Author: Greg (---.midway.tds.net)
Date: 07-03-01 06:46
Club members Ken, Connie and Greg joined forces and made a trip to a Broadwing Hawk nest up near Sailor Lake in Price county. Ken is a licensed bird bander so with Connie's assistance, he band the three young hawks the nest contained. Ken has also banded the young of several Harriers this summer.
We got to experience first-hand the huge numbers of forest tent caterpillars that have been ravaging the area - practically stripping the leaves from many species of trees (particularly aspen and alder). They are currently in the cuccoon stage and it's difficult to find any plant that doesn't have one of the white fuzzy cuccoons rolled up in it's leaf or attached to it's bark. The trees that were stripped earlier in the month are now beginning to come back. Very interesting event.
Greg found the Broadwing nest while working with his son on a bird survey for the Chequamegon National Forest. They are surveying "blow down" areas that are scheduled to be logged in search of Black-backed woodpeckers, Conneticut Warblers and Spruce grouse that may use areas of this habitat type. They are also surveying other non-blow down areas in search of Cerulean Warblers.
Any other birders that would care to report their summer activities?
|
|