In this episode of the award-winning “Wildtalk” podcast, we talk to wildlife biologist Pete Kailing about all things habitat in the southwest Lower Peninsula, fly away with a discussion about the great horned owl and wrap up the episode with a chat about the short-tailed weasel.

Don’t forget to participate in the wildlife quiz part of the show for a chance to win a “Wildtalk” podcast camp mug. The deadline for submission is Dec. 15, so don’t delay. These mugs are exclusive and not available for purchase, so be sure to listen and submit your answer via email to DNR-Wildlife@Michigan.gov with the subject line “Mug me.” Keep an ear out for the December episode, when we will announce the lucky winners.

You can be on the show

If you have a general question about wildlife or hunting, record a voice memo on your phone and email it to DNR-Wildlife@Michigan.gov, and we might play it on the air. Don’t worry if you make a mistake recording your audio. We’ll be sure to edit your voice memo to help you be as concise and articulate as possible with your question. Submitted questions are not guaranteed to end up on the show, but we’ll do our best to work in as many as we can.

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By JOHN PEPIN
Deputy public information officer
Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Earlier this week, along a snow-covered highway near the Schoolcraft-Luce County line, Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Jason Ruth pulled his vehicle over to the side of the road.

DNR wildlife biologist Kristie Sitar had arrived there in her truck too.

Sometime over the past few days, a vehicle passing the area had struck and killed a white-tailed deer. Crows, ravens and at least one bald eagle had found the carcass and began scavenging meat from the roadkill.

At some point, when a vehicle or vehicles sped past, the adult eagle flushed from the carcass and tried to fly away – likely to a branch in a nearby tree where it could overlook the scene.

But the tremendous bird, with a wingspan of nearly 7 feet, couldn’t gain enough altitude on take-off before it too was struck by passing traffic and thrown down to the side of the road with the force of the impact. Read more

This weekend teams of birders will begin conducting the Christmas Bird Count, Audubon’s 125th early-winter bird census, with hundreds of individual area counts taking place on a selected day between December 14th to January 5th. Thousands of birders will participate in Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) across the United States and Canada, with volunteers identifying and counting the birds on their “count day” in their “count circle.” Birders of all skill levels get involved and everyone is welcome to join the excitement generated during CBCs held throughout the United States, Canada, and other countries.

To get started, contact the “Circle Compiler” for the CBC you wish to join ahead of time to get all the information about how to participate. Whatever skill level you are as a birder, you can be helpful and your participation will be rewarding. For example, if you are a beginning birder, the Compiler will pair you with an experienced birder who will help you become a better birder while participating in the Christmas Bird Count. Read more

A commercial poultry flock in Adair County was confirmed by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to have been infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). ODAFF and APHIS are responding according to their Avian Influenza Response Plan.

HPAI is particularly deadly to poultry, and in some cases, the virus is fatal to wild birds. Waterfowl are susceptible to HPAI as well as quail and pheasants. And so hunters, particularly those with domestic poultry or pet birds, should be aware of how they can lessen the chance of spreading the virus to domestic bird populations. Hunters seeking more information should visit: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/fsc_hpai_hunters.pdf. Read more

Winter brings a fascinating cast of characters to Michigan’s waterways—ducks! As colder temperatures and icy winds freeze Arctic and boreal waters, an array of waterfowl (over 30 species!) migrate south to find their winter haven in Michigan.

Here are just a few reasons to love these winter ducks:

• They are beautiful. From the elegant northern pintail, with its dapper three-piece-suit plumage, to the playful surf scoter, which sports a striking orange bill, many winter ducks catch the eye of bird-watchers.
• They have unique adaptations and behaviors, which are a delight to watch. Surf scoters can dive deep for food amid cresting waves, while the common goldeneye occasionally shows off its quirky mating displays in the winter.
• They gather in awe-inspiring congregations. Up to tens of thousands of waterfowl can be seen on Great Lakes open waters! One species, the ruddy duck can often be found in large flocks, rarely mixing with other ducks, as they strut a punky tail and vibrant blue beak. Read more

If you ask Yvette Bonney to describe the grossest thing she’s seen during her job, she talks about the time she removed an abscessed lymph node from the neck of a mule deer, which Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff occasionally sees in deer.?

“All this green stuff oozed out,” Bonney says.?

She’ll also tell you about other times when she examined tick-infested heads, deer with injuries or heads that were no longer fresh but still sampleable.?

The job of a wildlife technician who samples dead animals for chronic wasting disease (CWD) isn’t always a glamorous one. But Bonney says she likes it. She arrives at her job site, which is an old Globestar camper with a folding table outside, before 8 each morning, takes out her tools and waits for the first hunter of the day. Read more