1. Great Christmas Count report from The Cape & Islands local NPR, featuring 141 species in the mid-Cape area and an “all-star cast” of New England birders uncovering multiple rarities on Nantucket, such as a “Kamchatka” Gull: On a frozen morning last week I stopped to sort through ducks at Town Cove in Orleans, a place that accumulates all sorts of waterfowl when other spots start to freeze. I was pleased to see one of my favorite ducks, the uncommon species known simply as Redhead, and figured that would be my morning highlight. Then I noticed a little, pale, bird-like spot in a distant rose thicket and swung my spotting scope to investigate. You could have knocked me over with an extra tiny feather when that pale spot turned out to be a hummingbird happily soaking up the morning sun on this 28 degree January day. The ornithological term for this type of sighting is “super duper weird”. And the weirdness didn’t stop there (via Cape and Islands NPR)
2. Why “tackling more than one challenge at a time” is critical – an important study from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: More than 80% of global land area needed to maintain human well-being and meet biodiversity targets is unprotected, according to a new study led by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The study, published Jan. 10 in Nature Communications, found that roughly half of global land, excluding Antarctica, provides nearly all current levels of nature’s services to people while also conserving biodiversity for 27,000 species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Of that, only 18% is adequately protected, the study found. These findings point to potential conflict because 37% of the land areas that provide nature’s services are also highly suitable for development by agriculture, renewable energy, oil and gas, mining or urban expansion. (via The Cornell Chronicle)
By Hap Ellis, Carolina Wren – Charlotte, NC
3. The NY Times does a nice job presenting the findings of a study we noted last week on African raptors: Silhouettes of patrolling raptors filled skies throughout Africa as recently as a few decades ago, but it’s much less common to spot those birds of prey today. Now, new research gives an indication of just how sharp the birds’ decline has been. According to a study published Thursday in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, 88 percent of 42 African raptor species have suffered declines over the past 20 to 40 years, and 69 percent are either more endangered than previously thought or now meet criteria for being threatened with extinction. (via The New York Times)
4. Texas Monthly weighs in on another favorite BNI bird: On a cloudy afternoon in November, I’m standing in a clearing in the woods near my suburban Austin neighborhood, binoculars pressed to my eyes, scanning the tree line for a colorful, robin-size raptor. My ears are attuned to a shrill “killy-killy-killy” or a rapid “klee-klee-klee” call, though I haven’t heard one yet. Since October I’ve been checking fields and telephone wires—the best places to look for an American kestrel, the smallest falcon in North America and the most common, with large populations migrating here for winter. Texas is one of the best places to see kestrels, which flock to all corners of the state, hunting our grasslands, agricultural fields, and sprawling suburban neighborhoods for insects and small rodents. (via Texas Monthly)
5. This from the U of Florida on a continuing concern – renewables and their impact on biodiversity: As concerns over the world’s declining bird population mount, animal ecologists developed an analytical approach to better understand one of the latest threats to feathered creatures: the rise of wind and solar energy facilities. “Bird mortality has become an unintended consequence of renewable energy development,” said Hannah Vander Zanden, an assistant professor of biology at the University of Florida. “If we want to minimize or even offset these fatalities, especially for vulnerable populations, we need to identify the geographic origin of affected birds. In other words, are the dead birds local or are they coming from other parts of North America?” (via University of Florida)
6. Birding the Outer Banks of North Carolina – with a nice shout-out to Merlin and eBird: There is a distinction between birders and birdwatchers. Sarah Toner, Visitor Services Manager at the Coastal NC National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Complex in Manteo, explains, “Birders make dedicated trips to search for birds. Birdwatchers watch birds at home in their backyards or around their local area.” But Toner adds that “The barriers are breaking down…with the rise in interest in birding due to Covid-19 and technology like the Merlin and eBird apps. This blurring is absolutely a good thing.” Without exception, the many local experts interviewed for this article agreed that such blurring is indeed a good thing; that lowering the barriers to entry to make birding more inclusive and accessible fosters a love and respect of the natural world. (via The Outer Banks Voice)
By Hap Ellis, Red-Shouldered Hawk – Charlotte, NC
7. And then there’s this on birding in the Pacific Northwest: Seattleites may see some of the best bird-watching opportunities of the year over the next few days and weeks as migratory birds from farther north flee the polar vortex, according to the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW). The Puget Sound region is among the best in North America for viewing a wide variety of migratory and resident species within a short drive of the city. This season, migration numbers were low in November and December due to generally mild weather, said Gunnell, but that's picked up fast as temperatures drop amid the coming Arctic blast. State of play: Each fall through spring, millions of geese, ducks, shorebirds, and raptors fly down from Alaska, Canada and even the Russian Arctic to winter in Puget Sound-area lowlands, estuaries, and coastal bays. (via Axios Seattle)
8. More good news for a BNI favorite shorebird: Efforts in Nova Scotia to boost the population of an endangered bird species have hit their target for the first time in over 30 years, according to a conservation group. Birds Canada said the provincial recovery objective was to have 60 breeding pairs of piping plovers, and that goal was exceeded in 2023. The small bird lives along coastal areas and has been an endangered species since 1985. It's a significant milestone, Abbott said, but these numbers need to be sustained for a 15-year period for the piping plover population to fully recover. (via CBC)
9. Rare Bird Alert – a Dovekie in a Maryland garage!: Like the tornado that whirled Dorothy to Oz, Tuesday’s storm swept several dovekies from their ocean home to coastal neighborhoods. As Jim Lawrence pulled into his driveway amid Tuesday’s fierce rains, he spotted a fluffy black-and-white ball of feathers hopping along his driveway. The bird jumped inside the garage of Lawrence’s home near Chincoteague, Virginia, to escape the storm. Lawrence, a former Baltimore County resident, snapped photos and reached out to animal rescue experts. It was a dovekie, a bird that is usually found in frigid Arctic waters, blown onto land by heavy winds. A close relative of puffins, the birds have black and white feathers and spend most of their lives bobbing on icy seas and eating small crustaceans. That is, unless a storm sweeps them up. (via The Baltimore Banner)
10. Birds, birding and the “sagging middle-aged soul” (yikes!): I often wonder why birds speak so universally to the sagging middle-aged soul that it has become a comic trope – the vertiginously swift passage from: “Is that a robin?” to: “There’s a lesser yellowleg two hours’ drive away, start the car.” Is it the freedom they represent? No cholesterol, no mortgage, no self-assessment tax deadline to worry about? Or a sense of wonder in the everyday miracle of their existence, induced by an awareness of mortality? Whatever it is, I am in deep: disposable income frittered on fat balls; constantly snooping on feathery goings-on in the garden; home decor reminiscent of the Portlandia “put a bird on it” sketch. (via The Guardian)
By Hap Ellis, Great Blue Heron – Charlotte, NC
11. Sandhills are coming to San Luis Valley in Colorado and – as always - in large numbers: One of Colorado's most popular wildlife-related festivals is a couple months away, but you'll want to get it on your calendar now so that you don't miss it. In early February, an estimated 18,000 to 21,000 Greater Sandhill Cranes along with 5,000 to 6,000 Lesser Sandhill Cranes will start to arrive in Colorado's San Luis Valley during their annual migration to the region. One great place to see the stunning phenomenon will be Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, which will also be where a popular festival dedicated to the animal will take place. With the birds typically present from early-February through late-March, the 2024 Monte Vista Crane Festival will be held for the 41st time from March 8 to March 10. (via OutThere Colorado)
12. Georgia’s Midwinter Shorebird Survey is coming up – last year’s count was 70,408 birds of 25 species: Some 70 of Georgia’s top birders will spend a day at the beach on Tuesday. The event will be the Midwinter Shorebird Survey in which the birders fan out by foot, boat and vehicle along the state’s 100-mile-long coast to tally shorebirds congregating on offshore sandbars and more than 20 barrier island beaches. Started in 1996, the annual effort has become an important one-day snapshot to help determine if conservation programs for coastal birds are working or in need of upgrade. (via The Atlanta Journal Constitution)
13. Nice find for Tribeca (and New York) birders: Local photographer and birder Claudine Williams was good to let me know about the work of fellow birder (and artist) Andrea Evans, who caught these wonderful shots of the rare purple sandpiper at the Pier 26 tide deck. But she also added this, which is a nice coda to the Hudson River Park anniversary celebration: “At least 40 or so top-notch birders have come down to Tribeca see the sandpipers at the pier. I happen to bird there every day and usually I’m the only one reporting to eBird [an online database of bird observations]. The birders I’ve met there in the last few weeks are very impressed with Pier 26 and the tide deck.” This bird is always rare for New York County, though they have been seen recently on Governor’s Island. There is some speculation it’s a first sighting for Manhattan proper. (via Tribeca Citizen)
By Hap Ellis, Purple Sandpipers – Castle Island, Boston, MA
14. A quick look at the lifespans of birds: The birds in our gardens or local parks can feel like old friends after a while. It may seem as if we’re seeing the same individuals year after year—and that may be true because often they stay faithful to their home territory. But it can lead us to wonder: How long do birds live? That question can be surprisingly hard to answer. (via Birds & Blooms)
15. Finally, from the NY Times’ Opinion pages, what was the lesson in seeing her first bird of 2024 (a blue jay)? Read on…: My husband and I saw the New Year in as we always do, with our closest friends, and the next morning I woke up smiling. But when I went to the bedroom window to look for my first bird of the year, there were no birds to be seen. A squirrel peered at me from our largest birdhouse but quickly ducked back into the shelter of the leafy nest she’d built inside the box. She raised a litter of babies there last summer, and I’m pretty sure at least one of those youngsters, now grown, was inside with her on that cold New Year’s morning. When I stepped outside my own house, all was silence. According to birding tradition, the first bird you see on New Year’s Day sets a theme for your year. A robin can be a sign of renewal. A starling suggests adaptability. A crow might mean a year of wit and problem-solving and maybe even a little mischief. What did it mean for the new year to dawn entirely bereft of birds? (via The New York Times)
Bird Videos of the Week
By Wanderlust Travel Magazine - “A Birdwatching Guide to Tobago”.
Cornell Live Bird Cam - Pine Grosbecks.
Cornell Live Bird Cam - Mourning Doves.