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Thursday, December 20, 2018

give yourself this book for Christmas

Although originally penned many decades ago, this book continues to influence me in myriad ways.

May Theilgaard Watts was the ecologist at the Morton Arboretum. Beyond that, in the pages of this book you will see her phenomenal skill as storyteller - and see the landscape unfold before you, and come to a deeper understanding of how and why it has changed.

A great friend and teacher, Roy Lukes, introduced me to it long ago, while reading to a group perched on the boardwalk at the Ridges Sanctuary. He read to us from the chapter entitled "History Book with Flexible Cover", explaining concepts about bogs and fens.

Cheers to the memory of May Watts, and Roy, too. Find a used copy - you won't regret it.

Saturday, December 8, 2018

Bobwhite: what's happening to their population

Photo - B. Stansbery - Wikim. Commons



See previous articles posted here about the changing population of Northern Bobwhite, for example:
 https://futureofbirds.blogspot.com/2013/08/northern-bobwhite-info.html

The new Status and Trends from eBird drills further down into current information, showing areas where declines are sharpest:

https://ebird.org/wi/science/status-and-trends/norbob/trend-map-breeding













The abundance map demonstrates how numbers have dropped in many areas of the core range of this species:  https://ebird.org/wi/science/status-and-trends/norbob/abundance-map

One organization devoted to conservation of this species is the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative. Learn more about their efforts at:  https://bringbackbobwhites.org/

Thursday, November 22, 2018

making use of your eBird data

How is your eBird data used for science?
See a new "Status and Trends" article with many map products including animated maps, for 107 selected species, at https://ebird.org/wi/science/status-and-trends


Thursday, November 8, 2018

How to protect habitat for declining Bank Swallows

Bank Swallows use sandy or clay banks in many settings in which to excavate a nesting cavity. Bank Swallows are experiencing a population decline. The BBS trend for this species in Wisconsin is displayed below.


https://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/graphs15/s06160WIS.png
There is an excellent published set of "Best Management Practices" from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry at this link:
https://www.ossga.com/multimedia/2017-03-27-100504-95129/bansbmpenpdffinalv.1.117mar17.pdf
Learn how you can help protect habitat for this declining species. 


Monday, October 15, 2018

Want to know what's happening to our Common Loons? Read this report

Want to know what's happening to our Common Loons? Read the abstract of this report, from the USGS and others (specifically, some of the research team are with the USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Science Center, and their colleagues in several other organizations/agencies.)
See https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/70197932

 

 

Distribution and foraging patterns of common loons on Lake Michigan with implications for exposure to type E avian botulism

Journal of Great Lakes Research
By:

Friday, September 14, 2018

the sprite of the ponderosa pines


One of my favorite mountain forest birds is this tiny sprite of the ponderosa pines: the Pygmy Nuthatch. A small flock flits between pines and moves about trunks and limbs, sometimes on the ground. These small flocks  even spend nights all together in a single cavity in the non-breeding seasons. It's another of the species that sometimes has young of a previous breeding season returning to their parents and acting as  "helpers at the nest", assisting in raising young. Learn more about them at https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pygmy_Nuthatch/id

File:Pygmy Nuthatch - Sisters - Oregon S4E8711 (19049199200).jpg
Ph. Wikim. Commons - F. Veronisi

Friday, August 31, 2018

Learn more about aerial insectivores this fall


Ph. Ken Billington - Wikim. Commons

Learn more about aerial insectivores this fall.

Attend the Aerial Insectivore Conference:

WBCI/Bird City Annual Conference:
 http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/annual-meetings/2018-wbci-annual-meeting/

Agenda/Schedule:
http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/WBCI-2018-agenda_Final_5-29-18.pdf


There are swift watches happening in various locations around the state. See the Bird City Wisconsin calendar: Bird City Wisconsin calendar

Monday, July 16, 2018

Learn more about aerial insectivores


Common Nighthawk - Ph. Nick Myatt, Wikim. Commons
 There's a lot of information now available about aerial insectivores - which species are declining, what threats they face, and how their ecology is similar or different from species-to-species. And there are several opportunities for you to become involved in their monitoring and conservation, and to learn more. 


One of the fascinating behaviors witnessed this year is exhibited by swifts and a number of other bird species around the world: young of the previous year travel back to act as "helpers at the nest" - assisting their parents to raise this year's young. Read about this in Alexander Skutch's book: Helpers at Birds' Nests: A Worldwide Survey of Cooperative Breeding and Related Behavior. (1999, University of Iowa Press.)


Join us at one of three upcoming August events - and/or at the WBCI/Bird City Annual Conference in the Waukesha area Sept 6-8:

Aerial Insectivores, Cutright Bird Club, Riveredge Nature Center, 7pm on August 7th

Aerial Insectivores, Green Lake Bird & Nature Club, 630pm, Green Lake Town Square Building

WBCI/Bird City Annual Conference:
 http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/annual-meetings/2018-wbci-annual-meeting/

Agenda/Schedule:
http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/WBCI-2018-agenda_Final_5-29-18.pdf

Registration:
http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Registration-form_final_2018.pdf

Swift Night Out events provide observers with a chance to view the annual spectacle of hundreds (or more!) of Chimney Swifts at one or more of their autumn roost sites. 

Chimney Swift in flight - Ph. Jim McCulloch, Wikim. Commons
Just a few examples:

Swift Night Out - Green Bay Aug 18  - contact Nancy Nabak at nancyn@woodlanddunes.org


Swift Night Out  -Two Rivers Sept 13th - contact Nancy Nabak at nancyn@woodlanddunes.org

Monday, July 2, 2018

severe bird species declines in Europe

Severe bird species declines in Europe should concern all of us. These mirror recent declines of aerial insectivores in Canada, and some areas of the United States.

"...over the last 17 years, one third of birds have disappeared from French farmland."

 "'The situation is catastrophic,' laments Benoît Fontaine, conservation biologist from the Cesco at the National Museum of Natural History. 'Our farmland is turning into a real desert.' 'Populations of all bird species are literally collapsing in the cereal-growing prairies,' adds Vincent Bretagnolle, ecologist at the Centre for Biological Studies at Chizé and director of the Sèvre Plains & Valley area. 'Partridge are now practically extinct within our study zone.'

 Read more at:
https://news.cnrs.fr/articles/where-have-all-the-farmland-birds-gone
 

Ortolan Bunting -  Ph. by Zeynel Cebeci - Wikim. Commons

an editorial, via the Ecological Citizen


Here's a recent editorial worth reading and pondering.


From the introduction: 

"The human enterprise is eradicating non-human life on Earth. The WWF’s
Living Planet Report 2016 reveals that,worldwide, wildlife populations declined
by 58% between 1970 (itself too late for a proper base year) and 2012, with the
expectation that this decline will reach 67% by 2020 (WWF, 2016). In Canada, my home,
the situation is similar: half of 903 species monitored saw population declines over the
same period, and the average for half of these was a population loss of 83% (WWF-Canada,
2017). ... As I write this, reports show that bird populations in the French countryside have
declined there by more than a third in just the past 17 years – a situation described by
conservation biologists as 'catastrophic' (Geffroy, 2018).


https://www.ecologicalcitizen.net/pdfs/v02n1-01.pdf

You can read this entire issue of the Ecological Citizen at:
https://www.ecologicalcitizen.net/issue.php?i=Vol+2+No+1

Ph. by Joaquim Alves Gaspar; Wikim. Commons

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

bird collisions and towers

Although this topic isn't new, we're still learning how to reduce bird collisions with towers.

A page on the Partners in Flight website is devoted to this information:\
 https://www.partnersinflight.org/what-we-do/reduce-bird-mortality/bird-collisions/



Photo - Partners In Flight


















"Each year, millions of birds suffer fatal collisions with communications towers. The American Bird Conservancy and others recommend following voluntary guidelines for their installation.Owners of towers 150-350 ft. above ground level need to program non-flashing tower lights to synchronously flash with existing flashing tower lights."

The American Bird Conservancy has more information, and a "toolkit" for activism:
https://abcbirds.org/birds-communication-towers/

Friday, June 8, 2018

news from BirdLife International

Go to this link: http://www.birdlife.org/  to learn about
"Birds brought back from the brink"...
"A concrete partnership for nature conservation in Burkina Faso"...
"Protecting birds through war and peace: our newest Partner, Columbia"...
and more.

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

massive movement of songbirds on Monday, May

Please see the numbers from Monday at the Tadoussac Bird Observatory in Quebec, Canada.
Observatoire d’Oiseaux de Tadoussac - Dunes, La Haute-Côte-Nord County, Quebec
Over 720,000 warblers, and many other birds. 

The detailed report is in this linked eBird checklist.

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46116491
The work of bird observatories worldwide demonstrates the capability of skilled observers, and the value of these programs. It also shows the value of eBird to capture and report data.

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Joint Release: Lawsuits Seek to Restore Protections for Migratory Birds

Joint Release: Lawsuits Seek to Restore Protections for Migratory Birds

WASHINGTON (May 24, 2018) A coalition of national environmental groups, including American Bird Conservancy, Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, and the Natural Resources Defense Council, today filed litigation, National Audubon Society v. Department of the Interior, in the Southern District of New York challenging the current Administration’s move to eliminate longstanding protections for waterfowl, raptors, and songbirds under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA).

In a legal opinion issued December 2017, the Administration abruptly reversed decades of government policy and practice — by both Democratic and Republican administrations — on the implementation and enforcement of the MBTA.

The Act's prohibition on the killing or "taking" of migratory birds has long been understood to extend to incidental take from industrial activities — meaning unintentional but predictable and avoidable killing. Under the Administration's revised interpretation, the MBTA’s protections will apply only to activities that purposefully kill birds. Any “incidental” take — no matter how inevitable or devastating the impact on birds — is now immune from enforcement under the law.  

The risk of liability under the MBTA has long provided the oil and gas industry, wind energy development companies, and power transmission line operators with an incentive to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to minimize bird deaths. For example, in an effort to protect migratory birds and bats and avoid potential MBTA liability, the wind industry, conservation groups, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service worked to develop comprehensive guidelines aimed to ensure best practices for siting and developing wind farms. The Administration’s new policy eliminates this incentive for industries and individuals to minimize and mitigate foreseeable impacts of their activities on migratory birds, putting already-declining populations of our nation’s songbirds and other migratory birds at risk.

The MBTA also protects birds from fossil fuel development. Oil pits kill hundreds of thousands of birdsif incidental take liability is eliminated, industry need no longer take measures to protect birds from these hazards. In addition, when the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon disaster spilled more than 210 million gallons of oil in the Gulf of Mexico more than 1 million birds were killed in the four years following the blowout. BP paid $100 million in fines under the MBTA that supported wetland and migratory bird conservation. The new interpretation would bar the federal government from seeking such mitigation under the MBTA for devastating oil spills in the future.

(The American Bird Conservancy, Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife and National Audubon Society are being represented in the litigation by the public-interest law firm of Meyer Glitzenstein & Eubanks LLP.)

Quotes from conservation groups:
“The new policy makes it much harder to protect birds from major bird traps — threats like oil pits, wind turbines, and communication towers in bird migration hotspots,” said Mike Parr, President of American Bird Conservancy. “Leaving these threats unattended is like leaving manhole covers off along the sidewalk during rush hourit’s negligent, irresponsible, and guaranteed to cause harm.”
"The Trump administration's rollback of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act is an absolute disaster for America's birds," said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "Many bird species are already declining from habitat destruction and a host of other threats. This rule will allow the death of even more birds, whether they're landing on polluted ponds left uncovered by the oil and gas industry or have their nest trees cut down from underneath them. It's tragic."

For 100 years, the United States has committed with other nations to protect migratory birds through international treaties and laws. The Trump administration’s meddling with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act threatens to reverse decades of progress to conserve birds that are essential to ecosystems, economies and our enjoyment of nature. On the centennial of this important law, we will do everything we can to protect migratory birds that are defenseless against the reckless actions taken by this administration,” said Jamie Rappaport Clark, CEO and President of Defenders of Wildlife.

“One of the first conservation laws, the MBTA sparked 100 years of conservation leadership in this country,” said Sarah Greenberger senior vice president of conservation policy for the National Audubon Society. “It defies all facts for the Department of the Interior to suggest that this law is somehow broken when we have a century of evidence that says otherwise.”

“We cannot let Secretary Zinke add one of the oldest and most important laws for birds to his list of anti-environmental giveaways, especially when birds are in critical need of protection.  Drastically slashing the reach of the MBTA and removing accountability for preventable bird deaths is unacceptable.” Katie Umekubo, Natural Resources Defense Council, Senior Attorney, Nature Program.

Contacts:

Steve Holmer, American Bird Conservancy, 202-888-7490, sholmer@abcbirds.org

Noah Greenwald, Center for Biological Diversity, (971) 484-7495, ngreenwald@biologicaldiversity.org

Gwen Dobbs, Defenders of Wildlife, 202-772-0269, gdobbs@defenders.org

Jim Murphy, National Wildlife Federation, 802-595-5268, jmurphy@nwf.org

Lisa Hardaway, National Audubon Society, (212) 979-3000, lhardaway@audubon.org

Josh Mogerman, Natural Resources Defense Council, (312) 651-7909, jmogerman@nrdc.org
(Photo: Black-and-White Warbler is one of approximately 800 bird species regularly found in the United States. All of these species face increased threats from changes to the implementation and enforcement of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Photo © Michael Stubblefield)
###

American Bird Conservancy is dedicated to conserving birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. With an emphasis on achieving results and working in partnership, we take on the greatest problems facing birds today, innovating and building on rapid advancements in science to halt extinctions, protect habitats, eliminate threats and build capacity for bird conservation. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter: @abcbirds1.

Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With over 1.8 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit Newsroom.Defenders.org and follow us on Twitter @DefendersNews.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.6 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. biologicaldiversity.org

The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Audubon works throughout the Americas using, science, advocacy, education and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give Audubon an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, Audubon believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Learn more how to help at www.audubon.org and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @audubonsociety.

The National Wildlife Federation is America's largest conservation organization, uniting all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in a rapidly changing world. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.

Michael J. Parr
President
American Bird Conservancy
4301 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 451
Washington, DC 20008
Tel/Fax/Txt: (202) 888 7486
Cell: (202) 684 5805
Twitter: @michaeljparr

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

highly recommended new bird identification book

I recently received my new copy of the Peterson Guide to Bird Identification - In 12 Steps, by Steve N.G. Howell and Brian Sullivan.  There are a number of books that take one from the beginning steps of birding to the "next level" of advancing knowledge.  This book is different from many - the depth of coverage and sound advice address many topics more fully than some other superficially-similar books. The two co-authors have impeccable ornithological credentials, and they've put their years of experience to good use here. It is an ideal choice for a friend who has started birding and is ready to learn more. It's also valuable for experienced birders, providing new ways of looking at old challenges in identification. I recommend this book.

Chapters on plumage and songs/calls are especially good.

 Here are two reviews:


http://www.wellreadnaturalist.com/2018/03/peterson-guide-to-bird-identification/


https://www.acorn-naturalists.com/peterson-guide-to-bird-identification-in-12-steps.html

Friday, March 30, 2018

documenting female bird songs

There is an effort underway to document female bird song. Karan Odum and Lauryn Benedict, in The Auk - Ornithological Advances, make this call to researchers. Read this paper and learn more about this emerging field of study:  http://americanornithologypubs.org/doi/full/10.1642/AUK-17-183.1

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Sunday, March 11, 2018

research news on Golden-winged Warbler

Read a paper that provides background on the Golden-winged Warbler here: 
STATUS AND CONSERVATION PRIORITIES OF GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER (VERMIVORA CHRYSOPTERA) IN NORTH AMERICA
http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1642/0004-8038(2007)124%5B1439:SACPOG%5D2.0.CO%3B2

then, some recent research news, here: 
  
The Mystery of the Golden-winged Warbler's Decline Starts to Unravel

http://www.audubon.org/news/the-mystery-golden-winged-warblers-decline-starts-unravel

Ph by Andy Reago and Chrissy McLarren

Friday, March 9, 2018

September 6-8th Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative conference

Go to this link to learn more about the September 6-8th Wisconsin Bird
Conservation Initiative conference: http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/

Learn about swallows, swifts, and nightjars:
* Recent research and monitoring updates
* Declining populations of common insectivore species
* Conservation actions
* Bird City Wisconsin - what communities can do

And more, including field trips!

Sunday, February 25, 2018

next new species for the Wisconsin state list?

Keep your "eyes peeled", in flocks of geese this spring, for a Pink-footed Goose. Increasingly found as a vagrant in eastern North America, here are some key points to identifying this species.

 https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/pink-footed-goose

 http://blog.aba.org/2012/11/abarare-pink-footed-geese-maine-pennsylvania-and-newfoundland.html


(Remember to look carefully among white-fronted geese; it is similar).

Thursday, February 22, 2018

spring migration maps 2018 (plus)

Take a look at Journey North's set of rapidly-changing maps and sightings for several bird species - plus many other seasonal phenomena, including sap flow, ice out, and monarchs: https://www.learner.org/jnorth/maps/

Friday, February 9, 2018

Get ready for the Great Backyard Bird Count!




"Launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, the Great Backyard Bird Count was the first online citizen-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real-time. Now, more than 160,000 people of all ages and walks of life worldwide join the four-day count each February to create an annual snapshot of the distribution and abundance of birds."

This year's event will be February 16-19.

Learn how to get started at http://gbbc.birdcount.org/get-started/


Read the results from last year's count, at http://gbbc.birdcount.org/2017-gbbc-summary/

Thursday, January 25, 2018

kestrel partnership in WI

We have been working with cooperators around southeastern and south-central WI on deploying kestrel nestboxes and gathering monitoring data for a number of years. This effort is ramping up even more in 2018. We will have a statewide meeting of Wisconsin partners on March 19th in Columbia County, and will meet with representatives of the nation-wide American Kestrel Partnership from The Peregrine Fund. If  you'd like to participate, there are several ways:
a) build and erect a kestrel nestbox in appropriate habitat
b) monitor your nestbox, using a standard data sheet and protocol, and send to us.
We can provide information on both aspects of the project. If you are interested, or have questions, contact William Mueller, at wmueller@wglbbo.org

Friday, January 5, 2018

Golden Eagles


Ph. by Michael Gabler - Wikimedia Commons


Read a collection of Golden Eagle information;

Eastern Golden Eagle Working Group

http://www.egewg.org/

Golden Eagle satellite tracking

http://www.raptorview.org/golden-eagle-satellite-tracking.html
 
Wintering Golden Eagles in Wisconsin - National Eagle Center info:

https://www.nationaleaglecenter.org/golden-eagle-project/golden-eagle-tracking/


Migratory patterns of eastern Golden Eagle population revealed


https://phys.org/news/2015-08-migratory-patterns-eastern-golden-eagle.html