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THE BIRDING COMMUNITY E-BULLETIN
June 2006
This Birding Community E-bulletin is being distributed through the
generous support of Steiner Optics 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 Optics http://www.steiner-birding.com/bulletin.html
RARITY FOCUS
On 7 May, a European Golden-Plover (sometimes called Eurasian or
Greater Golden-Plover) was found at Cape Bonavista, Newfoundland. The
species, a vagrant from the Old World, breeds from Greenland to
western Siberia. It is slightly larger and chubbier than the American
Golden-Plover, with white undertail coverts. The species was first
discovered as a vagrant in North America when several hundred appeared
in late April in Newfoundland in 1961. Since then, individuals have
appeared sporadically as spring vagrants or irregular migrants to
Newfoundland, Labrador, and Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, sometimes in
substantial numbers (e.g., 1978, 1988, 1992, 1994, and 1995). These
incursions have historically occurred between mid-April and mid-May,
with a few individuals sometimes lingering later in the spring.
Records for the Lower-48 are virtually nonexistent.
This year, there was at least one European Golden-Plover at Cape
Bonavista, along Dungeon Road in the fields across from what is
locally called "Viking Rock." The bird continued at least
through the middle of May.
RED KNOT REPORT
The Red Knot Red Knot continues to attract increasing attention this
season. As you know, this shorebird makes a remarkable 18,000-mile
round-trip annual migration from its Arctic breeding grounds to the
tip of South America every year. Each spring, Red Knots, along with
great numbers of Ruddy Turnstones, Semipalmated Sandpipers, and
Sanderlings stop on their marathon flight to "refuel" on the
beaches of Delaware Bay, specifically to devour the eggs of the
world's largest breeding aggregation of Horseshoe Crabs.
Recently, however, the over-harvesting of the crabs has contributed to
a disturbing decline in the North American population of the Red Knot.
A drastic increase in the take of Horseshoe Crabs for use as bait in
conch pots and eel traps in the mid-1990s significantly diminished
their numbers in Delaware Bay, an activity that also resulted in a
diminution of the birds' food supply. Without the fat-rich diet of
Horseshoe Crab eggs at this major stopover site, the Red Knot's
ability to complete its long-distance migration to the Arctic is
severely compromised. Red Knot numbers in the Delaware Bay dropped
from a high of perhaps 150,000 at the end of the 1980s to about 13,000
in 2004, which some authorities suggest could be just barely above the
number needed to maintain a viable population.
Within the last year, the USFWS denied an emergency request to list
the North American race of the Red Knot as Endangered, and the final
"90-day decision" determination is now overdue.
Last month, at the meeting of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission (ASMFC), the Horseshoe Crab Management Board voted against
imposing a moratorium on Horseshoe Crab take in Delaware Bay. This was
actually against the wishes of Delaware and New Jersey, which both
sought the moratorium. Instead, the Board decided to adopt something
called Addendum IV to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for
Horseshoe Crabs, which would reduce permit each state's take from
150,000 to 100,000 crabs and limited the harvest to male crabs. The
moratorium would have been an important step toward securing the
survival of the species.
Although the Board decision reduced Horseshoe Crab landings for each
state, New Jersey has wisely imposed its own moratorium, meaning that
no crabs will be taken in that state. Delaware has not decided whether
it will implement a full moratorium, but unfortunately Virginia
continues to advocate for the highest possible take of Horseshoe
Crabs. At the moment, Virginia is the largest obstacle to a
moratorium.
For more information on the situation, see: http://www.defenders.org/releases/pr2006/pr051006b.html
In the meantime, other conservation efforts continue along Delaware
Bay. An effort at Mispillion Harbor in Delaware on the western shore
of the Delaware Bay is arguably the most important current project at
a single location for the survival of the Red Knot. The harbor, which
includes a mile of Delaware Bay shoreline, is situated between the
Milford Neck Wildlife Area and the Mispillion River. In recent years,
over eighty percent of the remaining Red Knot population on Delaware
Bay has been recorded at this location.
The Conservation Fund and others are preserving the Mispillion Harbor
property - deemed a top state goal for years. TCF will transfer the
property to the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife as a
bird-and-crab sanctuary. For more details, see: http://www.conservationfund.org/pagespinner.asp?article=3107&back=true
Finally, as we write this E-bulletin, the counting of Red Knots at
Delaware Bay is underway. We will try to present an update with our
July issue.
HORICON WINDS: STOP WORK ORDER
Apparently, all wind farms in Wisconsin have recently received a
"stop work order" because of a new Homeland Security and
Department of Defense policy. A recent Defense Department requirement
to study the effects of wind farms on military readiness has evolved
into an open-ended, stop-work order on projects in Wisconsin. The
Defense Department is interested in studying the potential impact of
radar signals bouncing off the spinning blades at wind farms, as well
as associated mitigation measures for remedying interference from
windmills. The stop work policy will be in effect until the study is
finished, projected to be in October at the earliest. Among the
projects now on hold is Forward Wind Energy's 133-turbine Horicon
Marsh wind farm, a highly controversial project deemed by many to be
too close to Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge and an adjacent
State Wildlife Area.
This study, while preventing wind projects from proceeding, has
nothing to do with the potential impact of wind power on flying birds
and bats.
At the same time, Horicon Marsh Systems Advocates (HMSA) has filed a
notice with the District Court of Appeals in Madison to appeal the
decision made by Judge John R. Storck in late March on the wind power
project near Horicon Marsh. HMSA is asking for the wind turbines to be
built no closer than four or five miles from Horicon Marsh and for a
three-year in-depth study of the impact of wind turbines on migratory
birds in the project area. The Public Service Commission approved a
two-mile buffer last July.
PROJECT PREVENT COLLISION
The facts about window-bird collisions are startling. If, on average,
every building in the United States creates 1-10 fatal bird collisions
per year, then there may be between 100 million and 1 billion birds
deaths due to collisions with windows each year.
Window-bird collisions occur because birds do not recognize clear and
reflective windows as barriers. The windows either reflect the outside
environment or they create a see-through effect whereby birds see
through two clear windows parallel to one another and attempt to fly
through them to the other side. In either case, many birds are lost to
collisions with windows. While window-bird collisions represent a
significant source of avian mortality, our understanding is limited
regarding the relative risk of certain building or construction
characteristics and how they influence the number of birds killed by
window collisions each year.
"Project Prevent Collision" is attempting to investigate the
issue. An effort sponsored by the Wild Bird Centers of America, the
effort aims to collect some important information. For more details
see: http://www.wildbirdcenter.com/www_files/ppc_protocol.pdf
FAVORITE BIRDING BLIND?
Do you have a favorite birding or photography blind? Is there a
particular design that you favor?
To meet the growing demands for birding and nature photography
services, Deborah Richie Oberbillig is working with the Colorado
Division of Wildlife to produce a guide to wildlife viewing and
photography blinds (with a special emphasis on states in the West).
The guide is intended to assist those in the wildlife-viewing and
interpretive fields who are seeking ideas and guidance on the
planning, construction, and placement of such viewing enhancements.
Currently, there is no central place to find comprehensive bird-blind
information. Viewing blinds of all shapes, sizes, and costs exist, but
searching for alternative designs is time-consuming. The guide should
save time and expense, with no more reinventing the wheel.
If you have a favorite blind or ideal design, you can help by filling
out a survey in the next couple of weeks. Contact Deborah: debrichi@montana.com
MEXICAN FIELD GUIDE POSSIBILITIES
And we have another possible questionnaire for at least some of you.
The Peterson Field Guide, AVES DE MEXICO, by R. T. Peterson and E. L.
Chalif was originally published in 1989. While it was a valuable tool
in the field for Spanish speakers, the prohibitive cover price of $40
made it difficult to keep in print. In an attempt to get a more
affordable edition of the guide produced, the folks at Houghton
Mifflin are attempting to gather some information. If you have
experience - good or bad - using this field guide, there are a few
simple questions that Lisa White at Houghton Mifflin would like to
send you. These should not take more than a few moments to answer: lisa_white@hmco.com
BIRD STAMP EFFORTS
The latest Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps (aka
"the Duck Stamp") are available as of 1 June. The stamp is
good from 1 Jul 2006 to 30 June 2007. The cost is $15 for a stamp;
this year's image is Ross's Goose by Sherrie Russell Meline.
The Stamp, an institution since the 1930s, is a de-facto federal water
fowling license, as well as a valuable "pass" for any
refuges that charge for entry. The proceeds from Stamp sales (about
$25 million per year) go to habitat acquisition for the National
Wildlife Refuge System.
We discussed the Stamp previously, including last September and
October:
http://www.refugenet.org/birding/sepSBC05.html#TOC10
http://www.refugenet.org/birding/octSBC05.html#TOC07
An interesting editorial in the May/June issue of WILDBIRD called for
better dialogue between birders and hunters, based, in part at least,
on the Stamp. You can check out the editorial, titled "Stamp Out
the Divide" here:
http://wildbirdonthefly.blogspot.com/2006/04/stamp-out-divide.html
MOUNTAINTOP REMOVAL IN CERULEAN HABITAT RESISTED
In early 2004, a number of conservation organizations signed a letter
concerning mountaintop removal/valley fill coal mining in Appalachia.
Unfortunately, the granting of permits to strip another 380,000 acres
of mature Appalachian deciduous forests persists, along with the
resulting dumping of stripped rock and dirt in valleys. This dumping
could degrade or destroy up to 1,000 miles of freshwater streams.
Perhaps nowhere else on the North American continent is such massive
land-and-water degradation happening.
There are now renewed efforts to stop the issuance of an Army Corps of
Engineers permit under the Clean Water Act that would allow 2,278
acres of mountaintop trees to be destroyed and would allow for the
dumping of the fill along nearly six miles of stream valleys for one
new mine, Spruce No. 1 mine, near Blair, Logan County, West Virginia.
Substantial repercussions to high-quality Cerulean Warbler habitat are
in the balance. (This warbler has been petitioned for listing under
the Endangered Species Act and is also on the USFWS National List of
Birds of Conservation Concern.) In addition, the cumulative
mountaintop mining could have a massive and permanent impact on other
such forest birds in the region as Louisiana Waterthrush, Worm-eating
Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Wood Thrush, Yellow-throated Vireo, and
Acadian Flycatcher.
Further explanation of the situation can be found here:
http://www.appalachian-center.org/
and
http://www.ohvec.org/issues/mountaintop_removal/index.html
BIRDLIFE ASSESSMENT
In early May, BirdLife International announced its annual evaluation
of the status of the world's birds. The evaluation shows that the
total number of species currently "threatened" with
extinction is now at 1,210. When combined with the number of
"near threatened" species, the total is 2,005 species that
are in trouble. This is more than a fifth of the Earth's estimated
10,000 bird species. Of the birds most at risk, 181 are now
categorized as "critically endangered," the highest level of
threat. While the report is not all bad news, it is nonetheless
sobering. For details, see here:
http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2006/05/redlist.html
NEOTROP ACT MOVEMENT
In mid-May, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the
Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Improvement Act of 2006 (HR
518). This Act reauthorizes and improves the Neotropical Migratory
Bird Conservation Act of 2000, which expired last year. The Act
provides grants to groups throughout the Americas for the conservation
of Neotropical migratory birds that winter south of the border and
summer in North America.
The new House bill raises the funding ceiling for competitive
Neotropical grants to $6.5 million annually over a four-year period.
This is an increase of $1.5 million over its current authorization,
but still $1.5 million short of what had originally been expected and
significantly less than the $15 million top-end that bird-conservation
groups had hoped for. The actual amount available for Neotropical
migratory bird conservation will, of course, depend on the yearly
Congressional budget appropriations process. In addition to improved
funding, the Neotrop Act reduces the ratio of matching funds that
recipients must raise from 3:1 to 1:1, thus making funding far more
accessible. Projects in Canada are now also eligible for funding for
the first time.
Unfortunately, instead of pursuing its own improved version of the
bill, the Senate is expected to simply act on the House product.
Still, the expected results should provide some modest steps forward.
HOUSE VOTES TO OPEN ARCTIC NWR
If the status of the Neotrop Act was good news from the House, there
is bad news, too.
By a vote of 225 to 201, the U.S. House of Representatives voted in
late May to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.
The refuge's coastal plain, of course, is a breeding ground for
caribou, home to polar bears, and a site for countless nesting and
migratory birds, especially waterfowl and shorebirds. This is the 12th
time the House has voted to open the Arctic NWR since 1995. Instead of
coming up with some real energy solutions, the House once again
perpetuated the myth that drilling in the Arctic is a prescription for
energy independence. As one Republican Congressman stated, "this
Congress hasn't voted on a single conservation measure since
gasoline hit $3 a gallon."
The issue will next move to the Senate where it could be attached to
an Energy Bill, or even fuel efficiency standards. The threat of a
Senate filibuster is still possible. We may have more information next
month.
CONGRESSIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE CAUCUS LAUNCHED
As you may know, 60 percent of the "globally significant"
Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in the U.S. are on Federal properties, and
54 percent of these are part of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
What this means is that about a third of all globally important IBAs
in the U.S. are National Wildlife Refuges. At the same time, while
refuges are absolutely vital for bird conservation, two hundred of our
545 refuges have no staff whatsoever and half of them lack a staff
biologist.
This is only a part of the ongoing financial crisis facing the Refuge
System. Funding shortages are forcing refuges to take drastic steps to
try to fulfill their overall conservation goals and mission.
Fortunately, long-time refuge supporters Ron Kind (D-WI) and Jim
Saxton (R-NJ), along with Michael Castle (R-DE) and Mike Thompson
(D-CA), are leading a bipartisan effort in the House of
Representatives to launch a new Wildlife Refuge Caucus.
Yes, now we can report on some good news from the House of
Representatives!
Since migratory bird conservation was the genesis of the Refuge
System, and it continues to be a top concern for the USFWS, the new
Wildlife Refuge Caucus in Washington D.C. can only help strengthen the
relationship.
The purposes of the Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus will be to
help:
- Raise awareness of our National Wildlife Refuge System;
- Create a clear voice for the Refuge System in Congress;
- Support adequate Refuge System budgets;
- Support the six priority activities outlined in the Refuge
Improvement Act of 1997 (hunting, fishing, wildlife observation,
wildlife photography, environmental education, and environmental
interpretation);
- Support strategic growth of the Refuge System.
The more members the new Wildlife Refuge Caucus has, especially on
both sides of the aisle, the more influential it can be. The co-chairs
of the new Wildlife Refuge Caucus, Reps. Kind and Saxton, have
circulated a "Dear Colleague" letter urging their fellow
members of the House to join them as founding members.
You might ask your own House member if he or she has responded
favorably to that letter. (About 20 members of the House have already
responded favorably.)
For more details, see this alert on the website for the National
Wildlife Refuge Association:
http://refugenet.e-actionmax.com/showalert.asp?aaid=1911
IBA NEWS: THE NJ APPROACH
In line with our monthly focus on highlights from various Important
Bird Area (IBA) Programs around the country, this month we look at the
New Jersey effort.
What do Cape May, Forsythe (Brigantine) NWR, Sandy Hook, Great Swamp
NWR, Wharton State Forest, and Barnegat Bay all have in common? Yes,
they are all good for birds and birding.
Building on the IBA experience in other states, the independent New
Jersey Audubon Society, working closely with the state's
Endangered and Non-game Species Program (ENSP) and the National
Audubon Society, is working on what it is calling its "Important
Bird and Birding Area" (IBBA) program. The NJ IBBA program is
intended to identify sites that are essential for sustaining native
bird populations (Important Bird Areas), as well as areas that are
exceptional for birding (Important Birding Areas). After all, where do
the two categories begin and end?
Part of the IBBA process is engaging in site-based ecotourism planning
to promote and improve birding in New Jersey. The intent is to build
upon the successful models already established in states like Texas
and Virginia by using extensive public and media outreach to raise
awareness of the value of birding and the possible economic
opportunities these present for local stakeholders and stewards.
For more information on the breath of IBBA potential in New Jersey,
check here:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Conservation/IBBA/
For additional information about the ongoing IBA program in the United
States, see:
http://www.audubon.org/bird/iba/index.html
BRONX PETREL?
This wonderful appellation given to the Rock Pigeon is but one of a
plethora of "Dunneisms" awaiting the reader between the
covers of one of the newest field guides to roll off the presses: PETE
DUNNE'S ESSENTIAL FIELD GUIDE COMPANION: A COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCE
FOR IDENTIFYING NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS (2006, Houghton Mifflin). As we
mentioned last month, we don't usually review books in the
E-bulletin, but mention of this new volume is irresistible. Unique in
every way, Dunne's most recent literary effort supercedes anything
that birders have seen in the already crowded marketplace of new field
guides. The Essential Field Guide is unusual in a number of ways,
foremost being that it has NO illustrations. Indeed, the weighty
volume (710 pages!) is truly intended to only be A SUPPLEMENT to other
North American bird guides. An amazing compendium of field
identification information about North American birds, the reader is
left to him/herself to determine whether Dunne's new treatment is
useful or successful. Regardless of your impression, we urge you to
have a look, since we don't think you'll be disappointed! (In
the interest of full disclosure, one of your co-editors, Wayne
Petersen, had the opportunity to review a final draft of the volume.)
BIRDER TO TREASURY
Finally, Henry "Hank" Paulson of the Wall Street firm of
Goldman Sachs and chairman of the Board of The Nature Conservancy has
been nominated as the new Secretary of the Treasury by President Bush.
Paulson is an avid birder and conservationist with a long-term love of
nature. (Paulson is also the past chairman of the board at The
Peregrine Fund.) While expected to be approved by the Senate, he has
opposition from some self-described free-marketeers who insist that he
will be too pro-environment.
For more details, see this report:
http://www.grist.org/news/muck/2006/06/01/treasury/index.html?source=muck
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 Optics
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 the URL for the E-bulletin archives, if possible.)
The Birding Community E-bulletin is growing by word of mouth and
Internet buzz virtually every day. Hundreds of bird enthusiasts have
already gotten on board. If you have 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
718/534-2046
wpetersen@massaudubon.org
OR
Paul J. Baicich
410/992-9736
paul.baicich@verizon.net
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