|
We believe in connecting people with nature.
Most of our programs are FREE and open to the public. Check our calendar and join the fun! Recent happenings:
April 23, 2025 - Monthly Program at Quarry Hill
We learned a lot at last night's program about bird banding. Terry Grier explained to our crowd of 24 that banding started in the 1890s when scientists wanted to know if it was the same birds that came back each year - and yup - it was! Since then banding has helped us all learn much more about birds and their behaviors. Terry told us how those big, brash Blue Jays become very calm when being held for banding, while Chickadees fight the process and struggle with all they've got to get free. Saw-Whet Owls are another bird that is very docile and even fun to band as they seem curious about the whole process. A lot of banding is done at Quarry Hill and their records show that the local Chickadees are frequently recaptured - one more than 20 times! Migrant birds are rarely recaptured - generally less than 3%. And while most small birds only live a few years - they once caught a banded Hairy Woodpecker that was 15 years old! Many thanks Terry for such a fun presentation! April 19, 2025 - Rochester Reservoirs Field Trip
It was bright and sunny this a morning but a cold north wind kept the 12 participants who came out for our Rochester Reservoir Field Trip bundled up. We started at 7:30am at the County 9 Marsh (not a reservoir) but always worth a stop. We saw our only Sandhill Crane of the day there. Two Great Blue Herons flew over, we heard a Sora Rail (first of year for many folks) and watched an Osprey bring nesting material to the big Cell Tower. A great start! Next we visited the Silver Creek Reservoir where highlights included 70 American White Pelicans, a great assortment of ducks, a Bonaparte's Gull and a Northern Harrier sitting in a field fairly close to the road. Then it was on to Cascade Lake Park - also not a reservoir - but another great spot for waterfowl and shorebirds. Here we found a couple Spotted Sandpipers, several Killdeer, an Eared Grebe and a Horned Grebe. There were plenty of ducks as well - but we were on the wrong side of the lake to get good looks. Right before noon we made our last stops at the East and South Kalmar Reservoirs. High water meant not many shorebirds but we were delighted to find a Rough-legged Hawk on the ground and watched as it flew up and interacted with both a Red-tailed Hawk and juvenile Bald Eagle. At each location we noted many sparrows, swallows and more (no warblers though) making a grand total of at least 62 species for the morning. Not bad! Many thanks to Mike Degerstrom for leading this trip and sharing his ID skills with us all. Photos by Sandy Hokanson Today's species list: Canada Goose, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Canvasback, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Ring-necked, Pheasant, Mourning Dove, Sora, American Coot, Sandhill Crane, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Greater Yellowlegs, Bonaparte's Gull, Pied-billed Grebe, Horned Grebe, Eared Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, American White Pelican, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, American Kestrel, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Horned Lark, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, European Starling, Brown Thrasher, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, House Sparrow, American Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Common Grackle, Northern Cardinal April 12, 2025 - Olmsted County's First Crane Count
Today ZVAS volunteers and residents of Olmsted County participated in the area’s first-ever crane count, organized through the International Crane Foundation based in Baraboo, Wisconsin. It was a chilly but clear morning as 12 dedicated volunteers gathered under the setting moon at 5:30 am to watch the sunrise, remaining at their observation sites until 7:30 am. Volunteers were stationed at several locations across Olmsted County, including wildlife management areas, parks, and other public lands. A total of 12 Sandhill Cranes were reported: 6 were seen, and 6 were heard calling at five different sites: County 9 Marsh 2 Chester Woods 4 RCTC Soccer Fields 1 Willow Creek Reservoir 3 Silver Creek Reservoir 2 While not every participant had the chance to witness these impressive birds or hear their iconic trumpeting calls, all enjoyed a peaceful morning surrounded by the sounds of other birds waking up. A heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers who helped make this event a success! Report by Jim Sullivan Zumbro Valley Audubon needs your help to pay for programs, printing brochures and outreach supplies to teach kids and adults about nature. Donate to Zumbro Valley Audubon via giveMN.org
© ZVAS 2023 - Zumbro Valley Audubon Society - PO Box 6244 - Rochester, MN 55903
|
