Bird & Bat Observatory

Tom Rank, president of the Eastern Wisconsin Purple Martin Association (see their page on this site) has ideas to help martins, and other species, too.

I'll let Tom tell his own story:

"Last year out of necessity we made a decision to have our 100 year old barn wrapped in steel, but making that decision meant that we would lose our cliff swallow colony. We waited until all nestlings had fledged before beginning the remodel. The thought of having them arrive this spring only to find their nest gone really bothered me so I came up with the idea of making a replica overhang. The 16' section of rough sawn cedar is the same pitch as the original eave. I'm happy to report the birds were nest building within a few hours of arriving here last week Wednesday. As of right now there are 18 nests under construction with some near completion.

For those who have steel buildings and would like to try to start a Cliff Swallow colony, this might be a good option. I purchased (2) 1"x12" x16' long rough sawn cedar boards along with (1) 8' cedar 2"x4" The contractor who remodeled our barn cut one the 16' boards to match the 10/12 pitch of the old overhang. This was pre built on the ground as one complete piece. We then lifted the replica overhang up until it made contact with existing overhang and attached it directly to the wall of the barn using long hex-head screws.

My early observation makes me think a fascia board might offer a little more protection from a driving rain, I'll know more as time goes on."

Click on images to enlarge

The Wisconsin Chimney Swift Working Group held its first meeting yesterday, with 14 members from organizations around the state. Look for information to be posted on the WI Birding List about activities this year. If your bird club hosts a Swift Night Out event, please let us know about it so that we can help to promote it. Other projects (including swift nesting towers, "swift sits") will be announced in the coming weeks or months. If you have questions, please contact me. -- William P. Mueller Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory Project Coordinator, Milwaukee BIOME Project This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 414-698-9108

Wisconsin DNR bat researchers found this albino male Little brown bat hibernating last week in a cluster of about 30 other MYLU.  Two other albino MYLU were found hibernating in a different Wisconsin mine in 2010.

IMBD 2012

International Migratory Bird Day will celebrate its 20^th anniversary in 2012.  Created in 1993, the event is now hosted at over 500 sites throughout the Western Hemisphere, reaching hundreds of thousands of youth and adults.  As part of the 20^th anniversary celebrations, the annual bird conservation theme will focus on 20 ways people may help preserve birds every day.  The theme is highlighted in the 2012 art created by Rafael Lopez.  The lively piece reflects the joy, curiosity, and beauty of birds, while sharing the importance of community in bird conservation. Check out the final artwork and a very cool video of the actual t-shirt screen printing.

http://birdday.org/birdday/themes/2012-twenty-years-of-imbd