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Northern Pintails In Flight photo by Larry Jordan
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will hold a national media teleconference to announce the 2010 “State of the Birds Report,” which this year focuses on the effects of climate change on migratory bird populations in the United States.
Taking part in the teleconference will be Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, USFWS Assistant Director Migratory Bird Program Paul Schmidt, Cornell Lab of Ornithology Executive Director John Fitzpatrick, The Nature Conservancy Director Mark Tercek, and American Bird Conservancy State of the Birds Science Team Members.
The report is a collaborative effort of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (U.S. Committee), American Bird Conservancy, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Klamath Bird Observatory, National Audubon Society, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S.D.A. Forest Service, and U.S. Geological Survey.
The teleconference will be held on Thursday, March 11th at 2:45 EST. For more information on the teleconference, check the Department of the Interior website here.
As stated in the 2010 report, “Global climate change is altering the natural world in ways we are only beginning to understand. One message emerges loud and clear, only committed collective action can protect nature’s resources. It is up to us to safeguard birds, their habitat, and the environment we all share and depend on for our own lives and those of future generations.”
Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay, Redding, California photos by Larry Jordan
The Sundial Bridge and Turtle Bay Exploration Park, located in Redding, has become a well known landmark in Northern California offering a myriad of activities and learning opportunities for people of all ages. The Sundial Bridge spans 700 feet across the Sacramento River and soars 217 feet into the air (click here for the facts and figures pdf file).
This vast playground includes a museum, botanical gardens and Paul Bunyan’s Forest Camp which includes a butterfly house, an amphitheater where outdoor wildlife shows are performed and a playground for kids too (see the map here).
Hermit Thrush
This area is also a haven for birds. There is oak savannah habitat offering many passerine species as well as many shorebirds and waterfowl that can be observed along the river and adjacent ponds. There is now a paved path (part of the Sacramento River Trail) from the park entrance meandering around the south side of the park, through the trees, past secluded ponds to the Sacramento River. The path continues along the river, returning you back to the Sundial Bridge.
Common Merganser
On the north side of the bridge there are several trails that traverse hundreds of acres, the most famous being the Sacramento River Trail. Walking through these giant oak trees near the river is where I found this nesting Ash-throated Flycatcher last summer.
Ash-throated Flycatcher
And right near the museum the other day, on the river trail, I was treated to a close-up look at one of the two Bald Eagles nesting on the south end of the river trail, next to highway 44. Either Patriot or Liberty flew directly over my head and perched in a cottonwood tree just above the trail.
Anna’s Hummingbird Female Being Courted photos by Larry Jordan
Spring is in the air in Northern California even though it is still a couple of weeks away. Anna’s Hummingbirds, as I stated in an earlier post, nest early and thus avoid competition from other hummingbird species. They may begin nesting in November or December but these two appear to be ready now.
As I walk into the backyard I here the distinctive “chirp” of the male Anna’s Hummingbird performing his dive display. The sound is actually created by the male spreading his tail at a speed of up to 60 miles per hour. Watch this 1 minute video.
The object of the dive display may be a female prior to mating or it may be a territorial display used to chase out another hummingbird.
When I heard the “chirp” Brigitte said “the hummingbird is right here.” I slowly walked to where she was gardening and followed her pointing finger to this female, perched nearly on the ground, just a few feet from where she was working.
I ran to the back porch to get the camera and came back. The bird was still there. She was not moving other than to look up occasionally (presumably at the male). I slowly closed in for a better photo, hoping not to alarm her. She was not interested in me. Then I understood why.
The male Anna’s Hummingbird flew down and performed a “shuttle display” about a foot away from the female and directly in front of her. On sunny days like today, the male’s dive display is oriented so that the sun is reflected from his crown and gorget. Impressive isn’t it?
She watched as he shuttled back and forth on the other side of a temporary nylon netting, displaying his glistening gorget in the sun. Then he came closer to her, still displaying…
She watched him closely…
And then he chased her, as she most likely led him to her nest that she has been building for several days now, to mate. Ah, springtime in the backyard, exquisite.
To see more about Anna’s Hummingbird courtship and nesting behavior you can watch this 3 minute video from Britannica.com.
Marsh Wren Singing and Nest Building photos by Larry Jordan
I was able to visit Delevan and Sacramento National Wildlife Refuges Saturday and was able to witness something I had never seen, a Marsh Wren building a nest. There were Marsh Wrens singing everywhere during my visit, wherever the bulrushes grew, they were singing. Here is a sample of what these busy little birds sound like from Xeno-canto.org
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As with the Bewick’s Wren, only the male Marsh Wren sings, and he is a very prolific singer with a repertoire of up to 200 songs! According to Cornell Lab, about 50% of males are also polygynous, they simultaneously mate with two or more females. I have to believe that this has something to do with all the singing.
This also probably has something to do with the male’s extensive nest building. The male Marsh Wren, on average, will build a dozen nests from which the female may choose. I discovered this fellow below the viewing platform at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Saturday.
He was singing away as he brought in water-soaked strips of grass or cattail leaves to line the nest. One of the most interesting things I noticed looking at my photos when I got home was the way he used his wing like an arm to hold on to the support structure as he went into the nest to place the building materials.
He would spend a few moments inside arranging the new addition and then pop back out…
Sit on the branch and sing for his mate.
When I finally decided that I needed to take a video of this encounter, I only got a short song at the end, not nearly as complex as the songs he was singing as I took the photos but if you look closely, you can see him shaping the inside of the nest as he moves in front of the entrance before sticking his head out.
Burrowing Owl Installation Volunteers photos by Larry Jordan
Ten local birders and Burrowing Owl enthusiasts managed to construct eight artificial burrows in Chico, California on Saturday. The weather held as we installed two groups of four burrows each in the heavy wet soil of a location where the habitat will be conserved in perpetuity.
There have been Burrowing Owls seen at this location for nearly twenty years according to the resident biologist that studies the vernal pools located on the property. One owl was spotted when I visited the site a couple of weeks ago to mark out the locations for the hand dug burrows.
The burrows are constructed according to plans from Wild At Heart, an Arizona based conservation organization that has built over 4,000 artificial burrows, successfully relocating over 1500 Burrowing Owls.Burrowing Owls live in loose colonies using burrows dug by other ground dwelling creatures, notably the ground squirrel in California. The artificial burrows use a five gallon bucket, turned upside down as the nest chamber and 4 inch tubing with a 90 degree bend, creating a tunnel to the surface that most closely resembles a natural burrow. The burrows are installed in groups of at least four to facilitate digging and offer several options to the owls for breeding and predator evasion.
The previous installation I completed in Anderson, California on January 17th consisted of one eight chamber and two four chambered groups of burrows and were dug using a backhoe. We will be installing another 16 burrows at the Chico location as soon as the ground is dry enough to get an excavator into the site to do the digging, however it was nice to get at least eight burrows in now to facilitate the beginning of Burrowing Owl breeding season.
It is advantageous for the owls to have a foyer at the tunnel opening to help protect the young as they emerge from the burrow. We used two gallon pots donated from a local nursery, partially filled with soil up to the 4 inch tube to imitate a natural burrow opening. These were secured with rebar bent over the top of the pots and then they were covered with soil. A perch was placed above the openings as an advantage for predator detection.
The artificial burrow sites will be monitored using the protocol recommended by the Burrowing Owl Consortium and Jack Barclay. Monthly in January and February, twice per month in March, April and May, weekly May through July and back to monthly August through December.
This project could not have materialized without a grant from Audubon California. Thanks to Garry George, Chapter Network Director, for his insightful consideration of the Burrowing Owl problem in California, we may be able to turn the tide of the decline of this “Species of Special Concern.” I would also like to thank Jordan Wellwood, Central Valley/Sierra Nevada Conservation Coordinator, for her constant advocacy for the Burrowing Owl and other conservation issues in California.
I have also received incredible support from Wintu Audubon of Redding and Altacal Audubon of Chico. It is the strong commitment of their members to bird conservation in northern California that has led the volunteers you see in the photo above to help on this dig for the Burrowing Owl.
Northern Pintails In Flight photo by Larry Jordan
Hermit Thrush
Common Merganser
Burrowing Owl Installation Volunteers photos by Larry Jordan
Burrowing Owls live in loose colonies using burrows dug by other ground dwelling creatures, notably the ground squirrel in California. The artificial burrows use a five gallon bucket, turned upside down as the nest chamber and 4 inch tubing with a 90 degree bend, creating a tunnel to the surface that most closely resembles a natural burrow. The burrows are installed in groups of at least four to facilitate digging and offer several options to the owls for breeding and predator evasion.
