Snowy Owls cast a bewitching spell over most birders.  Here in the Midwest, where the species can be considered rare, the news of a Snowy being sighted tends to draw flocks of birders to the location.  And, that is the case with a Snowy Owl found on December 1, 2011 by Don Broadlick at Indianapolis Regional Airport (formerly Mount Comfort Airport).  Broadlick was visiting the airport in Mount Comfort in Hancock County to look for Short-eared Owls, which are seen in most winters in small numbers at the site.  He was quite surprised to find a Snowy Owl atop one of the buildings at the airport.  The owl was such a shock he was concerned that he was misidentifying the bird.  But, he obtained a photo and contacted me late on December 2.

The following morning, I arrived at the airport shortly after dawn and quickly located the owl atop one of the hangars.  Word of the bird's continued presence went out on IN-BIRD - an email forum where bird sightings for the state are posted - and on Facebook.  Birders started making their way to the airport to view this visitor from the tundra.  Most birders with previous Snowy Owl experience said the bird was a male because of its light barring and because it only had two rows of loose barring on the tail.  The bird was extremely cooperative for most of the day by perching atop a handful of different buildings, allowing people spectacular views.  Frequently, people need to use a scope while standing on a county road to view a Snowy out in the middle of a corn field.  Let me tell you, that is a less than satisfying experience.  This was quite the experience for the 60 or so birders and photographers that saw the bird on December 3.  Even I, the master of terrible photos, obtained a pretty good photo of the bird. 

A natural question is, "Why is this bird here in Indiana?"  Snowy Owls are well-known as an irruptive species meaning that every now and then large numbers fly south of the breeding range to winter.  It is thought by most that the irruption is caused by a population crash of lemmings, which is the primary prey for  the owl.  Lemmings are rodents and are related to mice and rats.  They go through boom and bust population cycles.  When populations are high, Snowy Owls are able to successfully raise larger broods.  When populations crash, Snowys may not even nest at all.  So, it make sense that when lemming populations plummet, Snowy Owls must fly south to find food.

However, it's also true that Snowy Owl irruptions may occur in years with very high lemming populations.  And, in fact, arctic researchers say that lemming populations were very high in 2011.  So, if there were so many lemmings available, why are so many birds flying south?  Well, with lemmings to gorge on in 2011, Snowy Owls had a productive breeding season.  The large number of young owls probably reduced the overall lemming population and created territorial disputes with adult birds.

Snowy Owls tend to be solitary birds with large territories.  Parents and other adults drive younger birds away from productive hunting grounds on the tundra.  The younger birds don't have much of a choice other than to fly south.  Most of the Snowy Owls that appear in the Midwest are indeed young birds.  The bird being seen at the Indianapolis Regional Airport appears to be either a hatch-year or second-year male.

If you get the chance, visit the airport to see this special visitor.  It is quite the experience.  Take the family.  Take the neighbors.  It will be a memory that you will treasure the rest of your life. 

Construction Season Comes To An End

It's quite probable that "construction season" and Amos W. Butler Audubon have never been used in the same sentence.  But, indeed, I am here to report that construction season has come to an end for Amos W. Butler Audubon.  Construction, you ask?  Yes, construction!  During 2011, Amos W. Butler Audubon built nine Chimney Swift towers in Marion and Hamilton Counties.  The Wings Over Indy project, which also included conservation work for Common Nighthawks, was funded by a grant from TogetherGreen, an alliance between Toyota and Audubon.

The towers will serve two purposes:  (1) provide additional nesting locations for an urban bird species experiencing declining populations and (2) encourage others to take actions, such as keeping masonry chimneys uncapped or cleaning their chimney during October through April, when Chimney Swifts are not usually present.  Another exciting aspect of Wings Over Indy is providing hands-on conservation experience to students in Marion County right at their own school.  No need to take a bus to some distant park.  They are making a difference at their neighborhood school.  And, they are having fun using tools and learning about swifts in the process.  That is way cool!

Cold Spring School students assembling a section of the tower

Thanks to Bill Ristow, who was working on his Eagle Scout designation, we were able to complete a total of nine towers rather than the seven originally planned.  Bill did an outstanding job of organizing fellow scouts and parents to complete two towers at Wapahani Nature Preserve in Hamilton County.  Amos  W. Butler Audubon was pleased to fund Bill's efforts through the Wings Over Indy initiative.  The seven remaining towers, all in Marion County, are located at Eagle Creek Park (2), Smock Golf Course, Southeastway Park, Spades Park, Cold Spring School (IPS), and Brook Park Elementary (Lawrence Township).

Working with the students from the two schools was amazing.  Both schools have a predominant minority student population that have been underexposed to environmental education.  Usually, environmental education for these schools entails the students boarding a bus for a field trip to a distant (to them) park where they learn about nature.   We are letting the students know that nature is all around them, even where they live and learn.  Engaging the students to make a difference at their own school or neighborhood empowers them to be better environmental stewards in the future.  This is a win for the Chimney Swifts; a win for the students; and a win for Amos W. Butler Audubon.

Brook Park students dedicating a tower they were helping to build!

At this time, at least two more Chimney Swift towers are being planned to be built by early May 2012.  The towers built in 2011 were not completed in time for the nesting season but we fully expect some of them to be occupied in 2012.  You can support our efforts by becoming a member or making a special donation on behalf of Wings Over Indy.  If you have questions about the project or are interested in making a special donation to help continue funding of Wings Over Indy, please contact Don Gorney at don@amosbutleraudubon.org.

A Young Peregrine's First Migration

Several birders observed an immature Peregrine Falcon at Eagle Creek Park, Indianapolis, on October 1, 2011. By itself, the sighting was not very significant. Peregrines are regularly seen in migration cruising through the park, scattering other birds as they look for a yummy meal of shorebird or gull. On Saturday, the Peregrine was first noted when it stooped on a flock of gulls, causing the assortment of Ring-billed, Bonaparte's, Laughing, and Franklin's to take to the air. The Peregrine did not seriously attempt to land any of the birds and the gulls settled back down. A few minutes later, the falcon zipped by again and landed on the nearby mud flats, providing a handful of birders a terrific view.

One birder quickly noticed that the bird was banded. Fortunately, Dr. Michael Brown, one of the state's best and most experienced bird photographers, was on hand and ready with his camera. Even with scopes, the bird was just a wee bit too far away to get specific information from the bands. However, Michael's talents, large lens, and sophisticated photo software provided the information that was sought.

Michael's photos were shared with Dr. John Castrale, who as the state ornithologist, oversees the Peregrine Falcon program in Indiana. Even if the bird was not from Indiana, Dr. Castrale would have access to the origin of the bird.

A quick response from Dr. Castrale revealed that the Peregrine was indeed a Hoosier and had hatched earlier this year at Mittal Steel in East Chicago. Castrale noted that the female bird brandished black over red leg bands. The black band reads "57" and the red simply reads "x". Along with two siblings, she was banded on June 2, 2011. Mystery solved on where the bird came from.

So, 57X from East Chicago, we wish you well as you wander this fall, winter, and spring. We will be cheering for you to find a mate and start a family of your own. We will be waiting for news of your exploits.

UPDATE! Baby Photos Become Available! Wow, moments after posting this blog entry, Dr. Castrale's assistant, Amy Kearns, mailed us baby photos of 57X and her siblings from the day they were banded. 57X is one cute baby bird! She is probably just a few weeks old in the photos. Let's hope we obtain more photos for her album in the coming years. Again, good luck 57X!

If you click on the photos, you should see a larger view and be able to read the bands.

Are these the world's biggest bird houses?

Chimney Swifts are small birds, approximating 5.5 inches, but they demand large digs. With funding from TogetherGreen, Amos W. Butler Audubon, and partners like Indy Parks, are providing additional habitat for the species. Our Wings Over Indy project will build seven Chimney Swift towers, five of which will be located on five Indy Parks properties. Other tower locations include Cold Spring Elementary School and a Central Indiana Land Trust property.

As the towers are being built, they inevitably raise questions from passer-bys. The standard reply is that we are building the world's largest bird house and explain, to the extent the person wants to know, about Chimney Swifts, their declining population, and efforts Audubon is taking to make certain that the species remains a common sighting in Central Indiana.

Building the towers - most will be 12-feet - takes a good deal of effort. The height of the structure requires a concrete slab, steel legs bolted to the concrete, a fair amount of lumber, and finished with vinyl siding. Our first tower, at Eagle Creek Park's Earth Discovery Center, was quite a learning experience. Now that we have a few towers finished, additional ones are going up fast. All seven towers should be finished by early July. Each will have signage providing information about Chimney Swifts and the tower. Residents of Central Indiana will be encouraged to keep their chimneys uncapped or consider uncapping a masonry chimney that has been capped.

The photo above is of the Chimney Swift tower at Cold Spring Elementary School, which is an environmental magnet school for Indianapolis Public Schools. Imagine the thousands of kids over the years that will learn about Chimney Swifts because of the tower at their school. Swifts were inspecting the tower even as it was being completed. Let's hope it does not stay vacant for long. Contact Don Gorney at don AT amosbutleraudubon.org if you would be willing to help with construction of the remaining towers. Most work is done during the week.

Gravel Delivery!

Several people have spent the last six months planning Amos W Butler Audubon's Wings Over Indy project. Now that it is April 2011, it is time for action! A number of volunteers will be working diligently over the next six months to bring Wings Over Indy to reality. The project will provide artificial habitat for Common Nighthawks and Chimney Swifts, both urban bird species that are experiencing population declines. We will also be enlisting Central Indiana residents and schoolchildren to help with conservation efforts. And, we will be providing hundreds of students in Indianapolis Public Schools with hands-on conservation experience.

None of this would be possible without a grant from TogetherGreen, an alliance of Audubon and Toyota, and the collaboration of several partners. Partners include Ross Brittain with National Audubon Society, Butler University's Center for Urban Ecology, Indianapolis Public Schools, Indy Parks and Recreation, the Indianapolis Department of Natural Resources, Marian University, and Central Indiana Land Trust. Wow, what a stellar group of partners! People at TogetherGreen, like Flo, Judy, Melissa, Elizabeth, Rebekkah, and others have been incredibly helpful providing assistance to the Wings Over Indy team. Thank you everyone!

We've already completed many tasks but the project really kicked into high gear on March 31, 2011, when we received a donation of 15 tons of #8 gravel and a half-truck of wood mulch from Brookfield Sand and Gravel. These materials will be placed on the roofs of approximately 20 buildings and will create 45 nest "pads" for Common Nighthawks. The species adapted to nesting on flat roofs because the old method of commercial roof construction was using tar and gravel. Over the last few decades, the newer method is to use a rubberized compound that is not suitable for Common Nighthawks. By making available additional nesting sites, monitoring the locations, and offering choices for the female nighthawk, we will determine best practices for placing future nighthawk pads. We intend to publish a paper on our research and promote our methods throughout Indiana and elsewhere to have a meaningful impact on Common Nighthawk conservation!

As the Wings Over Indy project progresses, we will introduce our three outstanding interns from Butler University. They are integral to the project. Helping Ross Brittain to oversee the Common Nighthawk component is Madie Podgorski, shown here atop the rock pile. In addition to other tasks, Madie has been lining up schools and other locations where the gravel will be placed. Madie is working towards degrees in biology and education and plans on being a science teacher. She is an terrific team member.

First Sign of Spring

American Robins are great birds. So are Red-winged Blackbirds. Ditto for American Woodcocks. Each of these species have fans who herald their return as a sign that spring is around the corner. That's perfectly acceptable and something I will not quibble with in the least. American Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds, and American Woodcocks are all species that migrate back to Indiana in February.

But, I think I have a new personal harbinger of spring and that is the Turkey Vulture. It too returns to Indiana in February. American Robins and Red-winged Blackbirds actually winter in Indiana in some numbers. Robins can be found in many bigger cities in most winters and Red-winged Blackbirds number in the tens, if not hundreds, of thousands in certain places in southwest Indiana. American Woodcock is a rare winter resident in mild winters but often returns in late January or February. However, for most people, they have to make a special trip to grassland habitat to hear and see a woodcock. It's not something you stumble upon in the big city if you are like me.

Being in Indianapolis, the 14th largest city in the nation, I am very likely to see American Robins all winter long. That's especially so now, compared to decades ago, since developers and homeowners have planted so many fruit-bearing ornamentals. I often tell people who want to find an American Robin in January for their annual list to visit an Indianapolis office park or a mall. Occasionally, I'll see a Red-winged Blackbird in winter in Indianapolis but they are not too common. But, if I drive a few hours to Greene or Sullivan Counties and explore agricultural and grassland habitat, I am certain to find the species in the thousands. A singing and displaying Red-winged Blackbird male is certainly a treat to behold in February as the birds move further north in Indiana. As stated previously, one who lives in Indianapolis needs to schedule a trip at dusk to go and find a woodcock.

While the Turkey Vulture winters in Indiana, it is such an uncommon species in most of the state that its return in February is noteworthy. Such was the case when I saw one in flight midway between Fort Harrison State Park and my home on the northeast side of Indy on February 11, 2011. "Wow, my first Marion County Turkey Vulture of the year", is the thought that came to mind as I saw the bird gliding to the north with occasional burst of wingbeats. Spring must really be around the corner with the vultures on the move. Vultures survive on dead things; be it deer entrails left by hunters, or as is typically seen, on various mammals killed by cars. Presumably, snow makes their finding carrion more difficult and they retreat southward during the heart of Indiana's winter.

I equate a Turkey Vulture's return to snow melt and warming temperatures. That happens to be the case in Indianapolis as I write this - finally a spell of temperatures approaching and even exceeding 40 degree F. Hallelujah! In the days ahead, more vultures will be seen. All will be Turkey Vultures; although I did have one flock of eight Black Vultures on Valentine's Day 2009. Turkey Vultures don't get a lot of respect because it is not a cute, cuddly species that people can ooh and ahh over. Most will agree that the bird is majestic. But, in a utilitarian, self-reliant sort of way. The red head, bereft of feathers, makes the otherwise blackish bird look odd. Of course, the featherless head allows it to feed on carrion without worrying about mussing its head feathers.

Possibly if Turkey Vultures were more visible at nest sites people would warm up to them more. But, the species chooses a nest site - be it a hollowed-out tree top, abandoned building, on top of other man-made structures, or underneath power line right of ways - that just doesn't allow for close looks by most of us. Arguably, a nestling Turkey Vulture is a cutey of furry white feathers and a black head. If the species built stick nests and were easily visible I think people would soften their otherwise indifferent stance about their presence. Like all bird species, a Turkey Vulture is a marvelous thing and I welcome their return each February. Their presence in the Indianapolis area is surely a sign that warmer temperatures are on their way.

Note: Photo of a Turkey Vulture in flight by Jim Sullivan.

Watching Eagles in Indiana

Thanks to the efforts of many individuals and organizations, the Bald Eagle population has significantly rebounded over the last few decades. Before recent efforts began, the last eagle nest record for Indiana was in 1897. In 2010, more than 100 pairs of Bald Eagles nested in Indiana. Even Marion County (Indianapolis) has at least three Bald Eagle nests. The increase in the Bald Eagle population also provides for a terrific opportunity to see a lot of them in Indiana during the winter.

A traditional viewing location for eagles is the West Union Bridge in Parke County. The eagles roost on private property along Sugar Creek. In the morning, around dawn, the birds fly from the roost, with most heading to the open water of the Wabash River and a power plant in Cayuga. If you are in position near the bridge, you can watch the eagles flying as they leave the roost. Numbers of individuals can change significantly from week to week depending primarily on weather conditions, both here in Indiana and further north. Depending on when you visit, the number of individuals could be in the single digits or as high as 70 birds.

The usual peak concentration of eagles is towards the end of January. In 2010, the Amos W. Butler field trip to this area produced a low 25 birds. Yes, I realize 25 eagles is amazing and we should appreciate seeing so many. But, compared to other years, 25 eagles is a low number. Our 2011 field trip was likely to see many more eagles based on recent reports from others. The goal was to see 70 Bald Eagles in a morning of birding Parke and Vermillion counties.

We left Avon, Indiana at 6:10am on January 23, 2011, and arrived at West Union Bridge at 7:30am. Others were already at the location and let us know that we missed two birds that had already flown over. We watched over the next 50 minutes and did our best to see every eagle that was making its way from the roost. At 8:20am, after 10 minutes of no eagle activity, we decided to move to our next destination. Fifty-two Bald Eagles had been spotted leaving the roost. An excellent number to start the day.

At our next location we tried for Golden Eagle but struck out and had to settle for an additional 8 Bald Eagles and viewing a eagle nest in the distance. The next two stops in Vermilion County produced more than a dozen Bald Eagles. Since some of these birds could have been birds that were seen leaving the nest, they were not counted for the day. The only two eagles in Vermilion County that were added to our morning's total were single birds at each of two nests. Trip participants were able to see one nest up close and even veteran eagle-watchers are awed by such an experience.

We plan on going back in January 2012. No matter how many eagles we see, it will be an amazing experience. Hope you might join us.

Photo is of a first-year Bald Eagle leaving the Parke County roost on January 23, 2011.