The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is conducting two wildlife surveys across northern Michigan in May – the American Woodcock Singing-Ground Survey, which involves an intricate aerial dance of a migratory bird, and a bear hair snare survey, literally snagging bear hair on barbed wire.

“Wildlife surveys are one of the most enjoyable parts of our jobs,” said Dale Rabe, DNR wildlife field operations manager in Traverse City.  “Being able to hear or see the wildlife we manage or, in the case of the bear survey, being able to find evidence of their presence is a pretty good time in the woods.”

Annually, the woodcock survey is performed across much the northern United States, giving wildlife agencies an idea of breeding populations. Woodcock migrate annually to southern Gulf Coast states from eastern Texas to Florida and return to northern latitudes, including Michigan, to find a mate and breed. Michigan is a national leader for the number of young woodcock that are produced each year.

Spring, when their unique breeding behavior can be seen and heard in the evenings, is the perfect time to count male woodcock.

“Male woodcock will be in their singing grounds, or grassy openings, just after sunset ‘peenting,’ and they’ll start their spiral display flights,” said Bruce Barlow, DNR wildlife biologist in Gladwin. “While they are on the ground, they will call a ‘peent’ every four to five seconds.  You may have heard this nasal insect-like call before, but may have never realized it was a woodcock making that sound!” Read more

One of the principle benefits of mast orchards over food plots is that once established they require far less effort. However, maximizing the growth potential of your trees does require occasional regular maintenance, like fertilization. The best time to fertilize fruit trees is during the growing season in early spring after bud break and again in early June with the start of summer rains. Chestnut Hill Outdoors highly recommends that you use a quality time-release fertilizer properly balanced with minor elements.

With quick release fertilizers, beneficial elements are available to plants immediately, but only for as long as they remain in the same soil layers as the root system. This period varies with rainfall and temperature but typically isn’t long enough for plants to absorb and utilize all available nutrients. Time or slow release fertilizers have layers designed to melt away in sequence, gradually releasing active ingredients in somewhat the same way as time release medications. This allows your trees to utilize more elements over a longer period, and when they’re needed most. Minor elements are very important because they are often scarce or absent in certain soils, which can be a limiting factor for plant growth. Read more

Ithaca, N.Y.–What prompts birds to build nests where they do? Some of their real estate choices are real head-scratchers. That’s where the Funky Nests in Funky Places contest comes in. If you find a nest built in a quirky, even downright crazy spot, please share! The contest is hosted by the Celebrate Urban Birds citizen-science project at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Entries can be photos, poems, stories, or artwork. Past participants have found nests strategically placed on statues (as in the image above), in barbecue grills, traffic lights, wind chimes, golf shoes, and–pretty much anywhere.

The entry deadline is June 30.

Read more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – May is American Wetlands month and as duck nesting season gets underway across North America, Ducks Unlimited and the rest of the world will celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) on May 12.

“World Migratory Bird Day is a conservation initiative that focuses awareness on conserving migratory birds and their habitats throughout the world,” Ducks Unlimited Chief Conservation Officer Nick Wiley said. “The program is dedicated to international conservation efforts and environmental education all over the world, including North America, where Ducks Unlimited works every day to conserve, restore and manage wetlands and associated habitats for North America’s waterfowl.”

Since 1993, International Migratory Bird Day has been celebrated during the second weekend in May in the Western Hemisphere, coordinated by Environment for the Americas and sponsored by dozens of organizations dedicated to birds and bird conservation.
This year, Environment for the Americas joins the Convention on Migratory Species and the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds to create a single, global bird conservation education campaign. World Migratory Bird Day is now celebrated in May and October and brings attention to one of the most important and spectacular events in the Americas – bird migration. Read more

Springfield, Mo. – Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium has been voted America’s Best Aquarium through a national public poll conducted byUSA TODAY ranking the top 20 prominent institutions across North America. The nationwide recognition is the second significant award the public has bestowed upon the conservation-based aquarium and museum since its grand opening last fall. Earlier this year Wonders of Wildlife was voted America’s Best New Attraction.

Wonders of Wildlife is a gift to the sportsmen and women of America from noted conservationist, angler and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris. Johnny endeavored to create a world-class not-for-profit conservation attraction located in his hometown, Springfield, Missouri, next to Bass Pro Shops’ flagship headquarters store – where half the nation’s population lives within a day’s drive.
Featuring an immersive design with surprises around every corner and more than 35,000 live fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds, the $300 million not-for-profit Wonders of Wildlife is unlike any other aquarium on earth. Fans cite the aquarium’s over-the-top multisensory habitats, engaging interactive exhibits and strong conservation ethic as defining features that set Wonders of Wildlife apart. Larger than the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, the not-for-profit attraction is the world’s grandest tribute to the conservation movement and the adventurers, explorers, outdoorsmen and conservationists who helped discover, develop and preserve the nation we love. Read more

For many birders and other wildlife watchers, the month of May is just like Christmastime.

The return of Michigan’s migratory birds from their southern wintering grounds is cause for celebration, and many celebrate by heading to the fields, forests and wetlands to view these colorful harbingers of spring.

Many of Michigan’s migratory birds spend the winter in the tropical areas of Central and South America, where food remains abundant all winter long.

Many birders considered these neo-tropical migrants, like warblers, tanagers, buntings and orioles, the jewels of the treetops. With their bright breeding colors, these are the dazzling birds that many wait all year to see. Read more

Nearly 600 people so far have attended a series of public engagement meetings on chronic wasting disease, a fatal neurological disease that has affected the deer population in a handful of Michigan counties. The final meetings will take place in Gaylord (May 1), Newberry (May 2) and Houghton (May 3).

While the face-to-face meetings have provided a great forum in which the DNR can both share information and hear feedback from hunters and other interested community members, there are online opportunities for those who’ve been unable to attend any of the meetings. A video of the DNR presentation on CWD, by DNR state wildlife veterinarian Dr. Kelly Straka and deer management specialist Chad Stewart, and an online survey are available on the DNR website michigan.gov/cwd.

All feedback is due by Friday, May 4, and will be shared with the Michigan Natural Resources Commission at its May meeting. Read more

Just in time for Arbor Day this Friday, the DTE Energy Foundation along with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and ReLeaf Michigan announce the availability of the annual community tree-planting grant program.

A total of $70,000 is available again this year in matching grants of up to $3,000 each to support tree planting on public property. Read more