I am delighted to see all this interest in the Wood Thrush. I have been awarded a fellowship from TogetherGreen to help conserve the Wood Thrush in Washington DC. I chose the Wood Thrush because 1) it is the official bird of Washington DC, 2) it has lost over half its population range-wide over the past 45 years (according to the Breeding Bird Survey), 3) it requires good forest habitat on both the breeding and wintering grounds, and 4) it is still widespread as a breeder in DC even though DC populations have dropped by a lot.

The next step for my project is a Bird Blitz in Rock Creek, Fort DuPont, and Glover-Archbold Parks, all in DC. The Bird Blitz -- designed by Dave Curson of Audubon Maryland/DC -- is focused on mapping breeding locations for all bird species of high conservation priority, which in the case of DC are primarily forest-interior breeders like the Wood Thrush.

Today is beginning of the official "safe dates" for most forest interior birds in Maryland and DC; thus, it is the official beginning of Bird Blitz season. ("Safe dates" begin after all the spring migrants of a particular species have passed through; all remaining individuals of that species can be assumed to be local breeders -- until the fall migrants start coming through.) I am planning to wrap up the DC Bird Blitz by the end of June, primarily because most birds stop singing by then and family groups may wander widely.

I have divided up Rock Creek Park into 10 Bird Blitz routes. Glover-Archbold is one fairly short route. Fort DuPont can be covered in one to three routes. These routes can probably all be done in two hours or less, but they should all be done as early as possible in the morning and certainly be completed before 10 a.m.

Given the concerns already voiced here, I am asking participants to keep their eyes open for all mammals, snakes, predatory birds, and cowbirds and to think about other threats to forest-interior breeding birds in the areas where they are still nesting.

Contact me if you'd like to participate -- either on your own or with me. I will be going out every Saturday morning between now and the end of June and at least one other day of the week -- probably either Tuesday or Wednesday.

Greg Butcher
Director of Bird Conservation
National Audubon Society
1150 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 600
Washington DC 20036
Phone -- 202-600-7966
Gbutcher AT audubon.org
2010 TogetherGreen Fellow

They need the sanctuary of the forest for a home
Where the Wood Thrush is singing
So raise a voice in harmony
We'll see what can be done
So the Wood Thrush will always be singing
--Mike Nobel

Visit www.woodthrush.org

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