Sunday, July 24, 2016

Tracking D24 and D25

If you want to know where the eagles are, check this website to follow their travels.

http://www.raptorresource.org/eagle-map

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Justice Scalia Murdered

There are many out there who don't believe Justice Scalia died as the media reported.  This article does give one pause as to what did happen to Justice Scalia just as Obama was exiting the WH and perhaps Hillary might enter the WH.  The only thing left on the list of Alinsky is gun control which Hill has said she will basically stop at nothing to repeal the 2nd amendment and take our gun rights away.  Scalia was standing in her way.

http://endingthefed.com/scalia-murder-cover-up-begins-to-unravel-intelligence-officers-and-high-ranking-police-publicly-question-his-untimely-death.html

Thursday, July 21, 2016

I Wanted to Cruz into the White House

I am and still am a Cruz fan.  I love that he memorized the Constitution as a child and believes strongly in the document.  I love that he stood up to the RINOs in Congress and called them liars when they went back on their word to their constituents to stand against Obama and his minions.  He is one smart man.  So last night his speech was right on.  He is right that our two biggest issues is that we are in danger of losing what freedom we have left and our Constitution.

I understand why people love Trump, he is not a politician.  However I believe he would have run on the left had Hill not been running.  He is not a Republican and he sure is not a Conservative. He is a petulant child and we already have one of those in the WH currently.  He pouts if he does not get his way and is clueless as to how the government runs.   I will vote for Trump but I do not support him.  We can not let Hillary get in the WH, she will finish destroying this country. For all that she has done in her life she belongs in Super Max not the WH.

Reading all the precious snowflakes on facebook and other sites this morning saying Cruz went back on his word by not endorsing Trump need to get a grip.  He did endorse him just not in those words, he clearly laid out the plan to vote against Hillary.

I found this post on Facebook and he gave permission to copy and paste which I believe sums up the speech from Cruz last night.  I will continue to support Senator Cruz, we need more like him.

 
Kristopher Boring Cruz congratulated Trump for his victory. He said we must build the wall, which is a nod to Trump's big campaign promise. He said we must vote our conscience up-and-down the ticket. He said do not stay home, which is a call to the never trumpers to go ahead and vote. And he said we must unite our party around the principle of freedom and the Constitution. So what the convention does not understand is that Ted Cruz in his speech gave a challenge to Donald Trump to live up to the principles of the American Constitution, our founding values and the Republican Party. By not giving a simple exhortation to vote for Trump, Ted Cruz instead challenged Trump to earn the votes of Republicans across the nation by living up to our values. That is brilliant!

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

16

Hermione would have been 16 today.  I miss you girlfriend.  Hope you are not bothering the others who have gone before you too much.  Remember Garfield is the boss.


Sunday, July 17, 2016

The Season is Over

Yesterday the camera was turned off of the Decorah Nest.  I have it open on my laptop every waking minute so I do not miss any exciting event.  Today I feel like I am lost because I have no nest to watch.  This was my 5th season.  You watch one season and you are addicted.  If you have never watched a nest and all that goes on from laying eggs to fledging, you truly are missing nature at it's finest.  Watching the nest is very calming and educational. Give it a try this Fall when the camera comes back on as you watch mom and dad re-build the nest for another exciting season.  For now Mom and Dad see you in a few months, teach the juveniles well and we will be watching them as their transmitters their every move.

Friday, July 15, 2016

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to my Aunt Jessie.  I hope you have a wonderful day and a great trip.  Love you much.

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Camp Loopy Month 3

Theme: Faraway Lands. The challenge this month is to incorporate a different country into your project. You can do that by using a pattern by a designer who lives in a different country, or you can pick a pattern named for (or celebrating) something in a different country, or you can pick a color that reminds you of a place in a different country. Your project must use a minimum of 800 yards in this single project. (A single project meaning one item, not sets of things like a hat/scarf combo, matching shawls for you and a friend, etc.)
Theme: Faraway Lands. The challenge this month is to incorporate a different country into your project. You can do that by using a pattern by a designer who lives in a different country, or you can pick a pattern or block named for (or celebrating) something in a different country, or you can pick colors that remind you of a place in a different country. Your project must use a minimum of 4 yards in this single project.

I am knitting a sweater in a rosemary colorway and doing a quilt with a fabric that looks like a rosemary plant for the leaves on the tree.  

My Favorite Place San Gimignano

Monday, July 11, 2016

My Tree Has a Boo-Boo

We had a microburst last week.  I found a large limb out of the walnut tree and some small branches down and the squirrels lost their new nest in the Maple tree.  My neighbors dad noticed this crack in one of my trees and today with the wind it was swaying quite a bit from the rest of the tree.  I have used this company for years to remove trees so today i say goodbye to my tallest tree in the back yard.  The guy that did the cutting was very impressive, everything was a precision drop straight down and filled up the circle in between the 4 trees.  Eventually the other 4 walnut trees will come down when money appears so there is not an accident that will cost lots of money.  I dont need 5 trees in the back yard when i have trees that  line the parking.  Too much shade will not let the sun in for the grass to grow.

 See the split in the Y, it was hollow and was swaying away from the tree today in the wind.





I about had a heart attack when this big limb came down but it just turned itself upside and hung by the rope.


The top is gone, it will open up the back yard even more.






Zinnias

I have always loved zinnias.  They love the heat and sun and provide a vibrant color to the yard.  I was gifted a new whiskey barrel of plastic instead wood so it should last a long time. I wanted to get zinnias started again.  I had 3 packages of seeds that were who knows how old, so i just planted them all.  Here they are in all their glory.  The great thing is I can dead head the flowers and put the seed back in the barrel for re-seeding next year.   I hope to have a barrel of zinnias for many a year to come.


Knitting Makes You Beautiful

Cathy Hannigan's photo.

Saturday, July 09, 2016

Wild Child

Bucky, my youngest cat, is very much Bucky in the Get Fuzzy cartoon, hence how she got her name.  She gets into everything and likes to jump up high and watch the world from her ceiling view.  The other day she got up on the kitchen island and when she jumped down she caught her foot in a cloth bag that was hanging off a drawer handle.  She was limping around and holding up her paw, so off to the vet we go.  She broke a bone in the middle of her toes so she has a cast for 6 weeks now.  She walks through the house smacking her cast on the floor and when she lays down she swings it around because it is up in her armpit and she can not bend her leg.  Poor kitty she will be miserable for awhile now. Let's hope she does not do anything else and it heals quickly.


Friday, July 08, 2016

Decorah North Nest Autopsy

Decorah North Nest DN2 results are in.
Raptor Resource Project
1 hr
We received a final autopsy report on DN2. The eaglet died as a result of Methomyl toxicity, although caffeine was also present. An analysis of DN2’s liver rule...d out lead and mercury as the cause of death. It did not include information on the sex of the eaglet.
We encourage everyone to read the full post for more information and resources, but DN2's death was most likely caused by an off-label use of Golden Malrin, Scatterbait, or Stimukil, flybaits that contains 1% methomyl. This article contains more information about it: http://www.sciencemag.org/…/regulators-move-limit-wildlife-…
Please continue reading below!
What is Methomyl?
Methomyl is a broad spectrum insecticide introduced in 1966 to kill a variety of insect pests. It is registered for commercial/professional use on sites including field, vegetable, and orchard crops; sod farms; livestock quarters; commercial premises; and refuse containers. It is toxic enough that products containing more than 1% Methomyl are not available for homeowner or non-professional application.
How were DN2 and Mom North poisoned?
While we don’t know for sure, Methomyl is sometimes used off-label to kill wildlife species that become problematic. 1% Methomyl products including Golden Malrin, Lurectron Scatterbait, and Stimukil are placed in sweet solutions, including caffeinated colas, to poison animals like raccoon that some consider pests and can cause damage to buildings and farm animals. Given the presence of both Methomyl and caffeine, it seems likely that Mom North found a Methomyl-poisoned dying or dead mammal and brought it to the nest to eat. It wouldn’t have taken much to kill DN2 or Mom North, since Methomyl is highly toxic. Based on what we observed, Mom North was able to metabolize and recover from what she ate, but DN2 was not. While it is possible that the poisoning was the unintended consequence of a legal use of Methomyl, the caffeine suggests it was not.
For more about the problems of baiting wildlife with Methomyl, follow this link: http://www.sciencemag.org/…/regulators-move-limit-wildlife-…
Is this legal?
It is not. While Methomyl and many other pesticides and insecticides are legal when used in a manner consistent with labeling, it is illegal to go off-label and use them in a manner for which they are not intended. Fly bait is legal when used according to direction and illegal used in any other way. There may be state and federal penalties for people caught misusing it, depending on state and federal law, and what species are killed.
What are you going to do about it?
We have already reported the incident to the Iowa State DNR and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and will report it to the EPA and the manufacturer of the most likely culprit, Golden Malrin. We will also use our RRP website, Facebook and Twitter audience to help spread the message about misuse of Methomyl and let people know that they can petition their states to reclassify Methomyl fly baits as restricted products should they choose to do so. We would love to say that this was an isolated incident, but a quick search for “golden malrin raccoon” reveals just how widespread the practice is. Google it and join the discussion!
Do you know who did it?
No. There is a lot of variability in eagle home ranges. While immediate nest defense/core territories tend to occur within 100 square meters or so of the nest, hunting territories vary considerably. One study documented bald eagle summer home ranges that varied from 3 square miles to 18 square miles depending on age, nesting status, and available resources. But other studies have found even wider ranges in nesting bald eagles, including 37 square miles for a pair in Louisiana. The landowners in the immediate vicinity of the nest have expressed their commitment to conservation. With bald eagles searching and scavenging for food over a large area, there is no way to know exactly where it cam from. We are not an enforcement agency, but we have reported what we know to enforcement agencies.
We don’t believe that anyone meant DN2 or Mom North any harm. But people need to know that off-label poisoning kills unintended targets and can have serious legal consequences. This may also be a good day to check garages, basements, and storage sheds to see what noxious and toxic herbicides, rodenticides, and insecticides are on hand that have tragic consequences for wildlife, pets, and humans. Want something to replace those highly toxic chemicals? Check out the Bio-Integral Resource Center (http://www.birc.org/) and their list of least-toxic pest control products: http://www.birc.org/2012Directory.pdf. Even if you can't go completely toxin-free, you can reduce harmful consequences by using products correctly and choosing the least toxic options. Please help by sharing and spreading the word to prevent the unintentional poisoning of bald eagles and other animals!
Note that Methomyl is toxic enough that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Methomyl manufacturers have agreed to limit use on certain crops to reduce risks to drinking water: http://bit.ly/29yhNcY. EPA and manufacturers have also reached an agreement to stop making and selling some fly bait products and to add information to the label that clarifies the approved uses. EPA believes that these changes will reduce the illegal use of methomyl fly bait products which can kill wildlife, an issue that was reported to EPA by a number of states.

Tuesday, July 05, 2016

It's Another Boy

July 5 2016~ Second Tracking Transmitter Application
Raptor Resource Project (RRP) would like to announce the successful banding, transmitter application, and release of the juvenile Decorah Bald Eagle known as D25.
This morning at 5:45AM, RRP Board Members Brett Mandernack (of Eagle Valley Nature Preserve) and David Lynch, and Carole Mandernack (from Eagle Valley Nature Preserve) and Ryan Schmitz (wildlife technician from Eagle Valley Nature Preserve), captured D25 for the p...urpose of applying a GPS tracking transmitter and leg band. D25 was found to be in great health, and was determined to be a male (using measurements of the beak, tarsus, and hallux talon) with a weight of approximately 7.5 pounds. The capture process went very smoothly and D25 was released back at the Decorah Fish Hatchery at approximately 7:00AM.
Both D24 and D25 were observed riding the thermals above the Decorah Eagles nests several times this afternoon, and were joined by one of the adults around noon. The process used to capture D25 was the same used for his sibling D24 on June 30, 2016, resulting in a quick and safe capture.
D25 will now join D24 in the Eagle Valley Nature Preserve Bald Eagle migration and travel study that has been ongoing since 1999, providing valuable data that will help ensure the preservation of Bald Eagles within the Mississippi Valley flyway, and other areas.
We would like to thank all of the RRP fans for their support and we look forward to learning more about the travels of D25 along with you!
David Lynch
Raptor Resource Project, Board of Directors
Pictured: (L-R) David Lynch, Brett Mandernack with D25, Carole Mandernack, Ryan Schmitz
Photo courtesy of Glenn Miller of Miller Photography
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Friday, July 01, 2016

It's a Boy!

D24 is a boy!
Raptor Resource Project
9 hrs
~June 30, 2016~ GPS Tracking Transmitter Application
Raptor Resource Project (RRP) would like to announce the successful banding, transmitter application, and r...elease of the juvenile Decorah Bald Eagle known as D24.
This morning at 5:45AM CT, RRP Board Members Brett Mandernack (of Eagle Valley Nature Preserve) and David Lynch, along with Ryan Schmitz (wildlife technician from Eagle Valley Nature Preserve), and assisted by Bob Costanza (from Eagle Valley Nature Preserve) captured D24 for the purpose of applying a GPS tracking transmitter and leg band. D24 was found to be in great health, and was determined to be a male with a weight of approximately 8.5 pounds. The capture process went very smoothly and D24 was released back at the Decorah Fish Hatchery at approximately 6:50AM CT. D24 immediately took flight and perched for about an hour at the rear of the hatchery property.
Later in the morning as the breeze picked up, D24 took flight and rode the thermals around the Decorah Fish Hatchery. He was eventually joined by his sibling D25 and the two juveniles soared together. After approximately and hour the two juvenile eagles returned to perch: D24 on the original Decorah Eagles nest tree (N1) and D25 on top of the bluffs that surround the hatchery, a common perching place for these juveniles and the adults. Watching the juvenile eagles learning to master flight and landings was quite a sight to see!
Interesting Facts:
-D24 was captured using a Ring Padam Noose trap, which has been used by Eastern falconers for centuries as it is elegantly simple, lightweight, and very safe for the bird.
-The capture and transmitter application, which took days of preparation and planning, was completed in less than 2 hours.
-Like his predecessors, D1, D14, and Four, D24 will join the eagle migration and travel study that began at Eagle Valley Nature Preserve in 1999.
-RRP will now begin to monitor D24 on a daily basis to watch his travels will share tracking information with the public both on Facebook and on our project website at http://www.raptorresource.org/
After tracking primarily adult eagles for 15 years to determine migration dynamics in the Upper Midwest, their fidelity to migration routes, as well as fidelity to and mobility on summer and winter ranges, The Eagle Valley Nature Preserve study has recently been focusing on immature eagle travels and observing if/how the migration behavior changes as the birds mature. As with any species, how can we be effective stewards if we do not understand basic travel behavior? The Raptor Resource Project is working hard to live our mission: “ to preserve and strengthen raptor populations, expand participation in raptor preservation, and help foster the next generation of preservationists”. RRP would like to extend special thanks to Brett Mandernack for his support and dedication to raptor preservation.
We would like to thank all of the RRP fans for their support and we look forward to learning more about the travels of D24 along with you!
David Lynch
Raptor Resource Project Board of Directors
Pictured: (L-R) Ryan Schmitz, David Lynch, Brett Mandernack with D24. Photo courtesy of Glenn Miller of Miller Photography