[CT Birds] Great news for Connecticut's Refuges and birds in Appropriations Bill! Plus Redpolls at the Bent

[COMINS, Patrick]

Dear CT Birders:



I just had news that the President signed the Omnibus Appropriations Budget Bill.  Thank you to all of you who helped to weigh in on this issue over the last year. Calls and emails from the birding community was quite valuable in getting through this long process.   This has some great news for Connecticut's two National Wildlife Refuges and Long Island Sound including:



-$2 million for the Silvio Conte National Wildlife Refuge.  Where this will go is still up in the air as twice that amount is needed for two projects with contracts in hand in Connecticut and Massachusetts.  The Elm Camp Johnson Property near the mouth of the Salmon River, which would be the first major acquisition for the Refuge in Connecticut and the Fort River Division in Massachusetts, which would provide key grassland habitat.  Even the Mass project would benefit Connecticut birds by adding to the network of habitat that supports grassland bird metapopulations in Southern New England.



-$710,000 for the Stewart. B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, which will add a key parcel to the Salt Meadow Unit in Westbrook.  This parcel protects the headwaters of the Menunketesuck tidal marsh and is also an important buffer for forest birds nesting at the Refuge, one of the few places that I know of in Connecticut where you can hear nesting Worm-eating Warblers, Scarlet Tanagers, and Pileated Woodpeckers while looking out over a salt marsh.



Also included in the budget were:

-~$4.9 million for Long Island Sound, for the Long Island Sound Stewardship System and the Long Island Sound Restoration Act.



- the Refuge System will be funded at $434.1 million in fiscal year 2008 - as compared to the $395.3 million received in FY 07, increasing Refuge System funding about $39 million (which is sorely needed!).

The increases are to be used to "re-establish basic operating capacity and staffing shortfalls at refuges nationwide . . and begin to alleviate shortfalls identified in the workforce plans."



-$4.5 million for Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation, the highest level ever.



-$1.75 million for easements in the 4-state Highlands region (CT, NY, NJ, PA), and



-$770,000 in forest legacy funding to protect land on Skiff Mountain.



We have much more work to do this year, but I did want to let you know the fruits of your grassroots labors last year.  On tap for this year is the rest of the funding needed for Conte offers in hand and funding for key additions to the Stratford Great Meadows Unit of McKinney.



Also redpolls at the Bent today...hopefully with many more on their way.



>From Patrick Comins:

1/2 - Southbury, Audubon Center at Bent of the River - A few COMMON REDPOLLS paid a short visit to the feeders.  One came in, but there were a few more calling from the surrounding trees. Also one female type PURPLE FINCH and one PINE SISKIN.



I was quite sick over the holidays, so not much field bird news to report, but a few misc. notes perhaps of interest to someone.



Had a COMMON RAVEN calling in my Meriden yard this morning. At Target in Meriden, where COMMON RAVENS are no big news, but we had one foraging in the parking lot that let us get within 10 feet of it, which is unusual.  Had 2 adult BALD EAGLES flying over I-84 near Exit 33 on New Year's Eve and a PURPLE FINCH fly over the yard Christmas morning.









Patrick Comins, Meriden.


Patrick M. Comins
Director of Bird Conservation
Audubon Connecticut
Pcomins'at'audubon.org

http://iba.audubon.org/iba/viewState.do?state=US-CT

Bent of the River Sanctuary
185 East Flat Hill Road
Southbury,  CT 06488
Phone:  (203)264-5098 x305
or (203)264-5180 x305
Fax: (203)264-6332





Patrick M. Comins
Director of Bird Conservation
Audubon Connecticut
pcomins at audubon.org

http://iba.audubon.org/iba/viewState.do?state=US-CT

Bent of the River Sanctuary
185 East Flat Hill Road
Southbury,  CT 06488
Phone:  (203)264-5098 x305
or (203)264-5180 x305
Fax: (203)264-6332