Common tern bird actually rather rare

Posted On Sat. May 7th, 2016

By : The Courier

Rob and Sue Wood of Findlay contacted me to report spotting a common tern feeding in the clay pits area a few days ago. But the common tern really isn’t so common.

The common tern is a rare summer resident and an uncommon migrant. Before the larger, more aggressive gulls took over their nesting sites on the Lake Erie islands, terns were much more common.

Although the state-endangered common tern occurs statewide during migration, nesting colonies have always been restricted to the Western Basin. Artificial platforms have been successful in attracting nesting birds to more-secure nesting areas.

Terns are small, fast-flying water birds with deep V-shaped tails. They do not soar or swim like the gulls, but dive straight into the water after small fish.

Their preferred nesting sites are natural or man-made islands that are free of predatory mammals and human disturbance. They will also utilize mainland beaches and dredge disposal areas, but only when islands are unavailable.

The tern can be very defensive of its nest and young and will harass humans, dogs, muskrats and most day-flying birds. But it rarely hits the intruder, usually swerving off at the last moment.

Some can discriminate between individual humans, attacking familiar people more intensely than strangers.

Nocturnal predators are the greater risk to nesting terns and colonies can be wiped out by rats. Other nighttime lurkers such as raccoons and owls can also disrupt a tern colony, causing them to leave for up to eight hours, further jeopardizing the young’s survival.

During the 19th century, tern feathers and wings were used to decorate women’s hats. This was the primary cause of steep declines in North America and abroad. Some of the hats used the entire mounted bird to help make the fashion statement.
Terns recovered in the 20th century, thanks mainly to protective legislation and restoration work by conservation organizations and state and federal wildlife agencies.

Along the Way:

During the first week of Ohio’s wild turkey season, from April 18 to April 24, hunters bagged 8,629 of the big birds. That’s slightly higher than last year’s 8,158 turkeys checked.

Hunters are required to have a hunting license and turkey hunting permit to pursue the birds. The season bag limit is two bearded turkeys. The season will continue through May 15.

Continued ...

Bird lovers worry about Lake Erie wind turbine

 TOLEDO —

A proposal for 198-foot wind turbine near Lake Erie is worrying people who flock to the northern Ohio shoreline to view migratory birds.

The (Toledo) Blade reports that birders are worrying about what effect the turbine’s whirring blades will have on bald eagles and migratory birds that gather in the marshes and woods along the lake twice a year.

The proposal for the turbine a mile from the lake in Ottawa County is under attack and is being analyzed by wildlife officials.

Kim Kaufman, executive director of Black Swamp Bird Observatory in Oak Harbor, says the coastal swath dotted with wildlife areas and refugees is a “globally important” bird habitat.

Officials say the 500-kilowatt turbine would generate wind power, reduce electric costs and aid research.

http://www.cantonrep.com/newsnow/x470405118/Bird-lovers-worry-about-Lake-Erie-wind-turbine

Bird viruses under study pose no threat to humans

PORT CLINTON -- When ducks and geese stop in at the Lake Erie marshes for a rest or to catch dinner, they could pick up a case of the flu.

Or, they might be leaving the virus behind for other birds to catch.

Two Ohio State University professors are studying waterfowl influenza in Lake Erie marshes in the Port Clinton area, including Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge in Benton Township and Magee Marsh state wildlife area in Carroll Township. They are examining what types of flu viruses lurk in the marshes, how long they survive, how they affect waterfowl and whether the spread of these viruses can be stopped.

"If a dangerous virus were introduced into North America by wild birds, we would have a model to use to assess the risks before the virus spread into or beyond the marshes in Ohio," Professor Richard Slemmons of OSU's Department of Veterinary Preventative Medicine said in an Ohio Sea Grant College Program article last year.

Scientists hope to use the information they learn from the study to manipulate the conditions in a marsh to weaken a virus more quickly, according to the Ohio Sea Grant article.

Continued: http://www.thenews-messenger.com/article/20120925/NEWS01/209250303/Professors-study-bird-flu?nclick_check=1