Help Save Our Boreal Birds
Posted by ardeidae on May 03, 2009
Stretching from Alaska’s interior across Canada to the Alantic Ocean, the Boreal Forest of North America plays a critical role in the survival of birds and other wildlife around the world. Nearly 50% of the 700 species of birds that regularly occur in the US and Canada rely on the Boreal for their survival. The forest is also home to the continent’s largest population of wolves, lynx, black and grizzly bears, and even the threatened woodland caribou.
Palm Warbler
Photo by Jeff NadlerUnfortunately, this habitat is in danger, dwindling away due to destruction and development. Millions of acres of the Boreal are clearcut each year.
A little over a year ago, a petition called “Save our Boreal Birds“ was launched by the Boreal Songbird Initiative, along with other environmental groups like Bird Studies Canada, Nature Canada, and the David Suzuki Foundation.
On May 12, this petition will be sent to the Prime Minister of Canada and many provincial leaders, asking that vital bird habitat be kept intact despite the fact that over 30% of the Boreal Forest has already been designated for development. Many migratory birds that travel through the US and other countries breed in the Boreal Forest to the north.
Only 5% of the Boreal Forest in Scandinavia remains. Don’t let this happen in Canada. The birds and wildlife that live there need your help.
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Colorado River Bird Survey: May 2009
Posted by ardeidae on May 03, 2009
This trip was part of a monthly survey of the Colorado River corridor between Austin and Bastrop. It takes place the first Saturday of the month and is led by Claude Morris (who also keeps the detailed lists as seen below). If you’re in the Austin area and want to join in, let me know. Birding on the water provides a great perspective and beautiful scenery. Hope to see you on the water!
Report by Claude Morris.
Location: Big Webberville Park to Hwy 969 near Austin, Texas
Distance: ~15 miles
Observation date: 5/2/09
Sometime there are days in the field that defy what has come to be expected as normal. How can I explain five Green Kingfishers yet no Belted Kingfishers? How can I explain five Anhinga yet no Osprey? Such was our day today.
In spite of missing those two usual species we did manage to list 68. Some of the highlights include the Anhinga, Green Kingfisher, Baltimore Oriole, Tri-colored Heron, Bald Eagle, Pileated Woodpecker, and our target bird of the day Prothonotary Warbler.
In our list is an interesting mix of our winter species, summer species and migrants.
We also had an impressive list of birders that braved the 15 windy miles. Our birders today include Sally Breed, Joan Bishop, Julia Balinsky, Andy Balinsky, Chris Masey, Nevin Durish, Jason Stuck and John Barr. Thanks for the help collecting all these birds.
| Wood Duck |
8 |
| Blue-winged Teal |
17 |
| Double-crested Cormorant |
1 |
| Anhinga |
5 |
| Great Blue Heron |
7 |
| Great Egret |
1 |
| Little Blue Heron |
5 |
| Tricolored Heron |
1 |
| Cattle Egret |
75 |
| Green Heron |
3 |
| Black Vulture |
45 |
| Turkey Vulture |
33 |
| Bald Eagle |
1 |
| Cooper’s Hawk |
1 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk |
12 |
| Swainson’s Hawk |
2 |
| Red-tailed Hawk |
3 |
| Crested Caracara |
9 |
| Killdeer |
1 |
| Spotted Sandpiper |
26 |
| White-winged Dove |
17 |
| Mourning Dove |
7 |
| Common Ground-Dove |
2 |
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo |
4 |
| Chimney Swift |
5 |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
1 |
| Black-chinned Hummingbird |
2 |
| Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird |
7 |
| Green Kingfisher |
5 |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker |
17 |
| Downy Woodpecker |
4 |
| Pileated Woodpecker |
2 |
| Empidonax sp. |
5 |
| Eastern Phoebe |
1 |
|
| Great Crested Flycatcher |
9 |
| Western Kingbird |
3 |
| Eastern Kingbird |
12 |
| Scissor-tailed Flycatcher |
7 |
| White-eyed Vireo |
33 |
| Red-eyed Vireo |
5 |
| American Crow |
12 |
| Purple Martin |
7 |
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow |
4 |
| Cliff Swallow |
100 |
| Barn Swallow |
25 |
| Carolina Chickadee |
55 |
| Tufted/Black-crested Titmouse |
42 |
| Carolina Wren |
22 |
| Eastern Bluebird |
5 |
| Northern Mockingbird |
3 |
| Cedar Waxwing |
65 |
| Nashville Warbler |
10 |
| Northern Parula |
16 |
| Yellow Warbler |
1 |
| Prothonotary Warbler |
8 |
| Summer Tanager |
6 |
| Northern Cardinal |
75 |
| Indigo Bunting |
12 |
| Painted Bunting |
26 |
| Dickcissel |
3 |
| Red-winged Blackbird |
32 |
| Common Grackle |
12 |
| Great-tailed Grackle |
20 |
| Brown-headed Cowbird |
7 |
| Orchard Oriole |
5 |
| Baltimore Oriole |
1 |
| Lesser Goldfinch |
8 |
| House Sparrow |
15 |
|
Photo by Claude Morris
Photo by Claude Morris
Photo by Claude Morris
Photo by Jason Stuck
Photo by Jason Stuck
|
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Colorado River Bird Survey: April 2009
Posted by ardeidae on April 20, 2009
This trip was part of a monthly survey of the Colorado River corridor between Austin and Bastrop. It takes place the first Saturday of the month and is led by Claude Morris (who also keeps the detailed lists as seen below). If you’re in the Austin area and want to join in, let me know. Birding on the water provides a great perspective and beautiful scenery. Hope to see you on the water!
Report by Claude Morris.
Location: Webberville to Big Webberville Park near Austin, Texas
Observation date: 4/4/09
Two species stand out as being good finds today. A Pileated Woodpecker, just because it is not an everyday bird, and two Great Crested Flycatchers, because they represent a return of our summer birds, were probably our two best species of the day. We also got an unusually high count of Crested Caracara at 10. I also think we got three Nashville Warblers singing. It was an incomplete song but I listed them as Nashville.
I also need to mention that we saw no Osprey, White-eyed Vireos are plentiful and we got several Little Blue Herons.
Our species total was a bit low at 42. Again I think the blustery wind early in the morning kept some of the smaller birds hidden in the woods.
This month I want to again thank Ananda Debnath for being my co-pilot. Once the clouds and chill burned off it turned into a beautiful day. Thanks Ananda.
| Wood Duck |
6 |
| Gadwall |
20 |
| American Wigeon |
12 |
| Blue-winged Teal |
4 |
| Double-crested Cormorant |
2 |
| Great Blue Heron |
3 |
| Great Egret |
3 |
| Little Blue Heron |
4 |
| Black Vulture |
22 |
| Turkey Vulture |
18 |
| Cooper’s Hawk |
2 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk |
8 |
| Red-tailed Hawk |
3 |
| Crested Caracara |
10 |
| Spotted Sandpiper |
11 |
| White-winged Dove |
1 |
| Mourning Dove |
5 |
| Chimney Swift |
12 |
| Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird |
2 |
| Belted Kingfisher |
1 |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker |
9 |
|
| Pileated Woodpecker |
1 |
| Eastern Phoebe |
3 |
| Great Crested Flycatcher |
2 |
| White-eyed Vireo |
12 |
| Blue Jay |
3 |
| American Crow |
8 |
| Cliff Swallow |
25 |
| Cave Swallow |
10 |
| Barn Swallow |
18 |
| Carolina Chickadee |
22 |
| Black-crested Titmouse |
5 |
| Carolina Wren |
18 |
| Northern Mockingbird |
1 |
| Cedar Waxwing |
1 |
| Orange-crowned Warbler |
1 |
| Nashville Warbler |
3 |
| Lincoln’s Sparrow |
10 |
| White-crowned Sparrow |
14 |
| Northern Cardinal |
32 |
| Red-winged Blackbird |
60 |
| Great-tailed Grackle |
80 |
|
All photos by Claude Morris
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Colorado River Bird Survey: March 2009
Posted by ardeidae on March 09, 2009
This trip was part of a monthly survey of the Colorado River corridor between Austin and Bastrop. It takes place the first Saturday of the month and is led by Claude Morris (who also keeps the detailed lists as seen below). If you're in the Austin area and want to join in, let me know. Birding on the water provides a great perspective and beautiful scenery. Hope to see you on the water!
Report by Claude Morris.
Location: Austin Colony to Webberville near Austin, Texas
Observation date: 3/7/09
Alright, what happened to all the ducks? Last months survey we listed 14 species of ducks and this month only 2 species. We couldn't even find an old Coot. Could it be that all this warm weather has them thinking about leaving? All this warm weather has the Carolina Chickadees singing. Those guys were chattering and singing all day and all down the river.
Perhaps our best birds of the day were three Bald Eagles (2 Adults and one juvenile) and Northern Rough-winged Swallow. Always making a highlight list is Barred Owl and Inca Doves.
On a side note we found a water snake warming itself, the nicotine plants are blooming and we had about 12 feral pigs swim across the river ahead of us.
The very windy conditions make paddling a bit difficult today.
We listed 44 species while trying to keep out kayaks upright and grab some photos of the emerging spring.
| Gadwall |
86 |
| Lesser Scaup |
20 |
| Pied-billed Grebe |
2 |
| Double-crested Cormorant |
5 |
| Great Blue Heron |
6 |
| Great Egret |
5 |
| Black Vulture |
32 |
| Turkey Vulture |
26 |
| Osprey |
7 |
| Bald Eagle |
3 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk |
1 |
| Accipiter sp. |
1 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk |
10 |
| Red-tailed Hawk |
1 |
| Crested Caracara |
3 |
| Spotted Sandpiper |
24 |
| Greater Yellowlegs |
4 |
| Mourning Dove |
9 |
| Inca Dove |
4 |
| Barred Owl |
1 |
| Belted Kingfisher |
7 |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker |
12 |
|
| Downy Woodpecker |
3 |
| Eastern Phoebe |
6 |
| Blue Jay |
15 |
| American Crow |
7 |
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow |
2 |
| Carolina Chickadee |
45 |
| Tufted/Black-crested Titmouse |
4 |
| Carolina Wren |
15 |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet |
2 |
| Eastern Bluebird |
2 |
| Northern Mockingbird |
3 |
| American Pipit |
2 |
| Cedar Waxwing |
48 |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler |
6 |
| Song Sparrow |
1 |
| Lincoln's Sparrow |
26 |
| White-crowned Sparrow |
32 |
| Northern Cardinal |
56 |
| Red-winged Blackbird |
700 |
| Common Grackle |
22 |
| Great-tailed Grackle |
15 |
| American Goldfinch |
22 |
|
All photos by Claude Morris
|
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