Cerulean Warbler photo by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren
As we'd say back home, the Cerulean Warbler is as cute as a bug in the rug (how did that saying ever start—ever seen a cute bug in a rug?). If that bug happens to translocate to the top third of a mature hardwood tree, a nesting Cerulean Warbler will probably eat it.
These lovely birds are yet another example of a declining species, a steep decline of 72% since 1970, which has them on the watch list. But thanks to the Mississippi Valley Conservancy (MVC), a wholly wonderful Wisconsin conservation organization and land trust, the Cerulean Warbler just caught a break.
Please, please, please use this link to read how the MVC and an incredibly generous anonymous donor saved 108 acres of Crawford County habitat important to migrating Cerulean Warblers and other songbirds. And this land will be open for us to watch those lovely birds and the other cool flora and fauna the land supports.
Photo provided by Mississippi Valley Conservancy
Trying not to be the bird idiot I so often am, I studied the Cerulean Warbler a bit. As I digested that information and read and re-read the description of the land (just about nothing moves me more than learning of the conservation of another great piece of Wisconsin), I wondered if this property might be more than a safe stopover for the warbler. It seems to have all the characteristics needed for a pair of Ceruleans to produce a clutch of healthy babies. The birds need a mix of hardwoods, including some tall, mature ones, for breeding (the interests bidding on this land at auction were folks interested in harvesting the mature oaks and walnuts on the property, bad for Cerulean breeding potential). I'm hoping our Madison Audubon ornithologists can confirm that happy hope.
Nesting Cerulean Warbler, photo by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren
MVC could not have achieved this miraculous save without their incredibly generous donor. The same holds true for Madison Audubon. We had some fabulous acquisitions this last year. None would have occurred without generous donations. All of you who have donated deserve our constant thanks.
Sometimes, though, MVC and Madison Audubon rely on especially generous and able donors who can respond quickly with deal-making donations. Jerry Martin is one such donor that Madison Audubon can count on. Simply put, Goose Pond, Faville Grove, and Ostego Marsh would not be the robust sanctuaries they are without Jerry's generosity.
To Jerry and all our donors and to MVC's mystery donor, THANK YOU!
Written by Topf Wells, Madison Audubon board member and advocacy committee chair
