May
Migration
- common yellowthroat
Aldo Leopold wrote in A Sand County Almanac, “When dandelions have set the mark of May on Wisconsin pastures, it is time to listen for the final proof of spring.” He is referring to listening for the call of the upland plover as it returns from South America but really, the skies are filled with songs of all types this time of year.
Take visit to any Nature Net site to hear and maybe catch a glimpse of migratory birds that are either here to stay for the summer or just passing through to more northern climes. Or visit The Nature Conservancy’s suggested locations to witness the “top three must-see Wisconsin migrations.”
Not sure when or where to look for your favorite migrant? This migration time table has approximate arrival and departure dates for dozens of birds, and these migration maps from eNature depict expected migratory pathways.
Not all bird identification is done by sight – many top notch birders rely on calls, songs and other vocalizations. Many on-line bird guides include sound bites, including those hosted by Audubon andThe Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Once you’ve spotted (or heard) your bird, you can become a citizen scientist. Report your findings onWisconsin eBird which tracks the presence of species and their abundance through on-line or app entries from tens of thousands of participants. It provides users with interactive maps, graphs, and charts of migratory patterns (much like the Journey North program for classrooms – see below). Or, you can report your sightings for a cause by participating in the annual Bird-a-thon, now until June 30th. This project invites birders to form teams, collect pledges, and get out there to find and count birds species. Proceeds then go to bolster bird conservation programs. You can join a team to support our own Nature Net member site, The International Crane Foundation.
There are many migratory bird conservation programs in action, including the Wisconsin Stopover Initiative which aims to protect, just as the name indicates, migratory stopovers. These stopovers, or resting places along migratory pathways, are described in these three depictive catagories: Fire Escapes – small parks or forests where stressed migrants can seek quick shelter; Convenience Stores – larger areas where birds can replenish enough energy stores to continue on their path; and Full-Service Hotels – extensive, natural areas that contain a diversity of habitats and abundant enough food, water and shelter for large numbers of birds to subsist. Find out more from this Natural Resources magazine article.
If you want to learn more from local experts, take a listen to this May 2014 episode of Wisconsin Public Radio’s Larry Meiller Show featuring naturalist and expert birder, Bill Volkert.
International Crane Foundation
Paper Plate Birds
Our Favorite Migration Books
May Calendar
For Educators:
Journey North
Journey North is a free internet-based program that allows you to explore seasonal changes with your students and share your findings with the world. K-12 students are invited to post their field observations and compare with classmates across North America. Your classroom can track the coming of spring through migration patterns of monarch butterflies, robins, hummingbirds, whooping cranes, bald eagles, and the budding of plants. Journey North supplies you with migration maps, lesson plans, activities and all the information you need to help students make local observations and fit them into a global context. Download the Journey North app on your classroom set of iPads and get outdoors this spring to allow your budding citizen scientists to report their sighting from the field. They can take pictures and leave comments, too. Students will see their observations show up on the real-time migration map.
Find more information on the Journey North website – or get started right away by looking for signs of spring in your school yard and reporting your monarch, robin or other sightings.
For Families:
Tricks of the Trail – Binoculars
Most avid birders will recommend just two simple tools for the beginning birder: a field guide and binoculars. While some child binoculars are merely toys, others are specifically designed for youngsters – not only with extra thought to protection from drops and damage – but with a mind to little hands and untrained eyes. Here are few suggestions to keep in mind when shopping for your mini ornithologist. Magnification does not need to be very high – 8x (or even less) is plenty of magnification and allows for a larger field of view (the size of the image you see through the binoculars). The glass for large, quality lenses provides a brighter image but can be heavy for a young person to tote on a hike. For this reason, compact binoculars are a best bet despite losing some viewing quality. Shop like a pro and know the lingo: IPD means Interpupillary Distance, the distance the barrels of the binoculars can be adjusted to fit the distance your eyes are apart from one another. Simply measure the distance between the centers of your child’s eye to know your IPD number.
For more info check out: Best Binoculars Review or Optics4Birding