The Birders Report

One of the most important aspects of attracting birds to your yard is to provide fresh water. Most bird species need water, not only to drink but to bathe in. If you provide moving water you have the best avian magnet you can find because most birds can not resist the attraction of moving water. Birds will flock to a waterfall or stream or even a fountain much more readily than they will a still pond or bird bath. [continue reading…]

I hope everyone can help in this worthwhile effort to save one of our dwindling species.  The folks over at 10000 Birds have some great ideas and we are getting behind them 100%.  Besides, they are only asking for a measly buck!  I know most of you reading my blog can afford more than that!  So come on, let’s get going!

“Sharpe’s Longclaw (Macronyx sharpeii) is an Endangered and highly range-restricted East African endemic species in the Motacillidae (pipits and wagtails) family. As with so many grassland endemics, this attractive bird is threatened by habitat destruction and is in serious trouble. To promote awareness of the plight of the species, and to help raise funds for research and conservation, the popular blog 10000 Birds has set up a project called the “Small African Fellowship for Conservation”. 10,000 Birds aims to raise US2000 (or more!) by a simple – and secure – online fund-raiser system called Chip In. ALL the money raised will go directly towards a one-year fellowship for field surveys and public awareness campaigns on Kenya’s Kinangop Plateau (one of only three sites with viable populations of Sharpe’s Longclaw) conducted by an inspirational local birder called Dominic Kamau Kimani. The entire project and the distribution of funds to Dominic is being coordinated by the National Museums of Kenya. 

This really is a worthwhile (and achievable) project to help save a rapidly disappearing species. Chip in, or read more about the project and Dominic at  Help Sharpe’s Longclaw

Audubon Alert!

In it’s final few months in office, the Bush Administration has launched an attack on the Endangered Species Act, our most important wildlife law. The Department of Interior has proposed changes to Endangered Species Act regulations that, if enacted, will gut the regulatory process that protects listed species like Whooping Cranes, Piping Plovers, and Roseate Terns.

Send a letter to the Department of Interior, urging them to abandon this misguided plan.

The Endangered Species Act currently requires federal agencies to consult with wildlife biologists at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service (depending on the species) before undertaking a project that “may affect” an endangered species. The new proposed rule would greatly limit the circumstances requiring these vitally important consultations, allowing federal agencies to determine on their own if their proposed actions would harm a species, without having to consult with federal biologists who have expert knowledge of the species.

Please help us defend the Endangered Species Act from this latest attack. These proposed sweeping changes will seriously hamper the Act’s ability to provide a much needed safety net for our most imperiled wildlife. Your comments are a critical part of the public record in support of our premier wildlife law and we must not be silent. But, the deadline for public comment is September 15th.

Please send in your comments today!