I t was the first backpacking trip of the season, our first time hiking this trail in its entiret... more I t was the first backpacking trip of the season, our first time hiking this trail in its entirety, and the first season of a new program designed to document raptor popula-tions in Yellowstone National Park. As we (Lisa Baril and David Haines) tightened our boots and cinched the straps of our backpacks loaded with tripods, spotting scopes, and enough food to last three days, we headed down the trail just after dawn on a blue-bird day in June. Our task was to survey this 18-mile stretch of trail for raptor activity and breeding territories. We were especially interested in golden eagles and red-tailed hawks, but documented all raptor species observed along the way. We gave cliff faces particular attention since this is the preferred nesting habitat for golden eagles, peregrine falcons, prairie falcons, and occasionally red-tailed hawks. Using spotting scopes we scanned the cliffs for the tell-tale signs of raptor activity—whitewash (the highly acidic avian waste material) and the st...
I t's 5:30 a.m., mId-June. I'm wading in knee-deep water, pushing my way through a dense ... more I t's 5:30 a.m., mId-June. I'm wading in knee-deep water, pushing my way through a dense willow thicket in Willow Park along Obsidian Creek in Yellowstone national Park. the icy creek, dark as a result of the tannins leaching from the willow stems, has not yet found its way into my heavily patched hip-boots. a beaver slaps his tail, a clear command to stay away and a warning bell for the rest of the colony that an intruder is approaching. startled for a moment, I return to my path and finally reach the point to which I have navigated with my GPs (Geographic Positioning system) unit and compass. I'm measuring songbird diversity in the willows, a task that often absorbs my concentration, but that requires me to remain vigilant of moose or elk that may be nearby. each point I navigate to is at the center of a randomly placed 40 m radius circle in which birds observed and heard are recorded over a 10 minute period. this is known as the point count method and is a commonly us...
I t was the first backpacking trip of the season, our first time hiking this trail in its entiret... more I t was the first backpacking trip of the season, our first time hiking this trail in its entirety, and the first season of a new program designed to document raptor popula-tions in Yellowstone National Park. As we (Lisa Baril and David Haines) tightened our boots and cinched the straps of our backpacks loaded with tripods, spotting scopes, and enough food to last three days, we headed down the trail just after dawn on a blue-bird day in June. Our task was to survey this 18-mile stretch of trail for raptor activity and breeding territories. We were especially interested in golden eagles and red-tailed hawks, but documented all raptor species observed along the way. We gave cliff faces particular attention since this is the preferred nesting habitat for golden eagles, peregrine falcons, prairie falcons, and occasionally red-tailed hawks. Using spotting scopes we scanned the cliffs for the tell-tale signs of raptor activity—whitewash (the highly acidic avian waste material) and the st...
I t's 5:30 a.m., mId-June. I'm wading in knee-deep water, pushing my way through a dense ... more I t's 5:30 a.m., mId-June. I'm wading in knee-deep water, pushing my way through a dense willow thicket in Willow Park along Obsidian Creek in Yellowstone national Park. the icy creek, dark as a result of the tannins leaching from the willow stems, has not yet found its way into my heavily patched hip-boots. a beaver slaps his tail, a clear command to stay away and a warning bell for the rest of the colony that an intruder is approaching. startled for a moment, I return to my path and finally reach the point to which I have navigated with my GPs (Geographic Positioning system) unit and compass. I'm measuring songbird diversity in the willows, a task that often absorbs my concentration, but that requires me to remain vigilant of moose or elk that may be nearby. each point I navigate to is at the center of a randomly placed 40 m radius circle in which birds observed and heard are recorded over a 10 minute period. this is known as the point count method and is a commonly us...
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