Program Notes from June 29, 2004 Meeting of LKWA
This month's "meeting" was actually an outdoor program:
A bird walk was led by Gary Shackelford with assistance from Susan Yates, Bill Hallstrom and Penny. We reviewed the fundamentals of binocular use, listening for bird calls and basics of identification. The pros and cons of various bird identification guides was reviewed. We saw purple martins, tree swallows, barn swallows, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, song sparrows, swamp sparrows, gold finches, a house wren, a red-throated hummingbird, and blue birds. We heard sandhill cranes, a veery and cedar waxwings.
Our Subcommittee for Birds is working to nominate Lake Koshkonong and its associated wetlands as an Important Bird Area (IBA). If we receive this designation, we will work with landowners, the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative (WBCI), and other organizations to protect and improve habitat for birds. We will be asking members, landowners, and expert birders to help our committee survey the wetlands to support the nomination. All participation is voluntary.
One activity that we plan for the fall or winter is to make additional nest boxes and also nesting platforms for black terns and forester's terns. These birds have not been able to nest yet this summer because the water is too high. Their nesting will also be hindered for years to come because of loss of vegetation in the wetlands this spring. Large pieces of the floating bogs have been destroyed.
Respectfully submitted,
Penny Shackelford
Secretary / Treasurer