From: Paul J. Baicich [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, August 06, 2010 12:52 PM
To: Paul J. Baicich
Cc: Wayne Petersen
Subject: Birding Community E-bulletin - August 2010
THE BIRDING COMMUNITY E-BULLETIN
August 2010
This Birding Community E-bulletin is being distributed to active and
concerned birders, those dedicated to the joys of birding and the protection
of birds and their habitats.
This issue is sponsored by NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC and the wonderful bird and
birding books they make available:
www.shopng.com/birdbooks <http://www.shopng.com/birdbooks>
NationalGeographicLogo4.jpg
You can access an archive of past E-bulletins on the website of the National
Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA):
www.refugenet.org/birding/birding5.html
RARITY FOCUS
Some vagrants that appear in North America are almost unbelievable. Take the
Orange-billed Nightingale Thrush, a bird which normally ranges (largely as a
non-migratory resident) from northern Mexico (southern Chihuahua and
southern Tamaulipas) south to northern South America. There are only two
records for the United States. The first was a bird caught at a bird banding
station at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge in April 1996, and the
other individual was found as a window-kill at Edinburg (University of
Texas-Pan American) in late May 2004. That's it.
To see a picture of this rarity, check a Mexican field guide or the
Accidental appendix in the National Geographic Guide (fifth edition, page
478).
With this in mind imagine the surprise experienced by Eric Ripma on 10 July
when he found a strange thrush that he ultimately identified as an
Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush while he was doing surveys for the Rocky
Mountain Bird Observatory in South Dakota.
Eric was nowhere near Mexico or the Texas border. He was in Spearfish Canyon
in western South Dakota, not very far from the Wyoming border. This is about
1,300 miles north of the two locations in south Texas where the species has
previously occurred only as an accidental vagrant.
On July 16 he was able to obtain some photos of the thrush which he posted
on his blog and distributed to friends and experts on Neotropical bird
species. By the next day, at least 10 other birders got to see the bird, and
more photographs were secured to further confirm its identity. The bird was
generally most visible and heard singing in the mornings along the same
stretch of trail where Rimpa originally found it. . The bird stayed in the
same general area for the remainder of the month, delighting visiting
birders.
You can see some of Eric's original photos of the Orange-billed
Nightingale-Thrush here:
http://nuttybirder.blogspot.com/2010/07/orange-billed-nightingale-thrush.htm
l
Additional photos taken by Doug Backlund are at:
www.wildphotosphotography.com/WildPhotos/thrush/thrush.htm
SPOON-BILLED SANDPIPER STILL DOING VERY POORLY
The Spoon-billed Sandpiper, a highly-threatened and practically iconic
shorebird species appears to be in serious trouble. The species breeds
locally in coastal northeastern Siberia and winters mostly in the delta
region of northern Vietnam, peninsular Thailand, Myanmar (i.e., Burma), and
occasionally in coastal Bangladesh.
The shorebird is extremely rare in North America, with only a handful of
records in Alaska and a couple from Canada. We wrote about the problems
facing this species most recently in May 2009:
www.refugenet.org/birding/maySBC09.html#TOC03
A decade ago, the world population was estimated at 2,500 birds. By 2002,
the number had slipped to 2,000 birds, and last year some observers
estimated that as few as 240 to 440 birds remained.
While no major problems were obvious in the species' tundra breeding area,
troubling evidence pointed to the wintering range. For example, in both 2009
and 2010 about 200 of the sandpipers were found wintering in the Bay of
Martaban, Myanmar, where there was also extensive evidence of hunting and
trapping at the sites visited. The majority of local hunters and trappers
surveyed were familiar with Spoon-billed Sandpipers and probably caught them
every year. It is thought that this sort of activity in the wintering area
may be a major cause for the species' decline.
Dr. Nigel Clark, from the British Trust for Ornithology and a key
participant on recent Spoon-billed Sandpiper expeditions, said, "Urgent
action is needed to find ways to give the local hunters economic
alternatives to hunting. An awareness campaign will also help to persuade
hunters to release Spoon-billed Sandpipers they catch." Christoph Zockler,
lead author of two recent articles on the species, added: "There is some
hope. Local people in Myanmar hunting waders for food are keen to cooperate
with the Spoon-billed Sandpiper Recovery Team and find alternatives. This
will help to halt the current state of rapid decline."
Action will have to be swift. Concerted conservation and international
cooperation is essential if this remarkable shorebird is to avoid
extinction.
For more information about Spoon-billed Sandpipers see:
www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/spoonbilled-sandpiper.html
and
www.birdlife.org/news/news/2010/06/spoon-billed-sandpiper-paper-BCI.html
And for a fine video of this species' breeding display, a video taken in
Chukotka in the Russian Far East in mid-June by David Erterius of Sweden,
see here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmEaCj60mF8
CONTINUING NEWS FROM THE GULF COAST: THE NUMBERS AND THE PROBLEMS
The good news for July was that by mid-month British Petroleum (BP) robots
had successfully attached a tight-fitting cap on top of the Gulf of Mexico
oil leak. This raised hopes that crude oil could be kept from polluting the
Gulf waters for the first time in almost three months.
The bad news was that the BP blow-out had already released as much as 185
million gallons of oil (or even 226 million gallons of oil) into the Gulf,
with considerable oil already reaching Gulf beaches and wetlands. In
comparison, the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound in Alaska in
1989 involved a minimum of 11 million gallons of oil (with some estimates
as high as 35 million gallons). The difference between these two horrendous
events is staggering.
The Gulf gusher - really not a "spill" as some still call it - is now
tragically one of the worst environmental disasters in American history. As
we reported previously, there have been a number of efforts to assess the
impact of the gusher on wildlife, birds, and the human residents of the Gulf
region.
One assessment that particularly deserves consideration is a 12-page report
released in late July by the American Bird Conservancy, "Gulf Oil Spill:
Field Survey Report and Recommendations." Parts of this report describe how
some of BP's oil cleanup efforts may actually be counterproductive.
The specific bird-related recommendations contained in the report address:
1. The use of more effective oil booms to protect bird colonies.
2. The employment of better fencing and other measures to protect
sensitive beach nesting areas and to reduce disturbance to birds.
3. The deployment of adequately-sized and adequately-equipped oil
skimmers close to the coast with real-time oil location reports to help
eliminate oil before it reaches the beaches and marshlands.
4. The creation of adequate staging and recovery areas close to the
coast for heavily oiled birds.
5. The restoration of eroded island habitat for nesting birds.
You can find the full report here:
www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/ABC_Gulf_Oil_Spill_Report.pdf
A NEW DECISION IMPACTING MIGRATORY BIRDS
A federal court decision over dead birds in Kansas oil fields has redefined
the coverage of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. As a result of this decision
violators no longer need to intentionally kill the birds to be convicted.
The MBTA makes it illegal to hunt, capture, or kill protected migratory
birds. Violators can currently be subject to a maximum penalty of $15,000
and six months in prison for a misdemeanor conviction.
Apollo Energies, Inc., and Dale Walker were accused of violating the
Migratory Bird Treaty Act after bird remains were found in both companies'
heater-treaters. These devices are used to distill oil pumped from wells.
Both companies had appealed convictions for the deaths of a few birds,
including Northern Flicker and Common Grackle. Apollo Energies was fined
$1,500 and Walker $500. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in late July
affirmed these two convictions, one against Apollo and another against
Walker. The court ruled that the potential violators could be held
responsible even if they didn't intentionally kill any birds.
In upholding the conviction against Apollo Energies, the appeals court
emphasized that the company acknowledged that it failed to cover some
potentially dangerous exhaust pipes as wildlife regulators had suggested
following a 2005 inspection.
REACHING YOUTH: A COMMON PROBLEM
The July-August issue of Ducks Unlimited magazine had an article by Scott
Yaich, director of conservation operations at DU, titled "Passing on the
Tradition." The subject was recruiting youth, the next generation of
waterfowl hunters and conservationists.
You can just as easily replace word "hunter," with "birder" or "wildlife
photographer" or "naturalist," to appreciate that Yaich's observations,
figures, and recommendations are not unique to the waterfowling community.
There are common problems here.
Some key issues (e.g., unstructured exploration, the need for mentors, the
need for more frequent trips, and just plain fun in the field) are certainly
common problems, especially posed in light of the reduced time and
opportunity devoted to these things, as well as family income issues these
days.
One point raised by Yaich, and sometimes equally obvious among birders, is
that "perhaps most unfortunately, many adult hunters expressed the feeling
that the inconvenience and effort necessary to introduce youths and novices
to hunting takes away from their own enjoyment of the sport." Again, this
may not be unique to waterfowlers.
This article is posted on the DU website for your consideration:
www.ducks.org/DU_Magazine/JulyAug2010/4983/PassingontheTradition.html?poe=Ju
lyAug10Mag
BOOK NOTES: MOLT REVEALED
At least once or twice a year, birds replace their feathers, often changing
their coloration and pattern at the same time. Given the number of bird
species in the world, it is not surprising that molt has many variations and
may take many forms. Not only is molt of significance to birds themselves,
but it also has numerous implications for birders and bird-banders as well.
In the newest Peterson Reference Guide, Steve N. G. Howell has given readers
a marvelous overview of the molt process, its many variations, and its
numerous applications to anyone looking at birds in the field. Using
high-quality photographs and readily understood text descriptions, the
author artfully describes the molt strategy of every North American bird
family. While perhaps not for the rank beginning birder, there is sufficient
information in this thorough compendium that anyone can thoughtfully apply
information from its contents to any bird observed in the field. Readers
will find that MOLT IN NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,
2010) will reveal far more about a bird than simply how and when it replaces
its feathers. This book is a valuable contribution to anyone wishing to know
more about birds than simply their name.
We highly recommend it.
IBA NEWS: U.N. RECOGNITION
For the first time the newly published "2010 UN Millennium Development
Goals" (MDGs) report profiles Important Bird Areas (IBAs) among the key
indicators for development. . The report presents an annual assessment of
global progress towards development goals, including indicators like the
proportion of children who are under-nourished, the incidence of malaria,
the level of women's rights, universal primary education, and access to
clean drinking water.
Goal 7 is to ensure environmental sustainability, and the MDG report uses
IBAs to measure the degree to which key habitats for threatened species are
adequately protected. In the report, it states that key habitats for
threatened species (including birds) are at risk. The report adds that while
some overall progress has been made, it is clearly uneven. The report
specifically points to areas where accelerated efforts are needed to meet
MDGs by 2015.
It recognizes that IBAs are critical sites for the conservation of the
world's birds and other biodiversity, and that protecting these areas would
significantly contribute to the Convention on Biological Diversity's target
to safeguard areas of biological importance. However, it makes clear that
"at present, more than two thirds of these sites are unprotected or only
partially protected. In addition, while certain areas may be officially
protected, this does not mean that they are adequately managed or that the
coverage provided is sufficient to effectively conserve critical habitats
and species."
You can find a summary of the MDG inclusion of IBAs here:
www.birdlife.org/news/news/2010/06/millennium-development-goals-ibas.html
You can also access the entire summary report here:
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mdg/Resources/Static/Products/Progress2010/MDG_Re
port_2010_En_low%20res.pdf
For additional information about worldwide IBA programs, and those across
the U.S., check the National Audubon Society's Important Bird Area program
web site at:
www.audubon.org/bird/iba/
A FINE SET OF U.S. MAPS
What is probably the most detailed national vegetation U.S. land-cover map
to date for the continental U.S. was released in mid-June by the U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS). The map will enable conservationists to identify
places in the Lower-48 States with sufficient habitat to support wildlife,
including birds. Produced by the USGS Gap Analysis Program (GAP), the maps
can be viewed online and even downloaded - in six parts - for free at:
www.gap.uidaho.edu/landcoverviewer.html
BICKNELL'S THRUSH PLAN RELEASED
The International Bicknell's Thrush Conservation Group (IBTCG), an alliance
of scientists, conservationists and governments, has released a plan to
protect one of our rarest songbirds - the Endangered Bicknell's Thrush -
across its entire range from Canada to the Caribbean.
You can read more and download a copy of the plan here:
www.birdlife.org/community/2010/07/bicknells-thrush-gets-a-conservation-acti
on-plan/
HUMMINGBIRD MIGRANT WONDER
Last month we described the new Western Hummingbird Partnership (WHP), and
the WHP action plan to build an effective and sustainable hummingbird
conservation program:
www.refugenet.org/birding/julSBC10.html#TOC02
What follows is a related hummingbird story.
On 13 January Fred Dietrich of Tallahassee, Florida, banded a female Rufous
Hummingbird at a yard near his home. The hummingbird was apparently born in
the summer of 2009.
Dietrich had been helping others band hummingbirds for about 10 years, but
he has only been banding on his own in Tallahassee for the past year or so.
He was well aware that Rufous Hummingbirds, western breeders, typically
spend the winter in Mexico, although they are increasingly being found
wintering in the southeastern U.S. and occasionally in southern California.
Accordingly, it was notable that he had banded this hummingbird, but not
extraordinary. He had banded Rufous Hummingbirds before.
What was extraordinary was the news he recently received. The female Rufous
Hummingbird that Dietrich banded on 13 January 2010 in Tallahassee was
recaptured by Kate McLaughlin on 28 June 2010 in Chenega Bay, Alaska! That's
about 3,530 miles away "as the hummingbird flies" - and it's hardly likely
that the migration route was in a straight line.
This record is the longest migration for any hummingbird that has ever been
documented. The bird was released alive and well in Alaska, and, with luck,
it could be preparing to head back to Florida again this winter.
The previous long-distance record was a was held by a Rufous Hummingbird
banded in Louisiana and found dead on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, a
distance of at least 2,200 miles.
While it has long been believed that Rufous Hummingbirds that winter in the
southeastern U.S. may come from as far away as Alaska, this is the first
time that bird-banders have been able to document the fact on both ends of
the migration route. Without banding much of our knowledge about hummingbird
migration would be mere speculation.
Fred Dietrich has posted some photos of this record-holding hummingbird that
he took when he banded the bird in January:
www.pbase.com/fdietrich/alaska
OPEN FIELDS OPEN UP
Although the delay by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in releasing
regulations and funding for the Open Fields portion of the 208 Farm Bill has
been disappointing, the wait is now over.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced in early July that the USDA is
now releasing funding for Open Fields (Voluntary Public Access and Habitat
Incentive Program), a new effort to encourage owners and operators of
privately held farm, ranch, and forest lands to provide public access to
their lands for wildlife-dependent activities.
Open Fields provides states $50 million in federal funds to create or
enhance voluntary public-access programs on private lands and encourages
landowners who enroll their properties to employ best-management practices
for fish and wildlife. Landowners can also receive a financial incentive in
exchange for opening lands to the public for outdoor recreation.
Open Fields has been driven mainly by the hunting and fishing communities,
but the benefits to birders, wildlife photographers, and hikers is obvious.
The conservation title of the Farm Bill is the nation's single-largest
source of federal funding for private-lands conservation programs, with
billions of dollars over the years having already been directed toward
landowner activities to sustain wildlife habitat and populations. The Open
Fields element of the Farm Bill is the first federal landowner incentive
program of its kind to enhance access for wildlife-dependent recreation.
You can find frequently asked questions about Open Fields from the Theodore
Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP):
www.trcp.org/issues/access/275.html
We have previously discussed Open Fields multiple times in the E-bulletin,
most recently in May:
www.refugenet.org/birding/maySBC10.html#TOC03
TIP OF THE MONTH: SHOREBIRD-TIME
Probably the best thing about the last part of the summer is that it marks
the time when most migratory shorebirds are winging their way toward what
will become their "wintering"quarters. They can be seen in large numbers and
in great variety at this time of year. If you live within ready driving
distance of most any coastal shoreline or large body of water, this is often
the best time of year to work on your shorebird ID skills.
We stressed this birding opportunity last July:
www.refugenet.org/birding/julSBC09.html#TOC06
And we'll stress it again.
Don't let the opportunity pass you by, and don't be discouraged from
experiencing what you might consider to be a confusing groups of birds.
Shorebirds are wonderful, even if you can't name every one that you see!
Get out there and have a look!
THIS MONTH'S QUIZ FOR A NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BIRD BOOK
To celebrate National Geographic's connection with the E-bulletin, we have
some fine National Geographic books to distribute to E-bulletin readers.
Readers who choose to enter our quick-and-easy contest have the chance to
win one of these books. Each of our quiz questions will either relate to one
of our news items for the previous month, or it will relate to some event or
experience that is due to occur during the current month.
For more on the excellent NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC books, see:
www.shopng.com/birdbooks
There will undoubtedly be multiple readers who answer our monthly question
correctly, so we will only be able to distribute five copies of our prize
book to readers whose names are picked at random from among those submitting
correct answers. Because of shipping constraints, only folks residing in the
U.S. or Canada are eligible.
The prize this month will be a copy of BIRD COLORATION by Geoffrey E. Hill.
This 256-page book, explores the spectacle and the science of bird
coloration with just the right mix of wonderful photos and artwork that you
have come to expect from a National Geographic publication on birds. For
more on this book, see here:
http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/ngs/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=62
00571
<http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/ngs/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=6
200571&code=MR20380> &code=MR20380
Question for this month:
What Alaskan-breeding shorebird holds the record for a non-stop migratory
flight?
Please send your answer by 15 August to:
Make the subject line "QUIZ! " and please include your full name and mailing
address along with your answer so that we can send you a book in the mail
should you be a fortunate winner. We will also provide readers the correct
answer next month.
Last month we asked: After whom was the Bonaparte's Gull named?
The answer: Charles Lucien Bonaparte (a French naturalist and ornithologist,
who happened to be a nephew of Emperor Napoleon and who spent a few years in
the U.S. where he studied birds and updated Alexander Wilson's AMERICAN
ORNITHOLOGY).
Last month's winners: Walter J. Berry (Narragansett, RI), Bradley
Cernohorsky (Baltimore, MD), Richard Kaiser (Phoenix, AZ), Tom Kastner
(Nantucket, MA), and Mike Rippey (Napa, CA)
- - - - - - - - -
You can access past E-bulletins on the National Wildlife Refuge Association
(NWRA) website:
www.refugenet.org/birding/birding5.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 our E-bulletin recipient list.
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