Bodies of water are a big attraction for many birds, and many birders. Geese are among the most obvious waterfowl you may find, such as this pair of Brant.

BIRDING is many things to many people – including many tens of millions of Americans! For some of us birding is a lifestyle, an ever-present part of our lives. For some, it’s the action at feeders outside their window, the birds along the golf course, or the diversity of birds found at an area park or a national wildlife refuge. But for all of us, birds provide an interest that draws our attention and inspires a lively connection to nature that we enjoy sharing with family, friends, and fellow birders.

Birding includes all kinds of outdoor activities, including identifying, listing, and censusing the species we see, photographing birds; birding while hiking, cycling, auto touring, canoeing, kayaking, backpacking and camping. We also enjoy birding through drawing and painting birds, participating in big days and birding festivals, assisting with citizen science field studies, traveling to wildlife havens in other states or even other countries to explore new locations with distinctive birds – birding is many things to many people!

Birding also includes aspects of our home life, such as attracting birds by providing food and water, and landscaping our yards with flowering plants, shrubs, and trees to provide food, shelter, escape cover, and nesting sites. We also install bird houses for cavity nesting birds to utilize in our yards and in the field. Read more

Officials will use long-term data to predict spring 2020 waterfowl abundance

MEMPHIS, TN – For the first time in its 65-year history, the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey has been cancelled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) and state partners due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The USFWS and CWS also cancelled participation in the American Woodcock Singing-ground Survey, Mid-continent Population Sandhill Crane Survey, and Arctic Goose Banding Program. The U.S. Geological Survey cancelled the North American Breeding Bird Survey, data from which is also important in monitoring bird abundance and regulating harvest of some species.

The May survey has been successfully completed every year since 1955 and its data used to estimate breeding population size and inform harvest management decisions for many waterfowl species.

Cancellation of these surveys will create a one-year gap in the record of waterfowl population estimates. The USFWS, in consultation with the Flyway Councils, will use long-term data from spring/summer monitoring for these species to make regulatory harvest management decisions. Read more

Jelly feeders for orioles tend to be small cups, which are fine during most of the “oriole season,” but you may need to upsize to a small bowl to provide ample jelly for a week or two during May migration. You will enjoy the variety of plumages of orioles you may attract, such as this young Baltimore Oriole.

By keeping at least one seed feeder active during May, you may attract migrating towhees or native sparrows, such as this large Harris’s Sparrow. By providing fresh water and a variety of bird foods, you will be rewarded during May.

In addition to your usual hummingbird feeder, you may like to try adding a small window hummingbird feeder to get even closer views of these dynamos. This Aspects Gem Window Feeder is available from Duncraft.

With the return of feeding station favorites including goldfinches, hummingbirds, orioles, and a variety of migrants that are looking for a feeding and watering stopover site, May is an exciting time at feeders across the continent. But if you haven’t already transitioned to a Spring Feeding Station Plan, now is the time to activate a May Feeding Plan. It’s easy, but you don’t want to miss out on any of May’s exciting birds as they transition to summer nesting areas – maybe even into your neighborhood. Read more

Study documents groups of endangered species on DU project sites

STAFFORD, Kan. – A new study highlights the need for conservation work in the southern great plains by Ducks Unlimited and partners. Using data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), researchers from the Crane Trust, FWS and the International Crane Foundation documented larger groups of endangered whooping cranes congregating along the center of their migration path, particularly in the southern great plains. While a positive sign of species recovery, the study authors say disease outbreaks or extreme weather could cause a catastrophic loss of the crane’s current population.

“A lot of Ducks Unlimited projects in Nebraska’s Rainwater Basin and along the Platte River are stop-over sites for whooping cranes. Other wetland complexes where DU has done extensive restoration work, including Quivira National Wildlife Refuge and Cheyenne Bottoms in Kansas, are some of the sites where large groups have been regularly spotted,” DU Manager of Kansas Conservation Programs Matt Hough said. “This is a validation of our wetland work in those areas.”

Andrew Caven, co-author of the study, says cranes have generally traveled in family groups, but group sizes have increased over the last 20 years, as the species has recovered. Read more

Chatfield, MN – The Pope and Young Club adamantly opposes wildlife management decisions resulting from ballot initiatives that undermine the tenets of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. Since the 1842 Supreme Court Martin v. Waddell ruling, which established the legal precedent that it was the government’s responsibility to hold wildlife in trust for all citizens, the North American Model has evolved into the epitome of how to manage wildlife resources.

The North American Model is internationally recognized as the basis for informed, science-based wildlife management and decision-making processes facilitated by trained wildlife professionals utilizing the best information available and a public process. All states have in place legislative, regulatory, and administrative mechanisms for wildlife management based on empirical scientific data. Emotional rhetoric has no foundation in deciding wildlife management issues.

To ensure that an abundant wildlife population continues for future generations to enjoy, the Pope & Young Club supports the North American Model as the best method to manage our nation’s wildlife resources.

“The attempt to adequately manage our wildlife and their habitats, through ballot initiatives is dangerous and irresponsible,” states Neil Thagard, Conservation Chair for the Pope and Young Club. “Ballot box biology is neither productive nor successful. The Pope & Young Club supports management of these resources to be performed through the use of best available science.” Read more

PHOENIX — As Arizonans get out to experience the trails and outdoors, it is important to remember that Arizona is home to 13 species of rattlesnake. The ones encountered most often are the Western diamondback, Mojave, black-tailed and sidewinder.

Thomas Jones, amphibians and reptiles program manager for the Arizona Game and Fish Department, said: “Arizona has more rattlesnake species than any other state, and we can all celebrate that amazing biodiversity.”

In warm deserts, rattlesnakes are most active March through October. During the spring, rattlesnakes are most active in the daylight hours. As the days become increasingly hot, usually around early May, rattlesnakes become more active at night.

April is typically when the most rattlesnake bites are reported in Arizona. So far, there have been 39 bites reported in 2020 to the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center, 19 of those in April. Read more

LITTLE ROCK — Birdhouses shaped like cabins and decorated like a Hilton may be nice yard ornaments, but many go unnoticed by the songbirds people are trying to attract. The best bluebird houses often are crafted by hand, and rarely take more than a single 6-foot board, a handful of nails and some quality time with family members.

The AGFC has an easy nestbox plan available at www.agfc.com/brochures ideal for an afternoon or weekend project. It takes minimal skills with a saw and hammer, and will be a fun addition to your yard for many years to come. A few cuts, some nails and one drilled entrance hole is all it takes to put together this basic home that will invite songbirds to stay a while and raise a family. Read more