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IN-BIRD for Monday, January 28, 2002
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Subject: Whitley County, SEOW-27 Jan 02
From: Jeff McCoy <jeffmccoy(AT)MAIL.FWI.COM>
Date: 28 Jan 2002 3:24am
Sunday, 27 Jan 02 (5:45-6:25pm) - I returned to the extensive grassland area NW
of Columbia City determined to find SHORT-EARED OWL and eventually spotted (1)
bird which appeared at 6:10pm. Again there were around (8-9) NORTHERN HARRIERS
in the area. There are likely more owls out here but I didn't have long to
search.
To reach this site take SR 109 north from US30 in Columbia City and turn right
(west) on CR200N. You will pass some good habitat along this road but when you
reach the first intersection you are in the heart of the grassland area. The
best viewing is from the higher ground near the grain silos a little further
down the road. Good habitat can also be found along CR150N just south of here.
Good birding,
Jeff McCoy
Columbia City, IN
jeffmccoy(AT)fwi.com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Summit Lake and points south 1/26
From: darlena graham <darlena(AT)FUSE.NET>
Date: 28 Jan 2002 8:00am
One bird to add to JHA's Summit list (sorry, I don't know who this is),
is a Herring Gull, actually there were quite a few Ringed-bills also.
When I left there, heading for my No.Ky., south of Cinti. OH home, I
checked out several other good spots.
Richmond Airport, @ Boston. - many Horned Larks, 1 Snow Bunting, (sadly,
no Longspurs) and 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk.
Whitewater St. Pk. @ the Brookville Lk boat ramp - many gulls frightened
into the air by an imm. Bald Eagle soaring overhead. (I am always
inordinately proud of finding the predator when the gulls fly up.)
Oddly the ducks did not react. There were thousands of them, other than
some Hooded Mergs., all dabblers, mostly Mallards of course, but also a
lot of Black Ducks, a couple of Gadwall, 1 Am. Widgeon, and at least 3
No. Pintails. Many coots. I expected to find a Killdeer but no luck.
Nothing @ the Fairfield Causeway.
Garr Hill boat ramp-15 Bufflehead and 1 Pied-billed Grebe. There was
nothing in the sycamores which can sometimes be so productive.
Just south of Brookville 4 Black Vultures were soaring over the field in
front of the Heronry (Heron rookery? - I don't want to reopen that
discussion). Still further south 2 Turkey Vultures were at the
intersection of Rt. 1 and 52.
By that time my coach was turning into a pumpkin and I made a direct
streak for home.
Darlena Graham
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Morgan County birds
From: Jeff Curtis <jcurtis(AT)QUESTIS.COM>
Date: 28 Jan 2002 8:13am
I spent the weekend camping with Boy Scouts at Camp Bradford, just south of
Monrovia in Morgan County. While I did not have binoculars with me, I was
able to identify a few birds of interest other than the usual Cardinals,
Titmice, and Chickadees. First off, there was a pair of Red-Shouldered
Hawks circling the area all weekend. They were being particularly vocal
most of the time. Saturday afternoon we also had a TURKEY VULTURE
overhead. The woods were also full of woodpeckers. Just around our
campsite alone I had Red-Bellied, Downey, Pileated, and a Flicker. Also
had a Kingfisher along a nearby stream. We also had a Great Horned Owl
Saturday night.
When we were packing the cars Sunday around noon, we had two groups of
Sandhill Cranes come overhead. The first group held around 45-50 birds.
They circled overhead and were soon joined by another group of 20 cranes.
The groups merged and circled for a minute before continuing on a northern
track. Seems like everyone in the state was seeing Sandhill Cranes
flying north this weekend.
Jeff Curtis
Quest Information Systems
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: bald eagle questions
From: John Castrale <jcastrale(AT)DNR.STATE.IN.US>
Date: 28 Jan 2002 9:24am
I have provided some comments to Dan Kaiser's questions regarding bald
eagles.
John Castrale
My questions...
1. Is it common for hawks to attack eagles? I have read where eagles
are known to steal food from hawks.
<<Hawks, crows, and other birds will "mob" eagles. Mobbing is a common
behavior where multiple, smaller birds harass a larger bird perceived to
be a potential threat. Bald eagles frequently kleptoparasitize prey
from other birds (and even otters), especially osprey and other bald
eagles.>>
2. The partial white head (I think) is a sign of an immature. Can we
guess at it's age? It was seen _in_ the nest with the adult 10 minutes
after it arrived.
<<Although there is some variation in when the various plumages are
attained, the bird with the dirty white head is likely in its 4th year
of life. The completely white head/white tail is usually obtained
during the 5th year. "Near" adults will often have some dark spots or a
band on the tail and some smudges on the head, sometimes a dark
eyeline. Since both birds were in the nest, we can assume they are
paired.>>
3. If it is an immature sharing a nest with the adult, is this evidence
of the nest being successful?
<<Some eagles in subadult plumage (even mostly dark birds) have been
known to breed. The "immature" sharing a nest with an adult would
indicate that the birds are paired. Success of a nest cannot be
ascertained until the summer when nestlings take their first flight (or
is often assumed if older nestlings are observed in the nest).>>
4. Is there a way of id 'ing adult male and female Bald Eagles?
<<Sexes are determined in the field by comparing the sizes of the birds;
the larger bird is the female.>>
Thanks for your time. It was a very good birding day.
Dan Kaiser
Columbus
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: more screech owl questions
From: John Castrale <jcastrale(AT)DNR.STATE.IN.US>
Date: 28 Jan 2002 10:03am
According to the "Birds of North America" account for screech-owls, both
sexes give all vocalizations. The male's voice is lower than the
female's. The "Monotonic Trill" call is given as a pair and
family-contact song. Males use it to advertise a nest site, in
courting, and when arriving at the nest with food. Females trill to
induce fledging. Males will advertise nest sites by singing within a
nest cavity or from nearby perches. Males establish territories, but
females ultimately select the nest cavity within that territory. Based
on behavior, I would guess the bird you are hearing is a male.
John Castrale
Pj & Lori Pulliam wrote:
> i know there are several books about screech owl
> behavior, but the ones i've been told about are out of
> print and i don't want to spend $50 on line for a book
> without being able to thumb though it first. the members
> of the in-bird list have answered all my previous
> questions for free and 3 months of daily behavior
> observations is much more rewarding than a book could
> ever be. our screech owl has passed on the mice i've
> put out for it 5 of the last 7 nights, instead going
> into the woods and giving it's monotonic trill call. it
> is also doing this call from the nest box 3-4 times
> before it leaves. do both sexes call from the
> nest/roost or could this be an indication of whether it
> is male or female? do one or the other find a suitable
> nest site and bring the other to it or does one sex pick
> the site? i'm wondering if there is a way to tell the
> sex of it. i've read the female's social call is higher
> pitched but i have no reference for comparison. since it
> is passing on easy food i'm guessing this warm winter
> has led to an abundance of prey for it, or the urge to
> pair up and mate is more overwhelming than hunger at
> this time of year. watching this owl is like a kid
> getting a great new toy at christmas. i'm out there
> every night and still get just as big a thrill as i did
> in october. i hope it finds a mate and i can watch some
> owlets soon.
> on a side note we saw 1 adult and 1 immature bald eagle
> from paynetown and 2 large flocks of sandhill cranes fly
> over fairfax this morning.
>
> pj & lori pulliam
> bloomington
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Lake Monroe - this weekend
From: whitehea(AT)INDIANA.EDU
Date: 28 Jan 2002 11:06am
On Saturday (1/26) Betsy and I birded Stillwater and Friendship Road.
Stillwater was mostly open, Friendship most skimmed with ice. The
highlights included:
Stillwater:
Canada Goose - 19
Mallard - 18
Black Duck - 14
No. Pintail - 2
Am. Wigeon - 1
Gadwall - 16
Ring-necked Duck - 82
Co. Goldeneye - 7
Bufflehead - 3
Red-winged Blackbird - 8
Friendship Rd:
Mallard - 8
I birded Paynetown and Cutright on Sunday morning. Great viewing
conditions - with some thin skims of ice on the lake. Present were:
Canada Goose - 30
Mallard - 4
Co. Goldeneye - 16
Hooded Merganser - 2
Ring-billed Gull - 60
Herring Gull - 1 (both adults)
Bonaparte's Gull - 9
Bald Eagle - 1 (Basic II)
Red-tailed Hawk - 1
Cooper's Hawk - 1 (imm - being mobbed by 16 Blue Jays)
Am. Robin - 24
This morning (1/28) at Paynetown and Cutright - again, great viewing
conditions, but very little to see. Present were:
Canada Goose - 18
Mallard - 40
Co. Goldeneye - 8
Ring-billed Gull - 18
Bonaparte's Gull - 6
Red-tailed Hawk - 1
Belted Kingfisher - 2
Great Blue Heron - 1
Am. Robin - 10
E. Bluebird - 8
Along Route 446 near Lampkin's Ridge Road this morning:
Turkey Vulture - 1
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: American Woodcocks, Jan. 28
From: Lee Sterrenburg <sterren(AT)INDIANA.EDU>
Date: 28 Jan 2002 12:39pm
On the way to work this morning (January 28, 2002) I went back to again
Friendship Road at Lake Monroe to check on the early American Woodcocks.
This time I arrived later in the morning, at 7:26 AM. The birds were
almost done displaying. I heard one do a high display flight out in the
field. Nearby, about 20 meters away, a second Woodcock did a loud "peent"
call and then jumped into the air. It made a twisting flight over some
tall weeds, about 15 feet above the ground, in good view and sufficient AM
light. In an aesthetic moment, the bird also flew directly in front of
the setting moon and was outlined against it.
At Stillwater, there was pretty much the same array of ducks as yesterday
AM, with the addition of (3) Gadwall and (3) American Wigeon. (1)
immature Cooper's Hawk was perched on a tree, and (1) Common Grackle that
apparently spent the night in low wet weeds flew up into a tree to preen
its ice covered tail.
--Lee Sterrenburg
Bloomington
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: American Woodcocks, Jan. 28
From: Judie Hansen <birdsong(AT)surf-ici.com>
Date: 28 Jan 2002 1:19pm
I got rewarded for hanging clothes outside today - 300 sandhill cranes
flew over about 11 AM -
I am DeLorme Map 44 - A-2 near Hadley. Of course they were headed
northwest - and what a noise they were making in celebration of this
beautiful weather.
Judie Hansen
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Sandhills and Hawks
From: John Ulmer <remlu(AT)tds.net>
Date: 28 Jan 2002 1:27pm
I have had at least 3 large flocks of Sandhill Cranes go over this morning
traveling NW. Also 2 Red Shouldered Hawks headed in the same direction.
Location East Central Boone Co. 200S and 950 East
John Ulmer
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: Birds of North America
From: John Castrale <jcastrale(AT)DNR.STATE.IN.US>
Date: 28 Jan 2002 2:28pm
The Birds of North America series is a joint venture between the
American Ornithologists' Union and the Academy of Natural Sciences of
Philadelphia. They are basically trying to update the Bent Life
Series. Each species has a 15-35 page account that stands alone. The
species accounts are written by different authors and began to become
available in 1992 (most have now been completed) and were originally
available only by subscription (costing at least $2000). I believe they
are now sold on an individual basis. One source is Buteo Books
(www.buteobooks.com), but other natural history book dealers may carry
them also. You might also check some university libraries. They are an
excellent source of information about North American bird species.
John Castrale
Dave Fallow wrote:
> John -- can you tell me who wrote this book, or is it
> an on-line thing? Thanks!
> Dave Fallow in WI
>
> =====
> Dave Fallow
> Madison, WI
>
> (608)243-1019
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Great stuff seeking new owners in Yahoo! Auctions!
> http://auctions.yahoo.com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Turkey Run vicinity advice wanted
From: Kathy Riester <KMRiester(AT)AOL.COM>
Date: 28 Jan 2002 2:38pm
I will be at a retreat at Turkey Run State Park next week. I plan to go to
the West Union bridge area to look for Eagles. Does anyone have suggestions
of other places I should bird in or near the state park?
Thanks, in advance.
Kathy Riester
Indianapolis
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: FW: Birds of North America
From: "David B. Lupke" <dblupke(AT)LUPKERICE.COM>
Date: 28 Jan 2002 2:45pm
Here is the list of institutions receiving copies of Birds of North America:
INDIANA
Allen County Public Library (Fort Wayne)
Ball State University (Muncie)
Butler University (Indianapolis)
Franklin College
Goshen College
Hanover College
Indiana Dept. Natural Resources (Indianapolis)
Indiana State University
Indiana University (Bloomington)
Indiana University Northwest (Gary)
Indiana University (South Bend)
Indianapolis Marion County Library
Lake County Public Library (Merrilville)
Purdue University (West Lafayette)
St. Mary's College (South Bend)
South Bend Audubon (Gift to I.U./South Bend)
University of Southern Indiana (Evansville)
Valparaiso University
Wabash College (Crawfordsville)
David Lupke
Fort Wayne
-----Original Message-----
From: Bird discussion list for Indiana
[mailto:IN-BIRD(AT)LIST.AUDUBON.ORG]On Behalf Of John Castrale
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2002 2:36 PM
To: IN-BIRD(AT)LIST.AUDUBON.ORG
Subject: Re: [IN-BIRD] Birds of North America
The Birds of North America series is a joint venture between the
American Ornithologists' Union and the Academy of Natural Sciences of
Philadelphia. They are basically trying to update the Bent Life
Series. Each species has a 15-35 page account that stands alone. The
species accounts are written by different authors and began to become
available in 1992 (most have now been completed) and were originally
available only by subscription (costing at least $2000). I believe they
are now sold on an individual basis. One source is Buteo Books
(www.buteobooks.com), but other natural history book dealers may carry
them also. You might also check some university libraries. They are an
excellent source of information about North American bird species.
John Castrale
Dave Fallow wrote:
> John -- can you tell me who wrote this book, or is it
> an on-line thing? Thanks!
> Dave Fallow in WI
>
> =====
> Dave Fallow
> Madison, WI
>
> (608)243-1019
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Great stuff seeking new owners in Yahoo! Auctions!
> http://auctions.yahoo.com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Spring migration
From: Jim Hengeveld <jhengeve(AT)INDIANA.EDU>
Date: 28 Jan 2002 3:11pm
There were lots of birds moving yesterday (1/27), some of them
clearly moving northward. Several groups of Sandhill Cranes were
obviously heading north and Turkey Vultures seemed to be moving north
as well, rising high on thermals and disappearing over the ridge on
the north shore of Lk. Lemon. In one relatively tight kettle, there
were 11 TVs. I also saw a 1B Bald Eagle that seemed to be migrating,
several Killdeer that appeared to be heading north, and groups of
gulls that disappeared to the north after rising high in thermals.
We recorded 45 species from our yard yesterday, a January high.
Birds that we recorded included 9 waterfowl species: 250 Canada
Geese, 24 Mallards, 2 Am. Black Ducks, 2 Gadwall, 2 No. Shovelers, 3
m. Ring-n. Ducks, 3 m. GREATER SCAUP, 1 m. Com. Merganser, 3 Hooded
Mergansers. Other species that we saw included:
-34 Turkey Vultures
-5 Bald Eagles (1B, 3B, 4B, 2 local adults--the latter 4 on the
flats simultaneously at ~3 pm)
-2 Red-sh. Hawks (appeared to be local)
-11 Red-t. Hawks--a couple of local pairs were engaged in aerial
courtship displays, flying around and interacting with outstretched
legs & talons; other Red-tails seemed to be migrating
-5 different groups of Sandhill Cranes, numbering from 32 to 120
(total of 407); another group spent the night at the east end of the
lake
-4 Killdeer
-an interesting gull among the several hundred Ring-bills that
showed up at dusk; unfortunately (isn't that often the case with
these oddball birds?), I wasn't able to get a good or long enough
look at it. It was a Herring/Thayer's type and was probably a
2nd-yr. bird, though the bill appeared to be all dark. In fact, it
looked a lot like the 2nd winter Thayer's Gull depicted in the Sibley
guide on p. 218 except that the bill appeared to be all dark and the
primaries were darker. There didn't seem to be a window on the inner
primaries, but there was a dark secondary bar. In flight, the outer
primaries were contrastingly dark on the upperside, but the entire
underside of the wings appeared light gray/brown. The tail did not
seem to be any darker than the rest of the upperparts and the rump
was only slightly lighter than the tail (though not white). The bill
seemed small for a Herring Gull. The bird was never close enough to
any of the other gulls present for me to get a direct body size
comparison.
-several small groups (2, 6, 5, 4) of small passerines that might
have been Lapland Longspurs; they flew directly out over the water,
three of the groups flying from east to west, one group moving the
opposite direction.
-a flock of ~25 Red-w. Blackbirds
-5 Purple Finches at our feeders (3f, 2m)
-high count of 23 Pine Siskins at our feeders
I listened and looked for Am. Woodcock at Little Africa on both
Saturday and Sunday as I heard a bird "peent" on Friday night. I
didn't see or hear displaying birds on either Sat. or Sun.
.....Jim
--
____________________
James D. Hengeveld jhengeve(AT)indiana.edu
Department of Biology 812-855-5353
1001 East 3rd Street
Indiana University
Bloomington, IN 47405
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Sandhill Cranes
From: "Russell E. Allison" <grounds1(AT)dcwi.com>
Date: 28 Jan 2002 4:45pm
At 3:30 pm the 28th two groups of Sandhill Cranes,totaling 32 flew over
Purdue Campus.
What a difference a week makes in Indiana weather and bird activity. On the
weekend of the 19th and 20th every thing was frozen and few birds were seen.
On the week end of the 26th and 27th the ponds were mostly all open. The
temp. in the 55 degree range. Birds every where. On the 19th I saw no
activity on or near the Bald Eagles nest near Ross Park. On the 26th the
female was on the nest for over an hour and observed by 6 of us. Than the
Male arrived and delivered a fish dinner
to her. Birding is fun.
Russell E. Allison
Have a happy day!:)
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Greater White-fronted Goose in Indy
From: Don Gorney <dongorney(AT)YAHOO.COM>
Date: 28 Jan 2002 4:54pm
The Greater White-fronted Goose was seen again today (January 28) at
the Winding Ridge subdivision retention pond along German Church Road,
jsut south of 56th Street, in northeast Indianapolis. I think my
original post contained the wrong date. I first saw the bird on
Sunday, January 27. I go by this spot quite a bit so I can monitor
how long it is around. But, I don't plan on posting any further updates
to IN-BIRD. This is the easiest Greater White-fronted Goose you will
ever see since it is within 100 feet of the road.
=====
Don Gorney
Indianapolis, IN
dongorney(AT)yahoo.com
www.dongorney.com
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Great stuff seeking new owners in Yahoo! Auctions!
http://auctions.yahoo.com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: Harris's Sparrow
From: Angelo Dattilo <adattilo(AT)SECOR.COM>
Date: 28 Jan 2002 5:10pm
I did not see the Harris's Sparrow at the designated location in Shelby Co.
after looking approximately 2 hours yesterday, Sunday, Jan. 28 from about
9:30-11:30 am. Six other birders were there in that time frame with no
luck.
Angelo Dattilo
-----Original Message-----
From: Bird discussion list for Indiana
[mailto:IN-BIRD(AT)LIST.AUDUBON.ORG]On Behalf Of Don Gorney
Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2002 9:47 PM
To: IN-BIRD(AT)LIST.AUDUBON.ORG
Subject: [IN-BIRD] Harris's Sparrow Food Supply Comment
It was brought to my attention that the food supply being left for the
Harris's Sparrow and remaining flock in Shelby County may be getting
out of hand. Two birds - Northern Cardinal and Am. Tree Sparrow - were
found dead on the road, victims of car collisions. This is a pretty
busy road with many people zooming by so it was inevitable that some
birds in the flock would be killed by cars EVEN IF no food was being
left. However, the food on the road increases the chances of the birds
being killed.
So, to reduce the chances of more mortalities people are encouraged to
refrain from adding more bird food on the roadside. If you really feel
the need to add more food, it could be placed at the edge of the corn
field, in the low area along the brush, or even near the red gate.
(The food that is usually seen on the road might have been brushed off
the asphalt by the birder concerned about the birds welfare which is
why Liz Day did not see any.)
=====
Don Gorney
Indianapolis, IN
dongorney(AT)yahoo.com
www.dongorney.com
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Great stuff seeking new owners in Yahoo! Auctions!
http://auctions.yahoo.com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Red-winged BLbirds
From: Robert Kissel <bluesdoc(AT)BLUEMARBLE.NET>
Date: 28 Jan 2002 6:04pm
What started SUN as a single, silent M Red-winged BLbird at our feeders is
now a flock of 150-200 in our trees and pond cattails, which much singing
and some displaying.
Last Monday (1/21) Don Whitehead and I saw a single M Red-winged BLbird in
the reclaimed strip mines areas south of Linton...
Bob Kissel
Solsberry
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Fw: [alaskawild] AlaskaWild Update #172
From: James Cole <jcole_1(AT)NETZERO.NET>
Date: 28 Jan 2002 7:36pm
For those interested in the latest about the energy debate and the arctic
wildlife refuge, the following is an e-mail from the Alaskan Wilderness
League. Avifauna is not directly mentioned in the article, but I think
this issue pertains to bird conservation nonetheless. Please note that the
energy bill is scheduled to be debated on the Senate floor in about 2
weeks; instructions on how to contact legislators is included near the end
of this update.
James Cole
----------
> From: Erik DuMont <erik(AT)alaskawild.org>
> To: Alaska Wild Update <alaskawild(AT)lists.b-team.org>
> Subject: [alaskawild] AlaskaWild Update #172
> Date: Friday, January 25, 2002 11:56 PM
>
>
> TO: ALASKA COALITION LEADERS AND ALASKA ADVOCATES
> FR: Alaska Wilderness League
> RE: Alaska Wild Update #172
> DA: January 25, 2002
>
> QUOTES OF THE WEEK
> "The wildlife refuge is only a couple of drops in that bucket [boosting
> domestic oil production]" said Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., who voted in favor
of
> drilling [in August ‘01]. "I wonder if the Senate is going to give up on
> that issue so it can get an energy bill passed."
>
>
> HEADLINES
>
> SENATE RECONVENES THIS WEEK
> ARCTIC POWER TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL $$$ FROM ALASKA TAXPAYERS
> NORTON DOES SCIENTIFIC 180 ON POLAR BEARS
> ANWR vs. ARCTIC REFUGE: WHAT’S IN A NAME?
> NOTES FROM THE FIELD
> BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ALASKA WILDERNESS LEAGUE
> ACTIVIST RESOURCES
>
> SENATE RECONVENES THIS WEEK
>
> The Senate returned to Washington DC this week. According to the Senate
> schedule, Senators will be reconvened for business in Washington,
Wednesday,
> January 23rd. Senators Daschle and Lott reached some agreement today
> (1/24/02) to bring the Energy bill to the floor for debate the week of
> February 11th. As we all know in the Senate, this could change at any
time.
> A very ambitious schedule was put forward to bring up the Farm bill, the
> economic stimulus package, possibly election reform and Energy all before
> the Presidents day recess. Whether the Senate actually gets through this
> schedule is anyone’s guess, but it is certain that regardless of whether
or
> not they stick to their schedule, pro-drilling amendments could be added
to
> any and all legislation. Bringing the bill to the floor for debate also
> does not mean that it will be voted on that week. For the extremely
> contention energy bill, debate may take as much as two weeks before an
> actual vote.
> We will be vigilant and will let everyone know as soon as any amendments
for
> drilling are offered.
>
> ARCTIC POWER TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL $$$ FROM ALASKA TAXPAYERS
>
> DESPITE BUDGET CRUNCH, ALASKA HOUSE APPROVES $1 MILLION FOR DRILLING IN
> ARCTIC REFUGE, FUNDS LOBBYING GROUP
>
> The Anchorage Daily News reported (1/24/02) that the Alaska House
approved
> spending $1 million more this year to lobby for drilling in the Arctic
> National Wildlife Refuge. The House Finance Committee bill will give the
> money to the lobbying group Arctic Power, bringing to $3 million the
amount
> of state money the group has received in this fiscal year, which began
July
> 1. The pro-drilling lobbying group has received more than $6 million
from
> the state since 1993, according to Kim Duke, Arctic Power's executive
> director.
>
> Arctic Power has pledged to use the $1 million over the next three
> months in a "very intense" lobbying campaign, coinciding with the
> Senate's expected consideration of the energy bill. That amounts to
> $10,000 a day spent by Arctic Power in their efforts to drill in the
> Arctic Refuge.
>
> Environmentalists and operators of the tourist industry opposed the
> bill, citing the fiscal irresponsibility of funding a lobbying group for
the
> oil industry when Alaska is "facing a potential billion-dollar
> budget shortfall this year." Opponents of the bill also stated that the
oil
> industry should foot more of the lobbying costs, given that they stand to
> gain the most if drilling is allowed in the Refuge.
>
> Alaska has no state income tax, no state sales tax, and has among the
> lowest gas taxes in the country. The state also has a more than $25
> billion savings account chalked full of oil royalties. Instead of using
any
> of this money for state services, Alaska pays each of its citizens a
> dividend check, amounting to roughly $2,000 for every man, woman, and
child.
> As a result, the state often faces huge budget shortfalls, raising
questions
> about why it is funding Arctic Power, a group that was founded by a
former
> British Petroleum lobbyist in 1993.
>
> The Arctic Refuge lobbying bill, HB 334, will next be considered by the
> Alaska Senate.
>
>
> NORTON DOES SCIENTIFIC 180 ON POLAR BEARS
>
> Interior Secretary Gale Norton is making a habit of disregarding
> scientific evidence in an attempt to curry favor with Big Oil and other
> special interests. Last year in a report to Congress, she discarded the
> findings of Fish and Wildlife Service biologists that oil drilling would
> harm caribou on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife
> Refuge. Now, ignoring years of scientific reports, she has decided that
> drilling won't violate U.S. treaty obligations to protect polar bears.
>
> The science simply could not be clearer on the point: if the coastal
> plain of the Arctic refuge is opened to oil drilling, the polar bears
> that depend on that place for denning habitat and foraging will be
> adversely impacted. For years, the Fish and Wildlife Service has held to
the
> position that its biologists laid out unequivocally in a 1995
> report: "Oil and gas activities which displace seals, disturb denning
> bears and attract bears during winter months, pose a significant threat
> to bears." Norton's aides claim that winter activity would somehow
> lessen these impacts, but that's the season when denning female bears
> are most vulnerable to disturbances.
>
> Development is already harming polar bears elsewhere in the Arctic.
> Pollution released around the world appears to be causing birth defects
> and infertility in polar bears in Canada, Russia and Scandinavia. On
> Hudson Bay in the Canadian province of Manitoba, studies have shown that
> polar bears are starving and giving birth to 15 percent fewer cubs
> because global warming is melting the ice. Over the last 40 years,
> rising temperatures have caused sea ice around the world to decrease its
> coverage by 6 percent and its thickness by 42 percent. About half of
> polar-bear dens now are on ice. But as climate change continues, more
polar
> bears will be forced to dig dens on land, making the Arctic
> refuge's habitat even more important.
>
> ANWR vs. ARCTIC REFUGE: WHAT’S IN A NAME?
> Our Opinion
>
> A contentious debate if ever there was one. Doesn’t a rose by any other
> name still smell as sweet? Yes, but while many people are named Rose
after
> the beautiful flower, if a rose were called stinkweed, no one would name
> their children after it (hopefully). Names give some meaning to the
thing
> named. Some names are lofty and grand (like the Grand Tetons National
> Park), others short and forgettable, and some are just descriptive. All
of
> which brings us to our current debate: do we call it ANWR or Arctic
National
> Wildlife Refuge? Seems like a silly debate, but hear me out.
> As a name, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a big mouthful to keep
saying
> or especially to keep typing. It is easy to miss-pronounce or miss-type
it
> up after repeating it many times. However, it is very descriptive of
form,
> function, and location. It is a wildlife refuge, it is in the Arctic,
and
> perhaps most importantly, the name tells us who owns it by calling it a
> NATIONAL refuge (as opposed to an Alaskan State refuge). The name
conveys
> meaning and actually conjures up images of mountains, musk ox, and
caribou.
> On the other hand, acronyms are small, funny words meant to make a
reference
> to something quickly without having to say the whole thing. They convey
no
> true meaning or images, and to people unfamiliar with the thing being
> referenced, it actually serves to confuse and leaves these people feeling
> ignorant. ANWR conjures no images of caribou or musk ox. It is a
corporate
> word that leaves the listener with no sense of ownership, identity, or
> warmth toward the subject. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge does all of
> these things. It is still a mouthful. Arctic Refuge is not such a
mouthful
> and still conveys images of snowy peaks, tundra, musk ox, and polar
bears.
> The best reason to call it the Arctic Refuge instead of ANWR? Answer:
the
> oil companies ALL call it ANWR. Let’s keep the refuge in the Arctic
> National Wildlife Refuge and keep reminding people exactly what it is we
> fight for! No more ANWR! Arctic Refuge all the way!
>
> NOTES FROM THE FIELD
>
> Many things going on in the field recently.
> In Tennessee, the Alaska Coalition of Tennessee is wrapping up the tour
of
> the “Wall of Faces”, an 8x32 foot wall in the shape of Tennessee with
photos
> of Tennesseans holding signs in support of the Arctic Refuge. The photo
> wall has spent the last month in the care of Jeff Barrie while being
shipped
> around Tennessee for people to see and add their own photo to the wall.
> Copies of the photo will be sent to both of the senators and will be
added
> to the oversized map. Barrie said more than 2,000 Tennessee residents are
> depicted on the map and he has another thousand photographs to add.
>
> Many regional training days have been going on around the country.
> Recently, in North Dakota, the Alaska Coalition held a regional training
day
> that was very well attended. The highlight of the day was having the
former
> Governor of North Dakota stay for the entire afternoon, learning about
the
> Arctic Refuge. This weekend in Georgia, Alaska Coalition is holding
another
> regional training in Atlanta.
> Regional training days are used to educate activists in a given area
about
> the Arctic Refuge and are great ways to meet and connect with other
people
> who want to help protect the refuge.
>
> BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ALASKA WILDERNESS LEAGUE
>
> Want to become an Alaska Wilderness League member and help us keep
Alaska’s
> wild places pristine? Of course you do! Visit our website at
> http://www.alaskawild.org/join.html to find out how you can be a member
of
> this important movement!
>
>
> ACTIVIST RESOURCES
>
> Take Action at www.alaskawild.org
>
> Don’t know who your Representative is? Find out at
> http://www.house.gov/writerep
>
> Have your members of Congress cosponsored the Arctic Wilderness Bills
> H.R.770 / S.411 and the Alaska Rainforest Conservation Act, H.R. 2908?
Go
> to http://thomas.loc.gov/ then type in the bill number to find out.
> Cosponsors are listed under “bill summary and status.
>
> U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
>
> Senate Address: The Honorable _______, US Senate, Washington, DC 20510
>
> House Address: The Honorable _______,US House of Representatives,
> Washington, DC 20515
>
> Contacting the President: George W. Bush, The White House, Washington DC
> 20500
>
> White House Comment Desk: (202) 456-1111, Fax: (202) 456-2461
>
> Send a letter to the editor of your local paper at
> http://www.angelfire.com/ca/letterstoeditor/index.html
>
> Send a FREE fax to protect Alaska’s Rainforest at www.akrain.org
>
>
> Erik DuMont
> National Field Director
> Alaska Wilderness League
> 122 C Street, NW Suite 240
> Washington, DC 20001
> (202) 544-5205, f: (202) 544-5197
> erik(AT)alaskawild.org
> www.alaskawild.org
>
>
> ----------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
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[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Turkey Vultures
From: Mary Talbott <Met61bird(AT)AOL.COM>
Date: 28 Jan 2002 7:51pm
More spring stuff. Two TVs were heading south between Penn and Wash. St. at
86th St. (Indy) around 5:30 or 6 pm 1/28/02. The light was poor so I
assumed they were turkey vultures but they looked all black.
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Huntertown Sandhills
From: Moore Jeffrey <merlin46783(AT)YAHOO.COM>
Date: 28 Jan 2002 8:00pm
A friend reported 17 sandhills at the Huntertown
Marsh this morning. I did not see or hear any this
evening.
This marsh is about a year old and located at Woods
and Hand Rds west of Huntertown, Allen Co., IN.
Jeff Moore
Roanoke, IN
__________________________________________________
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Great stuff seeking new owners in Yahoo! Auctions!
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[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Ayrshire birds, 1/28/02
From: paul bennett <pcbennett1(AT)MINDSPRING.COM>
Date: 28 Jan 2002 8:58pm
This morning, Carolyn and I went birding and saw a number of waterfowl =
species that are not supposed to be here yet. We also saw a light phase =
FERRUGINOUS HAWK. The Birds we saw were:
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 14 (ten were at =
the rookery)
Canada Goose 38
Gadwall 26
American Wigeon 4
Mallard 98 =20
Ring-necked Duck 74
Northern Harrier 10
Red-tailed Hawk 6
FERRUGINOUS HAWK 1 Light phase, =
photographed and documented.
American Kestrel 1
Horned Lark 7
Paul Bennett
These birds were seen at the Ayrshire reclaimed mine in northwest =
Warrick county =20
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Lk. Lemon gull
From: Jim Hengeveld <jhengeve(AT)INDIANA.EDU>
Date: 28 Jan 2002 9:34pm
When I got home this evening, I found the imm. gull that I had seen
(poorly) yesterday. It stuck around for a while and Susan & I were
able to study it for ~15 minutes. I realized that my powers of
observation were not so good. I did get a couple of details right
:-).
When I first saw the gull, it was sitting next to a 3B Herring Gull.
It was noticeably smaller than the Herring Gull; its head seemed more
petite and its bill, which was mostly black but with a slightly
lighter base, was shorter with a shallower gonydeal angle. From a
greater distance, the bill looked all dark.
The head, including the crown down to the upper nape, was very light
(looked white-headed), accentuating the dark bill. Streaking was
heaviest on the back of the neck and sides of the neck. In flight,
the streaking on the sides of the neck created a half collar.
The mantle seemed to be a barred mixture of brown and gray, making me
think that it was a second-year bird. On the upper surface of the
wings, the outer primaries were contrastingly dark, as were the
corresponding greater primary coverts. The inner primaries DID show
a lighter window. The secondaries were darker than the coverts,
producing a dark secondary bar. The rest of the upper wing was a
medium brown. On the under surface of the wing, the remiges were a
very light tan that contrasted slightly with a darker (light brown)
wing lining. There was a thin dark line along the outer trailing
edge of the primaries.
The breast and belly were light brown, similar in shade to the wing
linings. The rump was a slightly lighter shade than the mantle, but
the tail was quite dark, contrasting with the rump, mantle, and inner
wings.
The bird looked most like the "Darker 2nd winter" Thayer's Gull,
pictured in flight on page 218 of the Sibley guide, except that there
was a noticeable dark secondary bar on the upper surface of the wing.
....Jim & Susan
--
____________________
James D. Hengeveld jhengeve(AT)indiana.edu
Department of Biology 812-855-5353
1001 East 3rd Street
Indiana University
Bloomington, IN 47405
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BIRDxxxx
US:MidWest
Bloomington
IN-BIRD