LavaLakeLamb.com
Archived Ranch News
08/01/2005 - Summer, 2005 News
Kathleen Bean
Summer Lamb Update
Summer is an incredibly busy time at Lava Lake: moving sheep through the high country, shipping lambs to market, baling hay, mending fences, repairing farm buildings, tending gardens - all the summertime work that is going on all over rural America right now. The days are long, and it's a good thing! Luckily, there is also time for get-togethers with neighbors, sharing food and trading stories. Our staff looks forward to the annual "Herder Barbeque" when we celebrate the end of the season, look back with satisfaction on how well the lambs did this year, eat too much and play some Peruvian-style soccer. Check out the new group photo in the Staff section of this website after August 20th for a look at the folks who brought you Lava Lake Lamb this year.
On the science and research front, summer gives us the opportunity to get out in the field and continue wildlife studies, monitor the progress of plant communities, and examine how our grazing practices are impacting the landscape. This year we hired Christine Paige (pictured above), a highly esteemed wildlife biologist who has conducted ecological surveys from Idaho to Africa, to conduct a survey of birds along the 13 major streams on Lava Lake's private lands. This study will compare the birds that are being observed this summer with information gathered in 2001 and 2002 to see whether there are any changes being displayed in habitat conditions; here are some initial impressions from Christine:
"The ranch's riparian and wetland habitats create wonderful sanctuaries for migrating and breeding birds in central Idaho's arid landscape. The aspen, cottonwood and willow communities host an impressive diversity of songbirds, including orange-crowned and MacGillivrays' warblers, lazuli buntings, Bullock's orioles, house wrens, warbling vireos, spotted towhees, Lewis's woodpeckers, red-naped sapsuckers, and nearly ubiquitous yellow warblers. On one survey I nearly stepped on a nesting sandhill crane, utterly motionless but for one glistening eye fixed on this intruder. By managing these riparian areas for an abundance of cover, from grasses and forbs to shrubs and young and mature trees, the ranch will certainly promote a diverse and abundant bird community."
We are working on a new "Research News" page for this website - it should be available early this fall, so do check the website again soon for more in-depth information on our conservation research projects.
All the best from everyone at Lava Lake!
