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Home / >
Maplewood Nature Center - a fall
birding `hotspot'
Submitted by admin on Wed, 10/12/2016 - 12:00am
By: Aundrea Kinney-(/by/aundrea-kinney)
(/articles/2016/10/12/maplewood-nature-center %E2%80%93-fall-birding-
%E2%80%98hotspot%E2%80%99)
A hermit thrush, first to arrive in the spring and last to leave in the fall,
is caught in a the mist net at the Maplewood Nature Center. Each year
worldwide, millions of birds are safely captured, banded, and released
unharmed.
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10/18/2016 Maplewood Nature Center—a fall birding `hotspot' I Lillie Suburban Newspapers- LilIieNews.com
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Measurements include wing cord, tail, and determining amount of fat
by gently blowing on the feathers on the throat, upper breast, stomach
and underwing. Condition of feather molt, sex and age indications are
also noted.
1/articles/2016/10/12/maplewood- nature -center %E2%80%93-fall-birding-
%E2%80%98hotspot%E2%80%99)
Measurements include wing cord, tail, and determining amount of fat
by gently blowing on the feathers on the throat, upper breast, stomach
and underwing. Condition of feather molt, sex and age indications are
also noted.
http://www.I i I I i enews.com/articles/2016/10/12/m apl ewood-nature-center-%E2%80%93-fal I-bi rdi ng-%E2%80%98hotspot%E2%80%99 2/10
10/18/2016 Maplewood Nature Center—a fall birding `hotspot' I Lillie Suburban Newspapers- LilIieNews.com
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%E2%80%98hotspot%E2%80%99)
Members of the North Central Bird Observatory weigh and measure
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1
Roger, a member of the North Central Bird Observatory, releases a
banded slate -colored junco. According to common folklore, juncos are
snowbirds and arrival means snow in three weeks.
Flickers, like the one above, will be stopping by the Maplewood
Nature Center soon on their way south for the winter.
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10/18/2016 Maplewood Nature Center—a fall birding `hotspot' I Lillie Suburban Newspapers- LilIieNews.com
Thousands of birds stop by to refuel
It's that time of year when birds are on the move. Thousands of birds that nest
in Canada and northern Minnesota are migrating through the Twin Cities right
now on their way to their warmer wintering grounds.
Many stop off at Maplewood Nature Center to feed on the park's native plant
seeds, insects and pond critters before continuing their journey south.
On Oct. 1, North Central Bird Observatory led a songbird banding program at
the 40 -acre nature center, and had a record turnout of local participants.
Those who attended the banding program watched licensed biologists capture,
band and release songbirds to learn about age, migration and populations.
The group set up nets and caught one ruby -crowned kinglet, one brown
creeper, 12 white -throated sparrows, four hermit thrushes, one red -bellied
woodpecker, two black -capped chickadees and six slate -colored juncos. They
also recaptured one black -capped chickadee. The birds were banded and then
released back into the wild.
The Maplewood Nature Center's lead naturalist Ann Hutchenson says that bird
banding can be used to research the population and health of birds as well as
find out what species are moving through the area at what time of year.
She adds that banding year-round resident birds can also show the lifespan of
individual birds. She explains that recently, a naturalist at the nature center re -
caught a cardinal that had been banded at the nature center about a decade
ago.
According to Konnie Her, a naturalist at the Maplewood Nature Center, each
band has a series of letters and numbers that form a unique identification code
for that bird. The information about the bird as well as the date and location of
the banding are logged online, so that if the bird is recaptured the information
can be compared.
Hutchenson says the nature center, located at 2659 E. Seventh St., one block
west of Century Avenue, has become known as one of Ramsey County's top
"hotspots" among birding hobbyists.
She attributes this to the vaned habitat. The pond, cattail marsh and
abundance of forest edges make it an ideal place for birds to nest in the
summer or stop to eat on their way south for the winter.
"These birds are migrating ... thousands of miles for some of them. They need
these feeding stopovers or they will starve," Hutchenson says. She adds that
this is just one reason why natural areas in urban settings, like the Maplewood
Nature Center, are so critical.
Hutchenson says that she recently led a group of English-language learners on
a bird walk, and many immigrants, who themselves traveled many miles to get
here, were fascinated by the distance and migration patterns of the area's
birds.
Hutchenson notes that some of the region's songbirds fly over a thousand
miles south in the winter and over a thousand miles back again each
spring.Her says that many of Minnesota's nesting songbirds travel to Florida,
while others migrate to the Bahamas, Mexico and Central America.
Fall migratory birds
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10/18/2016
Maplewood Nature Center—a fall birding `hotspot' I Lillie Suburban Newspapers- Lil I ieNews.com
John Zakelj lives in the Battle Creek neighborhood of St. Paul, and says he
makes sure to visit the Maplewood Nature Center at least once a week to hike
the trails with his binoculars and camera in hand.
He has been birding for about 40 years and says he is drawn to the hobby
because it can be surprising.
"You never know what you might find. It's always different because [birds] are
always on the move. I also try to get pictures so that's always a challenge,"
Zakelj says. In his case, there have been quite a few special sightings at the
nature center. So far this year he has seen 104 different bird species in the
preserve.
Hutchenson says this week golden -crowned kinglets, northern flickers, yellow -
bellied sapsuckers and dark -eyed juncos are among the list of birds stopping
by the Maplewood Nature Center on their way south.
"This past month we saw a lot of different kinds of warblers, and now recently
there's been different kinds of sparrows coming through, and some of the
migrating ducks are yet to come," Zakelj says.
Her says that yellow-rumped warblers and white -throated sparrows stop by the
nature center on their way south, and these two species are particularly
abundant there right now.
According to the Maplewood Nature
Center website, the fall migration
for warblers starts in mid August,
although most other migratory birds
travel between September and
November.
"Based on eBird.org, which is a
citizen science website ... people
have found 152 species" at
Maplewood Nature Center over the
years, Her says.
"Every now and then we see a bald
eagle at the pond there. Even
though it's kind of a small pond for
an eagle, they do show up
sometimes," Zakelj says.
He also saw many wood ducks this
year in addition to a wide variety of
warblers and several different
species of hawks, which can be fun
to watch.
"There's a family of great -horned
owls that lives there. They've had
two or three [fledglings] every year
for at least four or five years,"
Zakelj says.
For those who want to walk the
trails and see the area's variety of
fall birds for themselves, the
Maplewood Nature Center visitor
center is open Tuesday through
Saturday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
r those who enjoy attracting wild birds
their homes, the Minnesota Department
Natural Resources website
:ommends adjusting the foods and the
;ders with each changing season.
)r example, the DNR recommends a
eater amount of millet mix or cracked
)m now than in the summer. It states
at migrating native sparrows and juncos,
hich visit in the fall, enjoy these types of
od, but millet and corn aren't appropriate
the summer when they primarily benefit
)use sparrows, grackles and cowbirds.
about 30 percent of the bird food in the
ill should be white proso millet or millet
sixes scattered on the ground -feeding
ites. Red proso millet and milo (grain
orghum) are used much less than white
roso millet, and are generally
nnecessary as an ingredient of fall bird
eed mixes," states the DNR website.
or fall bird food, the DNR also suggests
hallow trays of mealworms for many
ifferent species of birds including
ardinals and robins. Eastern bluebirds
fill also eat mealworrns in addition to
ried fruits.
help our year-round birds get ready for
inter, the DNR website recommends
�anuts, peanut pickouts, peanut butter,
http://www.I i I I i enews.com/articles/2016/10/12/m apl ewood-nature-center-%E2%80%93-fal I-bi rdi ng-%E2%80%98hotspot%E2%80%99 5/10
10/18/2016
Maplewood Nature Center—a fall birding `hotspot' I Lillie Suburban Newspapers- Lil I ieNews.com
The trails wind through oak woods
and marsh, and are open every day
from dawn to dusk. The center is
operated by the city of Maplewood
and the facilities are free of charge.
In addition to the birdlife and
beautiful fall colors, visitors walking
through the nature center in the fall
may see "colorful berries on
dogwood and highbush cranberries,
[in addition to] an assortment of
asters ... primroses and gentians,"
which are still blooming, according
to Carole Gerens, a naturalist at the
Maplewood Nature Center.
For those who prefer to learn about
birds and other wildlife in a more
formal setting, the Maplewood
Nature Center offers community
events led by naturalists.
• A Thursday Morning Bird Walk
event is planned from 8:30 to 11
a.m. Oct. 20. Participants will learn
how to identify birds by sight and
sound.
mercial suet cakes and suet from the
t market.
he DNR website recommends holding
nto your fall brush trimmings for the
eason to form temporary perches and
iding places for songbirds migrating
irough the area.
The size of the brush pile should be three
four feet high and four to eight feet in
iameter, and it should be located about
0 feet from your feeders. Any closer and
may provide a hiding place for cats to
mbush the birds," it states.
,reate your brush pile when you see the
rst fall migrants, such as white -throated
parrows, arriving at your feeders, then
ispose of it in late November to early
lecember when migration is complete,"
ie DNR website adds.
hether you prefer to attract birds to your
me or spot them in the wild, fall is an
citing time to birdwatch.
After the hike, participants will learn how to enter the observed data onto
eBird.org to contribute to science and conservation studies. All ages and all
skill levels are welcome. Participants are asked to wear closed -toed walking
shoes and register in advance.
• Outstanding Owls will be offered by the nature center on Friday, Oct. 28, from
4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Participants of all ages will meet a live owl up close and
learn fun and interesting facts about owls.
Beginning at 4:30 p.m. there will be a Halloween Hijinks Puppet Show and a
tasty treat. The Raptor Center presentation will be at 5 p.m. and from 6 to 7:30
p.m. older kids can dissect owl pellets, while younger ones make an owl craft.
Participants will learn owl calls and go on a night hike around the pond in
search of these nocturnal birds of prey.
Participants are asked to dress for the weather and to register and prepay $5
by Wednesday, October 26.
To register for either program visit www.mapiewoodnaturecenter.com
(http://www.mapiewoodnaturecenter.com) and click in the Register Online Go
button. For help registering, call 651-249-2170.
Aundrea Kinney can be reached at 651-748-7822 orakinneyft—lillienews.com
(ma ilto: akinney(E)lillienews.com).
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