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‘Helping Connect People to Nature’ - With Wildlife Web Cams
By TOM KOCAL | Prairie Advocate NewsTHOMSON – The Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge (SUMRR) have been working diligently to live up to their mission statement: Helping connect people to nature through environmental education, habitat restoration and providing opportunities to explore and enjoy the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. They have had their struggles with Mother Nature, but their diligence has paid off. They currently have 6 Wildlife Web Cams up and running, making it much easier for the average person to “explore and enjoy” the Refuge: two at Colonial Nesting on Cormorant Island, a Peregrine Nesting Box, and Life on Sloane Marsh (not on the web). There are two cams at Lock & Dam 13, one on the river, and an American Bald Eagle Nest, is currently out of commission. Pam Steinhaus, Visitors Services Manager at the Ingersoll Wetlands Learning Center near Thomson, IL, said that two and a half years ago, the Stewards received an internal grant from the US Fish & Wildlife Service for an Eagle Nest Cam at Lock & Dam 13, located near Fulton, IL on the Refuge. “It has proven to be the most challenging of them all,” Steinhaus said. “Eagles are very popular. We thought this one would be the easiest to start, but that was not the case.” “Nature threw a whole bunch of curves at us from the very beginning,” said Stan Bousson, photographer and SUMRR volunteer. “It’s a nest up in a tree, that has been there for over 6 years. It had fallen over a few times, but it was always there. Because of its location, we decided it was the best place to start. But the birds had other plans. After we got the camera set up, they decided to build a new nest a couple thousand feet away. We scrambled to get that one set up, but the nest failed, then fell over anyway.” “Plus, the camera in the new nest got struck by lightening,” said SUMRR volunteer Connie Zink. “Just as the eggs were hatching, the camera got hit, they abandoned the nest, and the eggs never hatched. Then last summer in a storm, the tree fell over. So this year, they came back to the old nest.” “People ask, “How do you know if they’re the same parents?’” said Steinhaus. “Generally, at least one of the parents will be the same, as they come back to the same nest year after year after year. But four years ago, the male hit a power line and died. So there is a new male now. So far, the pair has raised triplets, and a single one that also hit a power line. But their last 2 nests have failed. “The way the male was acting, it was almost as if he didn’t know what he was doing. You don’t know whether something happened to the male over the winter, or if this is a new male. If you look at the other cameras, the pairs are in the nest constantly.” “But even after the babies were hatched, they kept disappearing,” Zink stated. “That’s pretty much why the babies died. The parents weren’t there, and the babies moved around too much and worked their way off the edge of the nest.” “That pair has never been the best architects either,” Bousson added. “The nest kept falling over until we helped them with some 2x4’s.” “You don’t want to put human characteristics on anything, but you have to look at this and say, you know, this is an interesting pair,” Steinhaus said. “Some people just aren’t cut out to be parents,” Zink quipped. “ I guess that applies to this pair of eagles, too.” “Or at least to the male!” said Bousson. Another storm in mid-April knocked out the camera again. “When it’s the tallest thing around, it’s inevitable,” Bousson said. Fortunately, the other cameras are producing some very nice footage. The Stewards realized that they had something that nobody else had - a Colonial Nesting island at Cormorant Island, one of the most unique cameras in the country. There are other nesting colonies, but this is the only one for the American White Pelicans in Illinois and Iowa. “Six species nest there now - Pelicans, Double Crested Cormorants, Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Ring-billed Gulls, Canada Geese, and sometimes Cattle Egrets, but we haven’t seen any yet this year,” Steinhaus said. To date, their have been over 1700 chicks fledged since 2007. There are actually two islands, North Island and South Island, one in Illinois, the other in Iowa. Originally, they were sediment islands, and could eventually be washed away. There are few trees, but as seen on the cameras, Cormorant’s don’t need trees to nest. They stay together for protection, but as with most things, there are both positive and negative aspects to the colony. “That’s what happens in colonial nesting colonies,” said Steinhaus. “They destroy everything on the island, because they have such acidic feces. Most all of the vegetation gets destroyed. And, be sure to always boat up wind of the islands!” “We got started right away, but realized there was no way we could do this without partnerships,” Steinhaus said. “It would have never happened without the financial help of the Tri-State Tourism Council, Savanna Hotel/Motel Board, Carroll County Hotel/Motel Board, and JCWiFi. Solutions from Science in Thomson was a big contributor. They donated the solar generator, a huge donation. JCWiFi has been a great partner, setting up the equipment. Every camera is transmitted with wi-fi, completely wireless. JCWiFi donates the feed from the Peregrine Falcon nest, but we pay for the feed from Cormorant Island.” “People would never be able to see this wildlife activity without the cameras,” said Zink. Other sites are direct-wired, and has crystal clear reception. But we can’t do that because of the remote locations. Bear with us!” The Peregrine Nesting Box is located on the Consolidated Grain Elevator, on the river front in Savanna IL. Sponsored by JCWIFI, the video is not clear due to excessive dust from the elevator. The Peregrine Falcon Box Camera was installed in February 2012, but the nest box was placed there in February, 2010. The Peregrines moved in immediately in 2010 and setup home. 4 chicks fledged in 2010 and 5 chicks fledged in 2011. This year, both pair, named “Pebbles and BamBam,” returned on March 5th. There are 5 eggs. “The guys at the grain elevator named them,” Steinhaus commented. “They’ve taken them on as their own. BamBam got his name from watching him hunt. ‘Bam, Bam’ as he hunted pigeons! The pigeon population has dropped dramatically in Savanna.” The pair hunts from the elevator, as well as off of the Savanna-Sabula Bridge. They are a bird hawk, and will also grab an occasional song bird from local bird feeders, much to the chagrin of several residents. The camera showing Life on Sloane Marsh is located at Spring Lake just south of Savanna, IL on the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. Canada Geese, White-fronted geese, tundra swans, sandhill cranes, a variety of ducks, wading birds and waterfowl can be found at various times of the year at the site, located across from the Ingersoll Center. The US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge are also offering an exciting program called Jr. Stewards for youth ages 9 – 14+. Kids can participate in a year of exciting wildlife discovery to learn about and explore the wonders of the Upper Mississippi River NWFR. The group meets the first Saturday of each month, year round, from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. They develop their skills in photography, beginner bird watching, and more. This first year of the program, the Jr. Stewards have 16 kids, from Clinton, IA, Fulton, Thomson, Mount Carroll, Freeport, and Savanna. There is already a waiting list. For more info, go to www.sumriver.org and click on “Jr. Stewards.” SUMRR also offers golf cart tours in their 8-person cart, starting in May. They host guided Bird Walks every 2nd Saturday of the month at 8 am. The Owl Prowl is June 2. There is an indoor program to start the Prowl, then when it gets dark, they head out to call in the owls. Please check www.sumriver.org for any changes to meeting places and events each month. This Saturday, May 12, is Migratory Bird Day, and features several great activities. Bird Walk, Making your Garden Bird and Butterfly Friendly, and cart tours are just a few of them that start at the Ingersoll Wetlands Learning Center, packed with interesting, hands-on exhibits and provides a dramatic view of the world’s most majestic and celebrated river. If you have any questions please call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuge office at . You may also register online at www.sumriver.org. SUMRR now seeks your help with donations to not only maintain the current equipment and feeds, but also to plan for enhanced services. Donations may be sent to: Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge
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