From: Paul J. Baicich [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2012 8:57 AM
To: Paul J. Baicich
Cc: Wayne R. Petersen
Subject: Birding Community E-bulletin - May 2012
THE BIRDING COMMUNITY E-BULLETIN
May 2012
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 the producers of superb quality birding
binoculars and scopes, Carl Zeiss Sport Optics:
www.zeiss.com/SPORTS
[]
You can access an archive of past E-bulletins on the website of the National
Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA):
http://refugeassociation.org/news/birding-bulletin/
RARITY FOCUS
On Tuesday, 17 April, brothers Aaron and Ethan Gyllenhaal observed and
photographed a strange flycatcher at Douglas Park in Lawndale, Chicago,
Illinois. One brother thought it might be a "weird Least Flycatcher," the
other thought the bird was too "odd." Aaron Gyllenhaal posted his flycatcher
photos, and quickly speculation and excitement began. It was soon determined
that what the brothers had seen was a flycatcher of the genus Elaenia, one
of a group of often difficult-to-identify tropical flycatchers. But which
one? Quickly the choices were reduced to two: White-crested Elaenia or
Small-billed Elaenia. These are both species from South America, both
Austral migrants. Austral migrants are South American bird species which
migrate northward during the austral winter and could "overshoot" to North
America.
Whichever species it was, the bird was an astounding 7,000+ miles north of
its normal range.
Here are some of the original photos, taken by Aaron Gyllenhaal (and a
sample of the online discussion that followed):
www.ilbirds.com/index.php?topic=50480.msg74217#new
The good news is that differentiation between these two species is
relatively easy if the bird vocalizes. The bad news is that for its entire
stay in this small and lovely urban park, the Eleania was never heard to
vocalize. Not once!
The speculation first leaned toward White-crested Elaenia (a species which
has been seen previously only once in North America), but then seemed to
swing toward Small-billed Elaenia, a species never previously seen in North
America.
The uncertainty, however, did not deter scores of birders from rushing to
Chicago to see it. Many, many birders saw the rarity through the afternoon
of the following Sunday, 22 April, when it was last observed.
The excitement over the bird was even covered by the CHICAGO TRIBUNE:
http://tinyurl.com/7ofmggm
As we send out this E-bulletin, the jury is still out on the precise
identity of the Elaenia. The discovery of this cryptic bird raises another
vital question, however. One can only wonder how many other such tropical
flycatchers seen in North America might have been passed off as "just
another Empidonax flycatcher" or even as simply "a strange pewee. " There is
a lesson here: Look twice and look carefully!
SAFER SKIES OVER ONTARIO?
We have covered the issue of tall buildings and glass-and-glare threatening
migrating birds many times in the E-bulletin. Most recently, we wrote about
bird-friendly design in December:
http://refugeassociation.org/?p=4588#building
Those close to the subject have been eagerly following two court cases in
Ontario that may prove to be very significant for Canada, and possibly for
all those concerned with making the skies safe for migrant birds.
The first trial began in April, 2011. It pitted the owners of Consilium
Place, a cluster of highrise towers in Scarborough, a municipality within
Toronto, against Ecojustice and Ontario Nature. The three-building,
glass-filled complex has been the site of much avian mortality, with over
7,000 impact deaths presented as evidence in the last decade. That trial
recently came to an end, and a decision is expected in November.
The second case involves the Yonge Corporate Center, where its own highly
reflective glass buildings mirror nearby trees and the sky over north
Toronto. That case started early last month. About 2,000 birds have been
collected at this site between 2000 and 2010. While the trial was originally
expected to end by late April, it has been re-scheduled for mid-August and
late September.
According to Michael Measure, executive director of the well-respected and
pioneer Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP), both cases are
"precedent-setting." FLAP, a group based in Toronto, is not a party to
either case, but has been called on to present evidence.
Two Ontario provincial laws and one Canadian federal law have been addressed
in one or both of these cases: the Environmental Protection Act and the
Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, both
provincial-related, and the federal Species at Risk Act.
Here are two recent stories from the TORONTO STAR, the first describing the
original Consilium case:
www.thestar.com/news/crime/article/971320--lawsuit-seeks-safer-skies-for-gta
-birds
and the second, summarizing the Yonge situation, including a listing of the
10 "worst offenders" among buildings in the Toronto area, according to FLAP:
www.thestar.com/news/article/1156281--building-draws-birds-to-their-death-tr
ial-told
ACCESS MATTERS: AVAILABLE STATE ATLASES
Many states make available and distribute annual "Public Access Atlases."
Sometimes these are called "Walk-in Atlases." Usually these are made
available through the state wildlife agencies - a DNR or Game & Fish
Commission, or whatever the title in a particular state.
At lot of these atlases, but not all, seem to be in the middle of the
country. You may have come across one or more of these directories in
Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota, for example.
Increasingly, these are also becoming available through GPS readings or
Google-Earth and are usually available as downloadable PDF documents.
They are very handy, and they often provide page by page, section by
section, township by township details marking public and private tracts
where walk-in access is available to the public. These rosters and maps
reflect arrangements made with willing landowners, arrangements often
clearly indicated with on-site signs. The problem is that while some state
efforts to highlight open private land are available to a variety of
wildlife-associated recreation, including birding, others are not.
Unfortunately, some states limit these walk-in opportunities to hunting
only.
Obviously, there are occasions when some properties need to be closed to
outsiders due to harvesting schedules, calendar/weather limitations, or
other factors. But often to find out if a state's arrangement on these
properties allows total "Open Access," requires an inquiry of the landowner.
The point here is not to blame the state wildlife agency, the hunters, or
the landowners for this situation. It is simply that this sort of policy
needs to change in the 21st century in those states still having antiquated
access limitations. There are wildlife photographers, hikers, butterfly
aficionados, and, of course, birders, who value - and deserve - regular
accommodation, because land access increasingly matters these days.
TIP OF THE MONTH: SPARE PAIR
You don't have to carry your binoculars everywhere. Actually, you can't. But
you can do the next best thing by taking along a spare pair in your car.
Those binoculars could be in your glove compartment or your trunk. No
matter; they will be near you when you need them unexpectedly. Or at least
they will be with you when you are near your car.
Did you pass a flock of ducks in the local pond on your drive to the post
office? Just pull over and use your spare pair of binoculars. Could there be
shorebirds at the wastewater treatment plant? Or might you see geese at the
local ball field when you are driving to your dental appointment? A spare
pair might really come in handy. They don't have to be as "good" as your
regular binoculars, but they should be reliable, and more importantly, they
should be available.
BOOK NOTES: BOB HINES BIO
Without formal art training, Bob Hines (1912-1994) first applied his
professional talents in 1939 at the Ohio Division of Conservation and
Natural Resources. A decade later he joined the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service as their artist-illustrator in residence. John Juriga's new book,
BOB HINES: NATIONAL WILDLIFE ARTIST (2012, Beaver's Pond Press) describes
the life and work of this prolific and extraordinary wildlife artist.
Starting from the near-obscurity of federal employment, Hines drew birds,
mammals, fish, and other wildlife that even today continues to circulate
(available as free government-backed clip-art). The artwork that Hines did
for Rachel Carson's highly successful THE EDGE OF THE SEA may have first
brought his skills to the attention of a general public, but he had already
drawn the 1946-1947 Migratory Bird Hunting [Duck] Stamp and had produced a
myriad of illustrations for USFWS publications. His relationship with Carson
was creative and more than collegial (indeed, Juriga's chapter on the
Carson-Hines collaboration is among the best in the book). Moreover, Hines's
enthusiastic dedication to the "Duck Stamp" led to a formal selection
process, with judges, standards, and clear rules established for the art
contest, starting in the early 1950s.
For a while - especially from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s - the birds and
other subjects that Hines drew seemed to be everywhere. This biography
captures the life, times, creativity, and, yes, even the faults of this fine
wildlife artist.
JUNIOR DUCK STAMP ART CHOSEN
A flying male Northern Pintail, painted by 17-year-old Christine Clayton of
Sidney, Ohio, was selected to appear on the 2012-2013 Federal Junior Duck
Stamp. The artwork was chosen by a panel of judges on 20 April at the
national Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest, held at the Patuxent Research Refuge
in Maryland.
Matthew Messina of Avon, Connecticut, came in second place with his painting
of a male Wood Duck. In third place was Hyun Wang of California for his
rendition of a pair of Hooded Mergansers.
All 53 entries for the contest can be viewed here:
www.flickr.com/photos/usfwshq/sets/72157629475406770/
Proceeds from sales of the Junior Duck Stamps, which the Fish and Wildlife
Service sell for $5 each, go to support the promotion and expansion of the
arts-based educational program for youth. This new Junior Duck Stamp will be
released for sale on 29 June - along with the federal Migratory Bird Hunting
and Conservation [Duck] Stamp.
To see the press release on last month's contest, visit:
http://tinyurl.com/6og6u7d
LOS ANGELES: BIRD INTEREST GROWS AT URBAN SCHOOL
While on the subject of reaching youth through birds, we want to make
readers aware of the Leo Politi Elementary School in Los Angeles.
What happens when a school inherits a 5,000-square-foot area of concrete and
Bermuda grass behind the school library, all that remains of a once towering
apartment building?
When Brad Rumble became school principal a few years ago, he aimed to have
the concrete removed and the Bermuda grass killed. Then, he had volunteers,
many from the local high school, replace what he called "the dead zone" with
native bushes, flowers, and trees for a native habitat schoolyard.
First the insects came in, and then the birds. Lots of birds!
This novelty also attracted the students, and then real outdoor education
began. Skill-building grew among the young students, from science to
vocabulary, to math. In the words of Mary Ellen Riehmann, who teaches
second-and third-graders the field marks of birds, among other things, "It
is a springboard for all kinds of interesting projects." Grades among the
students also improved significantly. Birds soon became a significant way to
link to other aspects of learning.
It didn't hurt that principal Rumble had become a casual birder about 10
years previously. Los Angeles Audubon has been an essential partner in the
whole experience, and principal Rumble joined the L.A. Audubon Board last
July.
With the help of L.A. Audubon, the school was one of the first in the city
to apply for and win "schoolyard habitat" and partner's grants from the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service. That was in 2008.
This entire educational experience took place in "one of the poorest and
most crowded parts of the city" according to Rumble.
You can read much more on this inspiring story in this LOS ANGELES TIMES
article from mid-April:
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/16/local/la-me-bird-school-20120416
And learn more from the students in this short video from NBCLATINO:
http://vimeo.com/40938136
ANOTHER BIRDING DIVERSITY MEETING
You may remember that in October 2011, over 100 bird educators and bird
conservationists met at the first "Focus on Diversity - Changing the Face of
American Birding" meeting in Philadelphia, at the John Heinz National
Wildlife Refuge. We covered it in the E-bulletin, and you can view meeting
highlights in a short video here:
www.youtube.com/user/FledgingBirders/featured
Now, another regional "Focus on Diversity" meeting is planned for 13 October
2012 at the Minnesota Valley NWR, just south of Minneapolis. The purpose of
the event is to discuss and launch effective outreach methods for diverse
audiences using a birding message and other nature-study opportunities,
outdoor recreation, and a conservation ethic.
The assumption, of course, is that getting broader audiences interested in
birding is valuable. Not only would it benefit newer birders, but it would
also be helpful to the general birding community, the broader environment as
a whole, and ultimately be beneficial to birds.
You can view the initial announcement on this October event here.
www.fledgingbirders.org/CFAB.html
ROAMING CATS AT CONCORD, MASSACHUSETTS
Concord, Massachusetts, resident Lydia Lodynsky claimed that neighborhood
cats are regularly invading her bird-attractive backyard which includes bird
feeders and nesting Eastern Bluebirds, despite a six-foot protective fence.
Lodynsky wants new town regulations to control where local cats can wander.
She was interviewed, calmly and convincingly, on the NPR show, "Here and
Now." This broadcast contains eight minutes of worthy listening:
http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2012/04/23/cats-leashes-concord/player
Unfortunately, in late April the Concord town council voted down three
articles that would control wandering cats (requiring the hiring of a town
animal control officer, requiring cat owners to vaccinate and license their
cats, and adopting a policy of "responsible pet ownership").
You can read the proposals here:
www.concordanimals.com
The Concord example is just one case. The free-roaming cats issue simply
will not go away.
CORRECT SPRUCE GROUSE PLAN
Last month we wrote about Spruce Grouse plans - specifically the Continental
Plan and the plan for Vermont:
http://refugeassociation.org/?p=5322#spruce-grouse
Most of our issues of the E-bulletin went out with a link to the Continental
plan:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01323/wdfw01323.pdf
But not the link to the Vermont plan:
http://tinyurl.com/7hvcdg6
Well, now you have both!
- - - - - - - - -
You can access all the past E-bulletins on the National Wildlife Refuge
Association (NWRA) website:
http://refugeassociation.org/news/birding-bulletin/
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
781/259-2178
or
Paul J. Baicich
Great Birding Projects
410/992-9736
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