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RARITY FOCUS
Although we have mentioned Brambling in the past in the Birding Community E-bulletin,
we have never highlighted the species as our rarity of the month. This
is because this Eurasian finch is found virtually annually in Alaska,
although it is considerably rarer farther south in Canada and in the
northern U.S. It's about time we highlighted Brambling.
Excluding the records from Alaska, Yukon, and British
Columbia, there are at least 45 additional records for the rest of
Canada, and at least 165 records for the lower-48 United States. Many of
these lower-48 records are from Oregon and Washington, and almost every
winter, birders can count on at least one Brambling, often a
feeder-visitor, being found somewhere in those two states. Nonetheless
the bird still remains rare enough to draw the attention of active
birders in the region.
Given the tilted west-to-east concentration of all these
records, and the fact that the Brambling has yet to be recorded in
Greenland or Newfoundland, it is likely that most or all these birds -
both those found in the East as well as in the West - originate from
Northeast Asia not Western Europe. This case is convincingly made by
Howell, Lewington, and Russell in Rare Birds of North America (Princeton Univ. Press, 2014).
The Brambling sightings of the autumn and winter of 2014 and 2015 are also summarized in the current issue of North American Birds,
with scores seen in the western Aleutians and St. Paul Island, at least
two in British Columbia, two in Washington, three in California, and
one each in Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, and Ontario.
This pattern makes sightings of Bramblings in the East all
the more amazing. Last month there were at least two additional and
equally surprising Brambling sightings, both at feeders.
The first was at Allerdale Park in Medina County, Ohio,
northwest of Akron. This bird's presence was announced just after
Christmas and ended up being very accessible at a residential feeder.
Like many other feeder-visiting Bramblings, this individual was
associating with groups of American Tree Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos.
There were some compromises made on the part of visitors in terms of
viewing sites, but ultimately the outcome was most positive. The bird
remained through the month.
You can gain some background on the Ohio Brambling thanks to
Jim McCormac, and see some photos by Leslie Sours and Alex Eberts here:
A second Brambling visited feeders in a yard in West Little
Rock, Arkansas beginning about 19 January. This individual represented a
surprising outlier location and was a first state record for Arkansas.
The homeowner who was very gracious in allowing birders onto his
property, requested that there be no weekday visitors in order not to
disrupt the daily business operations at the only available parking site
near the feeder. Weekend visitations worked out well, and the homeowner
was pleased with the courteous behavior of visiting birders. (This
story could easily have fulfilled our requirements for our regular
"Access Matters" feature, but another vital issue "bumped" the story.)
The bird remained for a short time, and was gone before the last weekend
of the month.
You can see photos by Dan Scheiman here, along with his eBird report:
Will other Bramblings appear elsewhere in the Lower-48 or Canada later this winter? Possibly. So, keep looking!
CORN CRAKE SURPRISE
Corn Crake is a fairly small, short-billed Eurasian rail that
historically was a very rare vagrant in the late fall along the East
Coast of North America. European populations seriously declined in the
20th century, a decline attributed to the loss of damp grass fields and
croplands. Today, the species is considered "vulnerable" in Europe. It
is not surprising, therefore, that there is only a handful of records in
North America ranging from Newfoundland to New York since the early
1960s.
Accordingly, it is amazing that a Corn Crake appeared last month in eastern Pennsylvania.
On New Year's Day, at Twin Brooks Farm in Tyler Hill,
Pennsylvania - a farm run by Cassie Schweighofer and Erik Roneker -
their cats brought home a thin and weak brownish rail. The cats serve on
rodent patrol near the house, barns, and winter livestock-loafing areas
at the family farm. Unfortunately, it died before Cassie and Erik could
send the bird to a rehabilitation facility.
After circulating photos of the unidentified rail among
friends and acquaintances, Lauren Flesher and Benjamin Van Doren, it was
determined that the bird was, indeed, a Corn Crake. The specimen was
thoughtfully donated by Cassie and Erik to the Academy of Natural
Sciences in Philadelphia where it was prepared and identified as a male
of the year.
One wonders how long this bird had been in North America,
especially since almost all previous records are from coastal areas in
late fall. One might also wonder: How many of these shy and normally
very hard to flush rails, could actually be making landfall in North
America, and yet regularly be undetected?
DEAD MURRES PILE UP
Dead seabirds - mostly Common Murres - have been appearing on
Alaska shorelines since last August, but the record numbers seen last
month in the Prince William Sound area offer a serious warning. It
started with hundreds of Common Murres that seabird biologist David
Irons first found dead near the town of Whittier. The dead birds had
apparently starved.
"We have never found close to 8,000 dead birds on a
one-mile-long beach before," Irons said. "It is an order of magnitude
larger than any records that I am aware of."
Since the event, fellow biologist Tamara Zeller, from the
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and others have been boating around
Prince William Sound and walking beaches in search of other dead or sick
murres. On 7 January, her count started with 98 birds on the water and
284 on the shore. At the end of the day, her tally was a startling
3,000.
Heather Renner, a supervisory biologist at the Alaska
Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, said the local die-off is probably
part of a much larger event that began in August. "It's hard to know how
many birds have died because Alaska is so big, and there are so many
remote areas," Renner said. Still, Renner estimates that at least
100,000 Common Murres have probably died.
The vast majority of the bird deaths have been attributed to
starvation; tests on 100 carcasses showed that almost all the murres
were emaciated. The culprit is likely a lack of adequate food. "The fish
that they eat tend to have a narrow band of water temperatures they can
live in," Irons said. "If the temperature gets too warm or too cold the
fish disappear."
This is what is happening in waters off Alaska. Since 2013,
an expanse of seawater that is 2 to 7 degrees Fahrenheit above average
has stretched from Asia to North America. Scientists have called this
zone "the blob," and they are studying it closely.
Die-offs are not uncommon. One in 1993 was estimated to kill
100,000 murres. Another in 1997 affected several types of seabirds. At
the time, scientists also focused on the lack of food and associated
warm waters.
But Irons and Renner say this die-off is different in its
scope and the persistence of the warm water blob that may have caused
it.
More details are available from this CNN coverage:
BOOK NOTES: BIRDING SKILLS
How many in-depth birding books geared to perfecting your
skills do we really need? Apparently, there is a continual need, and the
books continue to regularly appear.
The latest entry in this genre is Better Birding
(Princeton University Press, 2016) by George L. Armistead and Brian L.
Sullivan. Like authors of other similar books, these authors review
clusters of troublesome species-groups, including eiders, godwits,
swifts, yellow-bellied kingbirds, and more, teasing out ID elements for
each group that will enrich considerably your birding experience.
Unlike some of the other books of this sort, this one is
particularly reader-friendly, with an admirable tone floating somewhere
between charming familiarity and firm instruction. Moreover, the
hundreds of photos are high-quality and extremely helpful, with equally
helpful accompanying captions. Some of the more interesting and helpful
photos, as well as the Introduction section, are seemingly
Richard-Crossley-esque. In other words, some of the most the creative
photos are reconstructed in natural settings and organized in ways that
highlight the most important features of each of the species in
question.
Beyond the core ID information, almost all the chapters
contain eye-opening "Natural History Notes" and "Taxonomic Notes" that
significantly add to the reader's appreciation and understanding of the
species involved. In short, Better Birding is an outstanding work and a valuable contribution for birders at all levels.
While the book is a great resource for perfecting one's
individual birding skills, if you are looking to make birding a general
pursuit, you may be disappointed, because the title of the book is
somewhat misleading. We addressed this same concern in March, 2012,
suggesting that being a "better birder" is not simply an individual
endeavor driven by becoming more proficient at identifying birds in the
field. The effort may certainly start there, but, surely, it should not
end there. Betting birding ought to include two essential ongoing
activities: sharing the birds with others and actually doing something
to save them. See what we wrote here:
Except for a brief, if not tangential reference to eBird, these concepts are not discussed in Better Birding. This is unfortunate, since if birding has a future it surely needs to grow beyond the very personal.
ACCESS MATTERS: LOST ACCESS AT MALHEUR NWR
One of the most outlandish aspects of the seizure of Malheur
National Wildlife Refuge by armed occupiers at the start of January was
the image of an American flag obscuring the official welcome sign at the
entrance to the refuge. The irony was captured by David Houghton, the
president of the National Wildlife Refuge Association, when he wrote:
"American flags fly proudly at all 563 national wildlife refuges,
signaling that these places are owned and managed by and for all
Americans. Like all national wildlife refuges, Malheur is public land.
The sign that is obscured reads "Welcome to Your National Wildlife
Refuge"- it is a place for all of us to enjoy and we all benefit from
its many natural resources. Only now, armed occupiers restrict the
entrance to this public resource."
Attempts to seize any part of the refuge are attempts to take
valued property away from the American people. The Malheur seizure was
doubly ironic, since in 2013 the refuge adopted a long-term
Comprehensive Conservation Plan through an inclusive process that got
agreement from varied stakeholders - e.g., local communities, the Burns
Piute tribe, multiple conservation groups, ranchers, and other business
interests - interested in refuge priorities, goals, and timelines.
Management of the refuge for wildlife and the public involves
500+ water control structures, an invasive carp problem that is
detrimental to bird productivity, the spread of invasive plants,
elevated water temperatures, in addition to mounting budgetary
constraints impacting all of these.
When birders - along with wildlife photographers, hunters,
anglers, environmental educators, and others - insist that access
matters, it means real access to enjoy, appreciate, and conserve
well-managed resources for birds, other wildlife, and people.
Following the arrest of some of the ringleaders involved in
the seizure, the first real steps to bring this occupation to a
conclusion have taken place. One death in the process was tragic. But
careful efforts must continue to empty the refuge of everyone who
continues to illegally occupy the land, restricting management and
access.
Whatever the immediate outcome of the seizure, and as justice
is served, there are long-term lessons to be learned here. Among them
is that the foundations of our natural heritage are inextricably
intertwined with appropriate access to these remarkable lands.
IBA NEWS: MALHEUR AGAIN
During the Malheur seizure, the mainstream media seemed to
have had a difficult time telling the difference between BLM lands and
National Wildlife Refuges, and between National Parks and National
Forests. And as far as delivering a coherent message on the origins and
purposes of these public lands, few in the mainstream media were able to
measure the real value of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Indeed, by
the third week of the seizure, some of the media morphed the site into
something called a "federal wildlife refuge."
This suggests that appreciation of Malheur, specifically as
an Important Bird Area (IBA), is in order. Quite simply, Malheur NWR is a
spectacular place for birds and birding. Even at its very beginning,
when bird conservationists William Finley and Herman Bohlman helped
convince President Theodore Roosevelt into establishing the refuge in
1908, the area needed dutiful care and attention. It was created "as a
preserve and breeding ground for native birds." The "Lake Malheur
Reservation," as it was originally called, was the 19th of 51 wildlife
refuges created by Teddy Roosevelt during his tenure as President. See
this summary on efforts that inspired the refuge's creation:
During the breeding season, this IBA may host up to a fifth
of the world's population of White-faced Ibis, the highest known
densities of Willow Flycatcher, and one of the highest Breeding Bird
Survey counts for the watch-listed Brewer's Sparrow. Other breeding
birds in jeopardy at Malheur include Western Snowy Plover (200 pairs),
Long-billed Curlew, Short-eared Owl, Greater Sage-Grouse, Bobolink, and
Trumpeter Swan. Serious numbers of American White Pelicans, Cinnamon
Teal, Redheads, and Greater Sandhill Cranes (20% of Oregon's breeding
population) also breed there, along with up to 1,300 pairs of Franklin's
Gulls and 3,000 pairs of Black Terns. Migrant highlights are dominated
by the waterfowl, with over a third of the world's population of Ross'
Geese, a significant proportion of Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon,
Northern Shovelers, Canvasbacks, and Ruddy Ducks; and hundreds of
thousands of waterfowl other species (e.g., Snow Geese, Mallards,
Northern Pintails). Shorebird concentrations have included 25,000
Western Sandpipers, 35,000 Long-billed Dowitchers, 15,000 Wilson's
Phalaropes, 15,000 American Avocets, and hundreds of Pectoral Sandpipers
and Black-necked Stilts. Golden Eagles and Prairie Falcons are present
year-round. Finally, the refuge headquarters area itself is well known
as an important fall and spring landbird migrant trap. And the list
could go on.
The acquisition of the refuge itself is a significant story.
Claims that refuge lands were "stolen" from ranchers are false. (If any
group has prior claims to the NWR, it is the Paiute Indian Tribe.) The
original core of the refuge dates back to 1908, and other portions have
been added since: 31% of the refuge from the public domain ("unclaimed
federal lands"), 30% transferred from another federal agency, 26% from
Duck-Stamp/MBCF dollars, 13% purchased via other means, and less than 1%
donated to the refuge system.
For details on Malheur NWR's Status as an IBA, see here:
For additional information about worldwide IBA programs,
including those in the U.S., check the National Audubon Society's
Important Bird Area program web site at:
REFUGE UPDATE UPDATED
While on the subject of NWRs, a notice on news from refuges is appropriate. Some readers may be familiar with Refuge Update, the printed bimonthly news bulletin from the National Wildlife Refuge System.
It's usually about 20 pages long, packed with good
information on refuges, much of it on birds. For example, the
January/February issue has articles on enriching habitat for Roseate
Terns in the Northeast, Red-cockaded Woodpecker recovery on refuges, and
two refuges making a special effort to reduce bird collisions.
Refuge Update has been functioning well as a
hard-copy newsletter since the January/February 2004 issue. But
starting with the May/June 2016 issue, it will appear only
electronically. This should allow for longer articles, more fine images,
and a saving of trees!
If you want to get on the mailing list for Refuge Update, send your e-mail address to:
TWO WHOOPING CRANES SHOT IN TEXAS
In the 1940s, there were fewer than 20 Whooping Cranes left
in the wild. While the recovery of this species has been impressive,
problems with the migratory wild population and experimental flocks
persist. Unfortunately, over the past five years, more than 20 Whooping
Cranes have actually been shot and killed in the United States. We have
written about this ongoing problem before, most recently last April:
Last month, on 10 January, two Whooping Cranes were shot in
Texas. An 18-year-old male from Southeast Texas, T. J. Frederick, was
charged with a Class B Misdemeanor offense. These birds were members of
the experimental Louisiana flock which consists of 44 birds.
The two cranes were killed in Jefferson County, Texas, in an
area about 115 miles west of Louisiana's White Lake Wetlands
Conservation Area, where state and federal biologists have released more
than 60 Whooping Cranes in an effort to establish a self-sustaining
non-migratory flock. The two killed were a male and female, nearly two
years old, probably too young to have paired for life. They and two
other Louisiana cranes had been in that part of Texas for more than
eight months, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and
Fisheries.
Some observers have suggested that agencies responsible for
the Whooping Crane recovery could better help protect the cranes if
efforts were increased to educate the hunting public and to let locals
know when the cranes are visiting certain areas, especially when they
are uncommon visitors to those areas. Environmental lawyer, Jim
Blackburn, commented, "On the one hand, we can't make these birds simply
stay where we put them because if they want to fly away, they fly. But
on the other hand there was a lot of money put into these birds, and
that money is now gone. The real question this brings up is what can we
do better? What can we learn from this?"
Sara Zimorski, a biologist involved in the Louisiana Whooping
Crane project, said, "While it is incredibly frustrating to lose two
more birds, we will not be discouraged in our efforts to try and recover
this endangered species."
Work continues to help the cranes. For example, interested
parties can access information on how to report suspicious or illegal
shooting behavior, receive a comparative waterbird identification guide,
and join others in pledging support for the cranes through the
International Crane Foundation:
MORE MIA BIRD SMUGGLING
On 9 January, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents took a
man into custody at the Miami International Airport. They said he was
trying to smuggle live birds in his pants. Actually, six birds were
packed into individual canisters in a fanny-pack, and three more birds
in his groin area. The birds included Cuban Grassquits, Yellow-faced
Grassquits, and Blue Grosbeaks.
Details can be found here:
The man was a passenger on a flight from Havana to Miami. The
birds were turned over to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Miami
quarantine station. It is a violation of federal law to smuggle live
birds into the U.S. The wild-bird cage-trade is also nominally against
the law in Cuba.
The issue of potentially released Cuban birds - smuggled into
the U.S. - was raised most recently in the E-bulletin of June 2014:
We also wrote a year ago on the advantages of expanding the Migratory Bird Treaty to Cuba:
TIP OF THE MONTH: FOUR SIMPLE WORDS
Great Backyard Bird Count... so, there you go!
We have mentioned the role of the Great Backyard Bird Count
(GBBC) in the past, but it deserves another reminder. It's a free, fun,
and simple, event that engages bird watchers at all levels to count
birds and help create a real-time snapshot of bird populations.
Participants are asked to count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as
long as they wish) on one or more days of the extended four-day weekend
in February and to report their sightings online.
Each data submission during the GBBC helps researchers at the
Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society learn more
about how birds are doing, and how to protect them and the environment
we share.
The 19th annual GBBC will be held Friday, February 12, through Monday, February 15, 2016.
You can find out more on getting started in the GBBC here:
VERN LAUX: RIP
One of a kind... That's the best way to describe the late E.
Vernon Laux (b. 1955) who passed away on Nantucket Island,
Massachusetts, 21 January 2016.
Variously known as an indefatigable field companion, an
outstanding educator, an entertaining columnist, and radio commentator,
Vern was a raconteur par excellence. His enthusiasm for life, for
birding, and for his many friends were infectious, and his field skills
were nothing short of amazing. While he may be known to some as the man
in 2004 who put the first Red-footed Falcon in North America onto the
pages of The New York Times and on the evening TV-network news,
to others he was the weekly purveyor of information about birds in
Massachusetts and beyond via his newspaper columns and radio broadcasts.
But Vern was much more than this. Ultimately, he was a quintessential
ambassador and advocate for birds, with a personality bigger than life.
In the words of one close friend, Vern was a combination of Keith
Richards, John Belushi, and a defensive lineman for the New England
Patriots.
For a full tribute see here:
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