I and the Bird #7 is now available, hosted by Bird TLC. Beakspeak has been a bit busy on a myriad of projects that has stifled participation in the last few IatB carnivals, but don't let that stop you from reading the new edition. In fact, if you haven't already, go visit I and the Bird #6.
If you'd like to participate in an upcoming carnival, check out the "I and the Bird" info page. Submissions for the next carnival are due by October 11.
p.s. Bird TLC is a non-profit organization in Anchorage, Alaska dedicated to the rehabilitation of birds and the education of people. If you get a chance, stop by The Bird Treatment and Learning Center site and see what you can do to help them out.
- "Mamma Owl" looking for volunteers to help care for Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia) at Marco Island, Florida.
- After defying odds, Magnificent, the male Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus, returns to the wild. He was found at Lake Lanier, Georgia in March with a serious shoulder and chest wound, underweight, and unable to stand. Thanks to rehabilitation at the Southeastern Raptor Center at Auburn University, Magnificent took to the skies once again.
- Four species of penguins find optimal nesting ground in mine-infested areas of the Falkland Islands. One of the mined areas, Kidney Cove, plays host to Gentoo, King, Rockhopper and Magellanic penguins.
- Poisoned Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) preparing to return to the UK skies. The female bird and her brother were discovered near Buckfastleigh in Devon in June. Her brother later died. Officials suspect deliberate poisoning. Tests show he swallowed a highly toxic substance. A pigeon smeared in the toxic pesticide, aldicarb, was also found. A £1000 reward is being offered for any information leading to a conviction.
- Famous eagle nest along the Kenai River in Alaska destroyed by strong winds. It was used as a landmark for thousands of fishermen.
This morning, I received some sad news.
AC2, the male Adult Condor 2, was found dead yesterday at Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge in Cuyama Valley in Kern County, California. Cause of death is unknown. A necropsy is being performed today at the San Diego Zoo. The results of the necropsy will be announced in a press release from the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
AC2 was taken from the wild on December 13, 1986 and was released in June, 2005. After being released, AC2 flew to his traditional perch where he had been captured almost twenty years earlier.
AC2's mate, AC3, died January 18, 1986 of lead poisoning.
In June, I had the opportunity to see the magnificent California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) firsthand. (Read the post "Flight of the Condor".) Jesse Grantham of the US Fish & Wildlife Service took a group of us to a feeding station at Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge, where we saw some of the birds feeding and finally taking to the air. It's a spectacular sight. Though the USFWS has done an amazing job bringing these birds back from the brink of extinction, they still have a long way to go. Since most California Condors in the wild today weren't born there, they face the difficult challenge of learning to survive on their own. AC2 was born in the wild before the recovery program even began, so his death is a significant loss to the program since he served as a mentor to the younger birds.
AC2, you will be sorely missed.
- New York City skyscrapers dimming their lights at night to help save migrating birds. This is such a great gesture towards conservation. In fact, Toronto, Canada has adopted the same practice. It's estimated that at a minimum, 10,000 migratory birds are killed or injured from collisions with lighted buildings at night in Toronto's financial district alone.
- Religious skirmish caused by the excellent documentary "March of the Penguins". Conservative Christians claim that Emperor Penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) are a parable of family virtues, a role model for men, an argument against abortion and convincing proof that Darwin was wrong. But Secularists disagree, saying that Emperor Penguins have a freewheeling sexual life and that homosexuality among penguin species is quite common. No matter what your beliefs are, go see it for yourself!
- Kern River Valley to host its 11th Annual Turkey Vulture Festival on Saturday and Sunday September 24th and 25th.
- Volunteers asked to help the British Trust for Ornithology estimate the number of Tawny Owls (Strix aluco) in the UK. They've set up and "owlaphone" to help people recognize the calls. Find out what you can do to help.
- Carolina Raptor Center in Huntersville, North Carolina rated as one of the best nonprofits to donate to by Charity Navigator as it rates 28 Charlotte, NC area charity organizations.
- Seven Kansas men charged in the shooting deaths of two endangered Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) last year. They told wildlife officials they mistook them for the legally-hunted Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis). Each faces up to six months in jail and a $15,000 fine. As of December 2004, only 468 Whooping Cranes existed.
Update Oct. 3, 2005: The men have pleaded guilty.
- Canada celebrates its 100th anniversary of bird banding. The methods haven't changed much and the information gathered has been key in the conservation of birds.
- Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) to start their fall migration. 230 are expected to make the 2500-mile trip from Wood Buffalo National Park in Alberta, Canada to their winter destination of marshes around Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Texas Gulf Coast. HOpefully they won't cross paths with Hurricane Rita.
- Royal Society study shows that Plain-tailed Wrens (Thryothorus euophrys) sing complex synchronized choruses. The song is in ABCDABCD pattern, lasting up to two minutes. Males sing the A and C parts while the females sing B and D. The birds hit their part right on cue, making the song sound like it's coming from one bird. Listen for yourself (MP3).
- Although facing extinction, the Houbara Bustard (Chlamydotis undulata) continues to be hunted in Iran. The hunt of any endangered species is prohibited by law, but high-ranking officials and Arab royalty are being exempted. The population of the Houbara Bustard has declined about 35% over three generations, due largely to hunting.
- H5N1 bird flu virus running rampant at the Ragunan Zoo in Jakarta, Indonesia. 19 of 27 samples taken tested positive for the virus, including pygmy chickens and eagles. Two zoo workers appear to be infected as well. The zoo is being closed to the public for three weeks.
- Bahraich, India police seize 2,000 birds that were trapped in the Kartaniya Ghat Sanctuary. The arrested men confessed the birds were to be taken to Nepal for consumption in restaurants.
- Skye, a Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) born atop the Kodak building in Rochester, New York, found dead in Canada. A webcam showed the young falcon from when its egg was first laid to when it fledged.
- EU approves €69 million in funding for 54 nature conservation projects across 20 Member States as part of the LIFE Nature programme. This brings the total contributions to €125.7 million.
- Thailand man confesses to shooting and killing endangered Greater Adjutant stork. It was the first one spotted in Thailand in 40 years. He claims he only wanted to injure the bird so he could nurse it back to health and keep it as a pet. He faces up to four years in jail and a fine of 40,000 baht (about $975).
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources looking for clues to the mysterious death of fifty songbirds at Lake Superior. They doubt disease or poison, and are suspecting a weather phenomenon. The birds were Swainson's Thrushes (Catharus ustulatus), White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) and warblers.
- Manitoba, Canada teen helps stranded baby Bald Eagle. He took it home and fed it fish. The eagle ended up becoming too tame to leave in the wild.
- The American Bird Conservancy is calling for emergency moratorium on all Horseshoe Crab harvesting in Delaware Bay in order to help save the Red Knot and other birds. Overharvesting is leading to a shortage of crab eggs necessary to sustain the Red Knot's northern migration. Studies are showing that the Red Knot rufa subspecies could be close to extinction by 2010 if measures are not taken. Add your name to the petition.
- West Nile virus blamed for death of endangered California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) chick. It's shown that maternal immunity is passed on to the chick, but biologists are unsure how long the protection lasts. The parents had been innoculated in 2003 and 2004.
- Pair of Ashy-faced Owls (Tyto glaucops) stolen from North Wales aviary. Experts believe there are just 15 Ashy-faced Owls in the UK, 12 across Europe and a handful in the Dominican Republic. If you have any information, please contact the Countryside Council for Wales.
- US Fish and Wildlife soliciting public comments for the proposed critical habitat area of the endangered Rota Bridled White-eye (Zosterops rotensis). The island of Rota is part of the Northern Mariana Islands in the South Pacific. The population of the Rota Bridled White-eye has declined by 90 percent since 1982. Current estimates put the population at 1,092.
- Young Bald Eagle released after it and its sibling were attacked by Africanized honeybees near Scottsdale, Arizona.
- Study by the Royal Society for the Protection shows that bigger-brained birds adapt better to a changing environment, helping them survive better. Populations of birds with small brains relative to their size had dropped sharply.
- Bud, a famous beloved Golden Eagle in Utah, dies from suspected West Nile Virus. "He was a great ambassador for conservation," said Bonnie Bell, special agent for the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Cedar City.
- Kenai the Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) found safe after flying off during a flight demonstration at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle Washington.
- Iowa Parrot Rescue opening their doors to birds displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
On September 8, 2005 the Board of Directors of Los Angeles Audubon Society unanimously voted to appoint Garry George to the position of Executive Director of the Society, effective the following day.
Garry has served on the Board of Los Angeles Audubon Society for three years, most recently as 1st VP, Conservation Chair. He has resigned from the Board.
The Executive Director is charged with developing and expanding the Society's education and conservation programs including field and pelagic trips, the world famous bookstore, the LAAS publication Western Tanager, managing the staff, expanding the membership, developing new programs, and representing the Society in the Los Angeles political, environmental, conservation, funding and donor communities, and reports to the Board.
Garry George has been a resident of Los Angeles for 35 years and a student of California's unique ecology for most of that time. He represents the Southern California chapters on the Audubon California Board. Garry and his partner Joseph Brooks went native in 1994 and their yard has been featured in the LA Times, LA Weekly, Western Tanager, My Generation (AARP) and on the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wildflowers and Native Plants home tour 2004 and 2005. They have attracted over 70 species of birds including a recent visit of a Least Bell's Vireo. Garry has participated in the development of the National and California Audubon at Home programs and will be developing one for Los Angeles. He recently wrote and received a Prop 40 grant for a three-year program to re-vegetate three acres of Baldwin Hills Park in Los Angeles as a native plant and wildlife education garden using volunteers and interns from programs for urban youth interested in nature. That project opens on April 22, 2006 on Earth Day. He recruited matching grants from Los Angeles Audubon and the LA Chapter of California Native Plant Society and scientific support from Audubon California and the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. Garry's professional background is in the arts and the music business where he has guided the careers of some of your favorite singers and songwriters. He received a BFA from New York University and speaks Japanese, Spanish and English.
- University of Iowa's Macbride Nature Recreation Area celebrating fall migration by hosting annual Hawk Watch program on September 17 from 9am to 2pm. Sponsors include the Macbride Raptor Project, the Iowa City Bird Club, Cornell College Biology Department, and the US Army Corps of Engineers.
- Federal lawsuit filed by the National Wildlife Federation and the Arkansas Wildlife Federation to halt the construction of the Grand Prairie Irrigation Project. They claim the Army Corps of Engineers and US Fish and Wildlife Service haven't fully considered the potential damage to the habitat of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis). "This project is designed to draw 158 billion gallons of water from the White River each year, effectively draining the wetlands habitat where the Ivory-bill was first sighted."
- Indiana Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) tests positive for mercury poisoning. Wildlife officials aren't sure if it was poisoned by eating tainted fish or by ingesting it in other ways. It was treated and released weeks later. Environmentalists claim Indiana ranks fourth nationally in mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants. The toxic emissions eventually end up in the food chain. The Environmental Protection Agency recently issued relaxed regulations, switching mercury from being regulated as a hazardous pollutant to one with less stringent controls. A group of senators are trying to overturn the decision.
- Volunteers help install artificial burrows for five Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia) saved from a development site in Sacramento, California. The installation was headed by the Burrowing Owls Preservation Society with help from Wild at Heart.
- Craig Webb preparing for launch of raptor rehabilitation center near Kettering, Tasmania. He formed Raptor and Wildlife Refuge of Tasmania Inc., a non-profit organization to help fund the center. Other sponsors have been generous in their contributions. So can you.
- North Carolina Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) recovering from being hooked in the bill and foot with a fishing lure. It's being cared for by the Carolina Raptor Center.
- Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) found safe after the van it was living in was stolen in Anchorage, Alaska. The falcon had tried to escape but got caught and was rescued in the nick of time.
- Australian residents of Magnetic Island participate in bird count, reporting 92 different species and a total count of 989 birds.
- Fort Myers, Florida developer who destroyed Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) nest ordered to pay $365,000 in fines and restitution. Court documents show that company officials knew the tree had an eagle nest in it when they cut it down. The birds and their nests are protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, adopted in 1940.
Last week, Tony Gallucci of milkriverblog (and other fine blog venues) emailed me about the resurrection of an excellent site: The Nature Writers of Texas. In early 2003, Texas writer Burr Williams had the idea to archive works of nature writers who publish in Texas newspapers and magazines, and in March 2003, the site was spawned. I wasn't aware of The Nature Writers of Texas before the server crash earlier this year, but after perusing some of the articles, it's a definite recommendation. The new design of the site is much easier to read and navigate than the old one, so if you were a previous follower of The Nature Writers of Texas, be sure to update your bookmarks.
Old: http://texasnature.rulestheweb.com
New: http://texasnature.blogspot.com
If you are a publishing author on the wildlife of Texas, or know someone who should be represented on The Nature Writers of Texas, check out their Original Author's Statement and Guidelines page to find out how to contribute.
- American Zoo and Aquarium Association announces national fundraising initiative to help its colleagues in New Orleans. The facilities and staff of the Audubon Nature Institute, which includes the Audubon Zoo, the Aquarium of the Americas, and the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species (ACRES) are suffering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. The Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago is spearheading the fundraising efforts. Visit their website and make a donation.
- Bubba, the African Grey parrot, is missing from her Florida home. The owner, Jim Cheatham, suspects she has been stolen. Among her identifying marks is saying "Good morning, Cheatham" and "Don't order the fish" as well as whistling Dixie and the theme from the Andy Griffith Show. If you have any information, please contact the Sherriff's office.
- UDOT, the Red-tailed Hawk, takes its first flight. It was six weeks old when it was found in June after being blown out of its nest durning a storm. It has spent the last three months learning to fly and hunt at the Utah Wilderness Rehabilitation.
- Lawsuit filed against the US Army Corps of Engineers for violating the Endangered Species Act. The National Wildlife Federation and Florida Wildlife Federation claim that the Corps is mismanaging water levels in Lake Okeechobee, destroying habitat critical to the survival of the endangered Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis). In the last four years, the Snail Kite population has dropped from 3,577 individuals to 1,610.
- Audubon Society of Rhode Island receives $2.6 million donation from the estate of Edith C. Becker, a Connecticut native who taught art at Rhode Island College. It's the largest donation by an individual to the society.
- Sandy Lake in Minnesaota loses four loons to West Nile Virus. Residents had placed nesting platforms on the lake and this was the first time they had seen loons nesting.
- Two women get the wrong parrots. Each had lost an African Grey and had them returned, only to find out they weren't theirs. After the discoveries, they were all reunited on Saturday.
- Rehabilitated Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) ready for open skies. It took off from its nest at the University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning in June. Instead of flying, it crashed to the ground and was hit by a car. MIraculously it only suffered a broken shoulder, but it was thought it would never fly again.
- Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) rescued by tribal chieftain in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, a prvince of the Philippines. It was found shot and turned over to the Philippine Eagle Foundation, where it remained in good condition despite its wound.
- Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) receives prosthetic upper beak after it was damaged two years ago, most likely by a bullet. Other stories like this have been successful.
