An opportunity for those raptor lovers in need of a mission....... Mark Alt=20 MOU President [email protected] C/O J. F. Bell Museum of Natural History University of Minnesota 10 Church Street SE Minneapolis, MN 55455-0104 MOU.mn.org
-----Original Message----- From: Jim Lind [mailto:[email protected]]=20 Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2005 9:09 PM To: [email protected] Subject: final draft of raptor request The Minnesota Ornithologists' Union and the University of Minnesota's=20 Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) in Duluth are requesting=20 volunteers to help survey three study plots in northern Minnesota for=20 breeding raptors and other species. Three 1-square mile plots have=20 been selected in northern Pine (near the Net Lake Road), western=20 Cass (near Walker), and Lake (near Isabella) counties for a pilot=20 study investigating the feasibility of conducting a large scale off- road raptor monitoring program in Minnesota.=20 Copies of topographic maps of the plots will be provided, and=20 participants will be free to survey as much or as little of the plot=20 as they like. Each of the plots have at least one gravel road that=20 runs through or along it, but the majority of each plot has no roads=20 or trails (i.e. bushwacking will be needed). The methodology will=20 simply be to search each plot for raptors from now through mid-July=20 (preferably in the morning hours), paying particular attention to=20 nesting activity. Participants can visit the plots as often as=20 they'd like, and they will be asked to keep track of the type (sight,=20 vocalization, nest, fledged young, etc.) and number of raptor=20 observations, the amount of time spent surveying the plots, and the=20 approximate areas of the plots they covered. =20 One goal of this semi-formal effort is to get an idea of the=20 densities and sample sizes of breeding raptors that could be expected=20 if a similar effort was expanded across larger portions of the state.=20 Depending on the plot and habitat, raptor species that could be=20 encountered include Broad-winged Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's=20 Hawk, Merlin, American Kestrel, Red-tailed Hawk, and potentially=20 Northern Goshawk or Red-shouldered Hawk. Motivated observers could=20 also listen and search for owls at night, but this is not expected. =20 Participants are also encouraged to note all non-raptor bird species=20 encountered, including nests and young.=20 Anyone interested in participating should contact Jim Lind as soon as=20 possible at NRRI (218-720-4384; [email protected]).=20
