Wisconsin Ornithology: Cattle Egret Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

Wis Kid: As there has been no owner action in the last 30 days, I am regrettably forced to archive this listing.

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Hidden : 11/14/2013
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:


Wisconsin Ornithology

This series highlights several of my favorite birds, all of which can be found in Wisconsin. I have found all of the birds included in the series (with one exception). Each cache is somehow related to the highlighted bird. In many cases you will find hints to finding the cache in the information provided about each bird. Each cache is hidden in roughly the environment the bird can be found. None of the caches are hidden in a nesting box or a fake nest (with one exception of a very non-standard nest), so if you find a nest or nesting box—please leave it alone it has nothing to do with the cache.



Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis )

I sometimes like to imagine what the environment looked like prior to the arrival of European settlers. I would have loved to have seen the massive herds of buffalo roaming the plains. In my imagination I sometime picture Cattle Egrets riding on the shoulders of buffalo, or at least being a constant presence near these herds. However, this picture never occurred. While Cattle Egrets are common through large areas of the United States, they are not native. In fact they arrived very recently. In contrast to invasive species, Cattle Egrets appear to have arrived on their own. The birds are native to Africa and southwestern Asia. The first know Cattle Egret was spotted in the Americas in 1877 on the northeast coast of South America. It is believed that these first American Cattle Egrets somehow managed to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, perhaps carried on the winds of a storm. The first Cattle Egret was not spotted in the United States until 1941. It was not until 1953 that the first breeding Cattle Egrets were observed in Florida. Since that time, however, their population has exploded. Just nine years after the Cattle Egrets were observed breeding in Florida, breeding Egrets were observed in Canada. A similar story can be told worldwide as the Cattle Egret population is growing both in terms of numbers and territory. The birds have moved north from Africa into Europe and the first breeding birds were spotted in the United Kingdom in 2008. They have also moved into eastern Asia and the Pacific Islands. So while it might be possible today to see a Cattle Egret on a Buffalo (American Bison), it never happened historically.

As the name implies, Cattle Egrets are frequently found near cattle and other large grazing animals. These slow moving animals stir up the insects on which the Cattle Egrets feed. In deed the rapid expansion of the Cattle Egret population is attributed, at least in part, to conversion of large tracks of land into agricultural production. Cattle Egrets will even follow modern farm machinery. However, they prefer the slower moving cattle as they have to expend more energy to keep up with the faster moving farm machinery.

Cattle Egrets are members of the Heron family. Like other members of this family, Cattle Egrets nest in large colonies. However, unlike other members of the Heron family, Cattle Egrets are frequently found far from water.

Warning! Brad Bates, Ranger Assistant Manager New Glarus Woods State Park, informs me that in late summer and early fall bees and wasps like to make nests on the structure at GZ. If you think like the object at GZ and don't put your hands in any place where you would not like to be probed you should be fine.


The Geocache Notification Form has been submitted to and has been approved by Brad Bates, Ranger Assistant Manager New Glarus Woods State Park. Geocaches placed on Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource managed lands require permission by means of a notification form. Please print out a paper copy of the notification form, fill in all required information, then submit it to the land manager. The DNR Notification form and land manager information can be obtained at: http://www.wi-geocaching.com/hiding
(click to visit our website)

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Ybj

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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