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is distributed to active and concerned birders, those dedicated to the
joys of birding and the protection of birds and their habitats.
This issue is sponsored by the producers of superb quality birding binoculars and scopes, Carl Zeiss Sport Optics:
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RARITY FOCUS
Red-flanked Bluetail is an Old-World
species which breeds sparingly in eastern Finland and northwestern
Russia, and from western Siberia to Sakhalin Island, the Kamchatka
Peninsula, and south to Japan. The species winters in the Indian
Subcontinent, the Himalayas, Taiwan, and northern Indochina.
As for North American occurrences, the species is casual in
western Alaska, primarily in the western Aleutians. It has also been
found a couple of times in California (e.g., SE Farrallon Island in 1989
and San Clemente Island in 2011). In 2013, one of these charming little
Eurasian flycatchers was also found, at Queen's Park, New Westminster,
in the Metro Vancouver area of British Columbia where it remained to
delight many observers.
This species could potentially occur elsewhere on the
mainland West Coast, such as Washington or Oregon, or again in
California or British Columbia. But on 26 December, John Walter Hanna
found one at Hell's Gate State Park, not far from Lewiston, Idaho. Yes,
Idaho! Who could have imagined?
The bird was very active in brushy habitat at the bottom of a
slope next to the river in the park, but it was sometimes difficult to
obtain lengthy views of the bird. It would periodically disappear for
five or more minutes, only to reappear, 100 feet away, but calling
frequently. For an original photo, see here:
Not only did this Red-flanked Bluetail in Idaho remain
through the end of the month, but on 29 December, another Red-flanked
Bluetail was also identified in British Columbia, at Lazo Wildlife Park
in Comox. (It was actually first seen on 22 December, but not identified
until the 29th.) The bird remained through the end of the month.
KEEP LOOKING!
Last month, we encouraged readers to be on the alert for
strange and rare ducks. We even mentioned the short visit in late
November of an immature Common Shelduck in Rivière Brochu, Gallix,
Quebec, located on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence:
The possibility of a natural occurrence of this Old-World
species in North America has been confounded by the chance of escapes
from waterfowl collections, even though Common Shelducks are increasing
across much of Europe, including Iceland. All early-winter records for
this species in eastern Canada and New England suggest a need for
careful re-evaluation.
With this in mind three Common Shelducks found feeding with
American Black Ducks and Mallards in Saint John, New Brunswick, on 17
December were of some interest. The shelducks were found by Kelly
Honeyman, Samantha Brewster and Jim Wilson during the local St. John
Christmas Bird Count. These birds were found intermittently through the
end of the month
The case for legitimately wild Common Shelducks is sounding
more convincing. For more details (and a photo) on the three New
Brunswick birds, see here:
And for readers wishing to see a thorough discussion of the
question of origin in Common Shelducks in North America, see Brinkley,
E.S. (2010. The changing seasons: Provenance. North American Birds 64:20-31).
On the opposite coast, in Humboldt County, California,
another rare Old-World duck was discovered on 22 December. It was a
Common Pochard, a rare visitor to Alaska, with a few previous records
for California and Canada (Quebec). The Common Pochard also remained
through the end of the month.
As we mentioned last month, there are plenty of "odd ducks"
out there still to be found. Remember, this is still an ideal season to
find them too, so keep your eyes open and keep looking!
IBA NEWS: TENNESSEE RIDGETOP IMPLICATIONS
At the request of the State of Tennessee, in early
Decemberthe U.S. Department of the Interior agreed to designate almost
75,000 acres of mountain habitat along 569 miles of ridgeline as
unsuitable for surface coal mining operations. This was the result of a
decade of activity, during which time many citizens worked on a
Tennessee petition to declare a 1,200-foot corridor (600 feet on each
side of the ridgelines) in the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area
and Emory River Tract Conservation Easement as unsuitable for surface
coal mining operations. The petitioned area originally encompassed about
67,326 acres.
The area is an important wildlife corridor, providing habitat
for black bear, elk, and many songbirds, including Cerulean Warbler. It
is also the region where much important Cerulean Warbler research has
been done under contract with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
"This is great news for the hunters, anglers, hikers, and
birders who come, year after year, to enjoy this incredible place," said
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. "I applaud the State for their
forward-looking vision that will help strengthen the local economy and
help protect a critical watershed."
The Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation Enforcement
(OSMRE) at the Department of the Interior studied six possible options
for the designation, including a "no-action" alternative that would deny
the petition altogether. In fact, the option chosen was based on public
comments and a robust evaluation, including improved aerial mapping
technology that more accurately reflected the State's original
objectives.
The designated area is part of the Cumberland Mountains
Important Bird Area, an IBA of global significance because of its
"assemblage of biome-restricted species," with special reference to
Cerulean Warbler.
In the words of Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), an opponent
of mountaintop removal mining, "Secretary Jewell's decision to approve
the State of Tennessee's petition... in Anderson, Campbell, Morgan and
Scott counties as unsuitable for mining will help safeguard our state's
mountains without affecting mining operations in other parts of these
counties, or elsewhere in Tennessee. This means these ridgetop
landscapes - and the rivers, streams and forests that surround them -
can continue to bring millions of tourists and thousands of jobs to
Tennessee."
The designation does not impact existing mining operations within the area, but it does constitute added de facto
protection for the New and Emory Rivers running through the designated
area that provide clean drinking water to thousands of Tennesseans.
For details on the Cumberland Mountains 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:
OUTDOOR RECREATION GROWTH
Outdoor recreation is a very large contributor to the
American economy. It could be half a percent of the entire nation's
economy. Hiking, canoeing, camping, birding, hunting, fishing, climbing,
mountain biking, are all parts of the picture. Americans are buying all
sorts of related equipment and also paying handsomely for the privilege
of access to the outdoors. But how much, exactly, are they spending
these days? How large is the "outdoor recreation economy"?
In 2005 and 2011 the Outdoor Industry Foundation commissioned
studies to make some serious measurements. The results for the outdoor
recreation economy were surprising. Up to an astounding $646 billion is
attributed to annual consumer spending! While many of the industry's
players accepted that number at face value, others insisted on better
metrics and more tightly-run surveys.
What emerged was a congressional call for a piece of
bipartisan legislation that passed both the House and Senate and was
signed into law by President Obama on 8 December. The Outdoor Recreation
Jobs and Economic Impact Act of 2016, or REC Act, directs the
Department of Commerce to enter into a joint memorandum with the
Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior to conduct
an assessment and analysis of the outdoor recreation economy of the
United States and the effects attributable to it on the overall U.S.
economy. The data will be collected and analyzed through the
highly-respected Bureau of Economic Analysis at the Department of
Commerce.
Two multi-year phases in the project could produce tangible results by 2020.
"It's long overdue," says Bob Ratcliffe, the National Park
Service's recreation chief. "We've never really understood how the
outdoor recreation economy works. When you start talking about
communities and states that have a high degree of outdoor recreation in
their economy, it's important to understand it just as you would energy
or trade or tariffs."
For more details, see here:
BOOK NOTES: A UNIQUE BIG-YEAR ACCOUNT
Lost Among the Birds
by Neil Hayward (2016 Bloomsbury) chronicles in poignant detail the
author's record-setting "Accidental Big Year" in 2013. By finding 749
species in North America in one year,
Neal Hayward successfully eclipsed the standing record of 748 species
set in 1998. However, unlike most of his predecessors in this
near-Olympic birding endeavor, Hayward didn't initially plan to do a Big
Year until well into 2013! As the book's subtitle suggests, the author
recounts "Accidentally Finding Myself in One Very Big Year."
Unlike
similar Big Year-type accounts, this beautifully and sensitively
written volume is not just about chasing birds - rather it's an
autobiographical journey describing self-discovery, personal love, and a
passion for birds seldom folded into one story. Readers get to know
and feel both the pathos of Hayward's inner journey, as well as the
enjoyment of finding and pursuing some of the most exciting bird species
on the continent. His descriptions of exotic and often remote regions
(many no doubt familiar to some readers) and the spectacular birds that
inhabit them are worthy in their own right, but when Hayward's personal
story is intimately bound with these avian pursuits, the end result is a
thoroughly enjoyable read.
ACCESS MATTERS: HOW DO I GET THERE?
What
good is a wildlife refuge, a park, a state or national forest full of
birds and other wildlife if the public has a problem getting to the
place? It is unrealistic to expect appreciation when access is a
barrier.
There are many state and federal agencies addressing this question today, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is among them.
Over
100 National Wildlife Refuges are within 25 miles of large and
medium-size cities. But the staff at the National Wildlife Refuge System
is asking: "How many urban refuges are truly accessible to people who
have physical, financial and other issues that might be barriers to
getting into nature? How can wildlife refuge staff work with others to
provide those connections to increase visitation and better connect
people to nature?" These are essential questions, intrinsic to the issue
of real access and core to a new study launched for refuges.
The
Urban Transportation Connections Study will be collecting
transportation-related data for those 100+ refuges. That should allow
the Refuge System to establish baseline information about the condition
of transportation facilities.
The
effort which is being coordinated with the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) has started with seven of the regional priority
wildlife refuges: Steigerwald Lake/Pierce in Washington, Santa Ana in
Texas, Detroit River International Refuge in Michigan, Bayou Sauvage in
Louisiana, Rocky Mountain Arsenal in Colorado, and Don Edwards San
Francisco Bay Refuge.
Most
of these seven are well-known localities for birdlife, and all support
either "specialty" birds for their areas or certain species in
impressive numbers.
The
transportation study is expected to be completed by September 2017.
Ultimately, it will summarize existing conditions, uncover gaps in
transportation services and systems, and will recommend improvements to
essential access.
You can find more details here:
TIP OF THE MONTH: RESOLUTION FOR 2017
In past January issues of the Birding Community E-Bulletin
(e.g., 2009, 2010, and 2014) we have offered some modest suggestions
for New Year's resolutions. Accordingly, we are offering some
bird-oriented suggestions again for 2017.
What follows is a three-part, bird-oriented resolution for2017:
First,
take the time to enjoy birds this year. This is a good idea whether you
expect to spend time in your back yard, on local or national trips, or
even abroad. Simply relax, enjoy yourself, and relish the wonder of
birds. This is potentially the easiest part of our suggested three-part
resolution.
Second,
resolve to share the wonder of birds with others. Take others out and
help them discover the amazing world of birds that has already inspired
you. Introduce birds to your neighbor, a co-worker, a local teacher, a
local office-holder, or a group of kids.
Finally,
and this is particularly important, do something to secure the future
for birds. It doesn't have to be a huge endeavor, but it should be
directed at whatever local, regional, or international effort fits you
best. You can help make a difference to protect birds, but it only
happens if you make that initial deliberate effort.
Enjoy, share, protect. This is a winning formula for a successful resolution in 2017. Best of luck to you all!
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