Great Backyard Bird Count in the news

The annual Presidents Day weekend census of backyard birds will start on Friday, Feb. 18, but it's already in the news from Maine to Arizona. The Great Backyard Bird Count -- organized by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society and Bird Studies Canada -- gives casual and expert birdwatchers alike the chance to contribute data and create a snapshot of winter bird populations in two nations.

All the details appear at Great Backyard Bird Count, including a PDF of instructions, a video that describes the available prizes -- Yes! There are prizes! -- and the photo galleries generated by the GBBC photo contest.

2010 Overall Winner: American Robin by Nick Saunders, courtesy of GBBC

"Please do not fear the birders"

A letter written by Richard A. Danca in Newton, Mass., likely needs to appear in many newspapers and on websites far and wide before the annual Christmas Bird Count begins on Dec. 14. The letter might dispel some unease and prevent incidents such as the arrest of birder Paul Peterson of Boston last January.

Danca wrote:

Please don't panic if you see people with binoculars tramping around the week before Christmas, even if it feels like they're peering into your windows. It's only birders (birdwatchers, if you must) participating in the annual Christmas Bird Count, looking for every bird they can find, even the ones in your back yard.

He also provided the URL for National Audubon Society's CBC information and ended his letter with an invitation of sorts: "Even if you don't feel like counting birds, you could help by ensuring that your bird feeders are full."

5 Southeastern forests safer from logging

A recent collaboration between industry and environmental groups resulted in Georgia-Pacific announcing that it would not buy wood fiber from areas recognized as environmentally sensitive or where slow-growing hardwood forests have been cleared in order to plant quick-growing pine.

In a press release, American Bird Conservancy lauded Georgia-Pacific's new policy, which affects 11 sites, and pointed out that five sites are globally Important Bird Areas. When a site receives the IBA title, it's recognized as significantly important habitat for one or more bird species.

The five IBA sites are
* Francis Marion National Forest (8,000 acres) in South Carolina, known for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, Brown-headed Nuthatches and Prairie Warblers;
* Congaree Swamp (26,000 acres) in South Carolina, known for Barred Owls, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Brown-headed Nuthatches, Prothonotary Warblers and Swainson’s Warblers;
* Alligator River region (213,000 acres) in North Carolina, known for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers as well as several thousand wintering ducks and swans;
* Great Dismal Swamp (180,000 acres) in Virginia, known for Swainson’s Warblers, Chuck-will’s-widows, Wood Thrush, and Kentucky, Prairie and Worm-eating Warblers;
* Croatan National Forest (40,000 acres) in North Carolina, known for carnivorous plants as well as Peregrine Falcons, Bachman’s Sparrows, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (62 clusters) and Swallow-tailed Kites.

To learn more about IBAs, click here for an incredible 15-page PDF that includes maps, graphs, pictures and details.

Two Audubon groups cited among worst charities

Earlier this month, an article titled "The 20 Worst Charities in America" listed nonprofit organizations by the percentage of their income that goes to administrative expenses, based on research by Charity Navigator. The independent charity evaluator describes its methodology here; it uses "charities’ disclosure statements to the IRS to provide donors with an assessment of how well charities run themselves," according to the MainStreet.com article.

The article aimed to highlight charities with the highest administrative expenses and to point out which groups could use donations more efficiently. Donors want to see their money go to the programs that pull their heartstrings - not to pay for rent, paper for the copier and executives' salaries.

20. Tucson Audubon Society

Administrative expenses: 42.8%

Well-known for its many programs focused on the protection of biodiversity and the environment, the National Audubon Society, based in Washington, D.C., has chapters across the country, run independently of the main office. Its affiliate in Tuscon, Arizona, which fosters interest in and conservation of the bird population of southern Arizona, has seen its administrative costs skyrocket as the recession has eaten into its incoming donations. Partially due to Executive Director Paul Green’s inflated salary of $78,800, which accounts for more than 7% of the group’s expenses, the Tucson Audubon Society spends almost as much for its office as it does on the birds it aims to protect.

19. New Hampshire Audubon

Administrative expenses: 42.8%

Like the Tucson Audubon Society, the New Hampshire chapter of the bird-friendly conservation group [Actually, New Hampshire Audubon is independent of NAS. -akh] has also struggled to maximize the amount of donations that go toward its environmental programs. Much of the administrative costs can be traced to the group’s seven visitor centers that it runs throughout the state, where staff organize classes, summer camps, and activities for children and adults. These fixed costs mean that in lean years for donations, it is hard for the New Hampshire Audubon Society to trim down their considerable administrative expenses.

Rachel Carson Award at Women in Conservation Luncheon

National Audubon Society recently announced the four honorees at this year's Women in Conservation Luncheon. At the May 18 event at The Plaza in New York, Audubon will present the Rachel Carson Award to Fernanda Kellogg, Suzanne Lewis, Isabella Rossellini and Dr. Beth Stevens.

Audubon launched the Rachel Carson Award in 2004 to recognize visionary women whose dedication, talent and energy have advanced conservation and environmental education locally and on a global scale. The award is named for Rachel Carson, whose landmark book "Silent Spring" opened the world's eyes to the damage inflicted by the indiscriminate use of pesticides such as DDT. Before Congress, Rachel Carson's testimony called for an environmental regulatory department, which came to life several years later with the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Since its inception, the award has raised over $1,000,000 in support of Audubon's campaign to protect the Long Island Sound and Audubon's Women in Conservation Program, which includes a website to educate women on important environmental issues and the ongoing efforts that address them and an internship program for girls and young women hoping to gain exposure to the environmental nonprofit world.

Since 2004, Fernanda Kellogg has served as president of The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, which provides grants to nonprofit organizations working globally in the environment and design and the decorative arts. As superintendent of Yellowstone National Park, Suzanne Lewis manages more than 2.2 million acres, a staff of 400 and the largest operating budget of any national park. As senior vice president of environmental affairs, Dr. Beth Stevens leads the environmental efforts for The Walt Disney Company, which includes developing and facilitating the company's strategy and policy including aggressive environmental goals announced in 2009.

Photo courtesy of Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

Great Backyard Bird Count, Feb. 12-15

Show your love for birds during Valentine's Day weekend by participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count! The citizen-science project involves as little as 15 minutes on one day or as many minutes as you like on Feb. 12th through 15th.


Organized by Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society and Bird Studies Canada, the 13th annual free event entails counting birds in your back yard or at local parks or refuges. Then you just fill in an online checklist of observed species and their numbers.

Why would you do this?

Scientists and bird enthusiasts can learn a lot by knowing where the birds are. Bird populations are dynamic; they are constantly in flux. No single scientist or team of scientists could hope to document the complex distribution and movements of so many species in such a short time.

We need your help. Make sure the birds from your community are well represented in the count. It doesn't matter whether you report the 5 species coming to your backyard feeder or the 75 species you see during a day's outing to a wildlife refuge.

If you take pictures of the birds during the Great Backyard Bird Count, consider entering them in the photo contest. You might win one of many prizes!

Eastern Bluebird courtesy of Katya Porter in North Carolina, a winner in the 2009 photo contest

Outdoor cats and wild birds: a video discussion

Many birders know that pet cats allowed to roam outdoors as well as feral cats often prey on wild birds. Information from various sources, such as National Audubon Society and American Bird Conservancy, reinforce the negative effect that outdoor cats have on native wildlife. The topic's been a lightning rod for decades and likely will remain so, because humans place different priorities on domesticated cats and wild birds.

Cat Fancy - a monthly national magazine focused on responsible pet care - advocates indoor-only cats. Susan Logan, the editor, invited me to join her in a video discussion about wild birds and outdoor cats. We talked about various aspects of the situation, including trap-neuter-release programs and the effectiveness of TNR.

You'll find the video here, and I'm curious about your reactions to it.

Also, how would you reply to someone who says "We love the birds but the cats have to eat also"? Do you talk about this topic with friends and relatives who allow their pet cats to roam outdoors?

Christmas Bird Count 5

This time of year, birders get to see their hobby/sport/lifestyle in mainstream media, thanks to coverage of the Christmas Bird Count. The 109th count began Sunday, Dec. 14, and will continue to Monday, Jan. 5, 2009.

According to National Audubon Society's CBC FAQs page, thousands of volunteers in the Western Hemisphere dedicate 24 hours to identifying species and counting birds within a 15-mile count circle. The predetermined circles are covered by birders who report to a count compiler before the circle's count date and pay the $5 participation fee.

Recent media coverage of completed counts
MaineToday.com, Unity, Me.:

The Unity Christmas bird count occurred last Monday with mostly cloudy skies, an inch of old snow, blustery wind, and temperatures warming from 4 degrees at midnight to a gentle rain after dark.

Although all the tallies are not yet final, the preliminary numbers indicate 25 birders reported 48 species.

Cape Cod Times, Cape Cod, Mass.:

The days at the end of the year — filled with the holiday rush of shopping, parties of all sorts and family commitments — offer scant opportunities to get afield and look for birds.

Yellow-breasted Chat courtesy of E. Vernon Laux/Cape Cod Times

Press of Atlantic City, Atlantic City, N.J.:

Off in the distance, with the Atlantic City skyline piercing through a cloudy midafternoon sky, the focus is out at sea, where hundreds of birds have gathered.

Bucks County Courier Times, Levittown, Pa.:

Trudging along the trails of Silver Lake Nature Center Saturday on the annual Christmas bird count, the center's director-naturalist Bob Mercer didn't necessarily need his eyes to do the job.

Valley News Dispatch, Pittsburgh, Pa.:

Pausing along a path in Todd Nature Reserve in Buffalo Township, something caught George Reese's eye in a stand of hemlock trees.

"There's a grouse," Reese said above the low roar of nearby Hesselgesser's Run.

The London Free Press, London, Ontario, Canada:

About 150 nature enthusiasts braved temperatures around -11 C yesterday to count thousands of birds in the London area.

Citizen scientists spotted more than 60 species within a 12-kilometre radius of Reservoir Park on Commissioners Road during the 100th annual Christmas bird count, said Pete Read.

The Expositor, Brantford, Ontario, Canada:

A bright pink pillar of light rose in the eastern sky Dec. 14 and allowed itself to be spread out in layers of rose and gold by the southwest wind. It was a good beginning for the annual Woodhouse Township Christmas Bird Count. Last year, Betty Chanyi and I woke to drifting, blowing snow... and chickened out. It's one of the few times either of us has missed the count.

Dalton Daily Citizen, Dalton, Ga.:

While most teenage boys were out chasing girls, Sandy Pangle spent his high school days chasing birds.

“To a lot of people, a bird is a bird,” Pangle said. “And it became kind of a challenge to go to an area and realize there is really nothing to the untrained eye, then all this stuff started appearing.”

Photo courtesy of Dalton Daily Citizen

The Telegraph, Macon, Ga.:

Bird-lovers in Middle Georgia made their way outdoors Saturday for the annual Christmas Bird Count, a nation wide “citizen-science” effort sponsored by the National Audubon Society. In Macon, some 30 people took part this year in the more than 100-year-old tradition that seeks to annually catalog the number of birds and bird species in a given area, said Marie Amerson, with the Ocmulgee Audubon Society. This year set a local record for participation in the event, Amerson said, even though they did not find quite as many birds as in previous years.

The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, Okla.:

Cold and windy weather didn’t keep nature lovers away from the Christmas Bird Count on Saturday at Martin Park Nature Center in Oklahoma City.

Volunteers and friends came bundled up and carrying binoculars to participate in the annual winter songbird census.

The Ukiah Daily Journal, Ukiah, Calif.:

Area bird watchers gathered at Granite Construction's Talmage operation about 7:15 a.m. Saturday to count birds as part of a yearly Christmas bird count.

Cold temperatures frosted Ukiah Valley's floor, but wearing gloves and warm clothing local Audubon chapter members focused on counting birds.

Queen Charlotte Islands Observer, Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia, Canada:

The screaming northeaster almost stopped our breath as we headed into it on our way to Little Spit Point at Sandspit. There was no shelter, neither for us nor for the birds. The wind chill brought the temperature down to minus 22c and it was no place for the faint-hearted.

Christmas Bird Count 4

This time of year, birders get to see their hobby/sport/lifestyle in mainstream media, thanks to coverage of the Christmas Bird Count. The 109th count began Sunday, Dec. 14, and will continue to Monday, Jan. 5, 2009.

According to National Audubon Society's CBC FAQs page, thousands of volunteers in the Western Hemisphere dedicate 24 hours to identifying species and counting birds within a 15-mile count circle. The predetermined circles are covered by birders who report to a count compiler before the circle's count date and pay the $5 participation fee.

Recent media coverage of completed counts
Hilton Head Island Packet, Hilton Head, S.C.:

Shrinking wildlife habitat means Audubon Society birders are counting fewer birds on Hilton Head Island than they have in the past, a trend reflected all over the world.

While the number of local species has hovered around 150 since the 1970s, the total number of birds has continually declined, said Barry Lowes of the Hilton Head Audubon Society. The local group completed its annual Christmas Bird Count last week.

Northumberland Today, Northumberland, Ontario, Canada:

On a gloomy day that seemed to be twilight throughout the daylight hours, 31 observers took to the field on Dec. 14 for the Presqu'ile-Brighton Christmas Bird Count. In total, 22,726 birds of 76 species were found during the day.

The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio:

A bevy of birds and waves of nasty weather kicked off the opening week of Christmas Bird Counts in Northeast Ohio.

With so many birders in the field, good sightings could be expected, even with the predictable rainy, gray and frigid conditions of mid-December.

Christmas Bird Count 3

This time of year, birders get to see their hobby/sport/lifestyle in mainstream media, thanks to coverage of the Christmas Bird Count. The 109th count began Sunday, Dec. 14, and will continue to Monday, Jan. 5, 2009.

According to National Audubon Society's CBC FAQs page, thousands of volunteers in the Western Hemisphere dedicate 24 hours to identifying species and counting birds within a 15-mile count circle. The predetermined circles are covered by birders who report to a count compiler before the circle's count date and pay the $5 participation fee.

Recent media coverage of completed counts
Burlington Free Press, Burlingon, Vt.:

Two sleek ducks, streaks of black and white, flew in across the Winooski River from Burlington, riding the south wind and the smell of doughnuts frying at the Koffee Kup bakery.

Gloucester Daily Times, Gloucester, Mass.:

The 40 experienced bird watchers who spent Sunday recording virtually anything that flew as part of the 79th annual Cape Ann Christmas Bird Count, logged 47,000 birds in 123 species — including some interesting finds.

Bay City Tribune, Bay City, Texas:

Over 100 birders braved the cold, windy weather Monday to count 234 species of birds in the 16th Annual Matagorda County Mad Island Marsh Christmas Bird Count.

Pique Newsmagazine, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada:

Participants in the annual Whistler Christmas Bird Count have seen some tough conditions over the past 19 years, but this year’s Christmas count on Monday, Dec. 15 ranks as one of the toughest, with freezing temperatures and high winds sending birds into hiding.

Prince George Citizen, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada:

Cold weather was likely the factor that reduced the number of species naturalists observed during this week's 41st annual Prince George Christmas Bird Count.

Christmas Bird Count 2

This time of year, birders get to see their hobby/sport/lifestyle in mainstream media, thanks to coverage of the Christmas Bird Count. The 109th count began Sunday, Dec. 14, and will continue to Monday, Jan. 5, 2009.

According to National Audubon Society's CBC FAQs page, thousands of volunteers in the Western Hemisphere dedicate 24 hours to identifying species and counting birds within a 15-mile count circle. The predetermined circles are covered by birders who report to a count compiler before the circle's count date and pay the $5 participation fee.

Recent media coverage of completed counts:
Lakewood Ranch Herald, Bradenton, Fla.
The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio

See previous coverage in this post: Dec. 15

Photo courtesy of Sara Kennedy/Bradenton.com

Audubon chair chosen for Obama's energy team

Today President-elect Barack Obama announced his choices for his energy and environment team. He named Carol Browner -- who currently chairs the board of directors of National Audubon Society -- to "a newly created position to coordinate energy and climate policy."

In this new post, Browner will direct the efforts of numerous federal agencies, including the Department of Energy, the EPA, the Transportation Department, the Interior Department, the Defense Department and the Commerce Department.

Obama's first year in office will likely see action on at least three energy and climate fronts - a stimulus bill that contains major funding for mass transit, utility upgrades, and renewable energy development; a separate energy bill that contains more funding for renewable energy and possibly tighter fuel-efficiency standards; and a bill mandating a reduction in greenhouse gasses.

Browner, a skilled Washington insider, will likely be spearheading the political effort to get these policies enacted.

A lawyer by training, Browner headed the EPA under President Clinton from 1993 to 2000. She gained a reputation for forging compromises between environmental and business interests.

Earlier in her career, Browner worked as a legislative aide to the late Sen. Lawton Chiles of Florida and as an aide to then-Sen. Al Gore.

Since 2001, Browner has worked at the Albright Group, a Washington, D.C.-based consultancy set up by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. She also sits on the board of the National Audubon Society.

According to National Audubon Society President John Flicker,

Carol Browner is an outstanding choice to direct the integration of energy and environmental policy and to reposition the U.S. as a leader in addressing global warming. No one is better suited to addressing these challenges than Carol Browner. As the very successful and longest serving administrator of the EPA, Carol Browner has a proven track record of success. She is a skilled and pragmatic leader who gets results.

Photo courtesy of National Audubon Society

Christmas Bird Count 1

This time of year, birders get to see their hobby/sport/lifestyle in mainstream media, thanks to coverage of the Christmas Bird Count. The 109th count began Sunday, Dec. 14, and will continue to Monday, Jan. 5, 2009.

According to National Audubon Society's CBC FAQs page, thousands of volunteers in the Western Hemisphere dedicate 24 hours to identifying species and counting birds within a 15-mile count circle. The predetermined circles are covered by birders who report to a count compiler before the circle's count date and pay the $5 participation fee.

The data collected by the birders helps researchers, biologists and other individuals study bird species' long-term health. Researchers can combine the CBC data with Breeding Bird Survey data to better understand species' behavior, and the data can generate reports, such as Common Birds in Decline and Watchlist 2007.

Today's media coverage of completed counts: San Francisco Chronicle with a nine-image photo gallery from Yosemite Valley


WFMD TV, Mansfield, Ohio
Newsday, New York, N.Y.
The Epoch Times, New York, N.Y.
Lawrence Journal-World, Perry, Kan.
The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, Calif.
San Antonio Express-News, San Antonio, Texas

Women in Conservation awards

The fifth annual Women in Conservation Luncheon yesterday included Audubon's Rachel Carson Awards, emceed by actress Sigourney Weaver. Carson wrote "Silent Spring" and has inspired many environmentalists since the book's release in 1962, and the award bearing her name "recognizes women who have demonstrated great leadership and commitment to conservation," according to National Audubon Society.

This year's award winners include Teresa Heinz Kerry, Bette Midler and the founders of the Women's Committee for the Central Park Conservancy. The first two winners posed with Weaver upon arriving at the Plaza.

Kerry received recognition for The Heinz Center, named for her late husband, Sen. John Heinz III. The nonprofit center focuses on environmental policy and partnerships between government, business, environmental organizations and academia.

Bette Midler founded the New York Restoration Project, which so far has established almost 60 gardens, cleaned more than 400 acres, turned an illegal dumping ground into a 5-acre public park on the Harlem River, and provided free environmental education and recreational programs. (I wish more entertainers followed her lead.)

The founders of the Women's Committee for the Central Park Conservancy created the means to raise more than 20 percent of the conservancy's $27 million annual operating budget. Jean Clark, Norma Dana, Marguerite Purnell, Elizabeth Barlow Rogers and Phyllis Cerf Wagner (deceased) founded the committee in 1983.

Weaver's role as the emcee apparently stems from a childhood interest in birdwatching. She recently narrated "Planet Earth" and recently finished two films with an environmental theme, "Wall-E" and "Avatar". "In 'Avatar,' Weaver plays a botanist devoted to studying and protecting a new planet. While shooting the film in New Zealand, she became fascinated with native birds and even more concerned with helping all bird species continue to survive," according to the NAS release.