A Northwoods Almanac for June 7 – 20, 2024

 A Northwoods Almanac for June 7 – 20, 2024  

 

Constructing an Oriole Nest 

            Baltimore orioles construct elegant hanging nests which are often very hard to find. But Bev Engstrom, a wonderful photographer in Rhinelander, not only found one, she was able to watch and photograph its construction from beginning to end, a process that took 7 days. 

            This particular nest was built high in an aspen tree. Nests are commonly built near the tip of outer branches of a tree high off the ground. In Ontario, the heights of 400 nests ranged from 4 to 100 feet, though 200 of these were found 18 to 35 feet off the ground. 

5/10/24, photo by Bev Engstrom

            The female does all the weaving of the nest utilizing hair, twine or string, wool, synthetic fibers (a nest made of cellophane and one made from fishing line have been described!), and various types of plant fibers including grasses, milkweed stems, and grapevine bark. Once the shell is completed, she commonly lines the nest with cottonwood or willow cotton, milkweed seed plumes, or feathers. Females have been observed flying for more than ¼ mile in search of appropriate construction materials.

5/11/24, photo by Bev Engstrom

            Although nest construction can take up to 15 days, most nests are completed within about 1 week, depending in large part upon the weather – hard rains slow the process down. 

5/12/24, photo by Bev Engstrom

            Writes a researcher who has studied orioles for 40 years, “It’s absolutely fascinating to sit and watch them weave. You see the female poking one end of the string through, and then pulling her head back to weave it out, just like when you crochet or knit a bag. They can spend half an hour doing that, then go away to get another long piece of grass and do more.” 

5/13/24, photo by Bev Engstrom

            Why construct such a difficult nest? The most obvious benefit is that the deep cups and narrow two-to-three-inch entranceways provide better protection from predators and brood parasites like brown cowbirds. 

5/14/24, photo by Bev Engstrom

5/15/24, photo by Bev Engstrom

  

  Now, the completed nest:

5/16/24, photo by Bev Engstrom

Loon Killed by Blunt Force Trauma

            I received this email from Judith Bloom on 5/27: “I had a call Saturday from lake neighbors who live 6 houses from me. They had netted a dead loon that they spotted 100 feet from their dock. Because it was banded and also because they know I monitor the loons on our lake, they contacted me. I was able to confirm that in fact this male loon was hatched on Horsehead Lake in 2016 and banded as a juvenile by Walter Piper and had held a territory on Lake Tomahawk for three years. Ironically, it was one of the pair that I had not yet located this season, and it was found not in its own territory.

            “Through Linda Grenzer (she and her husband Kevin rescue a lot of injured, sick or deceased birds and waterfowl and work closely with REGI) I was in touch with Marge Gibson to see if she wanted to determine cause of death on this loon. She did. So, my husband and I picked up the loon from our neighbors dock (not touching the bird as instructed in case of avian flu) and drove to REGI [Raptor Education Group Inc.] in Antigo. There, very sadly, Marge confirmed that the loon in fact had a broken neck as a result of blunt force trauma. (Conclusion was that it was hit by a boat or jet ski.) You can see the obvious full fracture in the x-ray. It was a gorgeous, healthy weight (4.5 kilos) adult male in the prime of its life and just getting started to reproduce. It was a privilege to be there at REGI and witness Marge’s respect for this loon, her instruction to REGI’s interns and her calm demeanor in the face of sadness. John and I felt like we were in attendance at a funeral.  

 the banded loon at REGI 

            “I was in touch with Walter, of course, to let him know about one of the birds in his study but also to see if he wanted the loon, hopefully for mounting for educational purposes. He does want it and will retrieve from REGI where it is currently in the freezer. Its feathers were gorgeous. The only noticeable “damage” were the dents from the hit to the neck and strafing along the top of its head.

            “Tomahawk Lake has heavy boat traffic with HUGE boats where the driver cannot even see over the bow. And in my experience of 17 years of monitoring the loons on this lake, many boat drivers are not paying the slightest attention and have no interest in the wildlife on this lake.  I’ve witnessed the deliberate driving of jet skis right through families of Canada Geese and harassment of loons. It makes my blood boil.”

            My blood boils as well. As long as our lakes are viewed as recreational playgrounds and not as ecosystems, this immoral stupidity will only increase.

 

Great Lakes Ice Cover – Record Low

            This year’s average ice cover for the entire Great Lakes was 4.3%, a record low since records began in 1973. Maximum ice cover reached 16% on January 22, the fourth lowest annual maximum on record. Lake Superior’s seasonal average was a record low at 2.6%.

 

Indigo Bunting – To Be Blue Or Not To Be Blue

            The brilliant blue of indigo buntings is universally raved about by observers – they truly are stunningly beautiful. But what is fascinating about their color is it’s all an illusion. Like all other blue birds, indigo buntings actually lack blue pigment. Their blue color comes instead from microscopic structures in the feathers that refract and reflect blue light, much like the airborne particles that cause the sky to look blue.

            So, the blue of the male indigo bunting is literally a trick of the light, the brilliant azure caused by the diffraction of light around the structure of the bird’s feathers. This process scatters all but the blue light, and the resulting color shifts from black to blue to turquoise as the angle of reflected light changes.

 

photo by Bev Engstrom

Notable Sightings – Trumpeter Swan Chicks 

            We’ve been walking out on Powell Marsh quite regularly and have been watching the nesting of a pair of trumpeter swans. On 5/29, we saw the pair with four tiny cygnets bobbing around them. 

            This pair, or perhaps a different pair (they’re not banded, so we don’t know), was unsuccessful last year, the female continually trying to incubate eggs well into July until she finally gave up. The incubation period is usually around 5 weeks, and since trumpeters return rather early in the spring, often before the ice is off the lakes, they’re early nesters, sometimes even a week or two before the ice melts.

            According to the literature, when the young hatch, the adult female will brood them for a day or two, and then occasionally at night or in bad weather for several weeks. The chicks only weigh about a half pound at hatching. 

            The adults then lead the young to feeding areas where they will frequently tread the substrates to stir up invertebrates and vegetation for the chicks to eat. The young are precocial and capable of feeding themselves. 

            They’ll be nearly full-grown and ready to fledge after 3 to 4 months. And by nearly full-grown, I mean they’ll be 20 pounds, with big males sometimes reaching up to 35 pounds once they achieve full adulthood.

            

Notable Sightings – Cotton-grass

            In the plant world, many species of wildflowers have come into bloom, but notable are the variety of species of cotton-grasses (Eriophorum sp.) in boggy areas. The tufted, cottony seed-heads may be so numerous that they appear like a cotton-field or a snow storm out in the sphagnum. 

            Cotton-grasses often grow into tussocks – round, bunchy clumps like pot-bound plants without the pots –  that bear many stems of the plant. Individual tussocks can apparently survive for over a century! Who knew there was old-growth in the sphagnum? 

photo by John Bates

 

Yellow Flag Iris – Kill It!

            A yellow flag iris bloomed next to our house last week, a surprise to us since we never planted it, nor is it present in the wetlands below our house. While beautiful, yellow irises are highly invasive. Their thick rhizomes spread extensively and form dense, sometimes impenetrable mats that crowd out native species. The result: Reduced habitat for wildlife and fish, and reduced bird nesting and rearing sites.

            The rhizomes can float, survive prolonged dry conditions, and fragments can form new plants. The plant also produces many seeds that float well away from the parent plant and rapidly germinate.

            All parts of this plant contains large amounts of glycosides that are toxic to native animals. 

            When digging this plant out, which is the only way to effectively remove it, protect your skin as resin in the leaves and rhizomes can cause skin irritation. All parts of the plant should be dug out, particularly the rhizomes, and disposed of in a landfill or by burning.

            Bottom line: Beauty can be a beast. Kill this plant without guilt.

photo by John Bates in Manitowish

Iron County Bird Count

            I participate in several bird counts every spring, one of which is a count specific for Iron County. Last year we were able to confirm 124 species, and so far this spring, we’ve found 136 species. We’re still counting, so I expect this number to increase by a few more species.

            Why bother counting birds? Well, it’s the only way we’ll know if species are increasing or decreasing. We can’t manage wildlife if we don’t know their populations over time.

 

Celestial Events 

            For planet-watching in June, look late in the month after dusk for brilliant Venus low in the northwest. Look before dawn for Mars in the east, Jupiter later in the month in the east-northeast, and Saturn high in the southeast.

            We’re getting close to summer solstice, so days are growing longer now by less than a minute. 

            The year’s earliest sunrises occur at 5:08 a.m. from June 10 to 20. This is 3 hours and 32 minutes earlier than our latest sunrises at the end of December.

            

Thought for the Week

            “Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.” – Anaïs Nin

 

Please share your outdoor sightings and thoughts: e-mail me at johnbates2828@gmail.com, call 715-476-2828, snail-mail at 4245N State Highway 47, Mercer, WI, or see my blog at www.manitowishriver.blogspot.com

 

A Northwoods Almanac for May 24 – June 6, 2024

 A Northwoods Almanac for May 24 – June 6, 2024  

 

An Owl Story

            On May 13, Greg Bassett in the Hazelhurst area sent me the following email along with several photos: “This little guy/gal [a barred owl chick] was alongside my neighbor’s driveway just walking around. When I stopped to take this picture, Mom or Dad did a dive bomb and then landed on a branch in a tree above the little one. Is it normal for a baby owl to be on the ground and not be able to fly? Not sure if I should contact the wildlife center or just leave them alone.”

barred owl chick photo by Greg Bassett

            I responded, “Well, I don’t think it’s normal, but the question is obviously whether this bird has fledged and is just experiencing flight issues, or whether it fell out of the nest and can’t fly. I’d check again, and if it’s still there, call the wildlife center to see what they say. The parents might continue to feed it as well, even if it’s on the ground, so it’s a hard call to make.”

            Greg checked again and wrote: “I went back and checked it again. At that point it was about 8' off the ground in a pine tree. It made an attempt to fly, but it wasn't successful and landed in the leaves. Didn't seem to be injured and both mom and dad made me aware that they were taking care of things and would prefer I move along and let them handle it. I'll check their progress tomorrow morning, but I feel like the little one has a good chance. If I have any reason to think it's in trouble I'll let the wildlife center know.”

            The next day Greg wrote: “It looks good today for Little Owl. He or she is perched in a small maple tree about 15' up, safe from ground predators and waiting for mom or dad to bring some breakfast. As usual, Ma nature seems to be doing just fine without a dumb human interfering. Even though I know I should trust nature to handle things, it's still hard to walk away from babies. I keep having to remind myself that nature does fine without our help and usually when we do help we make a mess of things. So, it looks like our neighborhood owl population is going to increase by at least one this spring. Go team Nature!”

            I share Greg’s experience because it is often really hard to know if you’re doing the right thing in a situation like this – are you helping or interfering? I think Greg’s response was perfect. If the animal doesn’t appear to be seriously injured or in significant distress, keep an eye on the situation and see how it develops. I think it’s also wise to call one of the wildlife rehab centers in our area to get their professional opinion, because do any of us really know what the right thing to do is for a specific species in a specific place and time?

            Barred owls nest early, often by mid-March. With an incubation period of around a month, an owlet in our area would likely be hatched starting mid-April. So, this little owl was likely around 4 weeks old. The literature says, “At approximately 4–5 weeks of age, flightless young leave the nest, perching on the rim or climbing to a branch on the nest tree, eventually dropping to the ground and climbing a nearby leaning tree to perch. Young begin short flights at approximately 10 weeks of age, attaining longer flights by 12 weeks . . . Fledged young initially stay near one another and the nest site, being fed by parents.”

 

Sightings

5/3: Judith Bloom on Tomahwak Lake reported her FOY ruby-throated hummingbird.

5/7: Judith Bloom later reported seeing her FOY indigo buntings. She also keeps close track of the nesting loons on the 3462-acre Tomahawk Lake and wrote, “Have been able to locate 5 of the 6 territorial pairs with two already on the nest. Once again, one of the pairs is nesting next to a Canada Goose nest. Two years ago (in 2022) this pair raised a goose gosling, but that year we did not see the Canada Goose nesting nearby. The other year that we DID see it nesting at the same time was 2018.”

photo by Judith Bloom

            I had not heard (or perhaps I just forgot – this is happening more and more!) about the loon pair raising a gosling. It was in 2019 that the news was full of the loon pair in Oneida County raising a mallard chick, but the gosling story never got the same media exposure. So, I’ve attached Judith’s photo of the gosling riding on the back of the adult loon. I’ve also attached Judith’s photo of the loon pair and the goose pair nesting within four feet of one another. I find this really remarkable – they’ve apparently not read the textbook about how territorial they are.

photo by Judith Bloom

5/8: Joan Galloway had her FOY Baltimore oriole visiting her property in Manitowish Waters.

5/11: Hannah Dana reported seeing her FOY ruby-throated hummingbird and noted, “When I marked the sighting on the calendar I noticed it is exactly one year since last year's first sighting!  Amazing. The loons and the hummers are back . . . life is good.” 

5/11: I took a group of birders out to Powell Marsh as part of the North Lakeland Discovery Center Bird and Wildlife Festival, and the highlight of the walk was the sighting of two Wilson’s phalaropes, a “life” bird for me. They were hanging out with six greater yellowlegs, a shorebird species that we often see as they migrate through on their way to central and northern Canada. 

            But under the category of “I really don’t know much at all,” I later learned that Wilson’s phalaropes actually nest, albeit rarely, in Wisconsin. They commonly nest in wetlands of western Canadian provinces and western states, and winter mainly in Bolivia, Argentina, and as far south as Tierra del Fuego. In Wisconsin, however, seven confirmed nesting areas were located during the six years of data collecting for the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Wisconsin, something I was utterly unaware of.

5/15: Our big sighting in Manitowish was of a yellow-headed blackbird at our feeders. I think this is only the 3^rd time in 40 years in Manitowish that we’ve seen one of these at our feeders. They are a gorgeous bird!

photo by John Bates (through a window)

5/16: White-crowned sparrows appeared at our feeders on 5/4, and are still here as of 5/16. These birds nest in far northern Canada and Alaska, a long ways from here. 

 

North Lakeland Discovery Center Bird and Wildlife Festival

            The final tally for bird species seen during the festival on 5/10 to 5/11 was 84 species, a fine number that would have been even higher if the peak migration had arrived. It was a well-organized, excellent festival. If you’ve never attended, consider doing so next year!

 

Counting Birds on the Manitowish River

            On 5/15, Mary and I did a bird count on a section of the Manitowish River for the Great Wisconsin Birdathon, which is organized by the Natural Resource Foundation of Wisconsin. We’re one of 10 crews for the “River Raptors” team that take to various Wisconsin’s rivers and streams to count birds. Our total for the 3.5 hours we were on the river was 56 species. The biggest positive surprise was the yellow-headed blackbird that was at our house on the Manitowish River where we pulled-out.

            Our biggest negative surprise was the nearly complete lack of waterfowl along the river, likely due to the very low water levels this spring as the Manitowish Waters Chain refilled their lakes. This was, of course, a year with very little snow to recharge the rivers flowing into the chain. The autumn drawdown doesn’t allow for adequate refill during droughty winters and springs, and truly needs to be revisited. It’s hard to nest in spring wetlands that should be flooded but are dry.

 

Ovenbirds

            Macy Washow sent me this email recently after hearing a talk I gave on keynote/emblem birds of the Northwoods: "You’re right, we do have a lot of signature birds in the area, so it is hard to pick just one. I have to say the loud but elusive Ovenbird with his “teacher, teacher, teacher” following me as I walk down the road is my top contender. It’s like he’s saying ‘Don’t be lonely, I’m coming with you.’ I always wonder if he’s following me, or if they are just that ubiquitous.” 

            In fact, they are ubiquitous, at least in relatively mature to older forests. Their territories vary in size but are relatively small, and they do far better in contiguous forests than in fragmented ones. One study found nest sites on average 18 meters, or 59 feet, apart. So, on a given walk in a mature woods, one hears overbirds very regularly along a trail.

            Both sexes have olive-brown backs, dull-orange caps and spotted breasts that blend well with the forest understory, so ovenbirds are far more often heard than seen. Their notoriously well-concealed nests are also on the ground, mainly constructed of leaves, and are dome-shaped, thus the name – it appears the birds are living in a small, leafy oven.

                        

Bar-tailed Godwits in New Zealand!

            When Mary and I were in New Zealand in early April, we spotted bar-tailed godwits in a wetland near Christchurch on the east coast of the South Island. And we were thrilled, because we were seeing the holder of the world’s longest non-stop distance record for migration – 13,050 km, or 8,108 miles! 

            The important word in the above sentence is “non-stop.” Over a decade ago, shorebird researchers in New Zealand put satellite trackers on bar-tailed godwits. One individual, labelled ‘4BBRW’, never landed, and now holds the record for a single one-hop flight from Alaska to Tweed Heads, Australia, in September 2021. The distance of 13,050km was done in a little over ten days. 

            Researchers have found that to prepare for such a flight bar-tailed godwits alter themselves physically by putting on a huge amount of body fat accounting for 55% of their weight. To accommodate this incredible gain in fat, they shrink their gizzards, livers, kidneys, and guts, and only maintain those organs essential for long-distance flight. Then they rebuild these organs upon arrival at the migratory destination.

             Seeing these otherwise unremarkable looking shorebirds was like seeing the world record-holder in a sporting event. But the difference was the godwit’s record is utterly implausible – flying non-stop for 10 days over 8,000 miles while only weighing less than a pound? Well, how is that even possible, and why did they evolve to do this?

 

Celestial Events

            The full moon was last night (5/2),, but it’s still 97% illuminated tonight – 5/24. 

            On 5/31, look before dawn for Saturn just below the waning crescent moon.

            By 6/1, we’re up to 15 hours and 30 minutes of sunlight – enjoy!

            On 6/2, look before dawn for Mars about 2° below the crescent moon. 

            New moon on 6/6.

 

Thought for the Week

            “Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and being alone won't either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You have to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes too near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself that you tasted as many as you could.” – Louise Erdrich

 

Please share your outdoor sightings and thoughts: e-mail me at johnbates2828@gmail.com, call 715-476-2828, snail-mail at 4245N State Highway 47, Mercer, WI, or see my blog at www.manitowishriver.blogspot.com

 

A Northwoods Almanac for May 10 – 23, 2024

 A Northwoods Almanac for May 10 – 23, 2024  by John Bates

 

Migration in Full Tilt

            Nearly 60% (about 135) of the 236 breeding bird species in Wisconsin winter in neotropical zones – the Caribbean, most of Mexico, Central America, and South America. They begin their return north based on the length of daylight, their hormones triggering takeoff in the blind faith that the weather will be okay when they return and the insects that represent nearly all of their diet will be hatching. 

            We, of course, are just a small part of North America’s bird world. Throughout all of the United States and Canada, 361 species of breeding birds migrate to wintering grounds in the Neotropics and will soon be returning.

            The peak period for these neotropical species to appear in our area is from May 12 to May 15. 

            Most migrate at night, and you can actually see them taking off by watching your weather Doppler radar (also see https://birdcast.info). It’s called radar ornithology, and the same radars that meteorologists use to estimate rainfall rates are equally adept at detecting other objects in the atmosphere, like birds. Meteorologists can now distinguish partially frozen sleet from droplets of rain, and ornithologists, looking at the same radar, can easily separate birds from precipitation.

            To see this for yourself, check the radar before sunset to see what the actual weather is regionally, or even around the country. Then check the radar a half hour or more after sunset to see what has changed. Songbirds takeoff a half hour or so after sunset, and these mass lift-offs produce a ring, or what likes like a little explosion, on the radar. Birds show up as blue and/or green donut-shaped forms on the radar. As the blue gets brighter and then goes green through the night, migration is getting heavier. Massive, mostly green orbs on the radar means extremely heavy migration, or, in other words, that you should probably go birding the following morning.

 

Spring Ephemerals in Full Glory

            If you’re a wildflower aficionado, this is your window of time to see the remarkable abundance and beauty of our spring ephemeral wildflowers. But what you’ll see largely depends on the soils where you live. Hepatica, wood anemone, and trailing arbutus are the first flowers Mary and I usually see blooming in spring. Most springs, however, they are the only wildflowers, except for leatherleaf in the bogs, that we see blooming in our very sandy soils in early May. 

            At the same time, it’s not uncommon for friends in the Hurley or Rhinelander or Park Falls areas where the soil is heavier to have carpets of trout lilies and spring beauties in bloom, as well as bloodroot, Dutchman's breeches, white violets, dwarf ginseng, and bellwort.

            The difference in the presence and populations of species of wildflowers can be remarkable when areas of light, sandy soils are compared to areas with clay or loam soils. Some species, like Canada mayflower and wild sarsaparilla, are generalists that grow in either soil type. But many wildflowers are specific in their habitat requirements with trillium as a classic example. I have seldom seen a large-flowered trillium growing in our sandy soil. They are prolific, however, in the heavier soils of northern hardwood forests all around us, even though the climate is the same.  

            Whatever the soil type, go hiking now for wildflowers. Once the hardwood trees leaf out, the bounty will greatly diminish.

 

Sightings – First-Of-Year (FOY)

4/24: I heard my first pine warblers singing along the CCC trail in Manitowish Waters. 

4/25: I heard and saw my FOY broad-winged hawk in the Frog Lake and Pines SNA

4/26: Joan Galloway in Manitowish Waters reported a FOY red-headed woodpecker eating from her suet feeders.

4/26: Walter Piper reported on his Loon Project blog that a 3-year male (“Junior”) has paired with a 31-year old female (“Dot”), the second oldest adult loon in his Wisconsin study area. Piper noted, “We are not sure what to expect from this unlikely pairing. Three-year-old Junior would shatter all records by merely building a nest and beginning to incubate eggs. And 31-year-old Dot is astounding us simply by remaining in the game. We have never seen such an inexperienced male pair with such an accomplished female.”

4/27: We had our FOY rose-breasted grosbeak appear at our feeders, a very early date for this species.

4/29: A bear hit our bird feeders and our compost pile around 11 p.m. I’ve heard since from many other folks who had their bird feeders whacked a day earlier, the same day, or the next day. Seems many bears were emerging around then and were HUNGRY. I don’t mind a bear hitting our feeders. What does concern me are the large paw prints left on our window.

            

Gile Flowage Land Conservation Project Awarded A Grant 

            The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently announced grant awards to 30 organizations nationally to support coastal habitat restoration and conservation. Locally, $4.1 million was approved for the Gile Flowage Land Conservation Project, which will allow Iron County to acquire 1,055 acres of undeveloped property on the Gile Flowage to provide long-term conservation of critical habitat in Lake Superior’s coastal zone. The acquisition will add to a contiguous block of county-owned land that is managed for conservation values, including habitat corridors, climate resilience, and public access. 

            “This funding opportunity showcases the partnership between NOAA, Wisconsin Coastal Management, and Iron County, ” said Eric Peterson, Iron County Forest Administrator. “The Gile Conservation project will protect over 1,055 acres of pristine wetlands, rugged shoreline, and upland hardwoods for public benefit in perpetuity. This acquisition will provide additional public access and passive recreational opportunities while continuing to promote existing public usage.”

 

Final Tally for the Midwest Crane Count 

            The annual Midwest Crane Count took place on April 13 on 964 sites in Wisconsin.  A preliminary total of 1,811 participants counted 13,922 sandhill cranes statewide, as well as 16 whooping cranes. Here are the tallies for counties in our area:

Forest Co.: 11 sites, 18 counters, 46 sandhills

Iron Co.: 7 sites, 9 counters, 27 sandhills

Oneida Co.: 49 sites, 83 counters, 166 sandhills

Vilas Co.: 15 sites, 23 counters, 78 sandhills

Price and Florence counties had no counters.

            The top county in the state was Winnebago county with 40 sites, 68 counters, and 1,825 sandhills.

            A century ago, only a few sandhill cranes could be found in all of Wisconsin. Through hunting regulations and habitat restoration, we’re now blessed with a thriving population.

 

North Lakeland Discovery Center Bird and Wildlife Festival May 10 and 11

            Join other outdoor enthusiasts to explore the wildlife and natural beauty of Wisconsin’s Northwoods through a variety of guided hikes and tours, live bird of prey presentations, bird banding demonstrations, and interactive workshops during the 18th Annual Northwoods Bird and Wildlife Festival. Visit the North Lakeland Discovery Center’s website for more information and to register (https://discoverycenter.net/clubs/bird-club/birding-festival/) 

 

Sea Levels Rising

            At more than a dozen tide gauges spanning from Texas to North Carolina, sea levels are at least 6 inches higher than they were in 2010. In this time period, the Gulf of Mexico has experienced twice the global average rate of sea level rise. See: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2024/southern-us-sea-level-rise-risk-cities/

 

Wakeboats? Conservation Congress Mandates NO

            The recent Conservation Congress hearings attracted 18,802 participants who weighed in on 49 proposals. If you’re not familiar with the Conservation Congress, the annual spring hearings are a joint effort by the Department of Natural Resources and the 360-member Wisconsin Conservation Congress. From the results of the hearings, the WCC then advises the seven-citizen Natural Resources Board on DNR policies most often specific to hunting, fishing, and trapping. 

            But times have changed a bit, and now broader environmental concerns occasionally appear on the ballot. At the top of my list for lake-based environmental considerations were three proposals concerning wakeboats, and there was a clear mandate. Opponents want lawmakers and the DNR to restrict the size of the wakes and where the boats can operate. The most restrictive proposal, which called for banning ballast systems on all boats, won by a 72-28 percentage. Another proposal, which passed 74-26, would ban all “intentional” big wakes on lakes less than 20 feet deep and smaller than 1,500 acres. The third idea, which passed 70-30, calls for wakeboat ballast systems to be easily inspected to ensure they’ve been drained of all water.

            

Ban Lead Ammo? Conservation Congress Narrowly Rejects the Ban

            On the other side of the positive environmental coin, voters rejected a proposal to outlaw all lead-based firearms ammo over the next six years, voting 53-47 (7,152 to 6,251). 

            This banning of lead ammo is so necessary, and many hunters have voluntarily switched to copper. Death from lead toxicity has been widely documented in Wisconsin in bald and golden eagles, common loons, trumpeter swans, waterfowl and a whooping crane, not to mention mammals that scavenge gut piles. Yet some of the hunting community refuse to change. Given the availability of comparable non-lead ammo, it puts those hunters in a very poor light. No one wants the government telling them what to do. But I’ll be blunt: To care more about cheaper lead-based ammo than to care about other species’ health and/or survival is indefensible.  

 

Celestial Events

            As of 5/15, we’ll be blessed with 15 hours of sunlight. However,  while our days have been growing longer by more than 3 minutes a day during April, by 5/23, that process will have slowed to growing longer by less than 2 minutes a day as we move ever closer to summer solstice.

            The full moon – the “Flower” or “Planting” moon – officially occurs on 5/23, but the moon will be 100% illuminated the night of 5/22 as well.

 

Thought for the Week

            “Things don't have purposes, as if the universe were a machine, where every part has a useful function. What's the function of a galaxy? I don't know if our life has a purpose, and I don't see that it matters. What does matter is that we're a part. Like a thread in a cloth or a grass-blade in a field. It is and we are. What we do is like wind blowing on the grass.” – Ursula K. Le Guin  

 

Please share your outdoor sightings and thoughts: e-mail me at johnbates2828@gmail.com, call 715-476-2828, snail-mail at 4245N State Highway 47, Mercer, WI, or see my blog at www.manitowishriver.blogspot.com

 

Hermit thrushes have a double voice box, unique to birds, called the syrinx. Syrinx is also the Greek word for the musical instrument we call panpipes, which have multiple pipes

 

It’s a fitting name for this essential part of a bird’s vocal anatomy. Because, like panpipes, birds have two separate pipes to sing with. A thrush can voice notes independently and simultaneously from each half of its syrinx, notes which blend brilliantly as ethereal, harmonious tones.

A Northwoods Almanac for April 26 – May 9, 2024

 A Northwoods Almanac for April 26 – May 9, 2024  by John Bates

 

World’s Oldest Loons Return to Seney National Wildlife Refuge in the U.P.

            The oldest documented common loons on the planet, named ABJ and Fe, have again reappeared on the waters of Seney National Wildlife Refuge in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. ABJ, who will turn 37 in June, has reoccupied his territory, while Fe (“Fay”), who will be at least 38 this summer, has returned to her territory.

            Sad to say, after a quarter-century partnership of unparalleled fidelity and productivity, in 2022 ABJ and Fe went their separate ways, with the latter hatching a record 40th chick with a new mate, and the former ultimately spending a solitary season of bachelordom on a nearby pool.             

            They apparently attempted an April 2023 reconnection on their old territory, but Fe opted to eventually breed on her new territory, while ABJ limped back to his lonely territory with a broken upper mandible that was likely incurred during a battle with another male. 

            Rather than convalescing with a broken bill like most loons would, ABJ instead surprisingly paired on a new territory with a female known as Daisy, who was twenty years his junior. ABJ’s nest with Daisy, however, failed to produce chicks, as did Fe’s reproductive effort with an unbanded mate on her new territory.

            Such may be the consequence of separation at such an old age! A morality tale?

            Early spring is a time of flux for loon populations with territorial pairs navigating frequent intrusions from would-be usurpers – the very challenges that ABJ and Fe successfully parried for 25 years. It’s possible that the pair might attempt a reunion yet this spring, but it’s more likely they will initiate their 2024 breeding seasons again apart. 

            

FOYs (First-of-the-years) 

4/7: Judith Bloom reported seeing purple finches on Lake Tomahawk. 

4/10: John Randolph reported the FOY ospreys at their nest sites on Hwy. 47 near McNaughton. This is a week to 10 days early for them. They usually have to wait for the lakes to open up, and that’s around 4/17 on average.

4/10: Mary and Charlie Ray on Manitowish Lake reported the FOY common loons.

            Mary and I were in New Zealand from 3/20 to 4/10, so our personal sightings from Manitowish are missing for those 3 weeks. Here are our local sightings starting upon our return: 

4/11: On Powell Marsh, 30 tundra swans descended out of a dark sky onto the first pool and were soon attacked by the resident nesting pair of trumpeter swans, causing their quick departure. Tundras are just stopping by on their way from their wintering grounds in Chesapeake Bay to their far Arctic breeding area. 

            Powell also provided us with FOY sightings of ring-necked ducks, buffleheads, sandhill cranes, and a migrating rough-legged hawk.

4/11: In Manitowish the same day, we had our FOY purple finches, northern flickers, and Wilson’s snipes.

4/12: FOY pine siskins showed up at our feeders – they were completely absent all winter.

4/13: We heard our FOY wood frogs, and saw our FOY northern harrier.

4/14: We heard our FOY spring peepers, saw FOY tree swallows at Powell Marsh, and watched a FOY turkey vulture soaring over Hwy. 51.

4/15 Out again on Powell, we had FOY wigeons, blue-winged teals, green-winged teals, a pied-billed grebe, a greater yellowlegs, and a couple wood ducks. 

4/15: Joan Galloway reported seeing an Eastern phoebe, which is quite early for them.

4/16: Our FOY fox sparrow appeared under our feeders. FOY quaking aspen and beaked hazelnut in flower, as well as our FOY trailing arbutus on Frog Lake.

4/17: Our FOY chipping sparrow showed up at our feeders, and we saw our FOY belted kingfisher along the Manitowish River. Bears are coming out of hibernation. I’ve heard of several folks having their bird feeders ripped apart by hungry bears.

4/18: Our FOY white-throated sparrows flew in under our feeders.

 

Maple Sugaring Timing This Spring – Super Early!

            One of the consequences of our non-winter was a dramatic disruption of the “normal” timing of the maple sap run. I spoke with Bob Simeone, professional forester and long-time maple syrup producer in Land O’Lakes, about the impacts he saw. His opening comment said it all: “It was the strangest winter in the 40 years I’ve been making syrup. 

            “All winter to March 18 or so, there was no snow. Then it turned cold and we got 20 or so inches of snow over a number of days which stayed until early April. 

            “Usually mid-March is the start of the season,” he said. “The core of the season then is usually the last week in March into the first week in April when we get 2.4% to 2.8% sugar in the sap. We keep gathering until the sugar gets below 2%, and then it’s time to quit. The syrup gets real dark. When the red maples bud out, and it gets to 60°, it’s over.”

             But this year, “We had 4 to 5 days that were 60° before we even started making syrup! Many people began tapping in late January, but some folks chose to hold off out of fear of stressing the trees.” 

            Bob decided he wasn’t going to tap until 2/15. He only put out 100 taps (usually he does 300), because he was wary about the whole season. He initially had good sugar content, but it was a slow run. Then he and his wife left the first week of March for Costa Rica, and they’d only made six gallons of syrup [from about 250 gallons of sap] before they left.

            They returned two weeks later, and the sap was turning yellow with a very low sugar content, so Bob pulled his taps.

            He noted, however, that many producers did okay because it was such an extended season. Not everyone did as poorly as he did.

            Bob’s very worried about what the future will be for syrup producers. He said, “The first 20 years we made syrup [early 1980s to early 2000s], we had ‘normal weather,’ and we put out 1000 taps and made lots of syrup.”

            Then things started to change. “2012 was an early spring, too, but we had lots of snow on the ground. The beginning of March turned 60-80°. Then April turned cold and we got lots more snow. The trees were budded out and froze. We never tapped that year.

            “The trees were clearly stressed this spring. So, the future is scary. Should we continue tapping or not? The trends look really worrisome. It’s such a gift to have maple syrup – will it be different for our kids? What will be the norm?”

 

Spring Snow/Storms?

            Even considering this exceptionally mild winter, I don’t trust May to not throw one last snowstorm at us. How can you help the birds at your feeders if this happens? Five ways:

1. Clear any snow beneath your feeders and on your platform feeders to give ground-feeding birds like robins, flickers, and sparrows a meal.

2. Keep your suet feeders filled. Sapsuckers, robins, yellow-rumped warblers, even chickadees utilize suet. 

3. If you’re feeling very generous, provide fruits and raisins, and best of all, mealworms. Robins, bluebirds, and some insect-eating species will thank you. 

4. Make sure your feeders are near sheltering trees and shrubs. The first commandment for most birds is to stay dry.

5. Keep your feeders clean, so salmonella isn’t spread among the birds.

 

Peak Migration Coming Our Way

            While many birds have already migrated back to our area to nest, or have already passed through on their way further north, the most intense period of migratory movement is yet to come. The peak of migration in our area, a window during which 50% of the total nocturnal bird migration historically passes through our area, is May 12 to May 15 (for more information, see https://birdcast.info/science-to-action/lights-out/peak-migration-dates-for-u-s-cities/). 

            This is when we expect to see our neotropical wintering birds return, like most of our warblers, vireos, flycatchers, etc. 

            Why so late? It’s all about insect hatches. These birds feast on insects, not seeds, and if our weather isn’t warm and wet enough to generate a host of insects, they’re likely to starve.

            Depending on the year, even May 12 to 15 has occasionally been a bit early for good hatches, and the birds have suffered. Neotropical migrants return based on photoperiod – a hormonal trigger goes off when the daylight reaches a certain length, and they rise into the air to head to nesting sites thousands of miles away. It’s a leap of faith that the insects will be there, and one that hasn’t always been met.

            With climate change, the timing is being flipped. The worry now is that major insect hatches along the path of their migrations will already be concluded.

 

Sandhill Crane Hunt?

            A new study led by Wisconsin researchers reveals that only 17.4 percent of Wisconsin residents support a sandhill crane hunting season, and less than five percent reported that they were very likely to participate in a crane hunt. The study was initiated and funded by the International Crane Foundation and conducted in close collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, UW-Madison.

            

Celestial Events

            On 5/3, look before dawn for Saturn a degree above the waning crescent moon. On 5/4, look before dawn for Mars just below the crescent moon. And it’s hard for me to believe, but as of 5/4, we’re already at the midpoint between spring equinox and summer solstice. We will now be blessed with 14 hours and 30 minutes of sunlight.

            The peak Eta Aquarid meteor shower occurs in the predawn of 5/5 – expect an average of 20 meteors per hour.

            Finally, 63 years ago on 5/5/1961, Alan Shephard became the first American in space on “Freedom 7.”

 

Thought for the Week

            The late Terry Pratchett once gave a lecture on “The importance of being amazed about absolutely everything,” which feels like a mission statement we should all consider.

                                                            

Please share your outdoor sightings and thoughts: e-mail me at manitowish@centurytel.net, call 715-476-2828, snail-mail at 4245N State Highway 47, Mercer, WI, or see my blog at www.manitowishriver.blogspot.com