Megan's Nature Nook
Nature Notes, Phenology, Photography, Fun Facts, Trips, Maybe Even a Bad Joke or Two... and More!
Each Spring and Fall millions of birds embark on the treacherous journey of migration. Over 250 songbird species migrate at night in an effort to make their journey a little easier. Traveling at night has some advantages such as calmer skies from less weather events at night, cooler temperatures, and the less likely chance of encountering raptors, like hawks and falcons, who migrate and hunt during the day. Although there are these advantages to night travel, it also comes with the dangers of light pollution that can cause disorientation, collisions, and undue exhaustion for the birds. Many birds use stars in the night sky to help them navigate their way. Tall lighted buildings can easily draw them off course and disorient the birds. Birds can end up colliding with buildings and windows causing injuries or death or circle the building reluctant to fly from the light resulting in exhaustion and even death. Cities with tall buildings are one of the main obstacles for birds, but even outdoor lighting from homes contributes to light pollution and can cause harm. This is where you can help! Something as easy as turning off the lights can make night migration safer for the birds. During peak migration from March 15 – May 31 and August 15 – October 31 turn off the lights from 11:00 p.m. – 6:00 a.m. Porch lights, outbuilding lighting along with lighted paths and decorative lighting should be turned off. If you are inside with the lights on, close the shades to prevent inside light from flooding outside. If you are unable to turn off all outdoor lighting, consider installing motion sensors or warm lighting and installing light shields so the light is only cast down, instead of all around which affects the birds more. Outdoor lighting is not only affecting migrating birds, but an array of other night dwelling animals. Firefly populations have been dwindling and a major cause is light pollution. Fireflies rely on finding their mates through seeing each other’s lighted blinking patterns. If an area is too bright from outdoor lighting or even indoor light coming through windows, they aren’t able to find their mates. They have a short window of time as adults so every dark minute counts. Consider extending your “Lights Out” time to the beginning of July to help the fireflies! Read more about fireflies from one of my previous blog posts by clicking the button below. There are a variety of “Lights Out” programs across the country through the Audubon Society and local nature centers in conjunction with government agencies. See if you can find one close to your home and pledge to turn the lights out. To learn more about the Audubon Society’s Lights Out program and to see a list of participating cities, visit their website by clicking the button below. For those of you in Minnesota interested in Lights Out Twin Cities (and Rochester) you can visit the Department of Natural Resources Nongame Wildlife Program Page to see a list of participating businesses, by clicking the button below. Turn off your lights and
Save Birds (And Fireflies). Save Energy. Save Money. It’s that easy and a win-win-win for everyone!
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The past two years Tony and I have had the opportunity to go on a Sandhill Crane Viewing tour with the Ian Nicholson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary. Rowe Sanctuary is located in Gibbon, Nebraska on the banks of the Platte River where hundreds of thousands of Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) stopover during their spring migration to rest and replenish energy on their way to nesting grounds. At times over a quarter of a million birds can be present at one time. It is considered a critical staging area during their spring migration making the Platte River one of the best places to view this amazing wildlife spectacle. Around 80% of all Sandhill cranes come through the Platte each spring. During the day, the cranes spend their time in fields foraging for food. They’re often seen picking through cow pies and corn stubble looking for waste corn. As evening approaches, they make their way to their nighttime roosting site, the Platte River. The Platte River makes for a safe roosting site because of its shallow depth. In most spots the river is only 1-2 feet deep. The cranes will stand in the water and on sandbars in large groups. The sound of splashing in the water from potential predators, like coyotes, will alert the birds before the predator is able to strike. The birds will spend the night in the water then leave the river for the fields in the morning. You can view the cranes either in the morning as they leave their roosting site or the evening as they arrive. Both tours we did were evening tours. We arrived at the Ian Nicholas Audubon Center before sunset to watch a video and listen to a short talk about the sanctuary and cranes. Then it was time to head to the viewing blind! With just a short walk we arrived at one of their newly built blinds (they were just finished in February, a huge improvement to the blind that we were in last year). Once in the blind things start off slow with a few cranes flying here and there along with other waterfowl like geese and ducks. As the evening progresses the cranes start arriving more and more frequently. We were out for a few hours and left the blind after dark, walking back to the center with the call of cranes still going strong. “Crane Season” is considered to be February 15 – April 15 each year. Last year (2019) we went on our tour the first week of April which was towards the end of prime viewing time. This year (2020) we went the first week of March which is just about the middle of viewing season. We saw more cranes this time, but last year we were able to have them land closer earlier in the evening, so it was fun to watch them dance. No matter when you go during those few weeks you will see plenty of cranes! Each day is different and presents you with a unique experience. For more information about the tours and pricing you can visit the Rowe Sanctuary’s website: www.rowe.audubon.org It is an AMAZING sight to see hundreds of thousands of these big birds streaming in over the treetops, circling the river, stretching out their wings and feet to prepare for landing, then dropping into the water for the night. Once they’re standing in the water you see their heads bobbing around, wings flapping, and some even “dancing” – jumping around, flapping wings, moving their heads to attract mates; there is constant movement. It starts with a few birds here and there coming in, then gradually becoming more and more flocks and larger flocks - all gathering in the same area. At times you just see dark masses moving around the sky instead of individual birds. Their silhouettes standing out against the beautiful backdrop of the sunset. The sights are just part of this amazing spectacle. As the evening fades into night and more and more cranes gather, their calls become louder and louder. It starts with calls here and there as they begin to stream into the river and the sound grows and grows as the masses congregate together, making it impossible to distinguish individual calls anymore. Their unique calls are loud and carry off into the otherwise quiet night. You can watch this video made by Tony (The Roughfisherman) to get a taste of the crane viewing experiences we have had. If you can, I encourage you to do a tour so you can see it in person!! The video is great but doesn’t do the experience justice. Make sure the sound is up so you can hear the cranes! Watch the Live Crane Cam! It is best to view it in the mornings and evenings to see the cranes coming and going. Make sure your sound is up so you can hear their unique call! Fun Facts:
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