March-April 2005 Big Bluesterm Flyer Big Bluestem Audubon Society

8/9/2019 March-April 2005 Big Bluesterm Flyer Big Bluestem Audubon Society

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Big Bluestem FlyerBig Bluestem Flyer

Volume 40, Number 4 March/April 2005

Programs

March 17Mike Mee tz

A Superior Experience: The Loons of Isle

RoyaleMike has been m aking trips for ma ny yea rs to

Isle Roya le to c ount the young loo ns in the ma ny

inland lakes. This wo rk, a vo luntee r projec t fo r the

Michiga n DNR, involves mo re tha n a we ek of

c ano eing and c am ping off the tra ils with ano ther

volunteer.

April 21Dr. Fred Janzen

Turtles of Iowa Fred Janzen will p resent insights into the na tural

histo ry of turtles in the Midw est w ith an em pha sis

on the turtles of Iowa . Dr. Janzen has c arried out

research on Midwestern turtles for eighteen

yea rs. After this ta lk we w ill prob ab ly a ll look

do wn mo re often whe n we a re out in the field!

Field Trips

March 26Hendrickson Marsh and Colo Ponds

Ap ril 29 May 1Field t rips in conjunction w ith Iowa

Audubons Wild Ab out Birds Weekend.

Field t rips and other ac tivities will beba sed out of Ca mp Hantesa , nea r the

Des Mo ines River and Led ges Sta te Park.

Visit ww w.Iow aAudubon.org for upda tes,

registration, and more d eta ils. (See P. 4.)

May 7Bird-a-thon (see P. 6)

June 4Birder s Brunc h a t Led ges Sta te Park

Page 2 Officers and CommitteesPresidents Column

Page 3 Boone County Christmas CountPage 4 Iowa Audubon

Wild About Birds WeekendField Trip Report

In This Issue

Newsletter of the Big Bluestem Audubon Society

Page 5 BBAS Rummage SalePrairie Winds

Page 6 BirdathonYoung Naturalists Program

Page 7 Membership FormCoupons

Page 8 Frog and Toad Surveyors

Unless otherwise indicated, field trips leave promptly at

8:00 a.m. from the public parking lot west of (behind)

the Ames Wild Birds Unlimited, located south of the

railroad tracks at 213 Duff Ave. Trip destinations are

subject to change based on recent bird sightings and the

desires of the participants. Contact Jeff Nichols at 515-

795-4176,[email protected] more information.

Program meetings are held monthly, September-May on

the third Thursday of the month at 7:30 pm, Room

2226 Veterinary Medicine Building, Iowa State

University, Ames, Iowa.

If you would like to meet and dine with the speaker and

the BBAS Board before the monthly meeting, please

contact Lynne Brookes to confirm space and location at

515-434-2028 [email protected]


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2 Big Bluestem Flyer March/April 2005

Big Bluestem Audubon SocietyOfficers and Committees

OfficersPresident: Linda Thomas 292-7534 [email protected]: Lynne Brookes 434-2028 [email protected]: Bruce Ehresman 296-2995

[email protected]: Ed Carbrey 292-2404

Board MembersBreanne Marpe 432-1231 [email protected]: Nichols [email protected] Bitzer 233-6741 [email protected]

Wolfgang Oesterreich 232-3285 (h) [email protected] Grotheer 233-9873 [email protected]

The mission of the Big Bluestem Audubon Society is to

enjoy the observation and study of birds and natural

ecosystems, contribute to their conservation and

restoration, engage in educational activities to benefit

humanity, and gain a broader understanding and deeper

appreciation of the world we live in.

Committee ChairsArchivist: Hank Zaletel 382-427 [email protected] Co-chairs: Karl and Carmen Jungbluth, 432-5057

weatherbird.opencominc.comConservation Chair: Bruce Ehresman (See Officers)Education Chair: Amy Yoakum, 232-2516

[email protected] Trip Chair: Jeff Nichols (See Officers)

Membership Chair: Jon Bahrenfus [email protected] Chair: Lynne Brookes (See Officers)Publicity Chair: Linda Thomas (See Officers)Publications & Electronic Media Co-Chairs:

David Edwards 292-3790 [email protected] Bahrenfus [email protected]

BBAS Web Site:http://www.wyalusing.org/BBAS.htm

Presidents ColumnHave you noticed the transition going on in the environment around us?

This is the time of year when Mother Nature often plays tricks on us. We start to yearn for spring and think its

here when:

The days are gradually growing longer.

The daytime temperatures sometimes warm to 40 or 50, or maybe even 60 degrees.

The birds are singing more, often in their spring time songs.

We may soon catch a glimpse of our first bluebird or robin.

Then, Mother Nature lets us know its not spring yet, when:

Temperatures fall below freezing.

The wind blows so we still have a wind chill.

Snow blankets the ground once again.

But soon, if we are patient, spring will be here to stay. Plants will peak their heads out of the soil. Our winter

time feathered friends will depart until next year. We will anticipate the arrival of our warm weather feathered

friends for another season. And so the transition always continues.

Whatever the time of year and whichever transition we are in, we can enjoy the environment around us and help

and encourage others to do likewise. Here are some ideas of upcoming activities and event during the next several

months:

Where ever you are and whatever you do, enjoy the on-going transition around us. Time goes quickly. As each

milestone passes, remember well have to wait another year before it happens again. Take time to enjoy the world

around you today. Tomorrow will be another day. And who knows what tomorrow may bring!

Linda Thom as

March 19-20 Polk County Conservation Sandhill Crane Trip to Kearney, NE

April 9 Big Bluestem Rummage Sale Fundraiser

April 16 WBU Spring Birdfeeder Cleaning Fundraiser for ISU Wildlife Care Clinic

April 22 Earth Day

April 29 Arbor Day

April 29- May 1 Iowa Audubon Wild About Birds Conference


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March/April 2005 Big Bluestem Flyer 3

SPECIES NUMBER COMMENTSDOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT1 New to countCANADA GOOSE 32SWAN SPECIES 2 New to countMALLARD 1BALD EAGLE 47 (24 a, 23 i)Second highest countSHARP-SHINNED HAWK 3COOPER'S HAWK 2ACCIPITER SPECIES 3RED-TAILED HAWK 65

GOLDEN EAGLE 1 (subadult) Second time count dayAMERICAN KESTREL 15MERLIN (Taiga race) 1 Second time count dayRING-NECKED PHEASANT 15WILD TURKEY 108ROCK PIGEON 189MOURNING DOVE 19EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE 8 Highest countEASTERN SCREECH OWL 5GREAT-HORNED OWL 1BARRED OWL 5OWL SPECIES 3BELTED KINGFISHER 4RED-HEADED WOODPECKER 1RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER 101

DOWNY WOODPECKER 156HAIRY WOODPECKER 65NORTHERN FLICKER 9PILEATED WOODPECKER 3 Tied highest countHORNED LARK 3BLUE JAY 62AMERICAN CROW 514BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE 390TUFTED TITMOUSE 38RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH 17WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH 223BROWN CREEPER 7CAROLINA WREN 1WINTER WREN 2GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET 2

EASTERN BLUEBIRD 2AMERICAN ROBIN 5CEDAR WAXWING 37NORTHERN SHRIKE 2SHRIKE SPECIES 1EUROPEAN STARLING 1406NORTHERN CARDINAL 246AMERICAN TREE SPARROW 368SONG SPARROW 30SWAMP SPARROW 4WHITE-THROATED SPARROW 3WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW 1HARRIS'S SPARROW 3DARK-EYED JUNCO 913OREGON JUNCO 2 Tied highest count

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD 2COMMON GRACKLE 4BLACKBIRD SPECIES 9PURPLE FINCH 9HOUSE FINCH 46COMMON REDPOLL 2PINE SISKIN 21AMERICAN GOLDFINCH 209HOUSE SPARROW 1257# OF BIRDS 6706# OF SPECIES (COUNT DAY) 58

Boone County Christma s Bird Count

Thanks again for all your help on the 19th

Boone County Christmas Bird Count. I'm really

glad that so many of you were able to rearrange

your personal schedules on such short notice,

making our rescheduled count a success. While

the total number of birds seen was somewhat

below average, the total number of species found

(58) was actually higher than usual.

Based on the results of our poll at the count

dinner and assuming that we can find a good

place to dine on that evening, our next Boone

County CBC will be scheduled for Saturday, 31

December 2005.

Ma rk Widrlec hner, Com p iler


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March/April 20054 Big Bluestem Flyer

1st Annual Spring

Wild About Birds WeekendApril 29-May 1, 2005

Join Iowas Bird & Habitat Specialists, ExpertNaturalists, plus Nationally Known Speakers as we

Celebrate Iowas Beautiful Birds and Natural Habitats.Learn to Support Iowas Rarest Birds through the

Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program.

Central Location: Camp Hantesa, near the DesMoines River and Ledges State Park, Boone, Iowa

Choose from the Following Array of Activities:

Learn about 200+ Habitats for Birds in 86 IowaCounties (Iowas Important Bird Areas, or IBAs) Participate in Expert led Field Trips Learn How to Becoming a Better Birder and What YouCan Do to Help Birds in Your Area See How to Use a Computer to Record Your BirdSightings on Maps of Iowa Enjoy Naturalist-led Programs- Live Birds of Prey Explore Relevant Bird & Habitat Topics throughInteractive Panel Discussions and Workshops

Win Nature-oriented Auction Items and Door Prizes

Check www.IowaAudubon.org for updates,registration and full details.

Field Trip Report

Ledges in the Snow (January 29, 2005)

The first field trip of the year, also sometimes called the Field Trip of Futility, resulted in a nice

list of 34 species. We first checked the Science II Building on the ISU campus, but failedto locate the apparently resident Peregrine Falcon. We did see a nice

flock of Cedar Waxwings. A pass through Luther turned up six

Eurasian Collared-Doves. We next hiked around the Lost Lake Trail,

finding Tufted Titmouse and several Golden-crowned Kinglets. We

also hiked up the canyon and located a few more passerines before

taking a lunch break in Boone. We returned to the Ledges and explored the pine

plantation on the northeastern edge of the park, where we had nice looks at Purple Finches, Pine

Siskins, and dozens of Red-breasted Nuthatches.Jeff Nic hols

Bird s View of BBAS b irders

Join Iowa Audubon now to support birds,

habitats and action in Iowa. Iowa Audubon is

striving to become the bird conservation and bird

education people in Iowa. With our Important Bird

Areas program, and the help of chapters and

volunteers like you, we will identify areas essential

to birds, monitor bird populations and conserve

those areas for birds and for biodiversity.

Please send $10 (family $15) to:Francis Moore, TreasurerP.O. Box 682Waterloo, IA 50704-0682

Make checks to: Iowa Audubon

The Mission of Iowa Audubon is to identify, protect

and restore Iowas bird habitats, to educate Iowas

citizens toward a greater level of conservation

awareness, and to promote enjoyment and greater pride

in Iowas natural ecosystems, birds, and other wildlife.

Kirsten Munson


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Newsletter Material DeadlinesBecause we would like to have the newsletter to each member before the first day of its coverage, the editor

needs to have material at least two weeks before that. Hence the deadline for the next issue will be the

fifteenth of April.

Please be aware that editing your offering for length and style is sometimes necessary.

5March/April 2005 Big Bluestem Flyer

Big Bluestem Aud ubon Soc iety Rumma ge Sale on Ap ril 9, 2005

Time to get serious about setting aside items for the Spring 2005 BBAS Rummage Sale! This sale will

be a great opportunity to reduce clutter and recycle unwanted items, while also helping fund the

conservation and education activities of Big Bluestem.

The sale will begin at 8:00 am on Saturday, April 9th at the State Forest Nursery Headquarters,

located on the east side of Duff Ave, across the street from Lowes. Please bring items you wish to donate

to the sale location on FRIDAY evening, April 8th

between 5:00 and 9:00 pm, and please also price yourown items. If you are unable to bring donations Friday evening, please contact me in advance to work

out other arrangements. I can be contacted at 515-795-4176 or [email protected] Nic hols

Our View from Prairie Winds

(Mike and Lindas prairie is a few miles north east of Ames)

A fresh blanket of snow covers the pathway that meanders through the prairie. The once tall stems and stalks

are losing their battle against the winter elements. Our Golden, her nose down, runs across a fresh deposit of

pheasant droppings left in last nights roost site. A lone set of tracks led away from this temporary refuge but is

soon crossed and joined by more pheasant tracks, all headed north toward the open corn stubble field.

As we approach the loose tangle of barbed wire delineating the fence line, a light puff of snow betrays the

location of a small mixed flock of Tree Sparrows and Juncos. In the lead are three Harris Sparrows that flit from

post to stem and then down to the drift-covered grasses. Ahead of them sits a lone White-Throated Sparrow that is

quickly surrounded by the other busy gleaners. They move on as the dog closes in on their feeding area.

The pups attention to all this activity is diverted to the lone set of fox tracks that cross in front of her. The fox

meandered past clumps of vegetation, stopped at a few and then continued on toward the west prairie marsh

across the ice and past one of the two muskrat huts. I thought about continuing on but decided to keep my feet dry

as I watched the pup break through the rotting ice along the shoreline.

Looking beyond the pothole shoreline I notice what appears to be dirt clots move and huddle near the top of a

high point in the adjacent field to the west. My raised binoculars reveal to me nine Gray Partridge hunting formorsels in the protruding bean stubble.

Postscript:

We pull into our drive Sunday night about 7:30 returning from a quick 3 day trip to north Arkansas. Hey

everyone: spring is slowly making its way north as evidenced by the bird life, ice-free water, buds, and crocus

blooms seen further south.

I stand outside in the rain, watch the dog stretch, relieve herself, and then perk up as a coyote group sings in the

prairie. There is still more winter to experience but it is beginning to lose its grip around here.

Feb 13, 2005 Mike and Linda Meetz


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6 March/April 2005Big Bluestem Flyer

Audubon Birda thon

May 7, 2005

The annual Birdathon is Big Bluestem Audubons main fundraising event. Its like a walkathon,

except we count birds to raise fundsfor birds.

Even if you cant tell a Bittern from a Bobolink, you can learn. Its all for a worthy cause. Birdathon

participants spend all day, or just a few hours. Try it!

L O O K I N G T O J O I N U P W I T HO T H E R S O R F O R M A T E A M ?

C O N T A C T B I R D A T H O NC O O R D I N A T O R S

K A R L & C A R M E N J U N G B L U T H ,5 1 5 - 4 3 2 - 5 0 5 7

H o w D o e s i t W o r k ?1 . A u d u b o n B i r d a t h o n i s a n a t i o n a l t e am

e v e n t .

2 . B i r d e r s c o l l e c t p l e d g es f r o m d o n o r s t os u p p o r t A u d u b o n ef f o r t s . A s k r e l at i v e s ,f r i e n d s , n e i g h b o r s , c o - w o r k e r s t o p l e d g e af i x e d a m o u n t o f $ 1 0 , 2 0, o r $ 5 0 , o r a s k t h e mt o p l e d g e a n a m o u n t p e r s p e c i e s i d e n t i f i e d .

W e u s u a l l y s e e 50 t o 1 0 0+ s p e c i e s .

3 . S i g n u p b y c o n t a c t i n g t h e B i r d a t h o nC o o r d i n a t o r s .

4 . P r i z es a n d i n c e n t i v e s : N o n - m e m b er s w h op l e d g e $ 2 0 o r m o r e g e t a c o m p l i m e n t a r y

A u d u b o n m em b e r s h i p . E v e r y o n e i s e l i g i b l e t ow i n p r i z e s b i r d f e e d e r s , b i r d b o o k s , T- s h i r t s ,b i n o c u l a r s g o o d s t u f f f r o m l o c a l b u s i n e s s e sa n d n a t i o n a l s p o n s o r s .

5 . O n M ay 8t h , h e a d t o y o u r f av o r i t e b i r d i n gs p o t . C o u n t a s m a n y s p e c i e s a s y o u c a n .H a v e f u n !Birdathon! TMis a Trademark of the

National Audubon Society

We need ALL chapter m embersto suppor t th i s e f fo r t !

Collect at least $20 in pledges, and join

us on May 10th. Use the form on the

reverse side.

If you cant join the Birdathon, support

us by sponsoring the chapter effort.

Send your donation, payable toBig

Bluestem Audubon to Ed Carbrey,

Treasurer, 3313 Morningside St, Ames,

IA 50014

Young Naturalist Workshop Scholarships

Big Bluestem Audubon Society is pleased to announce it is are offering three scholarships for $275.00

to the Young Naturalist Workshop at the Des Moines YMCA Camp. This week long camp is targeted to

students leaving 5th or 6th grades who love science and nature. Participants will be immersed in

nature experiences taught by naturalists and conservation professionals. The camp will be August 7-13

at the Y-Camp north of Boone. Campers will be responsible for a small registration fee that the

scholarship does not cover. For more information please contact:

Amy Yoakum

Big Bluestem Education Committee

56461 180th Street

Ames, Iowa 50010-9451.

Amy Yoa kum


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Big Bluestem FlyerMarch/April 2005 7

Present the coupons below at the time of your purchase and a donation will be given to BBAS.Donations will fund the various habitat restoration and educational projects undertaken by BBAS.

Brekke's Town & Country Store, Inc.1 1/2 miles east of I-35 on new U.S. 30 and 1/4 mile north

Hours: 8-6 M-F, 8-4 Sat. (515) 232-7906

Purchase DonationUp tp $15 $1.50$15 and over $3.00$35 and over $5.00Over $70 $7.50

Brekkes offers Big Bluestem Audubon Society a donationwhen bird seed or other bird products are purchased.Present this coupon with your purchase and a donation will begiven to BBAS.

Offer good until April 30, 2005

Membership Application forms

Clip and JoinDont forget gift memberships!

New member of the National Audubon Society. You will

receive theAudubon magazine, theBig Bluestem Flyer,membership card. $20Please make your check payable to National AudubonSociety and include Chapter Code H-57 on the check

Subscribe to theBig Bluestem Flyer for one year andparticipate in some Big Bluestem Society Activities $10Restrictions are that you will not be a National Audubon Societymember or have voting privileges, and you cannot be an officer orcommittee chair. Please make your check payable toBig Bluestem

Audubon Society.

Send your check and this coupon toJon Bahrenfus, Membership Chair1050 J Ave, Ogden, IA 50212

Name _______________________________________________Address _____________________________________________City_____________________ State____ ZIP_______________Phone ________________ E-mail _______________________Please do not use this form for renewals to the National Audubon Soc.

OR

Donate 10%of Your NextPurchase to

Big Bluestem Audubon Society

BIRDSEED FEEDERS BIRDBATHS OPTICS NATURE GIFTS

213 Duff Ave. Ames, IA 50010 (515) 956-3145Mon-Wed 9:30-5:30 Thurs 9:30-8

Fri 9:30-5:30 Sat 9-5 Sun 12-4

Coupon must be presented at time of purchaseMay not be combined with any other offerNot valid on specially-priced merchandise

Offer Expires: 04-30-05


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IfyouhaveanXafteryournameonyourmailinglabel,thiswillbeyourlast

issueoftheFlyerunlessyourenew.

Non-ProfitOrg.U.S.PostagePaid

PermitNo.131Ames,Iowa

BigBluestemFlyerDavidC.Edwards,EditorBigBluestemAudubonSociety2308StateAveAmes,IA50014

Printed on Recycled paper

Wewelcomenewmembers!

March/April 2005Vol 40 No. 4

FROG AND TOAD SURVEYORS RECEIVE DNR RECOGNITION

The Iowa Frog and Toad Call Survey has been all-volunteer since 1991. Since inception, nearly 100 different vol-

unteers have submitted observations from all around the state. Given operational restrictions within the Wildlife

Diversity Program (WDP), these volunteers continue to provide data vital to conservation in Iowa. With wildlife

management staff time being stretched on our public lands, and the WDP program budget being so little, it is truly

critical to coordinate a survey such as this through volunteers. The WDP is indebted to their diligent, loyal, and

professional support.

While this survey has been conducted for 13 straight years, it is particularly noteworthy that volunteers, severalfrom BBAS, have been involved the last 10 years. It is this perennial and loyal group that were acknowledged by

the DNR- Keepers of the Land as the Outstanding Volunteer Group and the Directors Choice award for 2004.

Why are F&T Survey volunteers are so important to the state of Iowa? With at least 50 surveys submitted each

year, multiplied by an average of 4 hours per submitted survey, times 13 years, equals some 2600 hours of total

time spent conducting this survey by volunteers since inception. This is equivalent of one full-time staff for one and

a half years. Calculating value for time, mileage, and equipment provided by volunteers, their efforts provide about

$6000 worth of services annually.

The 1990s discovered several declining species of frogs and toads as well as unexplained malformations. Surveys

such as this were created to get a better idea of this group of wildlife. As with most research efforts, the last decade

has discovered some answers and uncovered newer questions. More recently, several species of frogs and toads are

of special concern in Iowa as well as the upper Midwest region. The data compiled from this survey aids many

agencies and researchers in monitoring population trends and creating management plans.

Ma rk Mc Inroy, WDP Natura l Resource Tec hnic ian

Documents

March-April 2005 Big Bluesterm Flyer Big Bluestem Audubon Society