Bird & Nature Blog

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We will always choose to save birds.

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We will always choose to save birds.

If you had the power to save birds by making a small change, wouldn’t you?

Birds face many threats, including habitat loss, pesticide poisoning, and climate change. This year has been especially tough.

The severe winter storm in the south this past February is suspected to have caused significant bird deaths in migratory bird populations. A mysterious bird illness reported in the East Coast is continuing to spread into the Midwest, killing and sickening even more songbirds. And, hundreds of millions―even up to a billion―birds die each year in the United States after colliding with windows.

In spite of these devastating difficulties, there is hope.

Indigo Bunting photo by Kelly Colgan Azar.

How to save an osprey chick

How to save an osprey chick

What’s the best way to rescue an osprey chick? The first thing to know is that it takes a village and a whole lot of brainstorming.

This is a story about how a group of volunteers collaborated with experts to help save an osprey chick that fell out of its nest. The experience was incredible for those involved, but it is important to note that every step that was taken was carefully planned and executed in consultation with professionals.

Photo by Elaine Thousand

What to do about this "Mystery Illness?"

You may have heard by now that a mysterious illness is killing common feeder birds along the Atlantic Coast, Northeast and Midwest of the United States. Scientists do not yet know what is causing it. Birds congregating at bird feeders and bird baths can transmit diseases to one another.

In the effort to protect our beloved birds, and in alignment with recommendations of the National Wildlife Health Center, we recommend the following.

Photo by Eric Bégin FCC

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Watching big fish and big birds

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The six faithful readers of this blog (and thanks to all of you) know I can't resist streams and fish. I should probably be reminded that I write for Madison Audubon, not the Izaak Walton League. But I recently visited a special place where you can watch some of the most spectacular fish and birds in Wisconsin.

You can walk a beach to the dam on the Wisconsin River at Prairie du Sac. You'll notice the star bird right away—American White Pelicans. They swim, rest, soar, and fish in small and large groups. They fly majestically. You have a good chance of seeing Great Blue Herons near some of the dam's outfalls or on the shore. Bald Eagles fish there regularly and enough fish perish to bring in Turkey Vultures.

Photo by Arlene Koziol

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It's Alive: Stewardship Lives. Mostly.

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It's Alive: Stewardship Lives. Mostly.

Yesterday the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) voted to reauthorize the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program for four years at $32 million per year. Please see this link for another thorough report from Gathering Waters, which led the well-conceived and well-executed plan for reauthorization.

Before I descend into editorial comment, some prognostication. This may well be the decisive action regarding Stewardship in this budget.

Photo by Joshua Mayer