We have all gone through another extraordinary month in American life - life under Covid-19 where masks, social-distancing, and closed schools and businesses are the standard, not the exception. In accordance with this reality, this month we are not going to highlight any particular rarity that was pursued by cross-country birders. Yes, there were remarkable birds in Arizona (e.g., Rufous-capped and Crescent-chested Warblers, White-eared and Berylline Hummingbirds, and Flame-colored Tanager), Florida (e.g., American Flamingo, Western Spindalis, and Black-faced Grassquit), and beyond, but unless these were in your "neighborhood," it was not worth the risks to "chase" them simply to add them to your list.
May, however, provided a fine time to check out nearby birding sites, and a fine time to discover new ones in the company of a spouse, immediate family members, or one or two social-distancing colleagues. It was also a good opportunity to use eBird which might clue you into whatever parks, refuges, and local hotspots you may have previously missed.
But, you can still get outside and enjoy nature and birds. Indeed, it's easier to practice social distancing when you are outdoors! Besides, birding outdoors is a healthy way to address confinement, stress, and boredom.
This shorter-than-usual Birding Community E-bulletin outlines some interesting opportunities to seize, including immediate backyard birding and feeder-watching. The pandemic offers a good time to focus on the many ways to make your yard more attractive for birds: providing a variety of seasonal foods, fresh water, flowering plants, landscaping improvements, and birdboxes.
While we still have to confront the peculiar limitations of enjoying birds and nature during this pandemic, please also remember to look out for your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues, especially those who may be at higher risk.
ACCESS MATTERS: NWR OPENINGS
In line with the comments above on birding during the pandemic, we here summarize the availability of National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) openings across the country. If you are within reasonable reach of a local NWR, it is critically important to follow guidance from the CDC and state and local public health authorities on social distancing, avoiding overcrowding, and exercising good hygiene and judgment while visiting a NWR.
While most NWR visitor centers are temporarily closed, outdoor recreation areas and trails are generally open during regular operating hours. Auto-routes at open refuges are also ideal opportunities to enjoy the visitor experience. But if a parking lot at the NWR is full when you visit, please do not stop. And while the outdoors can help relieve stress, these and similar guidelines should be carefully followed for everyone's health and safety.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has developed an online page to summarize which NWR facilities are available. The information is provided by state and specific refuges. The list is updated daily, but the public is still advised to contact the facility directly for the most current access information:
BIRDING WHILE BLACK: LAST MONTH'S REMINDER
Just in case you haven't heard the story of Christian Cooper, African American birder, and his experience in Central Park, New York City, last month, here's a short summary... and a lesson.
On 25 May, Chris Cooper, an avid birder, asked a white woman, Amy Cooper (no relation) to control her dog while in the park. Her dog was running unleashed at the Ramble, the most densely vegetated section of Central Park. This is also the most popular section of the park for birding during migration, and there are clearly posted park instructions at the Ramble concerning the leasing of dogs.
"It's posted all over the Ramble: dogs are supposed to be on a leash at all times, but unfortunately, we've had a problem with this for many, many years. A lot of us have been recording these incidents," Chris Cooper said, noting that these recordings could be used as evidence for why the rule must be enforced.
The woman refused to leash her rogue cocker spaniel that was tearing through the plantings. Then the encounter took an ugly turn.
As the birder, Chris, filmed on his phone, the woman, clutched her thrashing dog and called the police, her voice rising in near-hysteria. "I'm going to tell them there's an African-American man threatening my life," she said to him while dialing, then repeated to the operator, twice, "African-American."
Chris Cooper, in a calm voice, encouraged her to make the call.
The video, posted to Twitter on Memorial Day by Chris Cooper's sister, has been viewed more than 30 million times! This has touched off intense discussions about the history of false accusations made to the police against black people, including putting their lives in danger. This also helps to accentuate the risks that some of our fellow birders experience in the context of "birding while black."
The police said when they arrived at the scene, neither party was there, so it led to no arrests. But, after further investigation, Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City called the event an example of "racism, plain and simple."
You can access a summary of the event here from Now This:
and here, from The View:
BOOK NOTES: A CREATIVE SPIN-OFF
This month, we are going to feature an ingenious way to reach folks during this pandemic, along with sharing a unique museum experience.
Florence McBride, has created two books to celebrate the "Birds of Connecticut" exhibit at Yale's Peabody Museum of Natural History. The exhibit itself originally featured the brilliant taxidermist work of David H. Parsons, who spent years preparing the mounts, revealing the birds in natural positions and illustrating behavior as well as essential field marks. With well over 300 specimens, the collection is a guide to the birds of Connecticut as well as a brilliant work of art.
The project began in August 2019, when McBride learned that the museum planned to eliminate this unique Connecticut exhibit. (Even these plans have been short-circuited by Covid-19.) What Flo McBride did was photograph all the species, and divide the exhibit into two digital books, using the Shutterfly website.
Copies of both books will be placed in the Peabody's archives and the ornithology library, to document what McBride believes to be one of the most important achievements of the museum's staff, and one of the most significant resources the Peabody offers to the public.
Anyone who would like to see a copy of one or both of the books on the web can contact McBride at [email protected] a
nd she will set up a link.
You can also download a short 27-page version of the book here:
TIP OF THE MONTH: MASKS
Once the CDC began recommending covering the nose and the mouth when out in public, a number of outdoor organizations and vendors started to promote their favorite face shields. For example, there are a number of gaiters/buffs available from outdoor and hunting vendors. You can "Google" the product and come up with some standard camouflage options.
But beyond the obvious, there are alternatives. A little searching for neck-and-face shields, gaiters, buffs, and bandannas can result in some soft and stretchy choices. Indeed, your face-covering can now be a fashion statement!
You can turn your standard neck-buff inside out, then fold it back either once or twice so that you have a double or triple layer of fabric for your nose and mouth. There are some nice ones found under Etsy:
and we like the ones from BirdsCaribbean:
You are now ready to go birding, and face the world with a comfortable and stylish mask. Just keep covered, and keep safe.
SQUIRREL WARS: A RECENT EPISODE
Anyone who has ever installed a backyard bird feeder has quickly become aware that these structures not only lure birds, but that the feeder is a natural squirrel-magnet. Indeed, entire books have been written about "squirrel wars."
You might assume that a former NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer could solve the problem, but as Mark Rober confirmed, this is not so easy.
After leaving NASA, Rober has spent his time creating YouTube videos that explore science and engineering concepts through experiments you probably never attempted in school. After taking up birdwatching as a way to deal with the coronavirus lockdown, he discovered what the rest of us have known for years about squirrels and feeders. He discovered that the "squirrel-proof" feeders that were available on the market were good, but the squirrels were just too smart even for those.
Instead of simply engineering a new and improved bird feeder that could effectively stop squirrels, Rober built an entire obstacle course in his backyard for them, including everything from trap doors and mazes to a catapult.
Alas, Rober completely underestimated his opponents. After just a few days of feeder-watching, it was clear that even an ex-NASA engineer was no match for the squirrels. And the story is entertaining to watch.
Here's the entire 21-minute and totally amusing explanation of his squirrel wars, a video that already has had about 22 million views:
LAST WORD
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