[TN-Bird] Exciting News re: Ceruleans in Tropics
- From: "Chris Sloan" <chris.sloan@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2004 20:59:00 -0500
All-
Many of you know Melinda Welton, a TOS member who has been actively
involved in research on Cerulean Warblers in TOS and elsewhere. At her
husband John Noel's request, I have pasted below a series of emails from
John about Melinda's current expedition to Belize to attempt to locate
the never-before-documented staging area for Ceruleans returning from
their wintering grounds. I hope you'll find this as exciting and
interesting as I do.
I will post further updates when/if I receive them from John.
Chris Sloan
Nashville, TN
---------------------- Forwarded Message: ---------------------
From: "John Noel"=20
To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;>
Subject: Melinda`s Expidition
Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 16:08:29 -0600
Friends,
As you may know Melinda is leading a expedition to find the "staging
grounds" for the return migration of the Cerulean Warbler which has
never been documented and is important information to science as this
bird is the fastest declining song bird in North America . She just
called me by satellite phone from the southern mountains of Belize out
side Punta Gorda and half way up to her destination ,Union Camp ,a
deserted clearing in the Belizean jungle. Travel is by foot with two
machete wielding trail blazers guides followed by two intern Belizean
birders and pack burro`s in that order. The journey promises unclear
cluttered trails, inclement weather , humid hot and unstable afoot. She
just arrived to at a mid way camp spot ,'Edwards Central', only to find
10 Belizean soldiers ,a welcomed and unwelcome site ,as her location
destination is near the remote boarder of Guatemala and reports of
squatters are frequent. She now pushes on for another hour to secure a
more secluded camp site. GPS location is approximately N 16 20.35 W
89 09.18 .
On Arrival at final destination hopefully by two more days she and
interns will look for the Cerulean warblers high in the jungles upper
canopy where they move with a stealthy silence. When migrating from
Belize in early May to the high slopes of Tennessee and nesting in upper
reaches of very tall secluded trees the multi colored beautiful blue
male sings only during mating season and is seen by few as it remains
high and visible only to the trained ear and eye through a good pair
of binoculars. The warbler does not sing in Belize ,only the quick of
keen eye can make the capture. The journey will endure nearly two weeks
of intense search among unaccustomed surroundings and enemies of the
flesh including the bedeviled and parasitic botfly. The botfly enters
the skin by mosquito injection there to pupate growing into a large worm
ultimately uncomfortably and unsightly exiting the skin in unceremonious
fashion. Will keep you up dated on my ' wayward wife' until April 14th
when I join her in Belize.
Best,
John
---------------------- Forwarded Message: ---------------------
From: "John Noel"=20
To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;>
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2004 09:03:52 -0600
Friends,
Melinda has arrived at her expedition destination, Union Camp,a deserted
clearing holding one precious resource ......water. The path to the camp
is littered with logs ,muddy ,and in word ....a slog. There is no water
along the way as much of the geology is of limestone base. In the brief
conversation via satellite phone it was evident it was a long journey
and she expressed her elation over the beautiful clear running stream in
camp. I was thinking how many weary travelers before have felt the same
jubilation on approaching a resource often taken for granted . Perhaps
all humanity required to venture in this way would embrace this
treasure, protecting the resource with their life.....as in fact it is.
Now Melinda can settle in and be about the business of her quest. More
as I know it.
=20
John
---------------------- Forwarded Message: ---------------------
From: "John Noel"=20
To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;>
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2004 17:48:34 -0600
Friends,
Deciphering Melinda through a flawed satellite phone connection I
learned of her first confirmed Cerulean Warbler sighting near camp. This
is positively good news and produced one excited woman crackling over
microwave bouncing off 60 + satellites circling our planet . I believe
at the moment ,had we all listened carefully, we could have heard her
with out the phone. At the same moment of "the sighting " there was an
almost simultaneous distraction ..... running out from underneath
Raphael`s feet jumped a bird seldom seen by many who proceeded to throw
its wings over its head in a clapping motion and dance about. (this is
the part where I`ve either lost the connection or Melinda`s just plain
lost it ! ) Well, it was a Ruddy Quail Dove displaying . The Cerulean
was found in the high branches of large contiguous trees near an area
severely damaged by a high grade hurricane several years ago. Walking
through downed broken trees is challenging likely much like the dance of
the Quail Dove. Weather is holding , food is plain ,and conditions
perfect !
More as it comes=3D20
John
---------------------- Forwarded Message: ---------------------
From: "John Noel"=20
To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;>
Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2004 14:08:34 -0500
Friends,
Received "the call" last night via satellite . Melinda has found a
'staging ground' for the return migration of the Cerulean Warbler ! =20
This has never before been recorded. She and her interns identified 8
ceruleans of which 5 were in a flock. If I`m correct, she is likely
the only person on the planet to identify and see a "flock of Ceruleans"
as they are loners in Tennessee paring for mating ,raising young, then
returning south to (now we know) at least Belize to winter over. Her
putting together scraps of information and research led her to this
remote forest in southern Belize and resulting discovery. Comparably
,this is much like researching and discovering a sunken ship and
treasure of gold ,except, the long term consequences of this
information may prove beneficial to slowing the birds decline and the
destruction of its habitat from Tennessee to Belize . Melinda once told
me " many of our Tennessee birds are borrowed from South America as
they are here only a short time to raise young then return home ". If
home is logged or destroyed on their return ........they risk death.
She now will remain one more day making the decent in hopefully two
days. I hope so as she reported thrice encountering the snake called the
Fertalance an aggressive quick and deadly snake ........nearly no one
survives its bite. Yesterday she found the scratchings of the Jaguar
and saw a Taper (sp) and a Kinkajou (a lemur like animal ) ,also, fairly
certain she saw a
ocelot which would be a very rare sighting. The side benefit to being
an ornithologist is the knowledgeable use of binoculars, standing still
,and quietly observing what's around you to see what's really going on.
Perhaps it should be a requirement for all those who serve in public
office to become ornithologists ,or at the very minimum, knowledgeable
in the use of that which enhances a ' wide field of view
'..........works for husbands too ! Winding down now .....will advise on
her safe journey out.
john
=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================
The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with
first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation.
-----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, send email to:
tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society
Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
endorse the views or opinions expressed
by the members of this discussion group.
Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
========================================================
Other related posts:
