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Subject:

Bird Blitz 2009 - Dan's Mountain, Allegany

From:

David Yeany II

Reply-To:

David Yeany II

Date:

Wed, 3 Jun 2009 15:36:07 -0400

On three days this past week I conducted IBA Bird Blitz surveys in the Dan's
Mountain area including both the State Park and the WMA. I hiked three
survey routes covering a total of 22 km in 9 hours (not including 13.5 km
and 3 hours of backtracking) using the methods for Bird Blitz 2009 described
here: http://mddc.audubon.org/SciCon_IBAs.html. I mapped the primary target
at-risk species I encountered by hand-mapping and by marking locations along
my routes using a GPS and tallied both primary and secondary target species.


After compiling the three routes, there were two at-risk species which
matched or exceeded the threshold levels (minimum population estimates) to
qualify Dan's Mountain as an Important Bird Area. WORM-EATING WARBLER
matched the threshold level with 20 singing males. CERULEAN WARBLER, a
species considered globally vulnerable by Birdlife International, exceeded
not only the state level IBA threshold of 10 breeding pairs, but also the
global IBA threshold of 15 breeding pairs with 17 singing males recorded
during my surveys. Several other at-risk species were counted with decent
numbers of KENTUCKY WARBLER (11) and LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH (7). The Forest
Interior-Dwelling Species (FIDS) assemblage was well-represented as well
with 21 species, including both primary and secondary targets. Also, one
other observation of note was that among the FIDS were 2 singing male WINTER
WRENS - a probable indication of the first breeding records of this species
in Allegany Co. given the absence of a record from the Yellow Book and from
both BBAs.

In any event, it appears that Dan's Mountain does qualify as not only a
Maryland Important Bird Area, but also as a globally significant IBA based
on breeding Cerulean Warblers. With more survey routes planned for Dan's
Mountain this year, these totals are likely to increase - building further
support for the conservation of this critical habitat. If you're still
interested in surveying at any of our candidate IBA sites please contact me
soon as the breeding season is upon us and there are still routes to be
covered. Go birding with a purpose this summer and do a Bird Blitz survey!

DAN'S MOUNTAIN SUMMARY
May 29, June 1 & 3 - 6:00AM-9:45AM

PRIMARY TARGET AT-RISK SPECIES
CERULEAN WARBLER - 17 singing males
WORM-EATING WARBLER - 20 singing males
Louisiana Waterthrush - 7
Kentucky Warbler - 11
Wood Thrush - 13
Bald Eagle - 1
Blackburnian Warbler -1 singing male
Prairie Warbler - 2 singing males

SECONDARY TARGET SPECIES
Forest Interior-Dwelling (FIDS)
Hooded Warbler - 5
American Redstart - 25
Black-and-white Warbler - 23
Pileated Woodpecker - 4
Blue-headed Vireo - 5
Barred Owl -1
Common Raven - 3
Hairy Woodpecker - 1
Magnolia Warbler - 1
Yellow-throated Vireo -1
Winter Wren -2
Ovenbird - present
Scarlet Tanager - present
Red-eyed Vireo - present
Acadian Flycatcher - present

Shrub/Early Successional
Yellow-breasted Chat -1
Eastern Towhee - present
Field Sparrow - present

Good birding,

David

--
David Yeany II, M.S.
IBA Program Assistant
Audubon MD-DC
109.5 Pennsylvania Ave.
Cumberland, MD 21502
Phone: 814-221-4361
Email: