Barren River Lake Naturalist and Recreation Blog

Sandhill Cranes or Canada Geese?

Jamie_Avery — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 12:29:34 -0700

As it gets colder and you begin to hear the distinct cry of migrating birds overhead, you may want to take a second look at that flock of birds soaring above you, because it just may be Sandhill Cranes rather than Canada geese. Photo taken by Don McCoy.

Would you like to learn more about these intriguing birds with a unique sound?

Sandhill Cranes are a large tall grey bird reaching heights up to 4 feet, weighing up to 12 lbs, and a wingspan of 6-7 ft. They have two distinct features about them; one is their appearance of a crimson, red-crown forehead, white cheeks, and fluffy rear end; the other is when in flight, the long dark legs trail behind and the long neck is kept straight out, rather than tucked in towards the body.

One of the reasons people are so drawn to these birds is their playful dancing. Mated pairs engage in a fascinating display of dance and sound. They will stand close together with their beaks skyward and call together in a synchronized, complex duet, that is initiated by the female. The vocalization resembles a loud, deep rolling trumpet and rattling “kar-r-r-o-o-o” that resembles a French rolled “r”. The female will make two higher-pitched calls to every male call. They will also dance together by jumping, bowing, running, tossing sticks or grass, and flapping their wings. This is commonly seen during courtship behavior to strengthen the bond, but can be seen at any age or season. Sandhill cranes are very social birds and these behaviors leave spectators spellbound.

Each year thousands of Sandhill Cranes make Barren River Lake a stop as they congregate in huge numbers to migrate back home. Why you ask? Barren River’s mud flats provide the perfect spot to rest and socialize with each other before settling in at night. At sunrise, they take flight from roost to the nearby farmlands and wet meadows which offer an abundance of food. Sandhill Cranes are omnivorous, with their diet depending on the season and their location. A diet of plant tubers, grains, small vertebrates (i.e. mice and snakes), and invertebrates such as insects and worms are all fair game.

If you would like to learn more about these intriguing birds, Barren River Lake State Resort Park offers Nature Watch Weekends January 25-27 and February 8-10, 2013 to view these beautiful cranes in the wild as they migrate through the area. Photo taken by Betty Hall.

Labor Day Activities

Jamie_Avery — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 19:28:01 -0700

Do you want to enjoy some fun labor day activities? Don't miss out all we have planned this last summer holiday weekend. We have amphibians, reptiles, and horse tails to learn about. Be creative and make a craft. Look for bigfoot on a nature hike. Go exploring with your GPS in geocaching. Tie-dye a t-shirt. Tell stories around the campfire. And don't forget about our big event, Concert & Karaoke($)! Come and listen to Heath Eric and Molly G perform on stage as they play some americana music that all ages will love. After their show, stick around to perform on stage yourself during the karaoke party. A detailed copy of this schedule can be e-mailed to you upon request to jamie.avery@ky.gov

Trashmasters Classic - National Public Lands Day Event

Jamie_Avery — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 19:10:25 -0700

“SUPPORT TRASHMASTERS” is the Arts Guild of the Barrens art exhibit currently on display in the Stonehaven Gallery at Barren River Lake State Park Resort. Area artists are showing their appreciation and support for the clean-up efforts of the Friends of Barren River Lake by displaying artwork that reflects environmental awareness and preservation.

Subject matter goes from abstract collages to realistic drawings of old rusty cars and boats to the majestic scene of the red, white and blue American Freedom train which was refurbished and traveled across the US railways in 1976 and again in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks of 2001. Using a variety of mediums on some very unusual surfaces, the artists have repurposed bone, receipts, cork, plastic bottles, ceiling tiles, beads, wax, fabric, candy wrappers, and watch pieces. Stop by and see if you can find all the recycled items used in the creation of fine art! All of the art is for sale with a portion of the proceeds going to help support and enhance Barren River Lake.

Remember, the 25th Annual Trashmasters Classic takes place on Saturday, September 15. During the past 24 years, volunteers gathered over 218 tons of trash (430,000 pounds) thus improving the lake and shore for both wildlife and recreation. Volunteer groups show up on the third Saturday in September to pitch in for the shoreline cleanup. Groups include Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, businesses, families, civic organizations, houseboat owners, recreational boaters, campers, tourists, and the list goes on and includes everybody. Be a part of this great event!

Following the cleanup from 8am-Noon, a celebration for all participants will take place with free food and great prizes. To make 2012 the best year yet, assistance is needed from area businesses and civic organizations in Allen County, Barren County, and Warren County. For information on how you can support this effort, call 270-646-2055. Your help is needed!

Press Release by Ann Stewart, President, Arts Guild of the Barrens, Inc.

Eyeballs of the Woods

Jamie_Avery — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 19:00:47 -0700

Acorn Plum Galls
While the recreation staff was hiking along our paved walking trail picking up limbs after a storm, they found something interesting that they couldn’t identify. They gathered a few of them and brought them back to the office to examine further. They showed them to me and ask if I knew what they were. These round objects were about the size of a ping pong ball and were pale colored with red stripes resembling an eyeball. They were firm yet went cut open had a red fruit like appearance. I thought maybe a fruit or a nut of some sort, but I could not continue identifying because the staff didn’t know what type of tree they came from. The tree they were lying under was too tall for them to identify the leaves. Since we couldn’t identify these mystery objects, I sent samples to our park state naturalist. With his help and other expertise examinations, it was determined that these mystery balls were “acorn plum galls” caused by a gall wasp.

“Some insects survive the winter by creating galls on plants. A gall is made up of extra thick layers of plant tissue that grow around an insect. Usually an adult insect lays an egg on the plant's surface. The young larva that hatches from the egg, bores into the plant tissue where it becomes surrounded by the gall. Once the gall has formed, the insect stays happily inside the gall, pupates, and emerges in the spring when the weather is nice. There are more than 1500 gall-forming insects in North America. Most gall-forming insects are wasps, flies, beetles and moths.”

Nature is so intricate and extremely fascinating! Next time you are hiking in the woods and you find one of these “eyeballs”, simply admire and let nature takes its course.

Information source: www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/ythfacts/allyr/yf806
Photos source: www.backyardnature.net/n/x/plumgall

Help Celebrate Earth Day

Jamie_Avery — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:08:17 -0700

Earth Day April 22, 2012
To help celebrate Earth Day we are trying to help bring awareness to the issue of all the trash on roadsides and on trails all over Kentucky. We are asking everyone to stop throwing trash out the window and on the ground.
Can Your Trash!
Litter Makes Nature Bitter!
Stash it, Don't Trash it!
Leave No Trace - Pack it in, pack it out.

Kentucky Unbridled Spring Program

Jamie_Avery — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 07:13:18 -0700

KENTUCKY UNBRIDLED SPRING PROGRAM COMPLIMENTS OF THE KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF TRAVEL AND TOURISM

SPRING BEAUTY

Buds are bursting out all over. Spring is here and Kentucky is radiating with many species of wildflowers. Find your favorite outdoor location to enjoy everything Kentucky has to offer. Please click this LINK to review some of the wildflower reports from naturalists across the Commonwealth.

For additional information about Kentucky State Parks and some of the upcoming Spring and Wildflower Events, please view this SITE.

Strange Overlooked Wildflower

Jamie_Avery — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:43:59 -0700

Squawroot When you think of spring wildflowers you usually picture bright green leaves supporting pretty, colorful petals. What you don’t imagine is a little wildflower called squawroot. While squawroot is not a particularly "pretty" plant, it is quite interesting. Squawroot is a parisitic plant that makes it's living off the roots of oak trees, therefore it does not need to produce energy using chlorophyll and sunlight. It has no green color and can live in complete shade. It resembles a corncob or pine cone sticking up out of the ground, and therefore is often ignored by the hiker. This little plant grows in small clusters and can be found throughout hardwood forests of eastern North America. So next time your hiking and come across this strange looking little wildflower, take a minute to stop and observe this often overlooked plant.

Spring!

Jamie_Avery — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:43:18 -0700

The birds are singing, the bees are buzzing, and everything is blooming! Due to the unusually warm winter and the even more surprising high spring temperatures, spring is here early. Now is the time to get outside and explore all the beauty this season has to offer. Trees are in full bloom and wildflowers are already covering the forest floor. Hike along our Connell Trail to discover colorful birds flying and blooms blossoming everywhere!

White Nose Syndrome

Jamie_Avery — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:19:39 -0700

Learn more in this latest news release on White Nose Syndrome. NOTE: Article compliments of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
On the verge of another season of winter hibernating bat surveys, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists and partners estimate that at least 5.7 million to 6.7 million bats have now died from white-nose syndrome. Biologists expect the disease to continue to spread.

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is decimating bat populations across eastern North America, with mortality rates reaching up to 100 percent at many sites. First documented in New York in 2006, the disease has spread quickly into 16 states and four Canadian provinces. Bats with WNS exhibit unusual behavior during cold winter months, including flying outside during the day and clustering near the entrances of caves and mines where they hibernate. Bats have been found sick and dying in unprecedented numbers near these hibernacula.

“This startling new information illustrates the severity of the threat that white-nose syndrome poses for bats, as well as the scope of the problem facing our nation. Bats provide tremendous value to the U.S. economy as natural pest control for American farms and forests every year, while playing an essential role in helping to control insects that can spread disease to people,” said Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe. “We are working closely with our partners to understand the spread of this deadly disease and minimize its impacts to affected bat species.”

Estimating the total number of bat deaths has been a difficult challenge for biologists. Although consistent population counts for federally listed endangered bats, like the Indiana bat, have been a priority for state and federal biologists, establishing population counts of once “common” bat species, like little brown bats, was historically not the primary focus of seasonal bat population counts.

“White-nose syndrome has spread quickly through bat populations in eastern North America, and has caused significant mortality in many colonies,” said National WNS Coordinator, Dr. Jeremy Coleman, “Many bats were lost before we were able to establish pre-white-nose syndrome population estimates.”

More than 140 partners, including tribal, state and federal biologists and bat researchers convened in Carlisle, Pennsylvania for the 2012 Northeast Bat Working Group (NEBWG) meeting last week to discuss challenges facing bat research, management and conservation. Coordinating with wildlife officials in Canada, the group discussed population-level impacts to hibernating bats and developed the estimate of bats lost to WNS.

In addition to the lack of population data for many bat species, there has also been a lack of consistency in how bat population data was reported among agencies. As part of the May 2011 national WNS response plan, which was developed by the Service in partnership with a team of federal, state, tribal, and NGO scientists, agencies are addressing this by establishing methods for consistent data collection.
The National Plan for Assisting States, Federal Agencies and Tribes in Managing White-Nose Syndrome in Bats provides a framework for the coordination and management of the national WNS investigation response, and the Service leads an extensive network of partners in implementing the plan.

The Service serves as the primary resource for up-to-date information and recommendations for all partners, such as important decontamination protocols for cave researchers and visitors and a cave access advisory that requests a voluntary moratorium on activities in caves in affected states to minimize the potential spread of WNS.

In addition to developing science-based protocols and guidance for land management agencies and other partners to minimize the spread of WNS, the Service has funded numerous research projects to support and assess management recommendations and improve our basic understanding of the dynamics of the disease.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service.

For more information about white-nose syndrome, visit this LINK. Or, connect with our FACEBOOK PAGE, follow our tweets at TWITTER, and download white-nose syndrome and bat photos from our Flickr page at WNS PHOTOS.

F.I.N. Club (Families In Nature)

Jamie_Avery — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:21:05 -0700

If your familiy loves spending time in nature or your a family who wants to learn about nature and things to do outside, then become part of the F.I.N. Club! This is a partnersip between Barren River Lake State Resort Park and Mary Wood Weldon Public Library. Each month we offer a one hour session for families to participate in where they learn about an outdoor activity. There is no cost to join and all activities are FREE! For more information contact Jamie Avery at 270-646-2151 or jamie.avery@ky.gov