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LEARNING ABOUT NATURE  
Build a nestbox Click on species icon to see further info

 

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CLEVER NATURE

Animals are smarter than you think! Click here to see 10 of the smartest species revealed in 2009!

Bird-Banding. Safe or Harmful?

This article highlights the impact of penguin flipper tagging on reproduction and migration.

GARDENING FOR THE BEES

This weekend I noticed an abundance of wildflowers in bloom and only a couple of honeybees over my several acres. Recently the population of Bees has dramatically declined. This is possibly due to the increased use of pesticides and also the colony collapse disorder. Texas Bee Watchers has a website that provides a lot of information on identifying the bees. They provide a list of Texas Bee friendly plants for your garden. Here is an interesting article from the UK on what plants to grow to attract Bumblebees and of course the HoneyBees here in Texas too. We need to do all we can to help the bee population rebound. Gardening for the BEES

WILDLIFE REHABILITATION

A baby bird's best chance for survival is its mother. If the bird has feathers and is safe from fire ants, cats, dogs and people, just watch it from a distance to see if the mother bird is still caring for the fledgling .

If the birdis a nestling ( has no or few feathers) and you know where the nest is, then put it back.

If you do not know where the nest is, then try making a substitute nest. Use a berry basket or other container, and line it with grass and hang from a nearby tree. Watch to see if the mama bird takes care of the baby bird within an hour.. If not, then call a wildlife rebilitator

If the bird is hurt or sick ( unable to flutter wings, bleeding, wings drooping, weak or shivering)....then call a wildlife rehabilitator.

List of Texas Wildlife rehabilitators

Blackland Prairie Raptor Center is a non profit organization whose mission is to educate the public about Birds of Prey and their importance in the North Texas environment through outreach programming with live raptors.

They are also developing a permanent location as an educational center and rehab hospital for wild birds of prey when they become injured, sick, or orpaned here in North Texas.WRC provides compassionate care to sick, injured, and orphaned wild birds and small mammals for the purposes of release and education.

Last Chance Forever is a Bird of Prey Conservancy. It helps sick, injured, and orphaned birds of prey return to their natural habitat. Birds that are deemed non releasable and are not suffering physical pain are utilized as educational ambassadors and are provided permanent sanctuary. Located in San Antonio

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LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE CONSERVATION PROGRAM

The Canadian Wildlife Service (the federal government of Canada's wildlife agency), Wildlife Preservation Canada (a non-profit environmental organization) and the Loggerhead Shrike, migrans subspecies Recovery Team are seeking your assistance in the recovery of the Loggerhead Shrike, migrans subspecies, a federally-listed endangered species in Canada. The Loggerhead Shrike, migrans subspecies Recovery Program includes a captive breeding and release program; as part of this program, birds are banded and this year an extensive area of their breast colored. We are seeking assistance in reporting shrikes with colored breasts and/or wearing bands to obtain information on their wintering areas and migration routes.

LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE SIGHTINGS – Loggerhead Shrikes are declining across much of their range. In Canada , the migrans subspecies is considered critically endangered, with less than 25 pairs found in 2010. The vast majority of pairs now breed in Ontario . An extremely active and multi-faceted recovery program is underway for this species in Ontario , including a captive breeding and release program. This program has been releasing approximately 100 juvenile shrikes annually since 2006. While much is known and has been learned about this species, a critical piece of the puzzle is still missing: where exactly do these birds spend the winter? To maximize our chances of locating wintering areas and better define migration routes we will be coloring the breast of released young produced from the captive breeding program, to make them more detectable by birders. Birds have been released in July and August. Birds will have an extensive area of their breast colored in green, blue or purple. All released birds, and a large proportion of the wild population, are also color banded. If you see a shrike with a colored breast and/or wearing bands, please report it to Wildlife Preservation Canada at (EM: jessica@wildlifepreservation.ca , PH: 519-836-9314, FX: 519-836-8840). We will need details about specific location (GPS coordinates are ideal, but not essential) and color(s) (breast and/or bands) seen.

Thank you. 

 

Langley Island Project
The Tyler Audubon Society, working with Audubon Texas and the City of Tyler, has accepted a habitat improvement project at Langley Island funded by a Texas Commission On Environmental Quality (TCEQ) settlement thru the Supplemental Environmental Project Program. The project objective is to improve the access, enhance the habitat, and increase the educational value for visitors while maintaining the uniqueness of the island.

February 2011: We are back in business to finish the Langley Island Restoration project. Through the last 2 years many of you volunteered or have requested to help but the timing was never right. Usually I try to set up a meeting at Braums for people to meet and accept different tasks. This year I am trying to do this electronically via email and save people time. Following is a list of items that need to complete by May 1, 2011:

36 cedar boxes will be installed as cavity nests. They will be ready for installation by Feb 19. Six (6) have already been installed along the loop trail.

2.    3 screech owl size boxes will be installed on the island. I will have them by Feb 19

3.    Installation of Trail markers and signs along the island perimeter has begun. The trail follows the path cleared by forester prior to the burn and has been marked by plastic ribbon.

4.    2 Raptor platforms are being built for installation starting March 1

5.    3 Barred owl boxes must be built and installed by April 1.
6.    The existing duck boxes must be cleaned for the coming season. Several more will be installed from our spare stock. One needs a little repair.
7.     Installation of the remaining Langley Island usage signs.

The raptor platforms will be installed by Paul Squyres and David Sage in March 

All other tasks are unassigned.  Please reply by Feb. 9th as to what assignment you may want to help with and when. I can then schedule myself to be there if necessary.  I am not available Feb 5 nor March 20th

Thanks

Joe Marsey

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Tyler Audubon Society, City To Restore Langley Island On Lake Tyler By CASEY MURPHY
Staff Writer

The Tyler Audubon Society is gearing up to restore the natural habitat on Lake Tyler's Langley Island.

The project will begin in March and will be aimed at restoring and enhancing the habitat quality of the now-overgrown island.
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ARTICLE IN TYLER MORNING TELEGRAPH Jan 28, 2010

Tyler Audubon Society, City To Restore Langley Island On Lake Tyler

By CASEY MURPHY
Staff Writer
The Tyler Audubon Society (TAS) will be working with Audubon, Texas, and the city of Tyler on the project, which will be funded by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

In the 1960s and 1970s, TAS planted thousands of plants on the island and maintained the vegetation. The unmanaged island since has become overgrown with pines and hardwoods, according to the city.

"There is limited habitat and structural diversity throughout (the island) due to limited sunlight because of the dense pine canopy and a thick layer of pine needle ground cover," TAS members said.

TAS plans to increase the diversity and distribution of habitat types and the complexity of vegetative structure, as well as supplement the island with roosting and nesting structures.

Certified Forester Jeff Williams, of Williams Forestry, will begin a prescribed burn of the island within the next three months, depending on weather conditions. The burn will open the canopy and remove the pine-needled ground cover, allowing for growth because of an increase in sunlight. TAS plans to reseed the island with a native plant seed mix and add plants to prevent invasion by non-native species now on the surrounding lakeshore.

To protect the island from erosion and prevent fire debris from entering the water supply, a 100-foot buffer around the perimeter of the island will not be burned. The initial burn will be followed by a series of low-intensity burns on a three- to five- year rotation for quality maintenance.

Whitehouse Boy Scout Troops 248 and 354 will install wood duck boxes around the island for roosting and nesting platforms to attract Egrets, Herons and other birds to increase the island's habitat diversity.

Once the work is complete, cleanup and trash removal is planned, and trails along the island's perimeter will be marked for educational use during the day. There is no nighttime visitation permitted on the island, which primarily is used for observing nature and birding activities. Camping, picnicking and hunting are not allowed.

TCEQ's Supplemental Environmental Project Program funds environmentally beneficial projects, such as Langley Island, with money collected in fines, fees and penalties for environmental violations.

TAS is asking for the community's help with the project. If you are interested in helping, call Joe Marsey at 903-825-0123. Marsey is project coordinator for Langley Island and former president of TAS.

 

Bellwood Project update by Dolph Miller
  The master plan presented to the City Council in June by Planning Concepts has been approved. Jane Purtle and I have met with Planning Concepts on several occasions to express our concerns as Audubon members and as local citizens. The master plan as presented to the City Council contains several items suggested by Jane and myself: extending the trail to connect with Cascades trails at the dam, special attention (preservation) to wetland areas and reed beds as well as recognizing and facilitating the teaching potential of
the area. It was hoped the Bellwood Lake area would be a dedicated natural area, however, this will not be the case as the project stands today. Considering the economic forces involved it appears there will still be a portion of the property suitable for birding, as one gets further away from the proposed development.
At present the Bellwood Lake project is on hold by the city and the resort developer as a result of economic conditions. In my recent conversation with Gregory Morgan, Director of Tyler Water Utilities, I asked if he felt the project would pick up anytime soon. He did not see it moving forward until the developer is able to construct the New Sunnybrook extension from Loop 323 to Hwy. 31 and he did not feel this would happen anytime soon. Progress on the project is determined by the New Sunnybrook extension since the present entrance to Bellwood Park does not allow for heavy equipment to be moved into the area due to the low overhead railroad crossing.


CONSERVATION NEWS

(Previous news articles are here)

Scientists to Investigate Wind Power Impacts on Migratory Wildlife
  Industry and conservation representatives set research priorities

Racine, WI & Ithaca, NY, July 23, 2009—Thirty top wildlife scientists have announced agreement on some of the highest research priorities to help America’s rapidly growing wind energy industry produce much-needed alternative energy—while also providing safe passage for birds and bats. This coalition of scientists from industry, government, nongovernmental organizations, and universities met recently in Racine, Wisconsin, to address unanswered questions about how continued wind energy development will affect migrating birds and bats. The meeting was hosted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the American Bird Conservancy, and The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread.

Windmills“We see great potential in wind energy for … reducing America’s reliance on fossil fuels,” said Dr. Michael Fry of the American Bird Conservancy. “It’s critical we act now to understand the interactions between wind energy installations and birds and bats.”

“Billions of birds migrate annually, taking advantage of the same wind currents that are most beneficial for producing wind energy,” said Dr. Andrew Farnsworth of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “We know that in some locations a small percentage of wind turbines may cause the majority of bird and bat deaths. For example, Altamont Pass, east of Oakland, California, is an extreme case: in an area used regularly by migrant and resident raptors, only a fraction of the 5,000 turbines are responsible for most of the raptor deaths annually. As wind power develops further, we need to know more about how placement, design, and operation impact birds and bats as well as how habitat and weather conditions affect potential hazards.” 

The scientists addressed the critical information that could be collected using cutting-edge tools such as weather surveillance radar, thermal imaging, and microphones directed skyward to map migrations by day and night. New research will build upon monitoring and research studies of birds and bats before and after construction of existing wind energy facilities as well as work done by other researchers. The coalition appointed working groups to move this new research agenda forward. Top research priorities identified by the coalition include:

• Studying bird and bat behaviors and more accurately estimating mortality at existing wind turbines

• Using current and newly-obtained information on bird and bat population numbers and distributions to focus research on critically important migratory routes and timing

• Documenting how interactions of birds and bats with turbines are affected by factors such as weather, topography, and their distribution within airspace swept by wind turbine blades

• Establish standardized methods for pre- and post-construction studies of bird and bat behavior at wind facilities

• Conduct research on the best methods for mitigating the impacts of wind energy development on birds and bats

“Conducting this research will help the wind industry make informed, science-based decisions about where future wind energy projects can be built, and how they can be operated to minimize the impact on migrating wildlife, while still providing much-needed alternative energy,” said Dr. John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “It will also help flesh out specific guidelines for wind farm construction being developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.”

US FISH and WILDLIFE INFORMATION

There are 36 National Wildlife Refuges at risk from the BP Oil Spill. These precious national resources are home to dozens of threatened and endangered species, including West Indian manatees, whooping cranes, Mississippi sandhill cranes, wood storks and four species of sea turtles.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service are searching for oiled wildlife throughout the spill region, rescuing injured birds and animals, and assisting in the joint effort to ensure they are safely cleaned and released.

Many species of wildlife face grave risk from the spill.

Birds can be exposed to oil as they float on the water or dive for fish through oil-slicked water. Oiled birds can lose the ability to fly and can ingest the oil while preening.

Sea turtles such as loggerheads and leatherbacks can be impacted as they swim to shore for nesting activities. Turtle nest eggs may be damaged if an oiled adult lies on the nest.

Oil has the potential to persist in the environment long after a spill and have long-term impacts on fish and wildlife.

GULF OIL SPILL

Article published August 12, 2010
La. marshlands smothered by oil spill may be healing
New grass gives scientists hope

BARATARIA BAY, La. - Shoots of marsh grass and bushes of mangrove trees are starting to grow back in the bay where just months ago photographers shot startling images of dying pelicans coated in oil from the massive Gulf oil spill. More than a dozen scientists say the marsh here and along the Louisiana coast is healing, giving hope delicate wetlands might weather the worst offshore spill in U.S. history better than feared. Some marsh could be lost, but the amount appears small compared to what the coast loses yearly through development. Tuesday, a cruise through Barataria Bay's marsh revealed thin shoots growing up out of the oiled mass. Elsewhere, there were gray, dead mangrove shrubs, likely killed by the oil, but even there, new growth was coming up. "These are areas that were black with oil," said Matt Boasso, a temporary worker with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. As crude oil from a blown-out BP well oozed toward the marshes after the April explosion, experts feared it would kill roots in marsh grass, smother mangroves, and dissolve wetlands that plant life held together. State, federal, and BP cleanup efforts focused on preventing that from happening by burning and skimming the oil, blocking it with booms and sand berms, and breaking it up with dispersants. Whether it is a triumph of cleanup work, the marshes' resiliency, or both, scientists have found regrowth of grasses, black mangrove trees, and roseau cane, a lush cane found in the brackish waters at the Mississippi River's mouth.

"The marsh is coming back, sprigs are popping up," said Alexander S. Kolker, marsh expert and coastal geologist with the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium. With the National Science Foundation, he's looking at the spill's effect on Louisiana's vast marsh - where trappers, shrimpers, and alligator hunters have made their living for generations. Coastal Louisiana is covered in a thick mat of salt marshes that thrive on the Gulf's edge. The marshes provide life support for fauna and flora in the Gulf, said Bob Thomas, a Loyola University zoologist, and up to 90 percent of commercial fisheries depend on them for some stage of fish development. Even before the spill, south Louisiana had been losing 25 square miles of marsh a year, a total of 2,300 square miles since the 1930s, mostly from levee construction, logging, shipping, and oil drilling. Only about 5,300 square miles of marsh and swamp remain. Associated Press calculations indicate that at most, 3.4 square miles of Louisiana marsh were oiled, an area stretched out over hundreds of miles of coast. At least some areas appear to have begun to bounce back. Ivor van Heerden, a BP-hired environmental scientist, said the damage may be even less. He said federal, state, and BP teams have found only 550 acres of marsh that have been oiled, less than 1 square mile. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration concurred with Mr. van Heerden's figure but said it and other federal agencies are still calculating just how much marsh was oiled and what the effect has been, agency spokesman Ben Sherman said. Marsh closest to the Gulf took the worst, absorbing oil and keeping it from oozing farther inland. Even losing a little would be a blow to the ecosystem. Michael Blum, a Louisiana State University biologist who toured Barataria Bay Tuesday, said some grass won't stick around much longer. "You're seeing exposed roots," he said. "The expectation is that you will have loss of the protective sheet, you have marsh that anchors the marsh in place, and if they die off, they no longer have that anchor." Many questions remain about how much damage the spill inflicted. Scientists want to understand the effects of the chemical dispersants BP used and look at how the smallest forms of life, things like fiddler crabs and spiders, have been affected. Irving A. Mendelssohn, a coastal plant ecologist at Louisiana State University, said the wetlands data so far are good news for fishermen who depend on the ecosystem to produce shrimp, menhaden, and other seafood. "My gut feeling, based on what I have seen, based on the recovery people have observed, I doubt that the impact to the wetlands is going to create a significant problem for our coastal fisheries," Mr. Mendelssohn said. The news isn't all good, though. U.S. officials have recovered more than 1,000 oil-soaked turtles from the Gulf in recent weeks. Officials have been tracking the number of oiled turtles recovered since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded April 20. The oil continued to spew into the Gulf for nearly three months. The number of turtles began to spike in late July. Of the 1,000 sea turtles recovered since the spill began, 487 were alive and 516 dead, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said. About 570 sea turtles have been found stranded on the coast's beaches, six times the number reported in previous years, said David Mizejewski of the National Wildlife Federation.

Status

528 U.S. Fish and Wildlife personnel are actively responding to the Deepwater BP Oil Spill.

Clean-up crews are working in Barataria Bay in Louisiana. A leaking wellhead was found on the Gulf side of East Timbalier Island in Louisiana. Crews are deploying hard boom at the mouth of Pass A Loutre, LA.

Hand crews and excavators continue to remove oil on the Perdue Unit of the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama.

St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge in Florida reports booms are in place at Indian Pass. Due to strong current, booms must be repositioned each morning.

Birds will be moved from the facility in Ft. Jackson, LA to Covington, LA. The move is scheduled for some time in mid to late July. The Mobile Command Center continues to need more teams to maintain a one-hour response time for the entire spill area.

Aerial missions are planned over Barataria Bay, Timbalier and Terrebonne Bay, South West Pass and Chandaleur Islands, Biloxi Marsh and Breton Sound
To volunteer in the generalrecovery effort: 866-448-5816. To report oiled wildlife 866-557-1401. Wildlife Paraprofessional volunteer info: http://www.nwrawildlife.org/page.asp?ID=285

National Audubon Effort

In early June, National Audubon launched the NATIONAL OIL SPILL VOLUNTEER RESPONSE CENTER. It will use the facility in Moss Point, Mississippi along with organizers deployed to affected areas in four states to contact, coordinate and mobilize more than 13,000 volunteers who signed up with Audubon in the first weeks of the disaster. That number is expected to grow.

Interested volunteers may register online at www.audubon.org and will be contacted shortly as opportunities arise.

Anticipated volunteer activities include:

• Volunteer Response Center Staff — scheduling volunteers, identifying and coordinating engagement with new projects, logistical support, arranging training, office management, etc.

• Coastal Bird Survey — collecting data and photos on bird resources and impacts across the coast according to specific scientific protocols.

• Wildlife Transport Facilitator —assisting USFWS and Tri-State Bird Rescue with volunteers scheduled in round-the-clock shifts in key locations for injured/oiled wildlife recovery and transport operations throughout the coastal region.

• Bird Capture and Rescue Materials — volunteers are needed to make nets, cages and other materials to assist trained professionals in oiled bird rescue efforts.

• Citizen Science Monitoring — submitting electronic information on birds sightings at Important Bird Areas, refuges or sanctuaries to assess population impacts, numbers of target species or species of concern

• Bird Hotline Operators –- providing on-site bird expertise for our Volunteer Response Center as well as possibly in field offices of BP, Tri-State Bird Rescue and others involved in response efforts to address issues related to bird sightings, handling, species identification, etc.

To track the sightings of birds by species along the coastline:
http://www.audubon.org/news/pressroom/gos/bird-tracker-map.html