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The Warbler - Mass Audubon eNewsletter birds, birding, bird cons
 

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Black and White Warbler by Craig Gibson
Black-and-white Warbler by Craig Gibson

Dear Birding Friends,

We had a fantastic response to our inaugural issue of The Warbler and we hope you will enjoy this issue just as much.

As spring comes to New England, the birding season is upon us. I hope we'll cross paths in the field—perhaps spotting some wood warblers on May 15-16 during Bird-a-thon!  Please let me know your thoughts on our bi-monthly newsletter, The Warbler. I'd love to hear from you. 

Happy Birding!
Taber Allison
VP, Conservation Science and Ecological Management


 Plovers and Terns and Oystercatchers, Oh My!

Another breeding season gets underway; another crazy work season begins for Mass Audubon’s Coastal Waterbird Program!  The first American Oystercatchers were seen on March 10 in Fairhaven, apparently beating the Piping Plovers to town - the first of which were spotted in Provincetown on March 15. Least and Common Terns are expected by late April. Similarly, nine CWP seasonal staff are already on the job with 14 more arriving soon.

Piping Plovers by Jim Fenton
Piping Plovers by Jim Fenton

 

Follow the adventures of Program Director Becky Harris and the whole crew on CWP's new Webbed Blog. Watch for exciting news — mid-April brings the first clutches of plover and oystercatcher eggs!

Our Field Assistants and staff spend every day walking miles in the sand to keep track of more Atlantic coast piping plover pairs than any other entity in the world.  At the same time, they educate beachgoers about the importance of protecting these weary, winged travelers where they stop to breed. By early July, the first birds will be ready to fledge. While our time with them is short, our responsibility knows no bounds.   
 


Lights Out Boston logo

Lights Out for the Birds!

Collisions with manmade structures are a major cause of bird mortality in the developed world. The problem is especially severe in large cities at night, where birds become disoriented by city lights and perish by blundering into windows or from exhaustion.

On a foggy night in a major city as many as 1,000 birds may die for every large building. This catastrophic death toll can be reduced as much as 80% by eliminating unnecessary urban lighting during migration peaks. This spring Mass Audubon has joined with the City of Boston and major building owners to launch Lights Out Boston, a program that will not only save the lives of millions of birds, but also cut energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and light pollution.

On April 16, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino will present the city’s Green Business Award to the Lights Out Boston coalition. The award recognizes enterprises “that demonstrate extraordinary performance related to sustainable environmental practices.” Watch WBZ-TV’s Mish Michaels talk with our own Chris Leahy about Lights Out Boston.


For the Love of Orioles

A few years ago we noticed that, according to the authoritative Breeding Bird Survey, one of our most spectacular and beloved songbirds, the Baltimore Oriole, was undergoing a gradual but significant decline in Massachusetts.

Oriole with orangeIt seemed clear that we should be paying closer attention to these and other “common” birds to find out why they were losing ground, so in 2005 we launched the Oriole Project to enlist large numbers of volunteers in an internet-based survey of the Commonwealth’s orioles. The program has exceeded all expectations. In 2008 alone, we received nearly 3,400 reports from more than 1,400 locations in 266 Massachusetts towns. Join the fun by reporting your sightings of "fire-hang-birds" starting May 15.


2009 Birders Meeting Wrap-Up


Kenn Kaufman at the Birders Meeting  Photo: Shawn P. Carey (Migration Productions)

 

Approximately 250 birders, vendors, and speakers gathered March 7 at Worcester Technical High to focus on Birds and Birding on our National Wildlife Refuges. With the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as co-host, the Birders Meeting offered  “an inside look” at the avian diversity under the stewardship of the USFWS, along with examples of research and management taking place on local refuges. 

The audience also heard thoughtful presentations on birds and invasive plants, breeding bird atlas updates, and how birds sleep.  Special presentations were given by highly acclaimed author and birder, Kenn Kaufman, and Lee Allen Peterson, son of the late Roger Tory Peterson. And our own Wayne Petersen was pleasantly surprised by the announcement of a generous gift to support the Birders Meeting keynote session in future years, now named the Wayne Petersen Lecture.

 

     

Birdathon Whos Counting

CALLING ALL BIRDERS!
Bird-a-thon May 15-16, 2009
25 Teams! 24 Hours! Check out this fun-filled way to bird and support Mass Audubon. Donate to your favorite Bird-a-thon team or join a team!


UPCOMING PROGRAMS
Here’s a sampling of our many bird-related programs you can enjoy statewide.

Birding Cape Cod & the Islands
Apr 17
   Birding Cape Cod
   Outer Cape
Apr 18
   The Big Osprey Sit
   Wellfleet
Apr 22
   Singing Birds of Spring
   Ashumet Holly Wildlife Sanctuary
More Cape & Islands Birding >>

Birding Greater Boston
Apr 19
   Early Birds for Early Risers
   Drumlin Farm/Boston suburbs
Apr 30
   Birding by Ear Workshop
   Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary
May 9
   Birding for Beginners
   Habitat
More Greater Boston Birding >>

Birding the Berkshires
Apr 17
   Bird Walks at Canoe Meadows
   Canoe Meadows
More Berkshires Birding >>

More April Birding Programs >>

FOCUS ON FEEDERS 2009 RESULTS

Our Focus on Feeders 2009 broke records this year in numbers of participants and numbers of Pine Siskins!

Siskins and Goldfinch by Connie Lentz
Siskins and Goldfinch by Connie Lentz

Fast Facts

  • Siskins reported at 38% of feeders
  • 5.4 siskins reported per observer on average
  • Goldfinch numbers reported per observer nearly doubled from 2008
  • Nearly 50 different species reported
  • Species reported in greatest number: American Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Juncos, Pine Siskin, Mourning Doves, House Sparrow, and Black-capped Chickadee

See the full report with 2009 distribution maps for selected species and data from previous years.

FOCUS ON FEEDERS
PHOTO CONTEST


Winning Photo by David Parish

Many participants shared their photos from Focus on Feeders weekend. We had a tough time choosing a winner, but choose we did. The beautiful Northern Cardinal above was captured by David Parish and is our "Best in Show" winner. See other winners in several categories including Most Unusual Bird and Most Interesting Feeding Behavior.

 

 

Mass Audubon Mass Audubon
208 South Great Road
Lincoln, MA 01773
781-259-9500
800-AUDUBON
TheWarbler@massaudubon.org

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