Natural Land Institute – Celebrating 50 Years of Conservation
June 30, 2008
Article in: Bird Conservation
Founded by George B. Fell in 1958, the Natural Land Institute has protected, managed, and restored more than twelve thousand acres throughout Illinois and southern Wisconsin. These include prairies, forests, wetlands, and river corridors.
The Natural Land Institute has been conserving land for 50 years. To celebrate they wrote up 50 Ways to Get Kids Outside adapted from Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. Their list includes many local links and resources to help kids get rid of Nature Deficit Disorder
The Natural Land Institute is a wonderful non-profit organization that focuses on local conservation efforts. Small, local organizations like this are key in helping to preserve, conserve, and manage habitat for birds and other wildlife.
Carl and Myrna Nygren Wetland Preserve is over 700 acres
One of the greatest accomplishments of the Natural Land Institute is their part in the organization of the Blufflands Alliance, the nation’s first multi-state alliance of public and private organizations working on a regional conservation project (the Mississippi Blufflands). The alliance includes organizations in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
We plan on helping this local organization as much as possible now and in the future.
Ospreys Along the Atlantic Coast
June 28, 2008
Article in: Birding
Osprey
Once a bird whose numbers were declining and now a success story of conservationalists, the Osprey can be found in bountiful amounts in coastal Virginia. On a recent family vacation to Virginia, Snowy Owl (Susie) encountered a large population of Ospreys along the Rappahannock River and the Slough Creek inlet of the Chesapeake Bay in the Northern Neck region of Virginia.
These breathtakingly beautiful birds had established nests in boat signs and whatever else they found suitable. We were treated to a wonderful view of the Ospreys as we canoed all over the Bay inlet. They flew, calling to each other in a sharp, distinct whistle. The creek was a bustling hub of activity.
Ospreys are not so common in northern Illinois so this was a special treat, especially for Snowy Owl’s two young daughters.
Something’s Different
June 27, 2008
Article in: Updates
You may have noticed (hopefully) that there has been a major change at Birdfreak.com. We are still focused on bird conservation marketing and promoting the joys of birding, but we decided it was time for an upgrade in our look.
The biggest difference and our favorite part of this face lift is our new logo! Finally, we had the ability to create a logo we have been wanting for quite some time.
Here’s how the logo took shape:
First of all, a month ago our Hooded Warbler photo was featured on the front page of the Rockford Register Star (paper of Rockford, IL). Definitely a sweet surprise!
The original photo was one of our personal favorites and we thought it would make a good logo.
So, after 30 minutes or so of messing around with Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop, the new logo was born!
Now, the rest of the changes are pretty drastic too, and we have several things we will be sprucing up over the next few days. We hope you enjoy the new look as much as we do!
Phriday Photo – Red-headed Woodpecker HDR
June 27, 2008
Article in: Photography
In order to take High Dynamic Range (HDR) photos of birds you have to be quick and they have to be pretty still. Movements on either end make the photo a bit junky, although a little bit is correctable.
Photo 1 – Underexposed (-2)
Photo 2 – “Normal” Exposure (0)
Photo 3 – Overexposed (+2)
Finished Product of a Red-headed Woodpecker in HDR
Now, this isn’t a perfectly done shot but we feel it often makes the colors “pop” and adds a little artistic quality to already beautiful birds. In a way, it helps to produce a more realistic image of what the bird looks like, although it can often be overdone making the image look a bit odd (which some may think this one looks).
Regardless, it was nice to find this Red-headed Woodpecker, as it is the first one spotted at Deer Run Forest Preserve this year. It is a shame these awesome birds are in decline.
Side note: these photos cost Birdfreak some lost blood as a cloud of mosquitoes decided outstretched arms with a camera in them make a wonderful buffet.
Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp on Sale Now!
June 27, 2008
Article in: Bird Conservation
Today marks the 75th Anniversary of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (commonly known as the “duck stamp”). Stamps are on sale today and can be purchased from a number of places:
Online: The Postal Store
In Person: Local Post Office and some sporting goods stores
By Mail: Various organizations sell stamps including those with special holders that can be displayed on your binoculars, camera, backpack, or elsewhere.
$0.98 of each dollar from stamp sales go directly to conservation efforts and also give you free access into National Wildlife Refuges across the country.
Bird Conservation – Bell’s Vireo
June 25, 2008
Article in: Bird Conservation
The Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii) is a shy little bird of shrubby habitats found in the midwest, southwest United States, and northern Mexico. With an estimated 1.5 million individuals, this vireo has declined approximately by over 60% since 1966.
While hard to find in northern Illinois, some important breeding areas can be found in Arizona at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge and the San Pedro Riparian National Wildlife Area. In Texas, Big Bend National Park and the Nature Conservancy’s David Mountain Preserve also holds breeding populations.
At Camp Pendleton military base in California, approximately half the population of the subspecies Least Bell’s Vireo can be found. Accommodating military bases can be extremely important to many bird species.
Conservation Needs
- Increase acreage of riparian and shrubby habitat
- Improve riparian habitat degraded by grazing and invasive plant species
- Develop baseline inventory of breeding and wintering populations
Conservation Action
The Upper San Pedro Partnership includes many organizations working to improve the area along the San Pedro River. Less conservation efforts have been made in the Midwest, but we feel that places in Illinois could support more Bell’s Vireo if the habitat was managed for them. This is one of the 14 birds on our Focused Bird Conservation Project
Full details on this species and 99 other North American birds at risk can be found in Jeffrey V. Wells’ Birder’s Conservation Handbook.
