Online Bird Journals and Other References - Number 16

Bird On! Bird Dictionary. This authoritative dictionary of birdwatching terminology, with full search and cross-reference facilities, includes the complete text of Peter Weaver's The Birdwatcher's Dictionary, published by A & T D. Poyser Ltd. The terminology is, not surprisingly, decidedly British. Thus, there is a definition for twitcher (a common British term), but searches for birder and lister (both common terms in the U.S.) simply refer back to the definition for twitcher. But regardless, the dictionary makes for some interesting reading. One discovers. for example, that loomery is a term used to describe a colony of Guillemots (a species known as the Common Murres in the U.S.).

Why Do Geese Fly in V-formation Flocks?

Read the experts' answers to this age-old question, as reported in The Last Word, a collection of scientific mysteries from New Scientist.

Online Bird Journals and Other References - Number 15

Forest & Bird. Forest & Bird magazine is a quarterly publication of the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand. The magazine touches on a wide range of conservation issues in New Zealand, but birds are prominently featured in most issues. Selected feature articles from all issues published since 1996 can be downloaded as HTML files. The February 2002 issue, for example, includes an article about why birds sing at dawn and another on Yellow-eyed Penguins. There is also an online searchable database that catalogs all articles published in Forest & Bird since 1984.

Cryptozoology

Cryptozoology is "the study of the lore concerning legendary animals (such as Bigfoot and Sasquatch), especially in order to evaluate the possibility of their existence." Amateur cryptozoologist Chad Arment has compiled an impressive amount of material on the subject, including both original writings and online links, on his Cryptozology Web site. One of the things that turned me on to zoology as a kid was reading Bernard Heuvelman's On the Track of Unknown Animals, so I continue to have a fondness for this type of material. But to guard against being lured too deeply into the pseudoscience of cryptozoology, I suggest that you leaven your reading with items of interest from the Skeptical Inquirer magazine, especially an article in the March-April 2002 issue that evaluates 50-years of evidence about the existence of Bigfoot and concludes that it is merely a self-perpetuating legend.

Online Bird Journals and Other References - Number 14

Marine Ornithology: An International Journal of Seabird Science and Conservation. Marine Ornithology is published biannually through a partnership between the African Seabird Group and the Pacific Seabird Group. Marine Ornithology is a continuation of the Cormorant, a publication founded by the African Seabird Group in 1976. To my knowledge, Marine Ornithology is the first bird periodical of any size to make the entire contents of the journal available online in a PDF format, although hard copies of the journal are still available by subscription. Articles from all past issues will be made available on the Web site, but the only articles currently available are from Volume 28 (2000). The journal currently exhibits a strong Southern Hemisphere bias–an unavoidable byproduct of its long history as the Cormorant–but that is expected to change. Of particular interest to North Americans is a recent article by Robert H. Day et al. on at-sea habitat use by the Kittlitz's Murrelet in Prince William Sound, Alaska. The Web site will eventually include a search feature.

Invasive Species Folly–The Eucalyptus

Ted Williams writes in the January-February issue of Audubon magazine about "America's Largest Weed," the eucalyptus. I've long known that coastal California is famous for its odoriferous eucalyptus trees, but not until reading this article did I realize that California harbors not just a single species of eucalyptus, but no fewer than 100–all nonnative! Most native bird species do not use eucalyptus groves, where species diversity drops 70 percent. Those birds that are enticed to feed on the insects attracted to eucalyptus flowers often encounter the sticky gum produced by the trees. The gum clogs bills, faces, and nostrils, eventually causing the birds to suffocate or starve. But despite all of its negative qualities–you'll have to read the article to learn about the others–the eucalyptus has its admirers and proponents, misguided though they may be. In the city of Santa Cruz, for example, eucalyptus trees are protected under a Heritage Tree Ordinance. It is a criminal offense, punishable by a fine of not less than $500, to cut down any eucalyptus tree with a trunk measuring 16 or more inches in diameter.

Online Bird Journals and Other References - Number 13

Audubon: The Magazine of the National Audubon Society. Audubon magazine was one of the print journals that solidified my interest in birds while in Junior and Senior High School in the late 1950s and early 1960s. I'm therefore delighted to discover that it has a significant Web presence. Audubon is published bimonthly and has a circulation of nearly 500,000. The primary purpose of the magazine is "to help readers appreciate, understand, and protect the natural world, with a particular focus on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats." Articles available on the Web site include selected feature stories, columns, and departments in addition to 10 "Web Exclusives." Tables of Content of all back issues since May-June 1999 are available online, but only selected articles can be downloaded. All things considered, this site provides a wealth of interesting and provocative environmental reading!

Vigilant Grackles

Two evenings ago, I settled in front of the mini-pond and waterfall in the backyard to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the gurgling water. The reverie was soon broken by the awful squaking of a small group of Common Grackles, maybe 4 or 5 of them, assembled overhead in the Norway Maples. They were repeatedly uttering what can only be described as a very loud and harsh tchack call. Whenever I could get glimpses of the birds through the leaves, they were always perched at a weird angle, with head and bill pointed downward to the ground at a 30-45 degree angle to the horizon and the tail pointed skyward.at a similar angle.

My first thought was that the grackles were attending recently-fledged young in the underbrush and that they were giving alarm calls in response to my presence. The commotion went on for 10 or 15 minutes without interruption. I noticed that an occasiol American Robin, European Starling, and House Sparrow were attracted by the protestations of the grackles, and would join in with their own alarm calls.

Suddenly, there was an awful sound of leaves rustling and twigs snapping as something large charged through the overgrown weeds and underbrush that marks the property boundary between our backyard and the neighbors yard. I realized almost immediately that it was our dog, but what on earth was she after? A couple of seconds later, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of something scurrying up a tree trunk followed closely by a flash of white as our dog emerged from the underbrush. Following the line of the tree trunk upward, I soon spotted the source of all the commotion, a Domestic Cat perched precariously on a tree limb about 20 feet off the ground. Whether a neighbor’s pet or a feral stray, it is an unwelcome intruder in the yard--and possibly explains the several decapitated bird carcasses (just House Sparrows, fortunately) that I’ve found in the yard this spring.

Notable Bird Quote V

"When turkeys mate they think of swans." --Johnny Carson (from The Quotable Birder, edited by Bill Adler Jr.)

Crazy About Postcards

My wife and I attended a post card show today in Hagerstown, Maryland, that was hosted by the Postcard Society. There were about 20 dealers there from throughout the Mid-Atlantic States. My wife got me turned onto collecting antique postcards about 10 years ago. I specialize in bird cards, of course! After six hours spent sorting through innumerable boxes of post cards, my eyes are sore and my wallet is a lot lighter, but I’m pleased with the treasures I found.

1. My favorite card isn’t a postcard at all, but an oversized advertisment card called a MEZ Stick-Karte, MEZ apparently being a German manufacturer of yarn. The card features a Kingfisher, or Eisvogel. This is one of a series of six cards that probably date from the 1940s or 50s. There are small, evenly-spaced, semi-punched holes around the perimeter of the bird. These cards were meant for children, who, armed with a blunt needle and some MEZ yarn, could practice their eye-hand coordination. It’s unsual for these types of cards to survive unused and undamaged.

2. A complete set of 10 postcards published by the National Audubon Society, in the original envelope. The cards feature the artwork of Allan Brooks. Brooks was a feature artist for Audubon in the 1910s, 20s, and 30s.

3. A set of 50 State bird and flower cards depicting the artwork featured on a series of postage stamps issued in 1984. Published by Andrews Cachet of Asheboro, North Carolina. Not old, but still a very nice set.

4. An advertising card published by G. P. Brown & Co. of Beverly, Massachusetts, and featuring a pair of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at the nest, recognizable as the artwork of Charles K. Reed. This card probably dates from the 1920s. The back of the card advertises three sets of nature post cards: a 25-card set of wild birds, a 50-card set of wild animals, and a 50-card set of wild flowers. All three sets (125 cards) could be purchased for 90 cents. Today, these cards would sell for $1-5 each!

5. A maximum card from Argentina featuring a drawing of an American Rhea, an Argentine postage stamp featuring a rhea, and a postmark dated 1960.

6. Seven cards from the Raphael Tuck & Sons Educational Series No. 402, Birds. Tuck is a well-known early 20th century British publisher of better-quality postcards. The company advertised itself as “Art Publishers to their Magesties the King and Queen.”

7. An odd assortment of other cards, mostly modern chromes, including one showing two Steller’s Jays mis-labeled as Blue Jays.

Online Bird Journals and Other References - An Index (Numbers 1-10)

The following is a handy index to the 10 Web sites most recently reviewed in this Birds Etcetera feature. These reviews will continue until (a) I run out of online journals and other references worthy of my (and your) time, or (b) I lose interest, whichever comes first.

1. The Auk: A Quarterly Journal of Ornithology
2. Ornithological Newsletter On-Line
3. The Condor: An International Journal of Avian Biology
4. Wilson Bulletin
5. Journal of Field Ornithology
6. Strategies for Bird Conservation: The Partners in Flight Planning Process
7. Studies in Oregon Ornithology
8. Eurasian Wigeon Distribution in North America
9. GooseRef Bibliography System
10. Bibliography of Literature and Research on the Genus Sialia

An Unexpected Bird-Related Encounter at the Division of Motor Vehicles

About three weeks ago, I visited the Regional Office of the West Virginia DMV in Martinsburg to renew my vehicle registration. While waiting, I couldn't help but notice the two (2) NASCAR license plates mounted in wooden display holders and prominently displayed on the counter. They were highly visible to waiting customers. I also noticed one (1) example of the optional SCENIC plate, also prominently displayed.

Finally, it was my turn. I approached the counter and proceeded to renew my registration. The woman behind the counter was exceptionally friendly. As she was processing the paperwork, we engaged in a conversation that went something like this:

Me: Can I ask you a simple question?

She: Sure.

Me: Why don't you have any of the NONGAME plates on display? [These feature a beautiful male Rose-breasted Grosbeak.]

She: Oh, but we do.

Me: No you don't.

She: Yes we do.

Me: Where?

She: Right there [pointing to an old, dog-eared poster tacked to the back wall].

Me: But that's just a moldy old poster. Why are you displaying actual NASCAR plates, but not the NONGAME plate?

At that point, she reached under the counter, pulled out a piece of paper, and showed it to me. It was a letter from a DMV District manager announcing that he was shipping out boxes of wooden display stands specifically for the NASCAR plates. The letter said nothing about displaying the NONGAME plate or any of the other specialty plates the the West Virginia DMV issues. She then offered me a self-addressed postcard that I could use to send complaints or suggestions to the Commissioner of the DMV, something I have yet to do.

Then, the conversation turned into a friendly discussion about birds. It immediately became clear that the clerk had more than a passing interest in wild birds. She mentioned that lots of birds had been showing up at her feeders lately, including a strange sparrow that she hadn't been able to identify. She was also proud of the fact that a Baltimore Oriole had been frequenting her backyard. A very pleasant and quite unexpected conversation!

Why the special treatment of NASCAR plates? Probably because the State of West Virginia has entered into an unholy alliance with NASCAR officials to promote the sale of NASCAR plates. Why? Because a certain percentage of each dollar spent on NASCAR plates goes out of State and directly into NASCAR's coffers. That's because the West Virginia NASCAR plates are sold through a licensing agreement with NASCAR. So, no doubt at the urging of NASCAR, the West Virginia DMV has set up an e-commerce site that allows individuals to purchse NASCAR "commemorative collectible" plates, even providing for their online purchase with a credit card.

There is an annual reservation of $30 for the West Virginia NONGAME plate, and half of that, or $15, goes to the Nongame Wildlife Fund. Money from this fund is used by the West Virginia Department of Natural Resource's Biodiversity Program for the conservation and management of the State's nongame wildlife. In my opinion, this is a very worthwhile cause, something to which all West Virginia residents should be encouraged to contribute. Unfortunately, the West Virginia NONGAME plate is all but invisible on the DMV Web site. Unlike the NASCAR plate, there is no direct link to the NONGAME plate from the DMV Home Page, the DMV does not promote the sale of NONGAME plates as "commemorative collectibles," and the public does not have the option of purchasing the NONGAME plates online with a credit card.

As far as I can tell, the inequitable promotion of NASCAR plates relative to NONGAME and other special-issue plates is due to the stupidity of West Virginia legislators for passing legislation authorizing the sale of NASCAR plates, the duplicity of administrative officials in West Virginia State government, and NASCAR corporate greed.

Online Bird Journals and Other References - Number 12

Emerging Infectious Diseases: A Peer-Reviewed Journal Tracking and Analyzing Disease Trends. EID is a monthly journal published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. All issues of all volumes (1995-2002) are available online, and all articles can be downloaded in their entirety. While the major focus is on infectious diseases that pose a threat to human health and safety, such diseases often include a wild animal component. So it's not too surprising that a keyword search on "bird" retrieved 307 documents (NOTE: this figure is somewhat misleading as the typical article consists of multiple documents, e.g., abstract, text, figures, and tables). Most of the recent bird-related articles deal with West Nile Virus, two examples being:

Migratory Birds and Spread of West Nile Virus in the Western Hemisphere and

Crow Deaths as a Sentinel Surveillance System for West Nile Virus in the Northeastern United States.

Birds of the Neighborhood (May 11-20)

The “neighborhood” consists of a 9-block rectangular area (my block plus the surrounding 8 city blocks) in a downtown neighborhood in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. But most of my observations are of birds seen in, or viewed from, my yard, an area just shy of 0.25-acres. The period was unseasonably cool (the latter half saw high temperatures in the low 60s and low temperatures in the mid-30s) and relatively wet; just right for my northern European genes. The following list of 19 species is probably fairly typical of what you would expect to see in many older, small-town urban residential areas in the Mid-Atlantic States at this time of the year (species are listed in alphabetical order, with numbers in parentheses indicating the order in which each species was detected, # symbols indicating species new this period, and * symbols indicating species not native to the area):

American Robin (5) - many occupied territories
Blue Jay (7) - occasional; much less visible than last period
Carolina Wren (19) - 1 heard on 5/16
Chimney Swift (6) - very abundant at dusk
Common Grackle (11) - common; nesting
European Starling* (4) - quite common; nesting
Fish Crow (10) - at least 1 on 5/11; noticeably less common this period
Gray Catbird (12) - occupied nest in neighbor's yard
House Finch* (3) - very common; nesting
House Sparrow* (1) - extremely common; nesting
House Wren (13) - singing occasionally; probably 2-3 territorial males
Mourning Dove (9) - fairly common; nesting
Northern Cardinal (8) - common resident
Northern Mockingbird (14) - singing occasionally
Red-bellied Woodpecker (15) - 1 heard on 5/11
Rock Dove* (2) - common; nesting
Ruby-throated Hummingbird# (18) - 1 seen by my wife on 5/13; a first for yard
Swainson's Thrush# (17) - 1 singing on 5/13
Yellow Warbler# (16) - 1 heard briefly on 5/13

Total Species This Period - 19
New Species This Period - 3
Cumulative Species Since 3/11/2002 - 33

Online Bird Journals and Other References - Number 11

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). PNAS is self-proclaimed as one of the world’s most-cited multidisciplinary serials. Tables of Content and Abstracts are available online, but Full Text and PDF files can be accessed by subscription only. A Search feature is also available. Although not usually thought of as a major bird journal, a search for the word “bird” in the Title or Abstract retrieved 167 citations, including this nifty article about a bird-eating bat.

Wildlife Management Gone Astray

Two Woods & Waters columns by Andy Hansroth for the Charleston (West Virginia) Sunday Gazette Mail are worthy of note. In the first article, Hansroth notes that retired DNR biologist Jack Cromer is writing a history of the DNR and wildlife management in West Virginia. In doing so, Hansroth touches on a few of the many introductions of exotic fish and wildlife into the State. For example, for many years prior to 1895, a great deal of attention was devoted to stocking streams with carp in the belief that they were to be the real food fish of the country. Only later did the undesireable features of this fish become known. Other examples include introductions of elk in 1913; 105 pairs of “English” pheasants and thousands of pheasant eggs; the purchase and release of deer from Michigan, Wisconsin, Kansas, and as far away as Florida; and the purchase and release of “Hungarian partridges” from Czechoslovakia in 1937.

In the second article, Hansroth decries the recent defeat of Sunday hunting on private lands by voters in all 35 counties in which the referendum was on the ballot. This speaks volumes about the ineptitude of the State legislature. More to the point, it begs the question: “Why do West Virginia’s politicians insist on meddling with the State’s wildlife regulations instead of leaving it in the hands of the professional wildlife managers in the Division of Natural Resources?”

Online Bird Journals and Other References - Number 10

Bibliography of Literature and Research on the Genus Sialia. This online bibliography is a compilation of most articles written about the bluebirds of the genus Sialia through the end of 1998. Articles are arranged alphabetically by author. There is also a useful topical index. Interested in parasitism of bluebirds? The index lists 28 articles on that topic. The bibliography was prepared by Leon R. Latimer, Nancy E. Niles, and Theodore W. Gutzke with support from the State University of New York at Cobleskill. The site is hosted by the North American Bluebird Society.

Notable Bird Quotes IV

"Dead birds don't fall out of their nests." --Winston Churchill, after someone told him that the fly to his pants was undone (from The Quotable Birder, edited by Bill Adler Jr.)

The Pelecinus Project

Pelecinus is the Latin name for a genus of distinctive New World parastic wasps. Individuals of this genus are relatively large and the females are characterized by their extremely elongated abdomens, an adaptation for parasitizing the larvae of scarab beetles buried in the soil. Although 15 distinct group-names have been assigned to the Pelecinus at one time or another, entomologists currently recognize a single variable species, Pelecinus polyturator, which is distributed throughout North and South America.

The Pelecinus Project represents a quite successful effort to merge traditional museum collections of biological specimens with Web-based technology and geo-referenced mapping (i.e., GIS) . The resulting Web site integrates data on 7,859 individual specimens from 100 museum collections, representing 2,310 distinct localities in 18 countries. The Pelecinus Project was conceived and executed by Norman F. Johnson and Luciana Musetti of the Ohio State University’s Department of Entomology. This site literally makes those 7,859 pinned specimens come alive. Here’s hoping that other taxonomists follow Johnson and Musetti’s lead and create similar sites for other organisms.

Elephant Bird Egg Offered for Sale

This egg was offered for sale recently on ebay for the bargain price of $3,500 (the seller termed it "a real steal!"), but there were no bidders Gee, I wonder why? I was thened surprised to discover an online store, BiggestEgg, that sells nothing but Elephant Bird eggs! This site offers 5 "reconstructed" eggs, ranging in price from $1,400-$1,800. Or, you can get a replica of an Elephant Bird egg from The Evolution Store for a mere $172. This kind of thing harks back to the Victorian era, when the collection of natural history objects was in vogue. I didn't realize that there was still a market for these kinds of things.

The long-extinct Elephant Bird, a one-time flightless resident of Madasgascar, is the largest bird known to science, growing to a height of 10-11 feet and weighing in at an estimated 1,100 pounds. You can learn more about Aepyornis maximus and its eggs here, here, here, and here.

Online Journals and Other Resources - Number 9

GooseRef Bibliography System. GooseRef is an online searchable bibliographic search system devoted entirely to the primary scientific literature concerning geese. GooseRef, which claims to have been the very first online bibliographic system, currently consists of about 2600 references (mostly journal articles and thesis titles). The brainchild of Evan Cooch, GooseRef is hosted by the International Goose Research Group. This is an important reference tool for wildlife researchers and managers.

Cormorants in Commerce and Culture

199 Cormorant Crescent - address of a rental property on Salt Spring Island near Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
543 Cormorant Cove - address of a luxury home offered for sale on the Eagle Creek Country Club near Naples, Florida
10575 SW Cormorant Drive - address of a home offered for sale in one of the most sought-after cul de sacs in the Murrayhill neighborhood near Portland, Oregon
Camp Cormorant - a YMCA resident camp near Morehead, Minnesota
Cormorant - a 12-ft sailing dinghy manufactured by Cornish Crabbers Ltd. and sold by Britannia Boats Ltd., Annapolis, Maryland
Cormorant - a 17-ft utility outboard cruiser built by an amateur boatbuilder in Portland, Oregon
Cormorant - a 120-ft skimmer boat constructed at the Amfels shipyard in Brownsville, Texas, for the City of New York and commissioned in 1993
Cormorant - a classic hard-chine kayak manufactured by Squeedunk Kayaks in Minnesota
Cormorant - a privately-owned 39-ft Corbin cutter sailboat now embarked on a round-the-world voyage
Cormorant (AM 40 / ATO 133) - a Lapwing-class U.S. Navy mine warfare vessel that was launched in 1919, decommissioned in 1946, and sold in 1947
Cormorant (AMS 122 / MSC 122) - a Bluebird-class U.S. Navy mine warfare vessel that was commissioned in 1953 and sold for scrap in 1974
Cormorant (ASL 20) - a former Italian stern-trawler built in 1965, purchased by the Canadian Navy in 1975 and converted to a diving support vessel (the first ship to have female personnel assigned), and sold to a U.S. charter firm in 1997
Cormorant (MHC 57) - an Osprey-class U.S. Navy coastal mine hunter christened at Avondale Shipyards, Avondale (Greater New Orleans), Louisiana, on October 21, 1995, and commissioned at Harbor Island, Tampa, Florida, on April 12, 1997
Cormorant Accounting Consultants - an accounting and bookkeeping firm providing a full range of accounting, auditing, taxation, and computer-related services to small and medium-sized enterprises in Dorset, United Kingdom
Cormorant Beach Club and Hotel - a posh beachfront recreational facility in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Cormorant Books [WARNING: Clicking on this link may cause your computer to lock up!] - a book publisher in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Cormorant Canoe & Boat Works Ltd. - a boat builder in Riverport, Nova Scotia
Cormorant Chamber Players - a non-profit classical music orchestra organized in 1984 in Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Cormorant Club - the alumni association of the Joint Services Staff College
Cormorant Court - location of a contemporary and stylish vacation rental home in Dunsborough, Western Australia
Cormorant Court Apartments - a gated community in the east-end upper yacht-harbor neighbor of Santa Cruz, California
Cormorant Cove - a hotel in Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands
http://usvi.hotelguide.net/data/h100081.htm
Cormorant Information Systems - a specialist company providing innovative software solutions for the logistics industry in North Somerset, England
Cormorant Lake Lodge - a hunting and fishing resort in northern Manitoba
Cormorant Ltd. - an independent consulting company specializing in the operational side of marine environmental issues in St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada
Cormorant Overseas - a global trading concern specializing in exquisite chocolates and confectionaries located in the United Arab Emirates
Cormorant Press - a publisher of sheet music in Hallowell, Maine
Cormorant Pub - a pub and restaurant in Fareham, Hampshire, England
Cormorant SeaKayaking Ltd. - a kayak rental agency on Malcolm Island, British Columbia, Canada
Cormorant Skin and Scuba Club - a dive club in Quebec, Canada
Cormorant Telematic Systems - an information technology and telecommunications company in Galway, Ireland
Cormorant West - a rental house located on the small Hawaiian island of Molokai
Cormorant Wilderness Guesthouse - an elegant recreational facility located somewhere on the coast of South Africa
Cory the Cormorant - a childrens book by Jane Weinberger and Pam DeVito
M/V American Cormorant (T-AK-2062) - a semi-submersible float-on/float-off vessel operated by the Military Sealift Command and stationed at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean
R/V Cormorant - a 50-ft research/dive vessel of the Tatman Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to marine research and diving located in St. Louis, Missouri, USA
The Cormorant - a 54-ft yacht built in the Galapagos Islands and operated by Andes Explorer, an Ecuadorian travel agency and tour operator
The Cormorant - a 1995 movie, starring Ralph Fiennes, based on the Stephen Gregory novel
The Cormorant - a mystery novel by Stephen Gregory published by St. Martin's Press in 1986
The Cormorant - the annual magazine of the Cormorant Club
The Cormorant - the literary magazine of the University of New Brunswick–St. John's campus
The Cormorant Magazine - the official publication of Packard Automobile Classics, Inc.
The Cormorant on the River - a hotel and riverside restaurant in Cornwall, England

Online Journals and Other Resources - Number 8

Eurasian Wigeon Distribution in North America. The Eurasian Wigeon, as its name implies, is an Old World species that occurs rather rarely in North America, primarily as a winter resident. It also displays a distinctly coastal distribution, but occurs more frequently and in larger numbers on the Pacific Coast than on the Atlantic. Michael G. Shepard has compiled a series of maps that plot the monthly distribution of sightings from January through mid-May 2002, and these clearly show a northward movement of birds in the spring. Note, for example, the movement of birds from the mid-Atlantic Coast to the lower Great Lakes. Fascinating stuff!

The WV-Bird Listserv 2001: A Content Analysis

My curiosity sometimes leads me down strange paths. On this particular occasion, it led me to analyze the contents of messages posted to the bird listserv for West Virginia (WV-Bird) in 2001. I am a subscriber and major contributor to the listserv, hence my interest. WV-Bird is a birding communications network covering the entire State of West Virginia in which subscribers can report and receive rare bird sighting information; share timely information about bird sightings and field trips; and interact with members of the National Audubon Society, Partners in Flight, and other bird-related organizations.

Referring to the archives, I found that approximately 1260 messages were posted, or just over 100 per month on average. April was the busiest month with 246 mesages posted, while July was the slowest with 59.

TOPICS OF DISCUSSION:

Ignorning capitalization, prepositions, and minor discrepancies in spelling, I tabulated the number of times a given topic appeared in the subject line of messages. The distribution was as follows:

13 times - 1 message(s)
12 times - 0
11 times - 1
10 times - 3
9 times - 5
8 times - 1
7 times - 4
6 times - 10
5 times - 10
4 times - 25
3 times - 47
2 times - 127
1 time - 518

The 25 most popular topics discussed on the WV-Bird listserv in 2001 were (in decreasing order):

Birds at Home (13 messages)
Pics of Swans on New River (11)
Eagles (10)
Snowy Owl (10)
White-crowned Goldfinch (10)
Binoculars (9)
Core Arboretum (9)
Request for Bird Sightings (9)
Swans on the New River (9)
White Park (9)
Northern Lights (8)
[No Subject] (7)
PDAs (7)
Spring Migration Notes (7)
Tree Sparrows (7)
Barred Owl Killed on Road (6)
Brown Creepers (6)
Collision-Killed N. Waterthrush (6)
Do Hummingbirds Remember? (6)
Hardy County (6)
Leonid Great Horned Owl (6)
Migration (6)
RFI: Parkersburg Snowy Owl (6)
Ruffed Grouse (6)
Stuff (6)

In the first 3 months of 2002, traffic on the WV-Bird listserv was a whopping 56 percent heavier than for the same period in 2001. Long live the WV-Bird listserv!

CONTRIBUTORS TO THE LISTSERV:

Eighty-seven people posted messages to the WV-Bird listserv in 2001, but the 10 most frequent contributors accounted for 52 percent of all traffic. The top 10 contributors in 2001 were (in decreasing order):

Gary L. Felton - 213 messages
Judy [=Jim] Phillips - 110
Jean Neely - 61
Mike Forman - 60
Ronald L. Canterbury - 50
Jon Cassidy - 40
John L. Trapp - 39
Cindy Ellis - 36
Keith Peters - 33
Wendell Argabrite - 32

Another 10 people each contributed more than 20, but fewer than 30, messages: Susan M. Schneider (29), Wendy Perrone (28), Gary Rankin (26), Tom Fox (25), Russ McClain (25), Janet Fout (24), Wil Hershberger (23), Bob Dean (21), Greg Eddy (21), and Scott Shalaway (21). The majority of contributors (52) posted fewer than 10 messages each.

As an aside, only 3 of 87 contributors posted messages to the listserv that lacked a Last Name in either the signature line or the "From" line, accounting for just 0.8 percent of all messages; and just 1 contributor posted messages that were totally anonymous (i.e., no First or Last Name), accounting for a mere 0.2 percent of all messages.

American Wetlands Month

May is American Wetlands Month, an event sponsored by the Izaak Walton League of America and the Terrene Institute. This year's theme is Bogs, Playas, Pools: Protect America's Unique Wetlands. The amount of wetland acreage in the United States has diminished by at least 50 percent since 1900. Wetlands serve a variety of important ecological functions, not the least of which is to provide critical habitat for the numerous bird species that are dependent on or associated with wetlands.

Birds of the Neighborhood (May 1-10)

The “neighborhood” consists of a 9-block rectangular area (my block plus the surrounding 8 city blocks) in a downtown neighborhood in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. But most of my observations are of birds seen in, or viewed from, my yard, an area just shy of 0.25-acres. The period was seasonably cool and relatively wet; very pleasant weather. The following list of 18 species is probably fairly typical of what you would expect to see in many older, small-town urban residential areas in the Mid-Atlantic States at this time of the year (species are listed in alphabetical order, with numbers in parentheses indicating the order in which each species was detected, # symbols indicating species new this period, and * symbols indicating species not native to the area):

European Starling* (1) - very abundant; nesting
Chimney Swift (2) - very abundant at dusk
Rock Dove* (3) - way too common; nesting
House Sparrow* (4) - extremely abundant; nesting
American Robin (5) - common; nesting
House Finch* (6) - quite common; nesting
Gray Catbird (7) - present throughout period; territorial singing
Northern Cardinal (8) - resident and nesting
Carolina Wren (9) - 1 found dead in yard on 5/3, another singing on 5/9
Fish Crow (10) - fairly common
Blue Jay (11) - quite vocal and visible; 4 seen on 5/5
Common Grackle (12) - common; probably nesting
House Wren (13) - heard singing sporadically; territorial
Northern Mockingbird (14) 1 or 2 pairs present
Mourning Dove (15) - fairly common; nesting
Common Raven# (16) - 1 seen briefly on 5/4
Common Yellowthroat# (17) - 1 heard singing on 5/5
American Crow (18) - occasional
Canada Goose (19) - 2 flying over on 5/5

Total Species This Period - 19
New Species This Period - 2
Cumulative Species Since 3/11/2002 - 30

Notable Bird Quotes III

If men had wings and bore black feathers, few of them would be clever enough to be crows. --Reverend Henry Ward Beecher, mid-1800s (as attributed by a contributor to the BirdChat listserv)

Self-Promotion

Quite by accident, I discovered that Birds Etcetera rises to the top of two major search engines!

On GOOGLE, it is the first 2 of 22 documents retrieved in a search for that exact phrase and the first 2 of about 6800 documents retreived in a search for both words.

On YAHOO, it is the first of 420 documents retrieved in a search for that exact phrase and the first of about 3400 documents retrieved in a search for both words.

The big question is, what is the likelihood that anyone besides me would ever search for both of these words in the same document?

Cormorants and Shags of the World

I have been fascinated with cormorants since the very beginnings of my professional career, when I encountered three species (Double-crested, Pelagic, and Red-faced) in the Aleutian Islannds. The cormorants and shags are grouped into the family Phalacrocoracidae.Their nearest relatives are the gannets and boobies (Sulidae) and the anhingas or darters (Anhingidae). Worldwide, scientists recognize (depending on taxonomic authority) anywhere from 36 to 41 species of cormorants and shags, all in the genus Phalacrocorax. Seven (six living) species are found in the United States; these are boldfaced and denoted by asterisks in the following list. The Double-crested Cormorant is the most widespread and abundant of the six living species. It is also the only species that occurs regularly on freshwater lakes and streams, although the Neotropic Cormorant (once restricted to saltwater and brackish habitats) appears to be gradually extending its range northward into freshwater habitats in the south-central U.S.

The principal source for the following list is James F. Clements' Birds of the world: a checklist.

Amchitka Cormorant - kenyoni (Amchitka Island, n Pacific Ocean) EXTINCT*
Antarctic Shag - bransfieldensis (subantarctic islands & Antarctica)
Auckland Islands Shag - colensoi (Auckland Islands - s Pacific Ocean)
Bank Cormorant - neglectus (sw Africa)
Black-faced Cormorant - fuscescens (s Australia)
Bounty Islands Shag - ranfurlyi (Bounty Islands - s Pacific Ocean)
Brandt's Cormorant - penicillatus (Alaska to nw Mexico)*
Bronze Shag - chalconotus (s New Zealand)
Campbell Islands Shag - campbelli (Campbell Island?s Pacific Ocean)
Cape Cormorant - capensis (sw Africa)
Chatham Islands Shag - onslowi (Chatham Islands - s Pacific Ocean)
Crowned Cormorant - coronatus (sw Africa)
Crozet Shag - melanogenis (Prince Edward, Marion, & Crozet islands)
Double-crested Cormorant - auritus (North America to n Mexico)*
European Shag - aristotelis (w Palearctic)
Flightless Cormorant - harrisi (Galapagos Islands - s Pacific Ocean)
Great Cormorant - carbo (ne North America, Eurasia to Africa, & New Zealand)*
Guanay Cormorant - bougainvillii (w & s South America)
Heard Island Shag - nivalis (s Indian Ocean)
Imperial Shag - atriceps (s South America & s Indian Ocean)
Indian Cormorant - fuscicollis (s & se Asia)
Japanese Cormorant - capillatus (e Asia)
Kerguelen Shag - verrucosus (Kerguelen Island - India Ocean)
Little Black Cormorant - sulcirostris (Australian region)
Little Cormorant - niger (s & se Asia)
Little Pied Cormorant - melanoleucos (Indonesia to New Zealand)
Long-tailed Cormorant - africanus (Africa & Madagascar)
Macquarie Shag - purpurascens (Macquarie Island & adjacent islands)
Neotropic Cormorant - brasilianus (cs USA to South America)*
Pallas's Cormorant - perspicillatus (Commander Islands?n Pacific Ocean) EXTINCT
Pelagic Cormorant - pelagicus (n Pacific Ocean to nw Mexico)*
Pied Cormorant - varius (Australia & New Zealand)
Pitt Island Shag - featherstoni (Chatham Islands - s Pacific Ocean)
Pygmy Cormorant - pygmaeus (sc Eurasia)
Red-faced Cormorant - urile (n Pacific Ocean)*
Red-legged Cormorant - gaimardi (sw and s South America)
Rock Shag - magellanicus (s South America)
Rough-faced Shag - carunculatus (c New Zealand)
Socotra Cormorant - nigrocularis (nw Indian Ocean)
South Georgia Shag - georgianus (subantarctic islands)
Spotted Shag - punctatus (New Zealand)

Bioblitz 2002

May 2002 is National Biodiversity Month (the first ever), so now seems an appropriate time to discuss the BioBlitz. The BioBlitz is the newest craze in field biology, combining ecological inventories and environmental education. The primary goal is to do document the biological diversity of an area (to the extent possible), from fungi and slime molds to birds and mammals, all in a 24-hour period. BioBlitzes can produce exciting and unexpected results. Even those conducted in urban parks have turned up flora and fauna that no one ever expected to find. See, for example, this news release about a BioBlitz held in Pittsburgh's Schenley Park in 2001.

The first BioBlitz, organized by the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and others, was conducted on the grounds of the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and Zoo in Washington, D.C., in 1996. Since then, BioBlitzes have been conducted at sites throughout the country. An Internet search on "bioblitz" will provide a wealth of informaton on the results of BioBlitzes conducted in the past as well as events planned for this spring and summer. The event nearest WV that is planned for 2002 is in New Germany State Park, Garrett County, Maryland.

Is there a BioBlitz in West Virginia's future? I hope so! It seems to me that it would be a perfect project for the WVDNR'S new Wildlife Biodiversity Program to adopt. There would be many opportunities for collaboration with scientists and educators from the State’s many colleges, universities, other State and Federal agencies, nonprofit organizations (including local Audubon Societies and the Brooks Bird Club), and county school districts. BioBlitzes could be conducted in State Parks, Forests, Wildlife Management Areas, municipal parks, and other areas. Something to think about!

"Lights Out" Chicago Save Birds

As reported in this article in the Spring 2002 issue of Chicago Wilderness magazine, the number of birds killed by striking buildings in downtown Chicago was reduced by about 80 percent after building managers started turning out their lights at night during the spring and fall migration. This action was taken by members of the Building Owners and Managers Association at the urging of Mayor Daley's Wildlife and Nature Committee and the City of Chicago Department of the Environment, and is a direct consequence of the Urban Bird Treaty signed by the Mayor in late March 2000. This is proof positive that the Urban Bird Treaty produces beneficial results for migratory birds. Chicago is the latest in a growing number of cities in Canada and the United States that have adopted the light reduction measures promoted by FLAP (the Fatal Light Awareness Program), with positive results for night-migrating birds.

International Migratory Bird Day 2002

IMBD is an annual event created by Partners in Flight to celebrate the wonder and beauty of wild birds. It is celebrated on or around the second Saturday in May with hundreds of special events held around the country. The theme for 2002 (May 11) is Celebrating Special Places for Birds. The Fish and Wildlife Service maintains a separate website that includes basic information about IMBD, suggestions on how to celebrate, information for educators, and a directory of planned events.

Publications Authored or Co-authored by John L. Trapp (1961-2002)

Publications are listed in approximately the reserse chronological order of publication (i.e., from most recent to earliest).

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (J. L. Trapp and J. A. Wheeler). 2002 (January). Colonial-nesting waterbirds: a glorious and gregarious group. Division of Migratory Bird Management, Arlington, Virginia. 2 pages. <http://birds.fws.gov/Waterbird-Fact-Sheet.pdf>

Trapp, J. L. 2001. Book review: Shoveling fuel for a runaway train: errant economics, shameful spenders, and a plan to stop them all, by Brian Czech. Redstart 48: 93.

Hall, G. A. (Chair), W. Argabrites, A. R. Buckelew Jr., J. Esker, and J. Trapp. 2001. Fifth report of the West Virginia Bird Records Committee--February 2001. Redstart 48: 58-59.

Trapp, J. L. 2001. River-rafting American Crows. Redstart 48: 51-52.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (J. L. Trapp). 2001 (October). Revised list of migratory birds. Proposed rule. Federal Register 66: 52282-52300. <http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/intrnltr/mbta/proposedbirdlist.pdf>

Trapp, J. L. 2000 (November). West Nile Virus (WNV)--sources of information. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Bird Management, Arlington, Virginia. <http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/issues/WNVirus/wnv.html>

Hall, G. A. (Chair), W. A. Argabrite, A. R. Buckelew Jr., T. Fox, and J. Trapp. 2000. Fourth report of the West Virginia Bird Records Committee--February 2000. Redstart 67: 59-60.

O'Connor, R. J. (Chair), E. Dunn, D. H. Johnson, S. L. Jones, D. Petit, K. Pollock, C. R. Smith, J. L. Trapp, and E. Welling. 2000 (February). A programmatic review of the North American Breeding Bird Survey: report of a peer-review panel. <http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/bbsreview/bbsfinal.pdf>

Trapp, J. L., and S. L. Hanisch. 2000 (February). Cormorant food habit[s] and potential impacts on sport and commercial fisheries: an annotated bibliography. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Migratory Bird Management, Arlington, Virginia.
<http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/issues/cormorant/diet.pdf>

Trapp, J. L., S. J. Lewis, and D. M. Pence. 1999. Double-crested Cormorant impacts on sport fish: literature review, agency survey, and strategies. Pp. 87-96 in M. E. Tobin (Technical Coordinator), Symposium on Double-crested Cormorants: population status and management issues in the Midwest. USDA Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service Technical Bulletin 1879. <http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ws/nwrc/corsymp/corsym9_nogfx.pdf>

Trapp, J. L. 1998 (June). Bird kills at towers and other human-made structures: an annotated partial bibliography (1960-1998). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Migratory Bird Management, Arlington, Virginia. <http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/issues/tower.html>

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [J. L. Trapp]. 1998 (March 4). Establishment of a depredation order for the Double-crested Cormorant. Final rule. Federal Register 63: 10550-10561.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [J. L. Trapp]. 1997. A guide to the laws and treaties of the United States for protecting migratory birds. Office of Migratory Bird Management, Arlington, Virginia. <http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/intrnltr/treatlaw.html>

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [J. L. Trapp]. 1997. Birds protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Office of Migratory Bird Management, Arlington, Virginia. <http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/intrnltr/mbta/mbtintro.html>

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [J. L. Trapp]. 1997 (June 23). Proposed depredation order for the Double-crested Cormorant. Proposed rule. Federal Register 62: 33960-33965.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [J. L. Trapp]. 1997. Control of nuisance Double-crested Cormorants at commercial aquaculture facilities. Environmental Assessment. Office of Migratory Bird Management, Arlington, Virginia. 50 pp.

Carter, M., G. Fenwick, C. Hunter, D. Pashley, D. Petit, J. Price, and J. Trapp. 1996. WatchList 1996: for the future. National Audubon Society Field Notes 50: 238-240.

Coon, R. A., C. Simonton, E. F. Bowers, and J. L. Trapp. 1996. Migratory bird depredation permits issued to Southeast aquaculture facilities. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 50: 287-293. Abstract: <http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/issues/cormorant/permits.html>

Trapp, J. L., T. J. Dwyer, J. L. Doggett, and J. G. Nickum. 1995. Management responsibilities and policies for cormorants: United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Colonial Waterbirds 18 (Special Publication 1): 226-230. Abstract: <http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/issues/cormorant/policies.html>

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [J. L. Trapp]. 1995. Cormorants and their impacts on fish. Office of Migratory Bird Management, Arlington, Virginia. <http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/issues/cormorant/fish_impacts.html>

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [J. L. Trapp]. 1995. Migratory nongame birds of management concern in the United States: the 1995 list. Office of Migratory Bird Management, Washington, D.C. 15 pp. <http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/reports/speccon/tblconts.html>

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [J. L. Trapp]. 1995 (May 9). Proposed amendments to the List of Migratory Birds. Proposed rule. Federal Register 60: 24686-24690.

Vogel, W. O. (Chair), and J. L. Trapp (Cochair). 1994. Special Session 4. Integrating game and nongame management. Transactions of the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference 59: 289-364.

Byrd, G. V., J. L. Trapp, and C. F. Zeillemaker. 1994. Removal of introduced foxes: a case study in restoration of native birds. Transactions of the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference 59: 317-321.

Trapp, J. L. 1994. Closing remarks: The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Transactions of the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference 59: 363-364.

Erwin, R. M., P. C. Frederick, and J. L. Trapp. 1993. Monitoring of colonial waterbirds in the United States: needs and priorities. Pages 18-22 in M. Moser, R. C. Prentice, and J. Van Vessem (Editors), Waterfowl and wetland conservation in the 1990s--a global perspective. International Waterfowl Wetland Research Bureau Special Publication 26, 263 pages.

Trapp, J. L., and J. F. Turner. 1992. Management responsibilities and policy for cormorants: United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Colonial Waterbird Society Bulletin 16(2): 51 (Abstract only).

Trapp, J. L., D. A. Wiedenfeld, H. A. Ford, and R. D. Magrath (Eds.). 1991 (October). Recent Ornithological Literature. Auk 108(4, Supplement): 1D-69D.

Trapp, J. L., D. A. Wiedenfeld, H. A. Ford, and R. D. Magrath (Eds.). 1991 (July). Recent Ornithological Literature. Auk 108(3, Supplement): 1C-46C.

Trapp, J. L., D. A. Wiedenfeld, H. A. Ford, and R. D. Magrath (Eds.). 1991 (April). Recent Ornithological Literature. Auk 108(2, Supplement): 1B-41B.

Trapp, J. L., D. A. Wiedenfeld, H. A. Ford, and R. D. Magrath (Eds.). 1991 (January). Recent Ornithological Literature. Auk 108(1, Supplement): 1A-63A.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [J. L. Trapp and E. Cummings]. 1990. Conservation of avian diversity in North America. Office of Migratory Bird Management. 22 pp. <http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/reports/aviandiv.html>

Lohr, F. E., J. L. Trapp, D. A. Wiedenfeld, H. A. Ford, I. C. Cuthill, and R. D. Magrath (Editors). 1990 (October). Recent Ornithological Literature. Auk 107(4, Supplement): 1D-68D.

Lohr, F. E., J. L. Trapp, D. A. Wiedenfeld, H. A. Ford, I. C. Cuthill, and R. D. Magrath (Editors). 1990 (July). Recent Ornithological Literature. Auk 107(3, Supplement): 1C-36C.

Lohr, F. E., J. L. Trapp, D. A. Wiedenfeld, H. A. Ford, and I. C. Cuthill (Editors). 1990 (April). Recent Ornithological Literature. Auk 107(2, Supplement): 1B-37B.

Lohr, F. E., J. L. Trapp, D. A. Wiedenfeld, H. A. Ford, and I. C. Cuthill (Editors). 1990 (January). Recent Ornithological Literature. Auk 107(1, Supplement): 1A-27A.

U.S. Department of the Interior [J. L. Trapp]. 1990 (February). Report of the Secretary of the Interior to the Congress of the United States on the Federal conservation of migratory nongame birds pursuant to Section 13 of Public Law 96-366, the "Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act of 1980," as amended. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C. 61 pages.

Trapp, J. L. 1989. Winter distribution and population status of the Marbled Murrelet. Pacific Seabird Group Bulletin 16: 63 (Abstract only).

Conant, B., J. G. King, J. L. Trapp, and J. I. Hodges. 1988. Estimating populations of ducks wintering in southeast Alaska. Pages 541-551 in M. W. Weller (Editor), Waterfowl in winter: selected papers from symposium and workshop held in Galveston, Texas, 7-10 January 1985. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 624 pages.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [J. L. Trapp]. 1987. Migratory nongame birds of management concern in the United States: the 1987 list. Office of Migratory Bird Management, Washington, D.C. 27 pp.

Nelson, J. W., D. R. Nysewander, J. L. Trapp, and A. L. Sowls. 1987. Breeding bird populations on St. Lazaria Island, Alaska. Murrelet 68: 1-11.

Trapp, J. L. 1985. Population status of Marbled Murrelets in Alaska. Proceedings of the Alaska Bird Conference (Abstract only).

Trapp, J. L., and J. G. King. 1985a. Inshore and offshore marine waters I. Page 120 in C. L. Cink and R. L. Boyd (Editors), Thirty-seventh Winter Bird-Population Study. American Birds 39: 116-121. (One-line summary only; requests for copy of full report?archived on computer at Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology--can be directed to James Lowe, CLO, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850).

Trapp, J. L., and J. G. King. 1985b. Inshore and offshore marine waters II. Page 120 in C. L. Cink and R. L. Boyd (Editors), Thirty-seventh Winter Bird-Population Study. American Birds 39: 116-121. (One-line summary only; see Trapp and King 1985a).

Trapp, J. L., and J. G. King. 1985c. Inshore and offshore marine waters III. Page 120 in C. L. Cink and R. L. Boyd (Editors), Thirty-seventh Winter Bird-Population Study. American Birds 39: 116-121. (One-line summary only; see Trapp and King 1985a).

Trapp, J. L., and J. G. King. 1985d. Nearshore marine waters and tidal flats I. Page 120 in C. L. Cink and R. L. Boyd (Editors), Thirty-seventh Winter Bird-Population Study. American Birds 39: 116-121. (One-line summary only; see Trapp and King 1985a).

Trapp, J. L., and J. G. King. 1985e. Nearshore marine waters and tidal flats II. Page 120 in C. L. Cink and R. L. Boyd (Editors), Thirty-seventh Winter Bird-Population Study. American Birds 39: 116-121. (One-line summary only; see Trapp and King 1985a).

Trapp, J. L., and J. G. King. 1985f. Nearshore marine waters and tidal flats III. Page 120 in C. L. Cink and R. L. Boyd (Editors), Thirty-seventh Winter Bird-Population Study. American Birds 39: 116-121. (One-line summary only; see Trapp and King 1985a).

Trapp, J. L., and J. G. King. 1985g. Nearshore marine waters and tidal flats IV. Page 120 in C. L. Cink and R. L. Boyd (Editors), Thirty-seventh Winter Bird-Population Study. American Birds 39: 116-121. (One-line summary only; see Trapp and King 1985a).

Trapp, J. L., and J. G. King. 1985h. Nearshore marine waters and tidal flats V. Page 120 in C. L. Cink and R. L. Boyd (Editors), Thirty-seventh Winter Bird-Population Study. American Birds 39: 116-121. (One-line summary only; see Trapp and King 1985a).

Trapp, J. L., and J. G. King. 1985i. Nearshore marine waters and tidal flats VI. Page 120 in C. L. Cink and R. L. Boyd (Editors), Thirty-seventh Winter Bird-Population Study. American Birds 39: 116-121. (One-line summary only; see Trapp and King 1985a).

Trapp, J. L., and J. G. King. 1985j. Nearshore marine waters and tidal flats VII. Page 120 in C. L. Cink and R. L. Boyd (Editors), Thirty-seventh Winter Bird-Population Study. American Birds 39: 116-121. (One-line summary only; see Trapp and King 1985a).

Trapp, J. L., and J. G. King. 1985k. Nearshore marine waters and tidal flats VIII. Page 120 in C. L. Cink and R. L. Boyd (Editors), Thirty-seventh Winter Bird-Population Study. American Birds 39: 116-121. (One-line summary only; see Trapp and King 1985a).

Trapp, J. L., and J. G. King. 1985l. Nearshore marine waters and tidal flats IX. Page 120 in C. L. Cink and R. L. Boyd (Editors), Thirty-seventh Winter Bird-Population Study. American Birds 39: 116-121. (One-line summary only; see Trapp and King 1985a).

Bailey, E. P., and J. L. Trapp. 1984. A second wild breeding population of Aleutian Canada Goose. American Birds 38: 284-286.

Bailey, E. P., and J. L. Trapp. 1983. A reconnaissance of breeding marine birds in the east-central Aleutian Islands: Kasatochi to the Islands of Four Mountains. Pacific Seabird Group Bulletin 10(2): 64 (Abstract only).

King, J. G., B. Conant, and J. Trapp. 1982. Comparison of air and surface counts of wintering water birds in a southeast Alaska bay. Pacific Seabird Group Bulletin 9: 73 (Abstract only).

Trapp, J. L., M. A. Robus, G. J. Tans, and M. M. Tans. 1981. First breeding record of the Sora and American Coot in Alaska--with comments on drought displacement. American Birds 35: 901-902.

Trapp, J. L. 1981. Inland [sic Upland] white spruce-paper birch forest. Page 95 in W. T. Van Velzen (Editor), Forty-fourth Breeding Bird Census. American Birds 35: 46-104.

Trapp, J. L. 1980a. Book review: Status and distribution of Alaska birds, by Brina Kessel and Daniel D. Gibson. Canadian Field-Naturalist 94: 349.

Trapp, J. L. 1980b. Avian pox in the Gray-crowned Rosy Finch in Alaska. North American Bird Bander 5: 146-147.

Trapp, J. L. 1979. Variation in summer diet of Glaucous-winged Gulls in the western Aleutian Islands: an ecological interpretation. Wilson Bulletin 91: 412-419.

Trapp, J. L., and R. M. MacIntosh. 1978. First North American specimen of the Spot-billed Duck. Western Birds 9: 127-128.

Trapp, J. L. 1979. Ranking Alaska's seabird colonies: a concept plan for habitat protection. Pacific Seabird Group Bulletin 6(2): 38 (Abstract only).

Byrd, G. V., J. L. Trapp, and D. D. Gibson. 1978. New information on Asiatic birds in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Condor 80: 309-315.

Trapp, J. L. 1978. Effects of human disturbance on a Red-faced Cormorant nesting colony. Pacific Seabird Group Bulletin 5: 88 (Abstract only).

Trapp, J. L. (Compiler). 1976. Adak, Alaska. Pages 216-217 in L. H. Heilbrun (Editor), The seventy-sixth Audubon Christmas Bird Count. American Birds 30: 155-633.

Trapp, J. L. (Compiler). 1975. Adak, Alaska. Page 211 in L. H. Heilbrun (Editor), The seventy-fifth Audubon Christmas Bird Count. American Birds 29: 151-603.

Trapp, J. L. 1973. Mute Swans entangled in fishing line. Jack-Pine Warbler 51: 91-92.

Trapp, J. L. 1970. Ingham County [Michigan] breeding bird survey. Jack-Pine Warbler 48: 104-107.

Trapp, J. L. 1969. Southwest Berrien County [Michigan, Eastern] Phoebe survey. Jack-Pine Warbler 47: 133-134.

Trapp, J. L. 1969. The 1968 fall warbler migration at Warren Woods, Berrien County, Michigan. Jack-Pine Warbler 47: 98-99.

Trapp, J. L. 1967. Observations at a nest of the Cerulean Warbler during early incubation. Jack-Pine Warbler 45: 42-49.

Trapp, J. 1961 (November). Letters: Suetable report. Audubon Magazine 63: 346.

Trapp, J. 1961. Woodland swamp and grain fields. Page 368 in H. Kolb Jr. (Editor), Winter Bird-Population Study. Audubon Field Notes 15: 358-374.

The Death of a Wren

A male Carolina Wren has staked out a territory in our urban yard for the last 4 or 5 years. In at least one of those years he was successful in attracting a mate and they built a nest and produced eggs. Throughout the summer months he serenaded all who would listen, both bird and human, with his loud, rolling, 3-note song, which can be characterized as pidaro pidaro pidaro or TWEE pudo TWEE pudo TWEE pudo.

This year, he (I can only assume that it was the same male) arrived on April 21st and immediately proclaimed his presense with his loud and raucous song. It was good to have an old friend return. On May 3rd, I found a dead Carolina Wren on the ground near the bird bath. The carcass was fresh and intact, with no evidence that it had run afoul of a cat or other predator. There were no windows or other obstacles nearby with which it could have collided. I thought maybe it had succumbed to the cool and extremely rainy weather we had earlier in the week. Perhaps it wasn't able to find food. But the smaller and seemingly more vulnerable House Wren survived, so that doesn't make sense. Maybe it was diseased, or infested with parasites, or poisoned with pesticides. Or maybe it just died of old age. It was him, the old friend who enlivened our backyard for the past 5 years, for I have heard no Carolina Wrens singing in the past 3 days. I'm hoping that his territory won't remain vacant for long.

Notable Bird Quotes II

You can put wings on a pig, but you don't make it an eagle. --William Jefferson Clinton (from The Quotable Birder, edited by Bill Adler Jr.)

Online Bird Journals and Other References - Number 7

Studies in Oregon Ornithology. SOO is the privately-funded publishing endeavor of Oregon ornithologist Range D. Bayer. The series consists of monographs published at periodic intervals. Nine issues have thus far appeared in print (1986-2001). Four issues are currently available online in their entirety:

No. 2. A guide to the bird notes of Grace McCormac French of Yamhill County, Oregon.
No. 5. Changes in waterbird numbers before and after 1983 oil spill in Yaquina Estuary, OR.
No. 6. The cormorant/fisherman conflict in Tillamook County, Oregon.
No. 8. Birds of Thornton Creek, Lincoln County, Oregon.
No. 9. Cormorant harassment to protect juvenile salmonids in Tillamook County, Oregon.

These are valuable references for Oregon birders, ornithologists, and wildlife biologists.

Alleged Spies, Communists, and Prothonotary Warblers

One of the little-known but quite fascinating (especially if you're a birder) aspects of the Alger Hiss spy trial (about which much has been written; see, for example, The Alger Hiss Story) involved a beautiful little bird called a Prothonotary Warbler. This was one of the pieces of "evidence" used by the House Committee on Un-American Affairs to "prove" that Hiss had committed perjury. Read the details here.

What is especially notable is that three of the central figures in this case were self-proclaimed bird watchers: Whittaker Chambers (former Communist and the accuser), Alger Hiss (career diplomat and the accused), and John McDowell (a Republican member of the Committee from Pennsylvania who elicited testimony from Hiss that he had indeed seen a Prothonotary Warbler along the Potomac River, thus supporting Chambers' contention that he and Hiss had once been friends, a fact that Hiss first denied--undoubtedly because Chambers was using an assumed name at the time).

Interesting statement made by McDowell during a Congressional hearing (the first ever televised) on this case, August 25, 1948:

". . . to discover a rare bird or an unusual bird . . . is a great discovery in the life of an amateur ornithologist. You can usually recall almost everything around it. It is like winning the ball game or the yacht regatta. You can recall the time of day, how high the sun was, and all the other things."

Pigeons Lose Out to Email

India's Police Pigeon Service, which has provided a communications lifeline for more than a half-century in eastern Orissa state, will be scrapped under a government proposal to cut expenses.

Online Bird Journals and Other Resources - Number 6

Strategies for Bird Conservation: The Partners in Flight Planning Process. The online proceedings of the 1995 Partners in Flight (PIF) International Workshop, held October 1-5, 1995, at the Grand Hotel in Cape May, New Jersey. The theme of the third International PIF conference was "Partners in Flight Conservation Plan: Building Consensus for Action." This is a major online resource. The full text of more than 46 papers presented at the conference can be downloaded. The papers cover a broad range of topics, from case studies in bird conservation planning, to population and habitat assessment, to education and community outreach.


Full citation: Bonney, R., D. N. Pashley, R. J. Cooper, and L. Niles (Editors). 1999. Strategies for bird conservation: the Partners in Flight planning process. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. <http://birds.cornell.edu/pifcapemay>