Greater Sage-grouse project in NV

Male Greater Sage-grouse

On March 11th 2013 I started a job as a volunteer with USGS in Reno NV. I was going to work on a research project focusing on the Greater Sage-grouse which is up to be listed as an endangered species in 2014. The project involved radio collaring female sage grouse and locating their nest and then following the success or failure they have a nesting.

Orientation took place over a week in the Reno area. We where taught many things including paperwork, methodology, ATV training, telemetry and of course trapping, handling and collaring of grouse. We were able to practice handling techniques using pheasants. The first part of the field season was to begin by trapping the Sage-grouse. Trapping involved working at night and spot lighting the grouse who are then radioed collared. The second part of the field season would involving using telemetry to track a female grouse to their nest.

I participated in orientation and the beginning of the trapping season before an illness forced me to leave the position. I was only out in Nevada for two weeks but I was able to learn a lot and meet a bunch of great people.

(My illness I believe was brought on by the extreme cold in northern NV and my health returned to normal as soon as I returned home)

Finger Lakes Community College

While I attended Finger Lakes Community College for only two semesters (Fall 2011- Spring 2012) to get my AS in Environmental Science, I was able to learn so much and participate in so many great activities. I was able to camp and hike in the Adirondack Mountains. I participated in many activities with The Wildlife Society Club. I got to go to the Muller Field Station and East Hill Campus many times for different activities. I thought I would share some pictures of my time at FLCC.

Screech Owl box I built @ East Hill Campus

Canada Goose at Muller Field Station

Ampersand Mountain ADK with professor Bruce Gilman 

Tracking workshop @ Muller Field Station

Tree Swallow @ Montezuma NWR

Trail Building in Naples

Bald Eagle nest @ Montezuma NWR

Saw Whet Owl

Volunteering @ Montezuma NWR

Muller Field Station

Board walk building at Cumming's Nature Center

Wildlife Society party at East Hill Campus

S-212 Class

It's a wrap at Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR

MS Sandhill Cranes

So my time at Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR was short but interesting. I enjoyed working with everyone at MSC and at Southeast Louisiana Refuge Complex. I worked with a great bunch of people and I was able to learn so much. My supervisor was great and when I got an opportunity to work with USGS doing Greater Sage-grouse research she was very happy for me and I was able to leave the MSC position early on good terms. I am very grateful for all of the opportunities that I had while at MSC and I wanted to share theses last two pictures of my time at MSC.

Turtle

Mardis Gras parade in Ocean Springs MS

Temporary FWS tattoo 

 On January 26, 2013 I was able to participate in the Ocean Springs, MS Mardi Gras parade with a group of people from Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR.  Our float was a truck and trailer decorated with banners and MS crane decoys and loaded down with beads and many other interesting things that we got to throw to the crowd. It was a very interesting day, the crowd was very into catching everything we were throwing, I tried to throw to the kids, but there were adults that would grab stuff before the kids could get it, it was crazy! We were throwing out reusable bag that people wanted so bad they would grab them from us before we could throw them and a lot of people thought they were t-shirts or beer cozies. Overall it was a very fun and enlightening day!

Swag

Wildlife Festival at Montezuma NWR

AMGO

 I have felt like sharing my experience of helping out at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge for a while, so I am going to do a post about it even though it was back in May of 2012. I was lucky enough to be able to assist my professor, John Van Neil from Finger Lakes Community College with a bird banding booth at the festival. We set up one mist net near the feeders that are just outside of the Audubon center in Wayne county. At first we thought we may not be able to set up the net at all due to the wind, but it died down a little and we made sure that someone could see the net at all times. Through out the day we caught 4 different birds, all males. First we got an American Goldfinch, then a White-breasted Nuthatch, a Red-winged Blackbird and the last was a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. I helped John watch the net and helped in the banding process while John explained what we were doing to the public.

Red-Wing Blackbird

Removing the bird from the net

Aging the bird

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Near the end of the day the head of the Finger Lake Community College Conservation Dept brought out her captive Bald Eagle, Liberty. Liberty is in her mid-20's but has been in captivity since she broke her wing in AK at the age of 6 months. 

Liberty the Bald Eagle

Kayak excursion

On Jan. 19th I went kayaking with Ali. The refuge has some kayaks that we can use and a launch spot near the visitors center. We went out for a two hour trip just to get a feel for the area. It was really interesting to kayak, we saw a lot of Cypress trees (probably Bald Cypress), Black Needle Rush, a turtle, and quite a few birds that I am not good enough to identify. It was a fun trip and I hope that I will get to do a lot my kayaking in the time that I am here. I look forward to the day when I can identify more of the plants and birds, which I am sure will come as I get more familiar with the area.

Birding in Alabama

Brown Pelican on AL shore

On January 12th 2013 I went birding with some of my 4 of my bunkmates, Jared, Eamon, Matt and Phil. We went to Alabama in search Sprague's Pipit  along with many others. Our first stop was some random field in AL looking for the Pipit's. We did not find the Sprague's Pipit, but we did find a lot of American Pipit's. There were also a ton of Killdeer in the field. Our next stop was the AL shore in search of a Razorbill but it was not clear enough to see out over the water. We saw a Brown Pelican and a bunch of Laughing Gulls.

Laughing Gull  

We made a trip to Dauphin Island, we did not get over to the Gulf shore due to the Mardi Gras parade. However we did go to a park and then we made a stop near the bridge that lead to the island where were saw some shore birds.

Bald Eagle Pair, Dauphin Island AL

Live Oak covered in Spanish Moss

Great Blue Heron near Dauphin Island

Killdeer near Dauphin Island

Bufflehead near Dauphin Island

Willet with Brown Pelican photo bombing

Overall, it was a great day. It was very interesting to go birding with people who know a lot of birds. I have a Nat. Geo. field guide that I keep track of the first time I see a bird. I was able to make several entry's knowing that it was a correct ID since I was birding with knowledgeable birders.