Weeks 12 & 13:
Last week, I was provided a second lesson driving the tractor with the shredder attached, with the purpose of shredding 3 initial strips in a pasture as preparation for dove hunting season. I will be shredding more strips at intervals in various pastures throughout the hunting season to continue putting seed on the ground from naturally-growing forbs. Yesterday, I set out wing barrels at each of the 4 entry points to the public hunting areas of the farm, near the TPWD registration billboards. Once the season begins, I will be collecting wings once or twice per day and recording the data on species, quantities, and ages of birds harvested.
Regarding the coverboard project, all of the roofing tin sheets are ready to go. I have a few more plywood boards to cut down, and will be adding 1” lifts to 1 of the 2 plywood coverboards at each site, in order to see if this adjustment leads to an increased capture rate compared to the adjacent board lying flush with the ground. I plan to begin deploying the coverboards next week, 2 tin and 2 plywood, to each of the 16 sites, and will start checking them once they have had time to settle, likely in 2-3 weeks.
I finished spraying mesquite in the project area this morning. The next step on that front will probably take place in October and involve marking larger trees not covered by the aerial spray in order to target them for cut-stumping this winter. Upcoming projects in September include small mammal trapping along established transect lines and camera trapping at the start points for said transects, as well as raptor surveys and waterfowl pond surveys. I plan to experiment with cameras at the ponds in order to see if that can increase my accuracy determining waterfowl species and numbers present, as compared to concurrent visual surveys at dawn.
I have included photos of a male and female painted bunting recently spotted on the bridge over the creek on the south side of the farm. My piles of coverboard materials and the sight that will greet dove hunters at access points this weekend round out the eye-catchers for this post.
Happy hunting,
Dani Miller
Wildlife Biologist
Stiles Farm Foundation