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From: Paul J. Baicich [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, September 07, 2007 2:55 AM
Subject: Birding Community E-bulletin - September 2007
THE BIRDING COMMUNITY E-BULLETIN
September 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 Fan-tailed Warbler. This is a species that
normally occurs in Mexico from southern Sonora and southern
Tamaulipas, south to northern Nicaragua. The species has been found in
the U.S. only about seven times, all in southeastern Arizona. (For
field-guide details on this species, see pp. 396-397 in the latest
National Geographic guide.)
On 13 August last month, a Fan-tailed Warbler was found by Eric
Carpenter in Pine Canyon at Big Bend National Park, Texas. Those
looking for the bird had to negotiate a rugged 6.7-mile drive along
Glen Springs and Pine Canyon Roads, followed by a 2-mile hike. Despite
these challenges, a number of birders made the pilgrimage and were
successful in finding the bird.
The warbler stayed through the end of the month along the shaded creek
bed of Pine Canyon.
A photograph taken by Carolyn Ohl-Johnson on 15 August of the warbler
can be seen at:
http://bigbendbirdhabitat.com/images/fan-tail1.jpg
A GREAT ONE-DAY WONDER
There were some short-visit contenders for this month's "Rarity
Focus," including a Jabiru in north-central Mississippi, a
Macronesian/Little Shearwater off Massachusetts, and, in Alaska, a
Brown Hawk-Owl on the Pribilofs and a Marsh Sandpiper on Adak. But
another bird that remained on site for only one day (for certain) and
was observed by only a lucky few birders also deserves special
mention.
On Monday, 13 August, Steve Gillispie found a strange shorebird at
Winfield Locks and Dam in western West Virginia. The shorebird turned
out to be a Great Knot, a species for which there are only about 18
North American records, all except one (Oregon, 1990) coming from
Alaska. . (For field-guide details on this species, see pp. 178-179 in
the latest National Geographic guide.)
By the end of the day of the bird's first discovery, about half a
dozen birders were fortunate enough to glimpse the rare vagrant, but
unfortunately it was not able to be found the next day. (Caveat: There
might have been a single-observer report from Tuesday evening.)
A photo taken on 13 August may be seen at:
http://wvbirder.com/tmp9/wv_08-13-07_b.JPG
Great Knots breed in northeastern Asia, and spend the winter from
India eastward to Australia. To appreciate how far out of range this
bird was, check the range map at:
http://wvbirder.com/tmp9/Gknot_range.jpg
This record once again proves that almost anything is possible in the
world of birding!
TOWNSEND'S/NEWELL'S SHEARWATER: NEW FOR U.S. CONTINENTAL WATERS
And now another remarkable discovery: On 1 and 2 August, workmen on
night duty on the railroad lines at Del Mar, just north of San Diego,
California, encountered a shearwater flying in from the ocean. The
shearwater dive-bombed the men, who were wearing headlamps at the
time.
The shearwater was eventually recovered and taken to Project Wildlife,
and later to the San Diego Natural History Museum. At the museum the
bird was identified as a "Newell's" Shearwater, a form thought by some
authorities to represent a species distinct from Townsend's
Shearwater. Townsend's Shearwater (Puffinus auricularis) is currently
comprised of two subspecies: the nominate race (Puffinus a.
auricularis) that breeds on the Islas Revillagigedos off western
Mexico, and P. a. newelli ("Newell's" Shearwater) that breeds on Kauai
and perhaps other islands in the Hawaiian archipelago.
The Newell's subspecies is thought to remain in Hawaiian waters from
April through October. With a population estimated at 84,000 in the
early1990s, this form may be undergoing a serious decline, with a 60
percent reduction in birds breeding at Kauai during the 1990s. There
may have been as few as 30,000 at the end of the 20th century.
"Newell's" Shearwater, regardless of its taxonomic status, is formally
listed as Threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - USFWS).
"Newell's" Shearwaters are thought to disperse after breeding mostly
east and south of Hawaii into the Equatorial Countercurrent, while
Townsend's Shearwaters breeding in the Revillagigo Islands are thought
to disperse along the continental shelf from southern Baja California
Sur to Central America.
Although there have been unconfirmed sight reports of Townsend's
Shearwaters off California in the past, there has never been a
confirmed record of its occurrence. The August "Newell's" Shearwater
incident represents the first substantiated record for U.S.
Continental waters, regardless of how it is classified.
You can find more details here:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/news/Newells.html
A NEW CONCEPT IN SEABIRD MITIGATION
Since we have mentioned a federally Threatened seabird, the "Newell's"
Shearwater, it's appropriate to consider a new tool being used for
seabird conservation.
The new concept speaks to the issue of fisheries bycatch, a persistent
problem in seabird conservation. (Bycatch refers to species caught in
a fishery intended to target another species - in this case, seabirds
that are caught and killed in the process of wide-scale commercial
fishing.)
An unconventional approach to seabird conservation was presented last
month in an article in the journal FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND
ENVIRONMENT. The article, "Compensatory mitigation as a solution to
fisheries bycatch-biodiversity conservation conflicts" was written by
Dr Chris Wilcox, from Australia's national science agency, the
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO),
and C. Josh Donlan of Cornell University.
The authors explored the possibility of compensatory mitigation,
specifically looking into "the full suite of cost-effective tools
available, in a responsible and integrated way." Their offset approach
is aimed at directing specific bycatch penalties to pay for island
invasive (e.g., rat, cat) removal. They maintain that this approach
could prove effective for many seabird scenarios worldwide. They
concluded that bycatch offsets, in conjunction with direct bycatch
mitigation efforts, are "an effective, enforceable, and cost-effective
approach to seabird conservation."
Some observers and critics have concluded that Wilcox and Donlan are
downplaying the pernicious effects of bycatch, but such is not the
case Wilcox says: "While the priority should always be for fishers to
avoid bycatch, they could also 'offset' the bycatch that does occur by
funding conservation measures that tackle other, often greater,
threats to bycatch-affected species."
More details and links here:
http://www.csiro.au/news/ps3a8.html
BOOK REVIEW: STORIES AND LESSONS FROM PUERTO RICO
Herbert A. Raffaele, author of the GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF PUERTO RICO
AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS and senior author of the GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF
THE WEST INDIES has produced a totally different kind of book with
this latest title.
BIRDS, BEASTS, AND BUREAUCRATS (Cold Tree Press, 2007) is a narrative
describing his own introduction to birds, natural history, and the
bureaucratic tangles of working as a naturalist in Puerto Rico
(Division of Flora and Fauna, Area of Natural Resources) in the 1970s.
The reader travels with Raffaele to distant corners of the island in
his effort to learn more, to better manage species appropriately, and
to simply save the island's wildlife. While the book is a journey of
discovery that reveals the birds and other wildlife of Puerto Rico, it
also deals with the challenges of making conservation possible.
Perhaps the most important sections of the book are the "Reflections"
at the end of each chapter. Even without the Reflections, the chapters
are variously entertaining, funny, and sad, but the wisdom provided by
each "Reflection" makes the book absolutely invaluable for anyone
interested in making a difference in the field of natural resource and
bird conservation.
FARM BILL REMINDER: THE SENATE'S NEXT
Last month we reported on Farm Bill progress, with some conservation
elements doing well in the House and some others less satisfying:
http://www.refugenet.org/birding/augSBC07.html#TOC13
and
http://www.steiner-birding.com/bulletin/aug07.html
With Congress returning from August recess, the action on the 2007
Farm Bill will move to the Senate's Agriculture, Nutrition, and
Forestry Committee, where efforts are underway to draft a version
parallel to that of the House. Bird-oriented conservation may actually
do better on the Senate side, but only if pressure is sustained.
LWCF CHEERS
Here's another Congressional issue to watch. Many observers of the
natural resources scene have been buoyed by recent Congressional
interest in accessing the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), the
offshore oil-and-gas revenue "conservation royalty" intended to take
investment from non-renewable resources (oil and gas) for land and
habitat conservation (parks, trails, refuges, and open space).
On the books since the mid-1960s, LWCF has languished for some time,
seriously under funded by Congress. The FY 2008 possibilities are
real, with potential appropriations committee increases cleared by the
House (a 44 percent hike at $205.6 million) and the Senate (a 28
percent hike at $182.2 million) and resolution pending. Some
conservationists are calling this revival the possible "rebirth of the
LWCF."
Still, the LWCF, signed into law in September 1964 (due to the
leadership of Interior Secretary Stewart Udall, Sen. Henry M. Jackson,
and many others) was envisioned to be the start of great conservation
effort, not the end. The program's authorized funding level from
oil-and-gas revenue was augmented to $200 million a year in 1968, $300
million in 1970, and $900 million in 1977, which is the current level.
(Half - $450 million - was to be used for federal land-based
conservation, with the other half for stateside projects.)
Many great birding locations - refuges, parks, and forests - owe their
very existence to the LWCF.
Not only has the authorized limit not gone up in the last 30 years,
but also the stateside funding has been notoriously under-funded over
the decades (some years there has been no funding whatsoever for
stateside projects). The closest Congress came to full funding for
LWCF was the House passage of the CARA (Conservation and Reinvestment
Act) legislation in May 2000, with LWFC funding embedded as an
essential component of that mega-bill. Unfortunately, the Senate was
not given the opportunity to act on it.
While conservationists should be pleased that LWCF is getting some
"respect," it is important to remember that this much-vaunted
"rebirth" of LWCF falls far short of the full-funding possibilities
envisioned as far back as thirty years ago, 1977.
SOUTHERN LAPWING: GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS
Regular E-bulletin readers may remember our coverage (August 2006) of
Southern Lapwings seen last year in Florida (St. Marks NWR) and
Maryland (Worcester Co.) - and previous reports from Florida:
http://www.refugenet.org/birding/augSBC06.html#TOC03
and
http://www.steiner-birding.com/bulletin/aug06.html
The good news is that Southern Lapwing breeding in the southern
Caribbean (e.g. Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba) was augmented this year
with the first nesting on Barbados. Stories ran in the local news
about the nesting success (three young) to make sure that local
hunters knew about them. The Southern Lapwings nested between two
artificial lakes used for shorebird hunting.
The bad news is that one of the young was shot and killed in
mid-August.
The sport of "swamp shooting" in Barbados is nothing like waterfowling
in the U.S. or Canada today. In Barbados, tens of thousands of
shorebirds (possibly as many as 30,000 to 45,000) are shot each year
on artificial lakes using lures, caged birds, and amplified birdcalls.
The shorebirds reportedly taken include Lesser Yellowlegs, Greater
Yellowlegs, Whimbrel, Stilt Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, and
American Golden-Plover. (In September 1963, the last known Eskimo
Curlew ever shot was among the birds killed.)
Because of their social and racial status (most are well-to-do
Caucasians), the shooters have considerable economic and political
influence on the island. In fact, "swamp shooting" has been taking
place on Barbados for generations.
To justify the practice of "swamp shooting" the shooters assert that
the wetland sites are maintained on private land and provide a haven
for birds during the other eight months of the year, outside the
July-October "season." Barbados has a wild-bird protection law, at
least on the books, and is a CITES signatory, but is not a party to
the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA).
An international effort to enforce existing laws and to establish some
essential restrictions needs to be seriously considered. For a graphic
report of this activity in Barbados see:
http://www.nationnews.com/story/296696461313615.php
IBA NEWS: JAMAICA BAY (NYC) IN DISTRESS
Jamaica Bay, New York City's wildlife-rich saltwater marsh island
complex and an Important Bird Area (IBA), is a crucial breeding,
stopover, and wintering location for many species of waterfowl,
long-legged waders, and shorebirds. Unfortunately, the site is also in
significant trouble. The islands of Jamaica Bay, core habitat for the
famous Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, have long been slowly vanishing.
According to a study released in early August the islands could
actually disappear by 2024 due to rapidly increasing degradation
caused mainly by excess nitrogen from wastewater treatment. The study
was conducted by New York's appointed 7-member Advisory Committee on
the bay, and it includes programmatic targets, as well as
recommendations.
It had been previously estimated that between 1924 and 1999 Jamaica
Bay lost half of its tidal wetlands, and that this loss accelerated
over time. Evidence from satellite imagery and aerial photographs
taken between 2003 and 2005 reveals that losses have been particularly
drastic.
For a link to the August report from the Advisory Committee on the
bay, visit:
http://nbii-nin.ciesin.columbia.edu/jamaicabay/jbwppac/JBAC_Recommenda
tions_Report_060107.pdf
For a description of the IBA Status of Jamaica Bay, see:
http://iba.audubon.org/iba/viewSiteProfile.do?siteId=1722
<http://iba.audubon.org/iba/viewSiteProfile.do?siteId=1722&navSite=sta
te> &navSite=state
For more information about National Audubon Society's Important Bird
Area program, visit:
http://www.audubon.org/bird/iba/
WHOOPING CRANE CONCERNS IN TEXAS
Wetland-and-bird conservation concerns are also arising on the coast
of Texas.
The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Gulf Coast of Texas is
comprised of over 115,000 acres including the Blackjack Peninsula
(Aransas proper), Matagorda Island, and the Myrtle Foester-Whitmire,
Tatton, and Lamar units. These areas provide vital resting, feeding,
wintering, and nesting grounds for migratory birds and native Texas
wildlife.
Most significantly, the area is home to the only natural, wild,
migrating population of Whooping Cranes in the world, but a developer
wants to build a 700-acre housing development right next to the
refuge. A portion of the development would be in Whooping Crane
critical habitat.
The proposal by Seadrift Ranch Partners, Ltd. would build two marinas,
several canals and channels, as well as a number of luxury homes at
the site. This could have serious ramifications for the cranes that
depend on the refuge for roosting in the evening, and adjacent
wetlands used for feeding during the daytime. In addition to the
cranes, the proposed development could have adverse impacts on
numerous other migratory birds as well.
The survival of the Whooping Cranes in the Aransas area has been a
real conservation success story, but nibbling away at critical habitat
needed by the remaining birds is presenting a threatening precedent.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is considering the developer's
permit. Thus far, an environmental consultant hired by the developer
has conducted the only data collection on the impacts to wildlife.
Without an independent assessment, however, the Army Corps could
potentially breach its responsibilities under the National
Environmental Policy Act.
At minimum, such an assessment of the potential impacts should include
an analysis of the following three issues:
The impact of the development on water quality.
The minimum buffer necessary between the proposed development and
critical crane habitat.
The impact on Whooping Cranes of construction noise and increased
human activity including fences, power lines and towers, and
additional boat activities (airboats in particular).
A local news story can be found here:
http://www.thevictoriaadvocate.com/region/local/story/99786.html
We will attempt to keep you informed of developments.
RED KNOT: NOT GOOD
A "Red Knot Assessment Report" released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (USFWS) in late July contains troubling news about the health
of the Red Knot (subspecies Calidris canutus rufa).
Population numbers at this subspecies' South American wintering
grounds fell from 51,300 in 2000 to about 30,000 in 2004, to only
17,200 in 2006. The report predicts possible extinction for the rufa
subspecies with ten years if declines continue at current rates.
A significant contributing factor to the population crash has been the
low availability of horseshoe crab eggs in Delaware Bay, (a key Red
Knot stopover site during spring migration), due to continued
over-harvesting of adult crabs by conch and eel fishing industries.
There was also mass Red Knot mortality this April at stopover sites in
Uruguay, a possible outcome of harmful algal blooms. The extreme
decline noted in recent years highlights the need for further research
into threats to the rufa population.
Based on recent information, USFWS biologists determined that the Red
Knot warranted Endangered Species Act protection, but placing the bird
on the endangered species list was precluded by higher priority
listing actions for other species at greater risk. The rufa race of
the Red Knot is listed as Endangered by the Committee on the Status of
Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).
For a summary from BirdLife International, visit:
http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2007/08/red_knot_report.html
For a press release from the USFWS, visit:
http://www.fws.gov/news/NewsReleases/showNews.cfm?newsId=E486E645-9CED
-D287-8D803DE0A02D757A
And finally, to see the USFWS report itself, have a look at:
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/endangered/Red%20Knot%20Assessment%20May%
202007.standard.pdf
OCTOBER: REFUGE WEEK AND BIG SIT REMINDERS
The USFWS originally launched National Wildlife Refuge Week (NWRW) in
1995 in order to raise awareness of the importance of refuges for
wildlife. NWRW is celebrated during the second week of October (this
year: 6-14 October - over two weekends), in part to coincide with
southward migration in autumn.
This year, a number of birders and refuges will celebrate the event by
initiating a "Big Sit" on Sunday, 14 October 2007. (In 1992, the New
Haven [Connecticut] Bird Club started The Big Sit, an event 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!")
For details on The Big Sit! coming up next month, or to plan your very
own event, see:
http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/funbirds/bigsit/bigsit.aspx
OUR REEF-HERON ERRATA
In the August issue of the E-bulletin, we stated that the first North
American record of Western Reef-Heron in North America was on Martha's
Vineyard in Massachusetts in 1983. Actually it was on Nantucket
Island.
Moreover, we wrote that the bird in New York was present through 25
August, when we actually meant 25 July. (Incidentally, the reef-heron
did reappear for a time in the first week of August in Brooklyn and
then was rediscovered on 24 August at Great Kills Park, on Staten
Island, on the other side of New York Harbor.)
Our errors and oversights were not discovered until most of the
E-bulletins had already been electronically distributed.
- - - - - - - -
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
<>
OR
Paul J. Baicich
410/992-9736
<>
We never lend or sell the E-bulletin recipient list.
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