jimtate1940's Journal

Wildlife Committee Report
Larry Anderson, Committee Chair
andupton9@hotmail.com

A bear has again been sighted on our farm. This most recent sighting came after the March BOG meeting, at about
10:00pm. We are very excited about having bear(s) on our farm and would like to remind our members we adhere to
MD DNR guidelines and rules about living with bears (http://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/hunt_trap/bbliving
with.aspx). Having bears on our farm is another indication of a quality habitat, something we are striving towards. While we do not have a photo of this bear we keep trying and ask that if any member does happen to have a bear photo from the farm, please consider forwarding a copy.

We have game cameras (aka camera traps) around the farm and have a few interesting pictures. One of them is a nice looking 8 point buck. It is date stamped March 26, 2018. This deer was traveling with several other smaller bucks, each still had antlers. The opportunity for antler shed hunting appears to be extended this year.

Along with many pictures of our robust deer population, we do have other animals that appear on the game cameras.
In fact, the main purpose of the game cameras is to census the other wildlife on our farm. Our April newsletter (http//www.bcciwla) has a few pictures of foxes, raccoons, a hawk and a coyote.

These species are common and expected to be present in our habitat on our farm, many of them are not easily seen
and appreciated without the aid of the game camera.

One picture did jump out this year as something unusual. This picture, taken March 19, appears to be a fisher. Take a look at it here on iNaturalist and let us know what you think. (this B-CC IWLA newsletter story has been edited for iNaturalis use -TATE)

29 September2014 Fall is here and deer season is about to get into full swing. Early reports from our archery hunters is that this is shaping up to be a good year: a couple of nice bucks have already been taken. New this year is our hunter registration program, designed to be sure that all our hunters know our rules and know property boundaries. The registration can be found on our website (bcciwla.org) under the activities menu item for hunting. Please read through this entire section of rules and fill out the information requested on the Annual Registration page. Members must be registered by the start of deer firearms season (Nov. 29th) to be eligible to hunt on our farm. As a safety precaution, it is suggested that some hunter’s orange be worn in the woods even if not hunting, during the firearms portion of deer season.

Our farm is in good shape. The buffer strips around the fields have been recently mowed and the grasses are re-sprouting. The main Ag fields have soybeans growing, somewhat on small side, but the beans are there. Almost all of the other fields have cover crops planted in them, usually a mixture of clover and wheat. In the woods, this looks to be a better year than last year for acorns production. Last year, with the meager mast crop, many hunters noticed different patterns in deer movements as the deer searched out alternate food supplies. This year, the patterns may be different again. The deer have a few more choices among our acorns, our abundant clover, and our other cover crops.

As managers of wildlife, we again ask hunters that deer harvested on our farm be logged in, either in the logbook outside the Chapter house door or by email including the member’s name, the date, the gender of the deer, and optionally the general location of harvest. Last year we had a reported harvest of 41 deer on our 623 acres. Something new this year: in conjunction with the tick watch project, when hunters log in their deer we are also asking them to report the number of ticks present (attached) on both ears of their deer. The hypothesis is that this year’s tick burden may be low, due to a poor mast crop last year resulting in fewer mice, voles and other warm-blooded hosts. With this year’s good mast crop, will there be a measurable increase in the tick burden on deer next year? We need data to make the correlation and our hunters can be quite a resource in providing this data.

Good luck and be safe
24 Hours a Day Natural Resources Emergency or Assistance Telephone:
1-800-628-9944 or 410-260-8888
You can also use these phone numbers to report natural resources violations or ask questions on wildlife regulations. All NRP regional offices are open Mon–Fri, 8am–4pm.

Spring Turkey Season is now over. We had 4 turkeys reported taken on The Conservation Farm this year (two of which were taken by our turkey-whispering guru Butch Mezick). Statewide, the MD Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reported 3874 turkeys were harvested this spring, up 3% from last year, and is a sign of a robust and expanding population.

We have seen evidence that a bear is again on our farm. The dumpsters have been rifled through and a birdhouse inhabited by an Eastern Bluebird pair and their young near the chapter house was knocked down. Teeth marks and the flattened pole would seem to rule out everything but a bear. The young in the nest were probably just a snack for the bear, but the garbage probably provided a fuller and more balanced menu. We do enjoy having bears on our farm as part of the natural wildlife diversity, and if any of members happen to get a picture (none so far), please forward it to me. As a reminder, we endorse the DNR policy of non-interference with bears and ask that our members are diligent in keeping trash and potential foodstuffs in their proper places.

In recent weeks, we have had the pleasure of hosting the Montgomery Bird Club and the Reptiles and Amphibians Class (Graduate School USA) for surveys of the wildlife on our farm. In five hours, the birders identified 74 species of birds, including 11 different species of warblers. This count of species is the highest we have had on our farm. The Herp class found several snakes, toads, salamanders and a number of different aged turtles (suggesting a reproducing population). Pictures and accounts will be posted to the website shortly. Both trips were deemed highly productive and we hope to continue with future surveys. A common comment was expressed from both groups; “[The Conservation Farm] is in great shape both in terms of habitat richness and diversity of species. It is a good example of “wise stewardship of the land and its resources.” That is an endorsement that our farm management plan is working. I urge all of our members to come out and spend some time enjoying nature.

SU: the summer season at B-CC IWLA was difficult for many of our native birds largely as a result of the unusual spring weather. The aerial insectivores suffered the most. The Barn Swallows did not nest on the speaker on the east porch of the Chapter House as usual. The Tree Swallows were seen during migration, but were nearly absent during the nesting season. And, the B-CC Purple Martin colony totally crashed this year.

We did our part: during the Spring cleanup we installed nest boxes newly built, and rebuilt by John Novak around the big pond, the small pond, and in the field between the Chapter House and the Archery range. A crew of volunteers opened, cleaned, and raised the Purple Martin (PUMA) houses. And we watched and waited for our usual occupants.

The weather during spring migration for these long-distance migrants was especially tough. The Accuweather forecast of February 4th accurately predicted that cold air masses and a few snowstorms would continue to impact the Great Lakes, Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions as late as March before the winter season comes to an end. This time the weatherman was right on.

We experienced alternating spring temperatures and wintry cold in Montgomery County on a weekly basis for nearly two months. The aerial insectivores; which depend on airborne insects came to Florida early and pushed on into the mid-Atlantic and Northeast only to find no food available. They quickly used up their fat reserves and died.

Some PUMA colonies did better than ours because the owners supplemented natural food with mealworms. A few early migrants, called “scouts” visited our PUMA colony, but none stayed. The total loss of our colony last year to the Black Racer (Coluber constrictor) didn’t help either. It appears that there is something else going on as well.

Aerial insectivore populations have declined steeply throughout eastern North America in recent decades according to a major scientific study. According to the study, Bank and Cliff swallows, Purple Martin, and Olive-sided Flycatcher were found in 39 to 65% fewer census blocks in the last decade. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and Chimney Swift occurred in 38 and 26% fewer blocks, respectively. Declines in aerial insectivore populations have been most severe in the north and east, and began in the 1970s. Species that migrate to South America have declined to a greater extent than have species that migrate over shorter distances.

At B-CC we are looking forward to watching the fall migration, and participating in the winter feeder counts. Then we look forward to making up our 2014 losses next breeding season.

Sapsuckers.-- Several years ago we installed a bird feeding station just south of the Chapter House. While we were working on it, an IWLA member asked if the suet feeders we were installing would attract Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers (YBSS). The answer is yes, they sometimes come to suet feeders in our area. They are only expected here during fall, winter and spring, preferring to nest in higher latitudes and altitudes. The member was concerned because the YBSS is often accused of destroying ornamental and fruit trees with its regularly spaced feeding holes. Research indicates that they prefer to feed on already stressed trees and shrubs and tend to leave healthy trees alone. Attracting them to our feeding station will allow us to band them and possibly learn more about their behavior and feeding preferences.

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On the morning of October 10, 2012 at about 04:00 a juvenile black bear was seen in the vicinity of the bird feeding station near the Chapter House. The bear apparently destroyed the bird feeder to get at the grain and suet that it contained. It is likely that the bear was also responsible for the destruction of the bird feeding station the previous week.

Wildlife Management Committee Chairman Larry Anderson has called on all B-CC IWLA members to be aware that we do have one and possibly multiple black bears on the Conservation Farm property. So, use caution when visiting the grounds and especially the woods.

The presence of black bears is a positive result of our Conservation Farm being one of the last wild areas in Montgomery County. It is important that such areas are preserved in the face of growing human population and development so long as public safety is maintained. In the meantime, if you hear any rumors of concern, please Larry Anderson at 301-942-1384 or by e-mail at andupton9@hotmail.com.

If you encounter a bear on the farm, do not pursue or disturb the animal. It is best to leave the area immediately and call Larry Anderson to report the sighting. Carrying bear-pepper spray is always a good precaution when spending time in our woods.

Larry Anderson,

Living with Black Bears

Wildlife Management Chairman Larry Anderson advises all B-CC IWLA Members that we do occasionally see black bears on the Conservation Farm and in our woods. He suggests that you should not approach bears or harm them in any way. The presence of bears on the farm indicates that we have one of the last robust woodland habitats for these animals remaining in Montgomery County, something we should be proud of.

All B-CC IWLA members should take a look at the Maryland DNR brochure "Living with Black Bears." Please take a look at this brochure and help us out with garbage, bird pens, and bird feeding station management. Personal safety comes first. If you should encounter a bear up close, shout, wave, and slowly back away. Keep dogs from approaching a bear, and report what you see to the Wildlife Management Committee. The decision was made to not put the winter bird feeders back up until November so as not to tempt the bears, and to give them a chance to den up for the winter.

For more information, please contact our Wildlife Chairman, Larry Anderson at 301-942-1384 or by e-mail at andupton9@hotmail.com

Thousands of wild birds in the Seneca Christmas Bird Count.

Thousands of wild birds in the Seneca Christmas Bird Count. — Unlike last year the Sunday of the Seneca Christmas Bird Count (CBC) dawned bright, sunny and kind of cold. On the 19th of December twenty birdwatchers from the Montgomery County Bird Club (MCBC) and B-CC IWLA gathered early at the chapter house to organize the Sector 7 part of the Seneca CBC. Before the day was over, they had walked over twenty-five miles, driven nearly 45 miles, and counted more than 2,875 wild birds of 65 species. And, this is only one small sector of the fifteen-mile circle that makes up the Seneca CBC.

CBCs are designed to count all of the birds seen within a 15-mile circle. There are several CBCs in our area but the Seneca CBC is literally right in our back yard. In fact, Sector 7 of the Seneca CBC includes our farm. In the past the MCBC, which manages the Seneca count, has met on the corner of River Road and West Willard Way on the morning of the count to get organized and divide the workload. This year they met at our chapter house for coffee, donuts and warmth before they went afield.

The IWLA Chapter farm contributed several species to the final sector list, including a flock of seven Tundra Swan seen flying over the IWLA, a flock of 40 Wild Turkeys seen in the West Woods, and some unusual species seen at the winter bird feeders outside the south windows. To our surprise, seven Purple Finches spent the day shuttling between the feeders and a Large Sycamore behind the log cabin. The expected House Finches did not show up at the IWLA feeders.

This was a good year for the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a species featured recently on the Chapter website. The birders saw a Black-capped Chickadee in addition to the expected Carolina Chickadees (110). There has been an irruption of far north birds this fall and winter into our area. Red-breasted Nuthatch, Common Raven, and Horned Lark were also unexpected observations.

So, in the next few weeks until blessed spring comes back to Maryland, stop and watch the birds at the feeders. You never know what you will see. And, take a look at the MCBC website for a list of MCBC field trips coming up. We hope to invite MCBC back for a bird walk again this spring.

-TATE 25 Dec. 2010