Live-streaming camera offers unique viewing experience

WILLCOX, Ariz. — Sandhill cranes by the thousands are once again returning to their wintering grounds at the Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area in southeastern Arizona.

For the next few months, viewers can observe almost 20,000 of these fascinating birds on a live-streaming camera installed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). The live stream can be viewed at www.azgfd.gov/sandhillcranes.

“The sandhill cranes have once again sprung Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area back to life,” said Jeff Meyers, wildlife viewing program manager. “It’s truly a pleasure to offer this unfiltered view of our state’s wildlife directly to the public, giving them a chance to see the migration of this incredible species in action.” Read more

Media contact: Jennifer Holton, 517-284-5724

LANSING, Mich -The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the detection of box tree moth (BTM) (Cydalima perspectalis) at two residences in Clinton located in Lenawee County. Although not a threat to Michigan’s natural resources, extensive feeding from box tree moth can lead to significant defoliation and death of ornamental boxwood.

In May 2021, potentially infested boxwood plants were shipped to retail locations in several states including six in Michigan. The pest was then identified in three of the six Michigan facilities. It is not known whether the box tree moth populations detected in Clinton are linked or if the pest entered the state through another pathway.

“Box tree moth poses a serious threat to our boxwood industry,” said Mike Philip, Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division Director with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. “We are in the assessment stage of this response, and we are asking Michiganders to look closely at their boxwood plants and report any signs of this pest so we can determine the scope of this infestation and work to reduce the spread.” Read more

The No-Mess Blend of chipped seeds and nuts provides the best of bird foods with no waste or shells.

The WBU Winter SuperBlend is specifically formulated to provide birds with the essential energy and fats needed during winter.

Bark Butter Bits provide an excellent no-mess treat for a wide variety of birds.

Feeding birds is rewarding, but let’s face it, it can get messy as seed shells cover the ground, and get scattered about your yard, deck, or patio. If you keep on top of the seed shell build-up, it’s still a dirty clean-up hassle that many birders avoid by feeding shelled seeds, most specifically shelled sunflower seeds and shelled peanuts. Pound for pound, shelled seeds offer the best value because you don’t pay for uneaten shells – the birds eat everything. Then too, why buy seed mixes when almost all birds will eat shelled black oil sunflower seeds, which are healthiest too. Read more

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources asks hunters and others who spend time outdoors to keep an eye out for bear dens while in the field this fall and – if they find one – to report the location to the DNR to help with an ongoing bear management program.

If you find a bear den in the northern Lower Peninsula, record the location with a GPS unit, if possible, and contact Mark Boersen at 989-275-5151 or BoersenM@Michigan.govwith specific location information.

The DNR is looking for locations of denned bears in the northern Lower Peninsula to grow the surrogate sow program, which places orphaned bear cubs with mother bears. After locating a bear den, DNR wildlife biologists will determine whether the animal is a good candidate to join the program and, if so, will fit the bear with a radio tracking device. Read more

November is Manatee Awareness Month, an important time for boaters to go slow and lookout below to watch for manatees as they travel to warmer water sites around the state.

Manatees depend on water generally warmer than 68 degrees Fahrenheit to survive the winter, so in the fall they travel to Florida springs, power plant discharges and other warm-water sites.

While manatees are large, they can be difficult to see in the water. That is why it is important to: follow guidelines and follow all manatee protection zones; look out while boating; wear polarized glasses and always give them space. Manatee protection zones are marked by waterway signs and maps of manatee protection zones are available online at MyFWC.com/Manatee by clicking on “Data and Maps.” Read more

20-Year Agreement Paves Way for National Wild Turkey Federation to help Reduce Wildfire Risk, Promote Healthy Forests and Wildlife Habitat

EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and the National Wild Turkey Federation recently signed a landmark 20-year national master stewardship agreement.

This first-of-its-kind agreement paves the way for these partner organizations to work together to address the wildfire crisis in the West and promote healthy forests across the U.S. It also includes an initial $50 million commitment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as well as regular agency appropriations and other sources.

“This agreement reflects our strong, long-standing relationship with the National Wild Turkey Federation and its four decades of forest restoration work on national forests and grasslands,” USDA Forest Service Chief Randy Moore said. “Larger wildfires, more frequent natural disasters, and other disturbances that continue to threaten the health of the nation’s forests and grasslands, and the wildlife habitat they provide, means the work we do together is even more vital.” Read more

Invasive beech leaf disease was first confirmed in Michigan in July 2022 after landowners noticed its characteristic thickened leaf bands on trees in a small woodlot in St. Clair County. Since then, new detections in Oakland and Wayne counties indicate the disease is more widespread.

Beech leaf disease is associated with the nematode Litylenchus crenatae, a microscopic worm that enters and spends the winter in leaf buds, causing damage to leaf tissue on American, European and Asian beech species. Trees weakened by leaf damage become susceptible to other diseases and can die within six to 10 years after initial symptoms.