Treehugger Tuesday

Nitrogen pollution article from The Nature Conservancy via treehugger.com:

A lesson in water quality from clams

The Nature Conservancy (@nature_org)
Science / Clean Water
March 26, 2015

Nitrogen pollution continues to be a problem in water bodies throughout the world. Most of the nitrogen leaking into Long Island's waters comes from a surprising source.

By Nancy Kelley, Director of The Nature Conservancy's Long Island Chapter

In my 15-year career as executive director for The Nature Conservancy on Long Island, I have learned a lot from the low-lying, muck-dwelling (albeit delicious) clam.

Clams were once so abundant in Long Island’s waters it was said you could cross the 25-mile-long Great South Bay by jumping from clam boat to clam boat. In fact, in the 1970's, half the clams eaten in this country came from Great South Bay. Annual harvests four decades ago were upwards of 700,000 bushels. Now, only about 10,000 bushels are harvested annually.

The Nature Conservancy tried to improve this situation by embarking upon an ambitious shellfish restoration project that began 10 years ago. We hoped to repopulate a 21-square mile area of the bay with clams and kick-start mother nature. To date, about 8 million clams have been deposited.

Several years into the effort, though, the reintroduced clams weren’t reproducing as well as we had predicted. Some years, when we counted the numbers of live baby clams, we saw positive results. Other years, not so much. The clams were telling us something. They were telling us there was a problem with our water quality.

But what exactly was the issue? It was, and continues to be, nitrogen pollution—a problem in water bodies throughout the world that causes harmful algal blooms, kills fish, and prevents people from enjoying local beaches, bays and shellfish.

Local research commissioned by The Nature Conservancy revealed that 65 percent of nitrogen leaking into Great South Bay comes from a surprising source: wastewater from residential home septic systems. Only 30% of Suffolk County’s 1.5 million homes are connected to sewers. The remaining 70% have outdated septic systems, sending untreated wastewater into Long Island’s groundwater and from there into its bays and harbors.

Through a major public awareness effort by the Conservancy and its partners, nitrogen pollution from sewage is now recognized as the biggest environmental threat facing Long Island. Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone dubs it “public water enemy number one” because it threatens Long Island’s health, economy and quality of life.

In 2014, 13,000 acres of shellfishing grounds were closed because of toxic algal blooms. That number is growing. The solution lies in upgrading and modernizing our wastewater systems to reduce pollution.

Getting homeowners to replace old septic systems with nitrogen reducing technology is no small feat and not inexpensive. The longer we wait to fix our water quality problem, the worse it will become and the more expensive it will be.

The good news? Long Islanders are willing to be a part of the solution. Recent polling shows that 85 percent of Long Island voters strongly support tougher water quality standards if it means that less nitrogen pollution will enter our waters, and they understand that it’s going to cost quite a few…clams. ...Read more

Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of Saturday, April 4, 2015 to Sunday, April 5, 2015:

Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Prospect Park Spring Series
Leader: Dennis Hrehowsik
Note: this is a new Saturday series walk till middle May (EXCEPT May 9th Birdathon). See the dates at the beginning of the trips page, above.
Meet: 7:15 am "The Pergola" entrance, Ocean Ave and Parkside Ave corner. Nearest train "Q" line to Parkside Ave, across the street or "Prospect Park" stop on the "Q" line as well-requires a 5 block walk south on Ocean Avenue from Lincoln Road exit. ("B" Express train does not run on weekends.)

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, April 4, 2014
Debbie Becker leads a free bird walk at the Garden every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. beginning at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center

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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, April 4, 2015, 8:00am – 9:30am
Van Cortlandt Bird Walks, The Bronx
Guides: NYC Audubon, Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy With the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy Meet at Van Cortlandt Nature Center. The history of birding and Van Cortlandt Park are inseparable. Influential birders such as Roger Tory Peterson and Allan D. Cruickshank got their starts on Van Cortlandt’s ecologically diverse grounds. These walks celebrate the tradition set forth by these great ornithologists. Participants will look for various species of residents and migrants and discuss a wide range of avian topics.
For more information, please call 212-691-7483. No registration necessary. No limit. Free.

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, April 4, 2015, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
North Mount Loretto State Forest
Participants will observe a variety of ecosystems as we search for evidence of animal life, the geologic history and human influence of this diverse area on the south shore.
Meet in the parking lot for North Mount Loretto located at 6723 Amboy Road at the intersection of Cunningham Road and Amboy Road in Richmond Valley.
For more information call Clay Wollney at 718-869-6327.

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South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Alley Pond Park

All walks start at 9:30 A.M.
There is no walk if it rains or snows or temperature is below 25°F.
For more information or in case of questionable weather conditions, please phone Joe at 516 467-9498 .
For directions to our bird-watching locations, click here.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Introduction to Bird Watching at Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Look! Up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind of bird is it? Join the Prospect Park Alliance to learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home.
Free!

Sunday, April 5, 2015
Early Morning Birdwalk: Changing Seasons, Changing Birds at Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
8:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m.
Join the Prospect Park Alliance to welcome the earliest migrants of the year, and also say goodbye to some of our winter residents. Please note this tour leaves promptly at 8 am.
Free! ...Read more

Friday's Foto

The American Oystercatcher is a large, gregarious shorebird breeding on the Atlantic coast from northern Florida to New England. Locally breeding birds arrive relatively early in the migration and can now be found establishing their territories around coastal Brooklyn. The IUCN lists them as being of "Least Concern" as they have a very wide range with increasing populations in the United States. Each year for the last 4 years an individual with the leg band "C6" returns to Plum Beach in Brooklyn to breed. Check out a cool oystercatcher tracking program on Audubon North Carolina's website here.

Treehugger Tuesday

New Protected Ocean Reserve

The following is from the National Geographic website's news page:

World’s Largest Single Marine Reserve Created in Pacific

The area around the Pitcairn Islands is one of the most pristine places on Earth.

By Brian Clark Howard, National Geographic
PUBLISHED MARCH 18, 2015

British Prime Minister David Cameron's government announced the creation of the world’s largest contiguous ocean reserve on Wednesday, setting aside 322,000 square miles (830,000 square kilometers) around the remote Pitcairn Islands in the South Pacific for special protection.

The new reserve is nearly three and a half times bigger than the landmass of the United Kingdom—larger than the state of California—and is home to a stunning array of sharks, fish, corals, and other marine life, says Enric Sala, a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence who led a five-week Pristine Seas expedition to the island group in March 2012 that helped establish a scientific case for the reserve. (Explore Enric's posts from the field.)


Announced via the government's 2015 budget, the reserve represents a bid by the U.K. to thwart the illegal fishing that threatens the species in its territorial waters. No fishing or seafloor mining will be allowed in the reserve, except for traditional fishing around the island of Pitcairn by the local population, says Sala.

The reserve's creation is dependent on partnerships with non-governmental organizations and satellite monitoring resources, according to the budget. Those resources are already in place, says Sala.

Thirty percent of the U.K.’s waters around the world are now protected, the highest percentage of any country’s waters on Earth. Although the new reserve will become the largest single marine protected area anywhere, the network of reserves created around the Pacific remote islands by the U.S. in September is bigger in total, at nearly 490,000 square miles (1,270,000 square kilometers). (Learn about how large marine reserves are protected.)

“People know Pitcairn because of the Mutiny on the Bounty, but their real bounty is the rich marine life underwater,” says Sala.

About 60 people live on Pitcairn Island, most of them descendants of the Bounty mutineers from 1790 and their Tahitian companions. In September 2012, in response to the expedition, the Pitcairn Council voted unanimously to create a marine protected area in their entire economic zone, which extends 200 miles (322 kilometers) out from their four islands, three of which are uninhabited. Since the islands are administered by the U.K. as a territory, the new reserve required the support of the British government.

“Pitcairn’s waters contain some of the few pristine coral reefs left on the planet,” says Sala. “They also contain intact seamounts [submerged mountains] and deep-sea habitats that have not been touched by trawling and which harbor many species yet to be discovered by science.”

On the 2012 expedition, Sala and his team discovered several new species of fish by dropping cameras into deep water. A larger effort is likely to discover hundreds of new animals there, he says. (See photos from Sala's expedition showing life on Pitcairn today.)

“The Pitcairn Islands have some of the cleanest waters in the world,” Sala says. “And Ducie Atoll is as pristine as it gets,” he added, referring to the most remote of the islands.

Sala's dive team could see for 250 feet (75 meters) and spied many sharks and a vast garden of pale blue coral that looked like giant roses.

Pitcairn’s residents asked the U.K. government to create the reserve to thwart illegal fishing from foreign fleets, which have been encroaching on their territory. Around the neighboring islands of French Polynesia, many of the sharks have been fished out. By protecting its natural resources, Pitcairn islanders also hope to attract higher numbers of tourists. (Learn how drones fight illegal fishing.)

Sala calls Pitcairn “one of the best-kept secrets of the U.K.” To get there from Washington, D.C., takes five days on boats and airplanes. “That’s longer than it takes to get to the moon, but it was worth the trip,” he says.

Only about one percent of the world’s ocean is protected in reserves that ban fishing. “There is an urgent need," Sala says, "to protect such representative examples of ocean ecosystems.”
...Read more

Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of Saturday, March 28, 2015 to Sunday, March 29, 2015:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, March 28, 2015, 1 pm – 2:30 pm
Introduction to Birdwatching
Look! Up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind of bird is it? Join the Prospect Park Alliance to learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home.
Led by the Brooklyn Bird Club.

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Carnarsie Park and the Southeast Brooklyn coast
Leader: Bobbi Manian
Focus: early spring migrants, sparrows, coastal species, waterbirds, gulls, returning raptors
Car fee: $12.00
Registrar: Mike Yuan, email mjyuan@gmail.com
Registration Period: March 17th - March 26th

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Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, March 28, 2015 (rain date March 29)
Early Spring Birding in the Greenbelt, Staten Island
Leader: Howard Fischer
Registrar: Judy Rabi – jsrabi@verizon.net or 917-658-1832
Registration opens: Monday, March 16
Ride: $20

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Littoral Society
Saturday, March 28, 2015, 10:00am - 01:00pm
Early Spring Bird Walk!
Join the American Littoral Society at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge for a hike around the ponds and gardens to look for egrets, ibis, osprey, and other early returning species.
Location : Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Contact : To RSVP: Call (718) 474-0896, or e-mail donriepe@gmail.com

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, March 28, 2014
Debbie Becker leads a free bird walk at the Garden every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. beginning at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center

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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, March 28, 2015, 10am – 1pm
Early Spring Migrants at Jamaica Bay
Guides: Don Riepe With Gateway National Recreation Area
Meet at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center. Hike around the East and West Ponds and gardens to look for returning ibis, egrets, oystercatchers, phoebes, and other migrants. There will be a digital slide program before the hike.
To register, contact Don Riepe at 917-371-8577 or donriepe@gmail.com. Limited to 25. Free

Saturday, March 28, 2015, 5:00pm – 9:30pm
The Sky-Dance of the Woodcock
Guide: Gabriel Willow
The American Woodcock is a remarkable bird: it is in the sandpiper family but lives in woodlands, often far from beaches. The male performs an incredible crepuscular aerial display and song early in the spring, soon after the snow melts in the northern US. There are a few places around NYC where they perform this display. Let's go look for it (and bats and owls and other critters, too) at Floyd Bennett Field!
Bring binoculars, comfortable shoes, a headlamp or flashlight, and a snack for a post-woodcock picnic. Transport by passenger van included. Limited to12. $90 (63)
Click here to register

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North Shore Audubon Society
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Alley Pond Environmental Center
Leader: Trudy Horowitz 718-224-8432

Walks are for beginners and experienced birders alike.
Weather permitting, walks start at 9:30 AM unless indicated by ***, in which case, the walk will start at 6:30 am on BIG Day.
If in doubt, please call the trip leader.
Please note: all phone numbers are area code 516 unless otherwise indicated.
In most cases, the contacts are also leaders for the respective walks.
Go to our website at http://northshoreaudubon.org/for directions.
We would like to encourage carpooling, where possible.

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South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Alley Pond Park

All walks start at 9:30 A.M.
There is no walk if it rains or snows or temperature is below 25°F.
For more information or in case of questionable weather conditions, please phone Joe at 516 467-9498 .
For directions to our bird-watching locations, click here.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Introduction to Bird Watching at Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Look! Up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind of bird is it? Join the Prospect Park Alliance to learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home.
Free!

Sunday, March 29, 2015
Birding Basics at BRC Senior Center (in Sara D. Roosevelt Park), Manhattan
11:00 a.m.
Let the Urban Park Rangers guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle.
Free! ...Read more

Friday's Foto

As the cycle of cold weather winds down and spring migrants begin to arrive in NYC I have one last winter bird to spotlight. A member of the "winter finch" group of birds, the Common Redpoll is an uncommon sight around the five boroughs. This denizen of the far northern reaches of North America will periodically move south of their normal range when food supplies becomes scarce. These are referred to as irruption years. This winter saw a small number of redpolls around NYC and Long Island. One individual spent a few weeks feeding in a single birch tree in Brooklyn's Prospect Park.

Spring and Ear Birding

This Friday at 6:45PM marks the arrival of the Spring equinox in New York City. It is also time for my annual reminder to clear your ears and dust off your "Birding by Ear" bird-song identification guides. Longtime followers of this blog understand the importance of listening to the recordings to prepare for the inevitable waves of northbound birds. If identifying birds by their calls and songs frustrates you, then now is the best time to start studying. With the right tools it much easier than you think.

There are several sources available to help you learn how to identify birds by ear, but the best I've found is the Peterson Field Guides series of CDs. These discs are not just reference recordings, but well organized lessons that use groups of similar sounding species, repetition and mnemonics to help you quickly learn sounds. Here on the east coast of North America you should purchase "Birding by Ear: Eastern/Central" and "More Birding by Ear Eastern and Central North America". There are discs available for the west coast, as well.

Below is a list of the tracks on which I recommend you concentrate. Obviously, there are many more common species in our area which you could add as you feel needed.

The colorful wood-warblers are the most important songbirds to learn. Once you've purchased the discs, use iTunes (or similar software) to import the following tracks:

Name	Album	Disc #	Track #
Sing-songers	Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	1	4
Warbling Songsters	Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	2	6
Wood Warblers & a Warbling Wren	Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	3	1
Warblers: Buzzy	More Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	2	1
Warblers: Simple	More Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	2	2
Warblers: Two-Parted	More Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	2	3
Warblers: Complex	More Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	2	4
Empidonax Flycatchers	More Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	1	4

Note that I included the empidonax flycatchers on the list as they are notoriously difficult to separate visually, but have very distinctive vocalizations.

The woodland thrushes are also incredible songsters, so I recommend the following tracks:

Name	Album	Disc #	Track #
Thrushes	Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	3	2
Thrushes	More Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	1	7

One family of bird vocalizations that I tend to neglect are the shorebirds. More often than not, during spring migration a group of calling shorebirds passing overhead are noted only as "flock of unidentified peeps". While their calls and songs may not be nearly as melodic as the wood-warblers, they are each unique and easily identifiable if you take a few minutes each day to study the recommended "Birding by Ear" tracks.

Name	Album	Disc #	Track #
Shorebirds: Pairs	More Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	3	1
Shorebirds: Plovers	More Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	3	2
Shorebirds: Whistlers	More Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	3	3
Shorebirds: Peepers	More Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	3	4
Shorebirds: Other	More Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	3	5

In case you were wondering, I don't make any money promoting the Peterson Field Guide series. I have just found that their systematic approach to learning bird-song to be the best available. Our local populations of birds, as well as, overwintering species have already begun to sing, so don't procrastinate. If you spend even just 20 minutes a day listening during your commute, by the time all the warblers begin streaming through NYC I guarantee you'll be able to find many birds ... even with your eyes closed.

Treehugger Tuesday

Killing Waterfowl with Kindness

Most of the ponds and lakes in the city parks around Brooklyn have signs urging people not to feed the ducks. A recent article published in The Guardian outlines the numerous problems associated with feeding bread (and similar foods) to waterfowl.

Don't feed the ducks bread, say conservationists
Karl Mathiesen
Monday 16 March 2015 02.01 EDT

We feed six million loaves of bread a year to ducks in England and Wales causing damage to birds’ health and polluting waterways. Oats, corn and peas are safer for the birds

The seemingly innocent act of feeding ducks with bread is harming waterfowl and polluting waterways, conservationists warned on Monday as they urged people to use more benign alternatives.

A survey by the Canal and River Trust found nearly a quarter of English and Welsh people had together fed six million loaves of bread to ducks last year. Uneaten bread causes algal blooms, allows bacteria to breed and attracts rats and other vermin.

Apart from affecting water quality, the trust and other agencies said the duck feeders may be unwittingly damaging the health of the birds.

A spokesperson for the government’s Animal and Plant Health Agency said: “Large amounts of bread and other human foodstuffs can be harmful to wildfowl, leading to potentially fatal or disabling health conditions. Uneaten food can also cause changes to the chemical and bacteriological content of water, increasing the risk of avian disease.”

A spokeswoman for the RSPB said making large quantities of bread easily available stops ducks from eating a natural, balanced diet.

“White bread in particular has no real nutritional value, so while birds may find it tasty, the danger is that they will fill up on it instead of other foods that could be more beneficial to them,” she said.

“There’s also a risk that ducks and other water fowl could get an illness known as angel wing, which is caused by not getting the right nutrients in their diet. The illness causes a deformity in birds’ wings that can hamper the way they fly or even stop them altogether, which could obviously be fatal.”

Peter Birch, national environment manager for the Canal and River Trust, said the aim was not to discourage people from interacting with wildlife, but to do it in a way that recognised their particular needs.

“Please come and feed the ducks but do it sensibly so your children and future generations can enjoy it too. The charity is asking the public to make a few simple changes. Bread’s not great for a duck’s health as it’s nothing like their natural diet so don’t overfeed them with large quantities of it.
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“Try to vary what you give them and swap it for healthier more natural treats like oats, corn, or defrosted frozen peas. And exercise portion control,” he said.

Birch also said that feeding regularly in particular places makes ducks habitually reliant on food from humans and leads to an accumulation of duck faeces in the water, on paths and bridges.

“Don’t follow the crowds, spread the love, and visit a new family of ducks to prevent large quantities of the starchy duck ‘junk food’ from clogging up the same places and potentially damaging the environment.”

Peter Rawson, a resident of Stalybridge in Manchester, said his local waterway had become plagued by Canada geese, despite there being few places for them to graze naturally.

“They are only in Stalybridge because there is a ready, and seemingly endless, supply of bread provided by some of the locals and the output from all this consumption can be seen all over the towpath,” he said.

Sfd (Safe for ducks)

- Cracked corn
- Wheat, barley or similar grains
- Oats
- Rice (cooked or uncooked)
- Birdseed (any type or mix)
- Grapes (cut in half)
- Frozen peas or corn (defrosted, no need to cook)
- Earthworms
- Mealworms
- Chopped lettuce or other greens or salad mixes
- Chopped vegetable trimmings or peels
- Duck pellets

Nsfd (Not safe for ducks)

- Bread
- Chips
- Crackers and biscuits
- Popcorn
- Sugary food - sweets, chocolate ...Read more

Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of Saturday, March 21, 2015 to Sunday, March 22, 2015:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, March 21, 2015, 1 pm – 2:30 pm
Introduction to Birdwatching
Look! Up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind of bird is it? Join the Prospect Park Alliance to learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home.
Led by the Brooklyn Bird Club.

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Greenwood Cemetery
Leader: Ed Crowne
Focus: early spring migrants, exiting and straggling winter birds
Meet: 8:30 am at the Greenwood Cemetery east entrance, Prospect Park West Avenue and 20th Street. Nearest subway: F train to 15th St/Prospect Park, walk 3 blocks west on Prospect Park West

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, March 21, 2014
Debbie Becker leads a free bird walk at the Garden every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. beginning at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center

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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, March 21, 2015, 5:00pm – 9:30pm
The Sky-Dance of the Woodcock
Guide: Gabriel Willow
The American Woodcock is a remarkable bird: it is in the sandpiper family but lives in woodlands, often far from beaches. The male performs an incredible crepuscular aerial display and song early in the spring, soon after the snow melts in the northern US. There are a few places around NYC where they perform this display. Let's go look for it (and bats and owls and other critters, too) at Floyd Bennett Field!
Bring binoculars, comfortable shoes, a headlamp or flashlight, and a snack for a post-woodcock picnic. Transport by passenger van included. Limited to12. $90 (63)
Click here to register

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, March 21, 2015, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Forest Restoration Workshop at Hourglass Pond at High Rock
Meet in the parking lot at High Rock Park located at 200 Nevada Avenue. We will follow the trail along the Cemetery’s edge to Hourglass Pond cutting vines and pulling Multi-flora Rose along the way; at the Pond we will remove invasive shrubs and vines. If you don’t have your own, Protectors will supply gloves and pruners (& refreshments). After a two hour work session (our 223rd monthly workshop), we will take a short walk over nearby trails.
For more information call Don Recklies at 718-768-9036 or Chuck Perry at 718-667-1393.

Saturday, March 21, 2015, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Buck’s Hollow and Heyerdahl Hill
Located in the Greenbelt, Heyerdahl Hill is nestled in an impressive stretch of woodland, holding ruins of a stone home built in the 1800s and plants and trees rarely seen in urban woodlands. Participants will meet at the stone wall on Meisner Avenue, located by the intersection of Rockland Avenue and Meisner Avenue (http://goo.gl/maps/YP1HI).
For more information call John Paul Learn at 718-619-5051 or e-mail at john.paul.learn@gmai.com.

Sunday, March 22, 2015, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. NOTE: NEW TIME
Semi-annual Spring Meeting, 40 Years and counting (1975–2015)
Join with Protectors of Pine Oak Woods as we celebrate four decades of successful environmental preservation. Visit with those responsible for the formation of Blue Heron Park, Wood Duck Pond, the Graniteville Quarry and more. Discussions will focus on the various strategies employed to preserve each unique property. Light refreshments will be served before a brief walk through Blue Heron Park.
The semi-annual meeting will be held at the Blue Heron Park Nature Center located at 222 Poillon Avenue.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Birding: Eagles at Payson Center (in Inwood Hill Park), Manhattan
9:00 a.m.
Witness the majesty of the American Bald Eagle as it soars over the Hudson River.

Introduction to Bird Watching at Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Look! Up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind of bird is it? Join the Prospect Park Alliance to learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home.
Free!

Owl Prowl at Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum (in Pelham Bay Park), Bronx
4:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m.
We’ll scan for snowy owls, barred owls, saw whets, and long-eared owls.
Free! ...Read more

Friday's Foto

Call him a "Timberdoodle", "Mud Bat", "Bogsucker", "Labrador Twister" or "Mudsnipe", but an American Woodcock by any other name is still one of the oddest of North America's shorebirds. With eyes set so far back on their head they have better vision behind than in front. For a bird who spends most of its time probing for worms with a long, prehensile-tipped bill, this adaptation allows them to keep a sharp lookout for predators while they forage. An early spring migrant through NYC, look for this well camouflaged bird sitting motionless in the leaf litter or feeding under stands of conifers.

Treehugger Tuesday

Bird Thought to be Extinct Rediscovered

The following new release was just sent out by the Wildlife Conservation Society:

WCS Re-Discovers "Extinct" Bird in Myanmar
posted on March 05, 2015 08:56

Babbler Rising: Bird thought to be Extinct Re-emerges in Neglected Area

Jerdon’s babbler is re-discovered near abandoned agricultural research station by WCS-led scientific team in Myanmar

- Last confirmed sighting took place in 1941
- Bird once common to Myanmar’s formerly vast grasslands
- Scientists from WCS, Nature and Wildlife Conservation Division - MOECAF, and National University of Singapore made discovery

NEW YORK (MARCH 5, 2015) – A scientific team from WCS, Myanmar’s Nature and Wildlife Conservation Division – MOECAF, and National University of Singapore (NUS) has rediscovered a bird previously thought to be extinct.

Jerdon’s babbler (Chrysomma altirostre) had not been seen in Myanmar since July 1941, where it was last found in grasslands near the town of Myitkyo, Bago Region near the Sittaung River.

The rediscovery was described in the recently published issue of Birding Asia, the magazine of the Oriental Bird Club.

The team found the bird on 30 May 2014 while surveying a site around an abandoned agricultural station that still contained some grassland habitat. After hearing the bird’s distinct call, the scientists played back a recording and were rewarded with the sighting of an adult Jerdon’s babbler. Over the next 48 hours, the team repeatedly found Jerdon’s babblers at several locations in the immediate vicinity and managed to obtain blood samples and high-quality photographs.

The small brown bird, about the size of a house sparrow, was initially described by British naturalist T. C. Jerdon in January 1862, who found it in grassy plains near Thayetmyo.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the species was common in the vast natural grassland that once covered the Ayeyarwady and Sittaung flood plains around Yangon. Since then, agriculture and communities have gradually replaced most of these grasslands as the area has developed.

Said Mr Colin Poole, Director of WCS’s Regional Conservation Hub in Singapore, “The degradation of these vast grasslands had led many to consider this subspecies of Jerdon’s Babbler extinct. This discovery not only proves that the species still exists in Myanmar but that the habitat can still be found as well. Future work is needed to identify remaining pockets of natural grassland and develop systems for local communities to conserve and benefit from them.”

The Jerdon’s Babbler in Myanmar is currently considered as one of three subspecies found in the Indus, Bhramaputra, and Ayeyarwady River basins in South Asia. All show subtle differences and may yet prove to be distinctive species.

Further analysis of DNA samples taken from the bird will be studied at the Department of Biological Sciences at the NUS Faculty of Science, to determine if Jerdon’s babbler in Myanmar should be considered a full species. If so, the species would be exclusive to Myanmar and be of very high conservation concern because of its fragmented and threatened habitat.

Explained Assistant Professor Frank Rheindt of the Department, who was a key member of the field team and leader of the genetic analysis, “Our sound recordings indicate that there may be pronounced bioacoustic differences between the Myanmar subspecies and those further west, and genetic data may well confirm the distinctness of the Myanmar population.”

This work was carried out as part of a larger study to understand the genetics of Myanmar bird species and determine the true level of bird diversity found in the country. Already Myanmar has more species of bird than any other country in mainland Southeast Asia and this number is likely to increase as our understanding of birds in this long isolated country continues to grow.

WCS’s work in Myanmar which led to this discovery was supported by The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. ...Read more

Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of Saturday, March 14, 2015 to Sunday, March 15, 2015:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, March 14, 2015, 10 am – 11 am
Family Bird Watching
Looking for a fun way to spend time with your family outdoors? Join the Prospect Park Alliance for its monthly family bird watching tours. After learning how to use binoculars, join our naturalists to identify some of the 250 species of birds that call Prospect Park home. Please note that this tour leaves promptly at 10 am.

Saturday, March 14, 2015, 1 pm – 2:30 pm
Introduction to Birdwatching
Look! Up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind of bird is it? Join the Prospect Park Alliance to learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home.
Led by the Brooklyn Bird Club.

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Massapequa Preserve Greenbelt Trail by LIRR
Leader: Peter Dorosh (347-622-3559 text only)
Focus: a long casual flat hike on the preserve's Greenbelt trail
Train fee: To be determined at Brooklyn's Atlantic Ave Long Island Railroad station
Registrar: Peter Dorosh, Prosbird@aol.com (preferred) or 347-622-3559 text
Note: the registrar will communicate the train time of departure and instructions to participants. Meet downstairs at the ticket windows.
Registration Period: March 3rd - March 12th
Source: http://tinyurl.com/MassGBT

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, March 14, 2014
Debbie Becker leads a free bird walk at the Garden every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. beginning at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, March 14, 2015, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve
Protectors’ initial project has been feeling the pressures development lately. The approved build-through of Englewood Avenue and the proposed build-through of the West Shore service road have shown that no property is truly protected. Come explore the trails of a combination of ecosystems, such as sand barrens, wetlands, and ponds, and a beautiful park to explore in any season. Meet at the parking lot for the park at 83 Nielsen Avenue (http://goo.gl/maps/N5bcq).
For more information call John Paul Learn at 718-619-5051 or e-mail at john.paul.learn@gmail.

Sunday, March 15, 2015, 10 a.m. to noon
William H. Pouch Camp (1975 – 2015)
When initial discussions to preserve Pouch Camp began, Protectors of Pine Oak Woods was there to share our successful experience shaping strategy for preservation. Protectors was well represented on the Committee to Save Pouch Camp, was the financial sponsor of the committee, published The Greenbelt in Peril: Save Pouch Camp and raised $12,000 for the direct support of the Trust for Public Land and the effort to purchase a conservation easement of the properties, thus ensuring preservation. Join with Dominick Durso to celebrate 40 years of Protectors of Pine Oak Woods, the preservation of Pouch Camp and the continuance of scouting programs. Participants will gather at 1465 Manor Road to explore the property and discuss the importance of scouting for our Staten Island community.
For more information call Dominick Durso at 917-478-7607.

Sunday, March 15, 2015, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Crooke’s Point
Maritime sand spits such as Crooke’s Point are dynamic typographical features formed and sculpted by water and wind action. Join naturalist Paul T. Lederer in a talk and walk where the geological and human history of the site will be discussed. He will also give an update on the maritime shrub-forest restoration and the Army Corps of Engineer dredging and sand removal operations. The entrance to Great Kills Park is located at the intersection of Buffalo Street and Hylan Boulevard. Participants will enter the park and gather in the Great Kills Park Beach Center Parking Lot near the beginning of the dirt permit road leading out to Crooke’s Point.
For more information call Paul T. Lederer at 718-987-1576.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Introduction to Bird Watching at Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Look! Up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind of bird is it? Join the Prospect Park Alliance to learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home.
Free! ...Read more

Friday's Foto

Great Horned Owls, unlike most species of birds who lay their eggs in the spring, begin their nesting season during the winter months. This mostly nocturnal raptor is a fierce predator. With a nearly 5 foot wingspan it is known to take down prey as large as a Canada Goose, but feeds primarily on small mammals. They usually swallow their prey whole, later regurgitating pellets made up of indigestible teeth, bone and fur. Read about how owl feathers have evolved structures that allow silent flight here.

Treehugger Tuesday

Effects of "Nature Deficit Disorder" on Children

Author Richard Louv author of the best selling book "Last Child in the Woods" researched the long term effects of depriving children of play in natural environments. From his website:

Last Child in the Woods

In this influential work about the staggering divide between children and the outdoors, child advocacy expert Richard Louv directly links the lack of nature in the lives of today's wired generation—he calls it nature-deficit—to some of the most disturbing childhood trends, such as the rises in obesity, attention disorders, and depression.

Last Child in the Woods is the first book to bring together a new and growing body of research indicating that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development and for the physical and emotional health of children and adults. More than just raising an alarm, Louv offers practical solutions and simple ways to heal the broken bond—and many are right in our own backyard.

This new edition reflects the enormous changes that have taken place since the book was originally published. It includes:

- 100 actions you can take to create change in your community, school, and family.
- 35 discussion points to inspire people of all ages to talk about the importance of nature in their lives.
- A new progress report by the author about the growing Leave No Child Inside movement.
- New and updated research confirming that direct exposure to nature is essential for the physical and emotional health of children and adults.

Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder has spurred a national dialogue among educators, health professionals, parents, developers and conservationists. This is a book that will change the way you think about your future and the future of your children. ...Read more

Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of Saturday, March 7, 2015 to Sunday, March 8, 2015:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, March 7, 2015, 12 PM – 1 PM
Introduction to Birdwatching
Look! Up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind of bird is it? Join the Prospect Park Alliance to learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home. Led by the Brooklyn Bird Club.

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Prospect Park
Leader: Rafael Campos
Focus: winter passerines migrants, early Spring migrants, waterfowl, raptors
Meet: 7:30 AM at Grand Army Plaza Park entrance "Stranahan Statue"
Note: Daylight Savings Time begins

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Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, March 7, 2015
New Jersey Hotspots
Leader: Robert Machover
Registrar: Kathleen Howley – kathleenhowley@gmail.com or 212-877-3170
Registration opens: Monday, February 23
Ride: $40

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, March 7, 2014
Debbie Becker leads a free bird walk at the Garden every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. beginning at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center

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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, March 7, 2015, 10am – 5pm
Winter Birds of Sandy Hook, NJ
Guide: Joe Giunta, Happy Warblers LLC
Sandy Hook, a spectacular barrier island at the northernmost point of the NJ coast, hosts a variety of species including Arctic-bound migrants and harbor seals that lie on the beach to warm up in the sun. Other possible sightings: loons, sea ducks, snow buntings, and horned larks. Bring lunch, water, and binoculars. Transport by passenger van included.
Limited to 12. $96 (67) Click here to register

Saturday, March 7, 2015, 10am – 1pm
Central Park Winter Walk II
Guide: Gabriel Willow Meet at Central Park West and 72nd Street.
Some of the best sightings await hardy nature-lovers willing to venture out in winter! Several species of owls can be seen in Central Park for example, but generally only in the colder months. "Winter finches" such as Pine Siskins, Redpolls, and Crossbills have also been found at the feeders or in conifers in the park. Observing the adaptations for cold-weather survival among Blue Jays, Titmice, and other resident species is fascinating as well. Warm up after the walk with a hot chocolate by the fireplace at the Loeb Boathouse.
Limited to 15. $36 (25) Click here to register

Sunday, March 8, 2015, 9:30am – 11:30am
Winter Birding at Wave Hill, The Bronx
Guide: Gabriel Willow With Wave Hill Meet at the Perkins Visitor Center.
Naturalist Gabriel Willow contributes his extensive knowledge of bird species and their behaviors on these captivating walks. Wave Hill’s garden setting overlooking the Hudson River flyway provides the perfect habitat for resident and migrating birds. Advanced registration is recommended, either online at www.wavehill.org, at the Perkins Visitor Center, or by calling 718-549-3200 x251. (Walks run rain or shine; in case of severe weather call the number above for updates.) Ages 10 and up welcome with an adult. NYC Audubon members enjoy two-for-one admission

Sunday, March 8, 2015, 12pm – 2pm
Winter EcoCruise
Guide: NYC Audubon Guide Meet at South Street Seaport’s Pier 17 and come aboard NY Water Taxi’s eco-friendly vessel for a winter adventure in New York Harbor! Look for harbor seals on the rocky shores of Governor’s Island and the more remote Hoffman and Swinburne Islands. Learn about the surprisingly diverse winter birds of New York City, including ducks, geese, loons, and sandpipers, many of which migrate south from the Arctic. See the Statue of Liberty and pass under the Verrazano Bridge.
Dress warmly! . Limited to 90. To register, contact New York Water Taxi at 212-742-1969 or www.nywatertaxi.com. $35 for adults; $25 for children under 12; $105 for family pack for 2 adults and 2 children

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, March 7, 2015, noon to 2 p.m.
Conference House Park (Herb and Weed Walk at Conference House Park)
Herbs, weeds, and other plants are greening up as the sun grows stronger. Join herbalist Gert Coleman for a walk along the beach and through the paths and gardens at Conference House Park to identify wild, edible, and cultivated medicinal and culinary plants. Meet in the parking lot at the end of Hylan Boulevard.
E-mail gert.coleman@verizon.net for more information.

Sunday, March 8, 2015, 10 a.m. to noon
Black Horse Ravine/Buck’s Hollow
Don’t miss this opportunity to explore a unique, natural ravine with mature woods and streams. One of the few places Sugar Maples are found on Staten Island. Easy, level terrain. Meet at the top of Roanoke Street at Brielle Avenue.
For more information, e-mail Hillel Lofaso at hillel5757@gmail.com or call 718-477-0545.

Sunday, March 8, 2015, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Old Mill Road
Participants will gather at the end of Old Mill Road behind the Church of St. Andrew located at 40 Old Mill Road. We’ll stroll along the multi-use trail next to Fresh Kills, below the hills of LaTourette Golf Course and return along the Blue Trail. From the remains of colonial structures to the Hessian Spring and the remains of Ketchum’s Mill we will take a look into the influence of man and nature on the ecosystems bordering the Fresh Kills estuary.
For more information call Clay Wollney at 718-869-6327

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Queens County Bird Club
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Queens County Quack Attack!
Leader: Corey Finger 518-445-5829
Meet 8:00am at South end of Baisley Pond - parking lot across from August Martin High School

MINI TRIPS: Break after lunch +/-
ALL DAY TRIPS: BYO lunch, dinner out. {optl}
WEEKEND TRIPS: Two + days / Overnight

Trip Etiquette
Please register for trips

- Register. Let leaders know you're coming!
- Car pooling or skipping requires planning
- Be advised if there are last minute changes or cancellations. These cannot be communicated to unknown persons.
- Be on time! Most trips begin birding by 8am!
- Please arrive before the starting time so we do not waste precious early morning bird activity.
- Plan your travel time.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Birding: Winter Birds at Park Drive and Clove Road (in Clove Lakes Park), Staten Island
11:00 a.m.
We offer birding programs throughout the year, but now is a great time of year to observe species which live in NYC Parks during the winter.
Free!

Introduction to Bird Watching at Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Look! Up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind of bird is it? Join the Prospect Park Alliance to learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home.
Free! ...Read more