St. Augustine Trip Report

Written by David Simpson, photos by Dee Fairbanks Simpson

Dee and I spent the weekend in St. Augustine.  We wanted to show Peregrine falcons to some friends of ours from Gainesville.  Saturday morning, we hit the hawk watch, a week after the watch ended, at the north bach access of Guana River State Park.  The platform on top of the dune is a great spot to watch for hawk migration while also keeping an eye on the lake.  Winds were out of the southwest, probably the worst you could ask for on a fall hawk watch on the east coast of Florida.  A Merlin flew directly over us in the parking lot, giving us a comparison to what we were looking for.  On the platform we spied a distant Peregrine falcon which stayed far off for most of the time we were there.   Eventually, another Peregrine came right off the ocean, over our heads, giving us nice looks.

Later that evening, after finding some good ice cream in St. Augustine Beach, we headed to Vilano Beach to walk the beaches near Porpoise Point.  The tide was rising and the birds on the point across the inlet at Anastasia State Park were retreating and looking for higher beaches.  On our side of the water, we found a nice flock of gulls, terns, and eventually skimmers.  Most of the gulls were Laughing gulls as would be expected.  About 20 Lesser black-backed gulls were across the way at the park.  Other gulls were represented by singles, one Great black-backed, one Herring, one Ring-billed, and one FRANKLIN's.  The Franklin's was a first year bird.  Dee took some shots of the bird, or at least the portion of the flock where the bird was.  Lighting was a bit iffy at this late hour, and we have not looked at the pics to see what we got.

Sunday morning promised to be better for hawk watching.  It lied.  We saw nothing from the hawk watch.  Ducks were in better supply.  Blue-winged teal and Northern shoveler were cruising the lake at Six Mile Landing and near the tower.  Four Northern pintail came in for a landing near the tower.  Six Mile Landing had several birds around including two Swainson's thrushes and several Painted buntings along with several wintering birds including my FOTS Yellow-rumped warbler.

We also ran into James Wheat on both days at the platform.  James helped to point out several of the birds we saw.

New Book: The Unfeathered Bird

Reprinted from The Unfeathered Bird web site (http://www.unfeatheredbird.com)

There is more to a bird than simply feathers. And just because birds evolved from a single flying ancestor, doesn’t mean they are structurally all the same. With over 300 stunning drawings representing 200 species, The Unfeathered Bird is the most richly illustrated book on bird anatomy ever produced and offers a refreshingly original insight into what goes on beneath the surface. Each exquisite drawing is made from an actual specimen and reproduced in sumptuous large format. The birds are shown in lifelike positions and engaged in behavior typical of the species: a fish’s-eye view of a swimming loon skeleton, the musculature of a porpoising penguin, and an unfeathered sparrowhawk plucking its prey. Jargon free and easily accessible to any reader, the lively text relates birds’ anatomy with their lifestyle and evolution, examining such questions as, why penguins are bigger than auks, whether harrier hawks really have double-jointed legs, and the difference between wing claws and wing spurs. A landmark in popular ornithological literature, The Unfeathered Bird is a must for anyone with an appreciation of birds, bird art, or both.

Lagoon Coalition News - Upcoming Events

Inspirational Free Evening of Song and Story to Save the Lagoon

Saving the Indian River Lagoon is a major issue in both Brevard and Indian River Counties, and on Saturday, November 9, at 7 p.m., two major participants in the fight will entertain with songs and stories at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Vero Beach.  The event – “Healing Our World and Ourselves” – is free, no tickets or reservations required, but donations will be gratefully accepted.

Shyla Nelson, an internationally acclaimed speaker, classical singer, voice trainer, author, environmental advocate and founder of "One Earth. One Voice," will provide the music.  Sr. Pat Siemen, Professor at Barry University Law School, and Director of the Center for Earth Jurisprudence – working to save Florida's Springs and all Earth's treasures by giving the Earth a voice – will engage with stories.

This two-hour event is prelude to a February symposium focused on how climate disruption is related to our legal system, food system, water system, rights system, faith practices and our denial system.  The two-day symposium, with 16 inspiring speakers, will be held at UUFVB on February 21 and 22.

The UU Fellowship, offering a liberal religion on the Treasure Coast, has easy parking and is handicapped accessible.  It is located at 1590 27th Avenue on the southeast corner of 27th Avenue and 16th Street.  For more information, call 772-778-5880.
 

Citizens’ Clean Water Summit

• Date: November 16, 2013
• Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
• Location: University of Central Florida - Fairwinds Alumni Center, 12676 Gemini Blvd. North, Orlando, FL 32816 

Here is the idea:  Bring representatives of the many water quality advocacy organizations from around the state together in one place for a day of planning.

The ultimate goal:  Send summit attendees back to their respective organizations with the tools and contacts to organize coordinated regional and statewide action.

We aim to get leaders, like you, from each of 150 different organizations to accomplish the following:

Build solidarity between the state’s independent regional water movements
Create a framework for continued collaboration and mobilization
Plan a progression of concerted activities to bring the full force of the clean water movement directly to decision makers

The Citizens’ Clean Water Summit is a collaborative effort – the Planning Team, growing every day, is comprised of activists from Sierra Club, St. Johns Riverkeeper, Florida Wildlife Federation, Center for Earth Jurisprudence, IDEAS for Us, Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Earthjustice, Mother Ocean, Clean Water Action, Florida Defenders of the Environment, Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute Inc., Indian Riverkeeper, League of Women Voters of Florida, Marine Resources Council, Pelican Island Audubon Society, Putnam County Environmental Council, REEF RELIEF, Wakulla Springs Alliance and more.

Please don’t miss this opportunity – we need your group’s participation!

You must register through our Eventbrite link in order to attend: https://www.eventbrite.com/event/8755330429/?ref=estw

DEADLINE to register: Close of business on 11/7/13.

For more info contact:
Macy Zander:  260-450-4946 macy.zander@sierraclub.org
Cris Costello:  941-914-0421 cris.costello@sierraclub.org

$10 includes lunch and admission to the event.  Seats are limited so reserve now!

Parking is free at parking garage H (adjacent to the Alumni Center). View parking map at http://goo.gl/maps/dXhBH

Coffee, tea and networking will begin at 8:30 a.m.

Around the Web

Check out the following interesting stuff we have found on the web recently:

• Watch bats emerge from the Bracken Cave Preserve on a live Bat Cam:
  http://batcon.org/index.php/get-involved/visit-a-bat-location/bracken-bat-cave/bracken-webcam.html
• Subscribe to this newsletter to get the latest updates on birds and wildlife throughout the world:
  http://focusingonwildlife.com/news/
• Interesting article on the psychological effects of listening to birdsongs:
  http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/dec/21/scientists-study-psychological-effects-birdsong
• News Article: Invasive Mink Threatens South America's Largest Woodpecker
• News Article:  Owl recorded in Oman could be a new species

Great News - Florida Supreme Court Approves Water and Land Legacy Amendment!

Eric Draper, Audubon Florida Executive Director

Congratulations. The Water and Land Legacy Amendment that so many chapters and members have worked so hard to advance is closer to a reality. The Florida Supreme Court will allow the amendment to go on the ballot. Now all we have to do is get the rest of the signatures. The good news is that we are more than halfway there with more than 385,000 collected.

If you would like to download and print a copy of the petition for yourself or others, please visit: http://4fla.org/AudubonFL.


Thank you to all of you who have collected signatures, contributed funds, and signed the petition. We have just ten weeks to finish the job. I cannot think of anything we can do that will do more good for water and wildlife.

Full article:

Florida Supreme Court Approves Water and Land Conservation Amendment
By Jonathan Webber

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The campaign to place the Water and Land Conservation constitutional amendment to the November 2014 ballot cleared a major hurdle today when the Florida Supreme Court agreed that it satisfies legal requirements for placement on the ballot. The Water and Land Conservation amendment is the first constitutional amendment to be approved by the Supreme Court for the 2014 ballot, according to Florida’s Water and Land Legacy, the amendment’s sponsor.

“This is monumental step as we continue gathering petitions to place this important measure on the ballot. Our campaign is proving that Floridians care deeply about our state’s natural heritage and want to safeguard it for future generations,” said Will Abberger, the campaign’s chair and director of conservation finance for The Trust for Public Land. “With the Florida Supreme Court’s stamp of approval, we can now move forward to asking voters to establish protection of Florida’s water and land as a constant commitment and not something that shifts with the political winds.”

The Water and Land Conservation amendment would dedicate funding for conservation, management, and restoration of Florida’s water and land resources for 20 years. The amendment, which if approved by the voters would take effect July 1, 2015, sets aside one-third of the existing documentary stamp tax (paid when real estate is sold) to restore the Everglades, protect drinking water sources, and revive the state’s historic commitment to protecting natural lands and wildlife habitat through the Florida Forever program.

The amendment will provide more than $10 billion for water and land conservation in Florida without any tax increase.

“The Supreme Court’s approval is a huge milestone and sends a clear signal to Floridians that now is the time to step forward to sign the petition and contribute generously to our campaign,” said Pegeen Hanrahan, the Legacy coalition’s campaign’s manager.


The Florida’s Water and Land Legacy is the campaign working to qualify the amendment for the ballot and win voter approval in November 2014.  Florida’s Water and Land Legacy is supported by almost 4,000 dedicated volunteers and more than 330 conservation and civic organizations from across the state. More than 385,000 Florida voters have already signed petitions.  The amendment’s sponsors are urging all Florida voters to sign a petition if they have not already done so. The campaign is also actively fund raising to complete its signature collection and welcomes all contributions.  To down-load a petition and learn more about the Water and Land Conservation amendment please visit FloridaWaterLandLegacy.org.

Brochures to Prevent Bird Collisions Available for Distribution

Reprinted from the American Bird Conservancy News

Collisions with glass constitute a huge source of bird mortality, as many as one billion each year. To help homeowners prevent birds hitting their windows by using a variety of treatments to the glass ABC has produced a flyer that can be downloaded at:

www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/collisions/pdf/collisions_flyer.pdf.

We have printed flyers available for distribution in boxes of 3,600 or lots of 1,000. If your organization is interested, please contact Christine Sheppard, csheppard@abcbirds.org with the amount you wish to distribute and a mailing address. The only cost to your organization is shipping $10 for 1,000 or $30 for a box of 3,600. Thanks for helping to spread the word!

For more information about ABC’s collisions program see:
http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/releases/130912.html

Join Space Coast Audubon Society for our October 18th Meeting: The History of Merritt Island NWR

By Jim Eager, Space Coast Audubon Society Publicity Chair 

WHO:  Space Coast Audubon Society (SCAS)

WHERE:  Rockledge Presbyterian Church, 921 Rockledge Dr, Rockledge, FL.

WHEN:   October 18, 2013 at 7:30 pm

Charlie Venuto will be our speaker and will be presenting The History of Merritt Island NWR

The refuge traces its beginnings to the development of the nation’s Space Program.  In 1962, NASA acquired 140,000 acres of land, water, and marshes adjacent to Cape Canaveral to establish the John F. Kennedy Space Center.  NASA built a launch complex and other space-related facilities, but development of most of the area was not necessary.  In 1963, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service signed an agreement to establish the refuge.

Charlie Venuto was the Environmental Manager, at Kennedy Space Center, for the contractors who operated, maintained and prepared the space shuttle, for more than 30 years.  He is now with Siemens Wind Power and has corporate responsibility for creating and implementing environmental programs at the factories where the turbine blades and engine housings are produced as well as the wind turbine project sites.  He also teaches several environmental science courses at American Public University System, an online university that caters to military personnel.  Charlie has also taught Environmental Science and Biology at Brevard Community College (renamed as Eastern Florida State College).  He is a past president of Space Coast Audubon from 1998-2000 and is currently on the board of directors of the Merritt Island Wildlife Association (MIWA) and has serve on several boards of local nature based organizations.  He enjoys nature and spending time with his wife Barb, who is the Speaker Coordinator for the Friends of Ulumay.
                                                                   
Looking forward to another great turnout.

Join Us For Hands Across The Lagoon

Dee Fairbanks Simpson will be on the Wabasso bridge. If you plan to attend and want to meet for breakfast beforehand, send her email at deefairbanks@mac.com.

Come join Space Coast Audubon Society for our September 20th Pot Luck/Member Slide show plus Space Coast Audubon Society’s 60th Birthday Party

By Jim Eager/Space Coast Audubon Society Publicity Chair

WHO:  Space Coast Audubon Society (SCAS)

WHERE:  Rockledge Presbyterian Church, 921 Rockledge Dr, Rockledge, FL.

WHEN:   September 20, 2013 at 6:30 pm

Bring your favorite dish and join us for some good eats and talk about birding and all things nature.

Space Coast Audubon Society (SCAS) was formed in 1953 originally as Indian River Audubon Society.  Come join us for highlights of 60 years of SCAS.  One of the major highlights was the Allan & Helen Cruickshank’s move to Rockledge.  In an excerpt from an early Limpkin (SCAS newsletter)

We were especially fortunate in having Allan D. Cruickshank and his wife, Helen, move in upon us as neighbors, and their cooperation and unselfish help at all times has been an inspiration.  They are both nationally known for a wide variety of skills and performances with the National Audubon Society – photography, writing, lecturing, and conducting tours and camps.  Their presence, as friends and members of our little local Society, has put new life into it, and gratitude into all our hearts.

The Cruickshank’s have left their mark on the birding community here along the Space Coast.  They were instrumental in getting what is now Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR) designated as a NWR when NASA created Kennedy Space Center (formerly known as Cape Canaveral).  Allan was good friends with the well known ornithologist Roger Tory Peterson of Peterson field guide fame.  Several of our longtime members who knew the Cruickshanks might have some stories birding with them.  There is a 5 mile loop trail at Stop #9 on Black Pt Dr at MINWR called the Cruickshank Trail as well as the Cruickshank Sanctuary located on Barnes Ave about ¼ mile west of US 1 in Rockledge, FL.

Visit the Space Coast Audubon Society website at www.spacecoastaudubon.org

We are looking forward to a great turnout.

SCAS Member Online Recommendations

The following links were recommended by SCAS members:

• Recommended by Barbara Geier:  Raven Rescue (Crow) video
• Recommended by Dee Fairbanks Simpson:
• New Wetlands Coming to Fellsmere Near the Stick Marsh
• Bats in the News - Cold War bunkers join the fight against WNS
• Recommended by Jason Fredericks:
• Puffins flock home to Maine islands
• Free downloadable warbler guide
• Recommended by David Simpson:  Northern Goshawk in Flight video

Don’t Miss the 2013 Audubon Assembly – Boots on the Ground, October 25-26 in Palm Harbor, Florida

Jonathan Webber, Conservation Campaign Manager, Audubon FLORIDA 

The 2013 Audubon Assembly is a celebration of the people who put their "boots on the ground" for conservation. Get inspired and get involved in citizen science, habitat stewardship, and grassroots advocacy. Florida's signature conservation event brings together representatives of Audubon's 35,000 members and 44 chapters with conservation leaders, scientists, educators and policy makers. Through nature-inspired walking workshops, inspiring speakers and thought-provoking learning sessions, Audubon plans to join together people of all ages and backgrounds in our common interest of protecting Florida's remarkable natural resources.

This year’s event is being held at the beautiful Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor, Florida – about 30 minutes from downtown Tampa. Please note, hotel reservations must be made separately. Early-bird tickets and hotel rooms are going fast, learn more and reserve your spot today: http://bit.ly/AudubonAssembly2013

ABC Expands “Full Life-Cycle” Conservation Programs for Migratory Birds

From American Bird Conservancy

ABC is stepping up an effort to turn three iconic migratory birds into examples of how “full life-cycle” conservation programs work. The birds are the Long-billed Curlew, the Golden-winged Warbler, and the Bicknell’s Thrush. Andrew Rothman, Director of ABC’s Migratory Bird Program, said this relatively new approach to migratory bird conservation treats international and domestic conservation efforts as two sides of the same coin.

Rothman said the Long-Billed Curlew is a good example of why full life-cycle conservation programs are needed. These shorebirds spend the breeding season in the grasslands of the northern Great Plains and Intermountain West and the nonbreeding season predominantly in the desert grasslands of northern Mexico. Over the years, the grasslands at both ends of this migration have been badly degraded by urban and suburban growth, intensive grazing and agriculture, and invasive plants.

In Mexico, ABC and Pronatura Noreste are hoping to reverse the loss of grasslands by identifying and protecting lands used by the curlew and other birds in winter. A leading showcase for these efforts is the El Tokio Grassland Priority Conservation Area near the city of Saltillo, in northeastern Mexico. Rothman said additional protected areas are now being created on communal or “ejido” lands, adding that the badly damaged grasslands in these areas are also being restored.

Meanwhile, on the curlew’s breeding grounds, ABC has hired Cheryl Mandich, a wildlife biologist who will help private and public landowners manage their properties in “curlewfriendly” ways. To guide that process, a new report on how to manage grasslands for Long-billed Curlews and other birds has been written and is now being reviewed.

“One of our goals is to see these practices adopted on a landscape scale,” said Rothman. “Having these practices used on federal lands and supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service as part of their financial assistance programs for private landowners would be a huge step toward that goal.”

The Golden-winged Warbler is another migrant that is receiving full life-cycle assistance. In North America, ABC and other groups are restoring early successional forests from the even-aged eastern forests that now dominate the warbler’s breeding grounds. In the Appalachians and Great
Lakes areas, researchers and private landowners have been restoring “young forest” openings that used to be created by beavers, small farmers, and unsuppressed fires.

See http://www.abcbirds.org/PDFs/GWWA_article.pdf for a more detailed Golden-winged Warbler article from Bird Conservation magazine.

Rothman said a different kind of restoration is being done in some of the warbler’s wintering grounds. In Nicaragua, ABC and the owners of the El Jaguar Reserve have been reconnecting forest fragments with shade coffee plantations and reforested areas. The goal of this project is a biological corridor that will connect the forests of El Jaguar with the forests on the Yali volcano.

Bicknell’s Thrush is a new addition to ABC’s list of migratory birds receiving full life-cycle assistance. On the Caribbean Island of Hispaniola, where most of these birds winter, ABC, Grupo Jaragua, other conservation groups, and government agencies are cracking down on illegal logging and other destructive practices in protected forests used by the Bicknell’s Thrush. And in Canada, where this
thrush breeds, groups such as QuebecOiseaux and Bird Studies Canada are mapping out key habitats and working with timber companies to log in ways that are beneficial for the birds.

These examples of full life-cycle conservation implementation and many more will be discussed and advanced at the fifth Partners in Flight International Conference and Workshop scheduled from August 25-28 in Snowbird, Utah. Learn more at www.pifv.org.

In an Era Known for Bird Migration Problems, Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds Are Thriving. Why?

See http://www.abcbirds.org/PDFs/RTHU_migration_article.pdf for an in-depth article by ABC’s John Nielsen.

Alert: Hummingbird Haven Facing Uncertain Future - Act Now

From Rita Fenwick, American Bird Conservancy

Several months ago, American Bird Conservancy board member Victor Emanuel made an impassioned request that American Bird Conservancy help acquire an American birding landmark that had recently come on the market: Paton’s Birder Haven.

This property, located in Patagonia, Arizona, is the loving project of Wally and Marion Paton, who for more than 35 years built their property into a premier Arizona birding site and opened their home to thousands of local, American, and international birders to see Arizona’s outstanding hummingbird diversity. Many visited the site for a chance to get a “life” Plain-capped Starthroat, Violet-crowned Hummingbird, or Magnificent Hummingbird for their North American list.  The property has passed on to the Paton’s children, who would like to honor their parents’ labor of love in making the property a memorable, welcoming stop for birders visiting Arizona.

In partnership with Tucson Audubon Society and Victor Emanuel Nature Tours, American Bird Conservancy has entered into a contract with the Paton family to acquire the property and to maintain the property in perpetuity as a hummingbird sanctuary open to visitors. We have raised $100,000 of the needed funding, but urgently need to raise by October 15th the remaining $200,000. Once acquired, Tucson Audubon Society will assume long-term ownership and management of the property.

Can you please help by making a donation at http://www.abcbirds.org/paton/ and by FORWARDING this email to as many birders as you can, encouraging them to click on the link provided and make a donation today? Please post this request for help on blogs, Facebook, Twitter, websites, and any other outlet you think will reach birders who have visited Paton’s or plan to in the future.  One hundred percent of each tax-deductible donation will be applied to the acquisition and management needs of this historic property. We truly need every dollar to succeed.  

Thank you very much for your support and help!  Please let me know if you have any questions or you have a favorite picture from Paton’s Birder Haven you would like to share.


Learn more …  please give now!

You're Invited to the 2013 Wildflower Symposium

from the Florida Wildflower Foundation

Join the Florida Wildflower Foundation in Titusville in September for two days of fun and learning about Florida's native ecosystems and their inhabitants.

The Symposium kicks off Friday, Sept. 27, with three field trips to natural jewels in Brevard County - Sams House at Pine Island Sanctuary, Merritt Island; Dicerandra Scrub Preserve, Titusville; and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville.

Cap off the day with dinner at Dixie Crossroads restaurant, where the Foundation's annual meeting will feature keynote speaker Xavier Cortada. The FIU artist will give a presentation about  FLOR500 - a participatory art, nature and history project he created to commemorate Florida’s quincentennial.

Workshops, presentations and walks at the Enchanted Forest Preserve in Titusville are planned for Saturday, Sept. 28. Presentations will cover Florida's wildflowers, bats, butterflyscaping, use of native herbs, fire ecology, and more. Also available are walks into the forest with experts, as well as nature journaling and wildflower propagation workshops.

Friday field trips are $10 apiece. Saturday activities are $25 for Florida Wildflower Foundation members and $35 for nonmembers. Become a member now by clicking here. (Already a member? Email us to ask if your membership is current.)

Space is limited; see the full schedule and register today to assure your choice of activities and presentations. Each ticket includes a $5 donation to the Friends of the Enchanted Forest.

It's Time for EPA to Get Serious about Neonicotinoid Pesticides!

By Steve Holmer, Senior Policy Advisor, American Bird Conservancy & Director, Bird Conservation Alliance

Please write your U.S. Representative TODAY and ask her or him to support the Save America’s Pollinators Act of 2013. This bill will direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to suspend registration for neonicotinoid insecticides, which are causing serious harm to birds, bees, and aquatic life.

The bill comes on the heels of American Bird Conservancy’s groundbreaking report documenting that songbirds can die from consuming a single neonicotinoid-coated seed. This report, along with the avalanche of recent research on neonicotinoids’ harms to pollinators, makes it clear that immediate action is needed. This bill was drafted by Representatives John Conyers (D-MI) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR).

Please Write Your Representative Now and Urge Support and Co-sponsorship of This Bill.  Click on: http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/5400/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=14827

ABC Report Charges EPA Ignored Staff Warnings, Approved Widespread Use of Dangerous Pesticides

As part of a study on impacts from the world’s most widely used class of insecticides, nicotine-like chemicals called neonicotinoids, American Bird Conservancy (ABC) has called for a ban on their use as seed treatments and for the suspension of all applications pending an independent review of the products’ effects on birds, terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates, and other wildlife.

“It is clear that these chemicals have the potential to affect entire food chains. The environmental persistence of the neonicotinoids, their propensity for runoff and for groundwater infiltration, and their cumulative and largely irreversible mode of action in invertebrates raise significant environmental concerns,” said Cynthia Palmer, co-author of the report and Pesticides Program Manager for ABC, one of the nation’s leading bird conservation organizations.

ABC commissioned world renowned environmental toxicologist Dr. Pierre Mineau to conduct the research. The 100-page report, “The Impact of the Nation’s Most Widely Used Insecticides on Birds,” reviews 200 studies on neonicotinoids including industry research obtained through the US Freedom of Information Act. The report evaluates the toxicological risk to birds and aquatic systems and includes extensive comparisons with the older pesticides that the neonicotinoids have replaced. The assessment concludes that the neonicotinoids are lethal to birds and to the aquatic systems on which they depend.

“A single corn kernel coated with a neonicotinoid can kill a songbird,” Palmer said. “Even a tiny grain of wheat or canola treated with the oldest neonicotinoid -- called imidacloprid -- can fatally poison a bird. And as little as 1/10th of a neonicotinoid-coated corn seed per day during egg-laying season is all that is needed to affect reproduction.”

The new report concludes that neonicotinoid contamination levels in both surface- and ground water in the United States and around the world are already beyond the threshold found to kill many aquatic invertebrates. Data on surface water contamination from surveys to date, most notably from California and from the Canadian Prairies, indicate that concentrations of several of the neonicotinoid insecticides are high enough to be causing impacts in aquatic food chains. Data from other jurisdictions such as the Netherlands show even higher levels of contamination.


The report also identifies procedural deficiencies in how the US Environmental Protection Agency assesses aquatic impacts. “EPA risk assessments have greatly underestimated this risk, using scientifically unsound, outdated methodology that has more to do with a game of chance than with a rigorous scientific process,” the report says.

Study Reveals Migration Secrets from Bird Watcher Observations

Reprinted from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

For centuries people have marveled at the migratory abilities of birds, but new research is now putting numbers on those seasonal feats—for more than a hundred  species at a time—using data contributed by thousands of amateur bird watchers.

In all, more than 2.3 million sightings were summarized to reveal migratory routes of 102 species in North America, in a paper published August 1 in Ecology. The results provide a fascinating glimpse at an astonishing range of species: for instance, the tiny Calliope Hummingbird crosses the continent almost three times as fast as the Northern Shoveler, which outweighs it more than 300 times. They also highlight the immense scientific value to be gained from bird watchers’ sightings when they can be combined into a single large database.

But the new research is much more than a leaderboard of feathered sporting achievements. Its real value is its ability to move beyond one-off records to characterize the behavior of an entire population.

“Up to this point, migration theory has really only been examined at the individual level,” said Frank La Sorte, a research associate at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and lead author of the new study. “But in the end, you want to conserve populations—you want to maintain their migration corridors, flyways, or stopover habitats. And that’s why there’s so much potential here.”

The new study plots the average route and speed of each species as it moves north and south each year. “Where the speeds slow down, the population is likely at a stopover location,” La Sorte said. “That’s a valuable patch of habitat where migrating birds can rest and refuel. With results from a study like ours, we can start to make very specific recommendations that we can be confident will impact a large component of the population.”

The researchers also tested basic aspects of migration theory that have proven nearly impossible to address until now. The typical method was to use expensive satellite tracking devices. But most birds are too small to carry these, forcing researchers to study larger species just a few individuals at a time, rather than learning about the behavior of a whole population.

With a single study, La Sorte’s team learned that larger-bodied birds tend to migrate more slowly than smaller species, confirming a long-held but untested idea. They also found that species migrating longer distances tend to travel faster. Birds also tend to migrate faster in spring than they do in fall.

La Sorte and his colleagues did no field work at all to arrive at their results; instead, they analyzed the sightings of thousands of bird watchers who contribute to an online checklist program called eBird, run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Using some 2.3 million records from 2007–2011, the researchers calculated an average location for each species on each day of the year. (They excluded species that use multiple distinct migratory pathways.)

Though the resulting measurements of speed and direction are coarser than for individuals tracked by satellite, they represent major shifts by thousands or millions of birds that would be impossible for any one scientist or bird watcher to detect on their own. For example, they found that the population of Bobolinks moves across North America at about 43 miles per day; Black-billed Cuckoos are similarly fast; whereas Rock Wrens (the slowest of all) shift their distribution at a comparatively glacial 5 miles per day.

The numbers don’t indicate a species’ top flight speed, La Sorte noted. Rather, they are an integrated value that incorporates variation in flight speed and time spent resting at refueling sites across all the individuals in the population.

The continental scale of the analysis revealed another intriguing pattern: many species make looping migrations that take them on a more easterly route in fall than in spring. Some species, such as the Blackpoll Warbler and the Black-billed Cuckoo, leave land altogether—launching themselves out over the Atlantic Ocean for their southward migration. The finding suggests that environmental factors such as wind patterns may have played a role in the evolution of migratory routes. They also yield important insights for conservation planners striving to maintain habitat for migrants.

“In some ways this study is just opening up potential for a really innovative field of study,” La Sorte said, noting that the team plans to investigate the continent’s major migratory flyways next. “It really represents a new perspective on avian migration.”


La Sorte’s coauthors on the study include Daniel Fink, Wesley Hochachka, and Steve Kelling of the Cornell Lab, and John DeLong of the University of Nebraska. The study was funded by the Leon Levy Foundation, Wolf Creek Foundation, and National Science Foundation.

State of the Birds: Successes of Protecting Bird Habitat on Private Lands

Reprinted from American Bird Conservancy

U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack released of the 2013 State of the Birds Report on Private Lands that shows how private land conservation incentives positively impact bird habitat.

“Our nation’s most effective conservation efforts are partnerships in which federal, state, and local governments work hand-in-hand with private landowners and other stakeholders,” said Secretary Jewell. “The programs highlighted in this report help build these voluntary partnerships to conserve the vital habitat of our many bird species. Many of these partnerships provide direct benefits to people such as improving water quality and supporting jobs and economic growth.”

Individuals, families, organizations, and corporations, including two million ranchers and farmers and about 10 million woodland owners, own and manage 1.43 billion acres, roughly 60 percent of the land area of the United States. Private lands are used by virtually all of the terrestrial and coastal birds of the United States, 251 of which are federally threatened, endangered, or of conservation concern. Many privately owned working lands that produce a bounty of food, timber, and other resources for society also provide valuable habitat for birds.

“Sixty percent of U.S. land is in private hands, making the efforts of farmers, ranchers, and landowners critical when it comes to creating, restoring, and protecting bird habitat,” Secretary Vilsack said. “Today’s report highlights the positive impact of voluntary conservation measures for birds, including those made possible by Farm Bill programs. The need for a long-term commitment to conservation is just one more good reason why we need Congressional passage of a multi-year Food, Farm, and Jobs Bill as soon as possible.”

According to ABC’s George Wallace, who wrote the report’s chapter on islands, “To reach our ambitious bird conservation goals, we will need all possible partners, and that means private land owners have to be in the mix. In Hawai'i, approximately half of the land area is in private ownership, including important tracts of high elevation forest and nearly half of the state’s wetlands.”

The success stories highlighted in this report demonstrate that these voluntary efforts on private lands are resulting in meaningful bird conservation results:

• Conservation Reserve Program (CRP): Henslow’s Sparrow populations, which have declined more than 95 percent since the mid-1960s, have rebounded in areas through CRP. In Illinois, regional Henslow’s Sparrow spring bird counts are now about 25 times greater than 30 years ago, prior to CRP. The Illinois counties with the highest percentage of CRP acreage also have the highest Henslow’s Sparrow population gains. A recent study in the Dakotas suggested that if CRP acres were put back into annual crop production, populations of several species of grassland birds (including Sedge Wren, Grasshopper Sparrow, Bobolink, and Western Meadowlark) would experience significant population declines, ranging up to 56 percent.
• Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP): The Wetland Reserve Program has restored 2.6 million acres of private wetlands across the nation. WRP-conserved wetlands provide essential breeding habitat for waterbirds such as Wood Duck and Hooded Merganser, wintering habitat for 3.5 to 4.5 million waterfowl every winter; and migratory stopover habitat for shorebirds such as Black-necked Stilt and Greater Yellowlegs.
• Natural Resources Conservation Service Landscape Conservation Initiatives: The Sage Grouse Initiative has targeted Farm Bill conservation funding to enroll more than 700 ranchers and implement sustainable grazing systems that improve habitat on more than 2 million acres in 11 western states. The Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative, delivered through various Farm Bill conservation programs, is providing inland habitats for migratory waterbirds on more than 470,000 acres of private lands in eight states from Florida and Georgia to Texas and Missouri.
• Chippewa Flowage Forest Conservation Easement: This Forest Legacy project—a partnership of the Forest Legacy Program, Wisconsin Bureau of Forest Management and Trust for Public Land—created an 18,000 acre conservation easement of forest, wetlands, and exceptional wildlife habitat especially important for forest birds like Wood Thrush, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Black-throated Green warbler, and water birds like the Bald Eagle, Osprey, and Common Loon.

The full 2013 State of the Birds Report on Private Lands is available here (http://www.stateofthebirds.org/). For more information about USDA’s many conservation programs visit www.usda.gov.

Video: Ranches and Water in the Everglades

Reprinted from Audubon Florida

With Audubon's strong support, the U.S Army Corps of Engineers has just approved the Nicodemus Slough Dispersed Water Management project, allowing for storage and pollutant removal of over 30,000 acre feet of water that would otherwise spill from Lake Okeechobee to the coastal estuaries. The cost of this project, built on private land in cooperation with Lykes Brothers Inc., is very low - at only $800 per acre foot of capacity.

This compares to costs that can range to $10,000 per acre foot of capacity for traditional government built and owned water storage projects. See how this remarkable project works, and how Audubon is working with other ranchers to promote projects that store and clean water. Click here or click on the image below to view the video.

With Lake Okeechobee's harmful discharges to the Indian River Lagoon and Pine Island Sound and the recent appointment of a Select Committee of the Florida Senate Committee to deal with this issue in the news, Audubon's effort to work with ranchers should be seen as a key part of the cost effective solution to the Lake Okeechobee crisis.

The power of Audubon - Water and Land Legacy Petition NOW available online!

By Jacqui Sulek, Audubon Florida

Most of you by now should be familiar with the FL Water and Land Legacy campaign.  Audubon Florida and 43 Chapters have endorsed this important initiative with the goal of putting money back in the state budget for conservation.  Many chapters have been active gathering signed petitions (over 16,000 so far) and most have you have likely already signed one. So here is the deal:

1. Just in case  you have not already signed one please follow this link  http://4fla.org/AudubonFL.  You will fill in your name and e-mail address and they will send you the link to download a hard copy. Please complete it per their instructions and send it in (they still need a real live signature) ASAP. 
2. Send a message to everyone you know with the link http://4fla.org/AudubonFL and tell them how important it is for them to do the same. The cool news is that using this link will identify that the request comes from Audubon.  So if we all do this right away and stress the urgency to others there should be a flood of petitions arriving around the same time at the campaign headquarters in Tallahassee!

I know many of you are taking a break from chapter activities for the summer but this is something that can be done from anywhere during a time when you have a few free moments. We must give Floridians a choice!

Let me know if you have any questions or feel free to contact :

Florida's Water & Land Legacy Campaign
office: (850) 629-4656
cell:  (850) 570-2500
Web:  www.FloridaWaterLandLegacy.org

Show them the power of Audubon this week!  Every petition helps!

Bird ID Tutorials: Cornell's Newest Way to Learn Online

Reprinted from the Cornell Lab eNews

Cornell Lab of Ornithology has introduced a self-paced series of Be a Better Birder tutorials. They’re aimed at beginning birders who want solid instruction in the basics of bird identification. These online courses back up each lesson with plenty of interactive quizzes and games to help you practice your skills. Tutorials are just $29, and you can take them as many times as you like for six months after you sign up.

More online offerings: Birds offer so many opportunities for learning. Our online options stretch from one-hour webinars to a 5-week online course in behavior, to our college-level Home Study Course. See the courses.