Fall
2001
Table of Contents
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Fall
2001 |
Snippets
Thanks for contributions!
Thanks to everyone who contributed anecdotes, stories, and other information to WDFW's "Living With Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest," compiled by urban wildlife biologist Russell Link. The book is scheduled to be out next spring.
The count will soon be on
WDFW's 9th annual backyard winter bird feeding survey starts in November.
If you've been part of this fun data collection effort, you'll be receiving your count forms in the mail soon.
If you'd like to join the effort, mail us a postcard with your name and address to "Winter Backyard Bird Survey," WDFW, 16018 Mill Creek Blvd., Mill Creek, WA 98012; or send e-mail to: thomppat@dfw.wa.gov The deadline for mailing is Oct. 25.
It's really easy: just watch your backyard bird feeders carefully for a couple of days every other week through the season, record numbers of species, and return data forms to us in the spring. An Internet e-mail system for submitting data is in the works to make your contribution to this survey even easier (hopefully for 2002!)
Help birds at cafe concerts
The Songbird Foundation, Northwest Shade Coffee Campaign and TransFair USA are sponsoring cafe concerts on Thursday nights in western Washington to raise money for the Sustainable Coffee Campaign, Coffee Kids, and Trees for the Future. (Remember, shade-grown coffee provides winter habitat for our summer songbirds.)
All of the following 7-10 pm concerts are free, with donations encouraged for the shade-grown coffee cause.
Where do bats winter?
Ever since discovering a maternal colony of rare Townsend's big-eared bats in northern Spokane County in 1999, WDFW's urban wildlife biologist Howard Ferguson has been wondering where they spend the winter.
The very limited literature on this species suggests that winter "hibernacula" or roost sites are probably not more than 25 miles away from where the bats are born, he says. And knowing just where that is could help protect that part of the bats' habitat, he figures.
So he set out to track the bats just before they left their birthplace in September. First he captured a sample of 11 individuals from the colony of about 200, using a butterfly-like net, and affixed tiny (size of a small fingertip) radio telemetry transmitters to each of their backs. The transmitter batteries last just three weeks, and then the radios simply fall off the bats. Volunteers helped Howard track the bats, both from the air and on the ground.
At the time of this writing, most of the bats were located within 15 miles of the maternal roost, but surprisingly not together - they were scattered in various habitats, including caves, trees in dense forests, and snag cavities. Howard plans to capture and equip more bats next year to learn more about them.
Signs of the season
After deciduous trees shed their leaves you can easily spot the large tree nests that squirrels built earlier in the year. Sometimes squirrels continue to use these overstuffed structures for winter roosts.
During the winter, look for holes in the snow where tree squirrels retrieved stored cones. The confetti-like litter from these stashed treats can often be found on top of the snow underneath the squirrels' treetop "dining rooms."
If you can detect where squirrels are holding quarter through the winter, you might try offering them their own food nearby to dissuade them from robbing bird feeders in other parts of your yard. No guarantees, but maybe worth a shot!
Tell Your Friends: Personalized Plates Help Wildlife
The Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary program, along with other non-game functions of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), is funded by the sale of Washington state personalized motor vehicle license plates. These distinctive plates -- in your choice of unclaimed word(s) up to seven letters -- cost an extra $46 for the first year and an extra $30 for each subsequent year. You can pick up an application form at any state licensing or WDFW office, or by contacting the Department of Licensing at P.O. Box 9042, Olympia, WA 98507, 360-902-3770 (telephone menu option #5).
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