[wisb] Off-topic: Spring Green Reserve Trails
- From: "Mike McDowell" <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "'Wisconsin Birding Network'" <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2009 07:46:50 -0500
I just wanted to add to Tom's concern that there are many important reasons
to stay on the trails at Spring Green Reserve. When I was at Spring Green
Reserve a few days ago, a TNC volunteer who was there conducting a herp
survey said that they're seeing more and more people venturing off the
trails there. I hope it wasn't we birders he was referring to. The TNC
volunteer added that there are bird nests about every 10 to 20 square feet.
Sadly, the volunteers recently discovered an infection causing fungus
growing on the flanks of box turtles at the prairie, and that this is the
first time in the 20 years of surveying they've observed it. They showed me
one of the infected turtles - very sad. They're being tested and treated
off-site with an antibiotic ointment and then returned to the prairie.
Hopefully this won't be a huge mortality event for the turtles. The cause
of the fungus is unknown at present.
Mike McDowell
Madison - Dane County
www.birddigiscoper.com
At Spring Green I could not find the Loggerhead Shrike or Blue Grosbeak but
I heard the Chat which sang pretty frequently. I saw the pair of
Mockingbirds and without revealing any specifics for the birds' sake, I
observed both of the birds building a nest. Pretty neat to see this species
nest-building in Wisconsin. Since these birds are trying to breed here it is
extremely important for all birders to refrain from playing tapes and
leaving the trails!!! Staying on the trails should be a given at Spring
Green anyways. Also at Spring Green, Lark and Grasshopper Sparrows were
ridiculously common and about 5 Orchard Orioles were singing, including the
young male near the entrance who posed for Mike McDowell yesterday.
Tom Prestby
Madison
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