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31 Aug Tuesday night radar ["R.D. Everhart" ] 31 Aug Re: birding and presbyopia ["Mitchell, Christina" ] 31 Aug Re: birding and presbyopia [Olga Harbour ] 31 Aug birding and presbyopia [Charles Swift ] 31 Aug Migration Should Pick up ["R.D. Everhart" ] 30 Aug Re: [BIRDWG01] Sharp-tailed Sandpiper info [Dick Cannings ] 30 Aug Re: RFI - Bar-tailed Godwit in Chatham, MA [Joseph Morlan ] 30 Aug RFI - Bar-tailed Godwit in Chatham, MA ["John J. Collins" ] 30 Aug Really Odd Pectoral Sandpiper [] 30 Aug RFI Jamaica [Dr Ronald Orenstein ] 29 Aug Young Cardinal and Ovenbird ["R.D. Everhart" ] 29 Aug Recent BIGBY updates ["gljeinwv AT juno.com" ] 29 Aug Re: Recent BIGBY updates [Dick Cannings ] 28 Aug Himalayan Snowcock, Ruby Mtns., 13 Aug. 2010 [Chuck & Lillian ] 28 Aug Hooray for Young Birders (& a pedagogical note) [Ted Floyd ] 28 Aug Recent BIGBY updates ["B.G. Sloan" ] 28 Aug BirdNote, last week, and the week of August 29, 2010 [Ellen Blackstone ] 28 Aug Red Centre Bird Week - my pictures of the Rufous-crowned Emu-wren & more [bob gosford ] 27 Aug Friday birding ["R.D. Everhart" ] 27 Aug Birds of Aruba, Birds of Bonaire Facebook pages [Allison Wells ] 27 Aug Hilton Pond 08/22/10 (Front Yards & Sourwoods) ["Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" ] 26 Aug Sand Bluff Bird Banding Station (IL) ["B.G. Sloan" ] 26 Aug Quiet morning ["R.D. Everhart" ] 26 Aug Mongolian Plover, Ocean Shores WA [Richard Carlson ] 26 Aug Murder of Crows [Tim Boucher ] 26 Aug Does Common Nighthawk breeed in southeast Alaska [John Penhallurick ] 25 Aug "New" Ivory-billed Woodpecker photos ["B.G. Sloan" ] 25 Aug albino Am. Robin, Long Point, Ontario [John van der Woude ] 25 Aug Photos of Sparrows ["R.D. Everhart" ] 25 Aug New York Times editorial on "Gulf Science Blackout" [Ted Floyd ] 25 Aug It's official: birding is a sport (so sayeth the New York Times) [Tim Boucher ] 24 Aug Fall migration in Israel [J F Levin ] 24 Aug Re: Murder of Crows [Joseph Morlan ] 24 Aug Murder of Crows [Katharine Mills ] 24 Aug 2010 Mayan Bird Research Trip--Tabasco and Chiapas [Rob Fergus ] 24 Aug Migration picks up behind storm front ["R.D. Everhart" ] 23 Aug Some New ABA Publications [Ted Floyd ] 23 Aug new "Bird Feathers" book [Your Name ] 23 Aug Re: new "Bird Feathers" book [Veronica Bowers ] 23 Aug new "Bird Feathers" book [Patricia Rossi ] 22 Aug Hilton Pond 08/11/10 (New River Hummingbirds) ["Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" ] 22 Aug Banding fall migrants ["R.D. Everhart" ] 22 Aug Re: eBird opinion [Robert Kyse ] 22 Aug eBird data users beware [Alvaro Jaramillo ] 22 Aug early autumn in Tromsø [Vader Willem Jan Marinus ] 21 Aug BirdNote, last week, and the week of August 22, 2010 [Ellen Blackstone ] 21 Aug Re: Mississippi Kites nesting in Ohio ["B.G. Sloan" ] 20 Aug Re: eBird data users beware [James Tyler Bell ] 20 Aug eBird Data [Christopher Wood ] 20 Aug Re: eBird data users beware [Dick Cannings ] 20 Aug Yellow Rails and Rice Festival, Louisiana, November 2010 [Ted Floyd ] 20 Aug Re: RFI Peru [Buteo Books ] 20 Aug Mississippi Kites nesting in Ohio ["McCormac, Jim" ] 19 Aug Re: RFI Peru ["Gorton, Gregg" ] 19 Aug RFI Peru [Rick ] 19 Aug eBird data users beware (original post) [James Tyler Bell ] 19 Aug Re: eBird data users beware [James Tyler Bell ] 18 Aug new WINGS trivia question [Rick Wright ] 18 Aug Re: [Tweeters] TR: Brazil Practical Information [Richard Carlson ] 18 Aug Washington State trip rpt. ["gljeinwv AT juno.com" ] 18 Aug Re: [Tweeters] TR: Brazil Practical Information [Ronald Orenstein ] 18 Aug Re: [Tweeters] TR: Brazil Practical Information [Richard Carlson ] 17 Aug TR: Brazil Practical Information ["Levine, Barron S" ] 17 Aug TR: Brazil Practical Information ["Levine, Barron S" ] 17 Aug RFI birding around Gardnerville / Minden, Nevada -- north of Reno [Ellen Blackstone ] 17 Aug Leucistic hummingbird photographed in East Wenatchee, WA [Devorah Bennu ] 16 Aug NWRA Announces 2010 Refuge Photo Contest [Barbara Volkle and Steve Moore ] 16 Aug Re: Listing rarities in bird-finding guides ["Trently, David J" ] 16 Aug Birding Community E-bulletin - August 2010 [Barbara Volkle and Steve Moore ] 16 Aug RFI malaria in Argentina [Tim Boucher ] 16 Aug Re: RFI malaria in Argentina [Rick ] 16 Aug Re: Listing rarities in bird-finding guides [James Tyler Bell ] 16 Aug Malaria [Rick Wright ] 16 Aug RFI malaria in Argentina [Vader Willem Jan Marinus ] 15 Aug Re: AOU Standards [Kenneth Allaire ] 15 Aug Re: AOU standards [Laura Erickson ] Subject: Tuesday night radar From: "R.D. Everhart" <everhart AT BLACK-HOLE.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 22:32:35 -0500 As of 10:30 CST the front moving across the upper midwest is causing the winds behind to shift to out of the north and radar shows an apparent strong movement of birds tonight. Should be some new stuff in the yard tomorrow! Radar image at: http://minnesotabirdnerd.blogspot.com Roger Everhart Apple Valley, MN www.ncbo.org BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Re: birding and presbyopia From: "Mitchell, Christina" <Christina.Mitchell AT UCDENVER.EDU> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:00:38 -0600 My solution doesn't work for everyone, but it might be something to consider. I wear contact lenses and have the right lens prescribed for distance vision and the left lens, for reading distance. (I think it's referred to "monocular vision" or some such term.) The brain figures out which eye to pay attention to for which task. I adjust the diopter on the binoculars to account for the difference (a simple task, although no one else can use my binos very easily). It works just great for me--not even any problem with depth perception. But some friends whom I've recommended it to have found that their brains just couldn't work out the difference between the eyes. My hypothesis is that it helps if the 2 prescriptions are pretty different. For instance, my reading prescription is 3.0, which is a pretty strong correction. So my brain has an easy time figuring out which eye to use for distance and which for reading. Just a theory, though, based on anecdotal evidence. Tina Mitchell Lakewood, CO Charles Swift wrote: > HI All - > > I'm getting to the point where I'm going to have to deal w/ my worsening > presbyopia and thought I'd find out from birdchat members what solutions > work best for birders. More specifically I'm a contact lens wearer and am > wondering if bifocal or multifocal contact lenses work in the field. BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Re: birding and presbyopia From: Olga Harbour <oharbour AT DAKOTACOM.NET> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:55:48 -0700 Hello Birders, I started wearing bifocal contact lenses in the spring and have been completely satisfied with the result. It's had no affect on using binoculars and I don't have to switch to reading glasses to check field guides. It's been a complete win for me! Good birding! Olga Harbour Tucson, AZ Charles Swift wrote: > HI All - > > I'm getting to the point where I'm going to have to deal w/ my worsening > presbyopia and thought I'd find out from birdchat members what solutions > work best for birders. More specifically I'm a contact lens wearer and am > wondering if bifocal or multifocal contact lenses work in the field. The > other obvious solution is normal contacts and reading glasses which I'm sure > work well enough for many although I imagine switching to reading glasses (I > usually wear sub glasses) for various reasons can be a bother - ah the joys > of growing older! > > thanks much, > Charles. > > BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: birding and presbyopia From: Charles Swift <chaetura AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:34:59 -0700 HI All - I'm getting to the point where I'm going to have to deal w/ my worsening presbyopia and thought I'd find out from birdchat members what solutions work best for birders. More specifically I'm a contact lens wearer and am wondering if bifocal or multifocal contact lenses work in the field. The other obvious solution is normal contacts and reading glasses which I'm sure work well enough for many although I imagine switching to reading glasses (I usually wear sub glasses) for various reasons can be a bother - ah the joys of growing older! thanks much, Charles. -- Charles E. Swift Moscow, Idaho, USA (north-central Idaho, 80 miles SE of Spokane, WA) 46°43′54″ N, 116°59′50″ W email: chaetura AT gmail.com skype: charles.swift voice: 208-991-2473 BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Migration Should Pick up From: "R.D. Everhart" <everhart AT BLACK-HOLE.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:01:34 -0500 Hey everyone - It's been blazing hot and humid in Minnesota the last few days and the birds have been really quiet around my house. However, there is a big storm front moving through the state tonight (radar images are pretty impressive) with a significant change in wind direction and temperature set to occur Tuesday through Wednesday. I think the end of the week will see more bird migration activity so plan accordingly. While waiting for that I've posted some images of a Bobolink we banded this summer up north. Enjoy! http://minnesotabirdnerd.blogspot.com Roger Everhart Apple Valley, MN www.ncbo.org BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Re: [BIRDWG01] Sharp-tailed Sandpiper info From: Dick Cannings <dickcannings AT SHAW.CA> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:05:12 -0700 Hi Dave: There are a few end-of-August records for BC, but the bulk of migration occurs in the last half of September. So August 27 wouldn't be unprecedented, but it would be unusual. Dick Cannings Penticton, BC -------------------------------------------------- From: "DJ Lauten and KACastelein" Sent: Monday, August 30, 2010 11:04 AM To: Subject: [BIRDWG01] Sharp-tailed Sandpiper info > Folks, > > I received a question from someone here in Oregon and am looking for a few > responses. The gist of the question is when do Sharp-tailed Sandpipers > start to show up in fall migration? Our earliest date here on the > southwest coast of OR is 15 Sept. Apparently a possible bird was sited 27 > August around Bend, OR, and there is some question whether that date is > too early for this species. Anyone have any insight or thoughts? > > Cheers > Dave Lauten > Bandon OR > deweysage AT verizon.net > > > Join or Leave BIRDWG01: > http://listserv.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=birdwg01 > > Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdwg01.html BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Re: RFI - Bar-tailed Godwit in Chatham, MA From: Joseph Morlan <jmorlan AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:58:23 -0700 John, South Beach requires a ferry and about a mile walk to get to the shorebird area. It is described in more detail here: http://home.comcast.net/~odenews/SouthBeach.htm On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:36:03 -0500, "John J. Collins" wrote: >By any chance does anyone have detailed directions to the site of the Bar-tailed Godwit in Chatham, MA? It is supposed to be being seen at South Beach but I don't see that on any Google map or on my street atlas to the area. > >Thank you in advance for any information you may have. -- Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA jmorlan (at) ccsf.edu SF Birding Classes start Sep 14 http://fog.ccsf.edu/jmorlan/ California Bird Records Committee http://www.californiabirds.org/ Western Field Ornithologists http://www.westernfieldornithologists.org/ BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: RFI - Bar-tailed Godwit in Chatham, MA From: "John J. Collins" <jjcbird AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:36:03 -0500 By any chance does anyone have detailed directions to the site of the Bar-tailed Godwit in Chatham, MA? It is supposed to be being seen at South Beach but I don't see that on any Google map or on my street atlas to the area. Thank you in advance for any information you may have. John J. Collins Raritan, NJ "In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; we will understand only what we are taught." (Senegalese proverb.) BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Really Odd Pectoral Sandpiper From: OLCOOT1 AT AOL.COM Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:54:42 EDT Aug. 28-29, 2010 Little Texas, Tunica Co. Mississippi For those that like shorebirds, here are a few Photos of a mixed up Pectoral Sandpiper seen over the weekend. _http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/odd_pectoral_ (http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/odd_pectoral) Good Birding !!! Jeff R. Wilson / TLBA 6300 Memphis-Arlington Road Bartlett, TN 38135 http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/ What is this feathered thing that lifts my heart to the heavens. BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: RFI Jamaica From: Dr Ronald Orenstein <ron.orenstein AT ROGERS.COM> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 03:29:29 -0400 I will be in Jamaica in early October for a conference, and I would like to use the opportunity to have a try for a few species I have missed on previous trips - particularly Jamaican Blackbird and Crested Quail Dove, but also Jamaican Owl and Black-billed Streamertail. I am aware of Lime Tree Farm but does anyone know of any more budget-conscious way to have a try for the blackbird in particular? Many thanks! Ron Orenstein Sent from my iPhone BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Young Cardinal and Ovenbird From: "R.D. Everhart" <everhart AT BLACK-HOLE.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 13:04:22 -0500 I've posted a couple of pictures of a young cardinal caught yesterday during banding and of the first Ovenbird in my nets this fall. Hot weather continues to make this slow around here birdwise. http://minnesotabirdnerd.blogspot.com Roger Everhart Apple Valley, MN www.ncbo.org BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Recent BIGBY updates From: "gljeinwv AT juno.com" <gljeinwv@JUNO.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:31:24 GMT I haven't done any BIGBYs, but I want to commend anyone who does, or who practices green birding. The last big-day I did was a walking big-day, but other than that, I try to do as much birding by walking as I can and I limit the amount of driving I do in regards to birding pursuits. Gary Felton - Kingwood, WV ---------- Original Message ---------- From: Dick Cannings To: BIRDCHAT AT LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: Re: [BIRDCHAT] Recent BIGBY updates Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 09:11:53 -0700 Hi Bernie et al.: Good to hear of another BIGBYer. I'm doing my first BIGBY this year (or "NMT [non-motorized transport] birding" as its called in western Canada for some reason). I live in the Okanagan Valley of southern British Columbia, a great place for breeding bird diversity (200+ breeding species within a hard day's cycle) but somewhat off the main migration routes for shorebirds and the like. I'm up to 173 species on this year's list, with only one added in the last 2 months (Clay-colored Sparrow on my lawn the other day). I must admit my great plans to cycle up miles of steep gravel roads to get to subalpine forests 5000' above my home have been quietly shelved, so my target of 200 species for the year is slipping away. But I have cycled, walked and run 996 km so am probably a better person for it. I did a blog item on the concept here: http://bit.ly/aBrKXh and a report on a one-day 106-km cycle extravaganza here: http://bit.ly/bv2qeM . Thanks for promoting the concept Bernie--it's a great way to enjoy your local patch and get in shape doing it! Dick Cannings Penticton, BC -------------------------------------------------- From: "B.G. Sloan" Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2010 9:21 AM Subject: Recent BIGBY updates > I started my second walking BIGBY of the year on August 3 after moving to Milwaukee from southern Indiana. My 2010 Indiana BIGBY list ended with 152 species. (What's a BIGBY? See: http://bit.ly/cn3cbv). > > Yesterday I recorded my 100th Milwaukee BIGBY species. Palm Warbler. > > I've summarized my sightings in the following blog posts > > http://bit.ly/9Bc2w0 > http://bit.ly/aZJc5R > http://bit.ly/9xXNwc > http://bit.ly/aZfnSx > > I'm interested in hearing how other folks are doing with their BIGBYs. > > Bernie Sloan > Milwaukee, WI > > BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html > Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html > BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Re: Recent BIGBY updates From: Dick Cannings <dickcannings AT SHAW.CA> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 09:11:53 -0700 Hi Bernie et al.: Good to hear of another BIGBYer. I'm doing my first BIGBY this year (or "NMT [non-motorized transport] birding" as its called in western Canada for some reason). I live in the Okanagan Valley of southern British Columbia, a great place for breeding bird diversity (200+ breeding species within a hard day's cycle) but somewhat off the main migration routes for shorebirds and the like. I'm up to 173 species on this year's list, with only one added in the last 2 months (Clay-colored Sparrow on my lawn the other day). I must admit my great plans to cycle up miles of steep gravel roads to get to subalpine forests 5000' above my home have been quietly shelved, so my target of 200 species for the year is slipping away. But I have cycled, walked and run 996 km so am probably a better person for it. I did a blog item on the concept here: http://bit.ly/aBrKXh and a report on a one-day 106-km cycle extravaganza here: http://bit.ly/bv2qeM . Thanks for promoting the concept Bernie--it's a great way to enjoy your local patch and get in shape doing it! Dick Cannings Penticton, BC -------------------------------------------------- From: "B.G. Sloan" Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2010 9:21 AM Subject: Recent BIGBY updates > I started my second walking BIGBY of the year on August 3 after moving to Milwaukee from southern Indiana. My 2010 Indiana BIGBY list ended with 152 species. (What's a BIGBY? See: http://bit.ly/cn3cbv). > > Yesterday I recorded my 100th Milwaukee BIGBY species. Palm Warbler. > > I've summarized my sightings in the following blog posts > > http://bit.ly/9Bc2w0 > http://bit.ly/aZJc5R > http://bit.ly/9xXNwc > http://bit.ly/aZfnSx > > I'm interested in hearing how other folks are doing with their BIGBYs. > > Bernie Sloan > Milwaukee, WI > > BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html > Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html > BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Himalayan Snowcock, Ruby Mtns., 13 Aug. 2010 From: Chuck & Lillian <misclists AT ATT.NET> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:08:48 -0700 The following is a description of our experience on Friday, 8/13/10, searching for the Himalayan Snowcock in the Ruby Mountains of north central Nevada. Our motel room in Elko was not available when we arrived mid-morning, so we drove another hour to the top of Lamoille Canyon to check the trail. The final 12 miles of up-canyon road are 25 mph. There is what looks like a very nice campground about 6 miles below the road-end. At the road-end parking lot at about 8800 ft. altitude, we located the proper trail head for Island Lake at the uphill edge of the parking lot entrance. We decided to hike up to the lake despite the late hour (most birders start hiking about 5am, approximately 1 hour before dawn.) We started hiking at 11 am. The day was warm, not hot, with little wind. We took our time due to our age (60+) and lack of acclimation to altitude. On our way up the 1.75-2 mile trail (depending on your information source) we bumped into fellow birder Martin Myers, who was heading downhill after shooting scenic pictures. He didn't offer us much hope of seeing the birds ("It's too late in the day, there's little snow, I didn't hear any calling and they've probably flown over the ridge") but he advised us on where to place ourselves for best results. "Just before you get to the lake, the trail will cross the outlet stream. Don't cross the stream; turn off to the right and angle up the slope towards the large black cliff you'll see in the distance. About 400 ft. above the lake is a big flat area where most people have the best luck. The birds will be up on the black wall somewhere if they haven't flown over the ridge, or if you're really lucky, they'll be along the bottom edge of the cliff." We arrived at Island Lake, approx. 9500 ft., about 12:30 pm. The trail was not steep, but numerous rocks can trip you if you don't pay attention. Trailside birds were few. We headed off to the right with the lake on our left, and angled up the hill in the general direction of the large blackened cliff, but we were both tired and reluctant to climb another 400 ft. vertical, especially if there was little chance of sighting a bird. So we moved slowly up the hill. About 12:45 and approx. 50 ft. vertical above the lake, a helicopter approached the cliff, which I closely watched (thru Canon 10x40 stabilized binos) hoping it would flush a Snowcock, which - to my amazement - it did. I followed the Snowcock's flight upcliff until it landed. Unfortunately it quickly walked behind a rock and vanished, so I wasn't able to get Lillian onto the bird nor get a scope on it. We slowly climbed another 150 ft vertical towards the cliff. Around 2pm, after we visually scoured the cliff for 1 1/4 hours, Lillian was scoping a Mountain Goat who was wandering near the top edge of the black cliff when it caused the Snowcock to move and become noticeable. We scoped it for about 20 minutes as it slowly walked along a ledge, seeing all sides of the bird. We never heard it call. I think it was the same bird in both sightings, as the locations were close to each other. Without stabilizing binos, I don't think I could have followed this bird as it walked at more than 1/2 mile distance. No Black Rosy-Finches were seen or heard. There were only about 6 small patches of snow. The next day, at Ruby Lakes NWR on the east side of the mountains, we saw two Trumpeter Swans and a pair of Sandhill Cranes among the more common ducks and waders. Here's a useful website for Snowcock searchers: http://www.backpackingintherubymountains.info/himalayan/snowcock.html Chuck Almdale North Hills, Ca. BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Hooray for Young Birders (& a pedagogical note) From: Ted Floyd <tedfloyd57 AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 12:48:02 -0700 Hello, BirdChatters. On a lark, my three-year old son and I went birding yesterday morning, Friday, August 27th. (Trip reports: http://tinyurl.com/239pzvu, http://tinyurl.com/2dseh57.) He called the shots, the whole time. That means we fed a horse, played at a playground, threw sticks in a stream, and so forth. And to the extent that we did any birding, we did it at his pace. My son did, in fact, get pretty jazzed about three birds, namely, Lazuli Bunting, Blue Grosbeak, and Townsend's Warbler. Probably most of you can guess why: because those three species are visually spectacular. Guess again. The Lazuli Bunting was a "boring" female, and my son thought it was cool that the bird's call note sounded like a Downy Woodpecker...which I thought was an odd thing to say. The Blue Grosbeak was a female, too, and my son thought it was cool that its call note sounded like "the other sound" given by Downy Woodpecker. I pressed him on the point, and he told me that the the bunting sounded like a woodpecker tapping, whereas the grosbeak sounded like the woodpecker's call note. (He didn't say "call note," but I knew he meant that.) I was impressed, but still a little skeptical. So he told me, totally matter-of-fact, "Just look it up on the internet when we get home." Hold that thought. As to the Townsend's Warbler, a radiant adult male, well, I don't think my son saw it. Instead, as the bird flew in, he said, "Listen! It's that bird!" In fact, one of my objectives for the morning was to improve my knowledge of the flight call of Townsend's Warbler. Kids pick up knowledge like sponges, as we all know, and something relatively difficult for us old folks--like mastering the flight call of the Townsend's Warbler--is enviably easy for a three-year old. I mean, he's just learned an entire human language (and a weird one that that!--English, sheesh) in the past 18 months; flight calls are, comparatively speaking, a piece of cake. Back to the buntings, grosbeaks, and woodpeckers. We got home, we found sonograms online (for example, at BNA Online), and we pondered spectrographic similarties between Lazuli Bunting calls and woodpecker tapping, as well as between Blue Grosbeaks calls and woodpecker calls. I haveta say, there are substantially more similarities there than I had previously appreciated. Which brings me around to my point. Despite our best intentions, I think a lot of us veteran birders--when we find ourselves in mentoring roles--make the mistake of assuming that young birders are most successfully inspired and recruited by simple pleasures. "Look, Suzi! A male Scarlet Tanager! Do you see it! That's a lifer for you, isn't it!" Guilty as charged. But I'm increasingly persuaded that it's just the opposite: I think many young people latch onto birding--or any other passion--for the promise of novelty and surprise, serendipity and "secret knowledge," even for some amount of "purpose" or "calling." Speaking for myself, as I get older, I do indeed find that I am more and more inclined to find solace in the "simple pleasures" of birding. But when I go birding with beginning birders (especially those who are very young), and when I'm wise enough (happens more, as I age) to let go and let them do it their way, I more often than not find myself back in an earlier mode of thinking, when the joy of birding was all about novelty, serendipity, and some amout of purpose or calling. During the past 5 or 6 years, I've enjoyed several "Eureka!" moments in which I've achieved some insight about some hitherto undiscovered ornithological phenomenon. I can think of three in particular. And in all three of those instances, I was accompanied by one or more very young birders. To be fair, I had the insight and they did not. But they were with me, and they were constantly "thinking outside the box," and their mode of thinking affected mine, and I was able to discern a pattern or conceive a hypothesis that I might not otherwise have been able to. So let's hear it for young birders! And kudos to all the oldtimers who provide rides and snacks; who provide tips on ID and points about etiquette; who provide access to networking and perspective on the whole birding culture; and so forth. But let's also strive for the wisdom--and, seriously, that's something the kids don't have--to let go, trust the younger generation, and enjoy the ride. ------------------------------- Ted Floyd Editor, Birding Follow Birding magazine on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BirdingMagazine ------------------------------- BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Recent BIGBY updates From: "B.G. Sloan" <bgsloan2 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 09:21:13 -0700 I started my second walking BIGBY of the year on August 3 after moving to Milwaukee from southern Indiana. My 2010 Indiana BIGBY list ended with 152 species. (What's a BIGBY? See: http://bit.ly/cn3cbv). Yesterday I recorded my 100th Milwaukee BIGBY species. Palm Warbler. I've summarized my sightings in the following blog posts http://bit.ly/9Bc2w0 http://bit.ly/aZJc5R http://bit.ly/9xXNwc http://bit.ly/aZfnSx I'm interested in hearing how other folks are doing with their BIGBYs. Bernie Sloan Milwaukee, WI BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: BirdNote, last week, and the week of August 29, 2010 From: Ellen Blackstone <ellen AT 123IMAGINE.NET> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 08:40:40 -0700 Hello, BirdChatters! Last week, BirdNote aired: * Clark's Nutcracker, Bird of the West http://www.birdnote.org/birdnote.cfm?id=291 * Martyn Stewart, on Recording a Rough-legged Hawk in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge http://www.birdnote.org/birdnote.cfm?id=1287 * How Birds Drink http://www.birdnote.org/birdnote.cfm?id=1512 * Birds and Wind Power, Some Tough Questions http://www.birdnote.org/birdnote.cfm?id=1798 * Ospreys and Cell Towers http://www.birdnote.org/birdnote.cfm?id=282 * What Bird Has the Coolest Song? http://www.birdnote.org/birdnote.cfm?id=1799 * Happy Birthday, Roger Tory Peterson http://www.birdnote.org/birdnote.cfm?id=1515 -------------------------------------------- Check out the photos accompanying next week's shows: http://bit.ly/bwhVPG ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Find us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/BirdNote/38299689818 ... or Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BirdNoteRadio ================================================== BirdNote is a two-minute audio program, airing on several public radio stations and available by podcast: http://tinyurl.com/y24e8n. You can listen to the mp3, see a photo, and read the transcript on the website. All episodes are in the archive. If you'd like a public radio station near you to air BirdNote, please ask the program director to check out the possibility: http://bit.ly/8Y2nwv Thanks! Ellen Blackstone http://www.birdnote.org Seattle, Washington BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Red Centre Bird Week - my pictures of the Rufous-crowned Emu-wren & more From: bob gosford <bgosford AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 20:19:51 +0930 Dear all, My report of a great day out in and around the Alice with Chris Watson can be found here: http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2010/08/28/bird-of-the-week-rufous-crowned-emu-wren-and-a-big-day-round-alice-springs/ See you at the Red Centre Bird Week at the end of September - as my post shows there will still be lots of birds around... -- Bob Gosford Crikey.com The Northern Myth blog http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/ Alice Springs, NT Australia Ph: (+61) 0447024968 Twitter: AT bgosford "The NT Government does not respond to random electronic gossip sites." BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Friday birding From: "R.D. Everhart" <everhart AT BLACK-HOLE.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:17:29 -0500 I headed out today for a bit of birding and to check out the condition of some of the local wetlands. We've been needing rain for a while now and even though we've had some pretty good storms some of the marshes are still low on water and vegetation is filling in the dryer spots. I only saw a couple of Turkey Vultures floating overhead and a group of Barn Swallows on some telephone lines. Also saw lots of dragonflies out over the cornfields. The hotter winds out of the south will probably slow down migrants for a few days but things might pick up again by early next week. This should give birds some time to build up those fat reserves. I've added some more warbler photos at: http://minnesotabirdnerd.blogspot.com Roger Everhart Apple Valley, MN www.ncbo.org BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Birds of Aruba, Birds of Bonaire Facebook pages From: Allison Wells <awells AT NRCM.ORG> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:06:39 -0400 Greetings, Chatters- With the Caribbean travel season coming up (which is when we get most of our queries about birds and birding on Aruba and Bonaire), Jeff and I wanted to let you know that we have created Facebook pages for Birds of Aruba and Birds of Bonaire. We created these hoping they might become a forum for folks interested in birds and birding on these two Caribbean islands. The pages are meant to complement our websites, www.arubabirds.com and www.bonairebirds.com . If you have trip reports, photos, etc. from Aruba and Bonaire, we'd love to post them to the site. Good birding, Allison and Jeff Wells Gardiner, Maine BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Hilton Pond 08/22/10 (Front Yards & Sourwoods) From: "Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" <research AT HILTONPOND.ORG> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 07:53:52 -0400 "This Week at Hilton Pond" we explore our small front yard at the Center, finding and photographing a diverse assemblage of flora and fauna from predatory insects to immature hummingbirds to unexpected orchids. For a photo essay about these organisms that could be hanging out in your own front yard, please see our installment for 22-26 August 2010 at http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek100822.html . We also pose a question about the importance of Sourwood trees as a hummingbird nectar source. This edition includes the exiting first announcement of how YOU--thanks to the amazing generosity of an alumnus from past Operation RubyThroat expeditions--can go with us for FREE next winter to Costa Rica. If you've always wanted to study hummingbirds in the warm, sunny Neotropics when winter weather is at its worst in North America, here's your big chance to receive one of TWO $1,799 trip scholarships while supporting Hilton Pond Center's education, research, and conservation endeavors. Don't forget to scroll down for a list of birds banded at Hilton Pond during the most recent period, as well as a couple of miscellaneous nature notes. Happy Nature Watching! BILL ========= RESEARCH PROGRAM c/o BILL HILTON JR. Executive Director Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History 1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA office & cell (803) 684-5852 fax (803) 684-0255 Please visit our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net): Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History at http://www.hiltonpond.org "Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project" at http://www.rubythroat.org ================== BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Sand Bluff Bird Banding Station (IL) From: "B.G. Sloan" <bgsloan2 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 21:31:36 -0700 From the Rockford (IL) Register-Star:   "The day after summer unofficially ends on Labor Day, the nets go up at the Sand Bluff Bird Banding Station in Colored Sands Forest Preserve in northern Winnebago County. Built in 1967, the station is one of the largest small-bird banding facilities in the Midwest, said Winnebago County Forest Preserve spokeswoman Jamie Johannsen."   Full text at: http://bit.ly/aWiMEF   Bernie Sloan Champaign County, IL Milwaukee County, WI BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Quiet morning From: "R.D. Everhart" <everhart AT BLACK-HOLE.COM> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 23:25:52 -0500 I really had hopes of a busy day banding this morning but the woods around me were relatively quiet. I did manage to catch the following: Black-capped Chickadee - 2 Trail's Flycatcher (Willow/Alder combined) - 1 Nashville Warbler - 1 Common Yellowthroat - 1 From reports around Duluth there are still a lot of birds heading this way but the weather for the weekend is supposed to be hot and humid again. I don't know how that will impact birds moving this way. We'll see. http://minnesotabirdnerd.blogspot.com Roger Everhart Apple Valley, MN www.ncbo.org BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Mongolian Plover, Ocean Shores WA From: Richard Carlson <rccarl AT PACBELL.NET> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:56:42 -0700 There is a Mongolian Plover at Ocean Shores, WA today.  Hopefully pictures will follow. RCC Richard Carlson Full-time Birder, Biker and Rotarian Part-time Economist Tucson, AZ, Lake Tahoe, CA, & Kirkland, WA rccarl AT pacbell.net Tucson 520-760-4935 Tahoe 530-581-0624 Kirkland 425-828-3819 Cell 650-280-2965 BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Murder of Crows From: Tim Boucher <tboucher AT GEOCITIES.COM> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 04:54:21 -0700 I've also heard of a congress of crows, but to compare crows to our Congress (a pox on both their houses) is a terrible insult to crows. Some of the names are so perfect: an exaltation of larks! a flamboyance of flamingos! a fall of woodcock! but what on earth - but a long night and a bottle of rum - could be the etymology of a bazaar of guillemots or a leash of plovers? Ellen Paul Bethesda MD BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Does Common Nighthawk breeed in southeast Alaska From: John Penhallurick <jpenhall AT BIGPOND.NET.AU> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:56:44 +1000 Dear Friends, I have been undertaking the laborious task of entering the state by state distribution of Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor. There seem to be discrepancies in Birds of North America Online's account. Under Distribution, there is no mention of Alaska as part of the breeding range, and the distribution shown in Figure 1 clearly shows the breding distribution well short of the Alaska border. But under Systematics, we find under the nominater subspecies minor: Breed from SE Alaska. In George C. West's excellent A Birder's Guide to Alaska, we read on page 501: Rare fall migrant and summer visitant in mainland SE Alaska. Casual spring migrant and summer and fall visitatnt at scattered locations throughout the state (Barrow, Wainwright, Allakaket,Fairbanks,Cohoe,Kodiak,Cordova, Situk River). Best found near Haines along the gravel bars of the Chilkat and Klenhni Rivers and the Kelsall River,27 miles N of Haines. Does the Nighthawk actually breed in Alaska? Thanks, Dr John Penhallurick 86 Bingley Cres Fraser A.C.T. 2615 Australia email:jpenhall AT bigpond.net.au Phone: Home (612) 62585428 Mobile:0408585426 Please visit my website:http://www.worldbirdinfo.net BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: "New" Ivory-billed Woodpecker photos From: "B.G. Sloan" <bgsloan2 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:42:15 -0700 Smithsonian Magazine has a short feature about some recently unearthed Ivory-billed Woodpecker nestling photos from James Tanner's 1938 expedition to the Singer Tract in Louisiana. Here's the article: http://bit.ly/cBf1KA Here are the photos: http://bit.ly/aQHLcU Bernie Sloan Milwaukee, WI BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: albino Am. Robin, Long Point, Ontario From: John van der Woude <jvanderw AT WORLDONLINE.NL> Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:53:41 +0200 I received new photos of this bird. These are made on 11 July by the owner of the garden, and here it seems a true albino indeed: http://www.jvanderw.nl/misc/AlbinoAmRobinLongPointOntario11July2010a.jpg http://www.jvanderw.nl/misc/AlbinoAmRobinLongPointOntario11July2010b.jpg John van der Woude, Holland http://www.jvanderw.nl From: John van der Woude Sent: Friday, July 09, 2010 10:47 AM To: birdchat AT listserv.arizona.edu Subject: completely white Am. Robin with young, Long Point, Ontario hello, a friend of mine just returned from Canada and showed me photos of a 100% white American Robin she had seen on Long Point, Ontario: http://www.jvanderw.nl/misc/WhiteRobinCanadaCrop1_2010-06%20946.jpg I presume it is a true albino, although 100% leucistic is also possible. Remarkably, the bird seems to have raised young. The photo is of 2 July 2010. ... BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Photos of Sparrows From: "R.D. Everhart" <everhart AT BLACK-HOLE.COM> Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:43:51 -0500 With sparrows still a while from making their way south in numbers I thought I'd post some photos of sparrows banded this spring and summer. The photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and if anyone would like to use any of these for educational purposes please feel free. http://minnesotabirdnerd.blogspot.com Roger Everhart Apple Valley, MN www.ncbo.org BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: New York Times editorial on "Gulf Science Blackout" From: Ted Floyd <tedfloyd57 AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:45:08 -0700 Hello, BirdChatters. There's a somber editorial in today's New York Times about how British Petroleum (BP) is preventing credible, objective scientific research from being conducted on the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil gusher. The author of the editorial is Linda Hooper-Bui, a professor at Louisiana State University. Here's the editorial: http://tinyurl.com/3aaubeo I note that Drew Wheelan, the American Birding Association's Gulf Coast Conservation Coordinator, has for several months now been a vocal critic of BP's obstructionist and secretive actions with regard to understanding the true ecological impact of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. In a recent--and very important--posting to his blog, Wheelan takes the mainstream media to task for their diminishing interest and increasingly ineffective reporting on what is still an environmental catastrophe. Here's Wheelan's blog: http://tinyurl.com/37expc9 To be fair, it's not only the mainstream media and BP who are to blame. As Ted Eubanks pointed out in a blog posting earlier this summer, a lot of the estalishment, bread-and-butter "green" organizations are complicit in the sugar-coating of what's really going on in the Gulf. Here's Eubanks' blog: http://tinyurl.com/35kh6pm ------------------------------- Ted Floyd Editor, Birding Follow Birding magazine on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BirdingMagazine ------------------------------- BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: It's official: birding is a sport (so sayeth the New York Times) From: Tim Boucher <tboucher AT GEOCITIES.COM> Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 03:49:30 -0700 This article appears in the Sports section: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/sports/25birding.html Ellen Paul Bethesda MD BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Fall migration in Israel From: J F Levin <ameliede AT EARTHLINK.NET> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:29:01 -0700 Here is a story from the Jerusalem Post on stork migration passing through: http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=185883 Jules Levin Los Angeles BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Re: Murder of Crows From: Joseph Morlan <jmorlan AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:25:20 -0700 On Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:00:12 -0400, Katharine Mills wrote: > Awhile back there was a thread on the names of a group of birds by >species. I have lost that information. Does anyone still have it? Most of the messages here are archived and publicly searchable. Go to: http://listserv.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=birdchat and put (Murder of Crows) in the search box. You will get 28 results. Click on any of them. Many include long lists. Good luck. -- Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA jmorlan (at) ccsf.edu SF Birding Classes start Sep 14 http://fog.ccsf.edu/jmorlan/ California Bird Records Committee http://www.californiabirds.org/ Western Field Ornithologists http://www.westernfieldornithologists.org/ BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Murder of Crows From: Katharine Mills <gkmills AT CHARTER.NET> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:00:12 -0400 Hi Chatters, Awhile back there was a thread on the names of a group of birds by species. I have lost that information. Does anyone still have it? Thanks, Kathy Mills Holden, MA BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: 2010 Mayan Bird Research Trip--Tabasco and Chiapas From: Rob Fergus <birdchaser AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:27:25 -0500 I've posted photos and some notes on a two week trip to Tabasco and Chiapas, Mexico to study bird names and bird stories among Chontal, Chol, and Tzeltal Mayan speaking communities. http://tinyurl.com/2bokrwz Rob Fergus Perkasie, Bucks, Pennsylvania http://birdchaser.blogspot.com BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Migration picks up behind storm front From: "R.D. Everhart" <everhart AT BLACK-HOLE.COM> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:16:38 -0500 Radar tonight (Monday) shows apparent migratory movement in the Dakotas and Nebraska as a storm front moves across the middle of the country. Tuesday should find migrants showing up across much of the upper midwest. Radar image at: http://minnesotabirdnerd.blogspot.com Roger Everhart Apple Valley, MN www.ncbo.org BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Some New ABA Publications From: Ted Floyd <tedfloyd57 AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:30:36 -0700 Hello, BirdChatters. This is just a hodgepodge, and I know I'm missing a lot, but I thought Chatters might want to know about some recent offerings from the American Birding Association. First, the ABA has just published "The Coolest Bird: A Natural History of the Black Swift and Those Who Have Pursued It," by the late Rich Levad. This is an extraordinary book. I'll even state that "The Coolest Bird" is *unique*--that word I never, well hardly ever, use. It's full of 19th-century old school natural history adventure, but it's also a thoroughly modern scientific treatise. And there's something else: "The Coolest Bird" is the saga of somebody who conducted himself with the utmost of grace and courage--not to mention hair-raising adventure!--all while battling a a chronic and highly debilitating illness. It's old-school biology, modern science, and true inspiration. And the ABA is offering this marvelous book for free. Just download it at: http://aba.org/thecoolestbird.pdf. Warning: If you start reading, you will not put it down. So put off your plans to do housework, or play with the kids, or go to work, or whatever. Second, the ABA is now offering the beginner's guide "Let's Go Birding!" for free to anybody who signs up for a new ABA membership. Disclaimer: I wrote the book, and the marvelous photos are Bill Schmoker's. (Bill lives just up the street from me, but he's nearing the North Pole right now. He just sent me some mesmerizing photos of Ivory Gulls, but those birds are in the rearview mirror, so to speak, for him now!) Also, limited quantities of "Let's Go Birding!" are available for free distribution to the members of nonprofit bird clubs and educational institutions. Details at: http://www.aba.org/letsgobirding.html. Third, I recently received vol. 4 no. 1 (2010) of North American Birds. Okay, I confess: I'm an NAB junkie, and I actually read all the regional reports! But there are (at least) two articles in this current issue that I believe are a must-read for all active birders in North America. First is Ned Brinkley's editorial, "Provenance." Even though Ned is "just" the Editor, he's also one of the most gifted ornithological writers of our time. His friends know that, but Ned is so danged modest that his literary gifts aren't perhaps as widely appreciated as they deserve to be. Anyhow, read "Provenance." It's a thought-provoking piece, and the quality of writing is insanely good. Second is Benjamin Van Doren's article on the Brown-backed Solitaire. What might not be immediately obvious to the casual reader is that Benjamin is a high school student. He's one of those super-rarities: a teen birder with superb field skills (he amazed me at the 2010 ABA Young Birders' Camp) who just happens to possess a maturity of scholarship and rhetoric way beyond his years. (John Garrett comes to mind, as does Noah Strycker ca. 2002; Noah, if you're out there, you're an oldtimer now like the rest of us!) Fourth, even as we are nearing press-time for the September 2010 Birding, I'd like to point out, rather belatedly, a few of the online items associated with the July 2010 Birding. First, listen to the all the high-fidelity (do people still say that?) soundfiles for Arch McCallum's article on how to learn birdsong. Here they are: http://tinyurl.com/2ehfcjn. Second, check out the online version of the ABA *video* quiz. That's right: Video, not an old-school photo quiz. This is a very hard quiz, and I commend the quizmasters, Jeff Gordon and Bill Pranty, for their convincing (although not entirely convergent!) solutions, as well as for their easily understood and to-the-point analyses. Great job, guys! Here's the online version: http://tinyurl.com/3yu57p3. Finally, let's give credit where credit is due. The ABA's Director of Publication, Bryan Patrick, is the guy works behind the scenes to get all this great work out there. He totally gets the "new media" revolution, but he's also 100% committed to the top-level quality that some of us associate more with "old media." ------------------------------- Ted Floyd Editor, Birding Follow Birding magazine on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BirdingMagazine ------------------------------- BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: new "Bird Feathers" book From: Your Name <mdodder AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:00:56 -0700 It is available for pre-order on amazon.com the "look inside this book" feature allows a good sampling of pages. http://www.amazon.com/Bird-Feathers-Guide-American-Species/dp/0811736180/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1282604342&sr=8-1 Matthew Dodder Mountain View, CA http://www.birdguy.net http://www.zazzle.com/mdodder BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Re: new "Bird Feathers" book From: Veronica Bowers <vlbowers AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:42:41 -0700 The authors did a fabulous presentation of the material in their book at conference I attended last spring. I'm so glad to know the book is finally out and look forward to buying a copy! Thanks! -- Veronica Bowers, Director The Songbird Hospital of Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue Dedicated to the rehabilitation and release of native passerines www.songbirdhospital.org (707) 484-6502 On Mon, Aug 23, 2010 at 2:44 PM, Patricia Rossi wrote: > Greetings! > > Not sure if this was mentioned before, but a new book "Bird Feathers: a > Guide to North American Species" by S. David Scott and Casey McFarland is > scheduled to be released in September. > > http://www.featherguide.com/ > > Later, > Patricia Rossi > Levittown, Lower Bucks County > circus_cyaneus AT verizon.net > > BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html > Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html > BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: new "Bird Feathers" book From: Patricia Rossi <circus_cyaneus AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:44:29 -0700 Greetings! Not sure if this was mentioned before, but a new book "Bird Feathers: a Guide to North American Species" by S. David Scott and Casey McFarland is scheduled to be released in September. http://www.featherguide.com/ Later, Patricia Rossi Levittown, Lower Bucks County circus_cyaneus AT verizon.net BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Hilton Pond 08/11/10 (New River Hummingbirds) From: "Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" <research AT HILTONPOND.ORG> Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 21:21:14 -0400 We wandered off to the Mountain State this past week for the first-ever New River Hummingbird Festival in Fayette County WV. For an account of what this was all about, please see our "This Week at Hilton Pond" photo essay for 11-21 August 2010 at http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek100811.html While there don't forget to scroll down for a list of birds banded and recaptured back at Hilton Pond, as well as miscellaneous nature notes and an acknowledgement of recent donors. Happy (Still Hot!) Nature Watching! BILL ========= RESEARCH PROGRAM c/o BILL HILTON JR. Executive Director Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History 1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA office & cell (803) 684-5852 fax (803) 684-0255 Please visit our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net): Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History at http://www.hiltonpond.org "Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project" at http://www.rubythroat.org ================== BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Banding fall migrants From: "R.D. Everhart" <everhart AT BLACK-HOLE.COM> Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 15:23:11 -0500 Hello all - After a summer that didn't see me in the field as much as I'd hoped, yesterday was the first fall banding session at Carver Park in Victoria, Minnesota. With summer winding down and fall approaching the birding is picking up. We had a very busy morning with 47 individuals of 14 species yesterday including 5 warbler species. Some pictures and the totals can be found at: http://minnesotabirdnerd.blogspot.com Numbers should continue to increase for the foreseeable future. Roger Everhart Apple Valley, MN www.ncbo.org BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Re: eBird opinion From: Robert Kyse <robertkyse AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 13:15:57 -0600 All opinions are not equal. Skill is not common and requires training and experience to develop. Birding is a practice not an art. Birding proficiency should be recognized not marginalized for the sake of a broader base. Why not test for skill rather than imply accuracy with filters. In any case eBird is pretty "awesome". Robert Kyse Albuquerque ----- Original Message ----- From: "Christopher Wood" To: Sent: Friday, August 20, 2010 2:12 PM Subject: [BIRDCHAT] eBird Data Hi all, We are extremely grateful to the birders who take the time to enter records into eBird and to our network of regional editors who spend hundreds of hours working with our users to ensure our database is as accurate as possible. Thank you. We now receive from 1.5 - 2 million records per month and our growth continues. One of the challenges we have is that as people begin to use eBird, they often do not report numbers of individuals and sometimes have rather vague locations. eBird can accept a very long checklist that covers all 500 miles of birding or vague locations (in that case, enter record by choosing the option to enter records by select an entire city, county or state"). These records then appear on someone's personal lists, but they do not appear on the eBird data output tools. Rather quickly, people understand that all of the tools within eBird work better when we have accurate locations (versus a single checklist that covers hundreds of miles or is submitted at the "county level" or "state level"). We continue to support the use of eBird in whatever way our users choose to participate, although we do try to gently nudge people towards providing effort, recording all species, and counting birds when possible. Not every record in eBird is correct. But we also have a lot of confidence that eBird data quality will continue to improve as we develop better tools for editors and the collective experience and skills of the birding community increases. We believe that the tools available in eBird have improved greatly in the last few years and demonstrate the commitment that Team eBird has to the birding community. We will continue to develop tools that make eBirding easier, more fun and more rewarding. We are confident that the birding community will continue to respond as it has by using eBird, assisting with data quality, helping us review hotspots and helping us improve eBird. We don't believe this is simply Cornell's project, or Audubon's project, but a tool that can be used by birders, researchers, conservationists--literally anyone with an interest in birds anywhere in the world. We believe that eBird can serve the needs of a large and diverse audience but it requires that we all have a bit of patience with each other. We are confident that together we can continue to build a tool that revolutionizes the way the birders, scientists and conservationists understand birds and the world we live. To see a current example of this, see this story in Nature: http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100810/full/news.2010.395.html And make sure to look at the animated map of Indigo Bunting migration. http://www.nature.com/nature/newsvideo/indigo-bunting-highres.gif Thanks to the over 40,000 people who have used eBird, and in particular, those who use it on a regular basis. If you haven't eBirded recently, we invite you to join us. Thanks for reading. Chris Wood (Ithaca, NY) Marshall Iliff (Boston, MA) Brian Sullivan (Carmel Valley, CA). eBird Project Leaders, AKA -- The Three-headed Monster (to our small team of developers). http://ebird.org BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: eBird data users beware From: Alvaro Jaramillo <chucao AT COASTSIDE.NET> Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 10:36:58 -0700 Folks I agree with Dick, e-bird is the greatest thing to come along in birding since digital SLR cameras. Maybe he didn't quite say that, but e-bird is fantastic and we have to keep in mind that it is still relatively new and still in the development phase. The example I want to give is what e-bird has done for the understanding of the birds of a country near and dear to my heart, Chile. A couple of years ago while chatting with some Chilean birders they suggested the need for some type of database for bird records, and one that was public so no single person would be the "owner" of the data. I suggested investigating e-bird as an option. They loved it! This was before e-bird had officially gone global, so it was a good test case, and there were some hurdles to clear early on such as an adequate mapping layer for the coasts, pelagic and offshore islands. All that is fine now. Our filters in Chile are at the regional level (equal to provinces/states) and the data coming in is amazing. This is an example: I included a tiny url, and the full one in case the tiny one does not work. http://tiny.cc/kwodq http://ebird.org/ebird/GuideMe?step=saveChoices&getLocations=hotspots&parent State=CL-RM&bMonth=01&bYear=1900&eMonth=12&eYear=2010&reportType=location&ho tspots=L570658&hotspots=L980692&hotspots=L779208&hotspots=L607130&hotspots=L 516503&hotspots=L613221&hotspots=L502857&hotspots=L817496&continue.x=48&cont inue.y=7&continue=Continue These are bar charts of seasonal occurrence at a series of wetlands sites outside of Santiago. Migration movements are clearly seen (look at wintering Least Seedsnipe for example, migrant and wintering Dark-faced Ground-Tyrants), also contrast the migrant Blue-and-white Swallow to the resident Chilean Swallow to the boreal migrant Barn Swallow! Before this no one could have told you when certain birds leave and arrive, it was in the heads of several people, but not anywhere you could look it up. The amount of data we have received in just a couple of years is more distributional data on Chile than has been published in the last 100 years! A few more years like this, with more local birders traveling more and more and we will have an absolutely amazing picture of bird life in this country. Not only that, the data has already been used to define IBAs (Important Bird Areas), several of which were entirely off the radar before e-bird users put them on the map. Here is where estimates of numbers make a difference, knowing that a site has 5000 Franklin's Gulls is of conservation significance, the X will not give you that. There were several sites with more than 5K Franklin's Gulls we had no idea about, one site maxed out at 21K Franklin's Gulls! Through e-bird we also learned of a very large wintering concentration of Lesser Yellowlegs, with single sites having 2500 birds, this was new. A single cormorant roost was found to have 22K Red-legged Cormorants (the most beautiful cormorant in the New World), and surprisingly previous world estimates of this vulnerable species were roughly of this magnitude - so obviously there are more out there than previous estimates. All of this and more is in e-bird Chile, without e-bird these observations may have never gotten to the public realm. e-bird has taken hold in Chile and it is revolutionizing birding and knowledge there, the impact is much greater in a place like Chile where things have gone from 0 to 60 in no time, than in North America where we have had centuries of bird distribution data available. Here is ebird Chile's direct site: http://ebird.org/plone/chile There may be bumps in the process, but this goes along with any new venture. The final benefits to birds and birders will be awesome. Regards, Alvaro Alvaro Jaramillo chucao AT coastside.net Half Moon Bay, California Field Guides - Birding Tours Worldwide www.fieldguides.com BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: early autumn in Tromsø From: Vader Willem Jan Marinus <wim.vader AT UIT.NO> Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:50:12 +0200 EARLY AUTUMN IN TROMSØ, N.NORWAY 2010 has been the wettest summer ever in Tromsø, not that we normally have all that much precipitation compared to many other places; it has been cool too, never above 20*C. But by now the weather has improved and we can call it quite nice autumn weather: calm, often quite sunny, and with temperatures of 10-12*C middays. There is definitely autumn in the air already: although most trees are still green, a lot of the birches Betula show yellow patches already, and in the heath the leaves of the Black Bearberry Arctostaphylos alpina are already turning a beautiful dark red. Also the flowers show the autumn aspect; of course stalwarts such as Yarrow Achillea, Harebells Campanula rotundifolia, Buttercups and clovers are still in full flower, but the often dominant Meadowsweets Filipendula ulmaria and the Goldenrods Solidago virgaurea are already fading, and the Yellow Rattles Rhinanthus still show a few flowers , but mostly the purselike fruits, leading to the folk name pengegress (moneygrass) locally. Not too many birds here this time a year, or rather, not all that easy to find the birds. (One should always remember, that I am a lousy bird spotter---my eyes are not good, and my ears are fading fast---so that there usually is more present than what I see). I wanted to see a few shorebirdsfor my yearlist that often are easiest in late summer here: phalaropes, Little Stints and Curlew Sandpiper, but I have hitherto missed them all. Yesterday I started out at the airport, where a few places the Parnassia, one of my favourite flowers, and fortunately a common species here, still is in full flower. High tide, but still not too many shorebirds to find: a small flock of Dunlins, another one with Red Knots, and a few Oystercatchers, in addition to the local Redshanks and Oystercatchers and a single pair of Ringed plovers. But everywhere Arctic Terns, adults and this year's juveniles, clearly already gathering before their migration to the other side of the earth; a few adults even half-heartedly dived at me still. The Bank Swallows(Sand Martins) have mostly gone; I saw a single one at the airport, none at Tisnes, where they also nest The wetlands of Tisnes seldom disappoint, but this time there were not many shorebirds there either, a few Spotted Redshanks, and a handful of Ruff, plus the local Redshanks and Oystercatchers. Lots of cormorants now again---also at the airport--, also a sure sign of autumn: in summer they go elsewhere to nest. But this area is chalk rich, so here there are always interesting flowers. Field gentians Gentianella, both the normal violet-blue, and the less common white form, are common here, an autumn composite (Leontodon?) flowers in large numbers, and if you search well enough, you can find two most interesting small lower plants, Lesser Clubmoss Selaginella, and Moonwort Bostrychium. I never rest in early autumn before I have found a few minuscule yellowish-green Moonwort ferns; it is the subtly different colour that gives them away---they are only a few cm's tall. Also many mushrooms by now, but I do not know these well; puffballs I can recognize, and a few red Russulas. Today I drove to the other side of Kvaløya, the wetlands and heath of Rakfjord, where the ground is acid and the rocks granite-hard and covered with heath: fresh green crowberries Empetrum, heather Calluna, now in full flower, and Arctostaphylos alpina with colouring berries and already deep red leaves. Also here Parnassia is common on wet places. The wetlands themselves always look quite drab, except the patches covered with the white fluff of cottongrass Eriophorum. And the marshes are by now almost empty: the Arctic Skuas (Parasitic Jaegers) that nest here, have left, and so have the Whimbrels and Golden Plovers., and even most of the Common Gulls The ducks are absent or invisible in the by now tall marsh vegetation, but the local pair of Red-throated Loons still floats around with their single chick, by now almost full size. I tried the airport area also today, and found basically the same birds, minus the Dunlins and Ringed Plovers. But this time there were some Ruffs and two Bar-tailed Godwits. And everywhere there are Eiders, at Tisnes in large flocks, already with an attending large gull, that kleptoparasitizes the ducks when they surface with large prey. At Rakfjord there were also several Red-breasted Mergansers, as usual, but in addition today was Greylag day; I had already seen some 40 geese on the sound, probably also Greylags, but at Rakfjord no less than 98 Greylag Geese flew in to the lagoon, while I was parked there. When I returned to the spot an hour later, they were all gone again. No doubt they will soon migrate. I'll have Australian guests again two weeks from now, and I fear I shan't be able to show them much more than the fjords and mountains. They are impressive enough, I hope! Wim Vader, Tromsø Museum 9037 Tromsø, Norway wim.vader AT uit.no BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: BirdNote, last week, and the week of August 22, 2010 From: Ellen Blackstone <ellen AT 123IMAGINE.NET> Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2010 08:33:01 -0700 Hello, BirdChatters! Follow us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/BirdNote/38299689818 ... or Twitter: http://twitter.com/BirdNoteRadio ================================================== Last week, BirdNote aired: * Red-cockaded Woodpecker & Southeastern Forests http://www.birdnote.org/birdnote.cfm?id=1796 * A Crow That Makes Tools - New Caledonian Crow -- w/a link to a video of Betty the crow at work http://www.birdnote.org/birdnote.cfm?id=1517 * Wilson's Warbler near Summer's End http://www.birdnote.org/birdnote.cfm?id=1270 * Eurasian Collared-Doves – They’ve Arrived! http://www.birdnote.org/birdnote.cfm?id=1797 * Great Horned Owl Menu http://www.birdnote.org/birdnote.cfm?id=1516 * Great Blue Heron, Alone Again http://www.birdnote.org/birdnote.cfm?id=298 * Who's Who on the Beach? http://www.birdnote.org/birdnote.cfm?id=303 -------------------------------------------- Check out the photos accompanying next week's shows: http://bit.ly/9BNW4n ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BirdNote is a two-minute audio program, airing on several public radio stations and available by podcast: http://tinyurl.com/y24e8n. You can listen to the mp3, see a photo, and read the transcript on the website. All episodes are in the archives. Search for your favorite bird. Shows may vary by station. BirdNote is a great way to introduce a friend -- perhaps a child! -- to the world of birds. Tell someone you know about BirdNote. Thanks! Ellen Blackstone http://www.birdnote.org Seattle, Washington BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Re: Mississippi Kites nesting in Ohio From: "B.G. Sloan" <bgsloan2 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2010 07:23:36 -0700 Mississippi Kites have been nesting in Rockford, IL, for the past two or three years. Rockford is pretty close to the Wisconsin border, so this seems REALLY far north for this species. Bernie Sloan Milwaukee, WI --- On Fri, 8/20/10, McCormac, Jim wrote: > From: McCormac, Jim > Subject: [BIRDCHAT] Mississippi Kites nesting in Ohio > To: BIRDCHAT AT LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > Date: Friday, August 20, 2010, 10:54 AM > Hi chatters, > > It has been encouraging to watch the population expansion > of Mississippi > Kites in parts of their range, including my home state of > Ohio. The > first nest of this gorgeous cicada-killing raptor was just > discovered > this week, in Hocking County, Ohio, and Ohio Division of > Wildlife > photographer Tim Daniel took an incredible series of images > of the > birds, including one of the juveniles on the nest. > > If you would like to see Tim's work and read about the > kites in Ohio, > visit my blog at: http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/ > > In particular, Tim's images of one of the adults carrying > an annual > cicada, then eating it while on the wing, are amazing. I > hope some > Mississippi Kites enrich your home turf. > > Jim McCormac > Columbus, Ohio > http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Jim McCormac > Ohio Division of Wildlife > 2045 Morse Rd., G-2 > Columbus, OH 43229 > 614-265-6440 > > BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html > Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html > BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Re: eBird data users beware From: James Tyler Bell <jtylerbell AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 17:21:32 -0700 I'd like to apologize for the tone of my previous message. I Chatters: I'd like to apologize for the tone of my previous message. I have to admit that I myself have used X to quantify birds occasionally back when I first started using eBird. However, after reviewing many reports where the quantity is clearly known but X was used I refrain from using it if at all possible. It makes me hopeful that other users will gradually move away from its use also. Also, calling folks morons was uncalled for. The people who I categorized as such are just unaware of how their data entry affects the dataset. I know from personal experience that a lot of my old bird lists are useless in the context of eBird because all I did was put a tick mark next to the species and move on. This would also fall under the use of X with the exception of a handful of species that I know for sure were seen in the single digits. Experience teaches us that this kind of data is destined for the file cabinet. eBird needs more birders to fill in some of the large geographic gaps so I hope that my post doesn't turn away some prospective users. The folks at eBird work tirelessly to upgrade the system to make it as user friendly as possible. When I first started using it many years ago, it was workable but a bit clunky. It's a smooth running machine now capable of handling huge amounts of data input in a wide variety of ways. For instance, I just uploaded three years worth of bird banding data from our lab. It came to me in Excel format and with a few tweeks, some sorting and filling, it uploaded in minutes. Snap! Something that I never thought possible just a few years ago. Don't let me scare you away! eBird is an incredible tool and it's just warming up.   Tyler Bell jtylerbell AT yahoo.com California, Maryland ----- Original Message ---- From: Dick Cannings To: James Tyler Bell Cc: birdchat Sent: Fri, August 20, 2010 1:04:10 PM Subject: Re: eBird data users beware [snip] To be a success, eBird has to be appealing to a broad range of birders.  I'm heartened by the steady flow of comments I hear from birders who have begun to use eBird and say how it has changed the way they bird.  They start out by only reporting species (the "x" situation you mention) but soon start recording numbers, then go on to bird regularly at their favourite sites so that they can build up enough data to produce a nice annual bargraph checklist for those sites.  They all remark on how they find birding more rewarding now that they use eBird. I think eBird is the greatest thing to happen to birding in decades, and to call it messed up is, I think, a gross exaggeration.  It is going through some minor growing pains with the millions of records that are entered each month, but I think the system is able to handle these, and as you describe, we are improving the system every year. regards Dick Cannings eBird Canada Penticton, BC BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: eBird Data From: Christopher Wood <chris.wood AT CORNELL.EDU> Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:12:49 -0400 Hi all, We are extremely grateful to the birders who take the time to enter records into eBird and to our network of regional editors who spend hundreds of hours working with our users to ensure our database is as accurate as possible. Thank you. We now receive from 1.5 - 2 million records per month and our growth continues. One of the challenges we have is that as people begin to use eBird, they often do not report numbers of individuals and sometimes have rather vague locations. eBird can accept a very long checklist that covers all 500 miles of birding or vague locations (in that case, enter record by choosing the option to enter records by select an entire city, county or state"). These records then appear on someone's personal lists, but they do not appear on the eBird data output tools. Rather quickly, people understand that all of the tools within eBird work better when we have accurate locations (versus a single checklist that covers hundreds of miles or is submitted at the "county level" or "state level"). We continue to support the use of eBird in whatever way our users choose to participate, although we do try to gently nudge people towards providing effort, recording all species, and counting birds when possible. Not every record in eBird is correct. But we also have a lot of confidence that eBird data quality will continue to improve as we develop better tools for editors and the collective experience and skills of the birding community increases. We believe that the tools available in eBird have improved greatly in the last few years and demonstrate the commitment that Team eBird has to the birding community. We will continue to develop tools that make eBirding easier, more fun and more rewarding. We are confident that the birding community will continue to respond as it has by using eBird, assisting with data quality, helping us review hotspots and helping us improve eBird. We don't believe this is simply Cornell's project, or Audubon's project, but a tool that can be used by birders, researchers, conservationists--literally anyone with an interest in birds anywhere in the world. We believe that eBird can serve the needs of a large and diverse audience but it requires that we all have a bit of patience with each other. We are confident that together we can continue to build a tool that revolutionizes the way the birders, scientists and conservationists understand birds and the world we live. To see a current example of this, see this story in Nature: http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100810/full/news.2010.395.html And make sure to look at the animated map of Indigo Bunting migration. http://www.nature.com/nature/newsvideo/indigo-bunting-highres.gif Thanks to the over 40,000 people who have used eBird, and in particular, those who use it on a regular basis. If you haven't eBirded recently, we invite you to join us. Thanks for reading. Chris Wood  (Ithaca, NY) Marshall Iliff (Boston, MA) Brian Sullivan (Carmel Valley, CA). eBird Project Leaders, AKA -- The Three-headed Monster (to our small team of developers). http://ebird.org BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Re: eBird data users beware From: Dick Cannings <dickcannings AT SHAW.CA> Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:04:10 -0700 Hi James et al.: Yes, there are minor problems with dubious records getting into the eBird database, but most of these can be handled easily by more county-level filters, and we are addressing that situation as fast as we can. We have the same problem with chickadee records in British Columbia, where Black-capped Chickadees are not found on much of the coast, but beginner birders are not aware of that and call all the Chestnut-backeds Black-capped. That will be fixed with the new county-level filters that we are developing. Until now it's been a very tedious job invalidating all those incorrect records, but I plug away at it as best I can--and that goes for the Great Backyard Bird Count records as well. The GBBC uses the same filters as eBird, so that situation will improve with local filters as well. To be a success, eBird has to be appealing to a broad range of birders. I'm heartened by the steady flow of comments I hear from birders who have begun to use eBird and say how it has changed the way they bird. They start out by only reporting species (the "x" situation you mention) but soon start recording numbers, then go on to bird regularly at their favourite sites so that they can build up enough data to produce a nice annual bargraph checklist for those sites. They all remark on how they find birding more rewarding now that they use eBird. I think eBird is the greatest thing to happen to birding in decades, and to call it messed up is, I think, a gross exaggeration. It is going through some minor growing pains with the millions of records that are entered each month, but I think the system is able to handle these, and as you describe, we are improving the system every year. regards Dick Cannings eBird Canada Penticton, BC -------------------------------------------------- From: "James Tyler Bell" Sent: Thursday, August 19, 2010 9:45 AM Subject: Re: eBird data users beware > We had the same problem in Maryland when eBird first started. There was > one > statewide filter. Of particular concern was the fact that Black-capped > Chickadees inhabit the western 3 counties and the rest are Carolina > Chickadees. > Marshall Iliff created individual county filters and we reran the whole > existing > data set through the filters. It kicked out some 6000 invalid submissions! > It > was an odious task to go through all of those but in the long run, the > strength > of the data was improved dramatically. > > However, I still see people who are not from Maryland submitting list > totals > using the statewide geographical selection. Even submitting at the county > level > is inaccurate when the mapping tool is so easy to pinpoint almost the > exact tree > where you saw something. People will report birds seen on a 5 hour drive > from > western Maryland, in the Appalachians, to the ocean. Huge differences in > habitat > range between. If people are that lazy, their data gets invalidated. It > doesn't > help the database whatsoever. eBird is not designed to be your personal > list, > it's a conservation tool. Thankfully, the bulk of active eBirders in MD > recognize this and are sticklers for breaking down lists by location often > within a county or in short bursts of time. > > Another lazy eBirder activity is the use of X. I don't know how many > people came > to see the famous Kelp Gull and submitted an eBird list with X number of > Kelp > Gulls. Huh? Any moron would know that there was only one. Use 1 not X. > That's > one of my pet peeves. > > And then there was one woman who submitted huge checklists dated 1900, > 1901, > etc. Not sure why but there were so many flagged species that aside from > the > date being well before her grandparents were born, it merited rejection. > > Anyway, my rant is over now. If you use eBird consider the fact that > Cornell > just got a grant to run their data through a supercomputer using 100,000 > hours > of computer time. Data folks know the classic GIGO: garbage in, garbage > out. > Cornell's data output on migration trends depends heavily on a clean data > set. > Please use it accordingly! > > PS, if you think eBird data is messed up, consider the Great Backyard Bird > Count. It makes eBird data look pristine. > > Tyler Bell > jtylerbell AT yahoo.com > California, Maryland > > > Subject: Re: eBird data users beware > From: Dick Cannings > Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 08:25:24 -0700 > > Hi Jason: As Will stated, this is a bit off-topic, so I'll be brief. > This is a > problem caused and/or exacerbated by province-level filters, i.e. the > checklist > filter for sightings reported in Banff is the filter for all of Alberta. > So > species such as Black-crowned Night Heron are "allowed" because they are > regular over large parts of the province. It is a difficult and tedious > task > to find local anomalies without local filters. Now that we finally have > subprovincial layers in place in eBird (we've been working on this since > 2006 > and it's finally there) we are starting to develop district-level > checklist > filters across Canada. If you'd like to help develop the Rocky Mountain > filter > for Alberta, please contact me directly. thanks Dick Cannings eBird > Canada > Bird Studies Canada Penticton, BC > > > > > > BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html > Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html > BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Yellow Rails and Rice Festival, Louisiana, November 2010 From: Ted Floyd <tedfloyd57 AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:39:24 -0700 Hello, BirdChatters. Yes, this is an oblique pitch for a great community, nonprofit, birding event. (And aren't those the best of all!) But, more to the point, it's an opportunity for me say that my favorite sort of birding is just a bit, well, offbeat. Basically, this festival offers all the zaniness and camaraderie of a pelagic trip; but instead of pitching around on a boat, you pitch around on a humongous rice combine. And instead of shearwaters, you get to see Yellow Rails flying up from the waves--of amber grain. And instead of the pelagic fare of saltines and ginger ale, you'll get to sample boiled crawfish, hog's head cheese, and pecan pralines. Anyhow, check 'em out: Yellow Rails and Rice Festival-2010 http://tinyurl.com/3y67g6v (Oh, and I should note that there's an important community-conservation angle to all of this. This festival is a great demonstration that birders and farmers can work together to mutual benefit.) ------------------------------- Ted Floyd Editor, Birding Follow Birding magazine on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BirdingMagazine ------------------------------- BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Re: RFI Peru From: Buteo Books <customerservice AT BUTEOBOOKS.COM> Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:34:59 -0400 I hope you don't mind if I suggest a few of the items we have available: GUIDES: 12500 - Where to Watch Birds in Peru. - Paperback - $45.00 - In Stock 12347 - Travellers' Wildlife Guides: Peru. - Paperback - $27.95 - In Stock 12920 - Peruvian Wildlife: A Visitor's Guide to the Central Andes - Paperback - $26.99 - In Stock 12620 - A Photographic Guide to Birds of Peru - Paperback - $15.95 - In Stock 10434 - Ornithological Gazetteer of Peru - Paperback - $20.00 - In Stock REPORTS, HANDBOOKS, ETC: 12155 - Obligate Army-ant-following Birds: Ecology, Spatial Movement Patterns, and Behavior in Peru. OM 55 - Paperback - $10.00 - In Stock 11052 - Four Neotropical Rainforests - Paperback - $50.00 - In Stock 11330 - A Neotropical Companion: An Introduction to the Animals, Plants, and Ecosystems of the New World Tropics-Paperback - $29.95 - In Stock 10931 - Mammals of the Neotropics. Volume 3: The Central Neotropics. Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil. - Paperback - $55.00 - In Stock AUDIO: 13083 - Birds of Peru: MP3 Sound Collection - CD - $59.95 - In Stock 12127 - Voices of Amazonian Birds, Vol. 1-3: Tinamous through Barbets. (CD) - CD - $19.95 each - In Stock 12125 - Voices of Andean Birds, Vol. 1-2: Birds of the Hill Forest of Southern Peru and Bolivia (CD) - CD - $19.95 each - In Stock 10598 - ARA 20. Bird Songs and Calls from Southeast Peru. - Cassette - $12.00 - In Stock We also have a very good copy of Birds of the Department of Lima, Peru, by Maria Koepcke available for $12. If you really want to get technical, there was an entire series of Studies of Peruvian Birds done by the AMNH in the '50s, but if you're just looking for travel suggestions, everything above should help. Please feel free to contact us with any questions. Best wishes, Jamie Hale BUTEO BOOKS http://www.buteobooks.com 800-722-2460 Gorton, Gregg wrote: > Try PERU: Ecotraveller's Wildlife Guide, by David Pearson -- you can find it used on the web. Also, for general info, John Kricher's Neotropical Companion is wonderful. Thomas Valqui's book Where to Watch Birds in Peru is out of print, but you may find it on the web used, or you can go to the CORBIDI (google it; Valqui runs the NGO) office in San Juan de Surco ( a district of Lima) when you get there and purchase a copy. Well worth having, even though some of the material is just a tad dated. > There is also a wonderful book about Lima by a professor of literature that came out maybe 10 years ago. The author's name escapes me, but check the Amazon website for books with Lima in the title... > > Good luck! > > Gregg Gorton > Narberth, PA > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: National Birding Hotline Cooperative (Chat Line) [mailto:BIRDCHAT AT LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Rick > Sent: Thursday, August 19, 2010 6:26 PM > To: BIRDCHAT AT LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > Subject: [BIRDCHAT] RFI Peru > > I am looking for some books that would give me information about > Peru. I have > Birds of Peru, but am looking for more general information. > > Thanks, > > -- > > Rick Holbrook > Fargo, ND > N 46°53'251" > W 096°48'279" > > > Remember the USS Liberty > http://www.ussliberty.org/ > > Reply to: fholbrook(at)cableone.net > > BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html > Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html > > BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html > Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html > > > > -- Buteo Books 3130 Laurel Road Shipman, VA 22971 Tel: 434-263-8671 Fax: 434-263-4842 Toll-free: 800-722-2460 http://www.buteobooks.com BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Mississippi Kites nesting in Ohio From: "McCormac, Jim" <Jim.McCormac AT DNR.STATE.OH.US> Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:54:16 -0400 Hi chatters, It has been encouraging to watch the population expansion of Mississippi Kites in parts of their range, including my home state of Ohio. The first nest of this gorgeous cicada-killing raptor was just discovered this week, in Hocking County, Ohio, and Ohio Division of Wildlife photographer Tim Daniel took an incredible series of images of the birds, including one of the juveniles on the nest. If you would like to see Tim's work and read about the kites in Ohio, visit my blog at: http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/ In particular, Tim's images of one of the adults carrying an annual cicada, then eating it while on the wing, are amazing. I hope some Mississippi Kites enrich your home turf. Jim McCormac Columbus, Ohio http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/ Jim McCormac Ohio Division of Wildlife 2045 Morse Rd., G-2 Columbus, OH 43229 614-265-6440 BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Re: RFI Peru From: "Gorton, Gregg" <Gregg.Gorton AT VA.GOV> Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:49:11 -0400 Try PERU: Ecotraveller's Wildlife Guide, by David Pearson -- you can find it used on the web. Also, for general info, John Kricher's Neotropical Companion is wonderful. Thomas Valqui's book Where to Watch Birds in Peru is out of print, but you may find it on the web used, or you can go to the CORBIDI (google it; Valqui runs the NGO) office in San Juan de Surco ( a district of Lima) when you get there and purchase a copy. Well worth having, even though some of the material is just a tad dated. There is also a wonderful book about Lima by a professor of literature that came out maybe 10 years ago. The author's name escapes me, but check the Amazon website for books with Lima in the title... Good luck! Gregg Gorton Narberth, PA -----Original Message----- From: National Birding Hotline Cooperative (Chat Line) [mailto:BIRDCHAT AT LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Rick Sent: Thursday, August 19, 2010 6:26 PM To: BIRDCHAT AT LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: [BIRDCHAT] RFI Peru I am looking for some books that would give me information about Peru. I have Birds of Peru, but am looking for more general information. Thanks, -- Rick Holbrook Fargo, ND N 46°53'251" W 096°48'279" Remember the USS Liberty http://www.ussliberty.org/ Reply to: fholbrook(at)cableone.net BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: RFI Peru From: Rick <fholbrook AT CABLEONE.NET> Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:26:24 -0500 I am looking for some books that would give me information about Peru. I have Birds of Peru, but am looking for more general information. Thanks, -- Rick Holbrook Fargo, ND N 46°53'251" W 096°48'279" Remember the USS Liberty http://www.ussliberty.org/ Reply to: fholbrook(at)cableone.net BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: eBird data users beware (original post) From: James Tyler Bell <jtylerbell AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 10:50:44 -0700 Oops! In case you were wondering where my previous post came from, I was surfing Jack Siler's birdingonthe.net and thought I was reading BirdChat when it was actually ID Froniers. I'm subscribed to both lists but have them both set to nomail. Anyway, below is the original post to get you up to speed. No need to reply to either post. Sorry!  Tyler Bell jtylerbell AT yahoo.com California, Maryland Subject: eBird data users beware From: Jason Rogers Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 05:07:49 +0000 For those who, like me, use eBird data to compile area checklists or gain a fuller understanding of bird distribution, migration, and abundance, be cautious about accepting the data at face value. While it may not surprise some that the data contain errors attributable to misidentification, I am beginning to find it disconcerting just how many apparent misidentifications I am coming across. Not only that, I am finding a lot of date and locality errors as well. A few examples... An observer reported finding some rare and uncommon shorebirds at a site in Banff National Park over a period of a few days. Because I birded the site on exactly the same days and because the shorebirds were few in number and restricted to a small area, I was able to compare my observations with his. He reported 2 Piping Plovers (the only 2 plovers present were Semipalmated). He reported 4 Wilson's Phalaropes (the only 4 phalaropes present were Red-necked). He reported daily sightings of Short-billed Dowitcher (there were no dowitchers present during the period). Because of these discrepancies and a number of other unusual sightings he reported, I had to throw out all of his records even though some of them may have been good. An observer who visited Banff National Park reported finding Black-crowned Night-Heron, White-rumped Sandpiper, Purple Martin, and a few other species that have never before been found in the park. I sent an e-mail requesting documentation on these records to the observer but never received a response. As a result, I had to throw out all records from this observer. An observer reported Wild Turkey, a number of other unusual species, and a number of expected species, all in very high numbers, as having been seen on a single day in Jasper. After contacting the observer, I learned that these were "total counts observed while travelling from Edmonton through to Jasper and Banff and return, over a week of observations." Because the observer couldn't provide a breakdown for me, I had to toss the whole batch of records. Again, these are just a few examples of what I am encountering on a regular basis. I think eBird is a great idea. But if people are to have confidence in eBird data, improvements need to be made. Record contributors need to enter dates and localities more accurately. Perhaps every observer could be assigned a rating based on his/her experience, skill, and knowledge of the species that occur in the area for which he/she is reporting observations. And perhaps a record vetting process could be put in place. In the meantime, there needs to be a way to contact observers. Right now, all I can do is google their names and hope for the best. Jason Rogers Banff, AB hawkowl AT hotmail.com BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Re: eBird data users beware From: James Tyler Bell <jtylerbell AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:45:43 -0700 We had the same problem in Maryland when eBird first started. There was one statewide filter. Of particular concern was the fact that Black-capped Chickadees inhabit the western 3 counties and the rest are Carolina Chickadees. Marshall Iliff created individual county filters and we reran the whole existing data set through the filters. It kicked out some 6000 invalid submissions! It was an odious task to go through all of those but in the long run, the strength of the data was improved dramatically. However, I still see people who are not from Maryland submitting list totals using the statewide geographical selection. Even submitting at the county level is inaccurate when the mapping tool is so easy to pinpoint almost the exact tree where you saw something. People will report birds seen on a 5 hour drive from western Maryland, in the Appalachians, to the ocean. Huge differences in habitat range between. If people are that lazy, their data gets invalidated. It doesn't help the database whatsoever. eBird is not designed to be your personal list, it's a conservation tool. Thankfully, the bulk of active eBirders in MD recognize this and are sticklers for breaking down lists by location often within a county or in short bursts of time. Another lazy eBirder activity is the use of X. I don't know how many people came to see the famous Kelp Gull and submitted an eBird list with X number of Kelp Gulls. Huh? Any moron would know that there was only one. Use 1 not X. That's one of my pet peeves. And then there was one woman who submitted huge checklists dated 1900, 1901, etc. Not sure why but there were so many flagged species that aside from the date being well before her grandparents were born, it merited rejection. Anyway, my rant is over now. If you use eBird consider the fact that Cornell just got a grant to run their data through a supercomputer using 100,000 hours of computer time. Data folks know the classic GIGO: garbage in, garbage out. Cornell's data output on migration trends depends heavily on a clean data set. Please use it accordingly! PS, if you think eBird data is messed up, consider the Great Backyard Bird Count. It makes eBird data look pristine. Tyler Bell jtylerbell AT yahoo.com California, Maryland Subject: Re: eBird data users beware From: Dick Cannings Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 08:25:24 -0700 Hi Jason: As Will stated, this is a bit off-topic, so I'll be brief. This is a problem caused and/or exacerbated by province-level filters, i.e. the checklist filter for sightings reported in Banff is the filter for all of Alberta. So species such as Black-crowned Night Heron are "allowed" because they are regular over large parts of the province. It is a difficult and tedious task to find local anomalies without local filters. Now that we finally have subprovincial layers in place in eBird (we've been working on this since 2006 and it's finally there) we are starting to develop district-level checklist filters across Canada. If you'd like to help develop the Rocky Mountain filter for Alberta, please contact me directly. thanks Dick Cannings eBird Canada Bird Studies Canada Penticton, BC BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: new WINGS trivia question From: Rick Wright <birdaz AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:46:02 -0700 The answer to the June question, and the new August question, are up on the WINGS website. Have a look at the latest e-newsletter at http://wingsbirds.com. rick -- Rick Wright Editor and Senior Leader, WINGS http://wingsbirds.com, http://birdaz.com/blog BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Re: [Tweeters] TR: Brazil Practical Information From: Richard Carlson <rccarl AT PACBELL.NET> Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:23:35 -0700 Intervales also has a decent & cheap place to both stay and eat on site.  Richard Carlson Full-time Birder, Biker and Rotarian Part-time Economist Tucson, AZ, Lake Tahoe, CA, & Kirkland, WA rccarl AT pacbell.net Tucson 520-760-4935 Tahoe 530-581-0624 Kirkland 425-828-3819 Cell 650-280-2965 --- On Wed, 8/18/10, Ronald Orenstein wrote: From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: [BIRDCHAT] [Tweeters] TR: Brazil Practical Information To: rccarl AT pacbell.net, BIRDCHAT AT LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Date: Wednesday, August 18, 2010, 8:36 AM I would add that I went to Intervales in 2006 for an incredible 5 days, with the excellent Edson Endrigo as my guide, and in addition to the nightjars (three males having a midair fight, one perched in photographic range) I was able to get (with Edson's aid - he uses tapes extensively, for those who have feelings on that point) closeup photos of (for me) near-mythical creatures like Spotted Bamboowren and Slaty Bristlefront.  Ronald Orenstein 1825 Shady Creek Court Mississauga, ON L5L 3W2 Canada From: Richard Carlson To: BIRDCHAT AT LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Sent: Wed, August 18, 2010 7:23:27 AM Subject: Re: [BIRDCHAT] [Tweeters] TR: Brazil Practical Information What time of year were you there and how hot was it ?  SE Brazil was lovely in mid-October of 2007, but I fear the heat at Pantanal, Cristolino & Manaus.  Also, you didn't mention Intervales NP SE of Sao Paulo with it's incredible Long-trained Nightjars.  Also don't miss lovely Guappi Assu Bird Lodge near Rio. One of these days I'll find time to write up my trip report. RCC Richard Carlson Full-time Birder, Biker and Rotarian Part-time Economist Tucson, AZ, Lake Tahoe, CA, & Kirkland, WA rccarl AT pacbell.net Tucson 520-760-4935 Tahoe 530-581-0624 Kirkland 425-828-3819 Cell 650-280-2965 --- On Wed, 8/18/10, Levine, Barron S wrote: From: Levine, Barron S Subject: [Tweeters] TR: Brazil Practical Information To: birdchat AT listserv.arizona.edu, tweeters AT u.washington.edu Date: Wednesday, August 18, 2010, 1:39 AM Chatters and Tweeters, Many asked me to get back in touch with the groups about a request I made for practical information about Brazil a few months ago. The following report only deals with practical information that we hope could be valuable to someone setting up a trip. Our 31 day tour of the country included stops in the Atlantic Rain forest, Iguaçu Falls, Alta Floresta and Cristalino, The Pantanal, Chapada Do Guimaraes and Manaus. With information provided by group members and trip reports, we were able to set up an almost perfect trip to an amazing country. We have nothing but great things to say about Brazil and would encourage those of you who have not ventured there to put it high on your list. Our questions centered around the following: Which Field Guide to take? We ended up taking Van Perlo's Book. The problems with the book have been discussed often, but most in Brazil agreed it is your best option at this point. It sounds as though Kevin Zimmer's book will not be available until early 2012. Which is the best way to navigate around Brazil? We had thought about driving the great distances around the country, but are very glad we didn't go that route. Road signs are difficult to follow and, or nonexistent. Even with GPS I think you'd be hard pressed to get where you need to go without a good working knowledge of Portuguese,  On a trip back to Rio there were no signs for the airport, and I wouldn't suggest one get off of the roads in that neighborhood to ask for directions. That leaves you with flying as your best option. There is a Brazil pass that Tam offers that gives you 4 flights for about $550 US. You cannot purchase this in Brazil. A possible problem is that they do not fly to Alta Floresta so if you're going that way you must use Trip airlines, or ride the supposedly comfortable overnight bus. Tam can set up the flight for you and ultimately we had them do that. The round trip to Alta and back to Cuiaba (Tam does operate out of there) was about $400. Also be aware that the pass does not allow you to fly on certain flights between cities. So for instance, we could fly from Iguaçu to Cuiaba (basically your gateway to the Pantanal) but we would have to go through Sao Paulo, then Brasilia and then to Cuiaba. A very circuitous route that would have taken 16 hours to complete. So we paid extra to get it done in 5 1/2 hours. Itinerary suggestions? We were told often that we had made a good choice in going to Cristalino first and then following it with the Pantanal. Cristalino is exceptional birding both for species and in difficulty. The Pantanal is much more open. Some members said that Iguaçu wouldn't be as important bird-wise as the other places and I would agree. Yet, I think travelers would be missing an incredible site. We didn't enjoy the crowds, but loved the falls. The Mucaco Trail on the Argentinean side was loaded with birds. Due to suggestions from members we opted for 7 day at Itatiaia, Pereque, around Paraty and Ubatuba on the Atlantic. This seemed about right to us. The only proviso is that it is a rain forest and if you get rained out, or in our case winded out, and lose time at one of these spots you can easily miss some of the specialties. We lost almost a day and a half due to weather, but we were still able to see most of the expected birds. We stayed outside the park in the town of Itatiaia about a 15 minute ride from the Hotel Ipe. Much less expensive but not nearly as nice. In the upper part of the park we stayed in a small hotel in a town about 15 kilometers away.  As you approach the top rather than staying at the hotel there continue on the winding road for about 20 minutes to the next town. The hotel is above a restaurant near the center. Worked fine for us. We liked being in a less touristed area. It also gave us the opportunity to interact with the local people. We also spent one night in Pereque, one night near Ubatuba at Corcovado, and one night in the charming city of Paraty. We had 4 days at Iguaçu. 3 were extremely cold and wet so that limited our birding. But as stated above this is not as important a birding area as the others we went to. Still in all, we saw some great birds in the area.  We stayed at Colonial Harbor Hotel for 2 nights. They are right near the Brazilian side of the falls about a 1 kilometer walk away from the park entrance. One of our rooms was very nice, the other in an older part of the hotel was pretty dated. Still in all, great proximity to the falls. I'd recommend a pass on the Bird Park unless you are visiting with kids who like that sort of thing. The other 2 nights were spent at the Sheraton on the Argentinean side. A very nice spot, though some will find it to be very expensive. We did, but it can't be beat for location. It should be noted that going from Brazil to Argentina is not a short walk over a bridge, but is instead a longish cab ride that can cost $40 US or more. You can ride buses, but that involves a change of buses before you hit the border and then extended time crossing the border as they process all the people on the bus. If you chose to try to go to Paraguay, that's also a distance from the falls themselves. We passed on the experience. We set up the trip with an off day between Iguaçu and Cuiaba in case of any flight problems and lo and behold we were glad we did. The frozen (2 degree Celsius) weather caused a closing of the airport in Iguaçu, so were still able to make our connection for Alta Floresta and our time in Cristalino. Before going to Cristalino we had one night at the Hotel Alta Floresta run by the same family that owns Cristalino. It is well known for it's Harpy Eagle nest found a short distance inside the forest behind the hotel. No one had seen the harpy for over a month, so we enjoyed birding the forest and the locale. Really a very nice quiet place. Betania, who runs the place for the owners, is just a delightfully funny human being. We spent 6 night at Cristalino and loved it. Our original question to the group was are there any options and many said basically no. I believe that's about right. Great trails, lots of access by boat to more remote areas, huge tower, and as luck would have it, we were the only birders at the lodge. Well worth it to us. After returning to Alta Floresta we then caught a flight back to Cuiaba (Hotel Las Velas right across form the airport) Funky looking place, but we liked the people working there a lot. Cuiaba itself will hold little interest to most of the group. It is basically your jumping off place for the Pantanal. We then had 7 days in the Pantanal and 3 in Chapada. Again just about the right amount of time. Perfect for the Pantanal with 3 days at Pousada Piuval, 2 at Santa Thereza (AKA Jaguar Wildlife Center), 1 at the Platform (set up through Santa Thereza) and 1 night at Pouso Allegre. This allows you to hit the different areas and try for the specialties at each lodge. We loved the Pantanal. At Chapada, we stayed in the town center (sorry can't remember the hotel name). Again weather became a deterrent. We lost the first 2 and a half days to 55 km (35 mile) an hour winds. Lucky for us we had an incredible last day there that ranks with the best we've had anywhere in the world. So again about the right amount of time, especially if the weather cooperates. We had only a day and a half at Manaus. Way too little time.  I'd recommend about a week, and like any of these places, more wouldn't hurt. We took a cab from the airport with our luggage in tow and got out for an afternoon in the Presidente Figuerido area. The last day we organized a 5 hour boat trip at the docks at the river going to Marchanteria Island. In the afternoon, we birded at the Tropical Hotel. A ritzy place that has a bit of forest behind it. We stayed at the St. Paul Hotel which advertises itself as being in the city center. Nice hotel, but a terrible location. Really too far to be called the city center, yet in the city enough that it makes it difficult to get outside to bird. I'd recommend staying for a few days in Presidente Figuerido at the Iracema Hotel about 10 kilometers north of the town center. Others have gone to lodges and birded for at least a few days farther up river from Manaus itself. That would have been our choice as well if we'd have had more time. Thanks again to all who replied to our original inquiry. Without your information and help, we could not have put together such an ambitious trip. Hope we can be of help to you, or others in the future. All the best. Barry Levine levineb AT fastmail.fm Seattle _______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list Tweeters AT u.washington.edu http://mailman2.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Washington State trip rpt. From: "gljeinwv AT juno.com" <gljeinwv@JUNO.COM> Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:22:37 GMT I returned Monday from a week-long birding trip to Washington State. Let's face it, August isn't the most productive month for locating some species of birds, but the trip was planned around a pelagic. Even though the pelagic was the top priority, I used the extra days to look for species I hadn't found on previous trips out west. I stayed with a friend who lives just north of Seattle. The most notable stops, with notable species listed, were; Everett sewerage ponds - Black Swift The Washington Pass rest stop in the northern Cascades produced - Olive-sided Flycatcher, Gray Jay, Clark's Nutcracker, Steller's Jay, Townsend's Solitare, Westen Tanager, Oregon Junco, Pine Grosbeak and Red Crossbill. The Three-toed Woodpecker, which had been being seen there, didn't show. Notable species at Wenas Campground in eastern Washington were; Red-naped Sapsucker, White-headed Woodpecker, Red-shafted Flicker, Western Wood-Pewee, Gray and Dusky Flycatchers, Cassin's Vireo, Mountain Chickadee, Pygmy Nuthatch, Townsend's Solitare, Spotted Towhee, Western Tanager, Oregon Junco, Cassin's Finch and Red Crossbill. Notables along Umtanum road on the way into Wenas produced, numerous American Kestrels, California Quail, Black-billed Magpie, Western Bluebird, Sage Thrasher, Red-naped Sapsucker and numerous Brewer's and Vesper Sparrows. Hummingbird feeders at Leavenworth, on the eastern slope of the Cascades, produced Calliope, Black-chinned and Rufous Hummingbirds Various spots around Peuget Sound produced, among others; Bald Eagle, Semipalmated Plover, Baird's and Western Sandpipers, Heerman's, California and Glaucous-winged Gulls, Pigeon Guillemot, Rhinoceros Auklet, Band-tailed Pigeon, Anna's and Rufous Hummingbirds, Hutton's Vireo, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Bushtit, Steller's Jay, Bewick's and Pacific Winter Wren, Chestnut-backed Chickadee and Black-throated Gray, Orange-crowned and Yellow Warblers. Mount Rainer - Orange-crowned Warbler and Oregon Juncos around the lodge. A hike to above tree-line produced Sooty Grouse, Prairie Falcon, Mountain Bluebird, American Pipit and surprisingly, a few Baird's Sandpipers walking around on a snow field. We did not find the two species we had hoped to see, White-tailed Ptarmigan and Gray-crowned Rosy-finch, but the view from Skyline trail, close to Panorama Point, was spectacular. In addition to Mount Rainer, Saint Helens, Hood and Adams were also visible. Westport, including the pelagic, produced Surf and White-winged Scoters, Black-footed Albatross (several), Northern Fulmar (many) Pink-footed Shearwater (many), Sooty Shearwater (many), Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel (several), Brown Pelican, Pelagic, DC and Brandt's Cormorants, Wandering Tattler (few), Whimbrel (few), Marbled Godwit (100+), Red-necked Phalarope (few), Pomarine Jaeger (2) and Long-tailed Jaeger, Gulls; Heerman's, California, Western, Glaucous-winged, Glaucous and Sabine's (several). Arctic Tern (few), Common Murre (many), Rhinoceros Auklet (few), Pigeon Guillemot (several) and Tufted Puffin (few). The complete list of the August 14 pelagic is posted on Westport Seabirds web site. Ocean Shores notables; Common and Red-throated Loons, Cinammon Teal, Northern Pintail, Peregrine Falcon, American Golden-Plover, Semipalmated Plover, both yellowlegs, both dowitchers, Marbled Godwit, Red-necked Phalarope. Sandpipers; Baird's (several), Semi-palmated, Least and Stilt. Complete trip list is below. Canada Goose Mallard Cinnamon Teal Northern Pintail Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Hooded Merganser Ruffed Grouse Sooty Grouse California Quail Common Loon Red-throated Loon Black-footed Albatross Northern Fulmar Pink-footed Shearwater Sooty Shearwater Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel Brown Pelican Double-crested Cormorant Pelagic Cormorant Brandt's Cormorant Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Cooper's Hawk Red-tailed Hawk American Kestrel Peregrine Falcon Prairie Falcon American Golden-Plover Semipalmated Plover Killdeer Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Wandering Tattler Spotted Sandpiper Whimbrel Marbled Godwit Western Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Baird's Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Long-billed Dowitcher Short-billed Dowitcher Red-necked Phalarope Heerman's Gull California Gull Glaucous-winged Gull Glaucous Gull Sabine's Gull Western Gull Caspian Tern Arctic Tern Common Murre Pigeon Guillemot Rhinoceros Auklet Tufted Puffin Rock Dove Band-tailed Pigeon Eurasian Colored-Dove Mourning Dove Great Horned Owl Common Nighthawk Black Swift Vaux's Swift Black-chinned Hummingbird Anna's Hummingbird Calliope Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird Belted Kingfisher Red-naped Sapsucker Downy Woodpecker White-headed Woodpecker Red-shafted Flicker Olive-sided Flycatcher Western Wood-Pewee Willow Flycatcher Gray Flycatcher Dusky Flycatcher Pacific-slope Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Cassin's Vireo Hutton's Vireo Warbling Vireo Gray Jay Stellar's Jay Western Scrub-jay Clark's Nutcracker Black-billed Magpie American Crow Northwestern Crow Common Raven Purple Martin Tree Swallow Violet-green Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow Black-capped Chickadee Mountain Chickadee Chestnut-backed Chickadee Bushtit Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Pygmy Nuthatch Brown Creeper Bewick's Wren Pacific Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Western Bluebird Mountain Bluebird Townsend's Solitare American Robin Sage Thrasher European Starling American Pipit Cedar Waxwing Orange-crowned Warbler MacGillivray's Warbler Black-throated Gray Warbler Yellow Warbler Western Tanager Spotted Towhee Chipping Sparrow Brewer's Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Song Sparrow Savannah Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Oregon Junco Red-winged Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Pine Grosbeak Cassin's Finch House Finch Red Crossbill American Goldfinch House Sparrow Gary Felton - Kingwood, WV BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Re: [Tweeters] TR: Brazil Practical Information From: Ronald Orenstein <ron.orenstein AT ROGERS.COM> Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 06:36:49 -0700 I would add that I went to Intervales in 2006 for an incredible 5 days, with the excellent Edson Endrigo as my guide, and in addition to the nightjars (three males having a midair fight, one perched in photographic range) I was able to get (with Edson's aid - he uses tapes extensively, for those who have feelings on that point) closeup photos of (for me) near-mythical creatures like Spotted Bamboowren and Slaty Bristlefront. Ronald Orenstein 1825 Shady Creek Court Mississauga, ON L5L 3W2 Canada ________________________________ From: Richard Carlson To: BIRDCHAT AT LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Sent: Wed, August 18, 2010 7:23:27 AM Subject: Re: [BIRDCHAT] [Tweeters] TR: Brazil Practical Information What time of year were you there and how hot was it ? SE Brazil was lovely in mid-October of 2007, but I fear the heat at Pantanal, Cristolino & Manaus. Also, you didn't mention Intervales NP SE of Sao Paulo with it's incredible Long-trained Nightjars. Also don't miss lovely Guappi Assu Bird Lodge near Rio. One of these days I'll find time to write up my trip report. RCC Richard Carlson Full-time Birder, Biker and Rotarian Part-time Economist Tucson, AZ, Lake Tahoe, CA, & Kirkland, WA rccarl AT pacbell.net Tucson 520-760-4935 Tahoe 530-581-0624 Kirkland 425-828-3819 Cell 650-280-2965 --- On Wed, 8/18/10, Levine, Barron S wrote: From: Levine, Barron S Subject: [Tweeters] TR: Brazil Practical Information To: birdchat AT listserv.arizona.edu, tweeters AT u.washington.edu Date: Wednesday, August 18, 2010, 1:39 AM Chatters and Tweeters, Many asked me to get back in touch with the groups about a request I made for practical information about Brazil a few months ago. The following report only deals with practical information that we hope could be valuable to someone setting up a trip. Our 31 day tour of the country included stops in the Atlantic Rain forest, Iguaçu Falls, Alta Floresta and Cristalino, The Pantanal, Chapada Do Guimaraes and Manaus. With information provided by group members and trip reports, we were able to set up an almost perfect trip to an amazing country. We have nothing but great things to say about Brazil and would encourage those of you who have not ventured there to put it high on your list. Our questions centered around the following: Which Field Guide to take? We ended up taking Van Perlo's Book. The problems with the book have been discussed often, but most in Brazil agreed it is your best option at this point. It sounds as though Kevin Zimmer's book will not be available until early 2012. Which is the best way to navigate around Brazil? We had thought about driving the great distances around the country, but are very glad we didn't go that route. Road signs are difficult to follow and, or nonexistent. Even with GPS I think you'd be hard pressed to get where you need to go without a good working knowledge of Portuguese, On a trip back to Rio there were no signs for the airport, and I wouldn't suggest one get off of the roads in that neighborhood to ask for directions. That leaves you with flying as your best option. There is a Brazil pass that Tam offers that gives you 4 flights for about $550 US. You cannot purchase this in Brazil. A possible problem is that they do not fly to Alta Floresta so if you're going that way you must use Trip airlines, or ride the supposedly comfortable overnight bus. Tam can set up the flight for you and ultimately we had them do that. The round trip to Alta and back to Cuiaba (Tam does operate out of there) was about $400. Also be aware that the pass does not allow you to fly on certain flights between cities. So for instance, we could fly from Iguaçu to Cuiaba (basically your gateway to the Pantanal) but we would have to go through Sao Paulo, then Brasilia and then to Cuiaba. A very circuitous route that would have taken 16 hours to complete. So we paid extra to get it done in 5 1/2 hours. Itinerary suggestions? We were told often that we had made a good choice in going to Cristalino first and then following it with the Pantanal. Cristalino is exceptional birding both for species and in difficulty. The Pantanal is much more open. Some members said that Iguaçu wouldn't be as important bird-wise as the other places and I would agree. Yet, I think travelers would be missing an incredible site. We didn't enjoy the crowds, but loved the falls. The Mucaco Trail on the Argentinean side was loaded with birds. Due to suggestions from members we opted for 7 day at Itatiaia, Pereque, around Paraty and Ubatuba on the Atlantic. This seemed about right to us. The only proviso is that it is a rain forest and if you get rained out, or in our case winded out, and lose time at one of these spots you can easily miss some of the specialties. We lost almost a day and a half due to weather, but we were still able to see most of the expected birds. We stayed outside the park in the town of Itatiaia about a 15 minute ride from the Hotel Ipe. Much less expensive but not nearly as nice. In the upper part of the park we stayed in a small hotel in a town about 15 kilometers away. As you approach the top rather than staying at the hotel there continue on the winding road for about 20 minutes to the next town. The hotel is above a restaurant near the center. Worked fine for us. We liked being in a less touristed area. It also gave us the opportunity to interact with the local people. We also spent one night in Pereque, one night near Ubatuba at Corcovado, and one night in the charming city of Paraty. We had 4 days at Iguaçu. 3 were extremely cold and wet so that limited our birding. But as stated above this is not as important a birding area as the others we went to. Still in all, we saw some great birds in the area. We stayed at Colonial Harbor Hotel for 2 nights. They are right near the Brazilian side of the falls about a 1 kilometer walk away from the park entrance. One of our rooms was very nice, the other in an older part of the hotel was pretty dated. Still in all, great proximity to the falls. I'd recommend a pass on the Bird Park unless you are visiting with kids who like that sort of thing. The other 2 nights were spent at the Sheraton on the Argentinean side. A very nice spot, though some will find it to be very expensive. We did, but it can't be beat for location. It should be noted that going from Brazil to Argentina is not a short walk over a bridge, but is instead a longish cab ride that can cost $40 US or more. You can ride buses, but that involves a change of buses before you hit the border and then extended time crossing the border as they process all the people on the bus. If you chose to try to go to Paraguay, that's also a distance from the falls themselves. We passed on the experience. We set up the trip with an off day between Iguaçu and Cuiaba in case of any flight problems and lo and behold we were glad we did. The frozen (2 degree Celsius) weather caused a closing of the airport in Iguaçu, so were still able to make our connection for Alta Floresta and our time in Cristalino. Before going to Cristalino we had one night at the Hotel Alta Floresta run by the same family that owns Cristalino. It is well known for it's Harpy Eagle nest found a short distance inside the forest behind the hotel. No one had seen the harpy for over a month, so we enjoyed birding the forest and the locale. Really a very nice quiet place. Betania, who runs the place for the owners, is just a delightfully funny human being. We spent 6 night at Cristalino and loved it. Our original question to the group was are there any options and many said basically no. I believe that's about right. Great trails, lots of access by boat to more remote areas, huge tower, and as luck would have it, we were the only birders at the lodge. Well worth it to us. After returning to Alta Floresta we then caught a flight back to Cuiaba (Hotel Las Velas right across form the airport) Funky looking place, but we liked the people working there a lot. Cuiaba itself will hold little interest to most of the group. It is basically your jumping off place for the Pantanal. We then had 7 days in the Pantanal and 3 in Chapada. Again just about the right amount of time. Perfect for the Pantanal with 3 days at Pousada Piuval, 2 at Santa Thereza (AKA Jaguar Wildlife Center), 1 at the Platform (set up through Santa Thereza) and 1 night at Pouso Allegre. This allows you to hit the different areas and try for the specialties at each lodge. We loved the Pantanal. At Chapada, we stayed in the town center (sorry can't remember the hotel name). Again weather became a deterrent. We lost the first 2 and a half days to 55 km (35 mile) an hour winds. Lucky for us we had an incredible last day there that ranks with the best we've had anywhere in the world. So again about the right amount of time, especially if the weather cooperates. We had only a day and a half at Manaus. Way too little time. I'd recommend about a week, and like any of these places, more wouldn't hurt. We took a cab from the airport with our luggage in tow and got out for an afternoon in the Presidente Figuerido area. The last day we organized a 5 hour boat trip at the docks at the river going to Marchanteria Island. In the afternoon, we birded at the Tropical Hotel. A ritzy place that has a bit of forest behind it. We stayed at the St. Paul Hotel which advertises itself as being in the city center. Nice hotel, but a terrible location. Really too far to be called the city center, yet in the city enough that it makes it difficult to get outside to bird. I'd recommend staying for a few days in Presidente Figuerido at the Iracema Hotel about 10 kilometers north of the town center. Others have gone to lodges and birded for at least a few days farther up river from Manaus itself. That would have been our choice as well if we'd have had more time. Thanks again to all who replied to our original inquiry. Without your information and help, we could not have put together such an ambitious trip. Hope we can be of help to you, or others in the future. All the best. Barry Levine levineb AT fastmail.fm Seattle _______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list Tweeters AT u.washington.edu http://mailman2.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Re: [Tweeters] TR: Brazil Practical Information From: Richard Carlson <rccarl AT PACBELL.NET> Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 04:23:27 -0700 What time of year were you there and how hot was it ?  SE Brazil was lovely in mid-October of 2007, but I fear the heat at Pantanal, Cristolino & Manaus.  Also, you didn't mention Intervales NP SE of Sao Paulo with it's incredible Long-trained Nightjars.  Also don't miss lovely Guappi Assu Bird Lodge near Rio. One of these days I'll find time to write up my trip report. RCC Richard Carlson Full-time Birder, Biker and Rotarian Part-time Economist Tucson, AZ, Lake Tahoe, CA, & Kirkland, WA rccarl AT pacbell.net Tucson 520-760-4935 Tahoe 530-581-0624 Kirkland 425-828-3819 Cell 650-280-2965 --- On Wed, 8/18/10, Levine, Barron S wrote: From: Levine, Barron S Subject: [Tweeters] TR: Brazil Practical Information To: birdchat AT listserv.arizona.edu, tweeters AT u.washington.edu Date: Wednesday, August 18, 2010, 1:39 AM Chatters and Tweeters, Many asked me to get back in touch with the groups about a request I made for practical information about Brazil a few months ago. The following report only deals with practical information that we hope could be valuable to someone setting up a trip. Our 31 day tour of the country included stops in the Atlantic Rain forest, Iguaçu Falls, Alta Floresta and Cristalino, The Pantanal, Chapada Do Guimaraes and Manaus. With information provided by group members and trip reports, we were able to set up an almost perfect trip to an amazing country. We have nothing but great things to say about Brazil and would encourage those of you who have not ventured there to put it high on your list. Our questions centered around the following: Which Field Guide to take? We ended up taking Van Perlo's Book. The problems with the book have been discussed often, but most in Brazil agreed it is your best option at this point. It sounds as though Kevin Zimmer's book will not be available until early 2012. Which is the best way to navigate around Brazil? We had thought about driving the great distances around the country, but are very glad we didn't go that route. Road signs are difficult to follow and, or nonexistent. Even with GPS I think you'd be hard pressed to get where you need to go without a good working knowledge of Portuguese,  On a trip back to Rio there were no signs for the airport, and I wouldn't suggest one get off of the roads in that neighborhood to ask for directions. That leaves you with flying as your best option. There is a Brazil pass that Tam offers that gives you 4 flights for about $550 US. You cannot purchase this in Brazil. A possible problem is that they do not fly to Alta Floresta so if you're going that way you must use Trip airlines, or ride the supposedly comfortable overnight bus. Tam can set up the flight for you and ultimately we had them do that. The round trip to Alta and back to Cuiaba (Tam does operate out of there) was about $400. Also be aware that the pass does not allow you to fly on certain flights between cities. So for instance, we could fly from Iguaçu to Cuiaba (basically your gateway to the Pantanal) but we would have to go through Sao Paulo, then Brasilia and then to Cuiaba. A very circuitous route that would have taken 16 hours to complete. So we paid extra to get it done in 5 1/2 hours. Itinerary suggestions? We were told often that we had made a good choice in going to Cristalino first and then following it with the Pantanal. Cristalino is exceptional birding both for species and in difficulty. The Pantanal is much more open. Some members said that Iguaçu wouldn't be as important bird-wise as the other places and I would agree. Yet, I think travelers would be missing an incredible site. We didn't enjoy the crowds, but loved the falls. The Mucaco Trail on the Argentinean side was loaded with birds. Due to suggestions from members we opted for 7 day at Itatiaia, Pereque, around Paraty and Ubatuba on the Atlantic. This seemed about right to us. The only proviso is that it is a rain forest and if you get rained out, or in our case winded out, and lose time at one of these spots you can easily miss some of the specialties. We lost almost a day and a half due to weather, but we were still able to see most of the expected birds. We stayed outside the park in the town of Itatiaia about a 15 minute ride from the Hotel Ipe. Much less expensive but not nearly as nice. In the upper part of the park we stayed in a small hotel in a town about 15 kilometers away.  As you approach the top rather than staying at the hotel there continue on the winding road for about 20 minutes to the next town. The hotel is above a restaurant near the center. Worked fine for us. We liked being in a less touristed area. It also gave us the opportunity to interact with the local people. We also spent one night in Pereque, one night near Ubatuba at Corcovado, and one night in the charming city of Paraty. We had 4 days at Iguaçu. 3 were extremely cold and wet so that limited our birding. But as stated above this is not as important a birding area as the others we went to. Still in all, we saw some great birds in the area.  We stayed at Colonial Harbor Hotel for 2 nights. They are right near the Brazilian side of the falls about a 1 kilometer walk away from the park entrance. One of our rooms was very nice, the other in an older part of the hotel was pretty dated. Still in all, great proximity to the falls. I'd recommend a pass on the Bird Park unless you are visiting with kids who like that sort of thing. The other 2 nights were spent at the Sheraton on the Argentinean side. A very nice spot, though some will find it to be very expensive. We did, but it can't be beat for location. It should be noted that going from Brazil to Argentina is not a short walk over a bridge, but is instead a longish cab ride that can cost $40 US or more. You can ride buses, but that involves a change of buses before you hit the border and then extended time crossing the border as they process all the people on the bus. If you chose to try to go to Paraguay, that's also a distance from the falls themselves. We passed on the experience. We set up the trip with an off day between Iguaçu and Cuiaba in case of any flight problems and lo and behold we were glad we did. The frozen (2 degree Celsius) weather caused a closing of the airport in Iguaçu, so were still able to make our connection for Alta Floresta and our time in Cristalino. Before going to Cristalino we had one night at the Hotel Alta Floresta run by the same family that owns Cristalino. It is well known for it's Harpy Eagle nest found a short distance inside the forest behind the hotel. No one had seen the harpy for over a month, so we enjoyed birding the forest and the locale. Really a very nice quiet place. Betania, who runs the place for the owners, is just a delightfully funny human being. We spent 6 night at Cristalino and loved it. Our original question to the group was are there any options and many said basically no. I believe that's about right. Great trails, lots of access by boat to more remote areas, huge tower, and as luck would have it, we were the only birders at the lodge. Well worth it to us. After returning to Alta Floresta we then caught a flight back to Cuiaba (Hotel Las Velas right across form the airport) Funky looking place, but we liked the people working there a lot. Cuiaba itself will hold little interest to most of the group. It is basically your jumping off place for the Pantanal. We then had 7 days in the Pantanal and 3 in Chapada. Again just about the right amount of time. Perfect for the Pantanal with 3 days at Pousada Piuval, 2 at Santa Thereza (AKA Jaguar Wildlife Center), 1 at the Platform (set up through Santa Thereza) and 1 night at Pouso Allegre. This allows you to hit the different areas and try for the specialties at each lodge. We loved the Pantanal. At Chapada, we stayed in the town center (sorry can't remember the hotel name). Again weather became a deterrent. We lost the first 2 and a half days to 55 km (35 mile) an hour winds. Lucky for us we had an incredible last day there that ranks with the best we've had anywhere in the world. So again about the right amount of time, especially if the weather cooperates. We had only a day and a half at Manaus. Way too little time.  I'd recommend about a week, and like any of these places, more wouldn't hurt. We took a cab from the airport with our luggage in tow and got out for an afternoon in the Presidente Figuerido area. The last day we organized a 5 hour boat trip at the docks at the river going to Marchanteria Island. In the afternoon, we birded at the Tropical Hotel. A ritzy place that has a bit of forest behind it. We stayed at the St. Paul Hotel which advertises itself as being in the city center. Nice hotel, but a terrible location. Really too far to be called the city center, yet in the city enough that it makes it difficult to get outside to bird. I'd recommend staying for a few days in Presidente Figuerido at the Iracema Hotel about 10 kilometers north of the town center. Others have gone to lodges and birded for at least a few days farther up river from Manaus itself. That would have been our choice as well if we'd have had more time. Thanks again to all who replied to our original inquiry. Without your information and help, we could not have put together such an ambitious trip. Hope we can be of help to you, or others in the future. All the best. Barry Levine levineb AT fastmail.fm Seattle _______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list Tweeters AT u.washington.edu http://mailman2.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: TR: Brazil Practical Information From: "Levine, Barron S" <LevineB AT bsd405.org> Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 23:39:22 -0700 Chatters and Tweeters, Many asked me to get back in touch with the groups about a request I made for practical information about Brazil a few months ago. The following report only deals with practical information that we hope could be valuable to someone setting up a trip. Our 31 day tour of the country included stops in the Atlantic Rain forest, Iguaçu Falls, Alta Floresta and Cristalino, The Pantanal, Chapada Do Guimaraes and Manaus. With information provided by group members and trip reports, we were able to set up an almost perfect trip to an amazing country. We have nothing but great things to say about Brazil and would encourage those of you who have not ventured there to put it high on your list. Our questions centered around the following: Which Field Guide to take? We ended up taking Van Perlo's Book. The problems with the book have been discussed often, but most in Brazil agreed it is your best option at this point. It sounds as though Kevin Zimmer's book will not be available until early 2012. Which is the best way to navigate around Brazil? We had thought about driving the great distances around the country, but are very glad we didn't go that route. Road signs are difficult to follow and, or nonexistent. Even with GPS I think you'd be hard pressed to get where you need to go without a good working knowledge of Portuguese, On a trip back to Rio there were no signs for the airport, and I wouldn't suggest one get off of the roads in that neighborhood to ask for directions. That leaves you with flying as your best option. There is a Brazil pass that Tam offers that gives you 4 flights for about $550 US. You cannot purchase this in Brazil. A possible problem is that they do not fly to Alta Floresta so if you're going that way you must use Trip airlines, or ride the supposedly comfortable overnight bus. Tam can set up the flight for you and ultimately we had them do that. The round trip to Alta and back to Cuiaba (Tam does operate out of there) was about $400. Also be aware that the pass does not allow you to fly on certain flights between cities. So for instance, we could fly from Iguaçu to Cuiaba (basically your gateway to the Pantanal) but we would have to go through Sao Paulo, then Brasilia and then to Cuiaba. A very circuitous route that would have taken 16 hours to complete. So we paid extra to get it done in 5 1/2 hours. Itinerary suggestions? We were told often that we had made a good choice in going to Cristalino first and then following it with the Pantanal. Cristalino is exceptional birding both for species and in difficulty. The Pantanal is much more open. Some members said that Iguaçu wouldn't be as important bird-wise as the other places and I would agree. Yet, I think travelers would be missing an incredible site. We didn't enjoy the crowds, but loved the falls. The Mucaco Trail on the Argentinean side was loaded with birds. Due to suggestions from members we opted for 7 day at Itatiaia, Pereque, around Paraty and Ubatuba on the Atlantic. This seemed about right to us. The only proviso is that it is a rain forest and if you get rained out, or in our case winded out, and lose time at one of these spots you can easily miss some of the specialties. We lost almost a day and a half due to weather, but we were still able to see most of the expected birds. We stayed outside the park in the town of Itatiaia about a 15 minute ride from the Hotel Ipe. Much less expensive but not nearly as nice. In the upper part of the park we stayed in a small hotel in a town about 15 kilometers away. As you approach the top rather than staying at the hotel there continue on the winding road for about 20 minutes to the next town. The hotel is above a restaurant near the center. Worked fine for us. We liked being in a less touristed area. It also gave us the opportunity to interact with the local people. We also spent one night in Pereque, one night near Ubatuba at Corcovado, and one night in the charming city of Paraty. We had 4 days at Iguaçu. 3 were extremely cold and wet so that limited our birding. But as stated above this is not as important a birding area as the others we went to. Still in all, we saw some great birds in the area. We stayed at Colonial Harbor Hotel for 2 nights. They are right near the Brazilian side of the falls about a 1 kilometer walk away from the park entrance. One of our rooms was very nice, the other in an older part of the hotel was pretty dated. Still in all, great proximity to the falls. I'd recommend a pass on the Bird Park unless you are visiting with kids who like that sort of thing. The other 2 nights were spent at the Sheraton on the Argentinean side. A very nice spot, though some will find it to be very expensive. We did, but it can't be beat for location. It should be noted that going from Brazil to Argentina is not a short walk over a bridge, but is instead a longish cab ride that can cost $40 US or more. You can ride buses, but that involves a change of buses before you hit the border and then extended time crossing the border as they process all the people on the bus. If you chose to try to go to Paraguay, that's also a distance from the falls themselves. We passed on the experience. We set up the trip with an off day between Iguaçu and Cuiaba in case of any flight problems and lo and behold we were glad we did. The frozen (2 degree Celsius) weather caused a closing of the airport in Iguaçu, so were still able to make our connection for Alta Floresta and our time in Cristalino. Before going to Cristalino we had one night at the Hotel Alta Floresta run by the same family that owns Cristalino. It is well known for it's Harpy Eagle nest found a short distance inside the forest behind the hotel. No one had seen the harpy for over a month, so we enjoyed birding the forest and the locale. Really a very nice quiet place. Betania, who runs the place for the owners, is just a delightfully funny human being. We spent 6 night at Cristalino and loved it. Our original question to the group was are there any options and many said basically no. I believe that's about right. Great trails, lots of access by boat to more remote areas, huge tower, and as luck would have it, we were the only birders at the lodge. Well worth it to us. After returning to Alta Floresta we then caught a flight back to Cuiaba (Hotel Las Velas right across form the airport) Funky looking place, but we liked the people working there a lot. Cuiaba itself will hold little interest to most of the group. It is basically your jumping off place for the Pantanal. We then had 7 days in the Pantanal and 3 in Chapada. Again just about the right amount of time. Perfect for the Pantanal with 3 days at Pousada Piuval, 2 at Santa Thereza (AKA Jaguar Wildlife Center), 1 at the Platform (set up through Santa Thereza) and 1 night at Pouso Allegre. This allows you to hit the different areas and try for the specialties at each lodge. We loved the Pantanal. At Chapada, we stayed in the town center (sorry can't remember the hotel name). Again weather became a deterrent. We lost the first 2 and a half days to 55 km (35 mile) an hour winds. Lucky for us we had an incredible last day there that ranks with the best we've had anywhere in the world. So again about the right amount of time, especially if the weather cooperates. We had only a day and a half at Manaus. Way too little time. I'd recommend about a week, and like any of these places, more wouldn't hurt. We took a cab from the airport with our luggage in tow and got out for an afternoon in the Presidente Figuerido area. The last day we organized a 5 hour boat trip at the docks at the river going to Marchanteria Island. In the afternoon, we birded at the Tropical Hotel. A ritzy place that has a bit of forest behind it. We stayed at the St. Paul Hotel which advertises itself as being in the city center. Nice hotel, but a terrible location. Really too far to be called the city center, yet in the city enough that it makes it difficult to get outside to bird. I'd recommend staying for a few days in Presidente Figuerido at the Iracema Hotel about 10 kilometers north of the town center. Others have gone to lodges and birded for at least a few days farther up river from Manaus itself. That would have been our choice as well if we'd have had more time. Thanks again to all who replied to our original inquiry. Without your information and help, we could not have put together such an ambitious trip. Hope we can be of help to you, or others in the future. All the best. Barry Levine levineb AT fastmail.fm Seattle _______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list Tweeters AT u.washington.edu http://mailman2.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters Subject: TR: Brazil Practical Information From: "Levine, Barron S" <LevineB AT BSD405.ORG> Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 23:39:22 -0700 Chatters and Tweeters, Many asked me to get back in touch with the groups about a request I made for practical information about Brazil a few months ago. The following report only deals with practical information that we hope could be valuable to someone setting up a trip. Our 31 day tour of the country included stops in the Atlantic Rain forest, Iguaçu Falls, Alta Floresta and Cristalino, The Pantanal, Chapada Do Guimaraes and Manaus. With information provided by group members and trip reports, we were able to set up an almost perfect trip to an amazing country. We have nothing but great things to say about Brazil and would encourage those of you who have not ventured there to put it high on your list. Our questions centered around the following: Which Field Guide to take? We ended up taking Van Perlo's Book. The problems with the book have been discussed often, but most in Brazil agreed it is your best option at this point. It sounds as though Kevin Zimmer's book will not be available until early 2012. Which is the best way to navigate around Brazil? We had thought about driving the great distances around the country, but are very glad we didn't go that route. Road signs are difficult to follow and, or nonexistent. Even with GPS I think you'd be hard pressed to get where you need to go without a good working knowledge of Portuguese, On a trip back to Rio there were no signs for the airport, and I wouldn't suggest one get off of the roads in that neighborhood to ask for directions. That leaves you with flying as your best option. There is a Brazil pass that Tam offers that gives you 4 flights for about $550 US. You cannot purchase this in Brazil. A possible problem is that they do not fly to Alta Floresta so if you're going that way you must use Trip airlines, or ride the supposedly comfortable overnight bus. Tam can set up the flight for you and ultimately we had them do that. The round trip to Alta and back to Cuiaba (Tam does operate out of there) was about $400. Also be aware that the pass does not allow you to fly on certain flights between cities. So for instance, we could fly from Iguaçu to Cuiaba (basically your gateway to the Pantanal) but we would have to go through Sao Paulo, then Brasilia and then to Cuiaba. A very circuitous route that would have taken 16 hours to complete. So we paid extra to get it done in 5 1/2 hours. Itinerary suggestions? We were told often that we had made a good choice in going to Cristalino first and then following it with the Pantanal. Cristalino is exceptional birding both for species and in difficulty. The Pantanal is much more open. Some members said that Iguaçu wouldn't be as important bird-wise as the other places and I would agree. Yet, I think travelers would be missing an incredible site. We didn't enjoy the crowds, but loved the falls. The Mucaco Trail on the Argentinean side was loaded with birds. Due to suggestions from members we opted for 7 day at Itatiaia, Pereque, around Paraty and Ubatuba on the Atlantic. This seemed about right to us. The only proviso is that it is a rain forest and if you get rained out, or in our case winded out, and lose time at one of these spots you can easily miss some of the specialties. We lost almost a day and a half due to weather, but we were still able to see most of the expected birds. We stayed outside the park in the town of Itatiaia about a 15 minute ride from the Hotel Ipe. Much less expensive but not nearly as nice. In the upper part of the park we stayed in a small hotel in a town about 15 kilometers away. As you approach the top rather than staying at the hotel there continue on the winding road for about 20 minutes to the next town. The hotel is above a restaurant near the center. Worked fine for us. We liked being in a less touristed area. It also gave us the opportunity to interact with the local people. We also spent one night in Pereque, one night near Ubatuba at Corcovado, and one night in the charming city of Paraty. We had 4 days at Iguaçu. 3 were extremely cold and wet so that limited our birding. But as stated above this is not as important a birding area as the others we went to. Still in all, we saw some great birds in the area. We stayed at Colonial Harbor Hotel for 2 nights. They are right near the Brazilian side of the falls about a 1 kilometer walk away from the park entrance. One of our rooms was very nice, the other in an older part of the hotel was pretty dated. Still in all, great proximity to the falls. I'd recommend a pass on the Bird Park unless you are visiting with kids who like that sort of thing. The other 2 nights were spent at the Sheraton on the Argentinean side. A very nice spot, though some will find it to be very expensive. We did, but it can't be beat for location. It should be noted that going from Brazil to Argentina is not a short walk over a bridge, but is instead a longish cab ride that can cost $40 US or more. You can ride buses, but that involves a change of buses before you hit the border and then extended time crossing the border as they process all the people on the bus. If you chose to try to go to Paraguay, that's also a distance from the falls themselves. We passed on the experience. We set up the trip with an off day between Iguaçu and Cuiaba in case of any flight problems and lo and behold we were glad we did. The frozen (2 degree Celsius) weather caused a closing of the airport in Iguaçu, so were still able to make our connection for Alta Floresta and our time in Cristalino. Before going to Cristalino we had one night at the Hotel Alta Floresta run by the same family that owns Cristalino. It is well known for it's Harpy Eagle nest found a short distance inside the forest behind the hotel. No one had seen the harpy for over a month, so we enjoyed birding the forest and the locale. Really a very nice quiet place. Betania, who runs the place for the owners, is just a delightfully funny human being. We spent 6 night at Cristalino and loved it. Our original question to the group was are there any options and many said basically no. I believe that's about right. Great trails, lots of access by boat to more remote areas, huge tower, and as luck would have it, we were the only birders at the lodge. Well worth it to us. After returning to Alta Floresta we then caught a flight back to Cuiaba (Hotel Las Velas right across form the airport) Funky looking place, but we liked the people working there a lot. Cuiaba itself will hold little interest to most of the group. It is basically your jumping off place for the Pantanal. We then had 7 days in the Pantanal and 3 in Chapada. Again just about the right amount of time. Perfect for the Pantanal with 3 days at Pousada Piuval, 2 at Santa Thereza (AKA Jaguar Wildlife Center), 1 at the Platform (set up through Santa Thereza) and 1 night at Pouso Allegre. This allows you to hit the different areas and try for the specialties at each lodge. We loved the Pantanal. At Chapada, we stayed in the town center (sorry can't remember the hotel name). Again weather became a deterrent. We lost the first 2 and a half days to 55 km (35 mile) an hour winds. Lucky for us we had an incredible last day there that ranks with the best we've had anywhere in the world. So again about the right amount of time, especially if the weather cooperates. We had only a day and a half at Manaus. Way too little time. I'd recommend about a week, and like any of these places, more wouldn't hurt. We took a cab from the airport with our luggage in tow and got out for an afternoon in the Presidente Figuerido area. The last day we organized a 5 hour boat trip at the docks at the river going to Marchanteria Island. In the afternoon, we birded at the Tropical Hotel. A ritzy place that has a bit of forest behind it. We stayed at the St. Paul Hotel which advertises itself as being in the city center. Nice hotel, but a terrible location. Really too far to be called the city center, yet in the city enough that it makes it difficult to get outside to bird. I'd recommend staying for a few days in Presidente Figuerido at the Iracema Hotel about 10 kilometers north of the town center. Others have gone to lodges and birded for at least a few days farther up river from Manaus itself. That would have been our choice as well if we'd have had more time. Thanks again to all who replied to our original inquiry. Without your information and help, we could not have put together such an ambitious trip. Hope we can be of help to you, or others in the future. All the best. Barry Levine levineb AT fastmail.fm Seattle BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: RFI birding around Gardnerville / Minden, Nevada -- north of Reno From: Ellen Blackstone <ellen AT 123IMAGINE.NET> Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:51:57 -0700 Hi, BirdChatters! Any suggestions for good places to go birding around Gardnerville or Minden, Nevada? No particular target birds. Just need some nice places to get outdoors while I'm visiting in Gardnerville. Offline is fine. ellen AT 123imagine.net Thanks! Ellen Blackstone, Seattle BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Leucistic hummingbird photographed in East Wenatchee, WA From: Devorah Bennu <birdologist AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 08:14:18 -0700 hello everyone, a leucistic hummingbird was photographed at a feeder in East Wenatachee [Douglas Co, WA] recently. this bird was part of a large group that was migrating southward, in front of a cold front: http://bit.ly/bwfw3B i thought you all might enjoy the challenge of identifying this bird. cheers, GrrlScientist http://www.grrlscientist.net/ http://blogs.nature.com/grrlscientist/ http://twitter.com/GrrlScientist http://profile.to/grrlscientist/ American Expat living in Frankfurt, Germany BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: NWRA Announces 2010 Refuge Photo Contest From: Barbara Volkle and Steve Moore <barb620 AT THEWORLD.COM> Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 22:07:00 -0400 This may be of interest to many of you who bird and visit National Wildlife Refuges throughout the nation. Please share with anyone you know who would find this of interest. For more information about the photo contest, go to www.refugeassociation.org/contest/2010PrizePage.html. For more information about the National Wildlife Refuge Association, go to www.refugeassociation.org . Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA barb620 AT theworld.com * * * For Immediate Release Contact: Patrick Woolford, (202) 292-2425 August 13, 2010 Refuge Association Launches 5th Annual Refuge Photo Contest Washington, DC- The National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) announces its 5th annual digital photo contest showcasing America's national wildlife refuges. Entries for the 2010 Refuge Photo Contest can be submitted until September 24, 2010 with results to be announced in October 2010 in connection with Refuge Week. "Images of wildlife and wild landscapes tell the remarkable story of our national wildlife refuges," said Evan Hirsche, president of NWRA. "Amateur and professional photographers alike are capturing amazing images throughout the System, and we invite these photographers to share their work and showcase the natural beauty of our wildlife refuges with a broader audience." Comprised of more than 550 refuges in all states and territories, the National Wildlife Refuge System protects over 150 million acres of lands and water, and is the premier system of public lands incorporated to protect wildlife in the world. Images submitted for the photo contest can be of birds, mammals, insects, fish, other animals, plants, people, or simply shots of refuge scenery. This year Southwest Airlines, the official airline of NWRA, has generously donated $2,000 cash and 2 round trip tickets for the first place prize. Other prizes include offerings from Wild Bird Centers of America, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and HaberVision, with winning image hosting services graciously provided by Zenfolio. In addition, winners' images will be highlighted on NWRA's website and future publications. Runners up will be selected for inclusion in the NWRA Refuge Image Library and every photographer submitting an entry will receive a complimentary one-year membership in the National Wildlife Refuge Association. Winning images from previous contests can be viewed online at http://nwra.zenfolio.com. For photo contest details, requirements, and procedures, please visit http://www.refugeassociation.org/contest/ContestHome.html and to download a printable 2010 Refuge Photo Contest flyer click here. The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge Association is to conserve America’s wildlife heritage for future generations through strategic programs that protect, enhance, and expand the National Wildlife Refuge System and the landscapes beyond its boundaries that secure its ecological integrity. # # # Copyright © 2010 National Wildlife Refuge Association. BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Re: Listing rarities in bird-finding guides From: "Trently, David J" <dtrently AT UTK.EDU> Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 19:54:47 -0400 I would like to add to my initial note about not listing rarities in bird-finding guides. I certainly was not referring to any of the ABA guide books when I brought this up. They do a great job of telling you what can be expected at various places. The way they list rare birds is usually clear that those are just that, rare and not to be expected. It's a way of letting the birder know that this is a place that odd things have shown up and, for whatever reason, may do so again. Also, I guess I should not have used the word 'rare'. What I meant were the accidental species for which there is no way to predict a re-occurance. The White-eared Hummingbird is rare in se Arizona, but not accidental. It SHOULD be listed in the books, especially for Miller Canyon. Same with the Ani in south Florida. What I wish didn't occur is the listing - in a guide to help birders know what birds are possible at a given location - of things like White-eared Hummingbird at a site in Florida, or Red-cockaded Woodpecker at a site in Arizona (no, there were no reports of those, I'm using them as examples). You really have no reason to plan your trip to go to those places because you might get lucky and see those species. I still see no use in so many of the on-line guides, like birding trail guides, that sometimes mention one or two species expected at a place, and 5 or 6 accidentals that have been seen there. Think about what you want to know when you are planning a trip somewhere...... Thanks! David Trently, Knoxville, TN CyberDefender has scanned this email for potential threats. Version 2.0 / Build 4.03.29.01 Get free PC security at http://www.cyberdefender.com BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Birding Community E-bulletin - August 2010 From: Barbara Volkle and Steve Moore <barb620 AT THEWORLD.COM> Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 19:12:38 -0400 The August issue of the Birding Community E-bulletin is now available the web, covering news and issues relevant to birders. Please share with friends! Enjoy! Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA barb620 AT theworld.com * * * THE BIRDING COMMUNITY E-BULLETIN for August 2010 is now available. This Birding Community E-bulletin is being distributed to active and concerned birders, those dedicated to the joys of birding and the protection of birds and their habitats. This issue is sponsored by NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC and the wonderful bird and birding books they make available: www.shopng.com/birdbooks You can access an archive of past E-bulletins on the website of the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA): www.refugenet.org/birding/birding5.html The August 2010 edition includes the following topics: RARITY FOCUS - Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush in South Dakota SPOON-BILLED SANDPIPER STILL DOING VERY POORLY - in serious trouble, evidence points to the wintering range CONTINUING NEWS FROM THE GULF COAST: THE NUMBERS AND THE PROBLEMS - report released in late July by the American Bird Conservancy A NEW DECISION IMPACTING MIGRATORY BIRDS - federal court decision over dead birds in Kansas oil fields has redefined the coverage of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act REACHING YOUTH: A COMMON PROBLEM - July-August issue of Ducks Unlimited magazine article, "Passing on the Tradition" BOOK NOTES: MOLT REVEALED - In the newest Peterson Reference Guide, or in MOLT IN NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS IBA NEWS: U.N. RECOGNITION - "2010 UN Millennium Development Goals" (MDGs) report profiles Important Bird Areas (IBAs) A FINE SET OF U.S. MAPS - detailed national vegetation U.S. land-cover map to date for the continental U.S. released BICKNELL'S THRUSH PLAN RELEASED - the International Bicknell's Thrush Conservation Group (IBTCG) HUMMINGBIRD MIGRANT WONDER - Rufous Hummingbird in Tallahassee recaptured in Alaska OPEN FIELDS OPEN UP - federal funds to create or enhance voluntary public-access programs on private lands TIP OF THE MONTH: SHOREBIRD-TIME - the time when most migratory shorebirds are winging their way toward their "wintering" quarters THIS MONTH'S QUIZ FOR A NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BIRD BOOK - test your knowledge and win a book! - - - - - - - - You can access past E-bulletins on the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) website: http://www.refugenet.org/birding/birding5.html If you wish to receive the bulletin or have any friends or co-workers who want to get onto the monthly E-bulletin mailing list, have them contact either: Paul J. Baicich at paul.baicich-at-verizon.net Wayne R. Petersen, Director Massachusetts Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program Mass Audubon at wpetersen-at-massaudubon.org If you wish to distribute all or parts of any of the monthly Birding Community E-bulletins, they simply request that you mention the source of any material used. (Include a URL for the E-bulletin archives, if possible.) The Birding Community E-bulletin never lends or sells their recipient list. BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: RFI malaria in Argentina From: Tim Boucher <tboucher AT GEOCITIES.COM> Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:58:15 -0700 The CDC website talks not only about where malaria is found, and in what season, but also provides information about which prophylactic is effective (or not) in that region. Whenever you have a choice, consider opting for Malarone (a combination of atovaquone and proguanil hydrochloride) over Larium (Mefloquine). Though Malarone is pricier, it is much easier to deal with than Larium. Many people, including us, have had horrible side effects with Larium, best described as hallucinations. We were in Zimbabwe, had no alternative but to keep taking this stuff. Not fun. We have taken Malarone ever since, with no ill effects whatsoever. Ellen Paul Bethesda MD BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Re: RFI malaria in Argentina From: Rick <fholbrook AT CABLEONE.NET> Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:09:23 -0500 the best place I have found for this information is the CDC's web site. http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list.aspx On 8/16/2010 11:23 AM, Vader Willem Jan Marinus wrote: -- Rick Holbrook Fargo, ND N 46°53'251" W 096°48'279" Remember the USS Liberty http://www.ussliberty.org/ Reply to: fholbrook(at)cableone.net BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Re: Listing rarities in bird-finding guides From: James Tyler Bell <jtylerbell AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:46:31 -0700 I once had an email argument with the woman who was compilin Chatters: I once had an email argument with the woman who was compiling the Florida RBA because she wouldn't list the group of Smooth-billed Anis that I had seen at Lox NWR. She argued that because they weren't that uncommon in Florida (although she was wrong about that as their abundance had decreased significantly by that time), she wouldn't list them. I argued that visiting birders who read the RBA would likely be very interested as this is often a target species when going to Florida. She ultimately prevailed. Basically, I agree with Joe's stance on the listing of rarities in the bird finding guides. The Lane guides do a great job of summarizing the total list of possible species and I have always found them to be very useful in knowing that there is a potential for finding a rarity at a given location, particularly if that species is more likely found in that type of habitat. Say you want to see a White-eared Hummingbird in SE AZ. The Taylor and Lane guides will tell you that Miller Canyon is probably the best place. There's no guarantee that you'll see one there but if one shows up in SE AZ, you can pretty much bet it will be at Beatty's B&B in Miller Canyon! BTW, you can't see all of those species in a half-day? ;)   Tyler Bell jtylerbell AT yahoo.com California, Maryland Subject: Re: Listing rarities in bird-finding guides From: Joseph Morlan Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2010 18:20:15 -0700 On Sat, 14 Aug 2010 18:27:57 -0400, "Trently, David J" wrote: > But >think of your audience - someone is reading the guide (whether online or >printed) to get an idea of where to go and what he can see there. An >eastern birder going west (as I am planning to do) really does want to >know if there are Acorn Woodpeckers or Western Scrub-Jays or Bushtits, >Bewick's Wrens, California Towhees, Western Meadowlarks and Lesser >Goldfinches there...not that a Carolina Wren once spent a few days there >:-) Who is the audience? Unfortunately most people think the audience is themselves and nobody else. Some time ago, a birder from the New York area wrote a review in "Birding" on Rare Bird Alerts around the country. These are taped telephone messages that change periodically with information on where the rarities are being seen. The reviewer raved about how great the New York RBA was because it had allowed her to see wonderful rarities such as a stray Hermit Warbler, a Rock Wren and other rarities. She went on to criticize the RBA from the San Francisco Bay Area because it wasted so much time giving detailed directions to a Prairie Warbler which was of no possible interest to anyone. The thing about common birds, is that it's easy to find out which species are common by consulting general checklists. Birdfinding guides sometimes include general checklist for some of the areas they cover. Bar graphs are great for that and most of the Lane guides and their successors have those in the back. So I'm not convinced that a site guide to Golden Gate Park needs to mention all the common birds that one might see if a general checklist of birds found in the area is included or available. If it's a guide that includes multiple hotspots, long lists of common species for each spot would soon become repetitive. While on the subject, many times we see posts from traveling birders and we try to be helpful. Some really do their homework and it's a pleasure to be able to help them, but I wish I had a nickel for every time I see requests that read like this: "I'll be in San Francisco for a meeting and will have a half day free for birding. My target birds are Black-footed Albatross, Ashy Storm-Petrel, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Mountain Quail and White-headed Woodpecker and Yellow-billed Magpie...." -- Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA jmorlan (at) ccsf.edu SF Birding Classes start Sep 14 http://fog.ccsf.edu/jmorlan/ California Bird Records Committee http://www.californiabirds.org/ Western Field Ornithologists http://www.westernfieldornithologists.org/ BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Malaria From: Rick Wright <birdaz AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:45:49 -0700 The Centers for Disease Control website updates malaria information continuously. The page for Argentina http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/argentina.aspx was updated in June, and lists the areas where prophylaxis is recommended. Best, -- Rick Wright Editor and Senior Leader, WINGS http://wingsbirds.com, http://birdaz.com/blog BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: RFI malaria in Argentina From: Vader Willem Jan Marinus <wim.vader AT UIT.NO> Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:23:31 +0200 I have got the chance to visit Argentina with a Field Guides tour in October-November this year. We'll have a 2 days pretrip to the Ibera marshes in Corrientes province, and will afterwards visit the chaco and the Andes area in NW Argentina (Jujuy province). The written informaion I have got from the company, is somewhat ambivalent about the occurrence of malaria in these areas and the necessity of taking precautions. I would therefore much appreciate any help and advice I can get from people who have traveled in this area. Many thanks in advance! Wim Vader, Tromsø Museum 9037 Tromsø, Norway wim.vader AT uit.no PS. Summer never really arrived in Tromsø this year, and this morning I noted fresh snow on the surrounding hills, above c 400m. A fitting climax for the wettest summer ever here in N.Norway! BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Re: AOU Standards From: Kenneth Allaire <kenallaire AT EARTHLINK.NET> Date: Sun, 15 Aug 2010 10:17:13 -0500 Hello All; Thanks to Laura and Andy and all who responded quite thoughtfully to my inquiry. Many excellent points were made and gave me much food for thought! Just address a couple of points: as to why more birders do not publish reports of their extralimital findings; I suspect that some are intimidated by the process of getting published, or feel they do not have the materials at hand to meet the standards of these august journals. As a non-academic in a developing country, it is difficult for me to access a number of journals and publications that might properly support a short paper. For example, for me to establish the identity of Large-billed Seed-Finch or Yellow-hooded Blackbird is a relatively simple matter; to inteligently discuss patterns of vagrancy or other relevant matters is quite another thing. It would take me twice as long to publish such a paper as it would a qualified ornithologist. That is not say that we (or I) shouldn't try. Here's another idea: a numbe r of local records committees offer an online form for documenting rarities that covers all of the relevant points that need to be addressed, which makes the process a whole lot more accessible to the average birder. Maybe something like this could work for the AOU as well? After all, I am sure that the AOU would like to see the record set straight, anything that streamlines this process would be a good thing, in my estimation. By the way, Laura makes an excellent point regarding the ABA's conformity to AOU standards- I am in total agreement with this poilcy. It drives me nuts when local authorities create their own lists, without so much as a footnote to explain why they differ from that of the AOU. Whatever issues I may have with the AOU's listing process, their check-list certainly the best thing we have going out there, and one has to start somewhere! If I did not think so I would not have even bothered to bring up this topic.... So I guess I've got to get to work on those short papers... I know at least the Long-winged Harrier is already being worked on, saving me that much work... Thanks again to all for your time, happy birding! Cheers, Ken Allaire El Valle de Anton, Panama kenallaire AT earthlink.net www.canopyreport.com www.panamagateway.com Skypename: kenallaire BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html Subject: Re: AOU standards From: Laura Erickson <bluejay AT LAURAERICKSON.COM> Date: Sun, 15 Aug 2010 09:33:28 -0500 Considering how many people post photos of birds online, on so many different sites, we absolutely cannot expect AOU to have to vet every record "out there." The AOU list is produced by scientists for science. The ABA list is based on science, but ABA is not a scientific organization--"We are the only organization in North America that specifically caters to recreational birders," according to their website. It can be frustrating to wait for science when we want to "count" a good bird. But it was a wise decision of ABA to defer to AOU with regard to listing. I know a lot of scientists, universities, and organizations working hard to give tropical birders the skills and expertise to publish scientific articles to get the vast amount of information about Central and South American birdlife published authoritatively. It's an effort that will benefit both the AOU and ABA. Laura Erickson For the love, understanding, and protection of birds There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of birds. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature--the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter. --Rachel Carson Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail. BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html