Box 928 Stevens Point, WI 54481-0928

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