The Birders Report

Common Loon (Gavia immer) courtesy Biodiversity Research Institute

Albany, NY–An extensive study of New York’s Adirondack loon population has revealed that mercury contamination can lead to population declines of the iconic bird. The research effort was a joint project between the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

For nearly 10 years, researchers from these organizations followed mercury contamination throughout the aquatic food chain, from zooplankton to the Common Loon, in Cranberry and Lows lakes as well as in other bodies of water. They found that loons with elevated mercury levels produced significantly fewer chicks than those with low mercury levels, particularly those breeding on the more acidic lakes that are common in the Adirondack Park. Go here to read the full report.

In December of 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards Rule that requires coal-fired power plants to update their mercury pollution control technologies. However, overseas emissions are also a problem. BRI scientists have been involved in helping to inform mercury emissions policy on both domestic and international levels.

“The good news is that efforts to control mercury pollution here in the United States have been very beneficial, as we have discovered in our extensive mercury studies throughout the Northeast and in the Great Lakes region,” says David C. Evers, Ph.D., executive director and chief scientist of BRI. “One of BRI’s core missions is to support the policymaking process with good science. Our findings in this loon study demonstrate the need for the EPA’s ruling and highlight the importance of mercury tracking through better national and international monitoring programs.”

Common Loons are widely-recognized symbols of northern wilderness and indicators of aquatic health. To understand their popularity with the public, all you need to do is here their “wail call.”

Or one of their other endearing calls of the wild.

You can listen to a recent report from NPR as this group goes out to band these 12 to 15 pound birds.

Water Feature all photos by Larry Jordan

For the past few weeks I have been noticing new birds in my yard but I haven’t had time to really assess the situation. This holiday weekend, with fall migration underway, I was able to relax around the house and catch up with what is going on in the real world. The world of birds that is!

I hung out at home all weekend, working in the garden and relaxing on the porch overlooking the water feature we built several years ago (see photo above and click on any photo to see full sized image).

You will notice in the photo above that there is a Silver Dollar Eucalyptus tree which overhangs the pond. This seems to be a staging area for birds heading for the waterfall or pond to drink and/or bathe.

This male Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) has been defending this blooming tree and the waterfall as well, trying to keep all other hummers away.

The most exciting thing for me this weekend was adding several new birds to my yard list and seeing some first of the year birds as well. A bird I have never seen in my yard before, this male Black-throated Gray Warbler (Dendroica nigrescens) was the first of my surprises this weekend.

Then I spotted a Nashville Warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla), another new bird to my yard.

Another newbie to the yard, acting coy, showing itself briefly before ducking for cover, was the Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus). One of only three Vireo species found in Shasta County.

And the fourth new bird for my yard list (if I kept a yard list ;-)) would be this Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis).

Also hanging out in the Eucalyptus tree was a pair of Western Tanagers (Piranga ludoviciana) that looked like they had finished molting into their definitive basic plumage (normally occurring in August) following their breeding season.

Then there was the return of the Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia) which I had seen here before but not this conspicuously.

Two California Towhees (Melozone crissalis) also showed up at the pond this morning. I snapped a photo of this molting Towhee in the same Eucalyptus tree.

Needless to say, with all these new birds visiting, I didn’t get too much work done around the house but hey, what are holidays for?

I did put together a video of clips of some of these birds, as well as other local avifauna, at the waterfall and the pond from this weekend. They appear in the video in the following order: Anna’s Hummingbird, Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Goldfinch, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, Acorn Woodpecker, Oak Titmouse, California Towhee (molting), Western Scrub-Jay (juvenile), and Nashville Warbler. Turn up your speakers and enjoy!

If you love birds and you enjoy bird photography, don’t miss The Bird D’pot and Wild Bird Wednesday!

American Bird Conservancy’s (ABC) new 30-minute film titled Endangered Hawaii, narrated by actor Richard Chamberlain, is now available for purchase on DVD. The film explores the on-going bird extinction crisis in Hawaii that has led to about 70 percent of all endemic bird species in the state becoming extinct. ABC produced the film with funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. DVDs are available for $9.95 plus shipping. Read the full story. You can get all the current bird news on our “Birds In The News” page.

If you have 30 minutes to watch this film, I have embedded it here. It is well worth your time! Once the video begins, if you click on the symbol between the HD and Vimeo at the bottom of the frame, it will play in full screen mode. I recommend full screen mode.