UWOL17- More than a Monument- Mike Sims

Bob Safay · September 24th, 2010, 08:03 AM

Mike, glad you liked the pictures. When Aldo lived there, and even today. it is in Saulk County. Aldo refered to it as Sand county because of the sandy soil around the cabin and, as the story goes he didn't want a lot of people coming around. Down the road about a 1/2 mile is the Aldo Leopold Legacy Center. The building is beautiful. Not only is it completely LEEDS certified, it is rated as one of the Greenest buildings in America. I will send you pictures of that later. Bob

Mike Sims · September 24th, 2010, 08:47 AM

Thanks,Bob, I'd like to see that! What was the video you were working on about?

Catherine Russell · September 24th, 2010, 11:20 AM

Wow Mike:

I find your story fascinating and think it would be a fantastic thesis to try and discover why there was such an abrupt change in the 80s with the habits of the white-winged dove. I've never seen an Inca dove... I'll have to go look it up. One of our seasonal doves, the mourning doves, were also driven from our home due to the numbers of the Rock doves. I think the mourning doves are beautiful and can be comical as well. I miss them. Thankfully they still come back to the area, just not our home. I wonder if the white-winged doves changed habits because it had an increased people population to live off of. One problem with pigeons is they are neither wild nor domesticated.... they are lost in between. The other problem is they are such prolific egg layers that their populations can explode so quickly.

My last little snippet is that among all of the Rock doves (which can be beautifully designed themselves with shades of gray, black and white) I currently have this beautiful pearl-sand colored pigeon that has a band/tag on its leg. "She" (who really knows?) is so very pretty and I look for her every morning.

I read in the book I described earlier that there is a sport called pigeon racing, that I never was aware of until reading about it. People who do it are fanatic about it, but they train their pigeons for endurance flying and homing. On the day of the race, pigeons from all over are driven to the same location (up to 500 miles) from their home and are released at the same time. The first pigeon back to its home and the band on its leg scanned for the exact return time wins. The owners have to wait anxiously for hours on end on their roofs waiting for the first site of their birds. It's big money. It's a very strange sport to me, and birds get lost. I'm thinking I now have one in my "flock" and she's welcome to stay. I also read that some people out of ignorance catch these lost birds and spend lots of time and effort deciphering the owner code on the band to return the pigeon to their owner... which means instant death for the returned pigeon. A racing pigeon that gets lost in a race is not a money-maker and will be destroyed if returned.

Funny how a UWOL entry can stir up so much common interest and experience!

Cat

Mike Sims · September 25th, 2010, 08:09 AM

Yes, never return a racing pigeon. Several members of my local Audubon Society have discovered, to their horror, that, as you say, it is certain death. The owner is also likely to treat you as if you have brought shame upon their family. Altogether, not a very pleasant "sport". I really think the change in White-winged Dove behaviour would be a very interesting subject to study, but so far all the papers I've seen deal with the economic impact and with trying to predict the course and timetable of the continuing expansion. (I believe a bird was seen in Minneapolis last year!) I really wonder what is going on in the southern part of their range. Are they seeing the same thing in Mexico? I suspect not, but I haven't been birding in Mexico much lately. It's just not safe at the moment.

Bob Safay · September 26th, 2010, 01:44 PM

Mike, When the Federal Agency I work for figured out I shoot video they decided to sent me out doing videos for them. Mind you, this is concidered "other duties as assigned". Not my official job, now just part of it. I was asked to do a video on the redevelopment of the Baraboo River as it does through the town of Baraboo. The city took out three old dams, put in parks and walkways. Even put in a canoe launch area. They worked with the local health department on incorperating public health into the redevelopment plan. The video was actually shown at the Ringling Theater in Baraboo a couple of weeks back. Here are shots of the legacy center. And, if you are interested here is a link to the video that is posted on my Agencies web page. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/brownfields/videos.html just click on Baraboo, Wisconsin.

Mike Sims · September 26th, 2010, 03:31 PM

Thanks for the photos, Bob. I watched the Baraboo video and found it very interesting. I've been involved in quite a few stakeholder meetings myself and it was almost like being there. Your production values are quite high and the interviews were great (especially the framing on that guy that kept talking with his hands!). You should be getting a bonus for this work!

September 25th, 2010, 08:09 AM	#19
Mike Sims Major Player Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 880	Yes, never return a racing pigeon. Several members of my local Audubon Society have discovered, to their horror, that, as you say, it is certain death. The owner is also likely to treat you as if you have brought shame upon their family. Altogether, not a very pleasant "sport". I really think the change in White-winged Dove behaviour would be a very interesting subject to study, but so far all the papers I've seen deal with the economic impact and with trying to predict the course and timetable of the continuing expansion. (I believe a bird was seen in Minneapolis last year!) I really wonder what is going on in the southern part of their range. Are they seeing the same thing in Mexico? I suspect not, but I haven't been birding in Mexico much lately. It's just not safe at the moment. Last edited by Mike Sims; September 25th, 2010 at 08:13 AM. Reason: ommited word

September 26th, 2010, 01:44 PM	#20
Bob Safay Trustee Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 1,557	Mike, When the Federal Agency I work for figured out I shoot video they decided to sent me out doing videos for them. Mind you, this is concidered "other duties as assigned". Not my official job, now just part of it. I was asked to do a video on the redevelopment of the Baraboo River as it does through the town of Baraboo. The city took out three old dams, put in parks and walkways. Even put in a canoe launch area. They worked with the local health department on incorperating public health into the redevelopment plan. The video was actually shown at the Ringling Theater in Baraboo a couple of weeks back. Here are shots of the legacy center. And, if you are interested here is a link to the video that is posted on my Agencies web page. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/brownfields/videos.html just click on Baraboo, Wisconsin. Attached Thumbnails

September 24th, 2010, 08:03 AM	#16
Bob Safay Trustee Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 1,557	Mike, glad you liked the pictures. When Aldo lived there, and even today. it is in Saulk County. Aldo refered to it as Sand county because of the sandy soil around the cabin and, as the story goes he didn't want a lot of people coming around. Down the road about a 1/2 mile is the Aldo Leopold Legacy Center. The building is beautiful. Not only is it completely LEEDS certified, it is rated as one of the Greenest buildings in America. I will send you pictures of that later. Bob

September 24th, 2010, 08:47 AM	#17
Mike Sims Major Player Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 880	Thanks,Bob, I'd like to see that! What was the video you were working on about?

September 24th, 2010, 11:20 AM	#18
Catherine Russell Trustee Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Lyons, Colorado Posts: 1,224	Wow Mike: I find your story fascinating and think it would be a fantastic thesis to try and discover why there was such an abrupt change in the 80s with the habits of the white-winged dove. I've never seen an Inca dove... I'll have to go look it up. One of our seasonal doves, the mourning doves, were also driven from our home due to the numbers of the Rock doves. I think the mourning doves are beautiful and can be comical as well. I miss them. Thankfully they still come back to the area, just not our home. I wonder if the white-winged doves changed habits because it had an increased people population to live off of. One problem with pigeons is they are neither wild nor domesticated.... they are lost in between. The other problem is they are such prolific egg layers that their populations can explode so quickly. My last little snippet is that among all of the Rock doves (which can be beautifully designed themselves with shades of gray, black and white) I currently have this beautiful pearl-sand colored pigeon that has a band/tag on its leg. "She" (who really knows?) is so very pretty and I look for her every morning. I read in the book I described earlier that there is a sport called pigeon racing, that I never was aware of until reading about it. People who do it are fanatic about it, but they train their pigeons for endurance flying and homing. On the day of the race, pigeons from all over are driven to the same location (up to 500 miles) from their home and are released at the same time. The first pigeon back to its home and the band on its leg scanned for the exact return time wins. The owners have to wait anxiously for hours on end on their roofs waiting for the first site of their birds. It's big money. It's a very strange sport to me, and birds get lost. I'm thinking I now have one in my "flock" and she's welcome to stay. I also read that some people out of ignorance catch these lost birds and spend lots of time and effort deciphering the owner code on the band to return the pigeon to their owner... which means instant death for the returned pigeon. A racing pigeon that gets lost in a race is not a money-maker and will be destroyed if returned. Funny how a UWOL entry can stir up so much common interest and experience! Cat

September 26th, 2010, 03:31 PM	#21
Mike Sims Major Player Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 880	Thanks for the photos, Bob. I watched the Baraboo video and found it very interesting. I've been involved in quite a few stakeholder meetings myself and it was almost like being there. Your production values are quite high and the interviews were great (especially the framing on that guy that kept talking with his hands!). You should be getting a bonus for this work!