Showing posts with label wildlife. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wildlife. Show all posts
Monday, January 19, 2015
Carrying the Load
"Carrying The Load"
Heading back with a nice catch! — with Denis Brockmeyer and Al Ahner at Lock and Dam #14.
Photo courtesy of Scott Evers:
Heading back with a nice catch! — with Denis Brockmeyer and Al Ahner at Lock and Dam #14.
Photo courtesy of Scott Evers:
Sunday, January 18, 2015
just outside of Louisiana, MO, we hit the mother lode of birds! — in Louisiana, Missouri.
Photo courtesy of Jim Gilbert:
Unusual Photo of Bald Eagle
Photo courtesy of Jim Gilbert:
Another rarity - a shot of the eagle from ABOVE - at the bluffs of Louisiana, MO — in Louisiana, Missouri.
Another rarity - a shot of the eagle from ABOVE - at the bluffs of Louisiana, MO — in Louisiana, Missouri.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Two Bald Eagles
From the U.S. Department of the Interior:
Here's a cool pic of two Bald Eagles staring each other down at Upper Mississippi Wildlife & Fish Refuge. Located in four states along the Mississippi River -- Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois -- the refuge encompasses one of the largest blocks of floodplain habitat in the lower 48 states. Bordered by steep wooded bluffs that rise 100 to 600 feet above the river valley, the Mississippi River corridor and refuge offer scenic beauty and productive fish and wildlife habitat unmatched in the heart of America. Photo of a mature and juvenile Bald Eagle by Stan Bousson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. — at Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge.
Here's a cool pic of two Bald Eagles staring each other down at Upper Mississippi Wildlife & Fish Refuge. Located in four states along the Mississippi River -- Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois -- the refuge encompasses one of the largest blocks of floodplain habitat in the lower 48 states. Bordered by steep wooded bluffs that rise 100 to 600 feet above the river valley, the Mississippi River corridor and refuge offer scenic beauty and productive fish and wildlife habitat unmatched in the heart of America. Photo of a mature and juvenile Bald Eagle by Stan Bousson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. — at Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Eagle Migration 011
Every fall, as northern areas begin to freeze, thousands of bald eagles migrate south from Canada and the Great Lakes states in search of open water.
Some eagles will travel as far south as the Gulf Coast.
A few are usually seen in the state of Missouri by mid-autumn, but most arrive in December.
In some cases, an eagle will return to the same location each winter.
Where waterfowl are abundant, eagles feed primarily on dead and injured waterfowl; whereas, at rivers and lakes, fish make up most of the eagles' diet.
A few bald eagles remain in Missouri to nest, but most begin moving back north again in late February.
Eagles are among the largest birds of prey in the world. Their life expectancy in the wild is about 30 years, while some bald eagles have lived up to 50 years in captivity.
They fly 20 to 40 miles per hour in normal flight, but can reach speeds of more than 100 miles per hour while diving.
An eagle's vision is five to six times sharper than a human's.
When it was adopted as our national emblem in 1782, the bald eagle flourished in great numbers.
Nesting bald eagles used to be common in Missouri.
Since that time, the numbers of bald eagles have declined drastically.
Pesticides and habitat destruction nearly wiped-out the eagle population.
Bald eagles began making a comeback after DDT was banned in 1972 and a restoration program was begun.
During the 1980s, more than 70 young bald eagles were released from artificial nests in Missouri.
Because of this program, together with the eagle's natural tendency to return to its former nesting range, eagles once again are nesting in Missouri.
Eagle nests are found throughout the state, mostly in southeast and west-central Missouri. They are usually built in the tops of large sycamore trees.
- Adapted from a video by the Missouri Department of Conservation.
In Clarksville, Missouri.
January 2015.
Photo courtesy of Jim Gilbert:
Some eagles will travel as far south as the Gulf Coast.
A few are usually seen in the state of Missouri by mid-autumn, but most arrive in December.
In some cases, an eagle will return to the same location each winter.
Where waterfowl are abundant, eagles feed primarily on dead and injured waterfowl; whereas, at rivers and lakes, fish make up most of the eagles' diet.
A few bald eagles remain in Missouri to nest, but most begin moving back north again in late February.
Eagles are among the largest birds of prey in the world. Their life expectancy in the wild is about 30 years, while some bald eagles have lived up to 50 years in captivity.
They fly 20 to 40 miles per hour in normal flight, but can reach speeds of more than 100 miles per hour while diving.
An eagle's vision is five to six times sharper than a human's.
When it was adopted as our national emblem in 1782, the bald eagle flourished in great numbers.
Nesting bald eagles used to be common in Missouri.
Since that time, the numbers of bald eagles have declined drastically.
Pesticides and habitat destruction nearly wiped-out the eagle population.
Bald eagles began making a comeback after DDT was banned in 1972 and a restoration program was begun.
During the 1980s, more than 70 young bald eagles were released from artificial nests in Missouri.
Because of this program, together with the eagle's natural tendency to return to its former nesting range, eagles once again are nesting in Missouri.
Eagle nests are found throughout the state, mostly in southeast and west-central Missouri. They are usually built in the tops of large sycamore trees.
- Adapted from a video by the Missouri Department of Conservation.
In Clarksville, Missouri.
January 2015.
Photo courtesy of Jim Gilbert:
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Think Like a Deer: Award-Winning Video Aims to Reduce Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions
From USDA:
A deer crosses a rural road. Deer are often on the move in the fall and early winter, especially at dusk. (USDA Agricultural Research Service/Charles T. Bryson_Bugwood.org)
Collisions between vehicles and wildlife are a big problem on U.S. roads. Each year, on average, 1-2 million collisions with large animals, especially mule deer and white-tailed deer, end in 200 fatalities, 26,000 injuries, and costs exceeding $1 billion. About a third of the collisions reported on rural roads are wildlife-related, and two-lane highways with speed limits exceeding 55 miles per hour are particularly problematic.
U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station wildlife biologist Sandra Jacobson, a transportation ecology expert, wants to make roads safer for wildlife and people. She and partners at the agency’s Missoula Technology and Development Center have produced a video, “Avoiding Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions,” to do just that.
Deer see things differently in a highway situation. Instead of tracking movement by following objects with their eyes as people do, a deer’s eyes are stationary. This allows deer to detect movement from predators that may be lurking. So, to a deer, a car heading into its path may only seem like an object that’s increasing in size. Deer also see less detail than humans. And a deer’s keen night vision results from an ability to take in a lot of light, which makes headlights blinding.
“People tend to assume that animals see their world just like we do, but that assumption can be deadly,” Jacobson said. “Knowing that animals won’t perceive what’s happening — and indeed can’t understand what’s happening — will help us drive more safely on rural roads.”
Dawn and dusk are active times for many species of large animals which is, coincidentally, a time when people may be traveling to and from work. Choice deer habitat may overlap with human routes of travel, and certain road features, including adjacent or intersecting waterways, tend to attract deer and other large animals.
In the fall season deer movement peaks with migration to winter ranges. These behaviors provide important clues about where and when large animals are likely to be encountered on the road.
“Knowing these risk factors won’t totally avoid a wildlife-vehicle collision, but it can help inform us as to how we can manage our driving times and situations to reduce the risk as much as we can,” Jacobson said.
Though the video is aimed at training Forest Service employees, the information presented is relevant to anyone who gets behind the wheel. The judges behind the 36th annual Telly Awards recognize this: from among 12,000 entries from all 50 states and five continents, they selected “Avoiding Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions” as one of the bronze award winners for excellence in the nature/wildlife and safety categories.
DVD copies may be requested from the Missoula Technology and Development Center.
Bighorn Sheep are attracted by road salt (U.S. Forest Service)
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)