Re: [CT Birds] CTBirds Digest, Vol 104, Issue 2
More on window strikes
Dr. Daniel Klem, Biology Professor at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA,
is a leading expert on window strikes and has written an enlightening
article on this subject and the effects of window strikes on birds in
Connecticut. In this article (http://www.ctaudubon.org/SOTB/2007.html) in
the Connecticut State of the Birds, '07 , he discusses the use of
CollidEscape and other methods of reducing what is the leading cause of
unintended deaths of more birds worldwide than any other human-related
mortality factor with the exception of habitat destruction.
M. Bull
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Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2007 9:27 PM
Subject: CTBirds Digest, Vol 104, Issue 2
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Today's Topics:
- Black Vultures and reports (COMINS, Patrick)
- Help with Shorebirds (REBECCA I HOROWITZ)
- Waxwings & more (recoverywing@cox.net)
- 6/7 - Milford Pt (Nick Bonomo)
- Farm Creek Rowayton (S Steadham)
- Cedar Waxwings Intoxication and Window Strikes?
(streatham2003@aol.com) - Re: Cedar Waxwings Intoxication and Window Strikes?
(recoverywing@cox.net) - Least Bittern (John Johnson)
- Collidescape (recoverywing@cox.net)
- White-rumped SPs (charsjs@sbcglobal.net)
- Re: Cedar Waxwings Intoxication and Window Strikes?
(Chasbarnard@aol.com)
Message: 1
Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2007 15:45:39 -0400
From: "COMINS, Patrick" PCOMINS@audubon.org
Subject: [CT Birds] Black Vultures and reports
To: "Birds CT" ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org
Message-ID:
072251767F8FF84EA470EF2901FBFA7E01DFB062@swift.int.audubon.org
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
From Patrick Comins:
6/07 - Southbury, Audubon Center at Bent of the River -- 2 BLACK VULTURES.
6/06 - Southbury, Audubon Center at Bent of the River -- ACADIAN
FLYCATCHERS.
6/06 - Woodbury/Roxbury, Good Hill Farm Preserve, several BOBOLINKS,
SAVANNAH SPARROWS and also Ring-necked Pheasant and Cliff Swallows.
Also, the Orchard Orioles near the barn at the Bent just showed up
yesterday for the first time this season...quite a late arrival (the ones
near the lower parking lot have been here). The ravens are starting to be
vocal again.
Two common bird observations
I was out for a walk the other evening and saw a Mallard flying overhead,
when I saw what looked like an owl flying directly towards it. The other
bird hit the first one and then they both flew off together. The other
bird was another mallard, but it had tucked its head and neck up under its
body for the collision. Funny how much a headless/neckless duck looks
like an owl in flight.
Singing female House Finch. I heard a very strange bird song the other
day and found it coming from a female house finch that was being fed by
her mate. It almost sounded like a car alarm, but had a component not
unlike the flight call of a redpoll with goldfinchy sounds mixed in. It
lasted for about 5 minutes and then the pair copulated and she went
silent. I didn't know that female House Finches sang.
Patrick Comins, Meriden.
Message: 2
Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2007 14:33:31 -0700 (PDT)
From: REBECCA I HOROWITZ rsdmayo@sbcglobal.net
Subject: [CT Birds] Help with Shorebirds
To: Bird List Serve ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org
Message-ID: 772049.47675.qm@web82705.mail.mud.yahoo.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
I suggest the shorebird chapter in The Complete Birder, A Guide to Better
Birding by nature writer Jack Connor, Houghton-Mifflin, 1988. It is
widely available at stores and libraries. This book may have minor
mistakes/generalities but it is a must-read for any beginning birder.
Steve Mayo
Bethany
Message: 3
Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2007 18:56:29 -0400
From: recoverywing@cox.net
Subject: [CT Birds] Waxwings & more
To: ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org
Message-ID:
29715091.1181256989073.JavaMail.root@eastrmwml06.mgt.cox.net
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Howdy Everyone,
In between handfeeding 30 or so baby birds today I worked in our front
garden where I had removed perennials and am replacing with bird
attracting shrubs. On either front corner of the house are large
established, tree form, serviceberries. I spent the day watching waxwings
happily gobbling down the ripened berries. The mulberries are also
ripening and they are chowning down on those too. There is evidence that
they are beginning to nest as I am watching courtship feeding . There
appears to be about 6-8 birds here, all in pairs. When they had first
arrived numbers increased to about 40 birds one day before ebbing.
Waxwings are one of my favorite birds. I confess more from my interactions
with them in rehabilitation than anything else, but it makes me enjoy them
that much more in the wild. It was a very enjoyable day being surrounded
in the sights and sounds of waxwings.
For the last 14 years I have been planting bird attracting flowers,
grasses, trees ,shrubs and vines with the goal in mind if I cannot get out
to see them I am going to attract them all here! Don't laugh, its working!
My yard list is up around 127 or so these days.
Over the weekend I could not resist another mulberry tree, already have 4!
For those interested Agway was offering them for $42, Illinois
everbearing, self pollinating, a great deal. If ever there is a number
one bird attracting tree that is the one IMO.
Jayne Amico/Southington
Message: 4
Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2007 19:07:25 -0400
From: "Nick Bonomo" nbonomo@gmail.com
Subject: [CT Birds] 6/7 - Milford Pt
To: ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org
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17734f0706071607s5cc874bfqbe5f01259ca9a6dc@mail.gmail.com
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From Nick Bonomo:
6/7 - Milford, Milford Pt - 7 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS, 2 RED KNOT
Nick Bonomo
Orange, CT
Message: 5
Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2007 16:28:35 -0700 (PDT)
From: S Steadham ctosprey@yahoo.com
Subject: [CT Birds] Farm Creek Rowayton
To: ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org
Message-ID: 508634.53204.qm@web53404.mail.re2.yahoo.com
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From Sue Steadham
6/7 - Farm Creek, Rowayton, mid day at dead low tide - 3 Black-Crowned
Night Heron, 2 Snowy Egrets feeding on tidal flats, 2 male 1 female
mallard, 1 Osprey overhead plus assorted red winged blackbirds, robins,
grackles
Sue Steadham
Shelton
Nick Bonomo nbonomo@gmail.com wrote:
From Nick Bonomo:
6/7 - Milford, Milford Pt - 7 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS, 2 RED KNOT
Nick Bonomo
Orange, CT
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Message: 6
Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2007 20:45:26 -0400
From: streatham2003@aol.com
Subject: [CT Birds] Cedar Waxwings Intoxication and Window Strikes?
To: ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org
Message-ID: 8C9777D70977DC9-FAC-C8BC@WEBMAIL-MA20.sysops.aol.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Hi All,
My wife rang me at work today to ask whether I was interested in a dead
Cedar Waxwing. She has a habit of finding these things - so far her
best/worst finds are a Fox Sparrow and an immature Virginia Rail - both
apparent window strikes around a couple of workplaces. Apparently the
Cedar Waxwings are attracted to the fruit bearing tree that is located in
a glass surrounded courtyard at the local library in which she works. It
appears from her description that they become intoxicated eating the
berries and then become disoriented and regularly hit the windows around
the courtyard.
This afternoon alone they had four window strikes (that were noticed)
which sadly ended with two dead Waxwings (in beautiful pristine condition)
the other two were cared for briefly by my wife while they recovered and
returned to the flock later. Apparently each year at this particular time
this has been a problem for the library even though they have purchased
decals etc to try and prevent the waxwings striking the windows. Although
a slightly specific situation it's pretty shocking to imagine that these
kind of numbers of window
strikes are being replicated at buildings across the state and country
every day of the year and are, I imagine, many times more prevalent during
migration!
According to her co-workers testimony it appears that the local crows have
sniffed out the possibility of an easy meal and have been seen taking
stunned/deceased waxwings that have suffered window strikes. It appears
that the only solution for the library is that they are going to have to
remove the fruit-bearing tree. A rather sad story but interesting behavior
being displayed by both the crows and waxwings. The waxwings are
stunningly beautiful and in good condition, It seems a shame to see them
go completely to waste so if an organization wants them for their skin
collection let me know off-line.
Regards,
Luke Tiller
Wilton/Essex
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Message: 7
Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2007 21:03:14 -0400
From: recoverywing@cox.net
Subject: Re: [CT Birds] Cedar Waxwings Intoxication and Window
Strikes?
To: ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org
Message-ID:
9474010.1181264594270.JavaMail.root@eastrmwml06.mgt.cox.net
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
At this time of year I think it is just the reflection of the sky in the
glass.
The library could instead cover the plate glass with a product called
collidescape which does not change the view from the inside but smokes the
glass from the outside. Proven very effective. If you google it you can
see samples. I would hope they would prefer to keep the food available to
the birds and instead make it safe for them to eat there. I
In Toronto,Canada where they have enormous building kills during migration
the rehabbers have to be there before first light to collect the still
alive birds or the opportunistic gulls and crows will finish them off.
Jayne Amico/Southington
---- streatham2003@aol.com wrote:
Hi All,
This afternoon alone they had four window strikes (that were noticed)
which sadly ended with two dead Waxwings (in beautiful pristine
condition) the other two were cared for briefly by my wife while they
recovered and returned to the flock later. Apparently each year at this
particular time this has been a problem for the library even though they
have purchased decals etc to try and prevent the waxwings striking the
windows. Although a slightly specific situation it's pretty shocking to
imagine that these kind of numbers of window
strikes are being replicated at buildings across the state and country
every day of the year and are, I imagine, many times more prevalent
during migration!
According to her co-workers testimony it appears that the local crows
have sniffed out the possibility of an easy meal and have been seen
taking stunned/deceased waxwings that have suffered window strikes. It
appears that the only solution for the library is that they are going to
have to remove the fruit-bearing tree. >
Regards,
Luke Tiller
Wilton/Essex
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Message: 8
Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2007 21:10:04 -0800
From: "John Johnson" john.adele@snet.net
Subject: [CT Birds] Least Bittern
To: ctbirds ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org
Message-ID: 200706080108.l5818Vh6000768@nlpi043.sbcis.sbc.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
From: John Johnson, Jim and Sally Dugan, Sharon?
6/7- Kent, Hatch Pond, South Kent Rd.- LEAST BITTERN- visual
confirmation of one bird while another was calling nearby.
Message: 9
Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2007 21:09:14 -0400
From: recoverywing@cox.net
Subject: [CT Birds] Collidescape
To: ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org, streatham2003@aol.com
Message-ID:
9670651.1181264954053.JavaMail.root@eastrmwml06.mgt.cox.net
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Here is the website for collidescape
http://www.flap.org/new/film.htm
Jayne Amico/Southington
Message: 10
Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2007 21:19:48 -0400
From: charsjs@sbcglobal.net
Subject: [CT Birds] White-rumped SPs
To: ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org
Message-ID: 002101c7a96b$1b70a370$e7b43a4b@charmid
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"
From Steve & Charla Spector:
6/7 -- Milford Point -- while shorebird migration now past peak, still 12
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS, 6 late Dunlin and a late Least Sandpiper on
Piping Plover spit (please don't crowd the PPs). 3 BLACK SKIMMERS on
distant sandbar
Message: 11
Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2007 21:27:38 EDT
From: Chasbarnard@aol.com
Subject: Re: [CT Birds] Cedar Waxwings Intoxication and Window
Strikes?
To: ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org
Message-ID: d22.771ecfb.339a0a8a@aol.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Luke,
"With the exception of habitat destruction, a vast amount of
evidence,primarily collected over the last 35 years, indicates that clear
and reflective sheet
glass causes the unintended deaths of more birds worldwide than any other
human-related avian mortality factor." So states the opening sentence in
an
article entitled "Windows: An Unintended Fatal Hazard For Birds" by Dr.
Daniel Klem
Jr., Professor of Biology at Muhlenberg College in Allentown,
Pennsylvania.
His article appears in "Connecticut - State of The Birds" put out by
Connecticut Audubon this year.
To put the glass kill issue in perspective, the author states that the
data
shows an annual bird kill of 100 million birds by glass is considered
ultra-conservative. Yet, that 100 million figure is 333 times more than
the 300,000
marine birds estimated to be killed in the Exxon Valdez wreck - and it
happens
every year.
Think CollidEscape
Charlie Barnard
Stratford
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End of CTBirds Digest, Vol 104, Issue 2