Apr 2009 CAWS Newsletter Madison Audubon Society

8/9/2019 Apr 2009 CAWS Newsletter Madison Audubon Society

1/12Madison Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society

222 S. Hamilton St. / Madison, WI 53703 / 255-2473/ www.madisonaudubon.org March/April 2009

Free ProgramWho: Patrick ReadyWhat: Osprey in Southern WisconsinWhen: Tuesday, April 21, 2009

7:30 p.m. ProgramWhere: Warner Park Community

Center, 1625 Northport Dr.(Sherman & Northport)

Parking: Free, near the building

In the mid-1990s a pair of Ospreynested on a utility pole in the YaharaRiver in Stoughton, Wisconsin. The

nest was soon discovered by PatrickReady, a resident of the city. He becameintrigued by these birds as he canoedthe river.

Pats fascination for these unusual

nesters in the southern part of the stateled him on an adventure to learn moreabout the species. Reading books, talk-ing to experts, going on banding tripsand spending countless hours observ-ing and photographing the residentpair have made Ready an expert ofsorts on the life of Ospreys.

Plan to enjoy Pats photos of variousOsprey nests in southern WI, alongwith some interesting tales and factualinformation about these Fish Eaglesas they are sometimes called.

Over the past 10 years severalOsprey pairs have nested in thesouthern part of the state includingthis cell tower nest located inMadison.

The Return of Osprey toSouthern Wisconsin

March 18, 2009Wings Over Madison Banquetwith Robert Anderson and his

Peregrine Falcon

Reservation deadline has passed. CallJohn Minnich at (608) 327-0129 for spaceavailability.

Many thanks to our sponsors:Solheim Billing & GrimmerMichler & BrownWegner LLPM&I BankA full list of sponsors will appear in theMay CAWS.

Raffle donors:John and Judith Hutchinson of FontanaSports SpecialtiesEagle OpticsMarci HessMeuer Art & Picture Frame CompanyWild Birds UnlimitedREIDavid Billing of Solheim Billing & GrimmerItchy Cat PressOrange Tree Imports


2/12March/April 20092The Audubon CAWS

Turtle Nest Protection ProjectUpdateBy Greg Geller

Editors note: In spring 2007, researcher Greg Geller began a projectwith Madison Audubon Societys support to develop an efficient andlow-cost method for private and public landowners to increase survival

of turtle nests, including both eggs and young turtles, by reducingmammalian predation via non-lethal means. Faced with ever-shrinkinghabitats, high predation rates and direct, human-caused mortality,many turtle species are in decline. First year results were reported inthe Oct. 2007 CAWS newsletter.

The year 2008 was a fairly good time to test the electric exclu-sion fences for their basic utility for the turtle nest protectionproject, but a definitely poor one to generate large sample sizes.Things were moving along well until June 8 when both studysites were completely flooded over. All the nests that had beenlaid and camera-monitored until that point were then drownedand the fence chargers themselves had to be rescued by wad-

ing through waist-deep water. But, three weeks later the floodsreceded, the turtles again made nesting attempts and soon pro-vided the study with its first year of data.

Two fence schemes are currently being tested, both of whichshow some early promise as a way to increase the nesting suc-cess of turtles by excluding their most important predator, theraccoon, from nesting areas. The combined current tally is allthree nests inside the protective fences survived to hatching,while all five of those outside the fences were predated. Thecameras, two of which are on loan from Madison Audubon, arealso generating related information on map turtle nesting ecol-ogy and predator behavior, which adds detail and value to theproject, as much of this information is little-documented.

It is hoped that positive demonstration of this nesting area pro-tection approach may promote its use on both private and pub-lic lands, wherever appropriate. I remain grateful to MadisonAudubon for their support and look forward to the upcomingfield season in the truly magical landscapes along the LowerWisconsin River.

MAS Art Fair Saturday, May 2New Location: Warner ParkSign up now to volunteer

Spring is right around the corner! And so is Madison AudubonSocietys 33rdannual Art Fair.

Mark yourcalendar forSaturday, May2, from 9:30 to4:30 and plan toattend the ArtFair at WarnerPark CommunityCenter, 1625Northport Dr.This festive event,

just in time for Mothers Day, features 130 artists displaying finearts and crafts. In addition, the fair offers a raffle, creative kidsactivities, the MAS information booth, and the popular silentauction that grows larger each year. Food will be available onsite.

More than 100 volunteers are needed to ensure the success of

the event. Help is needed in many areas, including volunteercoordination, kids activities, raffle, artist and volunteer check-in,artist set-up and take down, plant sale, MAS information booth,and silent auction. Volunteers are needed the day of the fair, butalso in the office weeks before the event.

For more information, please check out the Art Fair link atwww.madisonaudubon.org, watch for more in the MayCAWS, or e-mail Joanne Herfel [email protected], or call255-2473.

Raccoon searching for turtle nests on July 2, 2008.


3/123 March/April 2009The Audubon CAWS

YOUR EducationCommittee isPlanning for a BannerYear in 2009!By Nancy Hylbert, ChairMAS Education Committee

We have an enthusiastic and growinggroup of energetic volunteers who arerevved up about our projects for 2009.We are excited about our Education

Committee offerings, and we look for-ward to the possibility of your participa-tion! Some of the main events we arefocusing on this year are:

Expanding our Bird Mentor Program.Using a Power Point presentation, aset of binoculars, including child-sized

binocs, and a healthy dose of enthusi-

asm, our volunteer bird mentors havetaught more than 500 school childrenand their attending adults about ourlocal birds and their habitats. We areplanning to expand our program toinclude even more schools this year! Ifyou have considered being a bird men-tor, but are unsure of what to expect,come along and shadow one of ourexperienced bird mentors. This pro-gram takes place primarily during theschool year. To schedule a shadowingexperience, or to participate in a brief

training, please contact Dee Wylie:[email protected] or (608) 833-2744.

Planning and facilitating our sec-ond year of cooperating with MSCR(Madison School & CommunityRecreation) MAD Camp, to offerAudubon Adventures environmentalservice-learning opportunities to middle

school youth in the greater MadisonArea. This camp takes place for 8 weeks,from mid-June to mid-August. If youwould like to assist with curriculumplanning, materials, or teaching, pleaseemail Nancy: [email protected].

Hosting school children for a half dayof learning and environmental steward-ship via our Audubon Adventure DaySanctuary Field Trips (usually offered inthe fall). Kids gleefully experience prai-

rie scavenger hunts, bird watching, pen-ning their own original nature poems,collecting prairie seeds, and playingCritter Quest, an insect-observation andidentification game created by two ofour more imaginative education com-mittee members. We have these andmore kid-friendly activities all plannedout; all we need to get more schoolchildren and home schoolers out onour sanctuaries is YOU! For more info,please email Nancy: [email protected].

Wishing you all the best in 2009, andhoping for the opportunity to work,laugh, and learn together as we strive tostrengthen the connection between chil-dren and the natural world.

Bird Mentor Workshop(New or Review for Mentors)

Here is a chance for new or experienced

Bird Mentors to learn more about theBird Mentor program, equipment, andtips for working with groups. The work-shop will be on Saturday, March 7 at theMiddleton Library from 1:30 3:00 p.m.You will have the opportunity to view thePowerPoint program, practice workingwith the equipment, and hear suggestionsfrom experienced Bird Mentors. Come

join the fun! Call Dee Wylie at (608) 833-2744 with any questions.

A Bird Mentor is anyone interestedin birds (even a beginning birder) whowants to share their excitement about

birding - you choose the age level andthe time. We have great PowerPointprograms that provide interesting pre-sentations for students or groups to helpthem enjoy learning more about birds.You make this happen as a Bird Mentorand are rewarded with stories, smiles,and the joy of sharing the small wondersof our world. Learn more at the MentorWorkshop on March 7!

Announcements

ICF Wetland Ecology LectureWednesday, March 25The International Crane Foundation is hosting a visit by wetlandecologist Max Finlayson of the Institute for Land, Water andSociety at Charles Sturt University, Australias largest regionaluniversity, in New South Wales. Prof. Finlayson will give aguest lecture at 2650 Humanities Building on the UW-Madisoncampus at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25. The title of his talk

is Wetland Conservation and Management: Worldwide Issues,Conflicts and Synergies, and Learning from Comparison andCollaboration. He plans to describe the conditions of wetlandsglobally, with 2-3 examples of major global projects to conservewetlands internationally. Madison Audubon is cosponsoring thelecture. For more information, contact Alison Duff at ICF (608)356-9462. More information about Max Finlayson is availableat: http://www.csu.edu.au/research/ilws/about/members/finlayson.htm

Friends of the UW-Madison Arboretum

Native Plant Sale Saturday, May 9Orders can be placed now through March 20 for your choice ofover 100 varieties of woodland and prairie native plants (includ-ing a rain garden, butterfly/hummingbird garden, savannagarden, childrens prairie garden) and native shrubs, vinesand trees. All species are native to the area and are propagatedplants, not dug from the wild. The pre-order brochure is avail-able at www.uwarboretum.org/foaor phone (608) 263-7760.

Big Birding Day:Saturday, May 9, 2009See article, p. 9



Migrate to one ofthese MAS SpringField TripsSaturday, March 21: Beginning BirdingEach spring, MAS sponsors many birdingfield trips, and though the leaders attemptto help new birders, it is not always pos-

sible to answer all of their questions.Picnic Point will be the site for beginnersto get their questions answered. Thisarea, at the west end of the UW campus,offers varied habitats and a good oppor-tunity to observe a variety of waterfowland small birds. We will meet next to the

bus shelter in the parking lot by the 1918Marsh (across from the entrance to PicnicPoint) at 7:30 a.m. Questions? Call AllenHolzhueter at (608) 238-0546. Also offeredApril 11 and April 25.

Sunday, March 29: Spring Birding atRose LakeRose Lake State Natural Area is a hid-den gem acquired by Jefferson Countywith assistance from Madison Audubon.For a description of Rose Lake and whatwe expect to see on this trip, click onSanctuaries on the MAS web site. Wehope to see many ducks, geese (includingGreater White-fronted), cranes and shore-

birds. In addition to the lake, we will tourwoodlot and prairie habitats. Rose Lakeis adjacent to Dorothy Carnes County

Park, which is just west of Fort Atkinsonoff US Hwy. 12. The only entrance is wellmarked. Meet in the parking lot at 9 a.m.and stay as long as you like. If you havequestions, contact Nolan Kollath at (920)648-3842 or [email protected]

Saturday, April 4: Spring Birds ofColumbiaCountyTony Kalenic and Carol Anderson willlead this car birding trip through northernDane and southern Columbia countiesto look for early spring migrants and

late winter birds. We hope to see migrat-ing swans, geese and other water birds.Meet to carpool at 8 a.m. in the parkinglot where Copps supermarket used to

be at the intersection of Allen Blvd. andCentury Ave. in Middleton. Meet at theeast end of the lot near Century Ave.,or you can join the group at 9:30 a.m. atGoose Pond. Bring your binoculars, a

scope if you have one, and a snack, as thetrip may last to early afternoon. Call Tonyand Carol at (608) 249-8836 for questions.

Sunday, April 5: Scope Day at GoosePond/Uncle Butzie the Vulture too!Scopes are provided from 1-4 p.m. forspring bird migration. Directions: GoosePond Sanctuary is 15 minutes north ofMadison near Arlington. Take Hwy. 51 toLeeds, turn west on County K, north onGoose Pond Road, and west at the GoosePond sign onto Prairie Lane. See page 10for info about Uncle Butzie the vulture.Thursday, April 9: Frogs Night OutBring a sense of adventure on this trip,cosponsored by Wisconsin WetlandsAssociation, as you look at the world froma different perspectivethrough sounds.Besides listening for a variety of frogcalls, participants will learn about froglifestyles and wetlands ecology. Meet atthe Mazomanie Wildlife Area at 6:45 p.m.From Hwy. 14 in Mazomanie, drive northon County Hwy. Y for about four miles.

Just before the highway bends to the east(right), turn left on Laws Dr. Travel on theaccess road about a quarter mile and turnleft onto the first gravel road. Follow thisabout one and a half miles until it dead-ends at a parking lot. Bring a flashlightand dress for wet conditions. The trip will

be canceled if the daytime high tempera-ture is below 45F or in the event of verystrong winds or heavy rain. The rain dateis April 16. Call trip leader Bob Hay onlyif you have questions. (608) 829-3123.

Saturday, April 11: Spring MigrantsSpring has sprung! This field trip focuseson birding the Lake Farm County Parkarea and nearby open water. LakeWaubesa and Upper Mud Lake shouldhave a variety of ducks. On the trails wemay find Yellow-rumped Warblers, phoe-

bes, thrushes and a variety of sparrows.Bring a scope for viewing the lake. Thistrip will be from 9 -11 a.m. Meet at the No.1 shelter parking lot. Take South Town Rd.south from the Beltline to Moorland Rd.

and turn left. Continue to Libby Rd. andturn left again. The shelter lot is a few

blocks up on your left. Call Pat Ready at(608) 873-1703 for more info.

Saturday, April 11: Beginning Birding.Repeat of March 21 trip. See informationfrom that write-up.

Friday, April 17: Evening at Goose Pond.Come join us for an evening birdingtour at Goose Pond and nearbywetlands. Water conditions are stillhigh from last year and water levelsprobably will increase with snow meltThe high water should provide idealhabitat for wetland birds. Meet in thefarm house at W7503 Kampen Road(northwest of Goose Pond) at 6:30 p.mWe will carpool to other wetlands. Ifyou have questions, contact Mark orSue Martin at [email protected] or

(608) 635-4160.

Saturday, April 18: Annual MidwestCrane CountDont forget to sign up to help count

cranes from 5:30-7:30 a.m. on Saturday,April 18. The count, organized by theInternational Crane Foundation, takesplace in every county of Wisconsin and inseveral adjacent states. Watching the sun-rise and listening to the awakening of acrane marsh can be an unforgettable expe-rience. Check www.savingcranes.org tofind out more, including who your countycoordinator is. Be sure to sign up early.

Saturday, April 18: Ice Age Trail (OnceAround the Sink and Down the Drain)Well look for returning waterfowl andgrassland birds at Shovelers Sink, strollthrough the gorge cut by glacial meltwa-ter at the Cross Plains Ice Age National

Loon/Patrick Ready

Sandhill Crane/Patrick Ready



Scientific Reserve, and search for pasqueflowers on the bluffs above. This 3-milewalk traces the contrasting landscape ofglaciated and unglaciated (Driftless Area)terrain along the route of the Ice AgeNational Scenic Trail. Wear sturdy boots;

bring binoculars, water, and food; anddress for the weather. Meet at 9 a.m. atthe intersection of Cleveland Rd. and Old

Sauk Pass. This is about three-fourths ofa mile south of U.S. Hwy. 14 in the Townof Cross Plains. Contact trip leader GaryWerner of the Dane County Chapter, IceAge Park & Trail Foundation, at (608) 249-7870 with questions.

Sunday, April 19: Faville GroveSanctuary WestExperience Madison Audubon SocietysFaville Grove Sanctuary with sanctuaryecologist and land steward, Lars Higdon.Participants will hike through northwest-

ern Jefferson Countys recessional glacialterrain while viewing its attendant arrayof plant communities (wetland, prairie,sedge meadow, perched tamarack bog,fen, savanna, and woodland). We expectto see Sandhill Cranes, various migratorywaterfowl and songbirds, hawks, grass-land birds and other resident species. Itis not unusual to see at least one flock ofcormorants enroute to Green Bay. Thefield trip will last 2-3 hours. Meet at thewest unit of the sanctuary at 7:15 a.m.From Madison, travel east on I-94 to the

Lake Mills/Waterloo exit, then go 3 milesnorth on Hwy. 89 to the old farmstead atN7710 Hwy. 89. If you have questions, callLars at (608) 220-9563.Friday, April 24: Evening at Cherokee

MarshWell see cranes, observe the courtshipflight of woodcock and snipe, and seeseveral spring migrants. Meet at 6:30 p.m.at the Cherokee Marsh parking lot at thenorth end of Sherman Ave., on Madisonsnorth side. Waterproof footwear is recom-mended. Trip leaders are Levi Wood and

Tony Kalenic. For questions, call Levi at(608) 277-7959.

Saturday, April 25: Abrahams WoodsAbrahams Woods is a State Natural Areaowned by the UW-Madison Arboretum.The southern mesic forest found hereis somewhat rare in this part of the state,and features a dense canopy of sugar

maple, basswood, yellowbud hickory andhackberry. This trip is timed to coincidewith peak spring wildflower displaysand early migrant bird visitors. Timepermitting, we may stop at nearby OliverPrairie, a limestone goat prairie, to lookfor early blooming flowers such as birdsfoot violet. We will carpool at 8 a.m. fromthe Home Depot parking lot, near theintersection of the beltline and VeronaRd. If you would like to pass on carpool-ing and meet the group at Abes Woods,located just southwest of Albany in Green

Co., contact the trip leader for directions.Trip leader Amy Staffen can be contactedat (608) 238-0450 with any questions. Wewill cancel only in the case of danger-ous weather. The group should return toMadison between noon and 1 p.m.

Saturday, April 25: Beginning BirdingRepeat from the March 21 field trip. Seepage 4 for complete details.

Sunday, April 26: Baraboo Hills SpringWildflowers

Come check out whats happening on aspring day at Hemlock Draw, especiallythe display of spring wildflowers, whichinclude some of the special northern spe-cies that thrive in these hemlock grovesof the Baraboo Hills. The LouisianaWaterthrushes will be back, singing theirlong ringing melodies along the creek,phoebes should be nest-building on theshaded sandstone cliffs, and with luckwell find migrant birds in force. Wellstop at the ancient quartzite sea-stacksand see how Nature continues to heal thescars left by former human activities andmore recent storm events.

This 2-mile round-trip forest walk isalong unmaintained trails that may bedamp in spots, so wear appropriate foot-gear. Expect the trip to last about threehours. Meet at 9 a.m. at the Mossmanhome in Leland, for carpooling to theentrance trail on Reich Dr. To reachMossmans, take Hwy. 12 eight milesnorth from Sauk City (or 7 miles southfrom Baraboo), turn west on Hwy. C

and continue 12 miles to the village ofLeland. As you enter town, turn north onHemlock Rd. and go about 1/8 mi to oldwhite farmhouse (S8440A) on the right,with white barn opposite. If you havequestions contact Mike Mossman at (608)544-5501.

Jefferson/Dodge County BirdwalksApril will be upon us sooner than we

realize, and we will be starting the secondseason of the Jefferson and Dodge CountyBirdwalks. As in 2008, the walks will

be led by experienced birders. Leadersinclude Nolan Kollath, lifelong birderand former instructor at Madison AreaTechnical College, Watertown; KarenEtter Hale, Executive Secretary, Madison

Audubon Society; and Brad and RoyanWebb, members of the Horicon MarshBird Club. The walks are affiliated withthe Madison Audubon Society.

Jefferson and Dodge counties havethousands of acres of prime bird watch-ing habitat. We manage our walks underthe rule go where the birds are so wechoose walk sites close to the scheduleddate. As we firm up the schedule, wewill post the information on our website,http://www.theropod.org/walks.html.

We will again be holding our walks onthe third weekend of the month, Aprilthrough September. You can join our mailing list at the website and be notified ofall upcoming walks as soon as they areplanned. We will not give out any infor-mation you provide and only use the listto keep people informed about the walks.We had a lot of fun with good birds,

good company and pleasant walks lastyear. Wed be happy to have you join usthis year for more of the same. All experi-ence levels are welcome.

Egrets/Patrick Ready

Great Horned Owl/Patrick Ready



notesfrom fAville Grove

Back to the futureBy Roger Packard

If you havent been out PrairieLane lately to see the east end ofFaville Grove Sanctuary, youre infor a surprise. Where the road dropssteeply over the resistant quartzitebedrock of the Lake Mills Ledge, thedense stand of trees and (mostly alien)brush that ran north along the ledge israpidly giving way to a landscape thatwould look at least somewhat morefamiliar to the Native Americans whocamped and hunted in the area beforeEuropean settlement. With fundingfrom the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serviceand DNR for contract work and withlots of volunteer support, we havemade tremendous progress restoring

the open character of the savannaand preparing for next falls wetlandrestoration immediately east of thesavanna.

In prehistoric times when fire burnedregularly through the area, patchesof exposed bedrock and scatteredboulders provided partial protectionhere and there for young bur andwhite oaks, hickories, and perhapsa lucky specimen of other, less fire-resistant species, which matured intoopen-grown trees above a grassy

understory. Below the rocks to theeast, springs fed into the vast and very

wet Crawfish Prairie. The park-likesavanna provided ideal campsitesfor the local Woodland Indians; thesprings provided fresh water aswell as a sacred connection to theunderworld; and the floodplain prairieand nearby river provided abundantfish and game. Deer, elk, squirrels andother small game, turkeys, grouse,prairie chickens, ducks and geese,Passenger Pigeons that gorged on thefall acorn crop, fish speared at the

small opening in funnel-shaped, stoneweirs constructed in the river all

provided ample nourishment for theNative Americans.

In fact, the game produced by thediverse mix of savannas, woodlands,prairies, and wetlands in the areawas so bountiful that, according tocurrent archaeological thinking, theestablishment of the fortified village ofAztalan, just a few miles downstreamfrom the present-day sanctuary, byMississippian Indians from the cityof Cahokia in what is now southern

Illinois, may have been in responseto a growing food shortage in thatsprawling, five-square-mile-plusmetropolis. From this secure northernoutpost, the Mississippians wereable to hunt and trade with the localWoodland Indians for meat that wasdried and loaded into huge, dugout,transport canoes for export to theirhome city more than 350 miles downthe Crawfish, Rock and MississippiRivers.

The rocky Lake Mills Ledge could

not be plowed by early settlers, so wasfenced and grazed instead. Followingan all-too familiar pattern for southernWisconsin, grazing preserved theopen-grown trees even as it destroyedthe understory vegetation. With theretirement of the last dairy farmer onthe site in the 1960s, horses brieflytook the place of cows as the primarygrazer in the savanna before the areawas abandoned to invasive brush.Over this same period, the wet prairie

Volunteer Jim Kerler feeding a hot re.

Removing rewood from the spoil bank of a drainage ditch that will be lled next

fall.



east of the savanna was mowed in late summers for hay,and eventually drainage ditches were dug along theimmediate east edge of the savanna to channel both springflow and surface runoff swiftly to the river, permitting theproduction of row crops on the former wet prairie.

But drained prairies make fickle cropland, as lastsummers flood demonstrated, with each drained fieldexacerbating flooding at all downstream locations, makingthe system inherently unstable and unsustainable. And so,

with government support, we plan to close the drainageditches next fall, returning the area once again to its higherrole as a prolific producer of wildlife.

We have made great progress toward this goal, but havemuch to go, and we welcome assistance! Work partieswill continue on Prairie Lane from 9 a.m. until noon everyWednesday and on the second and fourth Saturdaysof March and April. In March we will continue cuttingand burning brush. Activities in April will depend onconditions. We may do brush work, pull garlic mustard,or conduct controlled burns. If conditions are favorablefor burning, we will shift work hours to later in the day, soplease send email to [email protected] or give Lars

Higdon a call at (608) 220-9563 for last-minute details.

2008 Results for Wood Duck/Hooded Merganser Nest BoxesBy Mark and Sue Martin

2008 was an interesting year for our Wood Duck project.Our goal was to have 500 ducklings make the jump fromnest box to the ground or water. We thought it would beeasy to reach the goal, as wed increased the number of nestboxes from 48 to 112, with 36 newly placed boxes at ZeloskiMarsh.

The final total was 524 young (503 Wood Ducks and 21Hooded Mergansers) that jumped from the 112 boxes. Onlythree nests had Hooded Mergansers nesting (ColumbiaCounty Wetlands Grassy Lake with 9 young, Wildlandwith 12 young, and one at Faville Grove but the nest wasflooded).

Here are some results from selected sites.

Columbia County:Anderson Waterfowl Production Area (WPA) - 4 miles eastof Goose PondAll 7 boxes were used and 18 eggs per box were counted

but only 18 young hatched.

Otsego Marsh (MAS) - 3 miles south of RioLast year at Otsego Marsh we found a lot of dumpnesting that occurs when a number of hens lay eggs in asingle box. Otsego Marsh has a long history of nest boxesbeing present and all 17 boxes were used. Last year wefound that 240 eggs were laid in 10 boxes (24 eggs per box)and 74 young hatched. This year we found 335 eggs werelaid in 17 boxes (20 eggs per box) and 148 young hatched.Two boxes had hatches of 26 and 28 young.

Schoeneberg Marsh WPA and Erstad Prairie (MAS) - 2.5miles northeast of Goose PondHigh water in June impacted 11 of 14 boxes. All nestboxes were used and luckily some nests hatched beforethe flooding. Membranes from hatch eggs showed that 88young hatched from 214 eggs. Mark and Jenny McGinleydid an excellent job in removing boxes impacted byflooding and placing them on higher sites.

Wildland/Duck Creek Fishery Area - 2 miles north of RioBetter water conditions probably contributed to having 8successful nests with 75 ducklings jumping from the boxes.

Dane CountyJackson WPA - 3 miles southwest of Goose PondAll 4 boxes were used and 20 eggs per box were found butonly 1 young hatched.

Stoughton Area Parks (Viking County Park, Lake KegonsaState Park)Pat Ready coordinates boxes at these parks. this year 1 boxout of 4 produced 14 young Wood Ducks

Jefferson CountyFaville Grove Sanctuary (MAS)Ohne Raasch maintains approximately 250 wood duckboxes in marshes in and around the Waterloo State WildlifeArea including 14 boxes at Faville Grove where 143 younghatched from 13 nests. Ohne also found 4 nests that are notincluded in this report where many of the eggs had holes

poked in them by a flicker.

Zeloski Marsh unit of the Lake Mills State Wildlife AreaOhne placed 36 boxes in early spring at Zeloski Marsh. Itwas expected that a good number of Wood Ducks wouldnest since hundreds of woodies could be seen at ZeloskiMarsh on many evenings the previous September.Anticipating many Wood Ducks using the area, EagleScout, Evan Spoon, coordinated a project where another 25boxes were erected last summer for the 2009 season. Ohne,Brand Smith, and Craig Kopack were disappointed whenthey found that only 16 young hatched. Starlings appeared

Mark and Jenny McGinley check wood duck boxes.

(continued on next page


8/12

to be a major problem. It is our understanding that hensreturn to the same areas where they were born; we believeit might take a couple of years for Wood Duck numbers tobuild.

Thanks to Jeff Durbin, Craig Kopack, Jenny and MarkMcGinnley, Ohne Raasch, Pat Ready, and Brand Smith forall their work.A few more boxes will be erected this spring. Our 2009

goal is to have 700 ducklings hatch. If you would like tojoin the Wood Duck volunteers contact Mark or Sue [email protected] or 608-635-4160.

Wetland Area Boxes Successful fledged

Anderson WPA 7 2 18

3 Columbia Co. Wetlands 5 3 21

Otsego Marsh 17 10 148

Schoeneberg Marsh 14 11 88

Wildland/Duck Creek 11 8 75

Jackson WPA 4 1 1

Stoughton Area Parks 4 1 14Faville Grove Sanc. 14 13 143

Zeloski Marsh 36 4 16

Totals 112 53 524

Additional Data: In 2006, 42 boxes produced 143 young; 50% nest success. In 2007, 48 boxes produced 300 young; 65% nest success. In 2008, 112 boxes produced 524 young; 47% nest success. Nest boxes contain predator guards, starlings were amajor cause of nest failure, and flooding impacted at least12 boxes.

Dreams Really do Come True!By Dorothy Haines while observing a nest box atOtsego Marsh

Today (May 29, 2008) Gloria Welniak and I watched 28 duck-lings pop out of a Wood Duck house! It happened at the nest

box near the road on the north side of the pond where we had agood view from the car.Male and female were sitting on top of the house as we

approached. The hen was bobbing her head up and down infront of the hole until the first duckling appeared, then she wait-ed out on the water in front until all of them had gathered. Thenshe led the whole double clutch across open water toward thewooded area behind the islands on the east side of the pond.

We saw them again later heading back toward their nest boxarea.

8 March/April 2009The Audubon CAWS

The first time we found a wasp nest in a Wood Duck nest box.


9/12

Attend Your LocalSpring HearingMonday, April 13at 7 p.m.By Karen Etter Hale, Executive Secretary

The DNR Spring Hearings on Fish and

Wildlife Rules and the annual WisconsinConservation Congress meetings will beheld Monday, April 13, at 7 p.m., in everycounty in Wisconsin. All citizens canattend and voice their opinions on eachwildlife and environmental issue ques-tion.

The first half of the evening will be thefish and wildlife rule changes proposed

by the DNR. The second portion containsConservation Congress advisory ques-tions. Many of these become official DNRrule change questions the following year.

The most interesting question this yearis #53 which asks whether migratory

bird hunting hours should be changedat the Lake Mills State Wildlife Area -Zeloski Marsh Unit, includes almost 1,700acres of restored wetland and grasslandhabitat, which is accessible via the GlacialDrumlin State Trail and a system of dikeroads. An excellent variety and impres-sive numbers of shorebirds, marsh birds,waterfowl, and many other species have

been seen there in the first two years itsbeen open to the public. The proposal

would be to close hunting for waterfowland Mourning Doves after 1:00 p.m. eachday from Sept. 1 though about mid Oct.except for the opening weekend of theduck season.

Please attend your Spring Hearing ifpossible. While it is useful to hear andparticipate in the discussion, you canalso fill in the ballot and leave if youhave limited time. The hearing in DaneCounty will be at Middleton High School;Columbia County at Portage Junior HighSchool; Dodge County at Horicon CityHall; Iowa County at Dodgeville HighSchool; Jefferson County at JeffersonCounty Fairgrounds; Richland County atRichland County Courthouse; and SaukCounty at UW Baraboo/Sauk County,Baraboo. The entire Spring Hearing ballotcan be seen on the DNR website: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/nrboard/congress/ Look for the 2009 question-naire under Spring Hearings. For moreinformation, call Karen Etter Hale at theMadison Audubon office at 608-255-BIRD.

Big Birding Day:Saturday, May 9, 2009

Were eagerly anticipating May 9. ItsBig Birding Day, or BBD.

This one-day search for the most birdspecies takes place in your choice of anyone county within Madison Audubonsservice area: Columbia, Dane, Dodge,

Iowa, Jefferson, Richland or Sauk.BBD offers a way to enjoy springtime

bird watching while you help MadisonAudubon raise much-needed funds. Itseasy to participate. First, get on a BBDteam, or form a team of 4 or 5 people.Then register with volunteer coordinatorsChuck Heikkinen and Delia Unson.

You can start birding as early as 4 a.m.,or later if you like (but not earlier), andeveryone quits by 5 p.m. We gather by 6p.m. for the banquet at Imperial GardenWest in Middleton (corner of Allen Blvd.

and University Ave.) to award prizes forthe most birds recorded, and most moneyraised.

Last year the energy conservationiststeam once again birded the whole day on

bicycles, and one team member won theprize for most funds raised. Pledges fromfamily and friends have ranged from fiveto 50 cents per species, but can be anyamount. Madison Audubon puts BBDcontributions to work in support of ourmany conservation programs.

For details or to sign up for BBD, con-tact Chuck and Delia at (608) 206-0324or (608) 274-4043, leave a message ontheir machine, or send an email to [email protected]. Registration andpledge forms are available via the MASwebsite (madisonaudubon.org) or callthe MAS office. Registrations must bereceived by May 2. All forms received

after May 2 will be assessed a $5 late fee.The fee for BBD is $20 per person ($30 ifyou want to attend the awards banquet).Non-participants are welcome to attendthe banquet for $15, but must register inadvance.


In 2007, Team Sustain Crane (l-r, Dave Drapac, Matt Krueger, Paul Noeldner, Caleb

Pourchot) not only saved the most fossil fuel, but one team member won the prize formost funds raised. The team reassembled for 2008, with Josh Brown replacing Matt

Krueger.

BBD participants check a variety of habitats

to try and get as many species as they can.


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Donations Received in January

ACRE MAKER The Estate of Joyce N. Altman

HALF-ACRE MAKERIn Honor of Roger Packard and DavidMusolfSarah Packard

QUARTER-ACRE MAKERIn Memory of Susan Connell-Magee Kevin MageeMY OWN VISIONPeggy BruderDiane BudyakRobert and Diane DempseyArthur J. Donald Family FoundationDavid EaganFrederick and Juanita EhrkeRon Endres

David and Anna Marie Huset Bill and Ginny NelsonRaymond and Mary PotterEugene RoarkScott SauerGeorge StrotherWilliam H. ThomasWest Side Garden ClubCarol Worel

GIFTS IN MEMORY OF A PERSONIn Memory of Ralph Moore and Eleanor

JohnsonMark Martin and Sue Foote-MartinIn Memory of Jim and Laura TyndallMarilyn Meade

GIFTS IN HONOR OF A PERSONIn Honor of Mark Martin and Sue Foote-Martin Sally MartinIn Honor of Ken Wood Helen Baldwin


Come and Meet a Vulture, Nose to BeakA Turkey Vulture named Uncle

Butzie will greet visitors to Goose Pondon the afternoon of Sunday, April 5.Lisa Hartman, aviculturist and vultureresearcher, will bring her captive bird tothe barn to provide a rare opportunityfor an up-close look at this big black birdthat is usually only viewed soaring high

overhead.Hartman and her husband, DNR wild-

life biologist Mike Mossman, have beenstudying the large carnivores for morethan 25 years and have found the birds tohave intriguing lifestyles living on a dietof dead animals. Their field work includ-ed capturing birds on their nests to markthem with identifying wing tags.

Since 1991 Hartman has used a captive,non-releasable Turkey Vulture that shehas trained for her educational programs;Uncle Butzie is her third bird. She willspeak on the natural history of TurkeyVultures in Wisconsin and field any inqui-ries visitors may have.

While Turkey Vultures nest in the rockybluffs around Devils Lake State Park, some vultures can usually be found in theGoose Pond area. When not feeding or soaring, they rest on the rock pile atop thehill in the Sanctuarys Hopkins Road prairie restoration.

The Turkey Vultures appearance is a special feature of the regular Scope Dayevent April 5. From 1 to 4 p.m., volunteers will invite visitors to spot migratorywaterfowl with the aid of extra viewing scopes set up in the area around the perma-nent scope on the south side of the pond. The Turkey Vulture and Hartman will besheltered in the big barn on the north side of the pond. Drive north on Goose Pond

Rd., west on Kampen Rd., and turn left just past the railroad tracks to the GoosePond headquarters. Park behind the residence.

Aviculturist Lisa Hartman with her vul-ture Uncle Butzie that she will bring to

Goose Pond on April 5.Photo credit: NRFB.Barzen

Turkey Vulture photos/Richard

Armstrong


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THE AUDUBON CAWS is publishedSeptember through June by:

Madison Audubon Society,

222 S. Hamilton St., Madison, WI 53703,

(608) 255-2473.

Birding hotline, 255-2476.

[email protected]

E-mail services donated by Berbee

The mission of the Madison Audubon

Society is to educate our members and

the public about the natural world and the

threats that natural systems are facing,

to engage in advocacy to preserve and

protect these systems, and to develop and

maintain sanctuaries to save and restore

natural habitat.

MADISON AUDUBON SOCIETY

President: Stan Druckenmiller

Vice-president: Debra Weitzel

Goose Pond resident managers:

Mark and Sue Martin

Faville Grove Sanctuary managers:David Musolf, Roger Packard

Editor: Patrick Ready

[email protected]

Graphic design: Patrick Ready

[email protected]

CAWS printer: Roemer Printing

Submissions for the May CAWSare due March 18.

Madison Audubon WishlistWe greatly appreciate anydonations, or contributions, for thefollowing items.

Quality binoculars Digital (LCD) projector

Mule utility vehicle

Rider mower/snow blower inworking condition

Energy efcient washingmachine

Household/deck furniture

Small, custom-routed, wood signs

NEW MEMBERS WELCOME!

Join Madison Audubon Society, or give agift membership.

TIME TO RENEW?

Check your Madison Audubon CAWS ad-dress label to determine your renewal date.

Please renew two months before that dateto keep your membership current and avoidmissing any issues of the CAWS.Tip: Renewing through the MAS office

directs more of your donation to local

activities and conservation projects.

Update: We now send an annual renewalnotice. In the future we plan to offer a re-newal option via the MAS website.

MAKE A DONATION

Help make Madison Audubons vision areality. We offer education about the natural

world, opportunities to advocate for the en-vironment, and two wildlife sanctuaries withnatural habitat where you can learn aboutthe beauty and value of nature.

MAIL TO:MADISON AUDUBON SOCIETY222 S. Hamilton St., Suite #1Madison, WI 53703

Madison Audubon Society, Inc. is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization underSection 501(c)(3) of the Internal RevenueCode. Donations are tax deductible to theextent allowed by law. Madison Audubonsfinancial statement is available uponrequest.

Membership, Renewal and Donation Form

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Address ______________________________

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YES! I want to___ Join Madison Audubon

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Gift in Madison Audubon CAWS.

PAYMENT INFORMATIONNew membership

[ ] $25 New or Gift $_________Renewal _________

[ ] $25 Student/senior[ ] $60 Family[ ] $40 Renewal

[ ] $20 CAWS newsletter Only(non-member)

Over and Above Member _________[ ] Patron $1,000[ ] Benefactor $500[ ] Partner $250[ ] Contributor $100Donation _________

[ ] Acre-Maker, $2,500 or morecan purchase and restoreone acre of land

[ ] Half-Acre-Maker, $1,250-$2,499[ ] Quarter-Acre-Maker, $625-$1,249[ ] Adopt-an-Acre, $100 a year for

three years ($300 total). Here ismy first installment.

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12/12

3&4/09

Madison Audubon Society, Inc.

Stan Druckenmiller, President

222 S. Hamilton St. Suite #1

Madison, WI 53703

Is it time to renew your membership?See form on page 11 and help MAS.

Return of Osprey toSouthern Wisconsin

see page 1

Memorial Day Weekend:Outdoor Family Fun, Education, and Birding!

Save gas and Go Green by staying close to home this Memorial DayWeekend!

Join Audubon members, friends, and families at this annual relaxing andhighly enjoyable weekend retreat. Just over an hour north of Madison, CampLake Lucerne provides inexpensive group cabins with private rooms (twosingle beds), indoor family rooms and play areas and a fireplace. Enjoy hotcooked meals in the new dining hall overlooking the beautiful spring-fed

lake. Afterward, take one of the easy hiking and biking trails through thewoodlands (can you spot the orchids?) and restored prairie (watch for thebluebirds) and down to the quiet lake and beach to see turtles, herons, hawks,and other wildlife.

You may want to bring your bike, canoe or kayak, swimsuit, and a goodbook (sorry, no pets), and dont forget your binoculars! Educationalactivities, games, campfires, birding hikes, and carpooling to nearby naturalareas are arranged informally. Or just relax. There is no strict schedule. Lastyear featured a side trip to nearby Buena Vista Marsh to join a researcherradio tracking prairie chickens, and we plan to do that again. The cost forSaturday and Sunday nights and 5 hot meals is just $139 (Friday night isoptional, checkout is Monday afternoon). Email [email protected] call (608) 698-0104 right away to make your reservations!

Madison AudubonSociety

Serving Columbia, Dane,Dodge, Iowa, Jefferson,Richland and Sauk Counties

Inside This IssueMAS Banquet Sponsors ................ 1

Osprey/April Program ................ 1

Turtle Nest Update ........................ 2

Education Committee Plans ........ 3

Announcements ............................ 3

Spring Field Trips .......................4-5

Faville Grove News ...................... 6

Wood Duck Results ....................... 7

Spring Hearings............................. 9Big Birding Day ............................. 9

Meet Uncle Butzie .................. 10

Memorial Day Special ................ 12

Note: This is a combined March/April issue of the CAWS newslet-ter. The May CAWS is scheduledto be mailed on April 17.

Apr 2009 CAWS Newsletter Madison Audubon Society

Documents

Transcript of Apr 2009 CAWS Newsletter Madison Audubon Society