I took it upon myself to contact someone at MMSD regarding the water levels at
the Wildlife Observation Area. I received a response almost immediately from
Kathy Lake of MMSD:
I'm glad that you're enjoying the birding areas! We are actively pumping water
out of the ponds 24 hours per day Monday through Friday. We are using a
portable pump which pumps at a higher capacity than the pump that is located in
our lagoon pumping station. We have dropped the water level about 1.5 ft from
its high water mark. We will continue pumping and hopefully will be creating
some mudflats soon, assuming there are not additional large rain events.
Fingers crossed that some habitat will be available in the near future!
kris p.
stoughton
On Aug 15, 2017, at 1:42 PM, Karen Etter Hale <chimneyswift1@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
There are others who can answer this better than I, but I do know the decisions
are based on more than treatment plant needs, although those can take
precedence at times.
When the ponds were retired from being settling ponds, MMSD (Madison
Metropolitan Sewerage District) convened a large, diverse group of stakeholders
to determine what should happen to the area. I was working for Madison Audubon
Society at the time, and we recruited our own team to advocate for shorebird
habitat. After several years of work, including MMSD addressing part of the
area being a Superfund site, it was designated, officially, the MMSD Wildlife
Observation Area. Part of the plan was to manage for shorebirds, especially as
shorebird habitat across southern Wisconsin was in short supply.
Of course, most people call it, âNine Springsâ (the adjacent stream is Nine
Springs Creek), as its been known for many decades now.
I no longer know who is communicating with MMSD, but I hope someone there
continues to be interested in managing the area for shorebirds.
Karen
--
Karen Etter Hale
Lake Mills, WI
chimneyswift1@xxxxxxxxxx <mailto:chimneyswift1@xxxxxxxxxx>
*****
Making time for birds
On Aug 15, 2017, at 12:56 PM, Kris Perlberg <kris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:kris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Does anyone know who or what determines if/when the Nine Springs Ponds get
pumped? I often wondered how those decisions are made. Is there any
consideration to wildlife and habitat or is it based simply on the treatment
plant needs?
Kris P.
Stoughton
On Aug 15, 2017, at 12:51 PM, Kenneth Younger <kyounger@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:kyounger@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Chuck Henrikson and I checked the flooded gardens in the southwest
corner of Seminole and Lacy Rd this morning after our Arboretum walk.
It had Pectoral Sandpipers, Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated
Sandpipers, Spotted Sandpipers, Solitary Sandpipers, and at least one
Least Sandpiper.
I had birded the Schumacher road ponds a day or two ago, but didn't
see anything crazy there, either.
Nine Springs *still* has not started pumping the ponds! Major
disappointment after they missed doing so in the Spring :(
-Kenny Younger
Madison
Kenneth Younger III
kyounger@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:kyounger@xxxxxxxxx>
(515) 367-0001
@kenny
On Tue, Aug 15, 2017 at 12:34 PM, Aaron Holschbach
<aholschbach@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Lots of shorebirds the past couple days at the Schumacher Rd ponds north of####################
Waunakee. Good numbers of Lesser Yellowlegs and Pectorals yesterday, with
some Stilt Sandpipers, Dowitchers, Solitary, Spotted, peeps, etc. I didn't
have much time so I didn't look thru them very well.
Aaron Holschbach
Waunakee
On Tue, Aug 15, 2017 at 10:08 AM Kris Perlberg <kris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
If anyone runs across any shorebirds, especially in dane or rock counties,
please post here. I canât find much of anything either but maybe they are
just later than usual this year. (wishful thinking).
Iâm especially looking for a lifer; the buff-breasted sandpiper.
kris p.
stoughton
On Aug 15, 2017, at 1:13 AM, Steve Thiessen <stevethiessen@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Well, the July adults skipped us. But I always felt that the 1st year birds
peaked the last week of August. Of course, we don't have any sod farms near
by anymore. The decent looking flooded field around here haven't been
producing any numbers of any shorebirds.
Steve Thiessen ,struggling for shorebirds, in Stoughton ,Dane co.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gmail" <bhaunts@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, August 14, 2017 2:48 PM
Subject: [wisb] Sod Farms
I checked the Anderson sod farm this morning. Only 30 Killdeer plusother
standard birds. I checked the Green Meadow sod farm (Stevens Pt) earlyflight.
this afternoon. 60 Killdeer but that was it. Still no Buff-breasted
Sandpiper anywhere---frustrating as this should be about their peak
Any one finds them please post.
Daryl Tessen
Appleton,, WI
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