Upcoming Programs and Events
DAS Announcements
Cats and Birds: Report for 2011
New to Birding?
Urban Birding
About Duluth Audubon Society
About Our Logo
Bird-Friendly Coffee
Upcoming Programs and Events
Monthly Educational Program
Please check back for information on the February program.
Programs are usually held at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation Church, located at 835 W. College Street in Duluth (see map). Admission is free and open to the public. Please join us!
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DAS Announcement: Larry and Jan Kraemer receive special achievement award.
Larry and Jan Kraemer, leaders of our Spring Warbler Walks, received the Brother Theodore Voelker Award at the annual MOU meeting/Papers Session on December 3rd at the University of Minnesota Bell Museum. Kim Eckert made the presentation. The award recognizes the Kraemers' field work contributions and the reporting of unusual bird species in this area.
The birds of note, a Laughing Gull and a King Eider, had been observed on Park Point during the DAS sponsored 2011 Spring Warbler Walks. Larry and Jan remarked that it was a surprise for them to receive a state level award for having fun!
Congratulations Larry and Jan!
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Photo of King Eiders provided courtesy of Wikipedia.org.
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Cats and Birds: Report for 2011
Our friends at Wildwoods Rehabilitation have sent us their end-of-year report on the number of animals they treated due to cat predation. Compared to prior years, 2011 was pretty good. They treated four birds who were orphaned and/or injured by cats, in addition to 13 small mammals. All but one (a bat) died. Usually Wildwoods sees a significantly higher death rate from cat attacks. Perhaps more people are confining their cats? A zero rate from cat attacks would be great -- let's try to diplomatically educate our community about this threat to songbirds' well-being.
Photo provided courtesy of Pat Thomas.
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The bacteria in cats' mouths is fatal to small animals, and even animals who seem "fine" after being bitten by a cat will die within days without antibiotics. It's best for birds--and cats--if humans commit to keeping their cats indoors, or supervise them when outdoors. |
Many people are learning about ways to keep confined cats contented. To find out about "catios," that is, outdoor areas for cats that keep them and their would-be prey safe, click here. And, for learning how to walk with your cat on a leash, click this recent New York Times article, "Nine Lives, One Leash."
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New to Birding?
We're in the process of developing a website page on birding, but in the meantime, we'll post occasional items here on the topic, especially for those who may be newbies.
If you've wondered how to get started in birding, birding enthusiast Douglas "Birdman" Gray talks about some basics in this interview on the OutdoorAfro website. He also discusses how he got interested in birding, and reasons why we should get outdoors with the birds:
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anytime one gets in the Great Outdoors, it is a natural stress reliever. Being out in nature is possibly, I believe, the most calming, relaxing, and unwinding thing one can do. It really helps put our sometimes fast paced and hectic lives into a better and more realistic prospective by slowing us down.
We couldn't have said it better! For another brief introduction to birding, visit Audubon's Get Started Birding page.
Birding is good for mind, body, and soul, which is why it is a hobby for nearly 50 million Americans.
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Urban Birding
Most of us think of birding as an activity we do in forests, fields, marshes, and other natural areas. However, there is plenty of bird life right in front of us in the middle of the city. Urban birding is important, not just because it gets city dwellers connected with wild things, but also because it can motivate people to make their cities more bird- and nature-friendly.
To learn more about urban birding, visit the website of David Lindo, an expert photographer, bird watcher, and communicator on the urban birding experience. Also, some of the projects on our Citizen Science page are geared specifically for urban birders, like Cornell's Project Pigeonwatch, Project Feederwatch, and Celebrate Urban Birds.
Photo by Franklin Vera Pacheco; courtesy of Wikipedia
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About Duluth Audubon Society
Duluth Audubon Society is celebrating its 39th year of promoting the enjoyment of birds, educating the public, and protecting habitat for our region’s diverse plant and animal species. Established as the Duluth Bird Club in the early 1940s, we became a chapter of the National Audubon Society in 1972. Our mission is to promote education, conservation, and research focused on birds, and to preserve and enhance the ecological diversity of the greater Duluth area.
As members of the Minnesota Environmental Partnership, we believe in the power of collaborative grassroots efforts to protect and restore Minnesota’s natural environment. Please browse our website to learn how you can make a difference in the lives of birds and other species native to our unique urban wilderness.
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About Our Logo
We chose the birds in our logo to highlight the important role water and marshlands play in our region. Ecosystems at the boundary between water and land are vital to so many of our birds, as well as other important wildlife species, but unfortunately many of these areas are also considered by humans as “prime real estate.” In addition to development, many of our rivers, lakes, and marshes are being degraded by runoff from industry, households, and mines.
Despite these challenges, the Great Blue Heron has a conservation status of “Least Concern,”* partly because it was never over-hunted for its plumage, and also due to its greater tolerance for pesticides compared to other bird species. The Heron prefers to nest in trees near water, and reminds us to keep our shore areas well-planted, preferably with trees and other plants native to our region.
photo of Yellow Rail by Dominic Sherony
Unfortunately, the Yellow Rail--a small, secretive, wetlands bird--has not fared as well as the Heron. It is now a Minnesota Species of Greatest Conservation Need bird, as well as a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Priority Species for this region. The Yellow Rail breeds in shallow marshes and wet meadows, and its numbers have declined mainly due to habitat loss. We hope that the establishment of the St. Louis River Estuary/Minnesota Point Important Bird Area will help expand this bird’s habitat. Click here for more information on the Yellow Rail.
*According to the International Union of Conservation for Nature (IUCN).
Bird-Friendly Coffee.
Traditionally coffee plants were grown in the shade as an understory plant. In order to increase yields, growers started raising coffee in large plantations under the sun. This change caused habitat loss for birds as plantations replaced forests.To protect birds, many producers are switching back to growing coffee in the shade, thus preserving precious forest habitat.
Although some brands of coffee are labeled as shade grown, they do not necessarily grow under biodiverse conditions that qualify as prime bird habitat. For that reason, different certification labels have arisen to help consumers figure out what sort of habitat their purchase supports. The Rainforest Alliance provides an excellent certification label. Caribou Coffee has committed to sourcing 100% of their coffees from Alliance certified farms, and is on track to achieve this goal by the end of 2011. You can also purchase Rainforest Alliance certified coffees from Mt. Royal Fine Foods and Whole Foods Co-op.
The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center offers another label carrying stringent standards for certification. Coffee and Tea Ltd. of Minneapolis sells the Smithsonian certified brands Peru 'La Florida,' Guatemala 'Guaya'b,' and Colombia 'Mesa de los Santos.' They will ship to the Arrowhead region. We will post other purveyors of high-quality shade-grown coffee as we discover them.
Photo courtesy of nps.gov.
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A shade-grown coffee farm loving bird: The Baltimore Oriole nests in the eastern and central regions of North America, and winters in southern Mexico and Central America. One of its favorite winter habitats is biodiverse shaded coffee plantations. Next time you enjoy a cup of your favorite coffee, think of the oriole, and consider buying bird-friendly coffee. |
The Rainforest Alliance also certifies shade-grown chocolate -- look for the logo with the little green frog!
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