And just like that, another productive golden eagle season has come to a close!

Historically (1900s), golden eagles were known to occur throughout the entire state of Alabama. However, our understanding of the current distribution and occurrence of these birds in Alabama is limited. In 2011, WFF began monitoring golden eagles using game cameras, to better understand their wintering distribution throughout the state. Since then, we have acquired over 28,000 eagle photos and have captured and tagged 16 eagles within the state.

For the 2019-2020 winter season, our goal was to capture eagles on game cameras in new locations across south Alabama, while maintaining 3 sites across the northern half of the state that eagles have been consistently seen. In January, much to our delight, a golden eagle appeared on camera at Portland Landing SOA, one of our new locations, which is also the most southerly site we have captured golden eagles on. While the individual was only there for two days, it provided invaluable information to better understand the eagles wintering distribution in Alabama.

Although we did not capture any eagles at the new sites this season, we did successfully capture, tag, and fit two new golden eagles with transmitters at Oakmulgee WMA and Freedom Hills WMA. Additionally, the U.S. Forest Service was able to capture, tag, and fit one new golden eagle with a transmitter at the Talladega National Forest site. With the addition of these three new tagged birds, we now have eight active transmitters on birds providing us (and other agencies) valuable data about golden eagle habits and migration.

Of course, our golden eagle research would not be possible in Alabama without funding provided through sales of hunting and wildlife heritage licenses, and the Nongame Wildlife Tax Checkoff. Those funds are then matched nearly three to one with federal grant dollars made available through the Pittman-Robertson Act to provide for conservation and management of eagles and many other wildlife species. Additional contributions and thanks also goes to our partnership with The Birmingham Zoo who provided funds to purchase new transmitters for this year’s tagging efforts.

Learn more about our golden eagle research by visiting our website.

Burning For Wildlife

If only one tool could be chosen to improve habitat quality on most landscapes in Alabama it would be fire. Prescribed Fire can be applied to many habitat types including upland hardwood or mixed stands, most pine stands, and even open areas such as fallow fields or recent cutovers. Prescribed fire is a great way to set back succession, increase herbaceous material, assist in control of woody competition, and decrease fuel levels that could lead to potential catastrophic fire. When fire is properly applied, the negative effects to standing timber are minimal at worst, yet the plant community at ground level can flourish with diversity, improving habitat for insects (which turkeys relish) and ground nesting birds, and providing abundant browse and cover for larger species such as white-tailed deer.

Fire timing should be determined by fuel levels, burn experience, and objectives. Winter burns are often used to reduce fuel levels. Spring and summer burns can have slightly different impacts on plant communities and controlling woody competition. Many seeds from desirable plants are patiently waiting in the upper layers of the soil for germination. They are covered in hard waxy shells that extreme temperatures, produced with fire, can easily break through, exposing the seeds to ideal conditions. This process of exposing a seed by weakening the external hard wax coating with fire, is called scarification. Consulting with a wildlife biologist or other prescribed burn managers is recommended to achieve desired results. If you would like more information about use of prescribe fire to improve habitat conditions, WFF has a team of biologists dedicated to and ready to assist private landowners. Contact your local WFF District to speak with one of our WFF Technical Assistance Biologist.

Baby Owls (or other birds for that matter) Don’t Necessarily Need Your Help!

Springtime has come and now is the time birds are beginning to nest. While many birds are just starting their nesting season, owls are some of the first birds to nest and have young ready to fledge or leave the nest in March. At around 5-10 weeks of age (depending on the species), young owls are ready to fledge and leave the nest. However, leaving the nest does not necessarily mean they are ready to fly. After leaving the nest, fledgling owls can be found on the ground, where they are often seen as “orphaned or injured.” Many people do not realize that the parents are likely nearby watching over the fledglings and taking care of them while they learn to fly and take care of themselves. If you happen to come across a young, fuzzy fledgling owl when out, the best thing to do is ensure there is no imminent danger from nearby pets and leave the owls to continue their journey to adulthood.

Antler sheds can be turned into creative pieces such as baskets, fan pulls, hat racks, business card holders, and even jewelry

Antler sheds

Now that deer season has come to an end, spring birds begin their songs, and lush green vegetation begins to appear. This is also an excellent time to get out and look for shed antlers. Shed antlers can be used for a variety of things including dog treats and decorative pieces such as jewelry or house décor. Finding antler sheds can be a great pastime to enjoy the outdoors with your family while having your own nature scavenger hunt.

Most deer begin shedding antlers soon after the rut, while others will continue to carry their antlers longer into March and April. The spring months are the best time to locate sheds, before rodents chew them into pieces, coyotes carry them off into places unknown and equipment runs them over. Food plots are a great place to begin looking for sheds. Before the peak of spring green-up, bucks will often visit food plots. As they feed, they will cast their antlers in the field. Another prime area to look is recently burned timber stands or fields. It is easy to locate trails or frequently used areas after a burn and sheds usually glow white against a charred background. The third place that often yields results are crossings on creeks and fence rows. As deer jump an obstacle it will often jar an antler loose, falling to the ground. Wherever you may be, searching for antler sheds is a family friendly activity that gets people outside and engaged with nature.

Did you know?

One of the more distinguishing characteristics of both turkey and black vultures is the lack of feathers on the head. Since a vulture may thrust its head into a carcass when feeding, a feathered head would quickly get matted and impossible to clean. Having no feathers makes cleanup easier, often aided by tree branch rubbing. Vultures also defecate on their feet. This is believed to help keep them cooler in the warm months and a way to kill potential harmful bacteria they may pick up when feeding. Vultures are very interesting creatures for sure!

To learn more about both vulture species in Alabama check out our watchable wildlife website.