Following my own advice to get out, even if it's only around the neighborhood, I've had some great sights, sounds, and a couple of mysteries.
Philly and Peggy, our two faithful and beloved dogs, led me to one mystery. Two or three times a week, they must go outside at about 3 AM. Several times in the last month, as I've waited for them on the back porch, I've heard a whirring sound that occurs at intervals of several seconds. It does not sound mechanical but has a birdish quality. Not at all the hoot of an owl, which I heard earlier in the fall. I've never heard it at any other time in the day or evening. I suppose I could have roamed through the subdivision, flashlight in hand but that doesn't seem to be a great idea and the bed seems the place to be that early in the morning.
Photo by Karen FCC
I wonder if the next sighting and mystery are connected with whoever is making that sound. In the last two weeks, I've found the remains of four rabbits within a few blocks of the house. All seemed the victims of a predator. In three cases, the pelt and little else was scattered about; the fourth involved a fresher kill and a headless carcass. Finding this many dead rabbits in such a short amount of time is highly unusual in this subdivision. I wonder if someone with a big appetite for rabbits is new in town?
Yesterday I was walking along when a falcon nearly brushed the tip of my cap. He was pursuing a small bird. Both disappeared lickety split, to use the scientific term, down a side yard and into some brush. It seemed smaller and more tan than a Cooper's Hawk so I'm guessing a Sharp-shinned but I can't be sure. After reviewing the sighting and consulting with Google all I can say for sure is that differentiating between a Sharp-shinned Hawk and a Cooper's is tough.
I'm happy to hear from any of you about any or all of these mysteries. In the course of pondering all this, my mind turned to Sherlock Holmes in the Case of the Silver Blaze in which he makes the point that sometimes what we don't see or don't hear is significant—in that tale, the watch dog that did not bark.
Photo by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren
So it went with birders and citizen scientists who searched for the Connecticut Warbler for the latest edition of the Breeding Bird Atlas. As the DNR reports in the linked press release, almost no one could find the bird breeding in any part of the state. The few discovered breeders are clustered in NW Wisconsin. What the folks did not see confirmed that this species is in serious decline and in need of help. The found birds focused the DNR on what can be done to help: improve the quality and quantity of preferred breeding habitat, mature stands of jackpine. Experts also believe that the birds are losing their wintering habitat in South America, yet another reminder of the complex problems and conservation challenges many birds species face. You're probably being bombarded with many worthy requests (DON'T FORGET MAS). If you're concerned about the loss of warbler habitat in the Southern Hemisphere, check out the Great Wisconsin Birdathon, coordinated by the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin. Some of the proceeds from that event helps support bird conservation in these southern habitats.
Columbia, the Snowy Owl. Photo by Arlene Koziol
On a happier note, a Ross's Gull, a rare favorite of birders, has shown up on the Mississippi River near Prescott. Even better, Snowy Owls are showing up all over Wisconsin. And, Columbia, the Snowy Owl wearing a GPS transmitter paid for by Madison Audubon, has turned her radio back on. She is doing well, probably raised a family, but is a thousand miles away. We'd love to see her but mostly want her to enjoy a happy and healthy holiday season and New Year.
We hope you do too.
One final link and possibly very good news for a young person you might know. The DNR has just announced a paid summer internship program for young persons who are underrepresented in natural resource professions. Please, please, please bring this opportunity to the attention of anyone you know who might be interested. We have to have more diversity in the work of protecting our natural resources and this program could be a boost to that effort and to many wonderful young persons.
Thanks,
Topf Wells, Madison Audubon board of directors and advocacy committee chair
