The Bluebird's Laugh

bird conservation news - inside and outside our borders

2011-07-09T15:26:00.000-07:00

See recent news from BirdLife International at this link; and more recent news from the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) at their site, here.

There's more, too, from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, at their site, here - which is a site worth checking now & then. Although this link mentions information linked here previously, it's both worth repaeating as well as worth leading you to the sitre for future reference.

more info on Neotropic Cormorants

2011-07-07T13:42:00.000-07:00

Read a bit of background info, see videos, images, and more about Wisconsin's newest avian addition - at this link, and then, some more at this link.

shorebirds: news, info, & conservation - within & beyond our borders

2011-06-13T07:10:00.000-07:00

See this recent news on the World Waders site, for a start.

Then, news from the International Wader Study Group is posted here.

If you're REALLY into shorebirds, become part of the IWSG listserv, by going here.

And, eBird has a page devoted to the International Shorebird Survey - see it here.

Although it is a little dated, this publication from USGS shows info on North American shorebird populations.

(image of knots from National Digital Library - Greg Breese)

Earth Portal

2011-06-12T20:28:00.000-07:00

If you have never looked at it, see the Earth Portal - lots of great information.

birds and people

2011-06-10T05:14:00.000-07:00

BirdLife international highlights the links between birds and people at a new webpage -see it here.

shrubland bird species

2011-06-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

"According to the Breeding Bird Survey data from 1966 to 2003, 50 of 78 shrubland species are declining, and there is no trend information for 29 species." See more at this link. Plus additional information is at this link.

Our recent exchanges about bobwhites have me thinking about this group.

The partial list given at the first linked page above is dominated by western species, but some familiar WI species are on the list as well.

Along with ongoing declines, however, may be some range expansion of some shrubland species resulting from a warming climate in the upper Midwest. This summer I have already heard a few more reports than usual (for June) of White-eyed Vireo (the usual locations in Dane or Green counties, plus a report of a possible pair for the 2nd year in a row near the Ozaukee-Washington county line, and now a possible Milwaukee County bird). I had one along Milwaukee's Menomonee River in September last fall; where was that individual en route from? And this species is fairly regular not far south, in locations about 100 miles from the WI-IL border (I had them reliably near Joliet, IL, in June last year). Will we see (or mostly hear) more in future summers?

But what of the other declining species in this group: how will they fare in Wisconsin in the coming decades?

more on bobwhites in WI

2011-06-07T04:57:00.000-07:00

Months ago I posted on the decline of the bobwhite in Wisconsin. Here's more information from the WDNR quail survey, at this link - see especially the regression graph (Figure 2) on page 2.

early summer woodlands

2011-06-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

The early summer woodlands at this latitude are a study in all of the greens - and leaf shapes are highly varied. The canopy has a particular group of avian species that we don't see easily unless we take time and watch very carefully: Scarlet Tanager, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher, Yellow-throated and Red-eyed Vireos, Yellow-billed Cuckoo. If you're not far from an edge, you'll add Indigo Bunting, Northern Cardinal, and sometimes a few others. And while you're counting, you can simply stand in awe of the colors and patterns overhead.

migratory bird conservation factsheets, plus Steve B.'s new book

2011-06-01T08:21:00.000-07:00

I may have passed this along before, but it's worth repeating - Go over to the website of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center to see a variety of excellent fact sheets on migratory bird conservation, at this link.

If you're looking for my review from last week of Steve Betchkal's new birding book, you can find it at this link.

bird conservation news - local and international

2011-05-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

If you haven't looked at it lately, don't miss the growing amount of excellent information on the Bird City Wisconsin website. For example, check out the map with the existing municipalities that have attained Bird City status, here. And go to their homepage to begin learning about all of the other activities and initiatives they have in process - if you haven't been following these developments, you will be truly amazed!

Over on the international front, read recent news from BirdLife International at this link.

new birding book - a review

2011-05-23T12:55:00.000-07:00

Steve Betchkal, for those of you who may not have met him or read any of his writing, or may not have seen any of his expert videography (he works for a local television station - WQOW - in Eau Claire, WI), is a man with diverse skills and interests. But they all sort of funnel into and are magnified when he starts talking about or writing about or photographing birds. Steve has a wide-ranging sense of humor. All of these things are displayed fully in his new book Make Birds - Not War: Step By Step Instructions for Saving the World a Birder at a Time. (Adarolf Publishing, 2011).

Steve is the author of All of This and Robins Too: A Guide to the 50 or So Best Places to Find Birds in Wisconsin.

But about this new book - this is not your usual birding book. Although descriptions of birding locations, evaluations of favorite places, the merits of the various wheres and hows of birding are found throughout, that's really only part of what's here. There is also poetry, philosophy, wry humor - and much, much more - and all wrapped thoroughly around and within the life and experiences of a birder. Is Steve "obsessed" with birds? Obsessed in a good way (and I hope I am, too). These are fluid, colorful, uplifting, evocative, and sometimes laugh-out-loud stories about birding, birds, birders, travel - and life.

Maybe not for everyone - but maybe for you. HIGHLY recommended. The book will be available after June 8th.

BirdLife International news

2011-05-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

Recent news from BirdLife International can be found here. Of special interest is a recent news post on "Land use changes from a bird’s-eye view".

lots of birding news from all over

2011-05-13T17:46:00.000-07:00

If you're home as I am instead of at the WSO Annual Convention in Lacrosse, here are a few links. Today I found a birding news website that I had previously overlooked - see it here; maybe it will be new to you also.

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And I have not looked at the Birdzilla site in a while, but did so today - see it here.

Read a great field ecology blog

2011-05-13T15:07:00.000-07:00

Read the great blog of a superb field biologist, Dr. Josh Kapfer, who is on his way back to Wisconsin, where he has accepted a teaching position at UW-Whitewater - see the blog at this link.

Josh is an expert herpetologist - he did his graduate work on bullsnakes, does radio telemetry with box turtles, and he can tell you a good story of the day he and I found a queen snake (Regina septemvittata). But saying that would seem to somewhat limit his many interests in ecology - and he has many. Check his blog for much more information - and some great stories!

2011 State of the Birds on Public Lands and Waters

2011-05-03T09:01:00.001-07:00

"This year’s report provides the nation’s first assessment of the distribution of birds on public lands and helps public agencies identify which species have significant potential for conservation in each habitat." Learn more by downloading the full report at this link.

bird conservation and related news

2011-04-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

News from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center is available here.

If you've never looked at it, please check out the website of the The Midwest Coordinated Bird Monitoring Partnership, here.

News from The Conservation Leadership Programme can be found here.

Information regarding the National Conservation Training Center can be found here.

one minute a day for bird conservation

2011-04-15T12:29:00.001-07:00

With one minute each day over the coming weeks - you can help make a difference for conservation and birds in Wisconsin. Starting today, an easy new project using your help can improve an area for birds and support an organization that is developing and restoring habitat in southeastern Wisconsin. Edy's (the company that makes fruit bars), has a annual program to provide community orchards around the nation. The Ozaukee-Washington Land Trust is attempting to get enough online votes to win this chance to develop an orchard on the grounds of the Forest Beach Migratory Preserve in Ozaukee County. Orchards can be great bird-attractors, and serve other purposes for the Land Trust as well. We surely can use help from as many people as possible - it's simple: go to this link, register (see the top row of links, and find the register link, there) the first time, then you can vote once each day - the organization with the most votes will be funded for developing an orchard this year. It takes a couple of minutes to register, but after that less than a minute each day to log in and cast your vote. A community garden group in Middleton won last year's spot in Wisconsin - please vote for the Ozaukee-Washington Land Trust's orchard project this year!

bird news for Friday!

2011-04-08T04:11:00.000-07:00

Recent news from BirdLife International can be found here.

There are other stories this week, too: see the latest from the Bird Conservation Network in Illinois!

And for more - once again - regarding some news from outside of our region, see the Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology's recent updates, here.

new issue of Ecology and Society

2011-04-06T04:58:00.000-07:00

A new issue of the online journal Ecology and Society is available; go to this link - and you'll find Volume 16, Issue 1 | March 2011.

Of considerable interest to me is the paper entitled: Effects of Roads and Traffic on Wildlife Populations and Landscape Function: Road Ecology is Moving toward Larger Scales, by Rodney van der Ree, Jochen A. G. Jaeger, Edgar A. van der Grift, and Anthony P. Clevenger. I did a statewide (in Wisconsin) avian road mortality study while in graduate school- and this continues to merit a great deal of attention.

updated Bird Conservation Alliance website; other news

2011-04-05T06:12:00.001-07:00

Go to this link to see the updated Bird Conservation Alliance website.

The Bird Conservation Alliance (BCA) is a network of organizations working together to conserve wild birds.

Through the Alliance, millions of birdwatchers and concerned citizens are united with conservation professionals, scientists, and educators to benefit bird conservation efforts.

Learn more about the Bird Conservation Alliance - many resources are available at their expanded site.

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Recent research links from the Institute for Bird Populations can be found here.

new links

2011-04-04T11:17:00.000-07:00

An updated page with many links to recent projects from the USGS Ecosystems - Wildlife: Terrestrial and Endangered Resources Program can be found at this link.

The ABA blog has a great post by Ted Floyd on new changes to the AOU Check-List, due this summer - see the post here.

Migration Celebration - Forest Beach Migratory Preserve

2011-03-31T18:38:00.000-07:00

Come to the 2nd Annual Migration Celebration this spring, at the Forest Beach Migratory Preserve, in Ozaukee County. The date is May 7th. Find out what's been happening at the preserve over the past year, see our new hawk observation platform and photo blinds, take a guided tour, and many more opportunities.

See displays from Bird City Wisconsin, WSO, and other organizations, learn about the Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory, and hear presentations on stopover ecology. Activities for kids, too!

Call the US Fish & Wildlife Service at 920-866-1717 for more information, or e-mail greenbay@fws.gov.

For a map to Forest Beach Migratory Preserve, see this link.

bird conservation and research news

2011-03-31T02:48:00.000-07:00

A collection of news and links to recent information:

See the latest news from BirdLife International here.

In the United States, check out the most recent news and programs of the American Bird Conservancy at this link.

At the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, see information on recent research here.

A set of links to bird-safe building design is found here.

The updated Wisconsin Important Bird Areas page is linked here.

stunning video from Audubon

2011-03-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

My good friend Ethan Duke, Assistant Director of the Missouri River Bird Observatory, sent me this link
to a superb Audubon video - don't miss this one!

And while you're at it, check out the MRBO website, too - look for it here. Thanks, Ethan!!!

recent news from BirdLife International

2011-03-23T05:22:00.001-07:00

The latest news from BirdLife International can be found here.

Also, see information about BirdLife's new Forests of Hope campaign, at this link.

raptor identification taken to the next level

2011-03-20T13:22:00.000-07:00

Possibly the best-ever raptor identification guide in print, Jerry Liguori's new Hawks At a Distance (Princeton University Press, 2011) is now available. If you are serious about identifying birds of prey, whether at a hawk-watch site, or during your everyday birding, the advances made by the author with this book can assist you in achieving that goal in ways few books have done previously. In the forward to this volume, Pete Dunne (whom some might say is a very accomplished raptor watcher) describes the historical leaps forward in the publication of raptor ID books. That includes the groundbreaking book Pete himself coauthored with Dave Sibley and Clay Sutton, Hawks in Flight - which has been the standard to which I compare other raptor books for twenty-plus years. Pete suggests that Jerry Liguori has made yet another leap forward with this book, and I am inclined to agree completely.

One of Jerry's conceptual advancements is showing highly detailed photos of the birds as they are actually seen in the field. Although there are occasions when we see a raptor at relatively close range, most of the time they are at a distance, and even high-quality binoculars and telescopes still only provide a view that reveals shape and relative features, dark and light patterns - but not the "portrait" view shown in many field guides. Hawks At a Distance does this task in a way books have rarely done in the past: great details, but images matching what we often really see - not just what we wish we saw. The postures adopted by birds of prey when in flight often confuse the intermediate or beginning birder - raptors don't always appear as seen in the single illustration many field guides use to portray them, and individuals can easily look like "some other species".

Jerry's book also displays the other plumages or color morphs seen in some species. Written descriptions accompany the many fine images, drawn from years of raptor photography by Jerry and his wife Sherry, along with those of 14 other expert raptor photographers.

This is an easy book to take in the field - and that's what I'll do with mine. Highly recommended.

ornithological and conservation news

2011-03-11T12:49:00.000-08:00

Birds as vectors of heavy metals may contribute to pollution: read a summary of this surprising research result at this link.

A set of reviews of excellent new books can be found at this link.

Read an article on feral cat predation on songbirds at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center's website, here.

alternative birding and conservation news

2011-02-25T06:24:00.000-08:00

See the latest BirdLife International news at their news page.

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Find news on many current birding topics at the ABA blog, authored by a number of experts fro m the American Birding Association. See especially the latest post on a number of new taxonomic proposals from the American Ornithologists' Union.

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For some solid background on global issues in bird conservation, see this paper on Habitat conversion and global avian biodiversity loss, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, by K. J. Gaston, T. M. Blackburn and K. K. Goldewijk.

News from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center

2011-02-15T06:44:00.000-08:00

News from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center can be found here. See their updated pages on education, research, and other topics.

two great sources of information

2011-02-15T06:16:00.000-08:00

Learn about conservation of native plants at the Plant Conservation Alliance website -
and if you've never investigated the Xerces Society (the nonprofit organization "that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat"), check that out as well, at their website.

World Bird Info site

2011-02-14T13:03:00.000-08:00

John Penhallurick has been hard at work on filling in the blanks on his World Bird Info site - see it here - lots of information; good reading if you're interested in birds around the world.

news from the American Bird Conservancy

2011-02-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

Recent news from ABC can be found at the following links:

Endangered Bird Hatches on U.S. Soil for First Time in Recorded History

Expansion of Colombian Bird Reserve Aids Eight Globally Threatened Species Plus Hundreds More Birds

Massive Six-State Habitat Restoration Project Sees Progress on 130,000 Acres in Year One

planet under pressure - conference

2011-02-02T07:42:00.000-08:00

A conference is being planned for 2012 to address the many challenges of global change.

It will be a major international science conference focusing on solutions to the global sustainability challenge.

The 2012 international Planet Under Pressure conference will provide a comprehensive update of the pressure planet Earth is now under. The conference will discuss solutions at all scales to move societies on to a sustainable pathway. It will provide scientific leadership towards the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development - Rio+20.

2500 participants combining global-change science and policy, business and development communities
Scientific leadership towards the 2012 UN Rio +20 conference
Building trans-disciplinary research communities
Identifying opportunities for enhanced partnerships between global change science and policy, industry and the public
A new vision for international research

Find out more at this link.

Rusty Blackbird news

2011-02-01T19:11:00.000-08:00

A recent rule change that affects Rusty Blackbirds, and the "backstory" is here.

new Checklist of the Birds of Wisconsin

2011-01-31T09:24:00.000-08:00

I've been working on updating the Birds of Wisconsin checklist for the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology website for almost a year - the old one was outdated. Jesse Peterson (WSO's former president and current Membership Chair) has recently helped me with it, and it is now ready. Thanks to Jesse for his assistance with this process. Thanks also for suggestions and additional ideas to Bettie Harriman, Tom Schultz, and Jeff Baughman.

See the new checklist at: http://wsobirds.org/wischecklist.pdf

This checklist incorporates the most recent updates in nomenclature and sequence - it follows the most recent changes mandated by the American Ornithologists' Union's North American Classification Committee (NACC) for their Check-List of North American Birds. There are many changes to scientific names, many changes to the sequencing of species within the list, and one
family has been completely eliminated from the WI list. Thraupidae, which used to be the family containing the North American representatives of the tanagers, is gone from our WI list. The 3 species we see in WI (two are rare) are now classified in the Cardinalidae. The Thraupidae still exists, of course, but only those tanager species breeding in the tropics are included in that family now.

The position of the longspurs and Snow Bunting in the list has been moved (now placed in their own family, the Calcariidae), the genus name for the waterthrushes is different, as is the scientific name for Winter Wren (now split from the newly-named Pacific Wren of the west coast and Pacific Northwest), and many other changes will be noticeable as you look through the
list. Note the new common name for Whip-poor-will - it is now Eastern Whip-poor-will. This separates it from the recently-split Mexican Whip-poor-will.

Bill Mueller
Conservation Chair, Wisconsin Society for Ornithology

bird conservation and other news

2011-01-31T06:12:00.000-08:00

See recent news at the BirdLife International news page, here.

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See recent info from Conservation International on their biodiversity and human health initiatives.

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And, if you haven't seen it in a while, see recent information from the World Wildlife Fund at their website. (Did you know, for example, that there are only ~3200 tigers remaining in the wild today?)

a book about economics and truth

2011-01-27T18:51:00.000-08:00

If I could suggest one book that I think all citizens should read this year, it would not be a book about ecology. This is a fact that even I find surprising; but after reading the first lengthy essay in this amazing book, it's the truth contained herein that is so powerful and provocative. This book is a series of essays on economics, entitled What Matters? - Economics for a Renewed Commonwealth, by Wendell Berry, (with a forward by Herman Daly), published by Counterpoint Press. If you already know the work of Wendell Berry, the clear-eyed wisdom found here probably won't surprise you after all. And if you've never read anything by Wendell Berry, this is as good a place to begin as any.

Here are two reviews from somewhat different perspectives:
this one, from the Englewood Review of Books, or this one.

I heartily recommend it: Economics for people who never studied economics, and for those who did.

another fine new field guide

2011-01-24T18:09:00.000-08:00

Perhaps we shouldn't really call this book a "field guide" - in fact, the publishers (Princeton University Press) call Birds of the West Indies, by Norman Arlott, an "illustrated checklist". It's smaller than most field guides by half - only 240 pages. But that small size packs a lot of information, on 550 species from the West Indies region. Each matching text page with its facing page of gorgeous plates displays from six to ten species. You'll find that the West Indies are rich in nightjar species, hummingbirds, and cuckoos. Some species are very familiar to the North American birder, because of course there are many of "our" breeding species that winter in the West Indies, and they are all illustrated and described here, in addition to the many endemics found in this region. The last 70 pages are all maps, somewhat simplified, showing the range of the species highlighted on the overall map of the region. I always like guides with maps arranged nearer the plates and descriptions, but it's rather easy to see why this method of organization was chosen, due to the small size of the book and the limitations that creates. A fine book for any birder traveling to the islands - and I wish I was headed there right now. I'd be taking this book with me.

more on Bobwhites

2011-01-21T06:24:00.000-08:00

Early in the week we had a little flurry of posts on Bobwhites, and I had a fair number of backchannel queries about this species.

The image here is the BBS trend graph for the entire central BBS region.

Here's a quote from the Birds of North America species account for the bobwhite:

"On continental scale, this species is declining significantly in most states in U.S. Texas is a notable exception, where populations show stable trends over broad areas, especially in southern part of the state, but not in eastern or panhandle regions. During 1965–1995, regional, statewide, and local declines of 70 to 90% were common and widespread in 80% of states with Northern Bobwhite. Numerous extinctions of local populations were prevalent throughout geographic range in South and Midwest."

This is from the following source:

Brennan, Leonard A. 1999. Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online.

using some solid references about WI birds

2011-01-20T18:54:00.000-08:00

When learning about bird distribution, abundance, ecology, status, management, conservation, and where to find birds in Wisconsin, there are a few recommended and very solid sources of information that can be easily found online in some cases, or in public libraries or bookstores in other cases. If you are a beginning or intermediate birder, you may not have found your way to these items yet - but if you really want to learn more about birds in this state, these can be very helpful:

Robbins, S. 1991. Wisconsin Birdlife: Population & Distribution - Past & Present. University of Wisconsin Press. (This might be referred to as "the" book on Wisconsin birds, by the dean of Wisconsin ornithologists, the late Rev. Samuel D. Robbins, Jr.)

Cutright, N. J., B. R. Harriman, and R. W. Howe. Eds. 2006. Atlas of Breeding Birds of Wisconsin. Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, Inc. (Our state atlas, the product of thousands of hours of mapping the breeding distribution of birds in WI, with species accounts for all of our breeding species.)

Find the online parts of the atlas info at: http://www.uwgb.edu/birds/wbba/

I was shocked recently to learn that some active birders do not know about the atlas, or the atlas website. That's really the reason for this post.

Find the All-Bird Conservation Plan of the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative online at:
http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/plan/
See the species accounts at: http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/plan/species/list.htm

See the website of the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology at: http://www.wsobirds.org/

For birdfinding, nothing can match the Fifth Edition of Wisconsin's Favorite Bird Haunts, edited by Daryl D. Tessen, published in 2009 by WSO. At 540 pages, it contains detailed information about the best places to find birds in Wisconsin - it's really a comprehensive resource.

A very useful reference and one of the all-time bargains in ornithology, the little blue pamphlet called Wisconsin Birds: A Checklist with Migration Graphs, Sixth Edition, by Stanley A. Temple, Robert C. Domagalski, and John R. Cary, published in 2003 by WSO, is one of a short list of indispensible references - and you won't believe how inexpensive it is (see http://www.wsobirds.org/wso_bookstore.html ).

I'll stop there.

good news for wetland birds in Iraq

2011-01-17T05:53:00.001-08:00

See some great news at the BirdLife International news page, here.

mountaintop removal coal mining and bird conservation

2011-01-14T07:37:00.000-08:00

Mountaintop removal coal mining is a practice that much evidence suggests is damaging to ecosystems, destroys bird and wildlife habitat and negatively impacts human communities. Learn more about it at this website.

American Bird Conservancy News

2011-01-13T09:21:00.000-08:00

News from the American Bird Conservancy is available at this link.

latest BirdLife International news

2011-01-13T09:16:00.000-08:00

See the latest news from BirdLife International at this link.

my vote for best field guide of 2010

2011-01-11T15:58:00.000-08:00

Since many new field guides are published each year, it's not easy for one to rise above the pack. But this book - Birds of the Middle East, Second Edition - by Richard Porter and Simon Aspinall (Princeton University Press) is the obvious choice for "first place" for me.

The reasons? The artwork is spectacularly good. Images of many plumages are included. The authors have expanded their coverage of species by 1oo over those found in the first edition - there are now more than 800. There are more species accounts and more than 820 maps. Maps are on the facing page, which is still not true for all field guides. The book is still really "field guide-size" - making it easier to actually use in the field.

For those heading to the Middle East, this book should make birding easier for you. And I pick it up every few days just to look at some of the plates, (owls, for example...and large falcons...and the many Middle Eastern wheatear species!)

widespread decline in North American bumble bees

2011-01-08T08:57:00.000-08:00

Worrisome news about bumblebee declines:

"the relative abundances of four species have declined by up to 96% and that their surveyed geographic ranges have contracted by 23–87%"

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/01/03/1014743108

bird conservation reminder for the new year

2011-01-07T05:53:00.001-08:00

Go to this link at the Saving Our Shared Birds website for a timely reminder. Please get involved in any way you can in 2011.

bison and Yellowstone

2011-01-07T03:58:00.000-08:00

Each year, America's wild bison face hazing and slaughter as they leave the safety of Yellowstone National Park -- one of the last havens they have left.

I hope you will join me to stop this out-dated and terrible policy.

Please take action at this link.

Thanks

news from here and there

2010-12-22T06:54:00.000-08:00

See the latest BirdLife International news here.

Here's some recent bat conservation news.

A number of biodiversity conservation sites, with recent initiatives and other news - some of which may be new to you - are linked here, here, and here.

An array of native plant societies throughout the U.S. and elsewhere are carrying on plant biodiversity conservation; see links to their sites and what they're up to, here.

tracking the fall migration of scaup

2010-12-17T04:40:00.000-08:00

Go to this site to see satellite telemetry mapping of the fall migration of scaup - done by Bird Studies Canada and some collaborators.

latest news from BirdLife International

2010-12-13T13:45:00.000-08:00

The recent climate talks in Cancun produced a number of results - read about them from the perspective of BirdLife International at this link.

progress in Cancun?

2010-12-11T06:09:00.000-08:00

If you are a "glass-half-full" sort of person, your perspective may be that progress is being made at the climate talks in Cancun. See the BirdLife news page here. Reporters from other environmental groups take a somewhat dimmer view, however: FOE declares the results to be a mixed bag - see this link.

news from the American Bird Conservancy and BirdLife International

2010-12-10T07:52:00.000-08:00

The latest bird news from the American Bird Conservancy is linked here.

Other news, from BirdLife International, can be found here.

birds & climate change

2010-12-10T07:50:00.000-08:00

Read a brief summary of information on birds & climate change at this link from Audubon.

learn more about the conservation of bats

2010-12-07T06:13:00.000-08:00

Navigate your way to the website of Bat Conservation International to learn about current threats to bat populations, and how this organization is doing something about these issues.

Forest Beach raptor watch observation site

2010-11-29T18:34:00.000-08:00

Forest Beach Migratory Preserve now has its new raptor watch platform. It's a bit too late for this year, but will be there for next year's "Big Sit" and many days of raptor watches. Photos here.

news from Birdlife International on halting extinctions

2010-11-05T03:16:00.000-07:00

News on a partnership intended to slow the process of extinction for species in developing countries was announced at the Convention on Biological Diversity’s 10th Conference of the parties (CBD COP 10). Read more at BirdLife International's news page. Additional news topics can be found at this link.

offshore waterfowl and waterbird surveys done by aircraft in Lake Michigan

2010-11-02T16:05:00.000-07:00

I and three colleagues (Noel Cutright, Joelle Gehring of Michigan Natural Features Inventory, and Nancy Seefelt of Central Michigan University) wrote a grant proposal last winter to survey offshore waters of the western part of Lake Michigan for waterfowl, loons, etc. Our proposal was funded, and we started surveys a few weeks ago. Today, in a survey block offshore from Sturgeon Bay and just southeast of there, we had over 60,000 birds - mostly Red-breasted Mergansers.

These surveys are being done to learn about offshore concentrations of waterfowl and waterbirds to prepare for eventual offshore wind development in the Lake.

Kevin Kenow of USGS was also funded for a similar set of surveys, in the more northerly areas of the Lake, including on the Michigan side. Kevin's work started out some years ago with a focus on loons, which have experienced excessive mortality from avian botulism. Kevin has found birds as far as 18 or more miles offshore, in areas of the lake that we did not previously expect to have concentrations of birds. He has also found large numbers of mergansers and Long-tailed Ducks in very deep water, far offshore.

We are looking for numbers/concentrations of birds, and the geographic areas where they are found. Today's numbers indicate that our guess was correct - there are large numbers well offshore.

More news to come in the forthcoming months of the study.

Bill Mueller
Conservation Chair - Wisconsin Society for Ornithology

Healthy Ecosystems are Essential for Human Well-Being

2010-10-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

Support Conservation International's goal to protect and effectively manage at least 25 percent of Earth's land and inland waters and 15 percent of marine ecosystems by 2020. Sign the Conservation International petition at this link.

news - birds and collisions

2010-10-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

Many things are in the news about birds and collisions this year.

This story tells about a new product that can help if you are building or renovating.

See the US Fish & Wildlife webpage on this topic.

Read a recent flyer on Lights Out for Birds here.

The latest on this subject from the American Bird Conservancy is linked here.

And here's a recent Issues Paper on the topic from the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative.

bird conservation news

2010-10-08T03:11:00.000-07:00

At the international level, see the most recent BirdLife International news stories at this link.

For news from the American Bird Conservancy, go to their news link.

If you have not looked there in a while, go the the website of the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative.

And check out Bird City Wisconsin at their website.

Midwest Coordinated Bird Monitoring

2010-10-01T04:47:00.000-07:00

The Midwest Coordinated Bird Monitoring website (linked here) is an online storehouse of information, organized and maintained by Katie Koch of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. You can find a wealth of information about monitoring programs for volunteers or professional researchers across the Midwest, check out the Monitoring Registry, find a link to the new and emerging Midwest Avian Data Center, develop your own page, or find a wide array of opportunities at the site. It is, as accurately described, "a regional network for bird conservation committed to coordination and exchange of monitoring information in a decision-based framework". Spend some time at the site and learn more - it has a very readable format and is continually being updated.

birds & wildlife: climate change and the US Fish & Wildlife Service

2010-09-27T17:39:00.000-07:00

The US Fish & Wildlife Service has developed a strategy to deal with climate change. There are "estimates that approximately 20-30 percent of the world’s plant and animal species assessed as of 2006 are likely to be at increasingly high risk of extinction as global mean temperatures exceed a warming of 2 – 3°C above preindustrial levels". You can read about their planning at this link.

sturgeon release - you can participate!

2010-09-17T19:27:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again, for the fabulous Sturgeon event at Riveredge Nature Center. Riveredge and the Wisconsin DNR, a group of Volunteers, Sponsors and Donors will release imprinted sturgeons into the Milwaukee River once again. Saturday, October 2, 2010, is STURGEON FEST --- the 5th Annual Return of the Lake Sturgeon to the Milwaukee River. You can sponsor and release your own sturgeon - go to their website, to learn how you can participate!

birds and biodiversity

2010-09-10T03:23:00.001-07:00

See this news page from Birdlife International on the value of preserving biodiversity, and find more about the International Year of Biodiversity.

review of new field guide: Birds of Australia

2010-08-31T03:06:00.001-07:00

The new Eighth Edition of The Birds of Australia (Princeton University Press) is an innovative example of a field guide with features not found in many other books. Ken Simpson and Nicolas Day, with Peter Trusler have produced a book that raises the bar for the next generation of birding field guides. The 132 color plates are excellent, detailed range maps are what we've come to expect - but what sets this book apart is its superb scheme of organization, including the following unique elements:

a) A section on vegetation and land form habitats of Australia, called "where the birds live".

b) Breeding information, organized by family, with the calendar year detailing the month in which the groups described are known to breed. Australia's birds are closely tied in many cases to seasonal rainy periods, but there are months in which the species primarily breed, and then for some a secondary breeding period.

c) The "Vagrant Bird Bulletin" focusing on the rarest species.

d) A set of Australian Island territories bird checklists, for islands not yet visited by most birders, and needing more information.

e) A useful set of Appendices, including an excellent "Hints for Birdwatchers", and a Glossary.

f) A list of birding and naturalist organizations, and

g) a bibliography the authors call "The Core Library" arranged by important topics.

All in all, this is one of the best guides I've yet seen. The successive editions have exhibited continual improvement.

news: pesticide being phased out, plus new reports from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

2010-08-27T04:18:00.000-07:00

The pesticide Aldicarb, which has been implicated in bird mortality, is being phased out as part of new EPA rules - read more at this link. The American Bird Conservancy has more information on their website.

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The most recent reports from the massive undertaking known as the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment can be found here.

extraordinary people

2010-08-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

********* I had the privilege of working with some extraordinary people this summer. I don't want to embarrass them, so I won't say too much. But part of the reason it was worth going into the field every day was because I was working with them: Amber McDougle, Hasan Damra, and Arik Skromme. Thanks to all three of you, for a month of days in the sun and wind, and rain and hail!

MCAMMP and The Milwaukee BIOME Project for autumn 2010

2010-08-10T19:41:00.001-07:00

MCAMMP and the Milwaukee BIOME project are firing up again for autumn - in fact, we didn't really shut down at all this summer. In addition to our bird banding at Milwaukee's Riverside Park, transect counts for migratory birds on eight study sites, and other aspects of the projects we're working on, we've been doing bat surveys also this year, in conjunction with the Wisconsin Bat Monitoring Program (see their website here ). If you're interested in learning more, see the Milwaukee BIOME Project webpage, (here), or contact me at iltlawas@earthlink.net , Tim Vargo at Milwaukee's Urban Ecology Center at tvargo@urbanecologycenter.org , or Owen Boyle at the Wisconsin DNR at owen.boyle@wisconsin.gov , or Jenn Callaghan at jenncallaghan@gmail.com .

the next steps: where do we go with lead?

2010-08-09T15:09:00.000-07:00

A news article in the New York Times, linked here, describes efforts to get the EPA to ban lead in all hunting ammunition and fishing tackle. A petition from the Center for Biological Diversity and the American Bird Conservancy seeks this change from EPA, based on evidence of lead poisoning in many species. Lead shot is already banned for hunting waterfowl, and recent legislation in California does that for ammunition for big game, within the range of the California Condor. There are many studies that show the harmful or indeed lethal effects of accidental ingestion of lead bullet fragments in deer and other carcasses (or the "gut piles" left after field dressing of game animals) by eagles and other raptors, and accidental ingestion of lead tackle in waters by Trumpeter Swans and loons.

Opponents of such regulatory changes assert that saving individual animals is not meaningful in terms of "population level effects" - in other words, they contend that populations of Bald Eagles and Trumpeter Swans and loons are not significantly affected by lead poisoning, so regulating against such potential poisoning is not clearly in the interests of conservation of wildlife populations. But there are other issues at stake. Many view the evolution of regulatory efforts on behalf of wildlife as heading in the direction of "doing the right thing" - even if it isn't always (or only) based on science. I would suggest that learning all that one can learn on this topic is wise - voting, referenda, and accurate determinations by state and federal regulators will depend on their (and our) level of preparedness and knowledge. If you feel strongly about this - let your legislators know. What do you think - is it really time to consign the use of lead to the history books?

new paper on birds and collisions

2010-07-27T20:31:00.000-07:00

The Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative (WBCI) Issues Committee has a new Issues Paper on Birds and Collisions on the WBCI website; find it at this link .

This paper summarizes much current information on this topic.

Work continues on additional Issues Papers - visit the site periodically to see others as they become available. Other Issues Papers can be found here. Previously-published papers are being updated with current information.

new article on birds and pesticides

2010-07-26T03:46:00.000-07:00

A recent article on the effects of pesticides on birds can be found linked here - along with other news from BirdWatch Canada, here.

perfect day in the grasslands

2010-07-19T19:29:00.001-07:00

Today was one of those incredible days in the grasslands in Carter County, Montana. A wonderful array of clouds and cool temperatures in the low 60s started things off. Shortgrass plains with sagebrush, prickly pear, and many wildflowers were the backdrop for pronghorns, white-tailed jackrabbit, and a group of spectacular grassland birds. They included Ferruginous and Swainson's Hawks, Marbled Godwit and Upland Sandpiper, Wilson's Phalarope and Yellow-headed Blackbird, Lark Bunting, Grasshopper Sparrow, Brewer's Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, and Western Meadowlark.

One of the ultimate prairie grassland bird species provided my peak musical experience from the natural world this year. High above the ground, three successive male Sprague's Pipits sang their silvery notes while performing their aerial displays. Sprague's Pipit does one of the the longest combined flight and song displays in the avian world - it can last up to three hours. I will never forget this experience.

The day heated up into the low 80s, with an intermittent breeze out of the north. Grassland birds continued to sing all around us.

But that was not all - not even close. After noon, a sudden powerful storm came up, and because we were more than three miles from the road and our vehicles, there was nowhere to hide. The storm started with dark cumulonimbus clouds and wind, then large raindrops. Soon this turned into hail, with many hailstones greater than 30mm in size. This lasted for approximately 25-35 minutes, during which time it was actually painful to be pelted hundreds of times by this large-diameter hail. Most of us have many welts on our arms, necks, and shoulders. Because we were working, we had hardhats on - indeed it is the only time I can truthfully say I was glad to be wearing a hardhat!

Soon the hail abated, and more rain fell, soaking us all. In another hour, the sun emerged again, and Western Meadowlarks showed once more that singing is a good response to the events of any summer day in these grasslands.

news of Maine's seabird islands

2010-07-17T03:48:00.001-07:00

Go to this link to read news of nesting bird surveys on Maine's seabird islands.

badlands birds

2010-07-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

In addition to a few large bull bison, my choice for "pick of the day" yesterday in Theodore Roosevelt National Park were a number of spectacular Lazuli Buntings. I also found many Lark Sparrows, and a number of Yellow-breasted Chats, among many other species. But the landscape itself is beyond gorgeous.

reporting banded shorebirds

2010-07-01T03:06:00.002-07:00

Southbound migrant shorebirds will soon be appearing - read about reporting banded shorebirds at this link.

news from BirdLife International

2010-06-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

News from BirdLife International is available at this link.

climate change and waterfowl

2010-06-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

Why care about climate change? If you are interested in future waterfowl populations, here's why - Go to this link.

IGBP Global Change magazine online

2010-06-10T03:50:00.000-07:00

Download the most recent issue of Global Change magazine at the website of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme. Worthwhile reading in this very fine online international journal - helps to identify global trends and understand them in the context of current events.

revised and updated edition of the Birds of Peru

2010-05-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

The Revised and Updated Edition of the Birds of Peru, (2010, Princeton University Press) is a worthy successor to the original edition. A country with an amazing 1,817 species of birds surely needs a comprehensive guide to portray them, and this book ably accomplishes this task. The authors (Thomas S. Schulenberg, Douglas F. Stotz, Daniel F. Lane, John P. O’Neill, and the late Theodore A. Parker III) have or had vast experience with the avifauna and the extraordinary geography of Peru. Encompassing this breadth of information is no small task - the diversity of species is stunning, as of course are many of the birds themselves. I direct you to the 121 hummingbird species as only one example, or the tanagers as another, or the wide array of parrot, manakin, or flycatcher species as further proof.

The majority of Peru’s birds are permanent residents, but both boreal and austral migrants are well-represented. Considering the size of the geographic region that contains all of these species is made more remarkable by the range of habitats, from Amazonian forests, to montane, elfin, dry, white-sand, and Polylepis forests, mangroves, savanna, puna (dry grasslands at high elevations), paramo (humid grasslands at high elevations), marshes, lakes, seacoast, bamboo, bogs, and the special category known as “treefall gaps.” Peru varies topographically from the low Amazonian Basin, to the high Andes. This guide manages to say something about all of these factors and how bird species relate to them.

The plates are amazingly thorough, again considering the extent of the task involved in covering more than 1,800 species. Each facing page has a species account and map. The text for each species is limited to about one-sixth of the page, and the maps are small, but these features make this 664-page volume a real “use-in-the-field” book. It’s quite an accomplishment.

Highly recommended for anyone venturing to this part of the world - how will they top this?

See more at the website of Princeton University Press, at this link.

the importance of urban forests for birds

2010-05-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

Research demonstrates the importance of urban forests for birds: see this link.

climate change and birds - Forest Service research

2010-05-24T14:09:00.001-07:00

Information regarding research on climate change and its effects on birds from the Climate Change Resource Center of the U.S.D.A. Forest Service is available at this link.

bog flora in May - eastcentral Wisconsin

2010-05-19T03:29:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year when a walk into a Wisconsin bog will provide views of these special plants: in this case the starflower (Trientalis borealis) - not only found in bogs; the moccasin flower or pink lady's slipper (Cypripedium acaule), and the wild calla (Calla palustris ). These plants were seen near the boardwalk in Spruce Lake Bog in Fond du Lac County.

Partners in Flight - and Bird Conservation

2010-05-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

Saving Our Shared Birds: Partners in Flight Tri-National Vision for Landbird Conservation, is a new report, issued online and in hardcopy formats. Go to this website to read either the complete report, or an overview.

The most important threat to bird populations...

2010-05-16T16:09:00.000-07:00

"The most serious threat facing animal populations today is habitat destruction.
Rampant urbanization in the eastern United States has caused declines or regional disappearance in many songbird populations." To follow up on this information, go to the Urban Ecology webpage of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center.

Purple Martin news

2010-05-10T20:21:00.000-07:00

Find some news about an effort to help Purple Martins at the Purple Martins in Wisconsin blog.

help birds on the Gulf after oil spill

2010-05-08T16:16:00.000-07:00

Help oiled birds in the Gulf after the massive Deepwater Horizon oil spill by going to the website of the International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC).

alternative birding and conservation news

2010-05-01T08:42:00.000-07:00

International Migratory Bird Day news can be found here.

Remember the following IMBD activities:
a) at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve on May 8th (see more at this link)
b) other WI locations; info at this link...

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News from Bird Studies Canada can be found here.

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Living Bird is Cornell's magazine and also a website.

The Milwaukee BIOME Project

2010-04-24T07:47:00.000-07:00

The Milwaukee BIOME Project held its annual spring workshop for 2010 at the Urban Ecology Center on Sunday, April 18th. BIOME is an expansion of MCAMMP - the Milw. Co. Avian Migration Monitoring Partnership. Presentations were given by Brian Russart on the Milwaukee County Natural Areas program, Owen Boyle on 164 Years of Vegetation Change in Milwaukee County, Dave Redell on the Wisconsin Bat Monitoring Project, Tim Vargo on MCAMMP's and UEC's bird banding station and the UEC's environmental education efforts, and Bill Mueller on the BIOME Project, and its emerging outgrowth from MCAMMP. Thanks to the presenters, BIOME's science team, volunteers, and the workshop attendees, plus J. Paul White and Loren Ayers from WDNR for their input and assistance this year.

The Milwaukee BIOME Project and MCAMMP will continue its research on avian stopover ecology in Milwaukee County, and begin bat monitoring this year, to be followed by research on invertebrates and other taxa. If you'd like to learn more about the BIOME project, go to the webpage.

updates from IUCN, Worldwatch

2010-04-23T03:24:00.000-07:00

IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, "helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges." Learn more about their activities at their website. Find out about their initiatives in these areas:
Biodiversity
Climate change
Sustainable energy
Human well-being
Green economy

Also - find out about the activities of The Worldwatch Institute at their website. Recent news includes information on how Wildlife Conservation Offers Economic Benefits for Zimbabwe Farmers. Worldwatch focuses on the themes of people, nature, economy, and energy - learn morre through their excellent publications and online information.

alternative birding and conservation news

2010-04-16T07:22:00.000-07:00

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Read information about the American Bird Conservancy's conservation birding initiative at this link.

Recent news from Partners in Flight is at their website, linked here.

More items from the Boreal Songbird Initiative are here.

Some new information resulting from the research activities of the Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology is on their site.

News from the Institute for Bird Populations is here.

near the roost

2010-04-12T17:54:00.001-07:00

At about 7:00 pm last Monday night, we were encamped in the upland forest in Lake of the Ozarks State Park in west-central Missouri. Not far away - less than 70 meters from our position - a few Turkey Vultures came in and settled for their night roost. At first, we thought that would be it - but as the minutes passed, more and more came into a group of four or five large canopy trees. By the time it was almost dark, nearly 90 birds had chosen this site for their nocturnal resting place. Other than a few wing flaps during the first few minutes of settling down, they made no sound. At about 6:15 am the following morning, they started leaving in groups of 3 to 10 or more, with one large exodus of about 25 birds. Birds were still leaving at about 7:30 am. I had never spent that much time near a large roosting concentration. Very much gravitas.

colors of an Ozark spring

2010-04-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

The colors of an Ozark spring are spectacular, from the pink of Wild Pink Silene caroliniana, to the more radical pink of the many thousands of Redbuds (Cercis canadensis), to the extraordinary blue of the Blue Spring. This amazing body of water puts forth 90 million gallons of water on average every day! At 300 feet, it is Missouri's deepest spring. It flows into the Current River, in Shannon County.

Missouri Ozarks spring travels, part 1

2010-04-11T01:55:00.000-07:00

Among our favorite sites during the past week in Missouri was Elephant Rocks state natural area near Belleview. The area of huge granite boulders encompasses a number of "tinajitas" - natural depressions that collect water, like the large one shown here.

crossing the Mississippi

2010-04-10T07:32:00.001-07:00

It's early April, and we set out to travel southward and westward in search of some early spring flowers and migrant birds. At Chester, Illinois, we crossed the "big river" into Missouri. A theme that recurred day after day was the unfolding of spring flowers - at least multiple days or even 2 weeks ahead of the flora at home in southeastern Wisconsin. That's no surprise, of course. So this is "the year of two spring seasons" for us.

Another recurring theme: no Tree Swallows. In six days, I never saw a single Tree Swallow in southern Illinois or all of Missouri, although I did note a few Purple Martins in southwest Illinois, a few N. Rough-winged Swallows in the Ozarks, and a few Barn Swallows in a wide variety of locations. What is the answer to the missing Tree Swallows? More on that in the coming few posts, plus other scenes and notes on flora, fauna, landscape, and history. The Mississippi River is a geographic and perhaps a psychological point of focus...

the study of natural history and its place in conservation

2010-04-01T04:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know it's April 1st, but I'm not fooling around - this post actually does deal with a serious topic. Ecology has shifted away from the study of natural history in many ways. But see this editorial in the journal Avian Conservation and Ecology.

The citation for the article is:

Villard, M.-A., and T. D. Nudds. 2009. Whither natural history in conservation research?. Avian Conservation and Ecology - Écologie et conservation des oiseaux 4(2): 6. [online] URL: http://www.ace-eco.org/vol4/iss2/art6/

Best wishes to you all for a good month ahead. I'll be gone for a while - looking for early wildflowers and early migrants about 6-700 miles south/southwest of my current location.

International Migratory Bird Day at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve in Ozaukee County

2010-03-29T16:52:00.000-07:00

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Come to Forest Beach Migratory Preserve in Ozaukee County for International Migratory Bird Day, Saturday, May 8th. Activities begin at 7:30 am, and go up to 12 noon, with hourly bird walks, presentations, and informational booths for adults and kids - including news and updates on this new avian migratory stopover site, now being developed by the Ozaukee-Washington Land Trust and the US Fish & Wildlife Service, with help from the Wisconsin DNR, and The Wisconsin Society for Ornithology. For more information, contact the Land Trust at 262-338-1794, or the Fish & Wildlife Service at 920-866-1717.

alternative birding news

2010-03-24T17:19:00.000-07:00

The Great Lakes Information Network has a Birds of the Great Lakes Region webpage; it has some recent news articles.

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Although this piece originates in the UK where they are fairly rare, this page on Baird's Sandpiper is worth reading for anyone interested in this species.

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A new "Heart of the Boreal" website is here.
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book review: The Birds of Europe

2010-03-21T18:21:00.001-07:00

Princeton University Press has a new edition of a favorite field guide: Birds of Europe (Second Edition), by Lars Svensson, Killian Mullarney, and Dan Zetterstrom (with text and maps by the former, and illustrations by the latter two). This excellent new edition meets all of my criteria for usefulness: highly-readable text, excellent layout, fine maps and beautiful, accurate illustrations that help the reader come to grips with the fine points of identification. I'll use mine on a trip to the UK next year, and the very packable size of this volume will be much appreciated. I'll use it here in North America as well; some rarities from Europe show up on our continent every year.

The artwork is especially well-conceived. One of the European species I always page to when looking through a new book is the Wallcreeper: the set of four illustrations for this species depicts this spectacularly-plumaged bird in both sexes, in flight, and on a vertical cliff in its rocky habitat. I'm amazed at the amount of visual information packed into a small space on the page.

The introductory section has a fine discussion on molt, and a kind of "shorthand guide" to relative abundance for the UK and Ireland that could be very useful if offered in North American field guides, although the sheer size of the geographic area of this continent would make portraying a range of abundance across vast regions a feat more difficult to attain.

If there is anything I'd still ask for, it would be a more durable cover. But that's not much. Highly recommended!

what are these bloggers up to lately?

2010-03-18T02:37:00.000-07:00

While looking through the list of blogs I read every so often, I read Mike McDowell's blog, and enjoyed it as I always do. Carl Safina's blog has moved, and after finding it again, read his recent post on bluefin tuna. And then, on toward Laura Erickson's blog - that's as far as I had time to read...