NRCS Begins Bird Monitoring Program at Glacial Ridge

By Nate Emery

A baseline bird monitoring program is underway on the Glacial Ridge Project east of Crookston, Minnesota. The Glacial Ridge Project lies on the eastern edge of beach ridges formed by Glacial Lake Agassiz. The Nature Conservancy purchased 24,270 acres in 2000 and are cooperating with over 30 public and private partners in this historic restoration project. To date 12,000 acres have been enrolled in the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Nathaniel Emery, a student in wildlife management from the University of Minnesota, Crookston has been busy collecting various forms of information regarding birds on the property. The position includes three studies including, secretive marshbird monitoring, upland breeding bird surveys, and duck nest searching.

The secretive marshbird monitoring study consists of three rounds of broadcasting calls using an audio player to entice otherwise shy birds to announce their presence. This is important to evaluate the change in avian community diversity and abundance as the NRCS restores wetlands through the Wetland Reserve Program, in one of the nation’s largest tall grass prairie/wetland restoration projects. Six species of marshbirds are being sought by broadcasting their calls through the wetlands to encourage them to respond. To date, 5 species have been found including Yellow Rail, Sora, Virginia Rail, American Bittern, and Pied-billed Grebe. The sixth species is the Least Bittern but the habitat that they prefer is virtually non-existent on the property. The second round is underway and a third will be conducted to establish the probability of occurrence and abundance of these shy wetland species.

Next, Upland breeding bird surveys will be conducted to identify all species of birds utilizing the approximately 16,000 acres of tall grass prairie habitat. Songbirds are the primary group found but waterfowl and birds of prey are also present. The first round of surveys began after the spring migration occurred so that only breeding birds were identified. This survey will be conducted again before most of the young leave their nests.

The third study will be duck nest searching; this involves dragging a 150 foot cable between two ATVs in upland habitats. As the chain approaches a nest the hen will flush, then surveyors are allowed to collect data associated with each nest. Data collected includes, species, number of eggs, and habitat descriptions. These items will be documented and the site will be marked so that a return visit to observe nesting success can be conducted.

In conclusion, monitoring this summer will be valuable to evaluate the benefits of the WRP and create a baseline for which future data can be compared. These efforts will give validity to the hard work of the agency and personnel that have dedicated many resources to restore one of Minnesota and America’s most critical ecoregions.

For more information on the bird monitoring project contact: Nate Emery at the NRCS Glacial Ridge Project Office, 528 Strander Ave Crookston MN, phone (218) 281-1445 ext. 4.
 

SandHill crane egg awaiting it's hatching!

Sandhill crane hatching.