Dec 2008 CAWS Newsletter Madison Audubon Society

8/9/2019 Dec 2008 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 December 2008

Fall at Goose PondBy Mark and Sue Foote-Martin

Water levels remained high this fall. Goose Pond was stillabout five feet deep in early November and there are about200 acres of water in Goose Pond and adjacent wetlands. Wehave never seen this much water in fall.The abundant wetlands are attracting more water birds and

waterfowl than usual except for Tundra Swans that require moreshallow conditions to reach the arrowhead tubers. High numbersincluded 2,500 Canada Geese, 18 Tundra Swans, 40 AmericanWigeon, 2,500 Mallards, 600 Blue-winged Teal, 100 NorthernShovelers, 120 Northern Pintails, 550 Green-winged Teal,50 Canvasbacks, 40 Redheads, 160 Ring-necked Ducks, 30 LesserScaup, 30 Buffleheads, 45 Hooded Mergansers, 90 Ruddy Ducks,3,300 American Coots, and 45 Sandhill Cranes.Muskrats probably were greatly impacted with the high water

but appeared to do better raising their young after mid-June.Thirty muskrat houses rim the pond and many are very large. Ahistoric photo in the October 8, 2008 Country Today read WalterManthe near Goose Pond at Arlington in spring 1937 after trap-ping season in fall 1936. He sold 63 muskrat hides for $5 each

continued on page 2

Don Schmidt, Jeff Durbin and Paul Michler erecting GoosePond sign.

Message from the PresidentThe year 2008 brought Madison

Audubon unexpected challenges alongwith satisfying successes, as reported

in this issue of the CAWS.Mother nature threw us a curve in

June and July, flooding parts of GoosePond and Faville Grove sanctuaries. Butwe continued to pursue our mission,creating habitat for birds and otherwildlife.

Volunteers reached out to hundredsof children and their parents as MASeducation programs took off in a big

way at our sanctuaries. Families enjoyedhands-on introductions to the prairieecosystems and school groups learnedabout birds and habitat, with a chanceto collect seeds for prairie restoration.To protect our sanctuaries for the

future, Madison Audubon continued toadvocate for the environment. For exam-

ple, global climate change is becomingever more apparent, and MAS members

worked tirelessly to promote ecologicalsolutions to human energy needs.Madison Audubon Societys sanctu-

aries depend on your financial support.Please take time today to make a dona-tion that will help meet the challengesand ensure our future success.

Stan Druckenmiller, President

2008 Year-end Review


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3/123 December 2008The Audubon CAWS

were removed from grassy fields to ben-efit grassland birds.

Energy Conservation at Goose Pond:Thanks to Curt Caslavka, facilities chair,who coordinated and helped with makingthe new residence at Goose Pond moreenergy efficient. Since the Martins movedin, five doors have been replaced, threeroof vents added, and insulation has been

blown into the attic. This should go a longway to reduce fuel consumption and keepeveryone comfortable.

Dorothy Carnes Park and Rose LakeState Natural Area: Madison Audubonacquired and transferred over 250 acres atRose Lake near Fort Atkinson in the pastfew years. Karen Etter Hale representsMadison Audubon Society on the RoseLake Master Plan Committee. Plans areto provide prairie, savanna, and wetlandhabitat for wildlife and for non-intensive

recreation (hiking, cross country skiing,and snowshoeing) on land preserved byMAS. Friends of Rose Lake volunteerscollected seed this fall and MadisonAudubon Society is assisting with prairierestoration on 22 acres that will be plantedin late fall or early winter. For the secondyear Purple Martins used a newly estab-lished house near the lake.

Martin House at Goose Pond: Thanksto Joy and Dan Stair of Cedarburg fordonating a Purple Martin house for Goose

Pond. Previously the house was at Joysparents home in Monona. We hope tosucceed in attracting Purple Martins.

Wetland Restoration at Goose Pond:Thanks to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Servicefor providing North American WetlandsConservation Act funding to repair thewater control structure north of KampenRd. that was washed out by flooding.LMS Construction with the guidance

of Jeff Nania, Executive Director of theWisconsin Waterfowl Assn., did an excel-lent job in reinforcing the water controlstructure.

Unusual Kestrel Successful Nesting:One day Sue noticed a recently fledgedAmerican Kestrel in the yard at GoosePond. The previous owners had erecteda box about four feet from the ground onthe side of a building. Later they built a

pole shed about four feet from the box.It was hard to believe that a pair of kes-trels used and raised at least three youngin this location. They were frequentlyobserved hunting over the BrownePrairie. Kestrels also nested about 200yards north at the Kampen Rd. and rail-road intersection. This points out the needthat kestrels have for additional nest sites.

Interns: Amanda Budyak, Ted Keyel,Greg Skupien, Emily Werlein, and MattZiehr were our summer interns whoworked one day a week at Goose PondSanctuary. Interns also worked for HolyWisdom Monastery, Pleasant ValleyConservancy, The Prairie Enthusiasts,and the UW Lakeshore Nature Preserve.Major work at Goose Pond includedremoving weedy species and seed collect-ing. We enjoyed working with the internsand hope they land jobs in the naturalresource field.

Publicity: Madison Audubon Societyappreciates publicity about our many

projects. Thanks to Tim Eisele for articlesin The Capital Times, Ron Seeley of theWisconsin State Journal, Larry Meiller ofWisconsin Public Radio, Joanne Garrettof Wisconsin Public Television, and SusanSiman of WISC-TV Channel 3 for featur-ing Madison Audubon Society projectsthis past year.

Sanctuaries Chair: Greg Kidd, sanctuarychair, stepped down in October. Thanks toGreg for all his work to benefit the sanc-tuaries.

Front row - Interns Ted Keyel, Emily Werlein, Greg Skupien, Aman-da Budyak, and Matt Ziehr. Back row - Nancy Schlimgen and PaulBoutwell from Holy Wisdom Monastery.

Unusual Kestrel nest site.

Wetland berm and water control structure along Kampen Road.


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Building the Futureat Faville GroveAt Faville Grove Sanctuary, 2008 was ayear of record winter snowfall that ham-pered savanna restoration efforts, andunprecedented summer flooding thatseverely disrupted remnant prairies and

restorations alike. But it also was a yearthat saw tremendous progress in buildinga solid foundation for the long-term stew-ardship of an expanding sanctuary.Madison Audubons most recent land

acquisition at Faville Grove included ahouse, which we planned to sell alongwith a small lot to help fund the landacquisition. Then last year, Jill and JerryMartin stepped forward with a generouscash contribution that permitted MAS toretain the house. Additional funds have

been raised, and many, many volunteer

hours contributed to insulate and sub-stantially remodel the house, and finan-cial pledges were obtained to cover thesalary of a full-time, resident restorationecologist and land steward.As of the end of October, Lars Higdon,

who holds a recent masters degree inrestoration ecology from UW-Madison,can call the handsome, energy-efficient,red and brown house on Prairie Lanehis home, with its commanding viewsacross the eastern portion of Faville GroveSanctuary. (He began work in a non-resi-

dent capacity in May, but the remodelingtook longer than expected!) Membersof Madison Audubon, summer interns,and other friends of Faville Grove arefortunate to be sharing Lars knowledgeand passion for restoration as we worktoward bringing out the full ecological,educational, and spiritual potential ofFaville Grove Sanctuary.

And the potential of the sanctuaryis great. Located in the beautiful anddiverse glaciated landscape between thestates largest cities, the need to expandhabitat for wildlife is as great as the needto expand opportunities for humans toreconnect with the land. Volunteer sanc-tuary manager David Musolf has beenserving on an external advisory teamwith DNR that is developing ambitiousplans to be discussed at public hearingsin early 2009 for expanding outdoorrecreational opportunities in western

Jefferson County and adjacent portions ofDane and Dodge Counties by acquiringnew parks and natural areas and creat-ing a trail system to link them together.Madison Audubon Society and FavilleGrove Sanctuary will continue to play animportant role in the new initiative.We have made much progress this year,

increasing our capacity as an organizationto enlarge, restore and manage the sanc-tuary over the long term, but it is moreimportant than ever that we continue to

expand this capacity in the com-ing years. This means expandingvolunteer support, which, by theway, not only is essential to theongoing management of the sanc-tuary, but also is the most effec-tive way to help people reconnectwith the land (come on out andsee for yourself!). Faville GroveSanctuary was selected as oneof 41 sites nationwide to receivea grant from National AudubonSociety, funded by Toyota, for

the TogetherGreen Volunteer Daysinitiative, which will enable usto devote more time and efforttoward this end.But it also means building our

financial base, including a sub-stantial endowment to ensurethe continuation of the landsteward position and internshipprogram, and to meet other ongo-ing expenses, so that we can beconfident that the land we protecttoday will be properly cared for

tomorrow. And, of course, contributingfinancially, like volunteering time, comeswith its own set of rewards for the donor,so please give that a try too!

The Year Ahead at Faville GroveSanctuaryThis year weather forced us to post-

pone our planned restoration of the last

remaining cultivated field owned byMadison Audubon in the Crawfish Riverfloodplain and focus instead on reseed-ing the south 40 acres of Charles Prairie.Originally planted in the fall of 2006, theCharles Prairie restoration was just begin-ning its second growing season whenthe flooding hit, so the prairie plants hadnot yet had a chance to produce seed,and there was no seed bank in the soil to

replace plants lost to the high water. Bythe time you read this, we hope to haveseed on the ground for another go at it.A top priority for 2009 will be the physi-

cal and biological restoration of the cul-tivated field we passed over in 2008. Thework begun last year of removing all of

the trees that have invaded along thebanks of the ditches that drain this fieldwill continue this winter, and we will beorganizing a series of volunteer parties tohelp with this (a great way to beat cabinfever!). Next fall, with the support of theNatural Resources Conservation Service,we will have bulldozers fill the clearedditches with soil to restore the naturalflow of water over the surface of the land

before planting the site to wet prairie spe-cies. Of course, before we can plant thissite, we will once again need many volun-

Faville Grove Sanctuary summer intern LindsaySpurrier girdling aspen trees.

Blue flag iris at Faville Grove Sanctuary.



teers during the summer and fall seasonsto collect lots of seed of many differentspecies.We are also excited to get back on track

this winter with the restoration of theLake Mills Ledge Savanna on either sideof Prairie Lane. We plan to continue thin-ning brush and small trees to open thecanopy and facilitate the establishment ofsavanna herbs. The continued restorationof the savanna will create more natural

transitions with the surrounding prairieplantings and open the landscape. Wecant wait to see the great views of theCrawfish Prairie from the top of quartziteoutcroppings once more of the obstruct-ing brush is removed.We are hoping for a productive year of

prescribed burning beginning this falland continuing next spring. Consecutiveyears of poor conditions have preventedus from burning many parts of the sanctu-ary. As a result, woody brush is startingto invade several restorations. Tillotson

Prairie has suffered the greatest invasionof woody brush with several dense standsof cottonwoods and willows now occupy-ing the site. Tillotson and Martin Prairieshave also been heavily impacted by thesummer flood. In addition to discourag-ing brush invasion we hope that burningmay stimulate seed germination to aid inthe recovery of these prairies. We plan tomonitor these areas carefully in 2009 fornatural regeneration as well as for weedinvasion.

With such an ambitious agenda, wehope to find significant support from localschool groups, scouting organizations,and of course our trustworthy group ofmember volunteers. Our accomplish-ments on the sanctuary hinge upon thecommitment of our volunteers. The tre-mendous steps we are making are directlyrelated to your support. We anticipate aproductive year ahead and look forwardto seeing you out on the prairie!

Summer Internships:Making a Difference

I am so glad that I decided to apply for thisinternship; it was a summer I will never for-

get.

Through working in the prairies andlearning more about them I gained adeeper knowledge and understanding as

to why they are important ecosystems andshould be preserved or restored as partof Wisconsins ecological, cultural, andaesthetic heritage.

Before starting this internship I did notknow anything about the land except thatI wanted to do something to restore it, butafter the internship I was able to identifydozens of plants, flowers, trees and birds.

Although the work can be tough andeven daunting at times, I felt that I was

doing something good and felt a sense ofaccomplishment.

David, Roger and Lars are very dedicatedto their work and their enthusiasm reallyhelped to instill the same excitement inme.

These are a few comments from Faville

Grove Sanctuarys 2008 summer internswho spent 12 weeks in the full-time prac-tice of ecological restoration. (A secondteam of interns worked at Goose PondSanctuary and other sites in and aroundMadison.) The five interns were allUW-Madison students studying a varietyof biology-related majors. Their range oftasks included extensive weed control,including aspen girdling, seed collecting,and monitoring flood damage on rem-nant and restored prairies. Their effortsprovide essential maintenance in the

sanctuary during the hot, humid, buggymonths of summer, and they supplementthe volunteer support on which the healthof the sanctuary depends. Those positiveimpacts of the internship program areonly the beginning.Through their work at Faville Grove

Sanctuary, interns learned a great dealabout themselves and the natural worldaround them. In fact, their time in thesanctuary can be a truly transformativeexperience that influences them for yearsto come. As quoted above, last summers

interns developed knowledge of andappreciation for the prairie ecosystem.By the end of the summer, interns hadsignificantly increased their knowledgeof native and invasive plant species.They also learned how different speciesfit together in the prairie ecosystem, andgained a basic understanding of the theo-ries and practices of ecological restorationAnd they were instilled with a sense ofwonder and appreciation for the natu-ral world. Through direct contact withthe outdoors, the interns developed orstrengthened their bonds with the naturalworld and their feeling of enthusiasm forits wonders.

We are grateful to have had their assis-tance over the summer and are confidentthat they will cherish their experienceand sense of environmental stewardshipwell into the future. We will be acceptingapplications for the summer of 2009 soon,so interested university students shouldcontact Madison Audubon atwww.madisonaudubon.org.

Interns Maggie Wagner, Mitch Levenhagen and Nick Sievert showing off their pars-nip predators. Mike Seaman, not shown also interned at Faville Grove.



Goose PondSanctuary Highlightof the YearThe highlight of the year at GoosePond was the weather. Winter saw100 inches of snow and summer saw18.25 inches of rain from June 7 -

July 1.2007 - Acquisition of the 17-acre farmette

at Goose Pond2006 - A flock of 41 American Avocets

sighted in April at Goose Pond2005 Great Gray Owl added to Goose

Pond bird checklist2004 Acquisition of the 116-acre

Northern Prairie at Goose Pond2003 Acquisition of 1,730 acres at Goose

Pond, Rose Lake & Zeloski Marsh2002 Goose Pond went dry lowering

water levels provided excellent

shorebird habitat2001 Acquisition of 3 acres at Goose

Pond and 140 acres at FavilleGrove Sanctuary

2000 Willy Hutchesons sighting offive species of geese at one timeat Goose Pond this was beforeCackling Geese were split fromCanada Geese

1999 Restoration of 25 acres ofwetland and prairie at FavilleGrove Sanctuary

1998 Excellent growing year for prairieestablishment and seed production

1997 Snowy Owl invasion in Januaryand February on Arlington Prairie

1996 HIGHLIGHT OF THE DECADE:Sandhill cranes return to nest atGoose Pond Sanctuary after 100-year absence

1995 Establishment of MaryMuckenhirn StewardshipEndowment

1994 Large numbers of waterfowl,pheasant and Gray Partridge

broods at Goose Pond1993 Record rainfall 16 inches in Juneand July at Goose Pond

1992 Acquisition of 74 acres at GoosePond

1991 1,200 Snow Geese in fall at GoosePond Sanctuary

1990 30,000 Mallards use Otsego MarshSanctuary as staging area duringmigration

Browne Prairie Restoration UpdateBy Mark and Sue MartinHeisley Lewison, 2006-2008 Intern coordinated the planting of over 70 species

of prairie plants last winter on soybean stubble. We were concerned thatthe heavy rains in June would wash out prairie seedlings. Some seedlingsmay have been lost but significant mortality was not observed. Thanks toEmily Werlein, summer intern, Paul Michler, and volunteers, for mowing therestoration.The first plant to flower was a black-eyed Susan that was planted as a seedling. By

August a good number of plants were flowering and by the end of the growing sea-son 28 species of forbs and 7 species of grasses were observed flowering. The grasses

that flowered included June grass, prairie dropseed, and side oats grama.It was interesting to find evening primrose and old-field thistle flowering when they

are thought of as biennials. Other species we were surprised to find flowering wererattlesnake master, silky aster, spiderwort, wild lupine, and wild quinine. We wereimpressed with the large numbers of hoary vervain and gray goldenrod that flow-ered. A large amount of hoary vervain was collected for planting at the Lapinski-Kitze Prairie.We conducted a plant survey in October to record cover of prairie plants and weedsand also recorded prairie plants rooted in the plot. Thanks to Barbara Voelker andMarci Hess who took time out from seed collecting to record data. Fifty-three plots(each 2.67 square feet) were sampled. Our goal was to have one prairie plant grow-ing per square foot and we ended up finding 240 prairie seedlings (5 species of grass-es and 25 species of forbs) in 142 square feet.We were pleased to find 34 prairie cinquefoils, 15 golden Alexanders, 14 stiff gold-

enrods, 10 purple prairie clovers, and 6 old-field thistles. A good amount of old-fieldthistle seed, a favorite for goldfinches, was planted on the southern part of the resto-ration. It appeared that we had 100% germination and next year will have thousandsof flowering plants.

If our sampling was expanded to the 2,482,000 square feet that cover the BrownePrairie there are an estimated 4,190,000 prairie plants. We have a feeling the BrownePrairie is on the way to becoming an excellent prairie restoration.Thanks to the DNR Landowner Incentive Program and an anonymous donor that

provided funding for this restoration.

Mark Martin shows visitors how well the plants are doing after one year on

the Browne Prairie.



Browne Prairie AlreadyAttracting Fall Migrants!!By Nolan Pope, VolunteerBrowne Prairie, planted last winter, is already teeming

with fall migration flocks a year later. On Sunday, Oct. 19, Iparked in the Browne Prairie parking lot on Kampen Rd. at5:00 p.m. and hiked south to a bench on a hill.As I hiked up to the bench, I flushed numerous sparrows

and finches. These songbirds were probably feeding onweed seeds such as foxtail. Upon reaching the bench, theincredible view of the surrounding areas was breathtaking.To the east, part of Goose Pond along Goose Pond Rd. wasvisible. Further south, down below the hilltop, was anotherlarge pond (an extension of Goose Pond in a high wateryear), with about 340 Canada Geese and a few ducks. Soonafterwards, a flock of 25 shorebirds landed on the mud flatsat the edge of the pond probably Lesser Yellowlegs. Later,as it got darker, I heard a Killdeer.In the first 30 minutes, a few small flocks of geese and

ducks would arrive or leave. But during the entire hourand a half, I estimate that 1,400 Canada and Cackling Geeselanded on the pond below me, and probably 175 ducks mostly Mallards. The vast majority arrived in the last20 minutes, as large waves of waterfowl approached andlanded. An estimated 600 geese also came over the BrownePrairie, but continued on. A few headed east to Goose Pond,and those were not counted.The SW winds were brisk at 15-20 mph that evening, and

there were several high clouds, which also helped producea beautiful sunset but also made it dark, early. By 6:40 p.m.the sky was too dark to count any more arrivals, althoughthere were still calls from geese in the air. Perhaps due tothe winds, I saw no passerine flocks, other than those that

flushed out of the grasses as I walked up the hill. I heardseven pheasants from different parts of the prairie, most ofthem flying over the grasses. I also saw four Sandhill Cranesflying over the prairie.

NOTE: In September, the Martins observed 110 Bobolinksin the Browne Prairie feeding on seeds. A number of days

later in October, theyobserved between 23and 45 Sandhill Cranesroosting on the pondat sunset. NorthernHarriers were seen

daily cruising overthe Browne Prairiehunting for smallmammals. Anotherhighlight was PaulMichlers sighting of abadger this spring andrecently dug badgerholes in October.

Zeloski MarshYear TwoBy Nolan Kollath, Rock River Coalition VolunteerBird MonitorBird watching opportunities expanded this year at Lake Mills

State Wildlife Area, Zeloski Marsh Unit, due to the restora-tion of an additional 300 acres to wildlife habit. There are now1,800 acres of wildlife habitat, including 1,460 acres donatedto DNR from Madison Audubon, 210 acres of Department ofTransportation (DOT) land, 100 acres owned by the Zeloski fam-

ily, and 35 acres owned by Madison Audubon.The DOT acreage was restored last fall along with part of the

DNR land. The new habitat is on the west side and access to itis very easy because the old farm lanes are present. Shorebirdwatching there was exceptional this year because of the hun-dreds of acres of mud flats created during the restoration. Therewere 22 species of shorebirds reported this year including Buff-

breasted Sandpipers, Red-necked Phalaropes, Ruddy Turnstonesand Bairds Sandpipers. The shorebird habitat was also excel-lent this fall because vegetation growth was stunted by the highwater in June. Hopefully shorebird habitat on the west sideshould still be good next spring. DNR and NRCS plan to man-age water levels in part of the marsh for shorebird habitat everyyear.In mid-June the marsh flooded like most other wetlands in

southern Wisconsin. The water level was higher than the bermsthat create the water impoundments, thus carp were able toenter and spawn. After the water went down the fingerling carptrapped in the ponds became a major attraction for fish-eating

birds. Charlie Kilian, DNR Wildlife Biologist, anticipates thatthe carp will freeze out this winter. Black Terns were there ingood numbers feeding their juveniles perched on the downedtrees out in the water. Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets num-

bered in the hundreds. American White Pelicans were there allsummer and fall with numbers as high as 200. Double-crested

Cormorants also took advantage of the bounty.The high water, however, was a detriment to the waterfowlnesting. Duck populations were way down at Zeloski Marshthis year. Wood Duck numbers, however, were up because of themany Wood Duck houses erected in the spring.As the vegetation matures more bird species are starting to nest

in the marsh. Yellow-headed Blackbirds nested there this yearas well as Common Moorhens, Marsh Wrens and Sedge Wrens.Like last year, we again found nesting Brewers Blackbirds andDickcissels in the prairie habitat. Short-eared Owls are frequent-ly reported in the grasslands but we do not know yet if they arenesting. In addition to the nesting birds, many migrating birdswere seen at Zeloski. Some of the more uncommon ones were: a

flock of 200 Greater White-fronted Geese, Black-crowned Night-Herons, a Horned Grebe, a Snowy Egret, a Peregrine Falcon,Caspian Terns, Clay-colored Sparrows and Lincolns Sparrows.The total number of species reported this year was 171. For

a complete list and bar-chart of all the species seen go to theeBird website (www.ebird.org) and under birding hotspots inWisconsin check Lake Mills WA - Zeloski Marsh Unit. The totalnumber of species seen at the marsh now stands at 191.I led two MAS field trips at Zeloski Marsh this year. The fall

trip was especially memorable. Our group of about 18 wastreated to fly-overs by a large flock of white pelicans, large flocksof Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets, and a large number and

Bobolink/PatReady


8/12Dcember 20088The Audubon CAWS

species of shorebirds. We even founda Sanderling and American Pipits. Inaddition to the birds, the prairie wasin full bloom. The yellow of Saw-toothSunflowers, Cup Plants and SneezeWeed was accented by the lavender androse colors of the New England Asters.Zeloski Marsh has more than just marshhabitat.

I hope you are now interested in a bird-ing trip to Zeloski Marsh. One of theunique features of this marsh is easyaccessibility. There are three parking lots,all found on the east side of the property.The north-most lot is on Finch BrothersRd. and adjacent to the Glacial DrumlinBike Trail which cuts across the northernpart of the marsh. This route providessomewhat of an elevated view with easyaccessibility to adjacent berms that createthe water pools. There is also a long tres-tle that cuts through a Tamarack Swamp

where songbird watching is good. Parkat the center lot at the end of Alley Rd.if you want access to the west side ofthe marsh, where we have been seeingall the shorebirds. From the parking lotgo south (left) and follow the trail as itturns west and continue across the bigdrainage ditch. Watch for grassland birds,waterfowl and marsh birds along theway. You will pass an artesian well thatsupplies water to two of the pools allow-ing the DNR to control water levels. Thesouthern parking lot is off London Rd.

and from there you can get an elevatedview of the entire marsh. Bring yourscope; it is about three miles from thesouth to the north end. The gravel roadfrom this lot will take you north and joinwith the artesian well road that takes youwest. In addition to the roads, there aremany miles of berms that you can walk.If you want a guided tour, I will be lead-ing tours there again in the spring andfall. Or if you cant wait, just contact meat [email protected]. I would love toshow you my second home.NOTE: Michler and Brown, an ecologi-cal restoration company, was hired to

burn, remove garlic mustard, and reducewoody invasives at the savanna atMadison Audubons Hope Lake Bog, justsouth of Zeloski Marsh. They were alsohired to collect 36 pounds of local geno-type wild rice that they planted at ZeloskiMarsh.

National AudubonNotesBy Peter Cannon, MAS Program Chair

As elected representative for chaptersof the Central Region on the NationalAudubon Society Board, I recentlyreturned from a national board meeting.Here is some news about whats going on

at the national level.Biofuels. In conjunction with

Audubons efforts to curb global warm-ing, the national board has been workingon position papers on energy relatedissues for the past year. At the recentmeeting we adopted the following posi-tion:

While we continue to use liquid fuels,Audubon supports policies, incentivesand research to promote the developmentof biofuels that: Provide substantial net carbon benefits

over fossil fuels, including all carbonimpacts over the production life cycle;

Do not require habitat destruction ordegradation; and

Do not degrade water supplies, airquality or soils.Coal and wind power. The national

board previously adopted positions oncoal and wind power:

Audubon strongly opposes the use ofnew conventional coal-fired power plantsand other coal dependent facilities as well

as the use of liquid fuels derived fromcoal. In addition, Audubon supportsreducing global warming pollution andother harmful emissions from existingcoal-fired facilities.

Audubon strongly supports properly-sited wind power as a clean alternativeenergy source that reduces the threat ofglobal warming. Wind power facilitiesshould be planned, sited and operated tominimize negative impacts on bird andwildlife populations. National office moves to award-

winning quarters. National Audubonhas had it office at 700 Broadway since1992. When National moved in, the

building was renovated to be a model ofenergy efficiency. It is still very efficient,

but no longer a leader. Decentralizationin Audubon staffing and changes in theNew York real estate market led to thesale of the building and rental of newoffice space. Audubon is now located at225 Varick St.

National board members and staff

wanted the new office to again be a lead-er in energy conservation and we suc-ceeded. The U.S. Green Building Councilrecently announced that it has awardedLEED Platinum Certification for the newAudubon headquarters office space.This is the highest rating awarded by theUSGBC. In fact, Audubon received themost points ever awarded in the Interior

Commercial Office category.Even more significant, Audubon renteda typical space in a typical New Yorkoffice building, and everything donecould easily be replicated by others.

If you have questions about NationalAudubon, contact me at [email protected]

MAS Field TripsSat. Dec. 6: Madison Lakes Birding

Al Shea, expert birder and long-timeMAS eld trip leader, will guide us inobserving waterfowl, gulls and winterbirds. If you have questions, call Al Sheaat (608) 825-6232 or see Nov. CAWS.

New Years Day Sunrise Field TripJoin us for the annual New Years Daysunrise eld trip at Faville Grove Sanc-tuary. Meet at Buddys Place, the oldfarmstead at N7710 Hwy 89, north ofLake Mills at 6:55 a.m. We will enjoy thepredawn light as we meander throughthe prairie, arriving at the marshoverlook by 7:23 a.m. to see the sun riseover the Faville Grove Marsh. We willthen spend the early morning explor-ing the winter marsh and surroundinguplands. From I-94, take the Lake Mills/Waterloo exit and go north on Hwy 89about 2.5 miles. The driveway is on theright immediately past North Shore Rd.,which intersects from the left. Volunteersanctuary managers David Musolf andRoger Packard will lead the trip.


9/129Dectember 2008The Audubon CAWS

Peregrines/Jonathon Wilde

MAS Banquet Set for March 18, 2009Save the date for Madison Audubons

annual banquet. And get ready to hear thegood news about Peregrine Falcons!

Speaker Bob Anderson, director ofthe nonprofit Raptor Resource Project,Decorah, Iowa, will describe his amazingsuccess returning peregrines to their natu-

ral habitat on the Mississippi River bluffs.These beautiful and powerful hunterswere virtually exterminated from easternNorth America by DDT between 1950and1970.

During the banquet Madison AudubonExcellence Awards will be presented foroutstanding work in one or more catego-ries, including community based habitatrestoration, bird conservation, citizen sci-ence, and environmental education andcommunication. Award nominations aredue December 31, 2008.

Scott Craven, professor and associ-ate chair, UW-Madison Department ofForest and Wildlife Ecology, will emceethe banquet, to be held in Great Hall, UWMemorial Union.

The banquet is a fund raiser for ourAudubon chapter and includes a raffledrawing. More details will appear inupcoming issues of CAWS and on thewebsite: www.madisonaudubon.org.

Plan now for an evening of good news, good food, andfriendship on Wednesday, March 18!

Global Warming:The Perfect ChanceTo Think Globally,But Act LocallyOne of the most pressing and challeng-

ing issues of our time is global warming.Unless this issue is addressed soon, the

effects will impact all humanity, as wellas the worlds wildlife and birds. Whatcan we as a community or as individualsdo to arrest the warming?The time-worn phrase Think globally,

but act locally couldnt be more apt inthis instance. The National AudubonSociety has set global warming as a toppriority. Madison Audubon has beenworking on several fronts, and individu-als like you have taken steps to lessenyour contribution to greenhouse gaseswhich are the main driving force in ris-

ing temperatures.Many solutions to global warming cen-

ter on the use of renewable and cleanerenergy sources and energy efficiency.Examples include solar, corn ethanol,nuclear, switch grass, wind power, bio-fuels such as waste wood, more fuelefficient vehicles, using less energy in thefirst place, and much more.Each solution - except for using less

energy - has consequences, whetherforeseen or unforeseen. For instance, therapid and poorly thought out expansionof corn ethanol has affected world foodprices and has led Wisconsin landownersto withdraw tens of thousands of acresfrom the federal conservation reserveprogram (CRP) that provides importanthabitat for our grassland birds.Wind power appears to be the most

green, but can kill birds and bats if notlocated appropriately. The thousandsof wind towers being proposed for theGreat Plains will need hundreds of milesof transmission lines to deliver the power

to markets. These present a lethal obsta-cle to numerous birds, including cranes.Before jumping on the bandwagon,

we need to carefully consider ques-tions about each solution. How much

biomass can we remove from our for-ests without impacting ground nesting

birds and the rest of the ecosystem?Should fast-growing aspen be plantedin central Wisconsin, where the GreaterPrairie-Chicken needs wide-open habitatto exist? Should we locate wind tow-ers in Big Bay State Park on Madeline

Island adjacent to the Apostle IslandsWilderness? A meteorological or mettower to measure wind speeds hasalready been approved for this location.As Madison Audubons lead advocate,

I have addressed many global warmingissues over the past year. Served as the Audubon representative

on a statewide study group assessing

the feasibility of putting wind towers inthe Great Lakes. Sent testimony to the Public Service

Commission of Wisconsin asking themto reject the new 300 MW coal-firedpower plant at Cassville proposed byAlliant Energy.

Worked with others concerned aboutgrassland birds to come up with a cam-paign plan to address the conversion ofCRP land to corn for ethanol.

Attended a two-day national WindWildlife Research Meeting to learn the

latest research on bird and bat fatalitiesat wind facilities.

It will take all of us, working both indi-vidually and together, to successfullytackle global warming. The recent elec-tion of a more sympathetic president andcongress encourages us that there will bea long-overdue push to transform energyproduction and use in our country.

What You Can Do

While we try to keep track of importantissues both locally and across the state(and sometimes beyond), we dont hearabout everything so we need your help.You are our eyes and ears, alerting us

to new developments and proposals.You can make a difference by calling ande-mailing local and state decision-makersWe thank you for keeping us informed,

taking action by responding to alerts andspeaking up. We urge you to keep it up!To sign up for alerts or if youd like to doeven more, e-mail or call me at

[email protected] or608-255-BIRD (2473).



Donations Receivedin October

HALF-ACRE MAKER John and Marlen Kaiser

QUARTER-ACRE MAKER Tom and Kathie Brock

MY OWN VISION Jim Block and Terese Allen

Allan and Margaret BogueWillliam and Joan BrockBob and Ann DeMarsRobert and Diane Dempsey

Robert and Nancy DottBarbara Flaherty

Gerald GundersonLee and Rosemary JonesVirginia Metcalf and Mary YeakelVirginia RogersJerry SimmonsLaura SmailKay VoelkerDebra WeitzelMarjorie Zimmerman

GIFTS IN MEMORY OF A PERSON

In Honor of Susan Connell-Magee Kevin Magee

In Memory of Tony Karls Hiroshi and Arlene Kanno

Meagan Yost

In Memory of Bette Vangsnes Barbara FlahertyIn memory of Viola Moore

Mark and Sue Foote-Martin

GIFTS IN HONOR OF A PERSON In Honor of David Musolf and

Roger Packard Nancy Washburn and Mark Spring In Honor of Ken Wood

Anonymous

Experience the Grand Canyon Raft with ALASThe Aldo Leopold Audubon Society of Central

Wisconsin will once again sponsor two raftingtrips through the Grand Canyon. Last year 52ALAS members completed a 7-night, 8-day raft-ing trip covering nearly 300 miles of the canyon.Participants raved about the side canyon hikes, bird-ing opportunities, superb guides, food, exhilaratingrapids and camaraderie.Two trips are scheduled for 2009, both leaving from

Las Vegas. The first trip leaves June 5 and returnsJune 13. The second trip leaves June 12 and returnsJune 21. ALAS uses the Colorado River and TrailsExpeditions Rafting Company and has received areduced group rate. Each trip accommodates 26 people.Members of any Audubon chapter in Wisconsin are invited to go along as partici-

pants. If you register and pay for the trip, your chapter will receive a $50 donationfrom the rafting company. For complete details, dates, times, cost etc., contact JohnMunson of ALAS [email protected] or call him at (715) 341-1208 evenings or(715) 340-4855 during the day. He will provide complete information and assist youin becoming a participant. As space is limited, all participants should register no laterthan December 15. The trip will fill quickly so applications will be on a first-come,first-served basis.

2008-An Active Year for MASEducation CommitteeBy Nancy HylbertAs chair of MAS Education committee, I would like to express my gratitude to all

of you who have been so instrumental to our many successes during this very activeyear! Our Education Committee has accomplished so much since last September:*Our Bird Mentor program is thriving. Under Dee Wylies leadership, our bird men-

tors have introduced over 500 children and adults to the joys of birding.

*In cooperation with MSCR (Madison School Community Recreation), we success-fully hosted the first ever Audubon Adventures MAD (Making A Difference) Camp.Every Wednesday morning, from June through August, we facilitated nature explora-tions and work parties for 60 middle school students. David Ropa, Spring HarborEnvironmental Charter School 7th grade science teacher, generously shared his lessonplans, his expertise, and even his restoration tools.*Since October 2007, we have hosted five Audubon Adventure Days, including

Prairies in Bloom at Faville Grove, Miracles of Migration at Goose Pond, and Birds!Birds! Birds! at Lussier Heritage Center. From scoping with the experts and handlingnative snakes and lizards, to a rousing box turtle race, our Adventure Days provided

bountiful opportunities for people of all ages to get up close and personal with thenatural world.*This fall we hosted three field trips at Goose Pond Sanctuary. Over 110 elementary

school students, including Sun Prairie fifth graders and two Madison area home-school groups, were enthusiastically engaged as citizen scientists, nature poets, andseed collectors. The children, as well as their teachers and parents, left with rosycheeks and a renewed appreciation for the prairie ecosystem and its fascinating inhab-itants.* We facilitated two well-attended seminars for nature educators, and hosted the

MAS Education table at several area events.We have a veritable flock hopes and plans for the year 2009! Come join us, as we

strive to imbue this new generation of children with wonder, a sense of purpose, anda feel for the wholeness of the natural world.Our January meeting is on Monday, Jan. 19. Please call or email: Nancy:

(608) 271-0956, or [email protected]



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 January CAWS aredue Decenber 1.

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

Quality binoculars Digital (LCD) projector

Mule utility vehicle

Rider mower in workingcondition

Energy efcient washing ma-chine

Household/ofce/patiofurniture in good condition

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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Gift in Madison Audubon CAWS.

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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

Area Christmas BirdCounts 2008/09By Geoff LeBaron, NationalAudubon Society

The Christmas Bird Count epitomizesAudubons approach to birdconservation, involving people tohelp birds. As we provide feedback

to Citizen Scientists on the resultsof their work, we hope to empowerthem as spokespersons for the birdsthey watch. The CBC aims to capturean early winter snapshot of birdpopulations over many decades andprovide birders with an enjoyablesocial birding experience. Viewed incomparison with other long-term,continent-wide, monitoring programs,CBC data give us an understandingof the dynamics of bird populationsacross North America during theearly winter. We are also gaining anunderstanding of the status of birdpopulations in Latin America, theCaribbean, and US Minor OutlyingIslands.

Volunteer Citizen Scientists gatherinformation on bird numbers over athree-week period at the turn of theyear and submit their observations toa nationally based science staff. Afterreview by a panel of regional experts,we make the cumulative data set

available to the public and researchersfor review and scientific study.Since the birth of the Christmas Bird

Count on Christmas Day of 1900 with27 observers in 25 locations acrossCanada and the United States, the

Count has grown to include well over50,000 counters at 2,000 locations eachyear from above the Arctic Circle tothe waters of the Drake Passage offTierra del Fuego. Only in recent years,with the acceptance of Citizen Science

datasets, have the contributions ofthe CBC database and other CitizenScience programs really added to ourunderstanding of the distributionand status of bird populations acrossNorth America.

Born of the budding conservationethic at the beginning of the 20thcentury, the CBC was unique in thatobservers not only noted each speciesthey encountered during their time inthe field, but also how many of eachspecies they saw-and the time they

spent counting birds. In 2008/2009,as we hold the 109th CBC, we add tothe Counts standing as the longestrunning Citizen Science program inthe world.

Madison Area CBCs These are the scheduled dates forMadison area Christmas Bird Counts.All the counts can use more volunteers.If there is one youd like to participate in,please contact the coordinator as soon aspossible, to help them in their planning.

Baraboo - Tuesday, Dec. 23,Scott Swengel, (608) 356-9543,[email protected]

Cooksville - Thursday, Jan. 1, 2009.David and Anna Marie Huset,(608) 882-5648 [email protected]

Madison - Saturday, Dec. 20,Aaron Stutz, 608-294-9618,[email protected]

Mt. Horeb - Sunday, Dec. 28,Ken Wood, (608) 767-3343,[email protected]

Poynette - Saturday, Dec. 27,

Mark and Sue Martin,(608) 635-4160, [email protected]

Sauk City - Saturday, Dec. 27,Karl and Dorothy Legler,(608) 643-4926, [email protected]

Waterloo - Tuesday, Dec. 16Bob Domagalski, (262) 251-6259,rcd2 @wi.rr.com

Save the Dates:

GBBC is Coming!The next Great Backyard Bird Counttakes place February 13-16, 2009. TheNational Audubon Society and theCornell Lab of Ornithology are callingon everyone to Count for Fun, Countfor the Future! Participants did justthat in record numbers for the 2008count, submitting more than 85,000checklists and identifying 635 species.

Mark your calendars and watchfor more information in the JanuaryCAWS.

Red-breasted Nuthatch/Pat Ready

G t H d O l/P t R d

Red-belliedWoodp

ecker/PatReady

Dec 2008 CAWS Newsletter Madison Audubon Society

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Transcript of Dec 2008 CAWS Newsletter Madison Audubon Society