Whiterock Conservancy Blog
Creating an economically and ecologically diverse landscape in Iowa and beyond.
Name: Scott Schmidt
Bio: Scott is a guest author who works with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. He monitors birds on lands enrolled in the Wetland Reserve Program so that landowners and managers can evaluate the effectiveness of their wildlife and habitat management goals. He enjoys outdoor photography and volunteering for Whiterock Conservancy.
Posts by Scott Schmidt:
Seeing the Big Picture Through Research
November 6th, 2009Like a photograph, scientific research captures many details of a place and time and allows us to examine a subject from different perspectives. For example, studying bird response to lands enrolled in the Wetland Reserve Program provides a better understanding of how management plans benefit game species and the species of greatest conservation need.
Since April, I have been helping implement Iowa’s Wildlife Action Plan, which aims to conserve all wildlife in Iowa before they become rare and more costly to protect. Through my observations on Whiterock Conservancy land I have captured a snapshot of information that shows how species have responded to habitat protection, restoration, and enhancement efforts resulting from the Wetland Reserve Program. This program, with technical and financial support from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, offers landowners an opportunity to achieve the greatest wetland functions and values, along with optimum wildlife habitat, on every acre enrolled.
During the monitoring season I recorded a total of 133 bird species on the Whiterock Conservancy land, including 14 new additions to the WRC Master Bird List. On one very memorable day in October I saw a Peregrine Falcon and Short-eared Owl.
The lack of species specific information on the abundance and distribution of species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) was one of the concerns highlighted in the Iowa Wildlife Action Plan. I’m happy to report seeing a few of these SGCN birds, which prefer wetland and/or grassland habitat.
When I step back and view the big picture it is plain to see that this beautiful landscape truly is one of Iowa’s “Great Places”.
SGCN Breeding Bird Records:Trumpeter Swan, Least Bittern, American Bittern, Bald Eagle, Upland Sandpiper, Black Tern, Red-headed Woodpecker, Willow Flycatcher, Sedge Wren, Dickcissel, Grasshopper Sparrow, Bobolink, and Eastern Meadowlark. |
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SGCN Migratory Bird Records:American White Pelican, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Stilt Sandpiper, and Le Conte’s Sparrow. |
The Birds and the Bees
June 18th, 2009
Birds are everywhere is our lives. Can you think of a day that went by without seeing or hearing a bird? With the breeding season underway I discover something new and exciting each time I visit Whiterock Conservancy. On Monday morning I saw the familiar Spotted Sandpiper bobbing its tail while foraging in a bean field next to Highway 141. From a distance, it appeared to have a little peep as a companion, which seemed a bit odd. The plovers and sandpipers that were here weeks earlier should be settling back in the summer breeding grounds. I raised my binoculars for a closer inspection and saw a little puffball bobbing its tail just like mom (or dad). A baby Spotted Sandpiper!
The Spotted Sandpiper is a common resident of Iowa yet very few people have been lucky enough to find the nest or young of this bird. A total of 12 nesting records were reported in the Iowa Breeding Bird Atlas, which details the distribution and life history for each species of breeding bird in Iowa.
The Iowa Ornithologists’ Union and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources are now implementing the second Iowa Breeding Bird Atlas project. There are 791 blocks that need to be surveyed by 2012 with a minimum of 20 hours of observation in each block. Block #457 (Whiterock Conservancy) has already recorded 106 unique species and 27 confirmed nesting species. By sharing your field observations, you too can help expand the knowledge of Iowa’s birdlife.
