Rusty Blackbird:
Now you see it, now you don’t.
Photo: Jack Bartholmai
February 2006 | Choice News
Bye, Bye Blackbird in the Backyard Bird Count
You can help create a snapshot of winter bird distribution across the continent by participating Feb. 17 through 20 in the Great Backyard Bird Count.
Last year, bird watchers — school children, retirees, scout troops, college students, co-workers and others — sent in more than 52,000 checklists, with a record-breaking 613 species and more than 6 million birds counted.
“The level of energy created each February by Great Backyard Bird counters is phenomenal,” said Dr. Paul Green, director of Citizen Science for Audubon. “Some bird watchers even send digital photos to back up their reports.”
Last year, participants sent in more than 1,000 photos in the survey managed by the National Audubon Society and Cornell Laboratory of Orinthology.
The sightings enabled scientists to compare bird numbers with those of previous years. For nearly a decade, the bird count has provided insight as to how far north American robins are nesting, when sandhill cranes have migrated, and where Eurasian collared-doves and native red-bellied woodpeckers have been turning up.
Its numbers also revealed that the rusty blackbird, a medium-sized songbird with plumage that changes from black to rust in winter, has shown the greatest decline — 86 percent — of any North American bird species over the last 40 years.
Only 189 rusty blackbirds were counted from 17 different sites in Illinois in 2005. That may or may not be cause for alarm since the species gravitates to the Northwest in winter, according to Alan B. Anderson, vice president of the Chicago Audubon Society.
Still, the Great Backyard Bird Count is a great way for experienced bird watchers and novices alike to learn more about what’s happening with birds. Anderson’s backyard is home to only about five or six species. To find less common birds like nuthatches, flickers, owls and waterfowl, he advises going to parks, rural and public lands.
“This project has become a major source of scientific information about North American bird populations,” said Dr. John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. “It is a classic example of the vital role citizens and the Internet now play in understanding our planet.”
Participants can enter their numbers online and can explore sightings maps, lists, and charts as the count progresses. The event is sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited. Email or call 800-843-2473.
— Susan DeGrane
Hellbenders’ Wakeup Call
IN ANCIENT TIMES, salamanders were thought to be invincible, having the ability to endure fire without harm.
Not so with Ozark hellbenders that are native to Missouri and Arkansas and considered the world’s oldest and largest salamander species. The amphibians, which can grow up to two feet in length, have exhibited deformities and strange wounds that will not heal, according to the January 2005 issue of the Bass Times.
Even more alarming, in the last 15 years, the Ozark hellbender population has declined 80 percent, according the Missouri Department of Conservation, which blames “endocrine disruption” — caused by chemical pollutants in agricultural pesticides — for reducing sperm counts.
As with frogs, biologists assert that deformities and reproductive problems in salamanders should be regarded as a wakeup call for other species, including humans.
— CC
Stop Swearing
LET’S FACE IT, DAMMIT! For many of us, curse words are a part of our everyday vocabulary. Breaking the habit of using them seems just as unimaginable as, say, quitting smoking. Even a day without just one can be next to impossible.
No patch has yet been invented to break the addiction to bad language, but luckily for those determined to quit, there’s the Lake Forest-based Cuss Control Academy.
It was founded by Jim O’Connor “to increase awareness of the negative impact bad language has on society and on individuals who swear too frequently or inappropriately,” according to O’Connor’s website.
On the website you can find “Ten Tips for Taming Your Tongue,” or order the book, Cuss Control: The Complete Book on How to Curb Your Cursing by James O’Connor ($12.95, Three Rivers Press).
If that doesn’t do the trick, the hell with it, right? Not so fast. O’Connor also gives presentations throughout the country at a variety of places, including schools, companies and business associations. The fee for his typical 30-minute to hour-long squeaky-clean lecture is $1,500 in the Chicago area and $2,500 plus travel expenses for further destinations.
“I spend most of my time talking about why we should not swear,” O’Connor explained. “Swearing gives off a negative tone and attitude. And it’s not fun to be around — no one likes to be around angry people.”
It all started several years ago, O’Connor, also president of his own PR firm, decided he was tired of hearing so much “lazy language.”
In 1998, determined to bring attention to the negative way people often speak — and the detrimental impact he says it has on society — he founded the Cuss Control Academy.
“I was just hearing too much swearing in public,” O’Connor explained. “It made me question: Why do I swear?”
This inner reflection led to the creation of his self-help program. O’Connor doesn’t want to come across as a fire and brimstone preacher with an all-out assault on cuss words. He just wants to help people find a more pleasant and more imaginative way to speak. This is not always easy.
“It takes a bit of work,” he explained. “Unfortunately, people are always looking for a quick fix.” In that instance, O’Connor recommends using alternative words.
For instance, when he’s frustrated, O’Connor tries to swap other words for the infamous “f-word.” At the moment, his personal favorite is, “Oh, forget it!”
OK, let’s try. There’s: Frick it! Fork it! Fry it! Fick it! Frog it? Oh, fuckin’ forgitaboutit!
— Christine Mangan
Pop Goes the Toxin
MAYBE IT’S TIME to switch back to Jiffy Pop. A preliminary FDA study found that eating microwave popcorn may expose you to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a potentially cancer-causing substance typically found in the grease-repelling chemicals used to treat the bag’s coating. Identified as a “likely carcinogen” by the FDA last year, PFOA can migrate to popcorn oil during the popping process, the study suggests. But even if you scarf down the whole bag — unpopped kernels and all — you’ll probably take in a very low and most likely harmless amount of PFOA, according to lead study author Timothy Begley.
“Assuming 30 grams of oil in the food, there would be less than .03 micrograms [PFOA] if one consumed all of the oil,” says Begley. “Based on the evidence we have at this time, we have no reason to change our previous conclusion that [microwave popcorn] is safe.”
— Elizabeth Barker
Junk the junk food
SOON JUNK FOOD in Illinois schools may be found only in the history section of textbooks. This spring the Illinois State Board of Education is expected to take final action on Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s proposal requesting that all junk food be removed from Illinois elementary and middle schools by the 2006-07 school year.
This is the second time the governor has tried to get the measure passed, citing the increasingly dim outlook of the health of our children due to poor eating habits.
One study based in Arkansas showed that Type II diabetes in children has skyrocketed 800 percent over the past decade, according to Blagojevich’s office, which also released statistics showing that the average child now consumes an estimated 150-200 more calories per day compared to a decade ago.
Health experts warn this is setting the stage for further complications, and could shorten their life expectancies compared to their parents.
There’s another benefit to improving children’s diets: Their behavior has been shown to improve also. That’s according to administrators at Wisconsin’s Appleton Central Alternative High School that was once plagued with behavioral problems. First, the school cleared the soda and junk food from the halls and ditched the old lunch menu in favor of one from nearby Natural Ovens Bakery. The new menu featured salads, fresh fruits and vegetables, meats prepared the old-fashioned way, and whole grain breads. Water became the drink offering.
Since the program’s inception, the school’s teachers and principal say they have noticed an overwhelming change in their once-unruly students, according to a newsletter published by the Feingold Association of the United States, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving diet.
Not only do the students appear more focused and grades have shot up, but the students also report they actually like the food.
— Christine Mangan
Skiing the Banana Belt
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING is getting known for the health benefits lately — it’s aerobic, a calorie burner, and a complete muscle workout. And it’s a good remedy for the winter blahs.
The problem is, of all things, snow! Chicago is nicknamed the “Banana Belt” because of its sometimes warm temperatures (compared to more traditional cross-country areas), and recent nearly snow-less winters.
But this year, skinny skiers can take heart. Lapham Peak, near Delafield, Wisc., will assist Old Man Winter with man-made snow — practically guaranteeing a ski season. When completed, it will provide snowmaking for a 4.5 K lighted trail.
Man-made snow is created the same way as natural snow. Tiny droplets of water freeze into crystals before falling to the ground. Different types of “snow guns” create this effect. Some guns are computer-monitored and change automatically with changing humidity, temperature, and wind.
“Our guns can put down six inches of snow an hour over a trail section. Then our equipment spreads it over the trail,” said John Lupo, vice president of Friends of Lapham Peak. “We can build a base early in the season, which will allow continuous grooming and extend the season.”
Lapham Peak’s 17 miles of groomed trails (easiest, intermediate and advanced) are among the most popular in the Midwest with recreational skiers and racers. Two and a half miles of trails are currently lighted for night skiing. The trails wind though wooded hilly areas and open meadows, and are known for the challenging terrain. “We have three high school cross-country ski teams that had to drive long distances to train on snow,” said Lupo. “Now they can practice right here.”
Lapham Peak is located 25 miles west of Milwaukee on I-94 (exit 285) one mile south on County “C” near Delafield, Wisc. Cost: $10 daily vehicle admission fee for non-residents; $4 daily trail pass per person (16 and up). (Open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.) Ski reports: 262-646-4421; office: 262-646-3025; Rentals available weekends. Visit www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/lapham and laphampeakfriends.org.
Other areas in Wisconsin that are farther north, such as Trollhaugen Ski Resort in Dresser and areas in Minnesota and Michigan, also provide man-made snow for their cross-country trails. For other areas in Wisconsin, visit www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/ski/xc.htm.
— Bob McCray
A Tall Tree Tale
DEPENDING HOW you look at it, a box elder is a tree or a just one big weed. So, the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation didn’t think it would be any big deal to cut down the trees and shrubs from the northern edge of North Park Village Nature Center, 5801 N. Pulaski, Chicago, when personnel from the Chicago firehouse located at 3945 W. Peterson complained about bird droppings from the greenery.
“These were weed trees of the buckthorn variety … which were protruding over the street,” said Matt Smith, spokesman for the city of Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation.
The Chicago Park District confirmed that the trees removed were green ash, box elder and buckthorn shrubs. Box elder and buckthorn are invasive species, according to website lists maintained on Morton Arboretum. Green ash, however, is a native species.
And then there was the matter of the trim work by city work crews who Smith described as being “overzealous,” leading to complaints about the lack of trees.
Despite the loss of significant vegetation, some positives resulted. The process for such requests was revised to require approval from higher in the chain of command. Also, the city’s Bureau of Forestry and Park District worked together selecting native tree varieties to replace the old trees. The two parties also supervised volunteers who planted 10 hop hornbeams, 10 blue beeches, five spicebushes and five black haws. The new trees have set down roots near the old trees’ location, but far enough away from the troublesome fence line and street, so now there’s a happy end to this tall tree tale.
Given the opportunity to correct the situation, Smith said, the city wanted to “make sure the (tree) varieties were more fitting of the venue — if venue is an appropriate term for a nature center.” He added, “You wouldn’t go to a zoo to see stray dogs. You would want to see exotic animals. Likewise, you wouldn’t go to a nature center to see non-native trees.”
— CC
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