Ripples 12/24/20

Posted on by December 23, 2020
photo of Fox Sparrow

Fox sparrow

Here we are, at the darkest time of year.  It’s no wonder that just like native people, we add light wherever we can, illuminating our homes with electric displays in place of the bonfires of long ago.  Since June we have watched our days grow shorter and cloudier, unless we are slapped with a cold front to send temperatures tumbling but bring in clear, dry air.  Once again, the wild things, oblivious to human pathogens, go about their business under relatively good conditions: little snow and only moderate cold. Birds don’t really need to visit our feeders like they do when snow covers their wild food, causing people to wonder if they are alright if unseen. I don’t know if birds feel gratitude for such weather- I rather doubt it.  They seem to continue regardless of conditions, perhaps lingering a bit farther north for the time being.

A sense of gratitude seems to be important to the well-being of people, however.  We have the ability to discern when things are going well, or at least that they could be worse than they are.  We are challenged these days by inordinate health concerns, political discord, and a general sense of frustration that things are not as we wish them to be. This year has seen people taking out their frustrations on each other more than I can remember, and I’m getting to the point where I can remember a lot of years.  It seems easy; though, to remember the times when I really felt grateful, and those times seem to center on one of two things – family and nature.

I think we are biologically programmed to feel gratitude for our families, our elders and our children.  That is, if we have been fortunate to have grown up with a sense of being loved and cared for.  Unfortunately, too many of us have not experienced enough of that.  Nature, however, is all around us and should be accessible no matter our circumstances.  In my own life, I have experienced that sense of gratitude for the life around me even during the most trying times.  If a day is full of frustrations, even a few minutes in a natural place can make me feel better.  There is almost always something interesting to be encountered and wondered about just a few feet from my door.  Perhaps it’s denial, but in a green place I can easily forget problems if I am aware of the moment, and what is happening around me.  No wonder the first people of this area referred to Grandmother Earth.  Who better to embrace, comfort, and care for you.

So if gratitude is so important, what am I most grateful for this year?  People who care for each other, and for the Earth, first off. I have been so fortunate to meet, work, and live with such folks.  And nature, and what it gives us.  Right now I’m grateful for the fox sparrow which lives under the juniper bush by the bird feeders – brightly cinnamon colored, darting out to grab a seed or two and do its little scratching dance.  Or the flock of cedar waxwings, delicately shaded in their colors, who descend on that same shrub to glean berries from the branches.  Or the pileated woodpecker which lives across the river, or the bald eagle cruising the shore.  Or the chickadee that bites me fiercely as I try to put a band on its leg.  And the fact that the internet lets us at least see and talk to our family at Christmas.

Next year will be better, for people and I hope for nature.  I also hope that a sense of gratitude will replace the frustration we all feel now, and that it brings us to care more for the natural world and each other.  And see things as they truly are. 

Ripples 12/17/20

Posted on by December 21, 2020

by Jessica Johnsrud, Education Coordinator

It was a cold and windy day and I was walking outdoors with a friend and her young children. The little ones came upon a small pond that was mostly iced over and immediately tried to break the ice with their feet. As I watched, they stomped through the ice, getting their feet and gloves wet. They continued to play contently, with sopping wet gloves. I affectionately call these two “turkeys”, but as I watched them unphased by the cold and wet, I realized I should probably start calling them “beavers.”
 
The American beaver is born for aquatic conditions and has several adaptations for living in the water even in the winter. First, it has a built-in wetsuit consisting of two layers of fur. There’s a shorter, thick underfur which traps warm air against the skin. This is protected by a longer layer of fur called guard fur, which keeps water away from the layer underneath. Beaver fur is also waterproof because of oil produced in castor glands located near the base of the tail. The beaver routinely combs this oil in its fur using a specialized split toenail, called a grooming claw.
 
When swimming underwater, beavers close valves in their ears and nostrils to keep water out. They also have special lips that seal the mouth but leave the front incisors exposed, allowing the animal to carry branches while swimming. They have a clear eyelid called a nictitating membrane that covers the eyes like goggles, so they can see while swimming. Their hind feet are webbed, which helps them swim. These nifty features come in handy as beavers spend a lot of time in the water and can remain underwater for 15 minutes at a time.
 
Beavers are often referred to as “nature’s engineers” because they use their large incisors to cut down trees and build a home (lodge) and construct dams in rivers. Why all this busy work? Beavers prefer to swim in slow or stagnant water because it’s less expensive energetically. Damming up moving water and creating a pond, also gives them better access to food. They feed on soft bark and inner bark of trees as well as aquatic plants and fleshy roots. 
 
It’s pretty amazing that beavers are able to eat and acquire energy from such meals. They have a specialized digestive system that allows them to break down and extract nutrients from the wood. Beavers have an enlarged cecum, the pouchlike structure which is part of the large intestine that acts as a fermentation chamber. It contains bacteria and fungi that help digest the cellulose from the bark. Beavers also practice coprophagy, meaning they eat their feces and digest it a second time, thus obtaining as much nutrients as possible. Other animals also practice this, including cottontail rabbits, mice and other animals.
 
Not only do beavers have interesting adaptations, they are also considered a keystone species because they play a critical role in the biodiversity of an ecosystem. Many species depend on beaver-created habitat and the removal of beavers would drastically change that ecosystem. Habitat created by beavers helps recharge drinking water aquifers, removes pollutants from surface water and ground water and produces food for fish and other animals. This makes coexisting with beavers an important part in protecting the wetlands and habitats of which we are a part. 

Ripples 12/10/20

Posted on by December 10, 2020

Written by Charles Sontag, Woodland Dunes Board Member

EARLY WINTER VISITOR FROM THE ARCTIC (NORTH POLE?)
 

A rare visitor from the Arctic and Atlantic Coast has graced our containment vessel and harbor.  A Brant, which is a small goose, has been seen daily since the first of November.  Birders from Wisconsin and as far as California have made the journey to find this diminutive black and white goose which is about the size of a Mallard duck and weighs only about 2.5 lbs.

When the Brant was first found, it had a badly injured left foot and damage to its right wing; probably the result of a gun shot from a waterfowl hunter.  Wildlife of Wisconsin was alerted to
its plight, but were unable to capture the bird because, despite its injuries, it was still able to fly. Even though the extent of the injuries was never completely determined, it has made a remarkable recovery without human assistance. 

The Brant nests in summer within the Arctic Circle in northern Canada and Greenland, and during the winter it is found along the Atlantic Coast from Massachusetts south to North Carolina.  And, perhaps this explains how this individual “found” its way to Manitowoc.  Although we will never know exactly how it happened, we can offer a guess; the bird probably became disoriented or displaced by a storm system as it began its migration from the nesting area.  Usually, Brants head south traveling on either side of Hudson Bay, and then veer southeast to the Atlantic Coast.  If the storm disrupted this shift to the east, a continued southward flight would take it to the Great Lakes, and to the Lake Michigan community of Manitowoc.  Intense weather systems are disruptive to more than just human lives.

One question that has been often asked is how can the goose be supported until it has completely recovered?   Perhaps our best support is to enjoy its presence and remember we are really not in charge of nature; we are just one part of this enormous web of life.  Since Brants in winter dine entirely on Eel Grass and Green Algae, feeding it corn or other food material would only go to waste or at worst, complicate the life of the goose.  Presently, the goose is feeding on the grass that has grown in the containment vessel and Green Algae that has accumulated on the rocks along the North Break wall leading to the lighthouse.

Obviously, the fate of this individual is yet to be determined.  Many animals that are displaced from their normal ranges find their way back to familiar habitats, but some do not.  This happens with birds like the Snowy Owl which often makes its appearance in the lakeshore area just about this time.  Snowy Owls arrive not because a storm system misguided them, but by some unknown dispersal system that probably involves their food supply.  The Snowy Owl, like our Brant, ends up in unfamiliar territory and with winter’s end, may return to their normal summer “home.”  The best-case scenario would be that the Brant will complete its recovery in Manitowoc, and with luck return to its former habitat.  And, this will be accomplished without our assistance.

photo by Chuck Sontag

Ripples 12/3/20

Posted on by December 4, 2020

Millions of birds die each year as a result of crashing into windows.  They simply do not understand the nature of glass and the fact that it reflects what appears to be habitat- trees and shrubs, or that it is not an opening that they can fly into or through.  Window strikes occur when birds are passing by during migration, when they are flying to and from bird feeders, and when they are being pursued by a predator such as a hawk.  Sometimes birds hit at an angle and glance off the glass without much injury.  Sometimes they hit more directly and are stunned, and sit on the ground for a while before flying away.  Although seeing them fly off may make us feel better, I suspect that many of these birds suffer concussions and perish later.  And some literally slam into the window and are killed instantly.  If being pursued by a birdfeeder-raiding hawk, sometimes the hawk, too, hits the window and is killed.  

photo of zen curtains to prevent window strikesOn large, tall buildings, lights within attract night-migrating birds which hit windows and are killed.  There are many studies documenting the mortality that occurs as a result of these collisions, and some cities, such as Toronto and others have campaigns to encourage people to turn off lights at night in tall buildings.  One study by the Field Museum in Chicago indicated that doing so reduced bird deaths by 80 percent.  In addition, the reduction in energy use resulted in a cost savings, so turning off lights was a win for both building owners and birds.

What can homeowners do to help birds avoid windows?  There are a number of things, and many are easy to do.  First, identify where problems with bird strikes are occurring- some windows are worse in that regard than others.  If you have bird feeders, place them either more than 30 feet from a window, or within 3 feet.  Birds very close to a window don’t have space to gain enough momentum to hurt themselves if they fly up, and those far away have more options in the direction they can fly- mostly outward away from the building.  Putting feeders very close to a window also allows us to get really close-up looks at our feathered friends while still enhancing their safety.

There are a number of treatments that can be done to the glass itself to make it easier for the birds to see, and reduce the reflection of surrounding vegetation.  Visible strips can be incorporated into glass, or the surface of the glass etched to make it less reflective.  These can be expensive and must be done by the manufacturer.  Homeowners can apply decals or tape to glass which reflects UV light which birds can see better than we can.  Or a perforated vinyl mesh can be applied through which we can see outward while it cuts reflection on the outside.

Another effective way to alert birds to a window surface is to purchase or make what is called a zen wind curtain- a series of photo of zen curtains by bird feedercords hanging down from another single cord strung along the top of a window.  The vertical series of cords are hung about 4 inches apart, and are not joined at the bottom.  As a result they sway in the breeze, and birds seem to notice and avoid them. At my home I have a large window with a bird feeder outside.  A number of birds were observed glancing off the glass of that particular window, so I moved the feeder closer, and made a zen curtain which was hung between two shutters across the face of the glass.  The location is windy, so I weighted the cords with a nut or washer tied at the bottom to keep them from being tangled.  Since then I have noticed no bird strikes.  I used some parachute cord which I had at home already, and invested about 30 minutes of time.  To me, the effort is more than worth the trouble.  There is a company that sells such curtains, but also has instructions on how to make your own- they are found at birdsavers.com <http://birdsavers.com> .

At Woodland Dunes we have used several window treatments to deter birds from injuring themselves, and where we have done so have found few, if any, bird collisions.  Anything you do, even taping up children’s artwork, to make windows more visible helps birds.  And right now, birds need all the help we can give them.  

photos- two examples of home-made zen wind curtains to deter birds

Ripples 11/26/20

Posted on by November 30, 2020

Ripples written by Jessica Johnsrud, education coordinator

For many of us, turkeys are an important part of our Thanksgiving celebration. You may consider them tasty to eat, but how much do you know about these birds? Read on to find out some fascinating facts about wild turkeys.
 
Wild turkeys are native to the United States, but were almost eliminated from Wisconsin in the late 1800s because of habitat loss from settlement, logging and farming. Wild turkeys were also impacted by diseases that spread from domestic birds. In 1976, the Wisconsin DNR traded ruffed grouse for wild turkeys with the state of Missouri. The turkeys were released and did well. As their population increased, the DNR trapped then released turkeys in areas that had suitable habitat. Over 3,000 turkeys were trapped and relocated to 49 counties. Today, the wild turkey population is doing quite well and there is a turkey hunting season.

Many people have a strong preference when it comes to eating white meat and dark meat from the turkey, but do you know why they are different? Dark meat is found in the legs of the bird and is made of slow-twitch fibers. These muscles are constantly in use and require large amounts of myoglobin. Myoglobin is a protein that stores oxygen and delivers it to active muscles. The more myoglobin, the darker the meat. White meat is made of fast-twitch fibers used in rapid bursts of powerful movement. These muscles are powered by a carbohydrate called glycogen and contain less myoglobin, hence the lighter color.

Turkeys have excellent hearing and are able to pinpoint sounds over one mile away. They also have fairly good vision and are able to see color. Since their eyes are located on the sides of the head, turkeys have a wide field of view. Their keen vision helps them hunt for food like acorns, beetles, grasshoppers, seeds and even ticks. Turkeys have a poor sense of taste and smell.

To many people’s surprise, wild turkeys can fly. In fact, they can fly in short, powerful bursts (thanks to glycogen) up to 55mph! However, domesticated turkeys cannot fly because they were bred for large breast meat and are not able to flap quickly enough to sustain flight. Even though they can fly, wild turkeys prefer to move around by walking or running and can run up to speeds of 20mph. They roost in trees at night to stay safe from predators such as coyotes, bobcats and mink.

Have you ever seen wild turkey scat (droppings)? You can determine if it was a male or female that left the little gift behind. The male’s scat is shaped more like the letter J and the female’s is spiral-shaped, like a Hershey’s kiss.

Wild turkeys are pretty wild and interesting!

 photo from the US Fish and Wildlife Digital Library