From: Paul J. Baicich [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2010 12:10 AM
To: Paul J. Baicich
Cc: Wayne Petersen
Subject: Birding Community E-bulletin - July 2010
THE BIRDING COMMUNITY E-BULLETIN
July 2010
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 <http://www.shopng.com/birdbooks>
NationalGeographicLogo4.jpg
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 this month is Berylline Hummingbird, and it's not just a single
bird - it's multiple individuals.
The first sighting of this species this season was on 10 May at the Beatty's
Miller Canyon Guest Ranch in the Upper Miller Canyon of the Huachuca
Mountains in Southeast Arizona. A couple days later, a female Berylline
Hummingbird was observed carrying nesting materials. Although both male and
female hummingbirds were present, only the female made regular visits to the
feeders. Sightings continued through the end of June. You can find a photo
taken by Charles Melton here:
www.azfo.org/gallery/2010/html2/BEHU_Miller_Melton_15_May_2010.html
Meanwhile, on 21 May, in Madera Canyon in Arizona's Santa Rita Mountains, a
female Berylline Hummingbird was photographed at the feeders at Madera Kubo
B&B. This individual continued at least through 27 June. And lastly, a male
Berylline Hummingbird appeared at the nearby Chuparosa Inn in Madera Canyon
on 9 June.
Berylline Hummingbird is a bird of southern and western Mexican foothills
and highlands (southward into Honduras), only seen in southeastern Arizona
as a stray in pine-oak woodlands and sycamore streamside forests in the
region's mountain canyons. The species also occasionally breed there.
If you are unfamiliar with this species look in the National Geographic
guide (fifth edition - pp. 272-273), Kenn Kaufman's Focus Guide (pp.
218-219) or the "Big" Sibley (p. 295) for descriptions and illustrations.
First found north of Mexico in 1964, this hummingbird species has been
reported at least a few dozen times in Southeast Arizona, and it is now
found almost annually. There are also sightings for New Mexico and the Big
Bend region of Texas.
While the much sought after Berylline Hummingbird is among the rarer
southeastern Arizona hummingbird strays, it has almost become regular in
summer. This raises the question: Are more individuals moving north, or are
there more astute observers and more hummingbird feeders in the region?
WESTERN HUMMINGBIRD PARTNERSHIP UNVEILED
While on the subject of hummingbirds, it should be noted that in early June,
an Action Plan for the Western Hummingbird Partnership (WHP) was released.
The WHP is a developing network of partners cooperating to build an
effective and sustainable hummingbird conservation program through
monitoring, research, restoration, and education. Hummingbirds occur only in
the Americas, so the goal of the WHP is to address conservation issues for
the entire family with an initial focus on Western North America.
The intent of the Action Plan is to:
. summarize the background and creation of the WHP
. identify key conservation issues facing hummingbirds
. recommend priority actions to address these issues
. define an organizational structure for sustaining WHP activities
. list WHP projects that have begun addressing the priority
actions
. identify the North American hummingbird species that will
receive initial focus
You can review the Action Plan here:
www.hummonnet.org/pdf/201006whp_actionplan.pdf
The next meeting of the WHP will be in Santa Fe, New Mexico from 13-18
August. Interested parties can contact the WHP coordinator, Susan Wethington
() with questions, ideas, or suggestions pertaining to
activities or future involvement. Comments and further partnerships are
encouraged.
A LONG-EXPECTED DISCOVERY
On the late afternoon of 31 May, Marcus and Tracy Ponce were walking on the
south trail in Maritime Hammock (Brevard Co. Parks and Recreation), just
south of Melbourne Beach, Florida. The location is right on the coast. As
the Ponces were rounding their last leg of the south part of the trail, they
noticed a gray bird hopping on the leafy trail just ahead of them.
"Ah, it's probably just a catbird," remarked Marcus Ponce to his wife. When
he lifted his binoculars to verify his impression, he noticed that the bird
had red legs and a red eye-ring. He didn't immediately recognize it, but he
was able to take about 15 or so photos of the bird. It was not shy and
allowed him to approach to within about 25 feet. He was able to get pictures
from front, side, and back.
Some of the photos taken by Marcus Ponce can be found here:
http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/listserv/wa.exe?A2=ind1006
<http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/listserv/wa.exe?A2=ind1006&L=brdbrain&D=1&T=0
&O=D&P=3600> &L=brdbrain&D=1&T=0&O=D&P=3600
When he got home, Marcus was able to verify that the bird was a Red-legged
Thrush (Turdus plumbeus), and he immediately posted the sighting on the
"SpaceCoastAudubon" message board, thus starting a flood of postings and
emails from active birders across the state.
A search for the thrush began the next morning, but no further sign of the
bird could be found. More birders also combed the area on subsequent days,
with no positive results.
This species has been expected to occur in Florida for many years. It occurs
throughout much of the Caribbean, and the plumage of the Maritime Hammock
individual was consistent with the Bahamas race. One old, but unverified,
report in late March 1960 in Miami-Dade County was presumed - perhaps
unnecessarily - to be an escaped bird. The species even appeared
optimistically in the fourth and fifth editions of Roger Tory Peterson's
eastern guide .
The Red-legged Thrush found at Maritime Hammock potentially represents a
North American first record, and the information has been submitted by
Marcus Ponce to the Florida Ornithological Society for their consideration.
OTHER NEWS FROM THE GULF COAST
Readers of the E-bulletin hardly need to be reminded that the catastrophe on
the Gulf continues. The oil leak from under the cap persists - perhaps at a
rate of 60,000 barrels per day. [PAUL TO RE-CHECK NUMBERS] Unfortunately, a
relief well is still weeks from completion, sea-life is increasingly at
risk, oil-impacted waterbirds are flying into the marshes to die, tar balls
the size of dinner plates are accumulating on some beaches, and there is no
end in sight. Who knows what could happen once we get deeper into the
hurricane season!
With this in mind, it's time to relate two side-stories from the Gulf.
First, there is the conflict between federal officials and the State of
Louisiana, with everyone trying to do good, but many running at
cross-purposes.
In late June the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers decided to halt the State of Louisiana's dredging operations near
the Breton National Wildlife Refuge off Louisiana's coast. This refuge, most
of which is a federally designated Wilderness Area, is located on the
Chandeleur Islands, home to tens of thousands of nesting birds, including
Brown Pelicans, Piping Plovers, and Least Terns.
The Interior Department and Corps of Engineers expedited the federal permit
process to allow Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal to direct the dredging of sand
to construct protective berms offshore. This was despite the concerns of
federal and independent scientists that expensive dredging could do more
harm than good for the fragile wetlands of Louisiana's coast.
The original dredging permits allowed for dredging three miles off the
coast, yet Jindal defied the permits' restrictions and commenced dredging
close to the Chandeleurs, eventually leading to the decision to shut down
the operation. "The Fish and Wildlife Service and the Corps of Engineers
went to great lengths to get Gov. Jindal the permits he needed to build the
berms, yet he flouted the rules and did as he pleased," said Evan Hirsche,
President of the National Wildife Refuge Association. "It's disingenuous for
him now to blame the government for his own transgressions." Hirsche
continued, saying that the governor "had an obligation to abide by the terms
of his state's agreement with the federal government."
Second is the strange story of the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Department
and BP guards getting testy over the presence of the American Birding
Association's Gulf Coast representative, Drew Wheelan, who went to BP's
Louisiana headquarters in Houma, Louisiana, on 18 June, to obtain some film
footage. Although Wheelan was not on BP property, it was still "strongly
suggest[ed]" that he leave, since "BP doesn't want people filming."
Wheelan's volunteer service badge was confiscated by a chief of BP security,
and he was interrogated for 20 minutes, after which he was followed for 20
miles by unmarked security cars. More details here:
http://motherjones.com/rights-stuff/2010/06/BP-louisiana-police-stop-activis
t
BOREAL FOREST LOGGING SUSPENSION
In late May, nine leading environmental groups and 21 forestry companies
came together to announce one of the largest conservation agreements in
Canadian history. The International Boreal Conservation Campaign led efforts
to bring the parties together. Their agreement includes the suspension of
logging on 72 million acres of vital caribou habitat and the conversion of
more than 170 million acres of to-be-logged Boreal forest into sustainable
forest management zones.
The implementation process for the agreement will occur over the next three
years, and it includes features to bring government and native groups on
board. Boycott campaigns by Canopy, Forest Ethics and Greenpeace will be
suspended while the agreement is being implemented. While there are skeptics
viewing the arrangement, the approach may reflect a new commitment to a
common goal among traditional adversaries.
For details and obligations involved in the agreement, see:
www.canadianborealforestagreement.com/index.php/en/the-canadian-boreal-agree
ment/
Many millions of Boreal birds could benefit from the success of this
historic agreement. For a bird-oriented analysis, see the Boreal Songbird
Initiative:
www.borealbirds.org/blog/?p=473
TAMARISK TANGLE
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has attempted to discreetly stop a
program to eradicate the highly invasive tamarisk (often called
"salt-cedar") in 13 states, mostly in the West. This five-year-old program
involved releasing an equally alien species, the saltcedar leaf beetle,
which devours tamarisk.
The reason to stop the program has to do with the Endangered Willow
Flycatcher of the Southwest (subspecies: extimus). This small flycatcher is
a riparian-obligate species, historically dependent on streamside willows.
But since the 1990s, a substantial number - up to a quarter - of these
flycatchers in the southwestern United States have been found breeding in
habitat dominated by the exotic tamarisk. Studies to determine if
tamarisk-dominated sites are sub-optimal for the flycatcher thus far have
suggested that this is not the case, but broader studies are warranted
throughout the bird's western range.
Will stopping the beetle's release actually help the Southwestern Willow
Flycatcher? Was the program - begun in 2005 without an environmental review
- wise in the first place? Are different eradication strategies appropriate
for different states or regions? Does eliminating tamarisk really give an
automatic advantage to riparian willow growth and the flycatcher at all
locations?
The issue is not that simple, and neither are the answers to these
questions.
In the meantime, the entire effort is in an ecological and legal limbo,
until "endangered species issues are resolved," according to a USDA memo on
the subject.
For a report and associated links on the program from THE NEW YORK TIMES,
see:
www.nytimes.com/2010/06/23/us/23beetle.html
and from CBS News, see:
www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-20008435-501465.html
BOOK NOTES: LEGACY FOR WHOSE LAND?
Written by Audrey and Frank Peterman, a dynamic black couple, LEGACY ON THE
LAND (Earthwise Publications, 2009) first reveals how the couple discovered
the wonders of the outdoors in the mid-1990s during a cross-country trip,
followed by a description of how and why they made the promotion of natural
and historic wonders their life's work.
The book starts with wonderful stories and ends with serious lessons
learned. Their travel-adventure across the country stressed to them that
America's people of color should not be "absentee landlords" of the public
lands, and that these communities should "discover and take ownership of the
incredible national treasury that is our heritage." The Petermans' follow-up
effort to save the Everglades system and engage people of color in that goal
is packed with lessons. Moreover, the barriers and roadblocks to racial
inclusion revealed by the Petermans, particularly toward the end of the
book, are object lessons for anyone concerned with reaching minorities.
Yes, the Petermans are birders, but the birds are only part of the story.
It's the people and the importance of creating vital connections to nature
that rest at the center of this book.
IBA NEWS: PLUM ISLAND OPPORTUNITY
For the past few months, there has been ongoing interest and sometimes
intense activities over the future of Plum Island, an 840-acre
pork-chop-shaped island off the north fork of Long Island, New York. For
decades this was the site of a top-secret germ-warfare and animal disease
research lab. The Department of Homeland Security is now preparing to sell
the island, and build a new high-security lab in Kansas to study animal
diseases. Accordingly, the General Services Administration (GSA) is studying
the options, with a draft expected by the end of the summer, followed by
public hearings.
Plum Island, only 100 miles east of Manhattan, is also a designated
Important Bird Area (IBA). Simply because Plum Island is an IBA doesn't mean
it has automatic protection, and environmental groups want to preserve the
natural integrity of the site, advocating status as an official preserve,
sanctuary, or National Wildlife Refuge. Complicating the future status of
the site for any activity are vast amounts of waste and contaminants on Plum
Island.
You can read more on the subject here:
www.theday.com/article/20100521/NWS01/305219932/1018
And get details on the Island's IBA status here:
http://longislandsoundstudy.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/OPPI-IBA-Fact-She
et-FINAL.pdf
For additional information about worldwide IBA programs, and those across
the U.S., check the National Audubon Society's Important Bird Area program
web site at:
www.audubon.org/bird/iba/
TIP OF THE MONTH: RECYCLE YOUR BIRD-AND-NATURE MAGAZINES
Recycling your bird-and-nature magazines can be so much more than simply
using those paper-recycling bins once or twice a week.
You can make sure that those wonderful magazines do not disappear,
underappreciated. We know people who will keep every single copy of BIRD
WATCHER' S DIGEST, WILDBIRD, BIRDER'S WORLD, BIRDING, LIVING BIRD, and every
local or regional bird publication that they get. But we also know people
who make sure that these magazines will have a second life in somebody
else's hands.
You can give the magazine to a friend or neighbor who is modestly curious in
birds. How about your doctor's or dentist's office, or a school library?
Remember: a good bird magazine is a great way to reach all sorts of people
with a message about the wonder of birds and nature.
MBCC APPROVES STAMP-FUNDED ACQUISITIONS
In mid-June, the Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, announced that the
Migratory Bird Conservation Commission (MBCC) approved a total $5.3 million
in Federal Duck Stamp funds to add more than 1,849 wetland acres to six
units of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
These acquisitions have been funded with proceeds from sales of the
Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, otherwise known as the
Federal Duck Stamp. These acquisitions include:
Cache River National Wildlife Refuge (Arkansas) - 180 acres of
bottomland wetlands,
Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge (California) - 110 acres of the last
remaining riparian habitat along South Stone Lake, as well as associated
wetlands and uplands,
Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (New Jersey) - 243 acres of
wetlands and upland fringes, the last natural open space on the northern
portion of Barnegat Bay,
Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge (New Hampshire) - 162
acres of northern forest wetland
Lower Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge (Tennessee) - 866 acres of wetland
and associated habitat, and
San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge (Texas) - 288 acres for the protection
of a wetland complex.
For every dollar spent on Federal Duck Stamps, ninety-eight cents goes
directly to secure vital habitat in the National Wildlife Refuge System. To
date, more than 5.3 million acres of wetlands have been purchased using more
than $750 million in Stamp revenue.
The most recent Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (2010-2011)
was released on 26 June. Birders and conservationists can get their Stamps
at Post Offices and NWRs across the country.
THIS MONTH'S QUIZ FOR A NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BIRD BOOK
To celebrate National Geographic's recent connection with the E-bulletin, we
have more fine National Geographic books to distribute to E-bulletin
readers. Readers who choose to enter our quick-and-easy contest have the
chance to win one of these books. Our little contest and quiz questions will
run for the next couple of months. Each monthly quiz question will either
relate to one of our news items from the previous month, or it will relate
to some event or experience that is due to occur during the current month.
For more on the excellent NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC books, see:
www.shopng.com/birdbooks
There will undoubtedly be multiple readers who answer our monthly question
correctly, so we will only be able to distribute five copies to readers
whose names are picked at random from all those submitting correct answers.
Because of shipping constraints, only folks residing in the U.S. or Canada
are eligible.
Last month's question concerned Kirtland's Warbler: This warbler has
restrictive habitat requirements characterized by what species of tree?
The answer: Jack Pine
Last month's winners for their choice of either the Eastern or Western
National Geographic Field Guides were:
Peter R. Bono (Yarmouthport, MA), Melanie Feddersen (Littleton, CO), David
Govatski (Jefferson, NH), Carol Horner (Toronto, ON), Connie Madia
(Fernandina Beach, FL), Patricia A. Morton (East Troy, WI), Peggy Murphy
(Dripping Springs, TX), Dorothy Robbins (High Springs, FL), David Williams
(Reading, MA), and Max Wilson (Kensington, MD).
The prize for July will be a copy of the standard Fifth Edition of the
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC FIELD GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. We have five
copies to distribute this month.
For more on this book, see here:
http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/ngs/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=55
314C
This month's question: After whom was the Bonaparte's Gull named?
Please send your answer by the close of business on 14 July, Bastille Day,
to:
Make the subject line "QUIZ! " and please include your full name and mailing
address along with your answer so that we can send you a book in the mail
should you be a fortunate winner. We will also provide readers 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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