Sightings of at least one male Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) in the Big Woods forest of the Mississippi River basin in Arkansas has astounded ornithologists worldwide. This is incredible news, since the last sighting of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker was in 1944, and in 1996, the IUCN declared it extinct.

With these sightings, conservation efforts and funding can begin, since the Ivory-billed Woodpecker is no longer considered extinct. It may lead to protection of a larger area of Big Woods. Since these woodpeckers live only about 15 years, there's hopes in finding a breeding pair.

Interior Secretary Gale Norton and Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns responded to the news by announcing a multi-million-dollar effort to aid the rare bird's survival.

"This is a rare second chance to preserve through cooperative conservation what was once thought lost forever," Norton said. "Decisive conservation action and continued progress through partnerships are now required. I will appoint the best talent in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and local citizens to develop a Corridor of Hope Cooperative Conservation Plan to save the Ivory-billed woodpecker."

• Duck outside of the Treasury Department getting Secret Service protection. Eggs are expected to hatch before Saturday.
• Southwestern Willow Flycatcher gains habitat around California's Lake Isabella.
• Alton, Illinois motorists catching great views of Bald Eagle nest, and the chicks that just hatched.
• Middletown, Connecticut college student takes egg from nest to eat. It was that of a Peregrine Falcon and he now faces charges. There's only six pairs of Peregrines in the state.
• Vietnam bans hatching of all waterfowl eggs until February 2006 in an attempt to help stop bird flu virus.
• Greenwich, Connecticut officials file for state permit to kill Canada Geese. They claim the geese are aggressive and their droppings are causing a health threat.

• Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival launches month-long celebration of the region's birds. BirdLife International reports that 56 species of birds found in the Caribbean are at risk of global extinction, 11 of them are critically endangered.
• Ohio couple pleads guilty to stealing birds from the Newport Aquarium back in February.
• Pair of Canada Geese take over Osprey nest.
• Bald Eagles showing strong survival after Florida's 2004 storms.
• Red-tailed Hawk released after crashing through the window of a chicken coop in Massachusetts.
• Bald Eagle chick hatches at Norfolk Botanical Garden in Virginia.

Original Post
Update #1
Update #2: The EIR

On Tuesday, The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power voted and approved the Environmental Impact Report for the Pine Tree Wind Project near Mojave, California. The project could generate a lot of power for Los Angeles, but at what price? The DWP believes the final version of their EIR contains enough research to accurately assess the impact on migratory birds.

In response to avian concerns, LADWP completed additional avian surveys in fall 2004 and winter 2005. An avian specialist determined the site of the project is not a major pathway or stopover for migrating birds. In addition, the avian studies will continue through this spring and early summer, and a qualified ornithologist will monitor bird mortality incidents for one year following the first delivery of power. The EIR contains language that requires LADWP to make operational changes if there are disproportionately high levels of bird deaths compared to other turbines on the site.

"Additional avian surveys" refers to five 30-minute visits, none of which were conducted during fall migration or at night for nocturnal migrants. Also, the last sentence only addresses what happens if a particular turbine shows high mortality rates compared to others on the site. It doesn't say anything about what the plan is if the death rates of the entire site are high. Beakspeak received an email from Garry George, First Vice President and Conservation Chair at the Los Angeles Audubon Society, noting that they are challenging the DWP's findings.

LA Audubon has already engaged a CEQA attorney (California Environmental Quality Act) to sue DWP based on the inadequacies of the EIR. That suit will be filed within 30 days of the vote to approve the EIR. Santa Monica Bay has offered financial support and we will seek financial support from other chapters as well.

Green power is a wonderful idea and this will be a great benefit to the people of Los Angeles if there's no adverse affect on the local and migrant wildlife, and nature in general. But if this project goes up and it turns out that there's a high volume of migrating birds being chopped to bits by these turbines, what happens then? Does the DWP just turn off a $162 million project?

• Bald Eagle rehabilitation program on Santa Catalina Island, California in jeopardy of losing its funding. The program has resulted in the successful release of 89 bald eagles on the island since its inception in 1982.
• Hill Mynahs in the Himalayan region facing extinction due to illegal trading.
• The Nature Conservancy planning largest conservation efforts in Michigan's history. They need $10 million more to reach their goal of $78 million by the end of 2006.
• Project Bird Watch joins Indonesian Network of Wild Animal Rescue Centers. It's the only affiliated organization from outside Indonesia to participate in the efforts to save Indonesian wildlife. They'll be in charge of rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing Indonesian birds including cockatoos, Eclectus, lories and lorikeets, King parrots, Great-billed parrots, and cassowaries.
• Atlanta, Georgia power company and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation award seven new grants to conservation organizations and natural resource agencies. There has been an on-the-ground conservation impact of $4.68 million since the partnership began.
• $1,000 reward offered for information on February's fatal shooting of a bald eagle in Miami County, Kansas.
• Bald Eagles found poisoned by barbiturates in Western Canada. Officials fear some cases caused by waste from illegal drug labs.
• Despite loud booms of Army weapons testing, Bald Eagles making strong comeback at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

• Pale Male and Lola acting like they have a new chick! Make sure to visit their site for regular photos and updates.
• Roman Catholic priest in Honduras wins Goldman Environmental Prize for his pressuring of the government to reform its national forest policy. Father Jose Andres Tamayo Cortez plans on using the money to build an ecological center to continue his work.
• Ecuador becomes the first country in the Southern Hemisphere to recognize Important Bird Areas. Their first test will how to deal with longline fishing in the Galapagos Islands National Park.
• Wings of the World in Branson, Missouri opens. It's on the 400-acre site of Talking Rocks Cavern and is home to 120 exotic birds.
• Tasmanian power company modifies electrical towers after eight Wedge-tailed Eagles are found electrocuted.
• Whooping Crane flock in Texas making a comeback. They winter in the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.
• Pair of Ospreys help wish the RSPB Conwy Reserve in North Wales a Happy 10th Birthday. The reserve has hosted more than 200 species of birds and welcomes over 50,000 visitors a year.

• Long Marine Laboratory breeding program in Santa Cruz, California preparing birds to survive on their own.
• Osprey showdown mentioned in the April 9 Fledglinks is not going to happen. NoRing returned,, and the young stranger left.
• The Peregrine Falcon eggs mentioned in the previous post Peregrine Peep Show have hatched! Make sure you check out the webcam (also here).
• Two Connecticut men facing charges after stealing Peregrine Falcon egg from a nest in the Connecticut River. The egg was recovered and returned to the nest, where the mother continued to incubate.
• Pouches of Brown Pelicans being slashed in Huntington Beach, California. The Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center is offering a $500 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Original Post
Update #1

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has finalized their Environmental Impact Report for the Pine Tree Wind Development Project and its Board of Commissioners is planning on voting to approve the findings. Several organizations have expressed their opposition to this study, claiming that the DWP did not do enough studies to accurately determine the consequences this will have on local and migratory birds. The DWP thinks they've done enough.

"Many published papers in the scientific literature have concluded that 3 point counts, usually of 5-10 minute duration each, will adequately quantify the species composition and relative abundance of birds in an area during breeding. Thus, the sampling conducted at the Pine Tree project site exceeds these standards both in terms of number of counts (5) and duration (30 minutes each)."

Two-and-a-half hours is enough to make an accurate conclusion? They spent minimal time in December and April, and no studies were conducted during fall migration or for nocturnal migrants.

The LADWP website has the PDF of the full EIR. Beware: it's 25.5 MB. If you'd like it in smaller chunks you can download them from Beakspeak using the links below. For best results, right click on the link and choose "Save Link/Target As..." to save it to your desktop.

Table of Contents
Section 1
Section 2 - Letters 1-5
Section 2 - Letters 6-10
Section 2 - Letters 11-15
Section 2 - Attachments
Section 3
Appendices

The vote to approve the EIR is happening on Tuesday, April 19, 2005 at 1:30 pm. Local Audubon chapters and an expert ornithologist will be present, voicing their opposition to the lack of study comprising the EIR. If you can attend, please do so to help support this cause.

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Room 1555-H, 15th Floor
111 North Hope Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

• Six-year-old Quaker Parrot sings "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". Click on "FeedRoom" on the left for the video.
• Bald Eagle nest cut down with tree in Sartell, Minnesota. There's a $2500 reward for information leading to the conviction of those who cut it down.
• Pair of Peregrine Falcons lays eggs for the fifth consecutive year in Manchester, New Hampshire.
• Scoville Zoo in Decatur, Illinois shows off two new American White Pelicans.
• Grant from Swarovski enabling a new reserve in Colombia, helping to save the critically endangered Colorful Puffleg Hummingbird.
• Growth of Jakarta causing pollution and shortage of wetland habitat, threatening hundreds of water bird species.
• County in Virginia passes law to ban the feeding of waterfowl near Leesville and Smith Mountain lakes. The amount of waterfowl has been causing health problems, even leading to the closure of a beach.

• Native Canadian man named prime suspect in slaughtering of 50 Bald Eagles in Canada earlier this year. He's thought to be a part of a much bigger smuggling ring.
• Female Osprey returns to nesting site and finds an unfamiliar male waiting in her nest. There could soon be a showdown...her normal mate should be arriving any day.
• The number of owl deaths in Wisconsin is up. There's a shortage of voles in Canada so they're venturing south looking for food. And they're so intent on hunting that they're not noticing oncoming cars.
• Sage Grouse being netted in Montana to help study mortality rates between hunted and nonhunted populations.
• California family looking for their two parrots after their RV is stolen in Toronto. They're missing a Moluccan Cockatoo and a Sun Conure.
• Pennsylvania birding workshop planned for April 16. It's being sponsored by Audubon Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Wild Resources Conservation Fund, and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
• Lakeport, California power company relocates Osprey nest to safer location. They did their own research and construction, got approval from the local Audubon Society and government wildlife agencies, and picked up the tab.

• Homer, Alaska sees Bald Eagles as pests. Jean Keene, the "Eagle Lady", enjoys feeding them, but others believe in natural ecosystems and think feeding should be made illegal.
• Endangered Reeve's Pheasant (Syrmaticus reevesi) attacking villagers in Bishopstone, UK. The locals call him "Prezza".
• Malta hunters defy the law and shoot flocks of protected birds seeking refuge after long migration from Africa. Among the list: Marsh Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Lesser Kestrel, Black-Winged Stilt, Song Thrush, Night Heron, and Squacco Heron. There's only about 24 policemen for the 12,000 hunters.
• Volunteers sought to help protect the struggling Piping Plover in Delaware.
It's on the state's endangered list.
• Two Peregrine Falcons in Mt. Clemens, Michigan could be the first recorded mating pair in the county.
• Ducks Unlimited pledges $10 million in the next 10 years to restore 81,000 acres of wetland habitat.
• Two government Coastcare workers in South Africa suspended after being accused of beating African Fish Eagle to death.
• Georgia services working to establish and protect the habitat of the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis).

Paul G. Dye, the founder of the Northwest Wildlife Farm in Washington has passed away at age 68. Founded in 1971, wild bird sanctuary and breeding center includes 32 ponds, 8 acres of grain fields, about 4 miles of trails, a salmon stream, forestry improvements for grouse, a wildlife garden and about 5 acres of aviaries. Originally starting with 5 species of birds, there are now over 50 species in the captive collection.

The Northwest Wildfowl website contains a lot of information including details of 11 different species raised, tips on getting started in aviculture, an extensive FAQ section about raising waterfowl and grouse, and how to raise wildlife friendly gardens.

If you'd like to show support for the work Paul did, please visit the Northwest Wildfowl website and send a donation to the address at the bottom of the page.

• The Farmland Bird Project launches recovery efforts to help prevent extinction of the UK's Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) and Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra).
• Trash collector recovers stuffed Bald Eagle stolen from Newport, Vermont library.
• Australia's Weddin Landcare plans next fox baiting to help protect the endangered Bush Stone-curlew. Land holders are invited to attend the April 6 meeting.
• Poor water quality in Iowa causing possible decline of migrating waterfowl populations.
• Navy and civilian volunteers work together to prepare the Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge for the arrival of the endangered California Least Tern (Sterna antillarum browni).
• Eight endangered Hawaiian Geese (Nesochen sandvicensis) killed by dogs. It's the Hawaii state bird and there's only about 1300 left.
• Bald Eagle makes guest appearance at Southington, Connecticut YMCA's Camp Sloper.