It's time again for those rare geese! By that we mean that certain European geese are almost becoming regular in the northeastern U.S. and Canada at this season. And for starters this often means Barnacle Geese and Pink-footed Geese.
Barnacle Geese breed in Greenland, Spitsbergen, and Novaya Zemlya. They are passage migrants through Iceland (from Greenland), and regularly winter in nw. Europe. The increase in winter reports over the last two decades in southeastern Canada and the northeastern and mid-Atlantic U.S. is concurrent with a large and increasing breeding population in Greenland. Unfortunately, this species is also fairly common in captivity, which sometimes complicates the true status of Barnacle Geese on this side of the Atlantic. Nevertheless, the species has practically become almost an annual visitor "somewhere" in these regions.
Accordingly, a Barnacle Goose was found at Turner's Pond, Essex County, Massachusetts, on 23 November. It later was relocated at the nearby Wolleston Golf Club. It remained in the area with Canada Geese through the end of the month.
But we also consider another goose, the Pink-footed Goose, as a double-rarity for the month. Pink-footed Geese nest in Greenland, Iceland, and northern Norway (Spitsbergen), and normally winter in the British Isles and northwestern Europe. In the 1960s there was only an estimated population of 50,000 Pink-footed Geese wintering in the UK; but by the turn of the century there were approximately 200,000 birds. Additionally, the breeding populations in Greenland and Iceland have increased dramatically over the past quarter century, from about 10,000 pairs to well over 150,000 pairs. This increase in population has undoubtedly contributed to the increase in sightings of this species in North America over the past quarter century.
Not surprisingly one of these Pink-foots was almost expected somewhere in the Northeast, when one appeared with a group of Canada Geese by the River Road Bike Path Parking lot, Hampden County, Massachusetts. A week later and almost 100 miles east of Hampden County, what was presumably another Pink-footed Goose appeared in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, among a group of Canada Geese near the coast.
As we mentioned last March, when looking for rare geese, be on the alert for species like Barnacle and Pink-footed in early winter among large flocks of Canada Geese. There could certainly be more of them mixed in with large flocks of Canadas than the records indicate.
BOOK NOTES: DARWIN AND BEAUTY
Sometimes you buy an interesting-looking book, even a prize-winning book, and set it aside for "the time being," only to realize much later that a number of other books may have taken the original volume's place in line. Perhaps it was the daunting subject, or perhaps it was merely neglect, but somehow the book was relegated to the bottom of a pile... until, of course, it strangely reemerged.
If the book was The Evolution of Beauty: How Darwin's Forgotten Theory of Mate Choice Shapes the Animal World - actually published in 2017 (Random House-Penguin), your delay in reading it may eventually be rewarded. The author, ornithologist and evolutionary biologist Richard O. Prum's contribution will not disappoint.
Prum concerns himself with the power of aesthetic mate choice, making the case that it is a significant independent agent in evolution. He convincingly insists that while Charles Darwin made this argument for sexual selection in The Descent of Man published in 1871, the concept was sidelined and almost forgotten, with the notion of natural selection being the sole driver of evolution dominating his discussion. It was Darwin's closest intellectual colleague, Alfred Russell Wallace, who did his best to bury sexual selection as a major factor in evolution.
Prum - Professor of Ornithology, and Head Curator of Vertebrate Zoology at the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University - makes the case for aesthetic mate choice with a determination hardly lacking in humor and grace. The book is heavy-duty, but it is also simply fun to read!
The added attraction of the book, at least for bird enthusiasts, is that Prum's examples are overwhelmingly chosen from the bird world. These are examples that readers of The Birding Community E-bulletin are probably most comfortable with. And for many readers, these deeply informed examples, practically come to life!
From the Indian Peafowl to the Blackburnian Warbler, with manakins, bowerbirds, and puffins in between, Prum pursues the intricacies of sexual selection. His pursuit of trying to understand how mate choice frames the lives of birds even delves into the intricacies of duck sex!
The fact that science could be influenced by societal biases - where female choice as a driver in evolution could easily be dismissed in the late 1800s - is instructive in and of itself. Conversely, Prum's current arguments, of course, can be far more easily embraced at a time when a feminist orientation is not out of the question.
While a number of evolutionary biologists have had objections to Prum's approach, others have found it delicious, exhilarating, and engaging. Read this fascinating book and decide for yourself.
ACCESS MATTERS: LOUISIANA'S NORTHERN WHEATEAR
There are about four records for Northern Wheatear in Louisiana, with the last one recorded in 1995. So, when Gary Pontiff and his son, Matthew, found one on 7 November near Deridder, Louisiana, it was a big deal.
The only problem was that it was found at the Beauregard Regional Airport, a location that inevitably posed access problems.
Concerned birders (including Jay Huner and Christine Kooi) alerted the airport manager, Mr. Sam Lack, to the unique status of the bird and the fact that others would likely want to come to see it. Mr. Lack kindly set up some ground rules for visitors, and, fortunately, the birders did comply.
Mr. Lack explained that the airport was mostly open from 7am - 5pm during the workweek. Visitors were directed to come to the airport office to go inside the fence. He also provided specific information about when the office would be open that coming Saturday and Sunday. He further explained that the area where the bird was being seen - near the hanger - could be observed from outside the fence and that people were also welcome to view the area from that location at any time. Birders were also provided the e-mail address and phone number for contacting Mr. Lack.
A few birders were able to see the Northern Wheatear on 7 December, and a reasonable number got to see it the next day. Unfortunately, the bird was not seen afterwards
Appropriate negotiations - and permission - is essential in cases such as this. So as we regularly remind our readership, "access really matters" when it comes to birding. In this splendid example, we have offered details of how a marvelously cooperative property steward was willing to work with the local birding community to create a most positive birding experience for all involved.
HOPE FOR WOOD STORKS IN FLORIDA
Florida's wading bird nesting season - historically from December to July - is commencing, with Wood Storks - as well as Roseate Spoonbills, egrets, ibis, and herons - starting to nest and raise their young.
Wood Storks depend heavily on just the right water levels and water movements in Florida to exist. Historically, with Florida's rainy summers, rising water levels would flood wetlands, which allowed fish, frogs, crawfish, and other potential prey species to proliferate. Then, during the dry winter season, waters would slowly recede, concentrating prey in isolated water locations, providing ideal hunting conditions for the Wood Storks.
But human-altered habitat, with canals and water-control structures reengineering the way water flows through South Florida, made it more difficult for wading birds, especially Wood Storks, to find prey at this season. To successfully fledge young, Wood Storks need a regular supply of abundant and concentrated fish throughout the nesting period. These birds have a relatively long reproductive period (approximately four months), and it is critical they start nesting in time to ensure fledging time and independence before the start of the rainy season when fish availability declines.
Over the years, Wood Storks have started nesting later in the season - sometimes not nesting at all - since altered water levels fail to provide enough time to raise young before the summer rains start up again.
Last year, however, ideal water and weather conditions brought on the strongest nesting season for these birds in more than 80 years. Heavy rains in 2017 flooded wetlands, seriously increasing fish and other prey populations. Later, dry weather caused water to recede, setting up conditions for wading birds to pick off prey limited to small pockets of water. Birds flocked to nesting areas they had previously abandoned in the southern Everglades. At the same time, tree islands in the central Everglades were surrounded by sufficient water to hold predators away from nests. Threatened Wood Storks built nearly 6,000 nests, which is more than twice the species' 10-year average and the third-highest count since the late 1960s.
It remains to be seen whether this year's situation will be close to being as productive as last year's boom. Researchers are watching.
In the long run, a lot will depend on habitat restoration, not simply waiting for the "right" rain cycle. Recently, the House of Representatives passed a bill that invests $200 million for Everglades restoration. It will be up to the Senate to pass a bill that makes the same historic investment.
IBA NEWS: ARCTIC REFUGE STILL THREATENED
Some conservation problems - and specific locations - never seem to go away, and an ongoing situation at the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is now near the top of that list.
After decades of comforting protection, harmful language was slipped into the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that would - for the very first time - allow for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Oil industry allies in Congress circumvented normal legislative channels to pass an Arctic Refuge drilling bill that on its own would have been seemingly inconceivable.
From its start, the Trump Administration set out to accelerate this process, denying federal and climate scientists, the indigenous Gwich'in people, and the American public the opportunity to meaningfully contribute to the decision. Instead, the Trump Interior Department repeatedly cut corners at every step of this process, and a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was released months ago, potentially exposing the entire coastal plain to oil development.
Observers are waiting for a final Record of Decision (ROD) from the Interior Department for any lease sale. An additional Biological Opinion (concerning polar bears) is expected at the same time.
Once the ROD is released, there will be a "Call for Nominations," followed by a "Notice of Sale" 30 days before any lease sale. Therefore, any lease sale will take place in 2020, but we are not sure when.
But that's not all. Right now, for better or worse, the U.S. is setting oil production and exporting records. America is flush with oil, and there seems to be no great desire among the oil companies to explore the pristine refuge. Everyone but Administration spokespeople estimate that oil development would yield a mere fraction of the $1.5 billion revenue estimate that was in the 2017 tax act that opened the refuge's coastal plain to development. The appetite for drilling - and a willingness to sustain public ire - may have significantly declined over the past few years.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge represents unspoiled nature at its best. It is home to bears, musk oxen, wolves, foxes, and caribou, as well as an important nesting and resting area for waterfowl, loons, jaegers, and shorebirds aplenty. Moreover, significant parts of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are included in the Northeast Arctic Coastal Plain Important Bird Area (IBA):
For additional information about worldwide IBA programs, including those in the U.S., check the National Audubon Society's Important Bird Area program web site at:
TIP OF THE MONTH: PLAN FOR 2020
If you haven't already done so, it's time to start planning for birding in the coming year. No, you don't have to devote your entire available vacation time to birds, but clever planning can put birds and birding into the mix while you cover vacations dedicated to family needs and cultural curiosity.
Are you due to visit uncle Fred in Omaha? Sure, but schedule it for mid-to-late March so you can also enjoy a two-day side trip along the Platte River to experience the eye-popping migration of Sandhill Cranes and millions of waterfowl. Does your family wish to go to Hawaii, Washington DC, or Orlando? They are all excellent, coinciding with some serious birding on break-away mornings or a few hour's drive away!
Do you have a big-time business or professional trip you need to take to Miami, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Denver, San Antonio, or Boston? There are great places for bird watching within a day's easy drive for each of those locales, and you can access some really wonderful birds if you schedule a weekend overlap, regardless of the time of year.
Yes, you may have to block some special spring-migration vacation time or late-summer shorebirding, but planning ahead can often work out easily!
