Bird & Nature Blog
A clutch of the latest stories from Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance
Earlier this month, as we snowbirds and many other types of birds, were beginning to think about migrating back north, I ventured out to a local park with my camera to see what I could find. I decided to concentrate on a large group of Northern Cardinals that were flying and chasing each other. As I focused in on their activity, I saw two females land on the ground right in front of me and started to stare each other down. Their intensity was palpable.
Photo by Terri Bleck
If the photo above gave you heart palpitations: never fear. It’s burn season (and that’s a good thing!).
Burning is key for many reasons to the health of prairies and savannas. These systems are fire dependent. Fire renew fertility, spark the reproductive cycle of some plants, suppress woody vegetation, and control some invasive species. No fire = no prairies, no savannas.
Photo by Roger Packard
If you have ever heard that sickening thud of a bird hitting a window, you are not alone. Up to one billion birds die from colliding with windows every single year in the U.S. Not just a few. Up to a billion.
In August 2020, Madison Audubon was proud to support the passage of Madison's new Bird-Safe Glass Ordinance, the first of its kind in Wisconsin but one of dozens nation-wide. The ordinance requires bird-safe glass be used in construction and major renovations of buildings 10,000 square feet or larger. But, now the ordinance is facing a legal challenge by the Wisconsin Institutes for Law and Liberty, representing developer groups that would like to see the ordinance go away.
We must fight back.
Photo by Corliss Karasov
Think back to the snow-covered quiet of mid-winter… did you hear the “hoo-h’HOO-hoo-hoo” of Great Horned Owls calling back and forth? And while the coldness of winter might prompt humans to wonder how animals can survive sub-zero temperatures in Wisconsin, Great Horned Owls are doing more than surviving: They’re nesting!
Here is a story of an unlucky owlet who fell from a nest but was lucky to have some knowledgeable humans lend a helping hand.
Photo by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren
Last week the Dane County area saw our first reports of American woodcocks, also lovingly called timberdoodles! (Why? It’s a mystery to me—but it sure seems to fit their quirky style!) American woodcocks are actually shorebirds that belong in the sandpiper family—you can see their resemblance to the Wilson's snipe, a closely related bird that you're likely to find in flooded fields, muddy shores, or marsh edges. But if you go looking for American woodcocks in the same spot you'd expect to find other shorebirds, you'll be disappointed.
American woodcocks nest in forests and wooded areas, but will perform their aerial flight display in open fields and prairies that are near woodlands. This week's Entryway to Birding blog will give you some suggested locations to go looking for American woodcocks and tips to make the most of your timberdoodle adventures—so you can experience the wonder of their sky dance in full.
Photo by Will Pollard
