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THE BIRDING COMMUNITY E-BULLETIN
December 2006
This Birding Community E-bulletin is being distributed through the
generous support of Steiner Binoculars as a service 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
our past E-bulletins on the website of the National Wildlife Refuge
Association (NWRA): http://www.refugenet.org/birding/birding5.html and
on the birding pages for Steiner Binoculars http://www.steiner-birding.com/bulletin.html
RARITY FOCUS
On Friday afternoon, 17 November, Guy McCaskie, reigning godfather of
modern California birding, was at the boat-launching site at Red Hill,
near the southeast end of the Salton Sea in California. Immediately in
front of him, in the wet mud north of the boat launch channel was a
completely unexpected Ross's Gull catching flies. McCaskie then
called other birders to the site, where the gull was later
photographed and where it remained within 100 feet of the spot,
actively catching flies for the rest of the day.
The Ross's Gull is a high-Arctic species, rare almost anywhere
south of the pack ice. The Salton Sea Ross's Gull is the first
record of this species for California. Equally shocking, it was not at
any anticipated northern California coastal location, but inland at
almost as far south in the state as one can go. (And, at 226.4 feet
below sea level, we would add!)
By dawn on 18 November, at least 50 birders were on site, many of who
had driven all night long to see this grand lifer. By the end of the
day, at least 150 birders had arrived in the area of the boat launch.
The small gull calmly fed along the mud and shore, even working its
way to within a dozen feet of waiting photographers.
On the morning of the 19th, the Ross's Gull was again at Red Hill.
The birders present at dawn that day saw the bird take off, fly east
along the shoreline and then disappear, never to be seen again.
For pictures of birders looking at the Ross's Gull on 18 November,
see images from Terry Hunefeld at: http://thunefeld.smugmug.com/gallery/2146956/1
For multiple images of the bird by Doug Aguillard and Henry Detwiler
see: http://sdbirds.basiclink.com/ross.htm and http://www.southwestbirders.com/rogu_ss111806.htm
IBA NEWS: SALTON SEA FUTURE IN DOUBT
Since our monthly rarity is the Ross's Gull at the Salton Sea, it
is appropriate to mention the ongoing discussion over the future of
the sea itself, an Important Bird Area (IBA) of global significance.
The health of the Salton Sea faces a constant threat from the decrease
in the amount of untainted water that annually flows into it. Each
year - given evaporation, irrigation runoff from Imperial Valley
agricultural fields, and decreasing acceptable water coming into the
sea - salt, selenium, phosphates, and other nutrients concentrate in
the shrinking sea. Since the sea lacks an outlet, these contaminants
get concentrated, thereby stressing the fish and invertebrates that
live there, and ultimately impacting the birds.
About a century ago, a flood caused the Colorado River to shift,
re-filling the Salton Trough with sea of water amounting to
approximately 360 square miles. The result, for birders at least, is
an outstanding birding locale - a stinky-hot sea, and an
over-abundance of salt and contaminants that all too often literally
results in a dead-end for many fish and birds alike. Salton City, Red
Hill Marina, and the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge,
all regularly host some amazing and unexpected birds.
For some background on the Salton Sea you might want to check the
Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuges site and its
associated links: http://www.fws.gov/saltonsea/
The state of California is now tasked with coming up with a plan to
restore the sea, and unless a viable renewal plan is implemented, the
demise of this unique area is inevitable. Unfortunately, none of the
proposed alternatives include keeping the sea as it is now, primarily
because of a lack of suitable water. A combination of some of the
existing proposals might help, however.
You can review this issue at the site of the Salton Sea Coalition,
supported by the Desert Protective Council, National Audubon Society,
California Waterfowl Association, Defenders of Wildlife, National
Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, United Anglers, and others: http://www.saltonseacoalition.org/
The public review period for this issue and its multiple options will
end 17 January 2007.
For more information on IBA sites in California see: http://www.audubon-ca.org/IBA.htm
For additional general information about the ongoing IBA program in
the United States, see: http://www.audubon.org/bird/iba/index.html
CONTROVERSIAL GOLDEN-PLOVER RECORD CONCLUDED
When the Delaware Bird Records Committee met first met, fully 11 years
ago, the first record before the committee was a European
Golden-Plover reported seen 25-27 June 1989 at Bombay Hook National
Wildlife Refuge. At the time, the committee had received 15 written
descriptions and a two-minute video as supporting evidence.
The Delaware Bird Records Committee met most recently in
mid-September, has finally voted to reject the bird as a European
Golden-Plover, and now accepts the identification as a Pacific
Golden-Plover. Since the bird is so controversial, and to better
explain the reason for its action, the Records Committee has recently
placed an analysis of the documentation and the committee's
"Vote and Comment" forms on the Delmarva Ornithological
Society's website. If you are interested, you can now see what the
Delaware Bird Records Committee members thought about this bird and
read a detailed account of the evaluation process: http://www.dosbirds.org/ and http://www.dosbirds.org/committees/records/Reports/GoldenPlover.htm
DELAWARE MORATORIUM ON HORSESHOE CRAB HARVESTING
Also from Delaware is more news for those concerned about Red Knots.
As you will recall, Red Knots may be in serious trouble. We recently
covered this species in the E-Bulletin, along with its relationship
with Horseshoe Crabs, and the efforts to get the shorebird listed
under the Endangered Species Act in the October 2006 E-bulletin: http://www.refugenet.org/birding/octSBC06.html#TOC06
and http://www.steiner-birding.com/bulletin/oct06.html
During their spring migration, Red Knots time their arrival at the
Delaware Bay to coincide with normal Horseshoe Crab spawning. An
abundance of Horseshoe Crab eggs on the bay shore beaches is essential
for the shorebirds' to gain sufficient weight to successfully
complete their journey to Arctic breeding grounds. The steep decline
of the Red Knot, however, mirrors the over harvesting of the Horseshoe
Crab in Delaware Bay and elsewhere.
In late November, Delaware's Department of Natural Resources and
Environmental Control (DNREC) ordered a two-year moratorium on the
harvesting of Horseshoe Crabs in Delaware waters, effective 11
December 2006, as a protective measure for the Horseshoe Crab
population and the associated migratory bird populations that depend
on the resource for food.
DNREC Secretary, John A. Hughes, acknowledged that Red Knots are at
risk, and in his decision he emphasized the importance of establishing
an alternative to using Horseshoe Crabs as bait for eel and conch
fisheries. He noted the department's financial support for the
University of Delaware's College of Marine and Earth Studies'
three-year effort to establish an alternative attractant as bait for
conchs and eels, an effort joined and supported by DuPont Chemical
Solutions Enterprise. Continuation of the collaborative effort was
pledged.
The DNREC statement is available here: http://www.dnrec.state.de.us/dnrec2000/admin/press/story1.asp?PRID=2295
New Jersey has wisely imposed its own moratorium, meaning that no
crabs are to be taken in that state and that both sides of the
Delaware Bay are currently protected.
Of course, the plight of the Red Knot is not restricted to Delaware
Bay, and other contending options for determining this shorebird's
fate still exist.
NATIONAL BIRD EDUCATION CONFERENCE
The Council for Environmental Education and Flying WILD have announced
an upcoming conference, "Bird Conservation through Education: A
National Gathering for Bird Education." The intent is to provide
a forum for discussion, network building, and planning to further the
reach of bird education efforts in North America.
The event is scheduled to be held in Austin, Texas 5-8 February 2007.
The goals of the conference are to: * Initiate the development of a
national bird education network.
* Highlight the most critical messages to be communicated through bird
education efforts.
* Share success stories in bird conservation education through case
studies and interactive discussions.
* Examine outreach to diverse audiences as a priority goal within bird
conservation education and share successful methods for outreach to
diverse audiences.
For more details: http://www.flyingwild.org/documents/RegistrationPacket-Web.pdf
PRAIRIE GROUSE PLAN AFOOT
There are a dozen species of grouse that occur in North America, in
habitats as diverse as forest, prairie, shrub-steppe, and tundra.
While the North American Grouse Partnership (NAGP) has developed a
North American Grouse Management Strategy to highlight these species
and to generate support and cooperation for their management, planning
concerns persist. Although some of the dozen species, such as the two
sage-grouse species and the ruffed grouse, are already the focus of
comprehensive conservation planning efforts, still others, such as
several species of prairie grouse that are in trouble, have not
received such specific consideration.
That situation is now changing, with a developing plan for three
species of grouse - Greater Prairie-Chicken, Lesser Prairie-Chicken
and Sharp-tailed Grouse. Such a plan will address specific threats to,
and conservation actions for, each of these three grouse species.
Prairie grouse can be viewed as charismatic species of the Great
Plains. These three species require expansive and often complex
habitat, thus making them excellent indicators of ecosystem integrity
at a landscape level. . This is particularly significant since
grassland habitat - at least in terms of extent and quality - has
declined dramatically from historic conditions on the Great Plains due
to multiple causes (e.g., conversion to cropland, encroachment by
woody plants, energy development, and urban sprawl).
Moreover, these three prairie grouse serve as flagship species for
demonstrating the need for preservation as well as for evaluating
proposed amounts and distributions for current management and
potential restoration of prairie ecosystems. As such, the evolving
prairie grouse plan can also benefit a host of other native species
that depend on healthy grasslands.
The proposed Prairie Grouse Management Plan will regionalize grassland
conservation goals according to Bird Conservation Regions (BCR)
identified by the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI).
The effort's steering committee aims to have a draft Prairie
Grouse Management Plan completed in March 2007, with a final plan
hopefully approved in the fall.
You can find more details from the Ecosystem Management Research
Institute: http://www.emri.org/Projects/PrairieGrousePlan.htm
or from the Nebraska Partnership for All-bird Conservation: http://www.nebraskabirds.org/steercom/steercom.htm
(Click "North American Grouse Partnership: Prairie Grouse
Management Plan" near the bottom of the page.)
NEW-WORLD DICLOFENAC WORRIES?
In a past issue of this publication, you have read about the link
between the drastic decline of vultures in the Indian subcontinent and
the use of the diclofenac as a veterinary anti-inflammatory drug. See
our recent coverage here: http://www.refugenet.org/birding/octSBC06.html#TOC15
and http://www.steiner-birding.com/bulletin/oct06.html
Basically, diclofenac's widespread use in the Indian subcontinent
as a livestock painkiller has threatened vultures as they scavenge
dead farm animals that retain significant amounts of the drug in their
dead bodies. Rapid renal failure in the vultures eating such
contaminated carcasses results, eventually followed by their death.
We have been told that diclofenac won't impact "our"
birds, because "it isn't used here."
While it is true that U.S. vets don't administer diclofenac to
United States farm animals, diclofenac is licensed and used in South
America as a veterinary drug. The potential impact of this on New
World vultures (particularly the Andean Condor, but also the Turkey
Vulture, Black Vulture, and King Vulture) is unknown, as are the
repercussions for other avian scavengers.
This certainly justifies some further watching, and a recent article
in BIOLOGY LETTERS suggests as much. That piece is summarized here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2006.0554
MADAGASCAR POCHARD RE-DISCOVERED
Biologists for The Peregrine Fund (World Center for Birds of Prey)
announced last month the sighting of Madagascar Pochard (Aythya
innotata), a medium-sized diving duck of Madagascar that was feared
extinct.
National Director for The Peregrine Fund's Madagascar Project,
Lily-Arison Rene de Roland, and field biologist, Thé Seing Sam,
discovered the rare duck while conducting avian surveys in a remote
part of northern Madagascar. They observed nine adults and four young
that appeared to be nearly two weeks old.
The last confirmed sighting of the species was more than a decade and
a half ago, a single male at Lake Alaotra on the Central Plateau of
Madagascar. The last certain record of multiple birds (approximately
20) was on Lake Alaotra in June 1960.
At the time of the find, the team from The Peregrine Fund was doing
research on the Madagascar Harrier.
"Discovering the Madagascar Pochard while scouting for a
threatened bird of prey, the Madagascar Harrier, illustrates how
conservation of charismatic raptors can benefit species that share the
same ecosystem," said J. Peter Jenny, Acting President of The
Peregrine Fund.
For more details, including photos and video: http://www.peregrinefund.org/press_full.asp?id=110&category=Madagascar%20Project
BOOK REVIEW: BLACK & BROWN FACES
Dudley Edmondson, bird-and-wildlife photographer believes that it is
crucial for people of color to get involved with nature, the outdoors,
and natural resource protection. He sought out 19 other African
Americans, all with abiding connections to nature and asked them about
their personal stories: how they came to value nature, who served as
their heroes and mentors, and why African Americans are
under-represented in our parks, refuges, and conservation efforts? The
result was BLACK & BROWN FACES IN AMERICA'S WILD PLACES
(Adventure Publications, in cooperation with Watchable Wildlife,
Inc.). This is a candid and fascinating book, and one that raises as
many questions as it answers. The 20 profiles provide valuable insight
into the past, present, and future of our pastime and our concerns.
Look here for some background on the book, including audio samples: http://www.raptorworks.com/book.htm
COFFEE AND BIRDS: THREE QUICK NOTES
We regularly visit the shade-coffee issue in the E-bulletin, and we
end this December issue with three short notes on coffee:
1. The worldwide surge in demand for coffee has resulted in a shift
from traditional, sustainable coffee growing methods (with the plants
grown in the shade of a diverse and bird-compatible understory) to
intense monocultures requiring large amounts of fertilizer and
pesticides. "Coffee and Conservation" is a thoughtful
website that provides information on the importance of shade-grown,
organic, and fair trade coffee to the protection of biodiversity, and
especially birds. It deserves a serious look by those who want to
combine social responsibility, support for biodiversity, creative bird
conservation, and quality coffee: http://www.coffeehabitat.com/
2. In next month's E-bulletin, we expect to highlight the plight
of the Cerulean Warbler, a species that has been found to have a
special relationship to shade-grown coffee plantings in the northern
Andes. (The warbler prefers broken-canopy wintering habitat, 8-10
meters high, in an altitude of 800-1,600 meters, a situation
corresponding to many traditional shade-coffee locations in the
northern Andes.) Moreover, it appears that there may be multiple ways
to support the conservation of Cerulean Warblers, ways we will visit
next month. (In June we reviewed the issue of mountaintop-removal in
Appalachia, and its impact on Cerulean Warbler: http://www.refugenet.org/birding/junSBC06.html#TOC08
)
3. Finally, in this Holiday season we will remind you that gift-giving
of an avian nature can go a very long way. Besides the field guide,
feeder, binoculars, or "Duck Stamp" that might find its way
to a relative or friend, wrapped up in a bow or put in a stocking, we
suggest considering a small supply of bird-compatible shade-grown
coffee as a wrapped gift or seasonal party offering. This is the
perfect way to start a serious bird conversation, as well as a way to
enjoy a good brew.
Have a great Holiday season, and, until next year, we remind you that
you can access an archive of past E-bulletins on the National Wildlife
Refuge Association (NWRA) website: http://www.refugenet.org/birding/birding5.html and
on the birding pages for our thoughtful corporate sponsor, Steiner
Binoculars: http://www.steiner-birding.com/bulletin.html
If you wish to distribute all or parts of any of the 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) 534-2046
wpetersen@massaudubon.org
OR
Paul J. Baicich
(410) 992-9736
paul.baicich@verizon.net
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