Winter finches are always a big hit with birders, and to take advantage of this winter’s promise of a big flight of northern finches, you want to be sure you have all the right stuff in your feeding station and yard. If the birds come through, species by species or in mixed flocks, you definitely want to be ready. Overall, we’re talking about such exciting birds as Pine Grosbeaks, Evening Grosbeaks, Red Crossbills, White-winged Crossbills, Purple Finches, Pine Siskins, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Hoary Redpolls and Common Redpolls.

For most of these birds, it’s relatively easy to stock your feeders with foods that will attract them like a magnet – if they make it to your neighborhood. But if one or more of these colorful species stops by, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to try to make them stay, by making your own little oasis with a gourmet table setting. Actually, it’s not gourmet at all, and you may already be providing all they right ingredients. But first of all, a bit of nomenclature discussion. Read more

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has launched a new community science project aimed at learning more about Florida’s skunk populations.

The Sunshine State is home to two species of skunks, the striped skunk and the smaller eastern spotted skunk. Both are thought to be found throughout the state and biologists are hoping to involve the public in collecting observations to learn more about the distribution of both species and the types of habitats in which they are found.

“There’s still a lot we don’t know about skunks in Florida,” said FWC Mammal Conservation Coordinator Terry Doonan. “By reporting skunk sightings, you could make a big difference. Your information will help inform future skunk research and habitat management practices.” Read more

Dec. 9 webinar to launch new platforms for industry, research

In a move that capitalizes on collective forestry knowledge and a commitment to smarter, sustainable use of natural resources, Finland and the states of Maine and Michigan are elevating a cooperative effort in bioeconomy and clean technologies. This week, the team will host a webinar to introduce the formation of working groups open to those in industry, research and governmental sectors.

Maine and Michigan, like Finland, are heavily wooded states with long traditions in the forest industry. All three see great opportunities in working together in the transition toward a modern, sustainable bioeconomy that supports growth while protecting long-term forest health. The cooperation provides many opportunities for companies and researchers on both sides of the Atlantic, and it’s an effort that is moving forward at a fast pace.

On Wednesday, Dec. 9, Finland, Maine and Michigan will host a webinar to launch working groups in key sectors of the bioeconomy. The aim for the working groups is to act as platforms for joint U.S.-Finland research, development and innovation projects. Read more

Outdoor recreationists, pilots, drone operators asked to avoid nesting areas

PHOENIX — Arizona’s bald eagles are back, and they will soon be preparing for the next generation of eagles at breeding sites statewide.

To assist with the state’s continued bald eagle population growth, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) encourages outdoor recreationists, aircraft pilots, drone operators and motorized paragliders to do their part by not disturbing the state’s 92 eagle breeding areas. To protect breeding attempts, some portions of public land and water areas will be temporarily closed to help these majestic animals and ensure even more young eagles take to the skies this spring.

“Arizona’s bald eagles are hard at work preparing their nest for what we hope will be a productive breeding season,” said Kenneth “Tuk” Jacobson, bald eagle management coordinator. “The birds nest, forage and roost at rivers and lakes that are also popular recreation spots. That’s why we must be vigilant to help protect the birds and ensure their populations statewide continue to flourish. That success wouldn’t be possible without the cooperation of outdoor recreationists who respect the closures during the breeding season.”

During the 2020 breeding season, 71 young hatched, and 55 reached the important milestone of their first flight, known as fledging. Read more

Invasive pest already confirmed in five southwest Michigan counties

The recent discovery of hemlock woolly adelgid as far north as Ludington State Park in Mason County is a reminder of the importance of checking hemlock trees for signs of the invasive insect.

The Michigan departments of Natural Resources and Agriculture and Rural Development encourage those who have eastern hemlock trees on their property to take time this winter to inspect the trees for signs of hemlock woolly adelgid. Anyone taking to the woods can help by looking for signs of the insect while hunting, hiking or enjoying any outdoor activities.

Winter is the optimum time to look for evidence of an infestation, according to Robert Miller, MDARD’s invasive species prevention and response specialist.

“Cooler temperatures trigger feeding activity,” Miller said. “As hemlock woolly adelgids feed, they secrete a white, waxy material that creates ovisacs. The presence of these small, round, white masses makes it possible to identify infested trees.”

As they feed, these tiny, soft-bodied insects consume a hemlock’s stored nutrients, slowly sucking the life from the tree. Read more

Higher standards and lower prices. That’s the name of the game for Black Gate Hunting Products. When that mantra is applied to the trail camera industry it results in the ultimate lineup of trail cameras money can buy. That’s exactly what hunters get when they use the new R2K from Black Gate, an innovative new trail camera that is packed full of impressive features and won’t break the bank.

The R2K features a high-definition 20 MP camera that is capable of shooting photo only, video only, or photo plus video modes. Super-fast trigger speeds of as low as 0.2 seconds will ensure you capture even the fastest moving activity in front of your camera. An infrared, black, no glow flash with a range of 80 feet makes sure your camera remains stealthy and captures all the traffic, both near and far. The built-in microphone and 2.7k video recording capabilities allows for HD quality recording ensuring you’ll see and hear every detail, no matter what settings you’re using.

The R2K has multiple still-shooting quality settings including 3 MP, 5 MP, 8 MP, 12 MP, 16 MP, and 20 MP. With this flexibility you’re sure to find a setting that captures the right level of detail and maximizes your storage capacity. And speaking of storage capacity, load up the camera with images and videos thanks to SD card capacity of up to 512GB. When you’re ready to view your images and videos, use the built-in speaker and the LCD color display to quickly locate your favorite clip or image of that target buck or bull. Read more