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15th Annual
Central Valley
Birding Symposium
The Central Valley Bird Club will be hosting the Fifteenth Annual Central Valley Birding Symposium Nov. 17-20, 2011 at the Stockton Hilton Hotel in Stockton, CA. Please come and help us kick off this year’s CVBS! Come meet the CVBS board & staff members! Reconnect with old friends! Meet new ones! Take advantage of the scrumptious hors d’oeuvres buffet & No Host Bar on Thursday night.
Thursday Night Keynote speakers are: Ed Harper & John Sterling presenting a program on "Appreciating the Birds of the Central Valley”. Come sit back and watch as Ed & John take us on a photographic journey to catch a glimpse of the avian world of the Central Valley.
Friday Night's keynote program is presented by Ron LeValley on "The Writings of William Leon Dawson—a California Bird Pioneer". Dawson's writings are humorous, sad, spiritual, satirical, and inspirational. Ron's presentation and photography captures much of this feeling.
Saturday Night's keynote program is by Jeff Gordon on: “10 Birds that Changed Birding.” There is the "spark" bird--the one that turned you from a casual observer into an avowed birdwatcher, willing to endure long miles and early hours in search of new species. There are birds that thrilled you with their rarity, their beauty, and their unexpected behaviors. Come hear what Jeff has to say.
Other events include workshops on Swallow Identification by Joe Morlan & a Warbler ID Workshop by Jon Dunn. There are also programs on topics about Bird Migration & Wetlands Icons.
Our field trips always turn up exciting birds. Add in the always entertaining and educational Bird ID Panel, the wonderful display of art and gifts for yourself or others at the Birder’s Market, and the camaraderie of hundreds of like-minded folks, and you know you’ll have a good time! There's something for everyone interested in birds. Come and join us to bird, learn, and just have fun.
To look over the line-up of speakers, workshops, and field trips check out our website at: www.cvbs.org
CVBS Steering Committee
cvbsreg@gmail.com
(209)369-2010
GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT
October 24, 2011—As movie-goers watch the stars of The Big Year in their quest to count birds, some may be motivated to try the hobby for the first time. The annual Great Backyard Bird Count is the perfect opportunity. The event is hosted by Audubon, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Canadian partner Bird Studies Canada. The results provide a snapshot of the whereabouts of more than 600 bird species. Anyone can participate in this free event and no registration is needed. Watch and count birds for at least 15 minutes on any day of the count, February 17-20, 2012. Enter your results at www.birdcount.org, where you can watch as the tallies grow across the continent. The four-day count typically records more than 10 million observations.
"When thousands of people all tell us what they’re seeing, we can detect patterns in how birds are faring from year to year," said Janis Dickinson, director of Citizen Science at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
"The Great Backyard Bird Count is a perfect example of Citizen Science," says Audubon Chief Scientist, Gary Langham. "Like Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count, volunteers help us with data year after year, providing scientific support that is the envy of many institutions. It’s also a lot of fun."
"We’re finding that more people are taking part in our bird count programs every year--and the more that take part, the better it is for the birds," says Richard Cannings, Senior Projects Officer for Bird Studies Canada.
The 2011 GBBC brought in more than 92,000 bird checklists submitted by participants from across the United States and Canada. Altogether, bird watchers identified 596 species with 11.4 million bird observations.
Results from the 2011 GBBC included:
• Increased reports of Evening Grosbeaks, a species that has been declining;
• A modest seasonal movement of winter finches farther south in their search for food;
• The Eurasian Collared-Dove was reported from Alaska for the first time, more evidence of an introduced species rapidly expanding its range.
Although it’s called the Great “Backyard” Bird Count, the count extends well beyond backyards. Lots of participants choose to head for national parks, nature centers, urban parks, nature trails, or nearby sanctuaries. For more information, including bird-ID tips, instructions, and past results, visit www.birdcount.org. The count also includes a photo contest and a prize drawing for participants who enter their bird checklists online.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is made possible in part by sponsor Wild Birds Unlimited.
Editors: Visit the GBBC News Room for high-resolution images and your state’s top-10 lists from the 2010 count. Please also inquire about possible interviews with local participants.
Contacts:
• Pat Leonard, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, (607) 254-2137, pel27@cornell.edu
• Delta Willis, Audubon, (212) 979-3197, dwillis@audubon.org
• Dick Cannings, Bird Studies Canada, (250) 493-3393 (Pacific time zone), dcannings@birdscanada.org
Woodbridge Crane Tours
The California Department of Fish and Game invites you to come out on a tour, in Lodi, during the “Season of the Sandhill Crane." The season begins with the arrival of the Sandhill Cranes into the Delta and Central Valley in about late September, where they will spend the fall and winter months. Tours consist of viewing Sandhill Cranes and other unique wintering waterfowl, hearing a presentation on Sandhill Cranes and their Reserve habitat, and viewing the cranes' impressive, nightly behaviors at a location that is only open to the public during these special tours. Information on the Woodbridge Sandhill Crane Reserve, and on the tours, is available at: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/delta/cranetour/
Tricolored Blackbird by Al Schmierer
Survey reveals steep decline in numbers
of rare Tricolored Blackbirds
Emeryville, Calif. – A comprehensive survey of rare Tricolored Blackbirds in California has confirmed that the population of the rare bird has declined more than 30 percent in the last three years. The Tricolored Blackbird, which once numbered in the millions, lives almost entirely in California.
The 2011 survey, conducted by Audubon California with the help of more than 100 volunteers, identified about 259,000 birds at 138 sites in 29 counties. In 2008, a similar survey counted approximately 395,000 Tricolored Blackbirds in California.
The survey confirmed that the Tricolored Blackbird continues to mostly reside in California’s San Joaquin Valley. A full 89 percent of the birds were found there during the survey. The survey also confirmed that the birds continue to struggle in southern California. The Tricolored Blackbird, once the most common bird in San Diego County, only numbers about 6,000 in the southern half of the state.
The survey report identifies low breeding productivity as the potential main reason for the dramatic decline in Tricolored Blackbird numbers. Several years of drought certainly played a role in that reduced productivity, as did colony failure. The report notes that large breeding colonies on private farms continue to be lost as fields are harvested before young birds have fledged.
An agreement among public agencies, conservation groups and agricultural representatives to form the Tricolored Blackbird Working Group has brought diverse parties together to protect and grow the state’s struggling Tricolored Blackbird population. Since then, Audubon California has negotiated a number of agreements to protect large breeding colonies on private farms, and is developing strategies to create new breeding habitat on public lands.
Just this spring, Audubon California secured the safety of several large colonies of rare Tricolored Blackbirds on private property. In all, the agreements resulted in the protection of the breeding production of at least 50,000 birds.
Rare Tricolored Blackbird Agreement with Farmers
Emeryville, Calif. – Through negotiated agreements in early May with farmers in Central California and Riverside County, Audubon California has secured the safety of several large colonies of rare Tricolored Blackbirds. In all, the agreements resulted in the protection of the breeding production of at least 50,000 birds, which constitutes more than 10 percent of the species’ global population.
“More than 95 percent of the world’s Tricolored Blackbirds live in California, so we have a special responsibility to protect them,” said Graham Chisholm, executive director of Audubon California. “This shows what private landowners can do to help a declining species and make a big conservation impact. Their willingness to help has been inspiring.”
In the early 20th Century, Tricolored Blackbird flocks numbered in the millions, but since then the population has declined to fewer than 400,000 today. The reasons for this decline are many, but the loss of wetlands and grasslands in southern California and the Central Valley is the main issue.
With the loss of native habitat, the species has become dependent on agricultural lands, with most of the largest colonies nesting in grain fields. Because Tricolored Blackbirds nest in just a few huge colonies, a farmer harvesting a field unknowingly might wipe out a huge portion of the entire species’ young in just a few minutes. Audubon California negotiates with farmers to delay the harvesting of these fields, compensating the farmers for the loss of value of their crops that might result from the delay.
This spring, Audubon California sealed three such agreements. We also paid another farm near a colony for grain to feed one of the protected colonies, so that the birds wouldn’t reduce the value of neighboring crops. Lastly, Audubon California also negotiated an agreement with a Kern County duck club to water its marsh habitat during the spring, which helped to support a 5,000-bird breeding colony.
While Audubon California has facilitated the agreements, most of the funding has been through the California Department of Fish and Game. In one instance, however, Audubon California used revenue from a special fundraising campaign to save a particularly valuable colony in Riverside County. Revenue from Audubon California’s online 5 dollars/5 birds Campaign went to pay a farmer in Riverside County to delay cutting a 30-acre field holding 4,000 birds. This colony represents more than 70 percent of Tricolored Blackbirds in Southern California, where the population has been plummeting in recent years.
“I want to thank everyone who took action to help us work with farmers to save Tricolored Blackbird nests,” said Chisholm. “It’s a simple step that made a big difference.”
FEEDING SONGBIRDS
Studies by the National Bird-Feeding Society have shown that black-oil sunflower, white poso millet, nIger (thistle) seed and sunflower chips are the highly sought after seeds. Birds must consume a mix of fats, proteins, carbo-hydrates and various vitamins and minerals to fuel their metabolism, which can require up to 10,000 calories a day. “A backyard feeder is an especially efficient place to forage because it mimics what scientists call a "resource patch,” a cluster of food much like a fruit-laden apple tree. Even with access to feeders, birds obtain most of their food from other wild sources. It has been found that growth rates, survival rates, breeding success, and clutch sizes all improve when birds have access to feeders".
National Wildlife
Seeds for birds should be as fresh as possible, of high quality, and stored in a clean dry place. Birds choose seeds which are easily handled and digested. They may taste the fat content and seeds high in fat are usually high in protein as well. Birds may avoid your feeder if you put
out old, moldy, or inedible seeds. Birds typically avoid cracked corn so avoid mixes which contain corn. It just stays around and molds.
A clean birdbath is important for your bird-friendly landscape. It is also important to clean seed feeders with a 10 percent solution of non-chlorine bleach solution. Then let it dry in the sun. Get rid of moldy food. It’s also very important to locate the feeder away from windows and cats.
Birdscape: Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Steve Stocking, Education Chair
Help Needed for the Burrowing Owl
I am writing
this letter to ask for your support and participation in an important
grassroots conservation initiative being conducted by the Burrowing Owl
Conservation Network. The Western Burrowing Owl has been witnessing steep
declines in California and the need for a range-wide conservation strategy
was officially recognized by the State in 1995. However, California and the
Department of Fish and Game have failed to take any action since the
release of that Staff Report on Burrowing Owl Mitigation, which has now
surpassed 15 years.
Unfortunately,
during the last 15 years the population has continued to plummet while the
State has sat idle. New surveys have shown a 27-percent drop in the number
of breeding burrowing owls in California's Imperial Valley, and a 28-
percent drop in the San Francisco Bay Area. These declines ride on the
heels of a more than 50-percent Burrowing Owl population decline in the San
Francisco Bay Area and parts of Central California between 1983 and 1993.
In an effort
to increase the awareness for California's burrowing owls and highlight the
need for both a statewide conservation strategy and legal protection under
the California Endangered Species Act, we have recently begun asking the
people of California and North America to voice their concerns and sign our
Action Alert. All signatures will be hand-delivered, along with a detailed
letter, to state officials in Sacramento regarding the need for conservation
action and legal protections.
Because the
National Audubon Society, California Audubon Society and all Chapters have
been and continue to be a critical driving force for the protection of the
world's birds, we are asking for your assistance to help spread the word
and garner signatures/supporters. In an effort to gather as many signatures
as possible and to reach a wide audience, we have made a brief, easily
digestible version for public consumption available as a print/sign/mail
form (attached for your reference and use) or it can be signed
electronically via Facebook or our website:
Facebook
Causes: http://aps.facebook.com/causes/petitions/584?m=624281a0
Burrowing Owl
Conservation Network: http:burrowingowlconservation.org/SignCAPetition.html
We are hoping
that you will be able to provide assistance in sharing this appeal with
your community and members via email or at meetings, through your website,
etc. Any signatures you can help gather directly or indirectly would be
greatly appreciated. Additional information can be found at http/burrowingowlconservation.org
or
you can contact me directly with any questions.
Scott Artis Founding Director
Burrowing Owl
Conservation Network P.O. Box 128
Brentwood, CA
94513
Office: (925)
240-3399
Mobile: (925)
550-9208
P.S. Besides
appealing to individuals, we are gathering supporters at the organizational
level to sign our official letter. Although individual support is great,
the backing of organizations is critical in showing the state that
immediate conservation action is required for burrowing owls. I will be in
touch with a copy of the letter and to ask for your
organization's
support.
1/24/2011 89
BIRD SIGHTINGS
BIRD SIGHTINGS
August 15, 2011 – October 16, 2011
(All sightings pertain to San Joaquin County)
Submitted by Liz West
The Marbled Godwits found by Jim Rowoth on the 13th of August at the Lodi Sewage Ponds continued through at least August 27th, when one was seen on a San Joaquin Audubon trip led by David Yee.
John Sterling found a Semipalmated Sandpiper at the Lodi Sewage ponds on August 16th. On the 18th David Yee also saw a juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper at the same location.
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WINDMILLS & BIRDS OF PREY
Birds of
prey continue to be killed by windmills at the "Altamont Pass Wind
Resource Area." Many of the numerous mitigation measures recommended
by the Scientific Review Committee as part of the "Avian Wildllife Protection Program" there have either
never been implemented or implemented in a piecemeal manner.
Neither total avian fatality rates nor fatality rates of
"focal raptors" (Golden Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, American
Kestrel, and Burrowing Owl) in the area have decreased when compared with
the periods 1998 to 2002 and 2005 to 2009. Some fatality rates have
actually increased between the comparison periods. For the period 2005 to
2007, an estimated 65 Golden Eagles were killed annually in the area!
Given that little has been done to implement substantial mitigation
measures, such high fatality rates for Golden Eagles, as for other
species, will likely continue.
To reduce
birds deaths the existing windmills need to be replaced with fewer,
larger wind turbines, and map-based technologies that incorporate
information on mortality studies and species specific flight behavior and
land use patterns must be implemented. Even this can't protect all
species as each has its own behavior. Then too, what works to protect
birds may not protect bats which are also killed by the turbines. It’s
either that or abandon the site.
Modified
from a communication by Douglas A Bell & K. Shawn Smallwood of the
Wildlife Department of the East Bay Regional Park District to Science
Vol. 330, 12 November 2010
Submitted by Steve
Stocking, Education Chair
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY BIRDING AREAS
As Published by Jim Gain
Lodi Lake
Lodi
Sewage Ponds
White
Slough Wildlife Area
Woodbride Wilderness Area-
NOW OPEN 3rd SATURDAY OF THE MONTH!(as of June 2011)
Woodbridge
Rd/Isenberg Crane Reserve
Oakgrove Regional Park
Stockton
Sewage Ponds
Flood/Waverly
Roads
Caswell
State Park
Mokelumne Day Use Area
Tracy
Sewage Ponds
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San Joaquin Audubon Society
PO Box 7755, Stockton, California 95267
For more information contact:
San Joaquin Audubon Society President: Lorna Elness sjbirdermark@yahoo.com
Send website comments or
questions to:
Kasey
Foley: kaseyfoley@sbcglobal.net
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