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Friends of Goose Pond Third Quarter Newsletter September 2015 Founding Friends Margaret Harger-Allen Grace Chapman Tom & Nancy Ciskowski Chuck Davidson Susie Dewey Brad Feaster Marilyn Flanders Tammy Galm Dawn E. Hewitt Paul D. Hoernig Kip O. Hoffer Joan Ten Hoor Sandra S. Miles Mac Moulden William R. Powers, MD Nyle Riegle Deborah Shonk LuAnne Kohler Shonk Sherrell G. Shonk Timothy Shonk Barbara Simpson George R. Sly The Wabash Valley Audubon Society Barbara Steele Don Steward Lee Sterrenburg Cam H. Trampke Peggy Wolfe Becky Yung Farewell and a Big Thank You to Board Member Peggy Wolfe. The Friends of Goose Pond organization is losing a valuable member of our team. Peggy will soon be making a move to Washington state. We will miss her tireless and enthusiastic work on behalf of the Friends, GPFWA, and the Marsh Madness Sandhill Crane Festival. However, we share her delight in being able to see her daughter and granddaughter much more often in the future. Peggy was elected to the board in 2009 and became board secretary. She also served as secretary of the Marsh Madness Planning Committee. Peggy was a major contributor to the planning and success of the Marsh Madness Festival. She spent countless hours in procuring items for the silent and live auctions which take place during the festival kick-off banquet. A retired registered nurse, Peggy has lived near water in several parts of the country. Observing the life of these aquatic ecosystems infused her with a love of nature. Supporting GPFWA, through membership in the Friends of Goose Pond, was thus a natural for her. Spending time simply gazing into our local wetland treasure is a pastime that Peggy has treasured. Our sincere thanks Peggy. Enjoy your new adventure. New Construction at Goose Pond FWA The Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife reports that the construction of the new regional office and visitor's center at Goose Pond FWA is coming along nicely. The footers have been poured and the building is starting to take shape. ___________________________________________________ A GOOSE POND FWA WATERFOWL UPDATE by Lee Sterrenburg (DNR bird monitoring volunteer Goose Pond FWA) On Friday August 21 2015 Kathy McClain and I did a tour of the east levee of Main Pool West. Our waterfowl totals were: CANADA GOOSE 109 WOOD DUCK 115 MALLARD 40 BLUE-WINGED TEAL 10 GREEN-WINGED TEAL 11 On Saturday August 22 Jim Brown of Bloomington recorded 76 BLUE-WINGED TEAL while visiting two Units. Looks like Teal are starting to arrive. ___________________________________________ A Few Owls of Goose Pond by Suzie Ronk (Grade 7 - Linton-Stockton Jr. H.S.) Probably, while you were outside at dusk near a forest, you've heard the haunting cry of an owl. Owls are the midnight hunters of the North American woods. Four common species of owls live in our own Goose Pond: Barred owls, great - horned owls, screech owls, and short eared owls. Barred Owls Barred owls are a fairly common species of owl. They have a highly recognizable hoot, "who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?", and have been known to answer humans imitating them, even though they know the people aren't other owls. Their scientific name is Strix varia. They range from 43 to 60 cm in length. They have brown eyes and a barred pattern (hence the name) across their chest, with streaks lengthwise across their bellies and white spots on their back. They usually hunt at night or evening, although they sometimes hunt during the day. They usually feed on squirrels, chipmunks, mice, voles, rabbits, other birds (up to grouse sized) amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates. You will find the creatures in woodlands, wooded river bottoms, and wooded swamps from Canada (east of the Rockies) to Honduras. Barred owl populations have gone up 1.7% per year between 1966 and 2010. Great horned owls Great horned owls (Bubo virginianus), or "Cat owls", are very distinctive looking owls. They are big, ranging from 43-60 cm. They have ear tufts, or "horns". They are heavily barred beneath, with a white throat bib. When they are in flight, they appear to have a large head with no neck. When clenched, great horned owls talons require a orce of 28 pounds to open; they use these talons for hunting. They have the most diverse diet of all North American raptors. The size of this bird’s prey ranges from tiny rodents and scorpions to hares, skunks, geese, and raptors. They mainly eat mammals and other birds. These birds make their homes in forests, woodlands, thickets, streamsides, and open country from the tree limit to Tierra del Fuego (southernmost Chile). Partners in Flight estimates global breeding population to be at 6 million with 45% in the US. Screech owls Screech owls are the only small eastern owl with ear tufts. At 18-25 cm, these guys are pretty small. They have two color phases: redbrown and gray. Screech owls get their name because of their trademark mournful wail, descending in pitch, which sounds like a screech. They dine on small animals, birds, mammals, invertebrates, and insects. They live in woodlands, farm groves, and shade trees from southernmost Canada to northernmost Mexico. Short eared owls The short eared owl, or Asio flammeus, is a medium sized bird with large rounded wings with dark brown wing tips. Its face is darker and lightish with lemon yellow eyes. Their belly is whitish streaked with brown. Females and young birds are darker and buffer. They are 34-43 cm long. Their diets consist mainly of rodents, small squirrels, shrews, rats, moles, bats, muskrats, and insects. They live about twelve years in the wild, They live across North and South America. I hope you have learned a thing or two about four of the midnight hunters of North America (and beyond). The Friends of Goose Pond’s own Lee Sterrenburg was recently profiled in the Outdoor Indiana magazine. The article about Lee’s work at GPFWA is reprinted here courtesy of Outdoor Indiana magazine. Thanks to OI’s Jessica Sparger for facilitating this reprint. LEE STERRENBURG Merging forces for wetlands conservation By Nick Werner, OI staff Photo by John Maxwell, OI staff Lee Sterrenburg has spent so much time in wetlands he has become like one. Wetlands connect the aquatic and terrestrial worlds. They link waterfowl, shore birds, marsh birds and the raptors that prey on them. And their beauty and biological abundance bring together diverse people. They are nature’s intermediary. Sterrenburg, a lifelong birder and volunteer conservationist, is another. For more than 30 years, he has united citizen groups and government agencies, bird watchers and bird hunters, nature lovers and business people. He even bridged the English and science disciplines at Indiana University. “I like connecting things, apparently,” Sterrenburg said. He lives in the countryside east of Bloomington. Wetland science, bird biology and habitat conservation have almost always been his avocation. From 1970 to 2006 he was a professor of English and Victorian studies at IU. Occasionally during that stint, he merged his personal and professional interests. For example, he co-taught an environmental ethics course with a wetland ecology professor for three years. In March, he earned a Sagamore of the Wabash, an honorary award bestowed by the governor. It recognized a lifetime of volunteering, especially Sterrenburg’s work with various groups to develop, study and promote Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area in Linton. Robert Kissel, a member and past president of Sassafras Audubon Society (SAS), nominated his longtime fellow SAS member. “Lee saw a value to putting in that kind of effort, to lead other volunteers, to assist other stakeholders to attain what has turned out to be an incredibly biodiverse property,” Kissel said. Goose Pond comprises 8,000 acres of restored wetlands and prairie. The DNR opened the area in 2005. It has become a birding and waterfowl hunting destination. About 12,000 wildlife watchers visit each year. There are about 3,500 annual hunting efforts (one hunter visit for one day). More than 370 bird species have been recorded there. They include rare or locally rare birds—roseate spoonbill, spotted redshank, and a hooded crane believed to have flown from Asia. Sterrenburg first visited the future site in 1999, on an SAS birding trip. The area was private farm ground, loaded with geese, ducks and cranes. He and other SAS members monitored birds there and compiled spreadsheets. The data helped convince the DNR to buy the property, according to Brad Feaster, south region supervisor for the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife, who managed Goose Pond from 2005 to 2013. Once the property opened, Sterrenburg continued monitoring, conducting formal surveys for the DNR on shore birds, marsh birds, sedge wrens, Henslow’s sparrows, and waterfowl. The waterfowl surveys help hunters determine when to hunt. “His dedication was like no other,” Feaster said. “He would sleep here in the barn. Nobody was paying him other than with a hat that said ‘DNR Volunteer’ and free room and board in an old barn.” Goose Pond earned designation as a Globally Important Birding Area through the Audubon Society in 2006. Sterrenburg spent countless hours talking up the place with locals. He spoke with Audubon Society and Ducks Unlimited chapters, politicians, school groups, civic groups, the local chamber of commerce and more, Feaster said. “Lee built relationships,” Feaster said. “There was a lot of work to be done locally to build support and explain our desire to be a good neighbor.” One result was formation of the Friends of Goose Pond, some of whom are Greene County business people who understand the economic importance of the Fish & Wildlife Area to surrounding communities. Currently, Sterrenburg is co-administrator of the Friends of Goose Pond Facebook page and a coordinator of Marsh Madness, an annual festival that celebrates Goose Pond and crane migration. He continues to conduct the waterfowl surveys, although the shore bird and marsh bird surveys have been handed over to DNR officials. Sterrenburg’s passion for birds stretches to his youth in San Diego. He had relatives who encouraged him to bird watch. Between grades 4 and 6, Sterrenburg attended classes at the San Diego Museum of Natural History. He read bird guides at the public library. As a teen he joined the San Diego Audubon Society. “It was a great place to start birding, with mountains and desert and seashore,” he said. “It made me aware of diversity of habitat. I watched some of that habitat disappear under my nose into condos and suburbs, and I think that’s how I got my start in conservation.” Sterrenburg traces his affinity for wetlands to summers spent at a Wisconsin youth camp surrounded by lakes and marshes. He became heavily involved in Indiana birding in 1981, when he achieved tenure and gained more leeway to combine his vocation and his birding avocation. He soon started teaching courses on wetlands and Charles Darwin. He was a “citizen scientist” long before the term entered the Oxford English Dictionary in 2014. “Among about the first five things I did with the DNR was volunteering to go on weekly waterfowl surveys with (Monroe Lake wildlife specialist) Rex Watters,” Sterrenburg said. “Twenty-two miles on a metal johnboat for hours on end. It was freezing.” One of his biggest concerns now is how to fund improvements and habitat management at Goose Pond and other vital bird areas. Unlike hunting, bird-watching does not generate conservation dollars. Hunters buy licenses, and manufacturers of hunting equipment and ammunition that hunters use pay federal taxes on the gear. The tax money is appropriated to states in part on the number of certified hunters. The funds can only be used for restoration, conservation and management of wild birds, mammals and their habitat; provide public use and access to wildlife resources; and provide for hunter education and development of shooting ranges. Birders are not required to buy licenses, and their binoculars, scopes and cameras are taxed differently from hunting gear. Sterrenburg hunted ducks once in his life, more than 40 years ago on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. “I shot two drake mallards and missed one.” Sterrenburg said. “Then I retired forever.” But he is a strong defender of hunting. “It really is hunting interests that conserve bird habitats,” he said. Sterrenburg encourages birders to buy the state’s hunting and fishing combination license, even if they never plan to hold a gun or a rod, and to buy a federal duck hunting stamp. Part of the appeal of wetlands is variety. Hundreds of bird species come and go. The landscape changes as water levels rise and fall. This is where the analogy between Sterrenburg’s life and a wetland diverge. While conditions fluctuate at Goose Pond and other marshy areas, Sterrenburg’s devotion won’t. His passion for that soggy landscape will never run dry. Critter Corner No. 12 The Coyote by George Sly I must say, this is the first edition of Critter Corner I have had to begin by offering a disclaimer. But the fact is that few other animals generate the polarized love or hate sentiments engendered by Canis latrans. So, I have to begin by professing a degree of sympathy and admiration for this much maligned predator. Others will not feel so kindly toward the coyote. But, as always, the opinions expressed in Critter Corner are mine and not the Friends of Goose Pond, the DNR. or any other entity. Hopefully I can shed some light on how I find admirable qualities in a mammal with such a generally poor reputation among the public. Contrary to stories I often hear, the coyote was not introduced into Indiana (the DNR is the usual culprit in these tales). In fact coyotes were present in Indiana when it was first settled. At that time, they inhabited primarily the western portions of the state where extensions of the prairie encroached into the vast eastern deciduous forest. Many 19th century reports of coyotes referred to them as “prairie wolves”. The first time I can recall actually hearing of a coyote in our area was, I believe, the late 1960’s. An article in a local newspaper showed a coyote that had been shot. The headlines referred to it as a “50 pound female timber wolf”. I did the prep on that specimen while at Indiana State University and it was indeed a coyote. Confusion between these two canids is common; they do bear a superficial resemblance. Up close, the greater size of the gray wolf is very apparent. Coyotes weigh 24-46 lbs. while Canis lupus females weigh around 60 lbs. and males go well over 100 lbs. It has been suggested that eastern coyotes have, in the past, hybridized with gray wolves. As a result eastern coyote individuals tend to be somewhat larger than their western brethren. Typically height at the shoulder for a coyote is around 24 inches while a gray wolf can be closer to three feet. Upon seeing a gray wolf in a zoo, where a close approach is possible, one is astounded by just how big they really are. This size disparity is an evolutionary adaptation to diet. Coyotes do not generally tackle the large mammalian prey (bison, moose, elk) taken by gray wolves. This is also why the latter are pack hunters. Coyote numbers began to increase markedly in Indiana at about the time I heard news of that first one. The 1970’s found their populations really starting to take off. Now they are found throughout the state. Not only that, they have extended their range into all of the eastern states as well. In fact, as this image (Natl. Museum of Nat. Hist.) shows, coyotes today have one of the most extensive geographic ranges of any large American predator. One of the secrets to the success of the coyote is that they are supreme generalists. Such animals are those that can utilize a wide variety of habitats and foods. This opens up exceedingly large areas in which they may live. We might compare this with an animal that is a specialist. The giant panda would be one example. With a diet comprised of essentially one type of plant (bamboo), this species is restricted to one small area of Asia where this particular sustenance and the habitat that supports it are found. Coyotes can, of course, utilize a huge variety of habitat types. Originally they were, as noted, animals of the western prairies. But they are equally at home in desert environments, deciduous and mixed forests, edge habitats, agricultural lands, and suburban landscapes. It is not unusual to hear news of coyotes roaming urban areas. An article about coyotes in the July 17th issue of The Week magazine mentioned New York City, Chicago, Washington D.C., Pittsburgh, and Atlanta as cities with populations of coyotes. Like their ability to utilize a wide variety of habitats, the capacity to eat an equally broad diversity of foods is a key in the immense biological success of the coyote. They eat a wide assortment of animals, mostly mammals. Voles are a major component of their diet. The eastern cottontail is also a favored prey item. J. O. Whitaker, in his Mammals of Indiana, reports that Voles, other mice species, and cottontails make up over 70% of the coyote’s diet. Carrion is often consumed and of course complicates the issue of whether livestock eaten by a coyote was preyed upon or scavenged. Coyotes will also consume insects, fruits, berries, and grasses. Concern has been expressed that coyote predation on white-tailed deer fawns may significantly decrease deer populations. Studies have shown that predation by coyotes is a significant factor in deer fawn mortality 1,2. However other studies have shown that the impact on deer populations is not detrimental in the long run3, particularly if doe harvest quotas are taken into account. As a result of coyote predation on deer, rabbits, and other game species, many attempts at population control have been undertaken. In fact, I am hard pressed to think of an animal that has been more persecuted than this species. Historically they have been trapped, shot, and poisoned at every opportunity. In spite of this, the coyote has shown its remarkable ability to not just survive but to thrive. Recent studies have shown that coyote populations subjected to culling pressure actually produce more offspring. Given their intelligence, adaptability, and reproductive potential it seems a safe bet that coyotes are here to stay. Around homes coyotes can be a danger to pets. A 2009 study done in Tucson, Arizona found that domestic cats made up 42% of the diet of urban coyotes. Are coyotes a danger to humans also? In reality, attacks on humans are quite rare. In the U.S., since 1976, there have been 160 instances of coyotes targeting people. There have been two recorded deaths resulting from coyote attack4. In perspective, we might compare this with the 5,581domestic dog attacks suffered just by postal workers in a single year – 20135. In 2015, 42 people were killed in this country as a result of dog attack6. As tragic as any of these attacks may be, it seems clear wherein lies the greater danger. We humans have historically had a tension filled coexistence with predators. Could it be that we have an embedded, primordial fear of predators? One would assume that, during our early evolutionary history, large predators made no distinction between a meal of Australopithecus or one of gazelle. Certainly, for our American ancestors living on the frontier, the loss of a cow or herd of swine to predators could be a life threatening event. It seems to me that the coyote, even today, bears the brunt of an innate human anxiety regarding predators. But perhaps we should take a moment to consider that even the coyote has its good side. Its heavy predation on voles and deer mice helps to maintain nature’s balance. In some areas they predate the eggs and young of Canada geese, itself a species whose numbers may often test the limits of human tolerance. Ironically, coyotes may benefit ground nesting birds, such as turkeys, by preying upon smaller carnivores which might consume turkey eggs or young7. And, while some may deplore the killing of fawns by coyotes, we must recognize the damage that over-browsing by too many deer may cause in our woodlands. (photo courtesy of Wikimedia) I suggest that we take a fresh look at the coyote. Let us forgo our old prejudices and consider Canis latrans for what it is – a survivor. The La Brea Tar Pits have yielded a fossil of this species 46,000 years old8. Through the generations the coyote has endured everything both nature and humans have thrown at it. Surely this resiliency and endurance is worthy of a little respect on our part. Camilla Fox of California’s Project Coyote has well characterized both the coyote and our relationship with this remarkable mammal. “The reality is, coyotes are incredibly adaptable, intelligent, resilient animals, and they have learned how to coexist with us. But we’re still trying to figure out how to coexist with them.”9 Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) is considered by many the father of wildlife conservation and management. His understanding of the role of predators within ecosystems was light years ahead of its time. Thus, in concluding my ruminations upon the coyote, I find it fitting to reflect upon his words. “Harmony with the land,” he said, “is like harmony with a friend. You cannot cherish his right hand and chop off his left. That is to say you cannot have game and hate predators. The land is one organism.”10 Resources 1. Whittaker, Donald G. and Frederick G. Lindzey. 1999. Effect of Coyote Predation on Early Fawn Survival in Sympatric Deer Species. Wildlife Society Bulletin Vol. 27, No. 2.. 256-262 2. Ballard, Warren B., Heather A. Whitlaw, Steven J. Young, Roger A. Jenkins and Graham J. Forbes. 1999. Predation and Survival of White-Tailed Deer Fawns in Northcentral New Brunswick. The Journal of Wildlife Management. Vol. 63, No. 2 . 574-579 3. Mulhollem, Jeff . 2014. Research indicates coyote predation on deer in East manageable. http://news.psu.edu/story/315340/2014/05/09/research/researchindicates-coyote-predation-deer-east-manageable 4. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote attacks on humans 5. www.americanhumane.org/about-us/newsroom/newsreleases/national-dog-bite-prevention-week.html.). 6. www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-fatalities-2014.php 7. Bottom, Christopher. 2014. Habitat Overlap Among Mesocarnivores and Wild Turkeys in an Agricultural Landscape. Thesis abstract. Southern Illinois Universtiy. 8. /www.tarpits.org/la-brea-tar-pits/faqs 9. The Week Magazine. July 17, 2015. 10. Leopold, Aldo. 1966. Round River, Oxford University Press, New York, 1993, pp. 145-146.