Date: 10/10/26 10:16 am From: Kenneth Kinman <kinman...> Subject: Looking forward to whooping crane migration
Hi All,
I'm looking forward to some whooping crane sightings starting soon (maybe even this coming week, with the change in the weather, which will hopefully bring other migrants as well). Was just reading a newly published article about wind turbines in Campbell County, South Dakota, being required to shut down if a whooping crane is reported within two miles:
Quote: "However, what stands out as the most significant commitment contained in the project’s federal authorization is a shutdown buffer. This means that if a whooping crane is spotted in a two-mile radius of the project, then the nearby turbines will be shut down until the crane passes safely."
"This is not just a handshake deal. It is a mitigation requirement that can be enforced as one of the conditions for granting the project interconnection approval. The detection system requires monitors to spot whooping cranes in real time and report the sightings."
---Ken Kinman (Hays, Kansas)
P.S. Very little bird activity in my neighborhood lately (even sparrows are scarce). Thankfully lots of monarch butterflies flying through this fall (they must have had a pretty good breeding season up north this year).
Date: 10/10/26 7:45 am From: Chuck Otte <00001b0b31b1d152-dmarc-request...> Subject: October Milford Lake Bird Walk
Wanted to get this posted early so I don't forget it early next week!
The monthly Milford Lake Bird Walk will be next Saturday, October 17th, starting at 8:00 a.m. We meet in the parking lot at the south end of Milford Lake Dam, across the highway from the Corps of Engineer's Office, 5203 North K-57 Junction City, Kansas 66441. Walks usually last 2 to 3 hours, weather and birds dependent. If you have any questions, contact me!!
About an hour before sunset last night, heard a summer tanager still chipping those downward notes in the south yard. Have heard them a couple times yet in the last week.
The bulk of the hummingbirds vacated a week ago with more than a dozen two weeks ago, a half dozen last weekend and today a few coming to the feeders at random.
Date: 9/21/26 1:49 pm From: Kenneth Kinman <kinman...> Subject: Drones vs. Birds someday in Kansas
Hi All,
I am wondering if the increase in commercial drone deliveries will eventually affect some birds in some Kansas cities. Amazon apparently only delivers by drone in Kansas City, Kansas, but Amazon is rapidly expanding cities to offer drone delivery (and what about Walmart and other retailers following the trend).
I am guessing the main interaction might be some birds attacking the drones as intruders. However,
"Amazon Prime Air delivery drones do not use traditional ring-style propeller guards; instead, they rely on custom-designed shrouded or integrated aerodynamic configurations and sophisticated onboard "sense-and-avoid" computer vision systems to operate safely near people and obstacles."
And maybe birds will just get used to increasing drone traffic. I live close to Hays Medical Center and the noise of medical helicopters occasionally flying in will cause neighborhood birds to fly off (away from the intruder), but it is a minor inconvenience that quickly passes. However, numerous low-flying drones might be more of a problem someday. Presently, vehicle traffic is the main problem at ground level, but most birds seem to adapt to that or just avoid certain areas.
—----------Ken Kinman (Hays, Kansas)
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Date: 9/15/26 5:06 am From: Chuck Otte <00001b0b31b1d152-dmarc-request...> Subject: Milford Lake Bird Walk this Saturday, September 19th
The monthly Milford Lake Bird Walk will be this Saturday, September 19th, starting at 8:00 a.m. We meet in the parking lot at the south end of Milford Lake Dam, across the highway from the Corps of Engineer's Office, 5203 North K-57 Junction City, Kansas 66441. Walks usually last 2 to 3 hours, weather and birds dependent. If you have any questions, contact me!!
