Máistir Nádúraí: Rare Bird Coming Back to Pratt's Wayne Woods

9.29.2005

Rare Bird Coming Back to Pratt's Wayne Woods

"If you spot a flash of yellow in Pratt's Wayne Woods, it's not a canary run amok. Instead, consider the sighting an omen of good ecological times to come. For years, YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS were a rarity in northern Illinois. Although native to the area, destruction of wetlands destroyed the blackbirds' habitat. But converting farm fields back to marshes at Pratt's Wayne Woods in Wayne and James "Pate" Philip State Park in Bartlett is reversing that trend. At 10 a.m. this morning in Philip Park, the two preserves will be jointly named as an Audubon Important Bird Area. There are only 48 such areas in Illinois. The Audubon Society's important bird area program is an international effort that recognizes sites providing crucial habitats for threatened species. "

Link: Full Article from Red NOVA

Link: All about the Yellow-headed Blackbird from Cornell Labs

Yellow-headed Blackbird image © 2005 Michael Allen McDowell

Bio:

Mike McDowell has been documenting southern Wisconsin’s flora and fauna since 1987 and began leading field trips in 2002. Prolific at Pheasant Branch Conservancy, other highlighted natural areas include Pope Farm Conservancy, Spring Green Preserve, and the Baraboo Hills. His nature photography has appeared in various publications, newspapers, magazines and was even featured on a Wisconsin Endangered Resources license plate, a Capital Brewery beer label, and a National Geographic publication. He began journaling nature observations on this blog in 2005. He's the recipient of the 2012 Bronze Passenger Pigeon Award from the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in their local communities or state to promote the field of ornithology. He was a finalist in Swarovski’s Digiscoper of the Year photography contest several times. His other interests include insect macro-photography (especially tiger beetles, treehoppers, and robber flies), fossil collecting, amateur astronomy, botany, natural history, and marksmanship with long-range rifles. Once a gigging musician, collecting Fender Stratocasters is a recently revived interest—most prized being a 1957 Vintage Custom Shop 'Mary Kaye' White Blonde. A former IT Professional, he's spent the last 24 years employed in the sport optics industry.