FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] FW: Birding Community E-bulletin - July 2007

["Vorisek, Shawchyi (FW)" <Shawchyi.Vorisek@xxxxxx>]

FYI:
 
Shawchyi Vorisek 
Avian Biologist/Partners In Flight Coordinator 
Wildlife Diversity Program 
KY Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Resources 
#1 Sportsman's Lane 
Frankfort, KY  40601 
(502)564-7109 Ext. 368 
shawchyi.vorisek@xxxxxx 
www.fw.ky.gov <http://www.fw.ky.gov/>  



________________________________

From: Paul J. Baicich [mailto:paul.baicich@xxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Monday, July 02, 2007 10:12 PM
To: Paul J. Baicich
Cc: Wayne Petersen
Subject: Birding Community E-bulletin - July 2007



THE BIRDING COMMUNITY E-BULLETIN
            July 2007
 
This Birding Community E-bulletin is being distributed through the
generous support of Steiner Binoculars as a service to active and
concerned birders, those dedicated to the joys of birding and the
protection of birds and their habitats. You can access an archive of our
past E-bulletins on the website of the National Wildlife Refuge
Association (NWRA):
http://www.refugenet.org/birding/birding5.html
            and on the birding pages for Steiner Binoculars
http://www.steiner-birding.com/bulletin.html
 
                        
RARITY FOCUS
                                    
The E-bulletin rarity for June was a Plain-capped Starthroat found at
Roy P. Drachman Agua Caliente Park in Tucson on 5 June. (For field-guide
details on this species, see pp. 274-274 in the latest National
Geographic guide, or the "big" Sibley, p. 293).
 
This hummingbird, a species found in arid habitats and riparian areas
from southern Sonora, Mexico, to northwestern Costa Rica, has been
reported in southern Arizona over 20 times since the first verified
record in 1969. Although the species has occurred in U.S. from May to
November, most records have been in late summer.
 
The starthroat at Agua Caliente Park was frequently found feeding in the
park's salvia, or else perched on some nearby dead tree-branches.
(Hummingbird fans should note that there are no feeders in the park;
Pima County Parks has a rule against feeding animals, including,
apparently, hummingbirds.)
 
On many days, the Plain-capped Starthroat was very difficult to find or
else was missing entirely. It was reported, usually in the mornings, at
least until 20 June, to the delight of those birders who were able to
see it feeding at flowers or resting on bare tree-branches. 
 
 
KIRTLAND'S WARBLER NESTS IN WISCONSIN
 
The first confirmed Wisconsin nesting of the Federally Endangered
Kirtland's Warbler occurred in central Wisconsin this year. This is a
species currently found breeding only in Michigan until the recent
Wisconsin breeding confirmation. Singing males (but no nests) have been
observed in appropriate Jack Pine habitat in the past, but no positive
breeding confirmation was obtained until this year. 
 
Due to the sensitive nature of this nesting discovery, on private land,
the exact site has not been disclosed. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service has been working with the landowner, the Plum Creek Timber
Company, about management and monitoring of the warblers in Wisconsin. 
 
For further information on the Kirtland's Warbler, see the State of
Michigan web page:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12145_12202-32591--,00.ht
ml 
 
Also see this USFWS press release on the Wisconsin nesting record:
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/News/Release07-59.html
 
 
HAWAIIAN PTERADROMA ON THE REBOUND
 
A previously little-known population of a Federally Endangered seabird,
the Hawaiian Petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis), has been steadily
increasing on the forested slopes of the island of Lanai, Hawaii.
 
A team of researchers, headed by the University of Hawaii Pacific
Cooperative Studies Unit, recently reported that the population of the
burrow-nesting seabird is larger than anyone had previously expected. 
 
"Absolutely everyone in this research community is amazed at how many
birds there are there. It's one of the remarkable discoveries of this
century," said Jay Penniman, an ornithologist with the Pacific
Cooperative Studies Unit who is coordinating research on the Lanai
birds. "Nobody dreamed in their wildest dreams that there was this sort
of thing," added state wildlife biologist, Fern Duvall.
 
One of the conclusions of the new findings relates to the importance of
the restoration of the habitat on Lanai, dating back to 1982 when feral
goats were eradicated. When the last goats were removed from island, the
uluhe fern (false staghorn) habitat began recovering, and the birds
responded. Another factor is Lanai's minimal level of urbanization and
the absence of light pollution.
 
There also are no mongooses, no pigs, and no goats on Lanai. There are a
lot of deer, but the deer do not range on the steep-sloped cloud forests
of Lanaihale where the nesting Hawaiian Petrels were found.
 
Another major discovery is that Hawaiian Petrels will feed thousands of
miles north of Hawaii, in waters around the Aleutian Islands. Using U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS) tracking equipment on several breeding birds on
Lanai, researchers learned that the petrels are flying all the way to
the Aleutian Islands and back to feed their chicks, 9,000 to 13,000
kilometers on a round-trip feeding run.
 
Researchers said that the Lanai population might be even larger than the
estimated 1,200 petrels that nest in Haleakala Crater on the island of
Maui (Haleakala National Park), the other major nesting site for the
birds. "We haven't figured a way yet to assess the size of the [Lanai]
population. There are more birds than we've seen anywhere. It is a
larger population than we have seen on the island of Maui," Duvall said.
 
The research team acknowledged that support from landowner Castle &
Cooke was essential to the study, as well as to the revival of the
population. Castle & Cooke has led the effort to eradicate goats and set
up fencing to protect the habitat from browsing deer.
 
 
NEW FROM NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY: "COMMON BIRDS IN DECLINE"
 
Last month the National Audubon Society released "Common Birds in
Decline," a report which combines results of the 40 years of the Audubon
Christmas Bird Count (CBC) and the USGS-backed Breeding Bird Survey
(BBS) to provide a snapshot of the state of some of North America's
"common" birds. The report was a collaborative effort, with input from
state NAS offices and a select group of Important Bird Areas (IBA)
coordinators.
 
"Common Birds in Decline" presents a distressing picture of what is
happening to some of our most familiar birds. The review and its
associated outreach activities are intended to build public awareness
over the fate of such common species as Northern Pintail, Greater Scaup,
Northern Bobwhite, Common Tern, Eastern Meadowlark, and Evening Grosbeak
- all species which were found to have experienced nationwide population
declines of greater than 70 percent over four decades.
 
The report does not suggest that these birds should become the focus of
any new or special conservation efforts, but simply that their condition
highlights important conservation concerns affecting a wider
environment. 
 
As such, the mantra of "keeping common species common" resonates clearly
in this report.
 
Details of "Common Birds in Decline" along with information on the
methodology used can be found online at:
http://stateofthebirds.audubon.org/cbid/
 
 
YELLOW-BILLED LOON: THREATENED OR ENDANGERED?
 
Early last month the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced a
90-day finding to consider listing the Yellow-billed Loon as a
Threatened or Endangered Species, under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)
of 1973. The data suggests that the action may be warranted. 
 
The loon breeds in wet tundra along the coast of Alaska, Canada, and
Russia. The USFWS estimates that there are only 16,500 loons in
existence, with less than 5,000 in the U.S. Three-quarters of all
Yellow-billed Loons in the U.S. may nest in areas within the Alaskan
National Petroleum Reserve.
 
USFWS and petition details can be found at:
http://alaska.fws.gov/mbsp/mbm/loons/species/Yellow-billed-loon.htm 
 
Comments and information must be submitted to the USFWS by 6 August
2007.
 
 
EAGLE AND ESA SUCCESS
 
Touted by the media at the end of last month was the announcement by
Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne, that the Bald Eagle has been
removed from the list of Threatened and Endangered species under the
Endangered Species Act (ESA).  After nearly disappearing from most of
the U.S. decades ago, today the species flourishes across most of the
nation and is deemed to no longer need the protection of the ESA.
 
For our March E-bulletin coverage on delisting see:
http://www.refugenet.org/birding/marSBC07.html#TOC03
and
http://www.steiner-birding.com/bulletin/march07.html
 
This most recent move is evidence that the Endangered Species Act works,
and that the recovery and delisting of species is possible.
 
Moreover, it is fitting that the delisting takes place on the heels of
the May Centennial of the birth of Rachel Carson, the visionary
eco-witness whose seminal work on pesticides actually made the salvation
of the Bald Eagle possible.
 
The strictest remaining protection for the species continues under the
Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940. Beside the killing
of eagles, that law also prohibits "disturbing" Bald Eagles while they
are nesting. Earlier in June, the USFWS clarified regulations
implementing the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and published a
set of National Bald Eagle Management Guidelines. Under these
clarifications, "disturbing" now includes any human activity that would
have the eagles move away from their nests. Developers whose operations
drive the birds away will now fit the definition of "disturbing" and
will be subject to legal sanctions.
 
 
BIRDING TRENDS
 
Last month, the preliminary findings of the USFWS survey, "2006 National
Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation" were
released.
 
In the category of Wildlife Watching (where birding is the lion's share,
by the way), the trends were all headed upward. From 2001 to 2006, the
increase in both around home and away-from-home wildlife watching rose,
respectively, 8% and 5%. Of the 71 million people who enjoyed wildlife
watching in 2006, almost a third (32%) took trips more than a mile away
from home. Overall expenditures related to wildlife watching for the
period increased a modest 2%, with trip-related spending up
significantly, to an increase of 40%.
 
You can find the preliminary findings here:
http://library.fws.gov/nat_survey2006.pdf
 
Be aware that some minor findings may change slightly before the final
report is released (due in November). Also be aware that the popular
Forest-Service's National Survey on Recreation and the Environment
(NSRE) should also be released in the next few months. Comparisons
between the two national surveys should be instructive.
 
 
"SOCCER OWL" ON THE AIR
 
In early June, during a televised soccer match between Finland and
Belgium, and after about 15 minutes of the start of the game, a huge
Eagle Owl flew onto the field and landed on one of the goal posts. The
game was stopped for seven minutes because the owl was sitting on the
field and eventually on both goal posts. It also gently cruised around
the field, as you can see on the posted video-clip. Apparently, the owl
had a nest somewhere in the stadium. The video is in Finnish, and the
audience is heard shouting, "Huuhkaja! Huuhkaja,"meaning "Eagle Owl,
Eagle Owl," as the owl is sitting on the crossbars goal. Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dMBFOiYxT0
 
This remarkable sports-and-birds combination brought back at least one
memory. It reminded us of a Monday Night Football game in the mid-1990s,
when a migrant Sora landed on the edge of the field and was eventually
broadcast to a vast TV audience.
 
 
BOOK REVIEW: LARIDOMANIA
 
Modern birders have been treated to another new mega-treatise on gulls
and their identification. Prior to this, however, there was Jonathan
Dwight's pioneer work in 1925, followed in the 1980s by two editions of
Peter Grant's "modern" gull identification guide. Then in 2004 gull
aficionados were graced with a comprehensive European guide by K.M.
Olsen and H. Larsson. And now we have, a new first in the Peterson
Reference Guide series (Houghton Mifflin), GULLS OF THE AMERICAS by
S.N.G.Howell and J. Dunn (2007). 
 
Unlike Grant who used sketches and black-and-white photos to illustrate
his subjects, and Olsen and Larsson who used color plates and color
photographs, GULLS OF THE AMERICAS uses color photographs throughout the
book, in its attempt to cover every gull plumage variation and molt, and
even hybrids. This hefty new guide of 516-page guide also provides fully
annotated species accounts. 
 
If you are someone who likes a high quality photo format with lots of
accompanying detail, you will unequivocally find this most recent guide
to the larid literature to be an extremely valuable contribution.

 
SENATE POISED TO SHORTCHANGE BIRD CONSERVATION
 
In the June E-bulletin, we reported on the House Appropriations Interior
Subcommittee and its hopeful mark-up for natural resource issues. Since
then, the corresponding Senate Appropriations Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee has met to make its funding
recommendations.
 
Without going into minute detail, it is sufficient to say that the
initial Senate numbers don't match those from the House in regard to
bird-conservation issues.  Most of the announced Senate figures (e.g.,
Neotrop Act, State Wildlife Grants, Refuge System Operations &
Maintenance) are below those from the House that we outlined last month:
http://www.refugenet.org/birding/junSBC07.html#TOC10
and
http://www.steiner-birding.com/bulletin/june07.html
 
Senators can still be reminded that they have time to match their
colleagues in the House when it comes to these important
bird-conservation funding issues.
 
 
BUY YOUR MIGRATORY BIRD STAMP NOW
 
Finally, a reminder: The 2007-2008 Migratory Bird Hunting and
Conservation Stamp, commonly known as the "Duck Stamp," is now on sale
across the country at a cost of $15.
 
The First Day of Sale was actually on 22 June, at a ceremony at Bass Pro
Shops in Columbia, Missouri, as well as at other stores throughout the
country.
 
Since the 1930s, more than $700 million has been raised from stamp
sales. The funding has been used to secure over 5.2 million acres of
valuable wetland and grassland habitat for the Refuge System.
Approximately $25 million a year is currently collected through annual
stamp sales.
 
In addition, the stamp is a conservation bargain, since approximately 98
percent of the revenue from the stamp goes to the Migratory Bird
Conservation Fund to purchase refuge wetlands and grasslands.
Importantly for frugal birders, the stamp can be used from July 2007
through June 2008 to gain free admission to any National Wildlife Refuge
in the country that charges an entry fee.
 
You can buy a stamp at most large Post Offices, National Wildlife
Refuges with Visitor Centers, Bass Pro Shops, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and
various other sporting-goods stores. 
 
Our suggestion: Don't just buy a stamp, display it when you're in the
field! 
 
For information on some creative ways to display the stamp on binoculars
and field gear, see our coverage of the subject from earlier this year:
http://www.refugenet.org/birding/aprSBC07.html#TOC09
 and
http://www.steiner-birding.com/bulletin/april07.html
 
For general information on the stamp program and on birders and the
stamp see:
http://duckstamps.fws.gov/Info/Stamps/stampinfo.htm
 and
http://www.fws.gov/duckstamps/Info/Constituents/birder.htm
 
- - - - - -
 
You can access an archive of past E-bulletins on the National Wildlife
Refuge Association (NWRA) website:
http://www.refugenet.org/birding/birding5.html
 and on the birding pages for Steiner Binoculars
http://www.steiner-birding.com/bulletin.html
                                    
If you wish to distribute all or parts of any of the monthly Birding
Community E-bulletins, we simply request that you mention the source of
any material used. (Include a URL for the E-bulletin archives, if
possible.) 
 
If you have any friends or co-workers who want to get onto the monthly
E-bulletin mailing list, have them contact either:
 
            Wayne R. Petersen, Director
            Massachusetts Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program
            Mass Audubon
            718/259-2178
            <wpetersen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
 

                        OR
                                    
            Paul J. Baicich            
            410/992-9736
            <paul.baicich@xxxxxxxxxxx>