Dear friends, conservationists and birders
On May 7th, 2011, the Maryland-DC IBA Birdathon team of Audubon staff and friends will reconvene for this year's Big Day to raise funds for bird conservation at Maryland's best bird sites. The team, made up of Dave Curson and David Yeany II of Audubon Maryland-DC and David Ziolkowski and Mikey Lutmerding, birders extraordinaire, will cover much of Maryland to find as many bird species as possible in a 24-hour period. Upto 200 species are possible!  You can make a pledge to our Birdathon at http://mddc.audubon.org/
IBAs are sites of critical importance for birds and the Important Bird Areas Program is working hard for bird conservation at these sites across Maryland. Our actions over the past year have included:
1) Implementing a salt marsh bird survey across Maryland and Virginia, as part of a regional project to identify the most important areas for salt marsh birds in the NE U.S. Results will be used to assist conservation planning for species like Saltmarsh Sparrow and Black Rail.  As I write, David Yeany and his crew have just begun surveys in the field!
2) Working to protect bird habitat in IBAs by incorporating these sites into land use planning and opposing damaging development proposals such as the MAPP powerline pathway and the Cross County Connector highway, each of which would cut through Mattawoman Creek IBA in Charles County, home to a diverse community of forest-interior birds.
3) Identifying 9 new IBAs, including Youghiogheny Valley IBA in Garrett County, Maryland Blue Ridge IBA (Frederick and Washington Counties), and Susquahanna River IBA (Harford and Cecil Counties).  Thanks are due to our IBA Technical Review Committee for their dedicated help with this process.
4) Engaging birders as "citizen scientists" to do Bird Blitz surveys. In 2010, 26 volunteers completed 40 bird surveys at some of the best bird sites in Maryland, providing the data needed to determine whether these sites qualify as IBAs. Volunteers include many of you receiving this e-mail. Bird Blitz will continue in 2011 - stay tuned!
5)  Hosting a dedication ceremony at Mattawoman Creek in Charles County in August 2010.  IBA dedication events, attended by elected officials, landowners and the media, present a great opportunity to publicize bird conservation and to build working relationships with land managers who are doing the right thing for the environment.
Click here   http://mddc.audubon.org/files/Audubon%20Maryland-DC/documents/2011IBANewsletter.pdf  to see the Spring 2011 IBA newsletter and read more about our current and recent conservation work.
The Maryland-DC IBA Program is 100% supported by grants and donations. We need your help to continue to protect Maryland's most important places for birds.
Please sponsor our Birdathon team by going to our website at http://mddc.audubon.org/  We will produce a write up of our big birding day for all who sponsor us.

Thank you for your support for the birds.

Happy birding!

David Curson and David Yeany II

David Curson, PhD
Director of Bird Conservation,
Audubon Maryland-DC.
2901 E. Baltimore St,
Baltimore, MD  21224
Tel: (410) 558 2473.
E-mail: 



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