Outdoors Maryland; 1705

Outdoors Maryland is made by NTT to serve all of our diverse communities and is made possible by the generous support of our members. Thank you. Coming up it's a grassy Eastern Shore a field of dreams for birds and scientists alike water circling the white western shore. They're. Disappearing into the night in search of a soul mixed. Outdoors smell is produced in cooperation with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The annoyer inspired by nature guided by science. There's. A tiny piece of

ancient Maryland grassland replaced long ago by early settlers farm fields. He's coming back. Back teaming with wildlife that hasn't been seen here in generations. All thanks to a doctor from Massachusetts. Let's take it from the most superficial. It's absolutely beautiful. Dr. Henry Sears inherited Chino farms from his father an avid outdoorsman who grew the 500 acre Kent County hunting retreat into a 50 200 acre working farm on Maryland's Eastern Shore. I enjoy the outdoors and wildlife. I see it slipping away and I'd like to do what I can do to. Prevent it from from slipping away even more. What Sears did was preserve Chino farms in the largest land conservation

deal in Maryland's history. Three miles of Chester river shoreline 600 acres of unique Bay habitat a 90 acre waterfowl sanctuary and habitat for bald eagles and the endangered Delmarva fox squirrels are now protected from development. Sears also opened the farm to scientists eager to field test their theories about nature. Scientists like University of Maryland Professor Doug Gill Well one of the features that Dr. Sears is background and personality that matched with mine is an enthusiasm for experiments and asking questions what if possible. How do we go about doing it as a zoologist. Gil wanted to restore the grasslands once native here in turn. He hoped to entice grassland birds that stop nesting here after the grasses died off.

So in 1999 Gill began his experiment in Chino farms by planting eight types of warm season grasses. If you look at the top of the state lists of rare and endangered species they're all grassland species and all of them are in serious population decline. There have tethers gone it was simply astonishing. That within one month of planting these warm season grasses in March of 1999 that. A hundreds of grasshoppers sparrows one of our target species arrived they found it was a field of trees that given the habitat and they will come and they came within a month on the label. I had no idea that was going to happen. Other species started arriving within that first year in 1999. We had many interesting grassland species investigating setting up shops starting to breed out on this crescent

with large numbers of the sparrows started nesting in the new grassland. Gill intensified his study of the birds to learn how to better manage the habitat for their needs. We have expanded over eleven hundred twelve hundred eleven one thousand one hundred eighty seven as soon as I think. It is a matter of fact grasshopper Sprouse finding a nest of a grasshopper fell in the press and its savior to case it is not even want to nest is right at my no within a yard of my feet. Oh it might take me an hour actually to find it today it's tucked under a little bit of rain. I know it's there and I just can't see it and I'm pushing I don't want to step on it. I don't want to disturb it but to try to find those that did it. I think we only find in a neighborhood of 15 or so percent of all the nests are out there.

The grasshopper Sparrow likes to nest in expensive grasslands and parries rather than forests so the new grass is here for the birds. The best possible habitat Gill says that's meant unusually high nesting and reproduction rates and chino farmers. As we speak I'm over 20 percent of the baby birds baby grasshoppers that were born on the field last year have returned as breeding. These are numbers that are out of sight compared to any previous study on songbirds on believable people. That tells us not only are they surviving well but they like this habitat. Gil's work has attracted others Bernie Lorre one of Gil's colleagues from the University of Maryland comes to Chino farms to explore the unique high pitch songs on the male grasshopper sparrow or birds and he's out to

about four meters. We're doing an experiment to look at frequency perception in grasshopper sparrows they sing in an unusually high frequency song what we don't know at the moment is what they actually hear. Another flight over to about eight meters to the right of the speaker. Aspiring Researchers are also here anxious to learn as much as they can from seasoned veterans like Gil you guys found this few days ago on this so called road band. I know what the plan is. It's a written GM. Yeah it's in the same family as the carrot family the APAC. It's not uncommon out in the Midwest but it has not been known from the state of Maryland for the past hundred years how did this planet get here. Came in with the seeds from planting right. Yes it probably came from the seed of the original grasses that we use to plant this field.

Yeah it's still requires a lot of work. Oh it absolutely does. You and I are not through yet. And what does Henry Sievers get out of all this ice. Yeah. We look out on these recreated grasslands and it's ascetic only marvelous it is exciting when you hear oh. Today a new bird came in and see the enthusiasm of the students here the students questions. This is got lots of added quality. That just appeal to. A person who grew up. Liking. Fishing and being out in the world. Is just. An early morning fog shrouds the shoreline of Irish creek. As the working boats in

Shadyside and out into the valley. For decades this is been the routine. Town of shady side is always been a home for water. Now many here few who want to move there in Shadyside. Is coming to an end. Dawn breaks off the Thomas Point lighthouse with a fishing boat called Grace. Captained by Tommy Holly. A fifth generation water machine he said. By mid-morning the boat's crew has emptied the second pound net with what appears to be a witch bounty of rock fish and perch. But the captain. Is disappointed. For this time of year. This will be on the low end. We have another month left. Hopefully we get the cold weather blustery weather. ALEX been working on the water since he was 13. Just like his forefathers did in the previous century making a living on the water is all he's ever known.

When I was a little boy. From the time I could probably walk and talk all would do what I want to be. Something that. Could bike in it just sticks with you. Most of the watermen of Shadyside have similar feelings. A lifelong attachment to the water and emotional time to the life. For their forefathers but for many a working life on the Chesapeake Bay has gotten increasingly difficult. The catch is smaller and the costs greater. Thirty years ago there used to be 80 water men in Shadyside. Now there are less than 15. The oyster harvest is all but gone. The number of crabs keeps going down. At Shannon's restaurant a favorite of many of the town's retired Waterman. The first cups of coffee often bring out the memories and the stories. Clyde Alderson a retired carpenter was also once a waterman. Well they used to be quite a few ornamental but now does he come in again not

doing nothing now. Not that many. The old timers are still doing it. You know very few new people coming in and doing it so. There's nothing I dare say today Shadyside is a town of sharp contrasts. The old in the new. New developments replacing more modest homes yachts and pleasure boats taking over Marina whose. New boat dealership where there once was a haul out area for working boats. One is quite country roads now busy with traffic. John Dowe old stymies one of the younger shady sides want to move. He says most water men can no longer afford to live on the water. If you look around the creek and we're slowly losing places and work out of. That out of the past 30 years we've lost five places at work but can tie up in this creek. I'm every home on this creek 30 years ago was a working water and that's not the case today. The case today there's probably three of the hands on this river.

I'll be back one of those is the home of Billy Joe groom all his life. Groom has been a waterman. He's now repairing engines to make enough money to avoid selling the family home. It's just the way of life that was so pleasant to live when you could or stare and the wandering free Avenue in the summer. It could have been no better. But I had to make some hard choices. It's not one that I'm happy with my head do. Who believes water men are being squeezed out of their own community. For me when I was growing up this whole little creek here you could literally count the pleasure boats on two hands. Well now you can't water little warning. Yeah just up in 50 years time and everything just turn around. If you could take the story of the American Indian. And switch it over to the water in this city that same thing always up to Calgary and shops. And we're just going down eventually we'll be gone.

But many of the water men aren't that pessimistic. J.R. gross a fourth generation Waterman is credited with helping to bring the waterman and the community together by coming up with the idea to revive the blessing of the fleet. And old Shadyside tradition. It used to be just prayers for the departing boat captains. Now it's become a waterfront festival with a boat parade and a docking contest. The girl. With. Her. We have a blast and a fleet every year. And we tried to get it to community involved where they cared to come by and see you. And we get to talk it down and just see that we're out here making a living for our families just like everyone else. The blessing of the fleet has also attracted water men from all over. So as the new

waterside educational center where the festivities take place this center called discovery village has allowed water men to tie up and use their docks it has welcomed them and has made Shadyside a magnet for displaced want and. I definitely feel the shade is one of last chance for water. We have a few water men that had to come to shade us because they couldn't find a merino to tie off that would accommodate on Shadyside is definitely all one of the last chance for Waterman on the western shores. Still lack of dock space is only one of the many problems for the troubled water men of Shadyside. John Galloway has worked on the water for 20 years. Just like his father and grandfather before him. Like Billy Joe groom. He's one of the few Shadyside want him still to own a home on the water.

His wife works and that's helped. But with his young daughter's future education to think about. He's now starting to make some changes. There's a first year since and 1980 or 81 that I've had an orchard and I want to I want to work on long land as a first time for me. It's got sad now missile all over like a western but is there can make enough money to do it survive the winter like so many of shady sides want to man. Galloway says he will do whatever he can to stay in the business. But for many of these watermen. There is a sense. That the good days are over. They used to be just a trap hard make pretty good money and I got a crap hard drive smart hard work just don't cut it anymore. Despite all these obstacles Tommy Halleck believes that Shadyside watermen will find a way to survive. Yeah.

Alex family has been fishing in these waters near Shadyside for nearly a hundred and fifty years and he intends to keep that tradition going. Man I'm an optimist I'm a be here back and be here one way or the other how dare you that. And I think there's a lot of people feel the same way it's what they've done that's what they've always done pretty much what they're going to do. Just. Saw it. Owls are so secretive so elusive that scientists remain in the dark about major facets of their hidden lives. Well it's because we're sitting up there these big mysteries about one of North America's tiniest owls propels a growing network of biologists and

trained volunteers into the night. In search of sots. David Brinkley has studied sought owls for more than 15 years. He's regional ecologist for the Department of Natural Resources wildlife and heritage service year round. Dave tracks sots trying to answer key questions about migration breeding population. The process begins with the fall migration. We don't know much about their breeding ecology. It was only the early 1900s when people started to realize that they were truly migratory and we don't know if saw it alls or increasing stable or decreasing. Dave Brinker has a web of trained volunteers tracking sots across the mid-Atlantic. Steve Hughie manages the station at Lamb's knoll on South Mountain in Maryland.

By now it's routine setting up the missed minutes on the recorded lure. The sought mating call. Then it's hurry up and wait for the owls to come. Over. The break gives the researchers time for dinner. This is the rigorous routine here during sought migration. Snatch a meal snatch a nap from about mid October to late November. I do this every night seven nights a week as long as the weather is good. The only nights I take off for it's rainy windy or I just sometimes get too exhausted to do it. I do work a day job and sometimes I do need to be home with. The wife and family. I've got one day for. Safely extracting birds from a mist nets takes years of training but these little owls seem remarkably tolerant. The trick is to know how to remove them safely without bending a wing. Raptors tend not to struggle too terribly much on something grabs hold of them they

are a reaction normally is just to sit still. Until whatever is grab them loosens its grip and that's when they take. The time to either fight back or. Try to fly away. Well what makes now an I'll. Have variety things one of the more important things is their plumage is very soft edged. When this soft fuzzy edged our feather goes in the air doesn't make a noise. Oh olds have fairly amazing eyes they're much better developed than the human eyes they can see much better at night. They are very large in their head so much so that they can't move their eyes like a mammal can they have to look straight ahead basically all the time. They also have pretty incredible ears and I wot of them have their ears asymmetrically placed on their head in the case of this this ear is

low and forward and this year is higher on its head and backwards and that allows them to locate their prey in virtually total darkness in the eye. US thing that makes and how long all. Those needle sharp talons very quickly. Result in a good stiff grasp on their prey which are shrews and small mice. Back at the outpost Steve records vital statistics feather melting patterns body fat high collar. Beak size. Weight. For green. The information is tabulated for the site records and for the national database. Where and why are these markets going on that. Are. Banding in all grades this owl into the international network called out net Dave Brinker is founder.

Project is an attempt to understand more about their migration. We're now up to just over 70 States and one of the other goals is to get enough people doing this. Doing it consistently and then we'll put all our data together after 10 15 years and say what is the trend. Are they stable or are they increasing rather declining. There you go the little owls disappear back into the night. Months pass snow falls deep. In frigid February Dave Brinker has owls on his mind again. Kevin Boyle is volunteer site manager in the mountains of Canadian Heights West Virginia. Well those three really early compared to what most people think of breeding season for birds. We have to get our boxes cleaned out so that when they're out prospecting they're not finding all the cavities filled with. Swirls writings prospecting for natural owl nests in tree cavities

would be even more labor intensive. You start walking through something like a knock on a tree with a hammer hoping that the old is going to stick its head out the cavity hole and you need a huge amount of patience and persistence every site has 10 to 20 nest boxes which sometimes attract critters other than sots. We have flying squirrels in this box. All right but. He's quit. The. Cold. War. The Flying Squirrel we found is this southern subspecies of the Northern Plains. Well it's restricted to the Southern Appalachian Mountains that high elevations. It's listed as an endangered species by the federal government. And we've got to find the northern flying squirrels in America. This

is probably as close as anyone knows of Northern flying squirrels occurring to Maryland. Months pass again. Spring nudges the mountains. It's time to track nesting sots. Kevin returned to inane heights for the moment of truth. Over the past several years only one box at two sites was used and that was destroyed by a raccoon. A natural predator. Yes so it's are pretty specialized to a certain habitat of high elevations perse forest and with that is a unique ecosystem of prey and temperature and to survive to adulthood is a pretty impressive task then to actually survive to reproduce is even more phenomenal. If this sot nest is successful chicks will hatch in a few weeks. But still

there are no guarantees. Fewer than half will likely survive to fledge and maybe half of these make it to the very first year. To say it then ever minds may have held. Extraordinary that it is. We get a chance to see this because not many people. Realize these birds are here finally getting a box with a solid hour when it is what we do all this work for. Other very few records in the state of this species nesting and to be able to. Slowly build up the amount of birds we have records for. Makes it all worthwhile. Sure.

For you to. Drop into our website at W W W dog MP t dog o r g you send us your comments and suggestions. From mountains to Marsh learn more about Maryland's diverse natural beauty on our website. Dno are inspired by nature guided by science. Outdoors Maryland is made by NPT to serve all of our diverse communities and is made possible by the generous support of our members. Thank you.