Because of its diversity of habitats, Pleasant Valley Conservancy has a wide variety of bird life. Bluebirds, Baltimore orioles, red-winged blackbirds, red-tailed hawks, bald eagles, and a variety of woodpeckers are often seen. Sandhill cranes have been nesting in our wetland for at least 20 years. A breeding bird survey was done in 2003 and again in 2006 and results can be found at the following link.

Brief report of 2006 Christmas Bird Count.

Cavity-nesting birds at Pleasant Valley Conservancy

A number of desirable bird species nest in cavities of trees. Many species of cavity-nesting birds have declined in the United States because of habitat reduction. Cavity-nesters include woodpeckers, swallows, wrens, nuthatches, and owls.

Cavity-nesting birds either excavate holes, use cavities resulting from decay, or use holes created by other species. The trees used by cavity-nesters are dead or deteriorating specimens, commonly called “snags”. Snags are often considered undesirable by forest and recreation managers, and they are often eliminated from the forest. At Pleasant Valley Conservancy we leave snags unless they are in danger of falling over roads or our public trail.

One cavity-nester, the red-headed woodpecker, is a species of special interest because it has declined drastically over the past decades. Since our restoration work, red-headed woodpeckers have returned in significant numbers and are now one of the glories of our savannas.

Cavity-nesters also live in our wetland area, where dead willows provide appropriate habitat.

The majority of cavity-nesting birds eat insects. Because they are a major part of the forest-dwelling bird population, they play an important role in the control of forest insect pests.

The photo below (a November view of the south-facing slope) shows an ideal habitat for cavity-nesters.

Cavity-nesting birds that have been identified at Pleasant Valley Conservancy include the following:

Wood duck
Turkey vulture
American kestrel
Barred owl
Northern flicker
Pileated woodpecker
Red-headed woodpecker
Yellow-bellied sapsucker
Hairy woodpecker
Downy woodpecker
Great-crested flycatcher
Tree swallow
Black-capped chickadee
White-breasted nuthatch
Tufted titmouse
Eastern bluebird
Starling

In addition, there are numerous other bird species associated with forests or savannas that are listed in the breeding bird survey that was done in 2003.

Birds of the Oak Savanna. We have emphasized that the oak savanna habitat is one of the rarest vegetation communities. Because it is now so rare, bird species that once lived in oak savannas, such as the red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) have either disappeared or have adapted to other habitats. Fortunately, at Pleasant Valley Conservancy the red-headed woodpecker appears to have made a nice recovery since we began restoring oak savanna. We started to see resident pairs of these attractive birds after the west part of our bur oak savanna was cleared and now they are residents. In 2003 we saw immature birds for the first time, confirming that the are nesting here. They are also usually found in our Christmas bird count for the Madison Audubon Society.

In July 2004, a team led by Richard King, a specialist on red-headed woodpeckers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, made a survey at Pleasant Valley Conservancy. His group found numerous individuals and located and marked two trees with confirmed nests. Both trees were dead birches (Betula papyrifera). King and co-author William Mueller have published an article on the "redheads" in the August 2005 issue of Wisconsin Natural Resources. This article has some nice things to say about Pleasant Valley Conservancy. Click here for a pdf version.

Wild turkey. The wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), a native species of the New World, is the largest game bird in North America. It has made a remarkable recovery in southern Wisconsin since it was first reintroduced in 1976. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, one important reason for the turkey success has been intensive habitat improvement, supported to a great extent by private landowners. Although turkeys are adaptable animals, they prefer oak forests, especially those that are interspersed with openings. Thus, the oak savanna habitat is ideal.

Turkeys need good roosting and nesting habitat and dependable food sources. Preferred roosting habitat is large trees with horizontal limbs, such as open-grown (savanna) oaks. For nesting, turkeys need moderately dense understory vegetation that helps conceal the nest but at the same time allows the hen to survey her surroundings.

Since we began restoration at Pleasant Valley Conservancy, we have observed turkey nests every year. Turkeys have nested on the restored south slope prairie, as well as on the restored savanna. One year we observed four separate nests, all being tended at the same time. Females with broods of young are seen almost every year.

Ruffed Grouse The ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) is another bird that prefers open woods. According to the Ruffed Grouse Society, they thrive best in forests that are kept open by frequent clearing or fire. We hear grouse drumming occasionally and nests have been sighted. One year there was a ruffed grouse nest within less than 100 feet of a turkey nest, both on the White Oak Savanna (unit 12A).

Sandhill Crane. The sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) is a conspicuous summer resident of the wetlands at Pleasant Valley Conservancy. Every year for at least the past twenty years, sandhills have nested on our marsh. Most years they are successful in raising a one or two chicks.

Our nesting sandhills do not confine themselves just to our marsh. They move up and down Pleasant Valley Creek as well as East Blue Mounds Creek. While pulling weeds on the south slope, we often stop to enjoy their characteristic call as they fly up or down the valley. The 2005 photo below was taken by Kathie Brock at the marsh edge next to our newly planted wet-mesic "Crane Prairie".

Kestrels The kestrel (Falco sparverius) is a small insect-eating hawk that lives in open country and woods edges. The American kestrel is a colorful bird, as can be verified by looking at its image on the one cent US postal stamp (see photo below).

According to the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Wisconsin (Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, 2006), kestrels are usually associated with savannas and grasslands, but can be found in almost any open habitat. Pleasant Valley Conservancy is thus an ideal area, since our vegetation grades from savanna through dry open prairie into wet prairie and marsh. Our nest boxes are positioned at the edge of the wet prairie.

Several years ago we installed two kestrel nest boxes and were pleased to have a nesting pair. In spring 2007 we had kestrels using both our nest boxes. See the photo below for a design for a kestrel box installation, courtesy of Mark Martin of Madison Aububon Society. Starlings frequently evict kestrels from their nesting cavities, but their predations can be reduced by siting nest boxes high in the open, orienting to maximize light entering the cavity. Thus, our boxes on high poles are ideal. The pole is constructed in two parts with a bolt holding them together. By loosening the bolt, the top part pivots down so that the box can be cleaned. We place fresh wood shavings in the box in the spring.

We have a good view of the kestrel box from the front porch near our field station. Folks enjoy watching the kestrels behave while they are eating lunch.

The day after the above photos were taken, the baby kestrels fledged (see photo below). A few moments after the photo below was taken the baby disappeared into the tall weeds. Hopefully, he survived his first outing and is on the way to becoming a contributing member of kestrel society!

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