|
The Citizen Scientist Newsletter - Spring 2007 Issue
Gearing Up For Spring!The Citizen Scientist Newsletter
Download the PDF version of The Citizen Scientist Newsletter - Spring 2007 (Requires Adobe Acrobrat Reader).
It seems this year spring has arrived with a bit more force than usual; the 80-degree temperatures give it the subtlety of a freight train. Spring always seems to catch me running a bit behind, and scrambling to prepare for the summer field season. This mild feeling of panic is of course coupled with the excitement associated with the returning birds, the awakening frogs, and the blooming flowers. Every few days another bird turns up for the first time of the season, and young birds that have already hatched are even beginning to appear. I had the good fortune to stumble upon a young American Woodcock yesterday while scouting out study sites. The adult fluttered off calling and drooping its wing and we froze, hoping we hadnt already stepped on the nest. Finally, just a few feet away from my right boot, we spotted a fully feathered chick, frozen in panic, and beautifully blended into the dead leaves. Not that I need it, but it was a great reminder of things to look forward to in the upcoming season.
I hope that you enjoy this newsletter, and are able to join us in the field, whether helping with bird, frog, or habitat surveys; you will surely stumble upon your own surprises.
Tim Keyes, Wildlife Biologist, WRD Nongame Conservation Section
Navigate to Page:
|
||||||||||||
