From: Paul J. Baicich [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, August 02, 2011 4:11 PM
To: Paul J. Baicich
Cc: Wayne R. Petersen
Subject: Birding Community E-Bulletin - August 2011
THE BIRDING COMMUNITY E-BULLETIN
August 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.
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
Our rarity for July is Little Stint. This is a shorebird that breeds along
the northern coast of Eurasia, from Scandinavia east to north-central
Siberia. The species winters from the Mediterranean region and Africa to
India. There have been about 90 accepted reports for North America since the
first Little Stint was recorded here in 1961. About half of all reports have
been from Alaska, the rest nearly equally split between Atlantic and Pacific
coasts, but also a few from interior locations.
If you are unfamiliar with the species, which is often difficult to
distinguish from another rarity, the Red-necked Stint, either check a
European field guide or a North American guide, such as National Geographic
(page 182-3), the "Big" Sibley (page 188), Stokes (page 261) or Crossley
(page 179).
This past month, four Little Stints drew the attention of birders, all on
the West Coast. Three were in California; one was in British Columbia.
On 6 July Lucas Brug found a breeding plumaged individual (initially
identified as Red-necked Stint) at the Alexandre Dairy, north of Crescent
City in Del Norte County, California. The bird was observed for two days.
Here are photos taken by Alan Barron:
www.westernfieldornithologists.org/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-397
and
John Sterling:
http://sterlingbirds.smugmug.com/California-Birds-1/Recent-Photos/12219377_p
hGMY#1374990685_gT4b58f
Then on 15 July, another Little Stint, brighter plumaged than the Del Norte
County bird, was found in early afternoon at the Davis Wetlands, a water
treatment plant in Yolo County. This bird was seen by numerous observers
until the afternoon of 17 July.
Next, on 18 July Peter Hamel and Margo Hearne reported an adult Little Stint
in breeding plumage at Sandspit, Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands),
British Columbia.
Finally, on 23 July, Kimball Garrett and Kathy Molina found a
brightly-colored adult Little Stint at Piute Ponds (Los Angeles County) in
the South (Ducks Unlimited) Ponds on Edwards Air Force Base. The shorebird
was also reported for the following two days.
The fact that three of these four rare birds were located in California is
interesting, since the state boasts only about 10 previously accepted
records, the first in 1983.
A few comments about the access issues associated for the California birds
may also be instructive. For the first Little Stint, birders were told to
ask for permission from the Alexandre Dairy office to gain access if they
wished to walk the edge of the pond. At the Davis Wetlands, the Public Works
Department of Davis regularly allows access from 7am to 1pm through a
closed, but not latched, gate. Access to the Piute Ponds on Edwards Air
Force Base requires a letter of permission, although a visitor with a letter
is allowed to bring in three other visitors in the same vehicle.
California birders are fortunate to have access to such areas, since this is
often not the case in many other situations.
BIRD-CONSERVATION CUTTERS: THEY'RE BAAACK!
On 12 July, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee passed a fiscal year
2012 (FY12) Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill (H.R. 2584) that
included devastating cuts to agency spending and key bird conservation
programs, along with calling for policy riders restricting environmental
protection. It reached the House where some changes were made, but resolving
the bill was then delayed, a byproduct of the debate over the debt ceiling.
Regardless, the trend is becoming disturbingly routine, with an apparent
frenzy to slash spending.
A quick review of some of the programs proposed for cutting is warranted.
Comparisons here are not with the current year's budget (FY11), which we
covered in the April issue, but instead are compared with those of FY10.
(Again, there were some changes, once the bill reached the House floor, and
those are indicated below.) The FY12/FY10 comparisons are shocking,
especially for those programs that have proven their worth year after year:
North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA)
$20 million, compared to $47.6 million
in FY10
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)
Started at $66.8 million, but pushed up
to $81.8 million from the House floor, compared to $266 million in FY10
State Wildlife Grants
$22 million, compared to $90 million in
FY10
Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act
Zero - yes, $0 - compared to $5 million
in FY10
In addition, the Fish and Wildlife Service had initially been forbidden from
listing new species or any new critical habitat, but this was removed by
action from the floor. Still, among other remaining restrictions, the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would be prevented from finalizing
guidance to clarify Clean Water Act protection for some wetlands and
streams, would discontinue rule-making on mountaintop mining, and would stop
the agency from using the Clean Air Act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Climate change mitigation and adaption activities within the Interior
Department and the EPA would be cut 22 percent.
In the specific area of National Wildlife Refuges, H.R. 2584, if passed as
currently amended, might very well necessitate the closure of 140 NWRs.
Lest you think that volunteers might be encouraged to step in to make up for
some of the losses, the Appropriations Committee would cut the brand new,
and very economical, National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer program that
coordinates the activities of local volunteers, nonprofit organizations, and
others. That budget would be reduced to a mere $1.7 million, a 15 percent
cut from this current year. (We couldn't compare numbers to FY10, because
the new program didn't exist then.)
The onslaught continues, and the bill may make a House reappearance in some
form in September.
LWCF FUNDING WIDELY SUPPORTED BY THE PUBLIC
There is some good bird-conservation news, at least on the public-opinion
front.
In mid-July, two polling firms - one Democratic, one Republican - partnered
to complete a national survey of voters to measure public support for the
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). LWCF, using a portion of revenue
from offshore oil and gas drilling fees, has traditionally been used to
conserve land for parks, wildlife refuges, forests, rivers, trails, and
other important federal, state, and local public lands, many of which are
vital bird habitats.
The July polling showed overwhelming support for LWCF, support that cuts
across party and demographic lines, despite deep voter anxiety about the
economy and federal budget. Here are some findings of note:
85% of Americans support full funding ($900 million per year)
for LWCF.
88% of Americans oppose future diversions of funding that has
been committed to LWCF.
60% of Americans agree that money diverted from LWCF in the past
should be repaid over time.
Among those in support of continued funding were:
93% of Democrats, 87% of Independents, and 83% of Republicans.
95% of Latinos, 88% of Whites, and 85% of African Americans.
For more details, see:
http://lwcfcoalition.org/files/LWCF%20Press%20Release%20National%20Poll.pdf
MORE URBAN TREATY FUNDING
Since there is still some bird funding available in this year's budget, in
mid-July it was announced that $650,000 would be going to ten locales for
Urban Conservation Treaties for Migratory Birds.
The cities of Phoenix (Arizona), Kennedale (Texas), Minneapolis and St. Paul
(Minnesota), Indianapolis (Indiana), Opelika (Alabama), Hartford
(Connecticut), Ogden (Utah), Lewistown (Montana), San Francisco
(California), and Washington, D.C. each will receive up to $70,000 in
challenge grants. These cities and their partners will specifically work to
increase awareness of the value of migratory birds and their habitats,
especially their intrinsic, ecological, recreational, and economic
significance.
In addition, existing Urban Bird Treaty in Chicago (Illinois), Houston
(Texas), Portland (Oregon), St. Louis (Missouri), Nashville (Tennessee),
Anchorage (Alaska), Philadelphia (Pennsylvania). and New York (New York)
will receive a grant of $10,000.00.
For more information, see here:
www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/Partnerships/UrbanTreaty/UrbanTreaty.html
BIRD-SAFE BUILDINGS IN SAN FRANCISCO
Here's a related development in the area of urban birds. In mid-July, the
San Francisco Planning Commission approved new Bird Safe Building Standards
which will greatly reduce bird deaths and injuries resulting from collisions
with buildings in the city. The 38-page standards manual passed by a 5-1
vote. These measures provide provisions for safer windows, better night
lighting, and safer construction of wind turbines in urban environments.
The guidelines divide parts of San Francisco into "Blue" and "Green" zones,
depending on the degree of risk that projects in those areas might pose to
birds. In the Blue Zone, compliance with the guidelines will be mandatory.
(These would be areas located near bird nesting and feeding sites, in
fog-prone areas, along migration paths and resting areas, or in districts
that are zoned to allow tall buildings.) In lower-risk Green Zones, the
guidelines only call for voluntary compliance for reducing risks to birds.
Taken together, these efforts could prevent hundreds of thousands of manmade
bird deaths and could contribute to making San Francisco a leader in the
effort to reverse trends of increasing bird mortality.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors will consider the complete proposal
during its late summer meeting.
For more details, see the press release by Golden Gate Audubon and the
American Bird Conservancy:
www.goldengateaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/110715-Planning-Commission-Appr
oves-New-Bird.pdf
To access the guidelines themselves, see here:
www.sf-planning.org/index.aspx?page=2506
ACCESS MATTERS: VIEWING KIRTLAND'S WARBLERS
We mentioned birder access in the rarity of the month account above, but a
notable experience that ended for the season last month warrants special
consideration.
From mid-May to early July, Kirtland's Warbler viewing in central Michigan
has been facilitated through a long-term partnership. As a result, visitors
can safely observe this rare and Endangered species under ideal
circumstances. Last month, the guided Kirtland's Warbler tour-season run
cooperatively by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest
Service, and Michigan Audubon Society, closed on the Fourth of July weekend,
having guided over 800 observers through the season. These breeding-season
guided trips were extraordinarily successful in showing participants singing
male Kirtland's Warblers on territory.
The popular tours have been run by the Forest Service since 1966 (even
before the Endangered Species Act) and by the Fish and Wildlife Service
since 1974. The USFWS and Michigan Audubon run two tours a day out of
Grayling, Michigan; the Forest Service runs one a day out of Mio, Michigan.
The yearly visitation over the last decade has averaged 1,050 visitors.
These programs are ideally suited to welcome visitors, to educate them about
the habitat and management needs of this rare songbird, and to make
accommodation available to both dedicated birders and the curious public
alike. Instead of keeping people away from an Endangered Species (a reality
for some species and at some other sites), people are welcomed and
encouraged to view Kirtland's Warblers in their Jack pine habitat.
The public, both local and visiting, has been won over by this effort, and
the regional economy, including local commerce and forestry-oriented,
benefit by working to save the Kirtland's Warbler.
Controlled visitation is the key to balanced and responsible management and
conservation.
It's a win-win-win-win situation - for the warblers, for visitors, for
habitat managers, and for locals.
Land-and-wildlife managers and birders alike would do well to to carefully
consider the Kirtland's Warbler access experience, the cumulative lessons
entailed and the public's response. It's one way that controlled access
leads to other benefits. A review of this policy is especially important in
these times of shrinking budgets, since the value of these types of tours
are, if anything, underappreciated.
Finally, indications are that Kirtland's Warblers had another fine nesting
season in 2011. Preliminary numbers suggest that it was a record year, with
singing males probably approaching 1,850 birds. We'll report on the official
numbers once they are released.
IOWA DNR PROHIBITS LEAD SHOT IN DOVE HUNTING
We've followed the lead issue in many issues of the E-bulletin, including
most recently in May when it concerned California Condors:
www.refugenet.org/birding/maysbc11.html#TOC02
Now there are new developments. In mid-July, the Iowa Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) approved the first dove-hunting season in the state since
1918, but at the same time prohibited the use of lead ammunition for this
activity.
The dove season from 1 September to 9 November will allow for the harvest of
15 doves per day - either Mourning Doves or Eurasian Collared-Doves. The
commissioners added the requirement that hunters use only non-toxic shot
while hunting doves anywhere in the state.
As noted in previous issues of the E-bulletin, lead is highly toxic and
dangerous to wildlife, even at low levels. Exposure, often through ingestion
of pellets, can result in loss of coordination, nerve damage, acute
poisoning, and death. Long-term impacts in birds and other wildlife may also
include mental impairment, reduced reproduction, and damage to neurological
development.
IBA NEWS: STELLWAGEN BANK IN THE NEWS
NOAA's Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (SBNMS) off the coast of
Massachusetts and the Government of Bermuda have recently pledged
cooperation on scientific and educational programs to better protect the
endangered North Atlantic humpback whale population. This is good news for
whale conservation since Bermuda is strategically situated between SBNMS and
its sister sanctuary in the Dominican Republic. SBNMS encompasses 842 square
miles of ocean, stretching between Cape Ann and Cape Cod and is one of the
few totally marine IBAs in North America. Renowned for its remarkable
productivity, more than 53 species of seabirds utilize the sanctuary,
resulting in its designation as an official Massachusetts IBA.
Beginning this summer, regular seabird monitoring using trained volunteers
posted aboard both public whale-watching boats and periodic dedicated survey
cruises is being implemented to gather baseline seabird data to augment
similar information gathered in the 1990s. In light of anticipated changes
in ocean temperature and other characteristics due to climate change, this
monitoring effort is aimed at proving valuable baseline data against which
to measure future changes in avian distribution and abundance.
To learn more about Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, see:
http://stellwagen.noaa.gov
and
www.massaudubon.org/Birds_and_Birding/IBAs/site_summary.php?getsite=64
For additional information about IBA programs worldwide, including those
across the U.S., check the National Audubon Society's Important Bird Area
program web site at:
www.audubon.org/bird/iba/\ <http://www.audubon.org/bird/iba/>
TIP OF THE MONTH: KEEP IT QUIET
Picture this: You hear about a rare hummingbird in your area - say a
Calliope Hummingbird if you live in the East, or a Violet-crowned
Hummingbird anywhere away from the Southwest - and you arrive at the
backyard of an amiable feeder-host where the hummer regularly visits. By the
time you show up in mid-morning, you join a small group of early birders who
were fortunate enough to have seen the bird just a few minutes before you
got there. You walk up just in time to see them exchanging high-fives and
comparing notes on their views or photographs. You are all on the patio, not
far from the set of feeders where more common hummingbirds still visit to
feed. But as time goes by, those luckier birders ahead of you seem to lose
concentration and start animated discussions about the experiences they had
last week while shorebirding, or the best places locally to pick up a good
lunch sandwich. It's bad enough that they are no longer paying attention -
indeed, they don't seem to notice that the other hummingbirds are coming in
with less frequency, yet the volume of their conversation is increasing and
is distressing.
Under such circumstances, it is important to keep quiet, to tone down verbal
exchanges, or perhaps even put a lid on verbal dialogue, if for no other
reason than to increase the odds that the bird in question might actually
find it safe to re-appear. Indeed, those who have seen the bird should keep
quiet or simply consider moving on. In fact, an ideal spot in view of the
feeders might serve another birder better, especially if you were fortunate
enough to have already had fine view of the bird in question. This is
birding etiquette at its best.
BOOK NOTES: SOME SHORT STORIES
A self-published book usually suggests one that is less than worthy, one
that a "normal" publisher would not want to touch. Not so, especially in
today's economy and the cost of book-publishing. And also not so when
considering Harriet Davidson's MY LIFE AS A BIRDER, which came out in April
of this year.
This book of about 200 pages is a charming collection of birding memories,
41 in all, that cover places characterized by the book's subtitle, "from
Attu to Zambia." They are all short stories; the longest is seven pages, and
most are about four pages in length. These are mostly accounts of
life-listing with charm and an eye toward adventure and enjoyment. But they
are not simply a recounting of birds added to a list; they are more a look
into a life's worth of openness to new experiences. The book's not perfect -
there are a few mistakes in dates, names, and titles - but this is beside
the point. When you finish this little volume of adventures shared by
Harriet Davidson and her late husband, Bill, you will probably smile and
wish that it had included a few more little stories. The good news is that
with a little searching, at Amazon and elsewhere, you can easily track down
this self-published book.
CARBON OFFSET AND BIRDING
Some folks have commented that birding is bad for birds. Really! The
argument is that as we travel pursuing birds, we are also burning fossil
fuels that contribute to greenhouse emissions impacting bird habitats and
even migratory patterns.
Instead of any guilt-ridden apologizing for birding, we might actually do
something to address the issue.
A new Carbon Offset Bird Project (COBP) is an experimental effort that could
allow birders to voluntarily offset their birding-related carbon emissions,
those that come from traveling-while-birding activities. The attendees at
the Midwest Birding Symposium - September 15-18 at Lakeside, Ohio - will
have the opportunity to do just that. We usually do not highlight upcoming
birding and nature festivals in the E-bulletin - not that they are not
worthy, but because there are so many of them. In this case, the Midwest
Birding Symposium is an exception, if only because its carbon-offset effort
is so creative. The collected offset funds will be used to secure nearby
quality bird habitat. In this case, it's a public nature preserve,
Meadowbrook Marsh, owned and operated by the Danbury Township Board of
Trustees.
This COBP project is modeled loosely after other carbon offset programs
involving air or vehicle travel, but is the very first, as far as we know,
specifically tailored to birders and birds at a U.S. birding event.
You can find more details on the project here, under Special Activities on
the MBS site:
www.birdwatchersdigest.com/mwb2011/events2011.php#cobp
and here:
www.birdwatchersdigest.com/mwb2011/docs/COBP-MBS2011.pdf
ONE MORE ONE-DAY WONDER AND YET ANOTHER LESSON
In the category of late-but-significant news, consider this. On 4 May, David
and Jan Hanson, of Baytown, Texas, observed an interesting raptor at Houston
Audubon's Boy Scout Woods at High Island. David Hanson took some photos.
Because of the bird's flight pattern, they assumed that it was a Cooper's
Hawk, at least until another birder, Jim Stevenson, took a look at the
photos. That was in late June, and here are photos of what has been
identified as a Double-toothed Kite (Harpagus bidentatus):
http://hansonnaturephotography.smugmug.com/Nature/Texas-Birds/17293655_vKBNQ
B#1352562325_vLdkzWN
The kite appears to be in transition from immature to adult plumage. The
double "tooth" is visible on the upper mandible. If confirmed, this would be
a first for north of Mexico.
The species is normally found no closer to Texas than the lowland forest of
Veracruz. It is not known to engage in any vagrancy within the Neotropics,
ranging as it normally does from southern Mexico to Brazil and Bolivia.
Lessons? Take a close look and share those photos of dubious birds, if
you're lucky enough to have photos!
- - - - - - - - -
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 or reproduce 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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