(Lewis, Iowa) – Cass County Conservation and the Iowa Bluebird Conservationists are once again hosting a Cass County Christmas Bird Count on Sunday, December 22nd. Spokesperson Chris Parks says those who want to participate in the count will meet at Cold Springs State Park in Lewis, beginning at 8-a.m. on Dec. 22nd. Participants will divide into groups that will cover different sections of the count circle.

Birders are encouraged to dress for the conditions and bring along binoculars and bird books if you have them, otherwise they can be provided. It is also suggested to either wear or bring along an article of blaze orange clothing for any birding that may occur in parks that allow public hunting, as it will be the final day of deer season.

The count will run until 3:30pm that day as a 15-mile diameter circle can be covered as thoroughly as possible. The groups will break and meet for lunch at Noon Dec. 22nd, at Pizza Ranch in Atlantic, to compare lists and reboot for counting in the afternoon. You are welcome to join for the whole day or just the morning or afternoon sessions. All abilities are welcome whether you are comfortable just birding from a vehicle and roadside or if you would like to walk through areas as well. Weather backup date will be determined if necessary.

Home birders may also contribute to the Cass County Count by watching their home feeder. Feeder counters will need to keep track of the time spent observing and will count the maximum number of a species seen at one time, not a cumulative for the day. Contact Chris Parks or Lora Kanning at Cass County Conservation if you would like to contribute and we will provide guidelines.

The Christmas Bird Count is a valuable research tool for the Audubon Society and is the nation’s longest running citizen-science bird project. This year is the 125^th year of the count and the Cass County area is excited to join in again. Find more information on the Christmas Bird Count at www.christmasbirdcount.org. Parks says they would really love to know you are planning on coming ahead of time, so please reach out.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Friday it will require dairy farms to share samples of unpasteurized milk when requested, in an effort to gather more information about the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza. Public health officials have tracked the spread of bird flu or H5N1 in domestic poultry flocks for years before the virus began showing up in the country’s dairy herds this March, raising concerns. While the risk to the general public remains low and there is no evidence to suggest bird flu can spread from person to person, nearly 60 people, mostly farmworkers, have contracted the virus this year.

The new milk testing requirements from USDA will apply nationally but will begin first in California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon and Pennsylvania, the week of Dec. 16.  In a written statement Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said “Among many outcomes, this will give farmers and farmworkers better confidence in the safety of their animals and ability to protect themselves, and it will put us on a path to quickly controlling and stopping the virus’ spread nationwide.”

Holstein milking cows at an Idaho dairy on July 20, 2012. (Photo by Kirsten Strough/USDA)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has repeatedly tested pasteurized milk on store shelves throughout the country to reaffirm it’s safe to drink. Other dairy products, like cheese and ice cream, have also been found safe. But the FDA continues to urge people against consuming unpasteurized milk, since it doesn’t go through the heating process that kills off viruses and bacteria.

(Lewis, Iowa) – The sponsors of the Cass County Conservation Board’s (CCCB) Trumpeter Swan arrival contest have determined the official arrival of the swans at the Schildberg Quarry in Atlantic, was December 1st! On that day 12 Trumpeter Swans were here and stayed more than twenty-four hours. The winner that was the closest to that date was Mary Brasfield! She will receive a Trumpeter Swan prize.

In October, the CCCB invited Cass County residents to predict when the first Trumpeter Swan will arrive at the Schildberg Quarry. Trumpeter Swans have visited the Schildberg Quarry for at least Twenty-five out of the last twenty-six winters. Last year, the swans arrived December 2nd.

Cass County Conservation thanks to all who participated in this year’s contest!

CCCB file photo

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s busiest hunting season of the year opens Saturday (Dec. 7),  as some 100-thousand shotgun-wielding deer hunters will hit the woods and fields over the next few weeks. Megan Anderson, a trauma injury prevention coordinator at Gundersen Health System, says if it’s been a while since you’ve been hunting, you would likely benefit from brushing up on your safety skills.

All hunters should know rules like: When firearms aren’t in use, be sure they’re stored safely, locked and UN-loaded. Anderson says you should always know where other members of your party are located, and to let someone not with the group know where you are and when you’ll be back.

Especially during December, when the weather can quickly turn very cold and unpleasant, Anderson says proper clothing is vital.

Iowa has two deer shotgun seasons coming up. The first runs tomorrow through December 11th, while the second season runs December 14th through the 22nd. Gundersen Health System has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.