Second Annual Bicknell's Thrush Meeting

The International Bicknell’s Thrush Conservation Group (IBTCG) had their second annual meeting on 29-30 October, 2008. In order to reduce carbon emissions, the meeting was held by phone and webcam conference with participants gathering in two main venues: US Fish and Wildlife Service office in Hadley, Massachusetts, and the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton.

The IBTCG was founded in 2007 by U.S. and Canadian researchers. The IBTCG is a flexible, inclusive group with no rules for membership beyond a shared interest in furthering Bicknell's Thrush conservation. Its mission is “to develop a broad-based, scientifically-sound approach to conserve Bicknell’s Thrush, incorporating research, monitoring, and on-the-ground management actions." This group fosters cross-border collaborations to improve our understanding of the population status of Bicknell’s Thrush and to determine what conservation actions should be taken to ensure the long-term viability of the species. The IBTCG is continuing to develop collaborations with stakeholders on both the breeding and wintering grounds of Bicknell’s Thrush, with the goal of implementing range-wide conservation strategies.

The main objective of the meeting was to refine the Bicknell’s Thrush Conservation Action Plan, a document that outlines major threats, research priorities, and short- and long-term conservation actions. Twenty-five people participated in the meeting. The principal organizations, the Vermont Center for Ecostudies and Bird Studies Canada, led the discussions with input from university researchers, non-profit organizations, government scientists, and representatives from the forest industry.

Day one of the meeting focused on major research goals, with a breakout session in the afternoon for subgroups discussing the impacts of forestry and wintering ground factors. Day two of the meeting allowed the major monitoring programs for Bicknell’s Thrush, Mountain Birdwatch in the U.S. and Bird Studies Canada’s High Elevation Landbird Program, to discuss standardization of a new monitoring protocol that would improve the statistical power of the data to allow for estimation of population size and trend estimates across the breeding range.

For more information, please visit the group’s website at www.bicknellsthrush.org.

New Report Measures Wildlife Watching's Contribution to Nation's Economy

A new report recently released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shows that expenditures for wildlife watching are equivalent to the revenues generated from all spectator sports, amusement parks and arcades, non-hotel casinos, bowling centers and skiing facilities combined. Using data from the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, the Service's new addendum report Wildlife Watching in the United States: The Economic Impacts on National and State Economies in 2006 shows wildlife watching not only contributes significantly to people's enjoyment of the outdoors but is a major factor in the state and national
economies.

In 2006, the direct expenditures of wildlife watchers generated $122.6 billion in total industrial output. This resulted in 1,063,482 jobs, a
federal tax revenue of $9.3 billion, and a state and local tax revenue of $8.9 billion. The report details the economic impacts of wildlife watching expenditures by State. The top 5 States ranked by economic output include California, Florida, Texas, Georgia and New York. Direct expenditures by wildlife watchers were for items such as cameras, binoculars and bird food, as well as trip-related expenses such as lodging, transportation and food.

The report addresses participation nationwide in wildlife watching, associated expenditures and estimates of the total economic activity
generated by these expenditures. In addition, it addresses the total employment and income associated with wildlife watching expenditures and estimates of the generated state and federal tax revenue. In 2006, nearly 71 million Americans (16 years of age and older) spent more than $45 billion observing, feeding, and photographing wildlife.

Wildlife Watching in the United States: The Economic Impacts on National and State Economies in 2006 is available at <
http://library.fws.gov/nat_survey2006_economics.pdf>

In addition to the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife Associated Recreation and its addendum analytical report, individual state reports have also been completed. For more information on fishing, hunting, and wildlife watching in your State, visit: <
http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/NationalSurvey/reports2006.html>

West Rutland Marsh Named U.S. Birding Hotspot

The magazine "Birders World" named the cattail marsh one of the 52 best spots in the country for watching birds.The marsh was the only Vermont location to make the list.

Here is what Sue Elliott, a member and secretary of the Rutland County Audubon Society board of directors and a big fan of citizen science, had to say about the marsh.

West Rutland Marsh is a favorite stop for Vermont birders, including me. I will always remember a family of Virginia Rails crossing the road ahead of our birding group and a Least Bittern flying the length of the marsh. Hearing the oong-ka-choonk of the American Bittern or the rattle of a Marsh Wren for the first time each spring is a thrill.

A large cattail marsh along with a wide variety of other habitats makes this the perfect spot to spend a rewarding morning or evening of birding. Ten stops on the Bridge-to-Bridge Interpretive Trail show off the habitats. The site is a breeding ground for bitterns, rails, and other marsh birds - plenty of reasons why it was designated an Important Bird Area.

In 2001, Rutland County Audubon began monthly, year-round monitoring walks around a 3.7-mile section of the marsh. To date, we've tallied 136 species. We haven't missed a month and are still adding species. The marsh is a great spot to distinguish Willow and Alder Flycatchers by voice. Or watch Marsh Wrens, Swamp Sparrows, and Yellow Warblers ferry food to their young during nesting season. There is always something to see.

You can view a list and bar chart of all the birds at West Rutland Marsh on Vermont eBird, where monitoring walk data and birders enter their observations.

Dead Creek Wildlife Day

Dead Creek Wildlife Day returns for its seventh year Saturday in Addison. The event will be held at Vermont Fish & Wildlife's Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area on Vermont 17, west of Vermont 22A.

Early risers can begin the day with bird-banding demonstrations at 7 a.m. VCE Biologist Kent McFarland will be there helping at the banding station. Two large tents at the Dead Creek WMA headquarters will open at 9:30 a.m. and feature wildlife-related exhibits and kids' craft activities such as decoy carving, face painting and building bluebird boxes. Kent will give a lecture about Vermont butterflies at 2:30 and then capture, tag and release some Monarchs outside.

The day's main activities run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and include nature walks, illustrated talks, live wildlife presentations, hunting dog demonstrations, fishing and hunting tips, and much more. All events are free, and a free shuttle bus will provide regular access to nearby field events throughout the day.

For more information and a schedule of events, call Vermont Fish & Wildlife at 241-3700 or go to www.vtfishandwildlife.com and click on the Dead Creek Wildlife Day icon.

Upcoming Bicknell's Thrush Talks

For those of you looking for something to do next Monday, October 6,
VCE is presenting two talks about Bicknell's Thrush.

New York's Montane Specialist: Bicknell's Thrush: presented by Julie
Hart, Mountain Birdwatch Coordinator, for the Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club
in Albany, NY. Begins at 7pm.

Bicknell's Thrush: a conservation link across the Americas: presented
by Chris Rimmer, Director of VCE, at the Seacoast Garden Club,
Kennebunkport, ME. Begins at 10am.

Cheers,
-Julie

2008 Loon Stats - letter to volunteers

Dear Loonwatch Volunteers,

Congratulations on another successful season as well as a good start to our first year with VCE. Overall, loon numbers were steady compared to 2007 with slightly more successful nests and slightly higher chick mortality. It’s always hard when it is “your” nest that fails or chicks that are lost, but in Vermont at least, things look good. We’re still concerned about some low productivity on the larger New Hampshire lakes and the botulism catastrophe occurring on the Great Lakes (upward of 30,000 estimated dead loons over the past 7 years). This makes our 200 loons in Vermont seem like a pretty small number.

Here are final numbers for 2008 loon season. There is a chance loonwatch numbers could change slightly as I have sent out several emails/phone calls to volunteers I did not hear from, and I'm still waiting for a reply.

• 61 nests. 13 pairs did not nest but were present, which is a slightly higher rate than some years. 62 pairs nested in '07 and 58 in '06.
• 74 known territorial pairs (i.e., nested recently).
• 12 potential territorial pairs (i.e., 2 loons often, no recent nesting).
• 86 total territorial pairs (record high).
• 75 chicks hatched out (record high).
• 55 survived to September 1. This is a slightly lower survival rate of 73% compared to the Vermont 31-year average of 83%.
• 0.64 chicks survived per territorial pair (state 31-year average of 0.71). Think of this as a pair of loons having six or seven chicks survive in a ten year period including years they do not nest, lost chicks, etc. The North America Average is about 0.53, and in 2008, New Hampshire had a rate below 0.40--not a good year for loon nests or chicks over there.
• Three new nesting pairs (Derby, Maidstone, Norton).
• One possible new nesting pair on Flagg Pond, but only one sighting of chicks, assuming chicks disappeared early on. I did not count this potential nest in totals.
• Only three flooded nests confirmed (chance a few were missed).
• Four pairs incubated too long.
• Seven hatches occurred after Loonwatch day on July 19th, which is late in the season (some were re-nests).
  
• Six chicks disappeared after encounters with intruder loons.
• Three adults were found dead and sent to Tufts for necropsy (fights were observed during the two weeks previous in all cases).
• Two big chicks retrieved and also sent to Tufts.
• Six eggs retrieved from nests and sent to Biodiversity Research Institute.
• Volunteers counted 225 adult loons on Loonwatch day, July 19th, up from 218 in 2007 and 201 in 2006. Highlights of the count include five more adults counted in the west-central region of the state compared to 2007 (within 40 mile radius of Rutland), 13 adults counted on Lake Memphremagog and nine on Somerset Reservoir, and for the third year, over 80 of the 140+ lakes surveyed supported loons.
• For the first time in my 11 years with the VLRP, I did not have to chase down a loon caught in fishing line (although last November I spent three afternoons and nights on Lake Willoughby at 38 F.) Volunteers or I still checked out plenty of loons in distress or reported in trouble, including two road crash loons, but less than in some years.

REMINDER: If you have not filled out a SWG Volunteer Hours Form, please do so and mail in. We need volunteer hours documented in order to continue to receive state funding.

NEWS

We will be changing the names of the loonwatch volunteer programs as I revamp the VLRP website:

• Adopt-a-Lake: monitoring and/or assisting with rafts and signs on specific lakes.
• Loonwatch Day: surveying a lake(s) on the 3^rd Saturday of July for the annual census.
• Casual Surveys: surveying lakes in need of more surveys at any time from May to October (an excuse to go boating). See website for list of targeted lakes. This list includes nesting lakes with no volunteers or less active volunteer, loon active lakes where we want to see if a pair forms, and lakes that do not get surveyed often.

In 2009, we hope to begin using VT eBird for volunteer to report loon sightings on the web for Loonwatch Day and Casual Surveys.

WRITING CONTEST!

What good is a loon? Submit your answer in 10 to 200 words. Top entries will be featured in next spring’s Loon Caller. A larger selection of submissions will be published on the VLRP website. Someone asked me this question this summer and I gave a pretty unexciting answer. So, why do you think loons are important? Submit answers to me via email (ehanson AT vtecostudies [dot] org).

Thanks to all who responded to our Loon Appeal this summer. It was a tremendous success.

Have a great fall season,

Eric Hanson
Vermont Loon Recovery Project Coordinator
VCE Conservation Biologist