Look for Loons.
Bird News Items
*Corrected Version
1. Let’s begin with this piece from The Economist - “Keep calm and carion”: It may have been the smelliest job in conservation. Whoever drew the short straw sat in a hole in the dirt underneath a carcass. Then they waited for a California condor to come and have a snack. “That’s not a pretty job at all,” says Chandra David, an animal keeper for the Los Angeles Zoo. “When a bird would land somebody would radio in saying ‘Now!’ and they would reach up and grab the bird’s legs.” This, and other less nauseating methods, is how the last remaining condors were brought in from the wild in the 1980s. As America’s population grew in the 19th and 20th centuries, the birds’ numbers plummeted. They were placed on the federal endangered-species list in 1967, but they continued to die off. Their near-demise, and recent comeback, provide a study in unintended consequences. (via The Economist)
2. Letting “the beaches move like they want to move”: On a bright, blustery morning in Scarborough, a three-member team is out surveying nesting sites for piping plovers and least terns, two endangered shorebirds in Maine. The secluded beach the survey team chose is a prime spot. A dredge of a nearby river over the winter rejuvenated the depleted sand, leaving a broad expanse of beach edging up to dunes bordering a nearby country club. Not all of Maine's beaches have had the same treatment. Powerful storms this winter tore chunks out of the shoreline, battering private homes, piers and shorebirds' nesting sites. Beaches change all the time, as sand moves and shifts naturally, said Laura Minich Zitske, director of the coastal birds project at Maine Audubon. But the storm damage this year was something different. (via WBUR News)
By Hap Ellis, Early Fall migrants, Short-billed Dowitchers - Cape Porpoise, ME.
3. A loon family “portage” in search of more perch: Imagine the survival instincts of a mother loon that nests on a quiet little lake hundreds of yards from the bigger lake her chicks would need to be on, if they successfully hatch, in order to find an adequate supply of fish. It’s so hard to comprehend that scenario because loons aren’t built to walk on land — a heavy bird with legs so far back that walking or even standing like a duck or other waterfowl is impossible. I wouldn’t have believed it either, if not for witnessing the trek with my own eyes on a routine fishing trip that ended with the most incredible timing. (via VC News Review)
4. Climate change threatens the Mount Rainier white-tailed ptarmigan: The Mount Rainier white-tailed ptarmigan is specialized to dwell in high alpine environments—that is to say, it thrives in cold weather. These rotund birds, which each weigh about a pound, use their feathered feet like snowshoes to float across the top of the snow in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. In the winter, their mottled brown feathers give way to snowy white plumage, which helps camouflage them against the powder. They eat plants that grow at high elevations, like saxifrages and dwarf huckleberries. And when temperatures rise above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, they begin to overheat and must pant to cool down. But as the planet heats up because of human-caused climate change, these birds are in trouble. Now, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hopes to protect them from that fate by listing them as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. The federal agency announced its decision this month, citing climate change as the primary reason. (via Smithsonian Mag)
5. The skills of the bird illustrator - and how they help science: When international researchers recently discovered that a population of hummingbirds in South America was actually two distinct species – a finding made after much trekking and tracking and genome sequencing – they called on Jillian Ditner to help explain their work. Ms. Ditner is a bird illustrator at Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology. And in her rendering, she could highlight the distinctions between Patagona gigas, the southern giant hummingbird, and Patagona sp. nov., the new northern giant hummingbird. “Can you see the difference?” she asks, pointing to an image of two birds, belly side up. (via Christian Science Monitor)
6. Anyone heading to bird in India?: The most fascinating feature of India’s wildlife sanctuaries is the melodious tweeting and singing of the birds. With 1250 bird species and many wildlife sanctuaries, the Indian Bird Sanctuaries give significant value to wildlife getaways. Here are 5 best places in India for birdwatchers. (via Business Upturn)
By Hap Ellis, Early Fall migrants, Pectoral Sandpiper - Cape Porpoise, ME.
7. Or the U.S. - state by state, the best birding hotspot: What’s the No. 1 place in the United States to go birding? It’s a tough call. There are classic locations, like Montana’s Glacier National Park—the bird-watching trails through mountain backdrops make it worth the visit alone. But there are plenty of hidden gems, too, like the Waikamoi Preserve in Hawaii—the only place in the world where intrepid birders are likely to see Maui parrotbills. After consulting our travel experts (special thanks to Rob Ripma with Sabrewing Nature Tours), we realized it would be impossible to name just one birding location as our winner, so instead, we picked a top bird-watching spot from every state. (We even squeezed in a few Canadian birding sites that can’t be missed!) Think of this as your official invitation to get out there and explore new places! (via Birds and Blooms)
8. A shoutout to UC biologist Ronald Canterbury: A University of Cincinnati ornithologist has documented the gradual but alarming decline of bird species across the United States over the last two decades. UC College of Arts and Sciences Professor Ronald Canterbury has dedicated his career to studying birds. His research indicates that many birds are disappearing from places where they once flourished. Nearly 1 in 10 species in the United States are listed as threatened or in danger of extinction. Many others are nominees waiting to be listed. In fact, the National Audubon Society says more than half the bird species in the country are in sharp decline. Canterbury has witnessed the trend firsthand as a field researcher. (via University of Cincinnati)
9. Angry birds in NYC (at drones): A fleet of drones patrolling New York City’s beaches for signs of sharks and struggling swimmers is drawing backlash from an aggressive group of seaside residents: local shorebirds. Since the drones began flying in May, flocks of birds have repeatedly swarmed the devices, forcing the police department and other city agencies to adjust their flight plans. While the attacks have slowed, they have not stopped completely, fueling concern from wildlife experts about the impact on threatened species nesting along the coast. Veronica Welsh, a wildlife coordinator at the Parks Department, said the birds were “very annoyed by the drones” from the moment they arrived on the beach. (via AP News)
By Hap Ellis, Early Fall migrants, Common Loons - Gulf of Maine, ME.
10. Speaking of NYC, an update on the Audubon Mural Project: On a recent 90-plus-degree day in Red Hook, Brooklyn, artist George Boorujy spent hours on the hot concrete, working on a 963-foot-long mural. It's called "Migratory Pathways," located on a retaining wall on Bay Street near the Red Hook Ball Fields. The mural features birds that make their way through New York City during their thousands-miles-long travels. It depicts eight migratory birds that are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. It's part of the Audubon Mural Project, a public art initiative of the National Audubon Society and Gitler &_____ gallery, sponsored by the Red Hook Conservancy along with NYC Parks' Art in the Parks program. (via NY1 News)
11. Who knew? An unexpected “oasis” for birders in downtown SF: The question lingers in the air as a tight knot of people scan Salesforce Park, looking for the animal behind a very distinctive tweet. The first Wednesday of every month, San Francisco bird-watchers gather above the city’s Transbay transit center for a guided walk. They tune out the chaotic symphony of rumbling buses and traffic and turn their focus to a refrain often lost in the urban bustle: chirps. Starting at 8 a.m. from the park’s main plaza, the ornithology enthusiasts march around the 1,400-foot-long park with binoculars ready, in hopes of spotting an Anna’s hummingbird, white-crowned sparrow or one of the many other native species that call the Bay Area home. The Salesforce Park bird walks are free, open to the public and organized by the Golden Gate Bird Alliance, a Bay Area avian conservation and appreciation group. (via San Francisco Chronicle)
12. "Zunzuncito": The wings of the world's tiniest birds are a near-invisible blur as they whizz around tourists visiting a private Cuban garden that has become a haven for the declining species. The bee hummingbird, which measures just five to six centimeters (two inches) long, is only found in Cuba. Its losses have been huge, with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) saying it has disappeared from many areas due to deforestation. But in Palpite, in the southwest of the country, Bernabe Hernandez, 75, has turned his garden into a paradise for the bitty bird. "We never get tired of it. We always discover something new!" he said as he watched two of the hummingbirds (Mellisuga helenae) zip towards a hanging water bath. Cubans call them "zunzuncito," a word evoking the sound of the buzzing of their tiny wings, which can flap up to 100 times a minute. (via Phys Org)
By Hap Ellis, Early Fall migrants, White-rumped Sandpiper - Cape Porpoise, ME.
13. From Nature, a study of the impact of genetically modified crops on biodiversity: Biodiversity provides essential ecosystem services to agriculture, including pest control and pollination, yet it is declining at an alarming rate, largely due to the agricultural sector. The introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops in the United States marked a major transformation of agricultural production, as over 90% of US corn, soybean and cotton areas are now planted with GM varieties. This shift in crop cultivation has substantially altered crop management practices, most notably the types and quantities of pesticides used. Despite the magnitude of these changes, the impact on biodiversity is still poorly understood. Here we estimate the causal impact of GM crops on bird diversity in the United States and compare bird communities through time in areas with different levels of exposure to GM crops. (via Nature)
14. Fun post from the UK - when a birder “migrates”: Birders have so much to think about when moving house. Never mind the council tax band and whether the area is still 'up and coming' economically – we need to know how close we are to the nearest marshes and whether there are any good leading lines for visible migration. Moving more than a few miles can completely change one's birding prospects. It can be tough to say goodbye to a local patch. After all those years of putting in hours at a favourite site, getting to know its birds and building an impressive patch list, the thought of making it work long-distance might even cross your mind. But a clean break is for the best and a new area offers an exciting fresh start. Just make sure you time it right so that all the packing and unpacking doesn't clash with key weeks for migration. (via BirdGuides)
15. Finally, there’s this (very) short story from the NYT “Metropolitan Diary”:
Dear Diary: While walking along a trail in Inwood Hill Park, I stopped to admire a rock formation helpfully labeled with a sign near the path that said: “Rock Formation”.
As I stood there, a bird watcher in full regalia paused next to me. Together, we stared at the rocks in silence. “Would you like to borrow my binoculars?” the birder asked me. “Sure,” I said. “What are we looking at?”
I put the binoculars to my eyes and looked up to where she was pointing. After a moment, I saw a small brown speck camouflaged in the bark staring back at me: a screech owl. I brought the binoculars down and looked in the same spot. I never would have seen it, let alone noticed it, if she hadn’t stopped.
“Thank you for showing me,” I said.
“Of course,” she replied. “It’s always a pleasure to share the joys of the screech owl.”— — Nick Devor (via The New York Times)
Bird Videos of the Week
Video by BBC, “Attenborough’s Big Birds”.
Cornell Live Bird Cam - Northern Royal Albatross chicks.
Cornell Live Bird Cam - Incredibly vibrant butterfly visited the Panama Feeders at Canopy Lodge.