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Friday, March 24, 2017

please tell Congress to make bird conservation a priority

Please read this message from the American Bird Conservancy:

 "(The current)  proposed 2018 federal budget would gut major programs and protections for birds and America’s public lands, putting decades of conservation achievements at risk. With so much on the line, it’s imperative that we send Congress a loud, unmistakable message that such extreme cuts will not stand.
Drastic reductions in the proposed federal budget would scale down on-the-ground conservation at a time when one-third of migratory bird species, are already in decline. Birds are sensitive indicators of environmental health as a whole, and the loss of migratory birds signals a potential crisis that Congress must act now to reverse.
But that’s not all: Three federal agencies critical to bird conservation—the Department of Interior, the Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency—are facing drastic budget cuts that will significantly reduce federal bird protections.
If we want migratory birds to bounce back, it’s critical that Congress prioritize and fund the following:
  • The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act, critical to the restoration of habitat for migratory birds throughout the Western Hemisphere.
  • Migratory Bird Joint Ventures, North American regional partnerships that work across political boundaries and levels of government to achieve conservation success for birds and their habitats.
  • Endangered Species Act, in order to fully recover endangered and threatened bird species.
  • Farm Bill conservation programs, like Conservation Reserve Program, which preserve habitat for birds by providing conservation incentives to private landowners.
  • EPA’s Pesticides Program, critical to protecting birds from deadly pesticides like neonicotinoids used in agriculture.
Please act now! Tell your Senators and Representative: Make protecting migratory birds and the conservation programs they depend on a priority." 

Please take action at:  https://secure2.convio.net/abcb/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=305

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Owl Surveyors needed (in Wisconsin)

The 2017 Western Great Lakes Owl Survey is just around the corner with observers conducting TWO surveys of their pre-determined roadside route, the first between April 1 and 10 and the second survey between April 21 and May 1. Each route takes about 1.5 hours to complete. An awesome group of volunteers has accounted for many routes again this year but I need your help in filling those that remain open. Visit the survey's website below to view route availability and locations and to sign up. And do so quickly to get the route you want!

http://wiatri.net/projects/birdroutes/owls.htm

All new surveyors must pass a brief online certification procedure prior to the actual survey dates. Routes will be assigned first-come, first-serve but keep in mind I need to manually approve your request so it may take a few days before the map symbol changes from green (available) to red (assigned). As such it's possible that a route shows as green even if someone else has already requested it. You will receive an email reply from me one way or another to let you know if the route is yours or you need to select an alternative. You may also list an alternative in your original route request.

Thanks for your interest in this fun survey!


We are committed to service excellence.
Visit our survey at http://dnr.wi.gov/customersurvey to evaluate how I did.

Ryan Brady
Science Coordinator, WI Breeding Bird Atlas II Bird Monitoring Coordinator, WI Bird Conservation Initiative Wisconsin DNR - Wildlife Management
Phone: (715) 685-2933
Cell Phone: (715) 685-8585
Fax: (715) 685-2909
ryan.brady@wisconsin.gov

Int'l. Migratory Bird Day - Forest Beach Migratory Preserve - May 20

Join us for a day of great activities on May 20th - see the list at left.

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

kestrel ecology and nestbox workshop - Ozaukee Co - Mar. 22

Join me and the staff of Ozaukee County Planning & Parks, Wed. March 22nd, 6:00-8:30pm. Mee-Kwon Golf Course.

Monday, March 13, 2017

bird migration and global change - a highly recommended book



 Highly recommended. Bird Migration and Global Change. George W. Cox. Island Press.

If you care about birds, I recommend reading this book. After reading it, I doubt that you will question the need for urgency in dealing with climate change.

From the Island Press website:
https://islandpress.org/book/bird-migration-and-global-change

"Changes in seasonal movements and population dynamics of migratory birds in response to ongoing changes resulting from global climate changes are a topic of great interest to conservation scientists and birdwatchers around the world. Because of their dependence on specific habitats and resources in different geographic regions at different phases of their annual cycle, migratory species are especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
 
In Bird Migration and Global Change, eminent ecologist George W. Cox brings his extensive experience as a scientist and bird enthusiast to bear in evaluating the capacity of migratory birds to adapt to the challenges of a changing climate."