From: Paul J. Baicich [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Sunday, May 01, 2011 1:15 PM
To: Paul J. Baicich
Cc: Wayne R. Petersen
Subject: Birding Community E-bulletin - May 2011
THE BIRDING COMMUNITY E-BULLETIN
May 2011
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
[]
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
A fascinating gull was discovered on 9 April at Kalmus Beach in Hyannis, on
Cape Cod, Massachusetts by Keelin Miller. Though it was first thought to be
a Lesser Black-backed Gull, things didn't seem "quite right" for that
identification. The gull, which was an adult in breeding plumage, seemed
larger, chubbier, and paler-mantled than a typical Lesser Black-backed Gull.
The identification problem was compounded by the absence of any obvious
Lesser Black-backed Gulls for comparison. Following critical photo
examination and considerable discussion among birders, opinion leaned toward
the conclusion that the gull was actually a Yellow-legged Gull, a casual
visitor from Europe. Although the possibility of the gull being a hybrid
Lesser Black-backed X Herring was not completely discounted, opinion of most
experts seemed to favor Yellow-legged Gull as the most probable identity.
The Yellow-legged Gull is a vagrant from Europe, once considered a European
form of the Herring Gull. The species breeds on islands in the eastern
Atlantic Ocean, in western Europe, and in the Mediterranean to central Asia.
It winters south to the Persian Gulf and Indian subcontinent. If you are
unfamiliar with the species, consult a European field guide, the National
Geographic Guide (fifth edition) on pp. 206-207, the "big" Sibley on page
207, or the new Stokes guide on pp. 320-321.
Yellow-legged Gulls are rare but annual winter visitors to parts of Atlantic
Canada (e.g., St. John's, Newfoundland), but they are even rarer anywhere in
the U.S. There are now convincing reports for a number of locations,
including Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and
Washington, DC.
The gull was very cooperative in the area of Kalmus Beach until the morning
of 18 April, when it was last reported. To see photos of the bird taken by
Peter Trimble, see:
www.flickr.com/photos/pbtrimble/sets/72157626486857850/detail/
MORE FINDINGS ON LEAD AND CONDORS
There are approximately 200 California Condors in the wild today (California
97, Arizona 73 and Baja California 20), and some of these belong to
"experimental populations." Despite serious management efforts to reduce
California Condors to the risk of lead exposure, they continue to be
accidentally poisoned on a regular basis.
In March, findings presented at the annual meeting of the Society of
Toxicology held in Washington DC, confirmed the fact that lead continues to
be a primary factor limiting the survival of California Condors in the wild.
In a cooperative study conducted by scientists from the University of
California at Santa Cruz (UCSC), the University of Wyoming, the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service, it was concluded that
ammunition was the most plausible source of this lead exposure.
This study examined 70 blood samples collected from 49 free-flying condors
in California. The blood analysis was compared to an examination of 71
lead-based ammunition samples. Employing a technique called lead isotopic
composition analysis, the researchers identified the chemical fingerprint of
the lead found in condor blood and concluded that about 90 percent of
free-flying condors have been exposed to lead-based ammunition.
"For over 100 years we have known that condors can be poisoned when they eat
carcasses shot with lead bullets, although facets of the hunting lobby
remain unconvinced," said Myra Finkelstein of USCS. "Our findings help
refute some of their claims."
Not only did the lead in condor blood match ammunition samples, the study
also revealed that toxic lead has a larger impact than previously thought.
For example, even at low levels, lead inhibits an important enzyme
responsible for making red blood cells in condors. Even in California
Condors with low lead levels in their blood, the enzyme's activity was
inhibited by 60 percent.
Large-game carcasses, such as mortally wounded deer and elk which evade
hunters to die in the wild, and gut-piles left when an animal is cleaned in
the field (often with splayed tiny lead particles deposited when a bullet
hits the animal) can leave lead behind. These bullets or tiny lead fragments
may then be consumed by the condors.
Other findings also point to a persistent lead problem for condors. For
example, in 2009 almost half of the condors monitored at one California
release site (i.e., Pinnacles National Monument) received clinical treatment
for lead poisoning.
Hopefully, these findings may encourage broader concern and stronger
compliance with a fairly recent lead-bullet ban in a broad zone across
California within areas covering the condor's historic range. Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger signed the Ridley-Tree Condor Preservation Act (AB 821) into
law in October, 2007. The bill went into effect on 1 July 2008, banning the
use of lead bullets within condor territory, however it seems to be poorly
enforced, reportedly due to a lack of funding. See the November 2007
E-bulletin for more details on AB 821:
www.refugenet.org/birding/novSBC07.html#TOC12
To find a recent story on the current condor-and-lead situation, see:
www.gtweekly.com/santa-cruz-news/santa-cruz-environmental-news/2323-will-hun
ters-have-to-bite-the-bullet-.html
POSSIBLE BIRD SEED CONTAMINATION: NOT TO WORRY
Last month, the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) announced the results of a
study to test the safety of popular wild bird seed. The laboratory analysis
showed that all the tested seed was either free from pesticides or fell
below levels that would threaten bird health.
The study involved samples taken from four different supply sources across
the country: Home Depot, Lowe's, Target, and Walmart. The bird seed was
randomly purchased from those stores and then tested at the California Food
Safety Laboratory at the University of California, Davis. The laboratory
conducted detailed analyses over many months. The investigation was
specifically checking for harmful pesticides, such as organophosphate and
carbamate insecticides.
"We wanted to make sure that the isolated problem cases in the past were
indeed behind us, and as far as we can tell, that is the case. The bird seed
producers seem to be doing a good job of producing a safe product," said Dr.
Moira McKernan, Director of ABC's Pesticides and Birds Program.
For more details, see here:
www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/releases/110414.html
THAT ALBATROSS NESTING ON MIDWAY
We reported last month that 110,000 Laysan and Black-footed Albatross chicks
at Midway NWR perished as a result of the tsunami in early March which were
combined with two severe winter storms in January and February. At least
2,000 adults were also killed.
During this time, the status of Midway's one pair of rare Short-tailed
Albatrosses raising a chick was unknown. It turns out that as a result of
the tsunami, the chick had been washed approximately 100 feet from its nest,
but was later successfully returned by refuge staff. However, the chick's
parents were not to be seen in the aftermath of the tsunami. It was hoped
that the adults were simply spending an extended period at sea before
returning to Midway to feed their youngster. Finally, and with considerable
relief on the part of officials, the male Short-tailed Albatross was seen
feeding its chick on 23 April.
Here are our reports from January:
www.refugeassociation.org/birding/JanSBC11.html#TOC02
and from April:
http://www.refugenet.org/birding/aprsbc11.html#TOC03
FEDERAL CONSERVATION & BIRD SPENDING RESULTS FOR FY11
The federal budget battle and bird conservation were discussed in the
E-bulletion in March and April:
www.refugenet.org/birding/marsbc11.html#TOC05
www.refugenet.org/birding/aprsbc11.html#TOC06
The final FY2011 spending bill, enacted on 15 April, was devastating to
bird-related conservation issues, but fortunately less drastic than in
earlier proposed versions (e.g., H.R. 1).
Essential programs, such as the funding for the North American Wetland
Conservation Act (NAWCA), the State Wildlife Grants, and the Land and Water
Conservation Fund (LWCF) were initially recommended for elimination, or
drastic reductions, in the original House-passed H.R.1. Instead, they were
"only" drastically slashed, with some of these and similar programs
receiving cuts of one-third the 2010 levels.
Consider these numbers:
The North American Wetlands Conservation Fund ended up at $37.5
million, down 21 percent from FY10 ($47.65 million), but up from $0,
proposed in the original H.R. 1.
The State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program is to be funded at $62
million - a reduction of 31 percent from 2010 (i.e., $90 million) and the
lowest level for the program in its 10-year history. This is up from $0
proposed in H.R. 1.
Funding for LWCF was put at $301 million - a 33-percent reduction from
last year, but up from $244 million proposed in H.R. 1.
The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act was reduced to $4
million, a reduction of 20 percent from $5 million last year.
The Wetlands Reserve Program, a crucial Farm Bill element, is reduced
$119 million from FY10.
EQIP, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, is reduced $80
million from last year.
The Conservation Stewardship Program, another USDA effort, is reduced
$39 million.
At the agency level, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
will have to function with a $118-million drop in its overall operations
budget.
Most of the anti-conservation riders originally attached to H.R. 1 were
removed from the final bill. This includes one that would have undercut the
Environmental Protection Agency's efforts to restore protections for certain
wetlands and streams. Still, the final budget bill includes language that
would undermine EPA's efforts to reduce pollution from mountaintop coal
mining and mercury emissions from power plants; stop the BLM's new Wild
Lands Policy (issued in late December and clarifying how BLM lands with
wilderness characteristics are to be inventoried, described, and managed);
and remove gray wolves from Endangered Species protection in a number of
states.
With the battle over FY2011 ended, deep concern mounts over how drastic the
budget cuts might be for FY 2012.
For more details, see this summary from the Wildlife Management Institute:
www.wildlifemanagementinstitute.org/index.php?option=com_content
<http://www.wildlifemanagementinstitute.org/index.php?option=com_content&vie
w=article&id=521:conservation-programs-dodge-cuts-in-budget&catid=34:ONB%20A
rticles&Itemid=54>
&view=article&id=521:conservation-programs-dodge-cuts-in-budget&catid=34:ONB
%20Articles&Itemid=54
IBA NEWS: SKAGGS ISLAND SECURED FOR BAY-AREA CONSERVATION
For over 50 years, Skaggs Island was a secret and secure naval base,
involved in communications and intelligence functions for the U.S. Navy and
other federal intelligence organizations. Skaggs Island is located 40 miles
northeast of San Francisco, California, near the shore of San Pablo Bay in
Sonoma County.
The 3,310-acre site was purchased by the Navy in 1941 and closed in 1993,
although high-frequency antennas continued to be used for some time after
the official closing.
The island is also one of the largest diked wetlands in the North Bay. The
combination of an abandoned federal facility and a complex of wetlands and
associated other habitats made Skaggs Island an ideal candidate for
conservation. In 2008, Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) intervened with
legislation when the Navy and the USFWS failed to agree on transfer
conditions and when it appeared that the property might end up going to bid
for alternate uses. As a result, the property was able to be transferred
from the Navy to the USFWS to enlarge the nearby San Pablo Bay National
Wildlife Refuge, part of a larger, already existing IBA site.
In 2010, the U.S. Navy demolished more than 100 structures and completed an
extensive environmental cleanup of the site, and in late March of this year
the final documents were signed to transfer Skaggs Island to the Service.
The site will increase the size of the 13,000-acre San Pablo Bay National
Wildlife Refuge by a quarter, and will add a much-needed haven in the North
Bay for birds and other wildlife. Skaggs Island is essential to San Pablo
Bay wetlands restoration because it is the center of the hydrology through
which other restoration projects, totaling over 30,000 acres, can be
connected. It will link San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge with the Napa
Sonoma Marshes State Wildlife Area and numerous other natural marshes and
wetland restoration sites currently managed by the California Department of
Fish and Game and the Sonoma Land Trust.
"Skaggs Island is a missing piece of the puzzle for restoration in the North
Bay, and we're excited to see it become part the refuge," said Don Brubaker,
manager of the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
The San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge itself was created in 1974 to
protect migratory birds, wetland habitat, and certain birds, such as the
"California" Clapper Rail and what may be the largest population of
wintering Canvasbacks on the West Coast. You can find details on the San
Pablo Bay wetlands IBA here:
http://iba.audubon.org/iba/viewSiteProfile.do?siteId=155
<http://iba.audubon.org/iba/viewSiteProfile.do?siteId=155&navSite=stat>
&navSite=stat
For additional information about worldwide IBA programs, including those
across the U.S., check the National Audubon Society's Important Bird Area
program web site at:
www.audubon.org/bird/iba/
HELPING PARROTS IN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY
The Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas has the only accepted established and
countable wild populations of Red-crowned Parrots and Green Parakeets in the
U.S. (with some outlier released populations in Florida and California).
With winter freezes, increasing development, and new landscape practices in
South Texas, the parrots and parakeets are losing some of their roosting,
feeding, and, nesting sites which tend to be in cavities in dead palm trees.
A plan, starting in Harlingen and led by the RGV Birding Festival and the
Arroyo Colorado Audubon Society, is aimed at increasing nesting sites,
promoting a local ordinance protecting the birds, and conducting surveys to
better understand distribution, population size, and behavior. The local
ordinance is currently being drafted, the survey implemented, and novel
nesting cavities created.
To see a fine story on a very different sort of cavity-nesting project,
check:
www.rgvbf.org/2011/04/the-great-palm-raising-saga/
TIP OF THE MONTH: DON'T BE AFRAID OF A RAINY DAY!
At this time of year, when spring migration is foremost in the mind of many
birders, don't be disappointed if there's the prospect of rain in the
forecast. While it's true that rainy weather can put a damper on certain
outdoor activities, it's also a fact that a light drizzle or misty
conditions, especially when combined with warm temperatures, can produce
some outstanding birding opportunities. Since most songbirds tend to migrate
at night, foggy, misty, or light rain tends to force migrants down from
their overhead nocturnal journeys, occasionally in spectacular numbers. So
rather than postpone a day's birding because of less than propitious
conditions, go birding anyway. You may be delightfully surprised by what you
see and how much you find, even if you get wet while searching.
WHSRN: A QUARTER CENTURY OF IDENTIFYING VITAL SITES
During the mid-1980s, observers across the Americas were beginning to record
serious population declines in many shorebird populations. As a result, a
conservation initiative called the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve
Network (WHSRN) was launched in 1986. The first officially designated WHRSN
site in the U.S. was Delaware Bay. Since then, WHSRN has proceeded with the
simple strategy of trying to identify and protect key shorebird habitats
throughout the Americas. The WHSRN program has currently identified 84
critically important sites in 13 countries, extending from Alaska in the
north to Tierra del Fuego in southern South America. For a complete history
and background of WHSRN, see here:
www.whsrn.org/about-whsrn/history-background
On 9 May, WHSRN will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its first site of
Hemispheric Importance, the Delaware Bay.
With this event in mind, Charles Duncan, Director of WHSRN's Executive
Office, recently remarked, "The Network has increased awareness about
shorebirds and their habitats and cooperation among agencies and member
sites. But on its 25th anniversary we must also recognize that the habitats
and coastlines that shorebirds depend on are increasingly threatened.
Populations of many species are now only a small fraction of what they were
when WHSRN was founded. This celebration must also mark a recommitment to
conserving these magnificent birds, for their benefit and for ours."
A number of organizations are celebrating the anniversary on the Delaware
Bay, and distinguished guests expected to attend include the former U.S.
House member for Delaware, Michael Castle. Castle was Delaware's governor at
the time Delaware Bay was designated as the network's first site. Henry M.
Paulson, Jr., ardent conservationist and the 74th Secretary of the U.S.
Treasury, will deliver the keynote address at the event.
WHIMBREL TRAVELS: "HOPE"
Also on the subject of shorebirds and their migrations, it may be
particularly instructive to follow the travels of just a single Whimbrel, a
bird nicknamed "Hope."
Hope is a female Whimbrel that was captured in Virginia on the southern
Delmarva Peninsula on 19 May 2009. There, she was banded and fitted with a
satellite transmitter. Since then, Hope has logged more than 21,000 miles
(33,000 kilometers), flying between a remote Canadian breeding territory on
the MacKenzie River (an IBA site, by the way) near Alaska and a comfortable
winter territory on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands!
Last month, on 8 April, Hope returned to Virginia following a 75-hour,
1,850-mile (2,900 kilometer) flight over the Atlantic Ocean. For more
details and to see a fascinating route map showing Hope's journeys, see
here:
www.fws.gov/northeast/news/2011/041411.html
BOOK NOTES: BIRDING UPSIDE-DOWN
All the ads say that THE CROSSLEY ID GUIDE will turn birding upside-down. It
may do that for you, or perhaps it won't. Regardless, this new book will get
you to take a thoughtful look at a unique way to present bird identification
to the public. This guide, currently only to Eastern birds, consists of 640
photographic scenes, each created with superimposed individual bird photos,
with a different scene for each species. The bird images were lifted and
enhanced from about 10,000 photographs (all taken by author, Richard
Crossley), and creatively presented in their most likely to be encountered
habitats. For example, most gulls are shown on shorelines, storm-petrels at
sea, swifts in the air, meadowlarks in short grasses, and Cattle Egrets in
fields following cattle. The presentation is both novel and very helpful,
verifying the old saying that a good picture is worth a thousand words. Most
plumage variations - sex, age, and season - are shown, and shown well. And
to keep the reader sharp and guessing, some are unlabeled on purpose.
Some readers may liken the page layouts to musuem-oriented dioramas; others
may feel the need to slip on a set of 3-D glasses; and still others will
find each page simply a delight to behold. You'll have to see this book to
be the judge.
The text and maps are good, but most readers will probably buy this book for
the images, not for its other features.
The mere size and weight of the book - even bigger and heftier than the
popular "Big Sibley," and weighing in at 3 pounds, 9 ounces - will make
carrying it in the field bit of a chore.In fairness, however, a book with
such a unique approach couldn't be any smaller or much lighter in weight.
Our guess, however, is that Richard Crossley's new guide will certainly
travel into the field, at least finding a place on the car seat or in the
glove box on many a trip.
FEDERAL JUNIOR DUCK STAMP CONTEST
Abraham Hunter, a 17-year-old student from Vienna, Illinois, won the Federal
Junior Duck Stamp Contest held on 15 April. Hunter's winning picture was a
striking image of a pair of Ring-necked Ducks. The contest was held at the
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, within a mile of the
Philadelphia International Airport. Several hundred school students and
local Philadelphia residents were in attendance for the contest.
To see the top three images and a list of the runners-up visit:
www.fws.gov/juniorduck/results11.htm
THE QUIZ FOR A NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BIRD BOOK
Here's our quick-and-easy quiz for the month where you have a chance to win
a quality National Geographic publication. Each monthly quiz question will
relates either to one of our previous news items, or it will pertain to an
event or experience that is scheduled to occur during the current or coming
month.
For more on NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC bird books, see:
www.shopng.com/birdbooks
This month, we will give away three books to E-bulletin readers whose names
are picked at random from among those submitting correct answers. Due to
shipping constraints, only folks residing in the U.S. or Canada are eligible
to win.
Last month's question: What long-billed, cryptic, and early-migrant Eastern
shorebird, somewhat secretive and nocturnal, is experiencing declining
population due to presumed habitat loss?
The answer for last month: American Woodcock.
Last month's three copies of the ILLUSTRATED BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA (the
folio edition of the National Geographic guide) were won by Robert Doster
(Chico, California), Mary Harper (Margate, New Jersey), and Chris Welsh
(Knoxville, Tennessee). Congratulations to these winners.
The prize for May will be a copy of the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BACKYARD GUIDE
TO THE BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA by Jonathan Alderfer and Paul Hess. This new
book was reviewed in April:
www.refugenet.org/birding/aprsbc11.html#TOC10
You can find more details on the book here:
http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/ngs/product/birding-books/national-geogra
phic-backyard-guide-to-the-birds-of-north-america
This month's question: Delaware Bay annually hosts thousands of shorebirds
every May as they stop to feed on horseshoe crab eggs on their way to their
Arctic breeding grounds. What are the four most predominant shorebird
species in these annual late spring stopover concentrations?
Please send your answer by 15 May to:
Make the subject line "QUIZ! " and please include your full name and mailing
address along with your answer so that we can mail you a book should you be
a fortunate winner. We will also provide the correct answer next month.
- - - - - - - - -
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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