Category: Wildlife

Goldfinch

BUG-A-SALT Realtree Camo 3.0 Fly Gun

BUG-A-SALT’s new limited-edition Realtree Camo 3.0 model fly gun reflects a love of the adventurous outdoor lifestyle and provides a super-fun time slaughtering flies, roaches, mosquitos and other insects.

This Realtree camo fly gun is designed for the serious fly hunter. Those who understand weaponry and gun handling will appreciate custom improvements, such as the cross-bolt safety, trigger redesign and the Patridge sight.

BUG-A-SALT is excited about this new lethal edition to the family. However, it’s warning customers that while other models leave flies whole for easy cleanup, the 3.0 may splatter them. The 3.0 model greatly increases odds for in-flight take down. Read more

Wildlife

Look for signs of invasive Asian longhorned beetle during Tree Check Month in August

August is Tree Check Month, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is asking the public to look for and report any signs of the Asian longhorned beetle, an invasive pest that is not native to Michigan and could cause harm to the state’s environment and economy.

The Michigan departments of Agriculture and Rural Development; Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; and Natural Resources are joining the USDA in asking people to take just 10 minutes this month to check trees around homes for the beetle or any signs of the damage it causes.

In late summer and early fall, adult Asian longhorned beetles drill perfectly round, 3/8-inch holes to emerge from within tree trunks and limbs, where they spend their larval stage chewing through the heartwood. After a brief mating period, female beetles chew oval depressions in trunks or branches to deposit eggs. Sometimes a material resembling wood shavings can be seen at or below exit holes or coming from cracks in an infested tree’s bark.

Asian longhorned beetle in the U.S.

The Asian longhorned beetle was first detected in the U.S. in 1996, when a Brooklyn, New York resident noticed a large, black beetle with irregular white spots and black-and-white banded antennae and reported it. Since that time, the invasive beetle has been found in 20 locations in six states, including New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Illinois, Ohio and, most recently, South Carolina.

Asian longhorned beetles likely arrived hidden in untreated wood packaging material like pallets and crates before the development of international standards for treating these materials to prevent the spread of insects.

Because adult beetles fly only short distances, it is likely that human movement of infested logs, firewood or other wood products has contributed to the spread of Asian longhorned beetle within the U.S.

To date, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has been successful in eradicating the beetle from all but four locations in the U.S. However, eradication has both financial and environmental costs. According to the USDA, over $750 million has been spent on the Asian longhorned beetle eradication program in the last 23 years, and at least 180,000 trees have been removed from infested areas.

You can help

The beetle has not been detected in Michigan, but discovering early signs of infestation can prevent widespread damage to the state’s forest resources, urban landscapes and maple syrup production. Read more

Wildlife

Key Habitat Connectivity Secured in Wyoming

MISSOULA, Mont. — Thanks to a Wyoming family that successfully worked with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, 634 acres of important elk habitat are now permanently protected in the southeast part of the state.

“This voluntary conservation agreement is a credit to Al and Barb Johnson for their dedication to wildlife and conservation,” said Kyle Weaver, RMEF president and CEO. “We appreciate and salute them for their efforts.”

The Terry Creek property lies within the Upper Laramie River Watershed and links a peninsula of the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest to U.S. Forest Service lands in the Snowy Mountains to the west. It also falls within the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Upper Laramie River and Little Laramie River Crucial Habitat Priority and Sheep Mountain Mule Deer Initiative Areas.

“Not only does this property provide vital winter and year-long range for elk, but elk migration routes funnel directly through it,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer. “Groups of 100 to 200 elk on the property are a common occurrence. The immediate landscape also offers important range for mule deer, moose and other wildlife.”

Pronghorn antelope and mule deer also pass through the property as well. The owners, together with RMEF and WGFD are completing a boundary fence conversion to wildlife friendly specifications as well, to bring even more enhancement to the connected and conserved landscape.

Project partners include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wyoming Wildlife Natural Resources Trust, Wyoming Governor’s Big Game License Coalition, Ducks Unlimited Inc., the Knobloch Family Foundation, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

Boone and Crockett Hosts 20th Anniversary Celebration of American Wildlife Conservation Partners

Boone and Crockett Club Hosts 20th Anniversary Celebration of the American Wildlife Conservation Partners; Schoonen Elected as 2022 Chair

MISSOULA, Mont. – The Boone and Crockett Club hosted more than 50 of the nation’s top hunting conservation organizations that work together through the American Wildlife Conservation Partners (AWCP) as they celebrated two decades of collaboration on wildlife policy. The event at Club headquarters in Missoula, Montana, celebrated accomplishments since the first meeting convened in 2000, which the Club also hosted. The actual 20th anniversary celebration had to be postponed last year due to COVID travel restrictions.

The partner organizations have delivered recommendations to six incoming or returning Administrations and Congresses through the Wildlife for the 21st Century agendas that are the foundation for AWCP policy work. Each year, the coalition has submitted numerous letters to policy makers to outline positions on key issues—430 over the 20 years of work.

The celebration took place during the AWCP annual summer meeting where partners discussed current priorities such as conservation funding, migration corridors, climate and infrastructure policy, forest health, and much more. As the meeting concluded yesterday, Club chief executive officer Tony Schoonen was elected to chair the partners starting in January 2022.

“Since the Boone and Crockett Club first hosted these top hunting-conservation organizations two decades ago, the American Wildlife Conservation Partners has played a critical role on wildlife and land conservation efforts. We had two mottos at the first meeting: ‘We believe in magic,’ and ‘It is amazing what can be accomplished when there are no concerns about who gets the credit,’” commented James F. Arnold, president of the Boone and Crockett Club. “This belief has served as a foundation for AWCP and is critical to our success of working together to support conservation, hunting, trapping, and land stewardship. The Club considers this common cause among today’s leaders as important as any of the accomplishments in the last 130-plus years and we believe this partnership is essential to carry forward wildlife conservation policy.” Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

Timber harvests underway at four state game areas in Michigan’s Thumb

Commercial timber harvests designed to improve wildlife habitat are currently underway at Vassar, Tuscola and Deford state game areas in Tuscola County and the Verona State Game Area in Huron County.

Though things may look very different at these areas for a while, the timber harvests will provide or improve habitat for ruffed grouse, American woodcock, white-tailed deer and a host of nongame species, particularly migratory songbirds. Each of these species finds the young forests that quickly develop post-harvest attractive sites for breeding, nesting, raising their young, feeding and avoiding predators.

Visitors to these state game areas will notice the presence of commercial logging equipment entering game area lands along Wilder Road at Vassar; at the east end of Bliss Road at Tuscola; along Froede Road at Deford and east of Scott Road at Verona. Read more

Wildlife

Michigan: grant funding can aid communities’ green-up efforts

On the way to school, the park or a city walking trail, take a look around. Could your local trees benefit from increased maintenance, planning or management technology? Or maybe outreach and education could help share the importance of trees with the next generation. If you’re interested in helping to green your community, connect with your local municipal office, campus administration or other planning authority to share the Community Forestry grant opportunity, administered by the DNR.

Through this grant program, Michigan communities can obtain resources for improved management and grow connections to public trees and forests through inventory projects, Arbor Day celebrations, tree care outreach, urban forestry technology and more.

“These grants support communities and partners around the state in providing better management, maintenance and education related to community trees and forests,” said Kevin Sayers, coordinator of the DNR’s Urban and Community Forestry program. Read more

Wildlife

Firearm Industry Surpasses $14 Billion in Pittman-Robertson Excise Tax Contributions for Conservation

NEWTOWN, Conn. — NSSF® the firearm industry trade association, marked a milestone achievement when firearm and ammunition manufacturers topped $14.1 billion in contributions to the Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund since its inception in 1937.

“This is truly a remarkable win for wildlife conservation,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF’s President and CEO. “This fund has been responsible for the restoration and recovery of America’s iconic game species, including the Rocky Mountain elk, whitetail deer, pronghorn antelope, wild turkeys and a variety of waterfowl. It is also responsible for funding the recovery and conservation of nongame species, including the American bald eagle, reptiles, fauna and conservation lands that allow them to thrive. The firearm industry is proud to perform such an important and vital function to ensure America’s wildlife remains abundant for future generations.”

The Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund, commonly known as the Pittman-Robertson fund or Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax, is a tax paid by firearm and ammunition manufacturers on the products they produce. The excise tax is set at 11 percent of the wholesale price for long guns and ammunition and 10 percent of the wholesale price for handguns. The excise tax, paid by manufacturers and importers, applies basically to all firearms produced or imported for commercial sales, whether their purpose is for recreational shooting, hunting or personal defense. The tax is currently administered by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) in the Department of the Treasury, which turns the funds over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

USFWS then deposits the Pittman-Robertson revenue into a special account called the Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund, which is administered by the USFWS. These funds are made available to states and territories the year following their collection. Read more

Firearms, Fishing, Hunting, Wildlife

The 100 Best Audubon Contest Photos

This Wood Duck was photographed in Montana by Steve Hinch when she raised up and flapped her wings after preening.
The largest raptor in the world, this dramatic photo of a Steller’s Sea Eagle landing on winter ice in northern Japan was photographed by Isabel Guerra Clark.
Considered one of the world’s most beautiful birds, a Resplendent Quetzal was bringing fruit to its nesting cavity in Costa Rica, where it was photographed by Aaron Baggenstos.
A trio of fledgling Barred Owls taken in Maryland by Bogdan Alexandrescu is especially captivating.

After seeing the winning photographs referenced last week, now you can review the best of the rest: The Best 100 Bird Photos entered by 2,416 photographers during the 2021 Audubon Photography Contest! These photos feature birdlife at its most vivid, vulnerable, formidable, and playful. There are intimate portraits that reveal exquisite details, action photos that capture powerful birds on the hunt, and arresting images that celebrate a wide array of bird behavior. Prepare to be impressed by the resourcefulness of the bird photographers.

Now you can scroll through these superb images that feature birds in all their variety, and find out the backstory behind each photo. This year more than 8,770 photos and 261 videos were entered in the 12th annual Audubon Photography Awards. Eight stunning winners were selected by the panel of judges, along with 5 honorable mention photos, as noted in last week’s issue of The Birding Wire. Now you can view the Top 100 additional bird photos so you can pick your own favorites!

View the Top 100 bird photos from the 2021 Audubon Photography Contest at https://www.audubon.org/news/the-2021-audubon-photography-awards-top-100

Wildlife

Searching for Answers to the Songbird Pathogen

Blue Jays are one of the primary species affected by the mystery pathogen, along with fledgling Common Grackles, European Starlings, and American Robins.

The US Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) and the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) are currently working together to diagnose a mysterious ailment that has affected some fledgling songbirds – mostly Blue Jays, Common Grackles, European Starlings, and American Robins – in some Mid-Atlantic portions of the United States. To date, none of the labs have been able to identify the cause of the birds’ deaths.

After rigorous nationwide testing, the NWHC and its collaborators published a report that rules out several common bird pathogens, including West Nile virus, avian influenza, Newcastle disease, herpes viruses, poxviruses, salmonella, chlamydia, and trichomonas parasites.

While it’s extremely helpful to narrow down the list of potential pathogens, investigators are still searching for leads as to the cause of the bird deaths in areas of the Mid-Atlantic states from New Jersey to Virginia, plus West Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana.

With such a broad spectrum of bacteria, fungi, toxins, and viruses to test for, it may be a while before researchers have a definitive answer. Nicole Nemeth with the SCWDS, said it’s even possible that the disease could be caused by multiple pathogens. “There’s really still a lot of possibilities,” she explained, “Unfortunately, it just takes time.”

Stopping the Spread

Until then, concerned citizens in affected regions can take steps to protect birds in their own yards. “The best thing we can recommend is taking down your bird feeders,” wildlife researcher Christine Casey said. Once down, it’s important to clean feeders and birdbaths with a 10 percent bleach solution to kill any pathogens, followed by a thorough rinse and drying time. Keeping feeders and birdbaths clean, of course, is standard procedure for most birders anytime, including the use of very diluted 10 percent bleach with thorough rinsing afterward. Read more

Wildlife

Birder’s Field Guide & Binocular

“What’s that bird in our yard?” You might need your field guide and binoculars to figure this one out (female Scarlet Tanager photo by Paul Konrad).
The importance of a good look with binoculars before you consult a field guide, Merlin, or another bird ID source would emphasized when you located this bird in one of your trees. Same species? No, look at that beak … the key is to be prepared (immature Summer Tanager photo by Paul Konrad).

There are two essential pieces of birding equipment that everyone should have within reach – a field guide and a binocular. Even at home, whether you’re seated in your favorite chair with your feeding station in sight, or on your front porch, back deck, or balcony, it’s always a good bet to keep your binoculars close to check out the moment to moment potential of a bird’s appearance that catches your attention and imagination. You can always check your field guide moments later, but don’t underestimate the importance of having a good field guide within easy access.

It may seem early, but some birds are already beginning their southbound migrations – including new fledglings that have different plumages than adults, possibly with unfamiliar plumage coloration for you. If you are really lucky, you may even find a “rare bird,” a species that is a thousand miles beyond its normal range.

If you take a look at this week’s Rare Birds article you will see that rare birds are making record-breaking appearances in many states, including a Lark Bunting that’s visiting a feeding station in New Hampshire, a Beryline Hummingbird that frequents a feeder in Arizona, and a Mexican Violetear that stopped at a nectar feeder south Texas. At the same time you may see a species you’ve never seen in your yard before – a newbie for your Yard List. That’s always fun, and personally significant. Read more

Wildlife
1 … 108 109 110 111 112 … 371