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[birdky] FW: Birding Community E-bulletin - August 2007
- From: "Vorisek, Shawchyi (FW)" <Shawchyi.Vorisek@xxxxxx>
- To: <birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2007 10:21:57 -0400
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: Friday, August 03, 2007 9:54 AM
To: paul.baicich@xxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: Wayne Petersen
Subject: Birding Community E-bulletin - August 2007
THE BIRDING COMMUNITY E-BULLETIN
August 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
Our rarity of the month is Western Reef-Heron. The normal range of this
species' nominate race is western Africa from Mauritania to Nigeria,
casually north to the Azores, Cape Verde Islands, and Spain. A second
population occurs from the Persian Gulf to western India. Curiously,
this species is also appearing with increasing frequency in the
Caribbean (e.g., St. Lucia, Barbados, Trinidad, Tobago, St. Vincent and
the Grenadines) and if not already breeding there, may soon do so. The
first record of Western Reef-Heron in North America was on Martha's
Vineyard in Massachusetts from 26 April to 13 September 1983. Previously
in the E-bulletin we reported on the second North American record, an
individual seen in mid-June 2005 at Stephenville Crossing, southeastern
Newfoundland, that remained through July of that year.
Then in late June last summer, a Western Reef-Heron, North America's 3rd
record, was discovered at Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. In early August the
bird disappeared, but later in the month an adult dark-morph Western
Reef-Heron was discovered in southern Maine and nearby New Hampshire.
That bird remained for over a month on the Maine-New Hampshire coast.
Were these recent annual summer reports all the same bird summering in
the northeastern U.S. and Atlantic Canada? That's certainly a real
possibility.
So it was perhaps no surprise when a Western Reef-Heron was discovered
on 8 July in Brooklyn, New York. The bird was at Calvert Vaux Park, a
site formerly known as Drier-Offerman Park. This bird frequented the
tidal edges of the flats on the east side of the park, and also nearby
channels and an abandoned grass-covered barge.
For weeks, this rare wader was found at the Brooklyn site, but sometimes
it went missing for days. It was, however, also infrequently seen at
other locations in the greater New York Harbor area, including reports
from Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and South Beach, Staten Island, New York.
The bird remained in the area through the afternoon of 25 August.
Birders looking for the bird carefully tracked its whereabouts, and its
occurrence was featured multiple times in the greater New York media.
Local conservationists hoped that the reef-heron sighting might
encourage New York City to re-examine its plans to create a nearby
marine waste transfer station - part of a controversial citywide
compromise approved by the City Council last summer, but one still
requiring a state permit approval.
For photos of the Brooklyn Western Reef-Heron by Lloyd Spitalnik, see:
http://www.lloydspitalnikphotos.com/v/Wading_Birds/Western+Reef-Heron/
For other photos of the bird taken by Alex Wilson, see:
http://www.digitalmediatree.com/arboretum/heron/
FRIGATEBIRD CONTENDER
A major contender for rarity honors this month was the probable female
Lesser Frigatebird observed in northern California (Humboldt Co.) by
half a dozen birders on 15 July. This species is restricted to the
southwest tropical Pacific and a portion of the tropical Atlantic; it
has appeared just three times before in mainland North America: Maine,
Michigan, and Wyoming. For details and photographs of this one-day
wonder, see:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/news/Frigatebird.html
MORE IVORY GULL PROBLEMS
In the March issue of the E-bulletin we reported on the negative impact
of the loss of ice and snow-cover in the high arctic on Ivory Gulls:
http://www.refugenet.org/birding/marSBC07.html#TOC05
and
http://www.steiner-birding.com/bulletin/march07.html
Population counts done in Canada during the early 1980s could account
for about 2,400 birds, while a survey done from 2002 to 2006 by the
Canadian Wildlife Service could only account for several hundred birds -
a drop of 80 per cent.
There is now increasing evidence that mercury is an additional culprit
in the decline of Ivory Gulls. Indeed, the Ivory Gull may have more
mercury in its eggs than any other seabird in the Arctic, according to
Birgit Braune, a research scientist with Environment Canada who studies
toxic chemicals in Arctic wildlife, and who specializes in seabirds.
Upon examination of Ivory Gull eggs from Seymour Island, a tiny island
just north of Bathurst Island, in 1976, 1987, and 2004, she ran tests
for persistent pollutants, such as PCBs and DDT. Most tests revealed few
surprises, until she tested for mercury.
Some gull eggs contained enough mercury to prevent certain other bird
species from normally reproducing. Such high mercury levels were also
thought to possibly impact the behavior of the birds, especially during
the crucial nestling period. Just how these high mercury levels may
affect Ivory Gulls is unknown, just as are the origins of mercury in the
high Arctic. (Ivory Gulls are scavengers, however, and are high on the
food chain, where chemicals such as mercury, regardless of its source,
would accumulate.)
Last year, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada
listed the Ivory Gull as an endangered species.
BIRD EDUCATION NETWORK STARTS TO MOVE
There was a highly successful "Bird Conservation Through Education
National Gathering" that took place in Austin, Texas, in February. At
the end of the conference, the 150+ attendees resolved to continue
support for broad-based bird education and to begin developing a
comprehensive strategy for education on birds and their conservation.
To that end, a follow-up Bird Education Working Group meeting took place
last month in Denver, Colorado, that was charged with following up on
tasks created during the Austin bird-education gathering.
The major questions raised were: 1) what should be included in the
content of a strategic plan for bird education that would contain a
solid conservation emphasis, and 2) what is the best way for a bird
education network to proceed organizationally? The beginnings of a much
needed and long-overdue bird education strategy were outlined, and the
group agreed that a coordinator would be necessary to effectively move
this project forward.
The Working Group continues to be supported by the Council for
Environmental Education:
www.councilforee.org/
To remain connected to this important activity, join the bird-education
listserv. Those interested can send a blank e-mail along with the word
"subscribe" on the Subject line to:
birdedlist-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
MORE REVEALING BIRDING TRENDS
Last month, we described some of the preliminary findings of the USFWS
survey, "2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and
Wildlife-Associated Recreation," where "wildlife watching" (with birding
the lion's share) reflected an upward trend.
http://www.refugenet.org/birding/julSBC07.html#TOC07
or
http://www.steiner-birding.com/bulletin/july07.html
Some people have also recently had an advance look at the preliminary
numbers for the popular Forest-Service's National Survey on Recreation
and the Environment (NSRE), so now we can share these figures with you
as well. Again, an upward trend in watching birds is maintained.
The new NSRE numbers put bird watching in the U.S. at 81.4 million
participants (2006). The survey asked whether a person did or did not
participate in any bird watching activity, and whether it was their
primary activity, or was associated with some other activity. (If the
interviewee did any loosely associated birding whatsoever, it was
counted. The degree of birding "avidity" was not measured.) The NSRE
researchers also tracked birding days, with the most recent number
standing at an astounding 8.2 billion annual birding days!
Current and previous figures are as follows:
Years Participants Days
1994-1995 54.4 million 4.8 billion days
1999-2000 70.9 million 5.8 billion days
2001-2003 69.6 million 6.5 billion days
2004-2006 81.4 million 8.2 billion days
While one can certainly quibble with the estimates, the overall trends
are convincing.
For more information (where these numbers should be posted soon), see:
http://warnell.forestry.uga.edu/nrrt/nsre/index.html
BIRD-ORIENTED QUOTATIONS ON NABCI SITE
Are you looking for that perfect birding and bird-conservation quotation
for your next flyer, birding festival, IMBD, or bird-talk?
Have a look at a new collection of such phrases found on the North
American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) website. It currently has
approximately 75 pithy, bird-oriented quotes and quips, wise words taken
from famous and not-so-famous women and men, and ranging from poets to
presidents:
http://www.nabci-us.org/quotes.htm
CERULEAN WARBLER SUMMIT SUMMARY
We have previously written about concern for the future of the Cerulean
Warbler, in June 2006 and January 2007:
http://www.refugenet.org/birding/janSBC07.html#TOC03
and
http://www.steiner-birding.com/bulletin/jan07.html
In mid-February of this year, a "second summit" on the plight of the
Cerulean Warbler was held at the USFWS National Conservation Training
Center (NCTC). The draft proceedings of the event are now available on
line. The content may be overly technical for some readers, but for
those intimately concerned about the future of this handsome warbler,
the presentation summaries are very meaningful:
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/eco_serv/soc/birds/cerw/cerw_summit2.html
MID-CONTINENT DUCK NUMBERS SHOW SLIGHT INCREASE
In early July, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released its
preliminary report on mid-continent breeding ducks and habitats, a
report based on nesting surveys conducted in May of this year. Overall,
duck populations for the ten surveyed species increased 14 percent since
last year, with an estimated 41.2 million breeding ducks registered in
the area surveyed. Only Northern Pintail numbers were shown as slipping
(down 2 percent from last year and 19 percent long-term). As a result of
winter snowfall and good precipitation in late 2006 and early 2007,
habitat conditions are similar or slightly improved compared to breeding
conditions in 2006.
For more details see:
http://www.fws.gov/news/NewsReleases/showNews.cfm?newsId=BFF1C2E5-08D7-7
93F-AE61EF990EE17CB6
BIG SIT: BIRDING'S MOST SEDENTARY EVENT
On Sunday, 17 October 2007, the annual "Big Sit" will take place. In
1992, the New Haven (Connecticut) Bird Club started The Big Sit, and it
is now annually hosted by BIRD WATCHER'S DIGEST and sponsored by a
number of other organizations as well. (The event's official name: "The
Big Sit!")
This is much like a Big Day or a bird-a-thon where the object is to
tally as many bird species as can be seen or heard within 24 hours. The
difference lies in the area limitation - observers must remain inside a
17-foot diameter circle while they are tallying birds.
Sometimes likened to a "tailgate party for birders," The Big Sit! is
often done just for fun, sometimes as an education effort in a popularly
visited site, or sometimes as a fund-raiser for a bird club or specific
conservation effort. This year, a special effort will be made to engage
National Wildlife Refuges in their growing birding and "children and
nature" efforts.
For details on The Big Sit! this year, or to plan your very own event,
see:
http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/funbirds/bigsit/bigsit.aspx
PLIGHT OF THE AMERICAN KESTREL
Next month, at the joint meeting of the Hawk Migration Association of
North America (HMANA) and the Raptor Research Foundation, at Hawk
Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania, there will be a special symposium on
the status of the American Kestrel. Once considered one of North
America's most common diurnal raptors, the species is experiencing a
significant recent decline.
Four hypotheses raised to account for the species' drop include
environmental contamination, loss of open and semi-open habitats,
increased predation (e.g., Cooper's Hawk), and West Nile Virus. For a
summary of the case, see the article by Ernesto Ruelas, as published in
HMANA's Spring 2007 journal:
http://www.hmana.org/documents/AMKE.pdf
For details on the meeting and the special symposium organized by Dr.
David Bird, see:
http://hawkmountain.org/media/booklet.pdf
For details on the biology of the American Kestrel and the opportunities
for nest-box stewardship, see the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary publication on
the subject:
http://hawkmountain.org/media/kestrelnestbox.pdf
IBA NEWS: A NEW STATE IBA BOOK
The Important Bird Area (IBA) efforts seem to be moving along well, and
it's often difficult to keep up to date on all the IBA activities across
North America. The release of at least one new state IBA book certainly
deserves mention, however.
This is from Wisconsin, a book of 240 pages with details on 86 sites:
http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/IBA/IBA-book.htm
For more information about National Audubon Society's Important Bird
Area program, please visit:
http://www.audubon.org/bird/iba/
BIRD-SAFE BUILDING GUIDELINES
NYC Audubon has announced the publication of their "Bird-Safe Building
Guidelines," written by Hillary Brown and Steven Caputo. This manual
which is targeted for architects, landscape designers, engineers, glass
technicians, developers, building managers, city, state, and federal
officials, and the general public reveals the magnitude of
bird-collisions with glass and buildings and describes guidelines and
strategies that complement the well-known LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) used in the Green Building Rating system. Most
important, perhaps, is that the document describes ways to retrofit
existing buildings.
To download a pdf containing the guidelines, visit:
http://www.nycaudubon.org/home/BirdSafeBuildingGuidelines.pdf
MEGA FARM BILL PASSES HOUSE, AWAITS SENATE ACTION
A five-year, $286-billion, Farm Bill passed the U.S. House of
Representatives in the last week of July. It included conservation to
help farmers - estimated at over $20 billion by some observers - to
improve watersheds, provide bird-and-wildlife habitat, and similar
measures. The House-passed version of the Farm Bill has several
important features that deserve watching, including:
Conservation Reserve Program: This crucial element in the
bill was not increased in the House, but was maintained at 39.2 million
acres, a good starting point.
Wetlands Reserve Program: The House Farm Bill restores
funding for WRP at a new cap of 3.6 million acres ($1.6 billion). There
is an extension of WRP to include riparian areas, a change that could
have enormous benefits for habitat conservation efforts in the arid
Southwest.
Grasslands Reserve Program: The House Farm Bill restores
funding for GRP at 1 million acres, action which would provide
incentives to protect native grasslands. Still, it is funded below
needed levels.
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP): This effort is
also maintained, but funded below urgently needed levels.
Sodsaver: This provision creates minimal protection for
native old prairie and adds safeguards for what might be America's most
ignored and fragile ecosystem. It is a limited version of what was
originally intended, now disallowing benefits (crop insurance and
disaster payment) only for four years after native prairie is converted
to cropland. For background on the original Sodsaver intent see our
E-bulletin for August 2006:
http://www.refugenet.org/birding/augSBC06.html#TOC05
and
http://www.steiner-birding.com/bulletin/aug06.html
The action on the 2007 Farm Bill will now move to the Senate's
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, where efforts are
underway to draft a parallel version. Conservation may actually do
better on the Senate side, but only if pressure is maintained.
MASSACHUSETTS FISH HATCHERY SLAMMED
Now and then, we hear of birds being thoughtlessly shot or otherwise
killed by landowners or vandals. But a case recently resolved in
Massachusetts seemed particularly egregious.
The owner of a the Mohawk Fish Hatchery in Sunderland, MA, Michael Zak,
was ordered to serve six months in a federal halfway house and pay a
$65,000 fine for killing hundreds of protected fish-eating birds on his
property in the last several years. U.S. District Judge, Michael A.
Ponsor, also ordered Zak to serve five years' probation and have no
contact with firearms. A second defendant, hatchery worker Timothy
Lloyd, was given two years' probation and a $1,500 fine by Judge Ponsor.
Zak was found guilty of violating the Golden and Bald Eagle Protection
Act for shooting a Bald Eagle feeding at his uncovered fish hatchery in
2005. Zak and Lloyd separately pleaded guilty to shooting approximately
200 fish-eating birds, including Great Blue Herons and other federally
protected birds on the same property.
Judge Ponsor said that he was baffled that Zak never installed netting
over the fish runs, a tactic typically used by most other hatcheries.
The bird-killings were "dramatic" and crimes that could have been easily
avoided, Ponsor said." He's killed hundreds of birds rather than do
something that is not all that hard and not all that expensive," the
judge said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadine Pellegrini, who specializes in wildlife
cases, said that the sheer volume of the slaughter called for prison
time. "If not for 200 birds, then how many?" she asked.
ANOTHER SWIFT NIGHT OUT
With swifts having finished raising their young this year, our birds
begin to congregate in communal roosts prior to their migration in the
fall. Some roosts can host hundreds or even thousands of swifts.
In response, once again the Driftwood Wildlife Association will be
hosting "A Swift Night Out" wherever congregating swifts can be found.
Upon locating where Chimney Swifts (central to east coast) or Vaux's
Swift (Pacific coast) go to roost in your area, take close notice of a
roost-site starting about 30 minutes before dusk. Estimate or count the
number of swifts that enter on one evening over the weekend of August
11, 12, 13, and/or September 8, 9, 10. When you have finished your
tabulations, send in your results. For more details, see:
http://www.concentric.net/~dwa/page56.html
NEW ENGLAND ALBATROSS: RIP
In June we described a story of a near-shore Yellow-nosed Albatross and
the saga of a captured individual that was initially released on Cape
Cod, Massachusetts:
http://www.refugenet.org/birding/junSBC07.html#TOC02
and
http://www.steiner-birding.com/bulletin/june07.html
Unfortunately, after a second release in offshore waters, this
radio-tracked bird was subsequently found dead on a beach at Barnstable
Harbor, Massachusetts. The ultimate cause of death remains uncertain.
- - - - - -
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
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