Point au Sable – Biodiversity

Snapshots that help conserve shorebirds in decline

Scientists collect a snapshot of a bird’s life when they capture, band, and release it. Each coded band and any data collected at the same time like date, location, sex, age etc. are recorded in a database that can be shared by scientists around the world. When the same bird is seen somewhere else, that observation location provides another snapshot that is added to the database, helping scientists to reconstruct the movements of individual birds. This continuously growing database makes it possible to study dispersal and migration, behavior and social structure, life-span and survival rate, reproductive success and population growth.

Environmental Science & Policy Master’s candidate Tom Prestby is observing shorebirds migrating along the lower Bay of Green Bay (Brown County, Wisconsin, USA) in order to provide much needed information about the importance of near shore habitat for numerous species of conservation concern including three species in high peril and 12 in high continental concern.

Semipamated Sandpiper photo by Tom Prestby — Semipalmated Sandpipers on the shore of the Bay of Green Bay.

He photographed the Semipalmated Sandpiper shown here in late May 2015 at his research site in Green Bay. The code on the blue band on the bird’s leg allowed him to discover that it was banded on January 14, 2014 in Maranhao, Brazil, and so had traveled nearly 2000 miles to get to Green Bay. Semipalmated Sandpipers, so-named because their toes are webbed for only part of their length, breed on open tundra, so it’s journey is only a little more than half finished. It still must travel another 1200 miles or more to northern Canada and Alaska to breed this summer, resting at along mudflats, sandy beaches, shores of lakes and ponds, and wet meadows. These birds make that incredible 3000 mile journey in only about two months time and rely mostly on stored fat reserves to power them through migration. Summer is short in the arctic, so after they breed they begin their fall passage in July at a more leisurely pace and typically arrive back in their South American wintering grounds by mid-October.^[1]

Unfortunately, this species is on the 2014 State of the Birds Watch List, which lists species most in danger of extinction without significant conservation action. Even though populations appear to be stable at some arctic breeding grounds in Alaska, surveys by researchers in Canada and the United States indicate that the numbers of birds reaching South America wintering grounds have declined by 80% over the last 20 years. Canadian scientist Stephen Brown who has been tracking the birds as they arrive on Coats Island in the far north of Hudson’s Bay explains, “We need to understand the migratory pathways of the species in order to know where the decline is occurring, and what can be done to reverse it.”^[2]

Prestby’s observation is helping other scientists to do just that. He is continuing to monitor shorebirds at his research sites including the recently restored Cat Island Chain in person and through the use of remote cameras. He is enthusiastic about his graduate experience. “It is fascinating to be able to look into the life of one of these birds and very satisfying to contribute to a great database!” His master’s research will provide important information about shorebird migration and use of wetlands encircling the bay of Green Bay that will help scientists to better understand and conserve these trans-American travelers.

References

1. All About Birds: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Semipalmated_Sandpiper/id

2. Manumet Center for Conservation Studies: https://www.manomet.org/newsletter/first-ever-geolocator-results-semipalmated-sandpiper-show-remarkable-year-long-odyssey

Considering a career in Environmental Science? Learn more educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, the Original #EcoU!

Bird Banding at Point au Sable

Almost 80% of songbirds that nest in Wisconsin are migratory, many traveling vast distances every spring and fall. Songbirds typically migrate at night and seek out patches of natural habitat at daybreak where they can rest. These areas must provide shelter from storms and predators, as well as provide high quality food resources so the birds can refuel for the next leg of their journey. Unfortunately, stopover habitats are becoming scarcer as natural habitat is converted for human use and landscapes become more fragmented.

UW--Green Bay graduate student Stephanie Beilke measures a bird while undergraduate Kirsten Gullett records data. — **UW–Green Bay graduate student Stephanie Beilke measures a bird while undergraduate Kirsten Gullett records data.**

Stopover habitats are a critical resource for these birds, but the ecology of birds during stopover periods is not well understood. And because increasingly large numbers of birds congregate in these fragmented habitats, ecological interactions can be intense. This may because there are many species interacting under highly variable environmental conditions. Graduate student Stephanie Beilke is banding birds to learn more about how migratory birds are affected by the type of stopover habitats they choose. Her research on migratory bird assemblages will provide insights into the resource demands and evolutionary history of migratory birds and will ultimately provide a better understanding of stopover site ecology and help guide the conservation and protection of Great Lakes coastal habitats for migratory birds.

Point au Sable offers a perfect opportunity to learn more about stopover ecology. It is a mosaic of different natural habitats including lowland and upland forest, wetlands, and Great Lakes beach. Since the late 1990s, migrating passerines have been studied at Point au Sable Natural Area, a peninsula that juts out into the lower Green Bay, just north of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay campus. Through the years, Point au Sable has experienced many ecosystem changes including invading exotic vegetation, declining water-levels in the Bay of Green Bay, and ongoing habitat management and restoration. Despite these changes, point counts and mist-netting operations conducted by UW – Green Bay researchers have shown that large concentrations of avian migrants use Point au Sable during both spring and fall migration

This fall Stephanie and her group of volunteers set up nearly invisible finely-meshed mist nets in openings where birds are likely to fly through. Birds fly into the nets and become entangled. Trained technicians collect the birds, and then take measurements and either read the existing band or place a new a U.S. Geological Survey aluminum numbered band on the bird’s leg. Volunteers help to set up and take down the nets, alert the technicians to new arrivals, and help to record data collected. In this study netted birds will be weighed and scored for visible chest fat. Different length and width measurements are also collected. Technicians work quickly and carefully to limit the amount of stress endured by the birds.

They banded birds on 25 different days at two locations at Point au Sable Natural Area. Six mist nets were set up in either coastal shrub or in upland forest. The average capture rate was 40 birds per net, but one net in the coastal area caught 79 new birds as well as 3 recaptured birds. Forty-seven different species were banded, including 100 Tennessee Warblers. They also captured large numbers of White-throated Sparrows, American Robins, Hermit Thrushes and Golden-crowned Kinglets.

Some of the species they caught were “firsts” for the project, meaning they had never been captured before, including Black-billed Cuckoo, Blue-headed Vireo, Purple Finch, and Winter Wren. The crew also banded one Yellow-bellied Flycatcher on October 12, which, according to the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, makes it a record late observation for the state. Most Yellow-bellied Flycatchers have migrated south by the end of September.

Stephanie will be banding again Spring 2014, stay tuned to the blog or like us on Facebook to find out how to volunteer.

Some of the birds captured in Autumn 2013

2012/2013 Christmas Bird Count

The Christmas Bird Count is 113 years old and is the longest running citizen science survey in the world! Groups of birders get together to count birds over a single 24 hour period between mid December and early January.

This year counts will be held on any day from December 14 to January 5 inclusive. You can find a Christmas Bird Count for your area in Wisconsin at the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology in Wisconsin, there are over 100 counts that take place from mid-December through early January. http://wsobirds.org/?page_id=2353

The Cofrin Center for Biodiversity will be joining the Dykesville Count on December 16th as this circle includes the Point au Sable Natural Area. Contact graduate student Tom Prestby at prestbyt@uwgb.edu for more information. A Green Bay count that includes the UW—Green Bay campus will occur on December 15^th. Contact John Jacobs at Jacobs_jp@co.brown.wi.us for more information.

Horned Lark, photo by T. Prestby — Dykesville birders will be on the lookout for Horned Larks, like this one in the farm fields around Dykesville, WI (photo by Tom Prestby)

The Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count arose out of a 19^th century tradition of competitive holiday hunts where groups of hunters competed to see who could kill the greatest number of birds and mammals killed in a single day. The participants of an 1896 side hunt in a small community in Vermont shot more than 550 birds and mammals. Frank M. Chapman, noted ornithologist and American Museum of Natural History curator, proposed an alternative contest. In the December 1900 issue of his new magazine “Bird Lore” he proposed that people go out and count rather than kill birds and then send their lists back to the magazine. The first year 25 lists were made by 27 people across the country.

Today, people are participating in the Christmas Bird Count all over the world. Last over 64 million birds were counted in over 2200 areas across 20 countries including Antarctica. That number represents one quarter of all known bird species. Everyone follows the same methodology regardless of country. “Count circles” with a diameter of 15 miles or 24 kilometers are established and at least 10 volunteers count in each circle. Birders divide into small groups and follow assigned routes counting every bird they see along the way. In most count circles individuals are assigned to watch feeders instead of following routes. A supervisor is designated for each circle and supervises, compiles, and submits data after the count. The circle that tallied the highest number of species last year was Yanuyaca, Equador, whose team reported 492 species. In the United States the highest count was 244 species reported by Matagorda County-Mad Island Marsh, Texas.

More information:

Visit the National Audobon Society’s website for links to Christmas bird counts throughout North America and the Caribbean http://birds.audubon.org/christmas-bird-count

Christmas Bird Count data summaries http://birds.audubon.org/american-birds-annual-summary-christmas-bird-count

Can’t make the Christmas Count this year? Consider participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count Feb. 15-18, 2013. http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/

Origins of the Christmas Bird Count from the North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier VT http://www.northbranchnaturecenter.org/cbc.html

Want to feel better? Go For a Walk in the Woods!

Are you trying to decide between working out at the gym and taking a walk in the woods? If you are interested in improving your mental, as well as your physical health, new research recommends heading for the woods.

***A quiet path through Mahon Woods in the Cofrin Arboretum on the UW--Green Bay campus.***

Most people would probably agree that a walk in the woods (barring mosquitoes) has a reviving effect on our mental well-being. Writers, from Pliny to Thoreau, have touted the recuperative benefits of nature. Frederick Law Olmsted, the Landscape Architect who founded The Clearing, located in Door County, WI, wrote in 1865 “the enjoyment of scenery employs the mind without fatigue and yet exercises it; tranquilizes it and yet enlivens it; and thus, through the influence of the mind over the body, gives the effect of refreshing rest and reinvigoration to the whole system.” In 1985 E. O. Wilson explored this love of nature in his book “Biophilia”. In it he championed the idea that our attraction to nature goes beyond the aesthetic to the genetic, that our love of nature is actually genetically programmed.

A new study led by Richard Mitchell of the Centre for Research on Environment, Society and Health, at Glasgow University agrees with Wilson’s assertion. They looked at the locations that 1800 physically active people chose for exercise and then compared that data to measures of their mental health. Interestingly, only activity in the natural environment was associated with a lower risk of poor mental health. Those that chose to exercise in woodlands or parks had a 50% greater effect on positive mental health compared to those who chose the gym. The study also indicates that the positive effects of activity in a natural area cause a physiological change that goes beyond the effect of positive thought. Our biology actually changes when we experience nature.

There have been a number of theories that have been proposed to try to explain the physiological beneficial influence of nature, but probably the two best-known theories are the Attention Restoration Theory of Kaplan and Kaplan (1989) and the psycho-evolutionary theory developed by Ulrich and his colleagues in the 1990s. These theories explain the influence of nature, especially plants, on the reduction of stress and mental fatigue. Both theories consider the recovery effects of viewing nature to have a biological cause.

Attention restoration theory suggests that fatigue caused by trying to concentrate on a project in the face of continued distractions can be restored by quiet exercise and reflection in a natural environment. It is based on the assumption that natural settings are “quietly fascinating” and draw our attention without our even realizing it. We observe nature in a way that requires no effort, and is pleasing because it creates a sense of order and meaning. However, watching nature is not so attention grabbing that it prevents the reflective thought that allows us to recover from mental fatigue. Natural settings, they argue, also reduce stress because they create a feeling of “getting away” or escaping from the work environment.

Another theory, developed by Ulrich and Parson in the 1990s, argues that our modern world is over-stimulating because it is too visually complex and loud. They argue that natural settings reduce stress because they mimic the natural habitats that we evolved in. We are drawn to and have a positive psychological response to natural settings like woodland edges, grassy meadows and ponds and stream edges. Visiting natural spaces like the Cofrin Arboretum or other natural areas speeds recovery from stress.

Other studies agree with the results reached by Mitchell and his colleagues. Studies by several Japanese researchers have shown that forest walks result in lower blood pressure, pulse rates and cortisol levels, as well as increased heart healthy hormones. A study by Jo Barton and Jules Pretty in 2010 determined that spending just five minutes walking in an outdoor natural setting caused improved mental and emotional health. A study by Roe and Aspinall (2010) found that rural walks had a more restorative effect on mental health than urban walks did. They also found that those with poorer mental health saw even greater restorative effect from walking in a rural landscape. In a different study they found that when children with extreme behavior problems spent time in forest settings, they developed positive emotional responses, like improved trust, over time (Roe and Aspinall 2011).

What is the take home message? Go take a walk in the woods. Nature can help those of us that live and work in complex stressful environments to be physiologically healthier if we take the time to visit natural areas to de-compress. There is a positive biological effect on your body when you experience trees, vegetation, streams and ponds.

Four of UW—Green Bay’s natural areas, The Cofrin Arboretum, Point au Sable, Kingfisher Farm, and Toft Point, provide walking trails. Plan your next walk outside and enjoy the benefits of greater health!

Links:

Regular exercise in natural environments halves risk of poor mental health: http://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_236113_en.html
Barton, J. and Pretty, J. (2010) What is the Best Dose of Nature and Green Exercise for Improving Mental Health? A Multi-Study Analysis. Environ. Sci. Technol., 2010, 44 (10), pp 3947–3955
R. Kaplan and S. Kaplan. (1989) The experience of nature: A psychological perspective. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Roe, J. and Aspinall, P. (2011): The restorative benefits of walking in urban and rural settings in adults with good and poor mental health, Health & Place 17, 103-113
Roe, J. and Aspinall, P. (2011): The emotional affordances of forest settings: an investigation in boys with extreme behavioural problems. Landscape Research.
Ulrich, Roger S., Robert F. Simons, Barbara D. Losito, Evelyn Fiorito, Mark A. Miles, and Michael Zelson. 1991. Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments. Journal of Environmental Psychology 11: 201-230.
Wilson, Edward O. (1984). Biophilia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Point au Sable Bird Survey: November 3, 2011

Today, Marty Jacobson, Josh Martinez and I conducted bird point counts at Point Sable for sites 3, 5 and 9. Soon after arriving, we had nice looks at a lone Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) from point 3. When we reached the end of the point, we could see many distant ducks but there was also a Common Loon (Gavia immer) fairly close in (see photo below). Also at the point, we had 9 swans fly over. They were either Tundra (Cygnus columbianus) or Trumpeter (Cygnus buccinators), but we were not sure which. Several other interesting flyovers included 10 Bonaparte’s Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) at point 5, 4 Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) from point 6 and a Rusty Blackbird at point 3. Migrant passerines included Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) and Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus). Marty asked if Josh or I ever see owls at Point Sable and almost on cue we found two Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus). One of the last birds we saw was a Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) fishing in Wequiock Creek.

Common Loon at Point Sable. 3 November, 2011.

Point au Sable Bird Survey: October 26, 2011

Josh Martinez and I conducted point counts at several Point Sable sites this morning. The sky was overcast and the wind speed was around 10 mph. There were quite a few ducks visible from the end of the Point but none were close enough to identify. The most exciting bird of the day was a Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) on the bay just off the outlet of Wequiock Creek. We also saw 3 Hermit Thrushes (Catharus guttatus), a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and several species of woodpecker including a very cooperative Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens; see photo). Overall, it was a very quiet morning for birding.

Distant Horned Grebe on the bay of Green Bay, October 26, 2011

Point au Sable Bird Survey: October 1, 2010 by Erin Gnass

In a short amount of time, undergraduate student, Aaron Groves, and I were able to trek over to Point au Sable and perform just one point count along the shoreline before the downpour of rain began! Upon arriving at the Point, we noticed that the landscape had changed drastically since we had last been there a few months ago. The shoreline was completely covered in the invasive Phragmites australis, making it nearly impossible to view the bay of Green Bay. Regardless, many of the small passerines did not seem to mind this invasive. We found numerous Black-capped Chickadees, Song Sparrows, and one Myrtle (Yellow-rumped) Warbler foraging within the Phragmites and using it for cover. We also observed the following species: Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Mallard Duck, Canada Geese, Ring-billed Gull, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Ovenbird, Downy Woodpecker, Gray Catbird, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Crow, Blue Jay, and American Robin. Upon hearing the chatter of the Belted Kingfisher and the ever-present European Starling, the rain slowly started to pour, at which point Aaron and I left for the day. We observed a total of 19 species.

Point au Sable Bird Survey: May 17, 2010 by Erin Gnass

With bright sunshine, nearly 60 degrees in temperature, and northerly winds over the weekend, we found many new species and the most total species observed for the season in one morning-a total of 59 species! We observed approximately a dozen Common Goldeneyes performing mating rituals off shore near a few American White Pelicans. A dozen Double-crested Cormorants, Canada Geese, Mallard Ducks, and screeching Caspian Terns passed along shore and overhead through the morning. Spotted Sandpipers and Sandhill Cranes also continue to use the Point. Despite many of the interesting species we observed today, we found a few broken American Robin egg shells, which we have found a few times around the Point. Sadly, the eggs might have blown out of different pair’s nests during some intense wind or rain storms that we have had this April and May.

Of the newest arrivals were Red-eyed Vireos, Yellow-throated Vireos, Least Flycatchers, and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers! While I stumbled upon a Northern Waterthrush out in the open, Aaron spotted our season’s first Black-billed Cuckoo high in an aspen tree, laying fairly still along a branch. We later found it lower in a shrub, perhaps resting after arriving to the Point overnight. And one short of our record of total warbler species observed in one day for the season, we observed 13 total warbler species this morning, including Northern Waterthrush, Tennessee, Golden-winged, Magnolia, American Redstart, Palm, Blackburnian, Yellow, Yellow-rumped, Common Yellowthroat, Black-and-white, Ovenbird, and Nashville Warblers. We continue to observe Warbling Vireos, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Swamp Sparrows, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, House Wrens, Bald Eagles, Baltimore Orioles, Song Sparrows, and many more interesting and magnificent species of birds.

Observers: Erin Gnass and Aaron Groves (Thank you very much, Aaron, for accompanying and helping me this spring season and best of luck with your Cofrin student research summer field work!)

Point au Sable Bird Survey: May 14, 2010 by Erin Gnass

Although the morning started out a little chilly at the Point, it didn’t take very long for the air to warm and the birds to start singing and being active. Shortly after arriving and completing our first bird survey, a season’s first, beautiful white Great Egret flew over the Bay and landed within twenty five meters of us! It quickly began to forage along shore looking for fish and then flew further down the shoreline, at which point I was able to photograph this elegant bird. Additionally, we found ten species of warbler, including our season’s first Chestnut-sided and large numbers of Common Yellowthroat, Yellow, Yellow-rumped, and Palm. In fewer numbers but just as wonderful, we found Cape May, Blackpoll, Black-throated Green, Black-and-white, and Ovenbird warblers.

Throughout the entire Point, we found many regular, abundant species including House Wrens, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Chimney Swifts, and Gray Catbirds. Although less abundant, we also observed a few rather conspicuous Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Warbling Vireos, and Swamp Sparrows. Around the same area that we were walking two days earlier, we observed and heard a melodious Wood Thrush near the center of the Point within dense vegetation. We also observed large numbers of Tree, Barn, and Northern Rough-winged Swallows foraging for flying insects off shore and near the center of the Point. All together, we recorded 40 species.

Observers: Erin Gnass, Aaron Groves, and Ashley Fehrenbach

Photographs by me:

Great Egret, foraging shortly upon arrival to the Point

Point au Sable Bird Survey: May 12, 2010 by Erin Gnass

Despite how cold it was upon arriving at the Point, we found the forest and shoreline to be quite active with many new and exciting season’s first migrant bird species! We were incredibly fortunate to stumble upon some very interesting species: Spotted Sandpiper (three different individuals around the Point), Blackpoll Warbler, American Redstart, Swainson’s Thrush, Wood Thrush, Chimney Swift, Cliff Swallow, and White-crowned Sparrow! Although much lower in numbers, Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers continue to forage and use the Point as they pass through the Green Bay-area and head north for the breeding season. House Wrens, Warbling Vireos, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Common Yellowthroats, Yellow Warblers, and Tree Swallows, however, were still quite abundant and observed at several different locations around the Point.

Observers: Erin Gnass, Kari Hagenow, and Aaron Groves

Note: Nick Walton will no longer be assisting with the Point au Sable surveys for the season because he has headed north for his summer field work searching for and monitoring the nests of the Great Lakes endemic, Kirtland’s Warbler! He will return later in the summer and fall to continue surveying the birds at the Point.

Some photographs, taken by me: