Exhibitions of Birds Cancelled for 2015 Season

ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Board of Animal Health announced its directive to cancel all bird exhibitions at county fairs, the State Fair, and other gatherings of birds. The Board’s directive is effective through the end of 2015 and also prohibits birds from being included in swap meets, exotic sales, and petting zoos.

What this means locally is that there will be no poultry or other birds at any county fair, including petting zoos, in  the State of Mn. Including the Counties of Norman, Polk. Mahnomen, Clay, Clearwater or Beltrami.

St. Croix State Park to host Bird Bonanza Weekend

St. Croix State Park will offer four days of bird-themed programs, activities and presentations for all ages and birding abilities over Memorial Day weekend, May 23-26, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

Activities will include a bird count, hands-on art-making contest, how to build a bluebird house workshop, live raptors, games for both beginner and advanced birders, an evening “owl prowl” and more.

“This is our sixth annual Bird Bonanza Weekend, and we have a great line-up of programs and guest presenters,” said Park Naturalist Megan Johnsen. “The weekend is a great opportunity for birders of all ages and abilities – from little kids to hardcore birders – to get out and explore Minnesota’s largest state park. People can come for the day, or stay for the whole weekend. We still have campsites available.”

The weekend line-up will include:

Friday-Monday, May 23-26

• Bird Photography Contest (all day) – Submit bird photos taken in the park for a chance to win a prize.
• Birding Marathon (all day) – Pick up a map and checklist at the Interpretive Center and then drive to five different observation points to spot birds.

Friday, May 23

• Birding for Beginners (1-3 p.m.) – Find out why birding is such a popular activity among nature-lovers of all ages and learn how to start birding.
• Fishy Flyer Game Show (5-6 p.m.) – Test knowledge of local fish-eating birds.

Saturday, May 24

• Bird Banding Demonstration (8-10 a.m.) – Learn how scientists gather data from wild birds.
• Bird Art Contest (11 a.m.-3 p.m.) – Stop by the park’s lodge to create artwork that will be judged by age group. Art-making materials will be provided.
• Kettle River SNA Field Trip (1:30-4:30 p.m.) – Take a guided canoe tour of the Kettle River, an important part of the Mississippi Flyway migration route.
• Build a Bluebird House (1-2 p.m.) – Build a Peterson bluebird house at this hands-on workshop. Bluebird house kits costs $10. 
• Live Raptor Program (5-6 p.m.) – See live birds of prey at this Audubon Center of the North Woods raptor presentation.
• Owl Prowl (8-9 p.m.) – Learn how to identify local owls by sound, and then take a guided night hike to find and call to them.

Sunday, May 25

• Make and Take Bird Feeders (11 a.m.-noon) – Create and decorate soda pop bird feeder.
• Retro Reels (5-6 p.m.) – Watch old vintage nature films inside the park’s lodge.

Monday, May 26

• Back Deck Birding (11 a.m.-noon) - Meet other bird enthusiasts and swap bird sighting stories, show off photos and record bird count before heading home.

All of the programs are all free with a valid state park vehicle permit ($5/one-day or $25/year-round), unless otherwise noted.

To find additional programs and special events happening at Minnesota state parks all over the state, visit www.mndnr.gov/ptcalendar or contact the DNR Information Center at info.dnr@state.mn.us, 651-296-6157 or 888-646-6367 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Only 90 minutes north of the Twin Cities, St. Croix State Park covers more than 34,000 acres and showcases two great waterways: the St. Croix and the Kettle rivers. Visitors can explore the rivers by canoe or kayak, or with a fishing pole. Hikers and bicycles will find miles of trails to explore, and there are drive-in, walk-in, backpack and horseback campsites available. Large groups can reserve the modern group centers or primitive group camps. The park also has picnic facilities, a playground, volleyball and horseshoes.

DNR announces video-streaming peregrine falcon camera

Once pushed to the brink of extinction, peregrine falcons have returned to Minnesota’s skies and their natural habitat, including the state’s bluffs, cliffs and buildings, the Department of Natural Resources said. 

Live video from a nesting pair of peregrine falcons in downtown St. Paul is now featured on the DNR website at http://webcams.dnr.state.mn.us/falcon/.

The female has already laid four eggs and will incubate them for the next 30 or so days. Last year, the pair laid and incubated three eggs, but none of the eggs hatched.

Hopefully this year will be different.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to watch peregrines raise their young in an urban setting,” said Carrol Henderson, nongame wildlife program supervisor. “It is exciting to watch the birds first-hand, in their normal habitat, without disturbing them.”

A video camera was placed in a nesting box at the top of the Bremer building several years ago. Peregrines have been using the box and raising their young there since 1988, a year after the box was installed.

The peregrine camera was paid for by DNR’s nongame wildlife program, which is largely funded by donations, especially those made when Minnesotans file their state income and property taxes. The lines on the Minnesota income tax form and property tax form, marked with a drawing of a loon, give taxpayers the option to donate to the program, a feature often referred to as the “chickadee check-off.”

The nongame wildlife program works to protect and preserve more than 800 species of animals in the state that are not traditionally hunted or harvested. In addition to peregrine falcons, populations of species such as bald eagles, trumpeter swans, loons, and American white pelicans are directly benefited by contributions to the nongame wildlife check-off. People can help Minnesota wildlife by donating on their tax forms, or donate directly online at www.mndnr.gov/nongame/checkoff. 

USDA Announces Cutest Birds Photo Contest

This fall and winter, bird lovers with charming chickens, delightful ducks or fine feathered friends can show them off in an online photo contest sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

The USDA’s Biosecurity For Birds Campaign is inviting backyard poultry owners and other bird enthusiasts to compete for bragging rights by entering the Cutest Birds Photo Contest.  Submit JPEG files at http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov in two categories: 

1.     Cutest chicken or bird

2.     Cutest bird couple or family

The four month contest begins in December and continues through March 2014.  At the end of each month, the winning photo in each category will be posted on the Biosecurity For Birds web site.  The winners will be considered for inclusion on the 2015 Biosecurity For Birds Calendar.  For an entry form, contest rules and more information visit http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov

The Biosecurity For Birds program began in 2004 and is designed to educate backyard poultry owners and exotic bird enthusiasts about highly contagious poultry diseases and other threats to birds.  The program helps inform bird lovers how to prevent disease and tells them what to do if they suspect their birds are infected.

Minnesota DNR goes live with video-streaming peregrine falcon camera

Starting this week, live video from a pair of peregrine falcons in a nesting box at the top of an office building in downtown St. Paul will be featured on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) website at http://webcams.dnr.state.mn.us/falcon/.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to watch peregrines raise their young in an urban setting” said Carrol Henderson, DNR nongame wildlife program supervisor. “It is exciting to watch the birds first-hand, in their normal habitat, without disturbing them.”

Peregrines have been raising young in this location since 1988. The female has already laid three eggs and could lay up to two more in the coming days.

The public is able view the activity in the nesting box, with the help of Sentinel Property Management and the tenants at the Bremer office building.

Once pushed to the brink of extinction, the peregrine falcon has made a steady recovery in the United States. Once down to only a few pairs in Minnesota, peregrines have returned to Minnesota’s skies and their natural habitat, including Minnesota’s bluffs, cliffs and buildings.

The peregrine camera was paid for by the DNR’s nongame wildlife program, which is largely funded by donations, especially those made when Minnesotans file their state income and property taxes. The lines on the Minnesota income tax form and property tax form, marked with a drawing of a loon, give taxpayers the option to donate to the program, often referred to as the “chickadee check-off.”

The program works to protect and preserve more than 800 species of animals in the state that are not traditionally hunted or harvested. In addition to peregrine falcons, species such as bald eagles, trumpeter swans, loons, and American white pelicans are directly benefited by check-off contributions. To donate directly online, go to http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/nongame/checkoff.html