About 15 people including a couple families with several kids helped kick off the 4th Sunday Bird and Nature Adventure at UW Lakeshore Nature Preserve on a cold but partly sunny day, with a rousing rendition of the Winter Solstice favorite "Oh Tannenbaum". The group walked with Paul Noeldner and Doris Dubielzig to look at and talk about the Friends' Favorite Places. Paul began by asking the attendees what their favorite places were in the Preserve. While several people were newcomers to the Preserve, others gave answers that ranged from the birds on University Bay to the waves at the end of the Point to the Biocore Prairie. Our tour satisfactorily explored those places and more. Doris stopped at the Native American Mounds on Picnic Point and reported what she had learned of the indigenous people who made them and the significance of the mounds. She then related the recent discovery of a 1200-year-old dugout canoe further west in Lake Mendota to the Effigy Mound Builders who lived in this area at the time. Paul’s favorite place is the Beach Wetland Trail along the northern side of the Point, which provided shelter from the wind and a glimpse of the prothonotary warbler nest boxes in Picnic Point Marsh. The birds Chuck Keleney helped spot along the way had favorite places too, including the 3 and possibly 4 Bald Eagles that love to perch in the huge Cottonwoods along the Beach Wetland Trail, and large flocks of Coots, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganzers and Tundra Swans that love the wind-sheltered areas near shore along University Bay. The biggest bird surprise was a Mallard male swimming alongside an unusually small looking female that turned out to be a Pied-Billed Grebe. The only owl spotted turned out to be a distant tree snag with convincingly Great Horned Owl looking ears. Chuck Keleny and Claudia Craemer assisted Paul in identifying birds. Report by Doris Dubielzig. All photos by Paul Noeldner. Goldfinch nest photo by Claudia Craemer.
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The 4th Sunday Bird and Nature Adventure at UW Lakeshore Nature Preserve on November 28 featured "Fun Fall Birding" with avid birder Chuck Henrikson. About a dozen people including families and kids learned from Chuck about Wisconsin migrant bird species and some handy birding apps (eBird, Merlin, Birdnet) and took a walk to see what birds were coming through on a cold bright windy late fall day. The first bird spotted was a magnificent Bald Eagle that soared low over the shoreline trees and fortunately did not alarm and flush the large flocks of migrating waterfowl on the bay that the group wanted to observe. They were joined along the path for a time by about a dozen more Picnic Point visitors. Newly restored shoreline areas where Preserve staff have facilitated removal of invasive trees and brush and left large natural stumps to sit on for quiet nature observation provided great views. Birds seen on University Bay included dozens of large graceful Tundra Swans, hundreds of Bufflehead and Canada Geese flashing white markings in the sun, flocks of cute black American Coot, and several large billed Northern Shovelers and brightly patterned Hooded Mergansers. Lower winter water levels, quiet surroundings and healthy aquatic habitat provide acres of much needed critical shallow water rest areas for the thousands of native waterfowl that dabble and dive for nourishment on this important annual bird migration stopover site. Land birds seen on the relatively calm leeward side of Picnic Point along the bay included elusive Brown Creepers, several species of Woodpeckers, a couple late-staying Gold Crowned Kinglets and a rare sighting of a solitary Hermit Thrush spotted foraging on shoreline mudflats by only one but very credible birder. Several participants stopped after the walk at the Lot 9 boat landing for close up enjoyment of the graceful Tundra Swans, a possible Trumpeter Swan and a couple more waterfowl species. December will offer more opportunities to visit the UW Lakeshore Nature Preserve to see some of these beautiful migrating birds even after ice forms as long as there is still some open water. Join the Friends of Lakeshore Nature Preserve the 4th Sunday of December to visit Favorite Places at the Preserve. Bundle up and enjoy nature doing its thing! The following Citizen Science bird observation data was reported to Cornell Labs via eBird as outing leader Chuck Henrikson has consistently done every day for over 1400 days. You can do eBird reporting too and help provide scientific data that helps guide climate and ecological choices. Photos and report by the Friends' host Paul Noeldner.
The October 24 "Kids Bird Explorers" UW Science Fest and 4th Sunday Friends of UW Lakeshore Nature Preserve, partnering with Madison FUN Bird and Nature Adventure, had a small but steady stream of families and kids. They were full of enthusiasm, conversation, and questions from the moment the event started at 1pm. About 50 people visited the popup canopy at the Picnic Point entrance area, some for only a few minutes and some for an hour or more. They enjoyed taking Linda Malkin's Audubon Bird ID challenge quizzes, looked at the bird education displays and took Friends brochures, Preserve maps and FUN outing flyers. Individuals and families enjoyed bird talks and walks with Chuck Henrikson of the Friends and learned about the magic of feathers. Kids of all ages took home ziplock bags with Owl Binocs and Fuzzy Bird activity kits. Among the participants there were people of all ages and various ethnicities, a number of people from around Wisconsin and from out of state, a family that had given all their kids middle names that are names of birds, and a UW Wildlife Ecology student who is thrilled to be helping with Bird Banding at the Preserve. The impending rain fortunately held off until after 3pm and nobody got wet except about 1000 cackling Coots on University Bay. Host for this field trip, and report and photos: Paul Noeldner. What’s the most commonly eaten insect on earth? How do dung beetles help farmers around the globe? What do insects, bonsai trees and haikus have in common? * Preserve visitors explored these questions, and many more, with Dr. Marjorie Rhine on October 23, 2021. Dr. Rhine, a professor in the Department of Languages and Literatures at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, led 18 participants on a hike entitled “Insect Super-Powers in Japanese Pop Culture”. The event, organized and sponsored by the Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve, was part of the 2021 Wisconsin Science Festival. Dr. Rhine engaged visitors with bark and beetles before the hike. During the walk, she used hand puppets and illustrations from an elegant scrapbook to make her points. In addition, she recruited a friend, Dr. Andrea Gargas, to talk about fungi they encountered on the walk. Strolling down Picnic Point, participants discovered a myriad of invertebrates while discussing their connections to past and present cultures. Slugs, lady bugs, galls, bees, crickets, dragonflies, and (of course) beetles were all examined for their superpowers. The conversation incorporated conservation; a recurring theme along the hike which highlighted how all the components of an ecosystem are intricately connected: trees communicating through underground fungal networks, dung beetles orienting themselves by the light of the Milky Way, and prairie plants helping to initiate butterfly migration by causing hormonal shifts in monarchs. The thread that tied all of the group’s observations together was how the intricate ecology of the Lakeshore Preserve is linked to our own lives, present society, and to cultures of the past. Dr. Rhine pointed out how samurai armor is segmented, much like the protective and versatile bodies of insects, how the miraculous metamorphosis of larva to adult butterfly represents hope and rebirth in many cultures, and how many pop icons like Pokémon and Transformers are ideas derived from insects. The hike was capped off with participants doing the “waggle dance”. A form of communication that is important in bee communities, the waggle dance is how honeybees communicate precise coordinates of a food source to other bees in their colony. Using dance moves to indicate direction (relative to the orientation of the sun) and distance (the duration of the dance) two young Friends waggled their way to a cache of fruit snacks hidden within the Biocore Prairie. A sweet ending to a sensational walk.
* Answers: 1) beetles 2) they improve livestock health and soil quality by “recycling” feces 3) they encapsulate infinitely complex concepts into tiny, elegant packages. Friends Host, report and photos: Seth McGee Explore these links to learn more about the fascinating world of insects and the interconnectedness of life on Earth. My Garden of a Thousand Bees (PBS doc) Suzanne Simard Ted talk about how trees talk Grave of the Fireflies - Trailer (animated movie) Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind – Trailer (animated movie) Fantastic Fungi - Trailer (documentary) The Overstory (novel) NOVA episode of edible insects About dung beetles' navigational abilities Report by Will Vuyk:
Waving under an autumn wind, leaves of vibrant green, yellow and red added visual intricacy to an otherwise grey day. Picking up one of these leaves, pointing out its flattened petiole and triangular shape, field trip leader Paul Quinlan, Madison Parks Conservation Resources Supervisor, added his passion and knowledge to the beautiful fall scene as 25 eager participants arrayed themselves next to a cottonwood tree. Teaching more than just the names of trees and shrubs along the path out to Picnic Point, Paul began to reveal their individual uses and ecologies with insights into landscape architecture, fire ecology, succession, and invasive species management. Bolstered with new knowledge about why oak leaves wrinkle, how to identify the presence of emerald ash borer, and the culinary merits of sumac (just to name a few of anecdotes shared by Paul), when participants emerged from the forest after an hour and a half, they were able to look back and see it for the trees. Report and photos by Friends host Will Vuyk. On September 26 the Friends hosted a fascinating field trip on fungi of the Preserve, led by UW Associate Professor Marie Trest. It was well attended by 37 participants, almost half of which were students. As it was clear many of the students were completely unfamiliar with fungi, Dr. Trest was able to clearly explain the life cycles and ecological value of fungi. A few times she encouraged everyone to spend a few minutes searching for fungi. She then identified and talked about each one, demonstrating the wide range of fungal biodiversity and ecological functions. Participants left with a good understanding of the diversity and benefits of fungi and the importance of accurate identification prior to consuming any mushrooms. Friends Host and report- Kelly Kearns. Photos by Marian Farrior and Kelly Kearns Dane Gallagher’s Fall Migrant Field Trip on 9/12/21 was well attended by thirteen students, visiting family members, and community members. The field trip was not, however, well attended by the birds. It was still a beautiful (if somewhat sprinkly) day to be in the Preserve, and Dane had a number of anecdotes and facts to fill the void between the infrequent mallard or gull. At the tip of Picnic Point a few attendees pointed out what at first appeared to be birds crossing the lake. But as the creatures floated closer we realized that they were in fact monarch butterflies. Around 30 must have flown by while we watched. Those of us who stayed until the very end were treated finally with visible birds back by the entrance. Three woodpeckers (two large hairy/downy and one red-bellied) were found pecking away on a single tree beneath the flitting wings of hunting flycatchers. Report and photos by Friends host was Will Vuyk.
Jeff Koziol, Bluebird trail coordinator, and Paul Noeldner, leader of Friends of Urban Nature, led nine participants on this welcoming, family-friendly, educational monthly Bird and Nature Adventure in the Preserve. The Martin and Bluebird Citizen Science research projects in the Preserve are sponsored by the Friends and are helping provide supplemental habitat for these cavity nesting native Wisconsin birds with weekly monitoring and scientific data reporting. The Bluebird Houses that are located along the trail around the Biocore Prairie also benefit native Tree Swallows, Black-Capped Chickadees and House Wrens. The multi-story white Purple Martin house on a pole at the top of the hill includes both box apartments and gourds, which Native Americans put by their gardens for Martins to use. Jeff guided the group around the Biocore Prairie and showed examples of nests and pictures of recent bluebird fledglings and talked about the goals of this citizen science project and this year's challenging season for bluebirds. Paul told the story of the Purple Martin house and this summer's successful season with 24 fledglings. Along the way Jeff showed people how to use an app to identify various prairie plants. The blooming prairie was beautiful and we saw a lot of Goldfinches and other birds including a Coopers Hawk and a Red-tailed Hawk. All photos by Paul Noeldner.
What joy, that this year the Friends' annual wildflower planting could proceed as planned. Volunteers still wore masks and kept social distance, but they were able to plant 11 flat with 32 plants per flat, a total of 352 plants. Bryn Scriver, Preserve volunteer coordinator, and Kelly Kearns of the Friends, project co-leader, coordinated the event and selection of the planting area. Kelly reports: "The planting went well. Weather was warm, but we were in the woods so it wasn't hot there. 11 volunteers came to plant, listed below. Each had a flat of plants and a designated area in Frautschi Point for planting." Our volunteers were Will Vyuk, Matt Chotlos, Peter Fisher, Cyndy Galloway, John Pfender, Glenda Denniston, Ann Burgess, Olympia Mathiaparanam, Doris Dubielzig, Karen Nakasone and Kelly Kearns. Photos Glenda Denniston.
The 2021 plantings are a flat each of Purple Giant Hyssop (Agastache scrophulariaefolia), Tall thimbleweed (Anemone virginiana), Short’s aster (Aster shortii), Hairy Wood Mint (Blephilia hirsuta), Long beaked sedge (Carex sprengelii), Sweet Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum), Wild geranium (Geranium maculatum), Pale leaved woodland sunflower (Helianthus strumosus), Bottlebrush grass (Hystrix patula), Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium reptans), Elm-leaved goldenrod (Solidago ulmifolia). A group of twelve determined Friends volunteers, under the leadership of Garlic mustard warrior Roma Lenehan and Preserve volunteer coordinator Bryn Scriver, terminated the growing season of hundreds and hundreds of garlic mustard plants at Frautschi Point. The group filled over 30 big black bags. Working in groups of six, the avid pullers followed COVID restrictions with keeping social distancing and wearing masks. Our volunteers were Anne Pearce, Ann Burgess, Karen Nakasone, Glenda Denniston, Roma Lenehan, Will Vuyk, Olympia Mathiaparanam, John Pfender, Marjorie Rhine, Susan Slapnick, Signe Holtz, Galen Hasler and Grace Hasler. Thank you all!! |
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