Bird & Nature Blog
A clutch of the latest stories from Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance
Since I don't tie flies and since TU chapters always have some highly skilled tyers donate some great collections, that's what I try to win: a truly lovely collection of flies by a member of the Leopold Chapter. I paused, though, when I realized most of the flies imitated the gorgeous mayflies that used to inhabit southern Wisconsin streams. You probably noticed that sad word, "used." They don't anymore and I realized I'd never use those flies.
Photo by Aaron Carlson FCC
Neonicotinoids are a type of pesticide used on a wide variety of crops in this and other countries. They can be long-lasting, effective against many insects, can be applied via seed coatings, and are less toxic to mammals than other pesticides. Those first three attributes are why they have raised many concerns among conservationists and environmentalists. Lots of insects are beneficial to us and even those that are bothersome can be important food for other creatures, especially birds. Birds eat seeds as well as bugs.
Photo by Arlene Koziol
