Crisis in Saugatuck

In February, the board of trustees of Saugatuck Township, Mich. [just down the road a piece from me], scheduled a May referendum asking voters for an increase in the property tax in order to cover unanticipated new expenses. The budget overrun was due to the mounting costs of defending lawsuits by people and companies complaining that the township’s property taxes are too high.

Source: Chuck Shepherd’s News of the Weird syndicated column, as printed in the South Bend Tribune on Sunday, 2/28/10.

John’s Reprint File

WARNING: The contents of this blog-post may prove inimical to your reading pleasure, as it is extremely self-indulgent. However, anyone who has ever struggled with maintaining their own reprint file, or has ever contemplated starting one, may find something of interest her. Thus warned, you proceed further at your own risk.

Sometime in the mid-1960s, about the time I was transitioning from high school to college, my interest in pursuing a career dealing in some fashion with wildlife (preferably birds) having already been formed, I came into possession of a book entitled Wildlife Investigational Techniques (1963), edited by Henry S. Mosby and published by The Wildlife Society.

The book consisted of a series of chapters covering just about every topic imaginable concerning wildlife management and research. One of the chapters that had the most influence on me was one contributed by Mosby that described a technique for organizing and maintaining a reprint file. The system outlined by Mosby was very similar to the one described here (.PDF).

Stimulated by Mosby’s chapter, I began collecting reprints in earnest and filing them systematically. Most of the reprints have long since disappeared, along with the filing cabinet that once held them. But recently, in a cubby-hole in what was my former bedroom in my mother’s now-vacant house, I discovered a catalog of the 1,272 reprints that I had so carefully assembled and organized.

Just for the fun of it, I randomly selected 100 titles from my reprint catalog, which I have listed below. In reviewing this selected list, I was struck by several things: (a) I seemed to be much more influenced during this formative period of my life (roughly 1964-1970) by what was being published in the Journal of Wildlife Management and other similar outlets than by any of the ornithological journals (despite having been a member of all of the major North American ornithological societies since the early 1960s); (b) I was amazed at the large proportion of reprints that dealt with mammals, as I was already heavily focused on birds; and (c) my interests were incredibly eclectic.

And now, 100 random selections from my reprint file in the chronological order in which they were cataloged:

[3] McKinley, D. 1960. Nature and man: the two faces of management. Audubon Magazine 62: 104-107, 138-139, 144.

[8] Musselman, T. E. n.d. A simple bluebird box. 2 pp. (mimeo).

[37] Anonymous. 1951. All about your canary. M. T. French Company, 72 pp. [and I never even owned a canary!]

[49] Allen, J. A. 1896. Alleged changes of color in the feathers of birds without molting. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 8(3): 13-44.

[50] Miller, W. DeW. 1924. Variations in the structure of the aftershaft and their taxonomic value. American Museum Novitates 140, 7 pp.

[57] Borror, D. J., and W. W. H. Gunn. 1958. Songs of warblers of eastern North America. Federal of Ontario Naturalists Bulletin ??(4): 17-24.

[62] Karvelis, E. G. 1965. The true pikes. Fish and Wildlife Service Fishery Leaflet 569, 11 pp.

[72] Gordon, W. G. 1963. A trawling survey of southern Lake Michigan (August-November 1960). Commercial Fisheries Review 25(2): 1-6.

[86] MacMullen, R. A. 1957. The life and times of Michigan pheasants. Michigan Department of Conservation Game Division. 63 pp.

[90] Hunt, R. A., and L. R. Jahn. 1966. Canada Geese breeding populations in Wisconsin. Wisconsin Department of Conservation Technical Bulletin 38, 67 pp.

[92] Nathiak, H. A. 1966. Muskrat population studies at Horicon Marsh. Wisconsin Department of Conservation Technical Bulletin 36, 56 pp.

[95] Bellrose, F. C. 959. Lead poisoning as a mortality factor in waterfowl populations. Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin 27(3): 235-288.

[111] MacMullan, R. A. 1954. What price research? Michigan Conservation 22(5): 6-9.

[131] Schofield, R. D. 1956. Analysis of muskrat age determination methods and their application in Michigan. Journal of Wildlife Management 19: 463-466.

[136] Arnold, D. A. 1967. Deer in 1967. Michigan Department of Conservation Game Division Information Circular 146, 18 pp. (mimeo)

[152] Shick. C. 1964. Deer management on private lands. Michigan State University Cooperative Extension Service Bulletin E-427, 8 pp.

[157] Hunt, R. L., O. M. Brynildson, and J. T. McFadden. 1962. Effects of angling regulations on a wild Brook Trout fishery. Wisconsin Conservation Department Technical Bulletin 26, 58 pp.

[170] Sheldon, W. G. 1960. A method of mist netting woodcocks in summer. Bird-Banding 31: 121-135.

[191] Cookingham, R. A., and T. M. Ripley. 1964. Some observations on the response of an insular quail population to supplemental feeding. Bird-Banding 35: 266-277.

[194] Kleiman, J. P. 1965. Early Mourning Dove nesting in Michigan. Jack-Pine Warbler 43: 146.

[210] Bolen, E. G., and B. J. Forsyth. 1967. Foods of the Black-bellied Tree Duck in south Texas. Wilson Bulletin 79: 43-49.

[224] Shick, C. 1963. Wildlife: an extra gift from the land. Michigan State University Cooperative Extensive Service Folder F-280, 8 pp.

[258] Storm, G. L., and K. P. Dauphin. 1965. A wire ferret for use in studies of foxes and skunks. Journal of Wildlife Management 29: 625-626.

[274] Herman, E., W. Wisby, L. Wiegert, and M. Burdick. 1964. The yellow perch: its life history, ecology, and management. Wisconsin Conservation Department Publication 228.

[311] McGilvrey. F. B. 1966. Nesting of Hooded Mergansers on the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland. Aul 83: 477-479.

[328] Ramsey, C. W. 1968. A drop-net deer trap. Journal of Wildlife Management 32: 187-190.

[340] Allen, E. C. 1968. Range use, foods, condition, and productivity of white-tailed deer in Montana. Journal of Wildlife Management 32: 130-141.

[353] Yeatter, R. E. 1948. Birds dogs in sport and conservation. Illinois Natural History Survey Circular 42, 64 pp.

[375] Wayt, W. A., R. W. Acton, and J. C. Whittaker. 1968. A look at commercial recreation on small woodlands in Ohio. U.S. Forest Service Research Paper NE-101, 11 pp.

[376] Trapp, J. L. The 1967 Rose Lake pheasant season. Unpublished report. 13 pp. [prepared for a college classroom assignment]

[405] West, R. R. 1968. Reduction of a winter starling population by baiting its preroosting areas. Journal of Wildlife Management 32: 637-640.

[438] Thompson, M. P., and R. J. Robel. 1968. Skeletal measurements and maceration techniques for aging bobwhite quail. Journal of Wildlife Management 32: 247-255.

[442] Greer, K. R., and W. W. Hawkins Jr. 1967. Determining pregnancy in elk by rectal palpation. Journal of Wildlife Management 31: 145-149.

[446] Harelerode, J., and J. J. Dropp. 1966. Seasonal variation in thyroid gland activity in pheasants. Ohio Journal of Science 66: 380-386.

[480] Peek, J. M., A. L. Lovaas, and R. A. Rouse. 1967. Population changes within the Gallatin elk herd, 1932-65. Journal of Wildlife Management 31: 304-316.

[485] Crouch, G. L. 1968. Forage availability in relation to browsing of Douglas-fir seedlings by black-tailed deer. Journal of Wildlife Management 32: 542-553.

[496] Hockstra, T. W. 1968. Cap-chur syringes modified for easier locating. Journal of Wildlife Management 32: 626-628.

[513] Gates, J. N. 1965. Duck nesting and reproduction on Wisconsin farmlands. Journal of Wildlife Management 29: 515-523.

[521] Benson, D., and L. W. DeGraff. 1968. Distribution and mortality of Redheads banded in New York. New York Fish and Game Journal 15: 52-70.

[528] Lentfer, J. W. 1968. A technique for immobilizing and marking polar bears. Journal of Wildlife Management 32: 317-321.

[547] Kellog, C. W. 1950. Soil. Scientific American ??: ??-??.

[574] Nelson, N. F., and R. H. Dietz. 1966. Cattail control methods in Utah. Utah Department of Fish and Game Publication 66-2, 31 pp.

[576] Wood, J. S., and W. F. Hofman. 1967. Peripheral blood response to reproductive stimulation in Mallards. Journal of Wildlife Management 31: 546-554.

[596] Trainer, D. C., C. S. Schlidt, R. A. Hunt, and L. R. Jahn. 1962. Prevalence of Leucocytozoon simondii among some Wisconsin waterfowl. Journal of Wildlife Management 26: 137-143.

[629] Weckwerth, R. F., and P. L. Wright. 1968. Results of transplanting fishers in Montana. Journal of Wildlife Management 32: 977-980.

[651] King, W. B., G. E. Watson, and P. J. Gould. Year? An application of automatic data processing to the study of seabirds. Proceedings of the U.S. National Museum 123(3609), 29 pp.

[659] Anonymous. 1968. Abstracts of the articles published in Suomen Riista 20 (1968). Helsinki, Finland. 12 pp.

[676] Jones, R. 1966. Merriam’s Turkeys in southwestern Montana. Montana Fish and Game Department Technical Bulletin 3, 36 pp.

[684] Anonymous. 1964. The decoy trap for blackbirds and starlings. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. 4 pp.

[691] Anonymous. 1959. America’s wild chickens. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Conservation Note 4, 6 pp.

[692] Anonymous. 1962. The migration of birds. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Conservation Note 8, 8 pp.

[704] Anonymous. 1968. Bird checklist: DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife Refuge Leaflet 232, 6 pp.

[732] Higgins, K. F., and L. J. Schoonover. 1969. Aging small Canada Geese by neck plumage. Journal of Wildlife Management 33: 212-214.

[753] Eberhardt, L. L., W. H. Rickard, C. E. Cushing, D. G. Watson, and W. C. Hanson. 1969. A study of fallout Cesium-137 in the Pacific Northwest. Journal of Wildlife Management 33: 103-112.

[757] Montgomery, G. G. 1969. Weaning of captive raccoons. Journal of Wildlife Management 33: 154-159.

[765] Anonymous. 1968. Rock Creek Park—Washington, D.C. United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. (folder and map)

[772] Berger, A. J. 1953. Bibliography of Michigan warblers, with special reference to the period 1943-1952. Jack-Pine Warbler 31: 55-60.

[778] Anonymous. 1969. Fisheries as a profession: a career guide for the field of fisheries science. American Fisheries Society. 11 p. leaflet.

[782] McBee, R. H., J. L. Johnson, and M. P. Bryant. 1969. Ruminal microorganisms from elk. Journal of Wildlife Management 33: 181-186.

[788] Paulik, G. J., and D. S. Robson. 1969. Statistical calculations for change-in-ratio estimators of population parameters. Journal of Wildlife Management 33: 1-27.

[795] McCutchen, H. E. 1969. Age determination of pronghorns by the incisor cementum. Journal of Wildlife Management 33: 172-175.

[798] Anderson, B. W., T. E. Ketola, and D. W. Warner. 1969. Spring sex and age ratios of Lesser Scaup and Ring-necked Ducks in Minnesota. Journal of Wildlife Management 33: 209-212.

[808] Forcum, D. L., C. D. Rael, and J. R. Wheeler. 1969. Abundance of cottontails and their fleas at Red Bluff Ranch, New Mexico. Journal of Wildlife Management 33: 422-424.

[819] Kosicky, E. L. 1965. Outdoor recreation and the private investor. Olin-Mathieson Chemical Corporation. 10 pp.

[834] Bailey, J. A. 1969. Exploratory study of nutrition of young cottontails. Journal of Wildlife Management 33: 346-353.

[849] Wolfe, M. L. 1969. Age determination in moose from cemental layers of molar teeth. Journal of Wildlife Management 33: 428-431.

[861] Schnell, Gary D. 1968. Differential habitat utilization by wintering Rough-legged and Red-tailed hawks. Condor 70: 373-377.

[892] Robinson, thane S. 1963. Illumination preferenda of bobwhites. Occasional Papers of the Adams Center for Ecological Studies 8, 10 pp.

[893] Hardy, John William. 1964. Behavior, habitat, and relationships of jays of the genus Cyanolyca. Occasional Papers of the Adams Center for Ecological Studies 8, 14 pp.

[920] Anonymous. 1967. Rabbits and squirrels. Arizona Game and Fish Department Game Bulletin.

[932] Follmann, E. H., and W. D. Klimstra. 1969. Fertility in male white-tailed deer fawns. Journal of Wildlife Management 33: 708-711.

[945] Hays, Helen, and Hellen M. Habermann. 1969. Note on bill color of the Ruddy Duck. Auk 86: 765-766.

[953] Greenwood, Raymond J. 1969. Mallard hatching from an egg cracked by freezing. Auk 86: 752-754.

[959] Geis, Aelred D., and Walter F. Crissey. 1969. Effect of restrictive hunting regulations on Canvasback and Redhead harvest rates and survival. Journal of Wildlife Management 33: 860-866.

[966] Roseberry, J. L., D. C. Autry, W. D. Klimstra, and L. A. Mehrhoff Jr. 1969. A controlled deer hunt on Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. Journal of Wildlife Management 33: 791-795.

[973] Shearer, LeRoy A., B. J. Jahn, and L. Lenz. 1969. Deterioration of duck foods when flooded. Journal of Wildlife Management 33: 1012-1015.

[1003] Anonymous. 1969. Birds protected by Federal law. U.S. Department of the Interior Wildlife Leaflet 486, 4 pp.

[1007] Schladwiler, J. L., and G. L. Storm. Den-use by mink. Journal of Wildlife Management 33: 1025-1026.

[1011] Paulson, Dennis R. 1969. Commensal feeding in grebes. Auk 86: 759.

[1023] Sadler, K. C., R. E. Tomlinson, and H. M. Wright. 1970. Progress of primary feather molt of adult Mourning Doves in Missouri. Journal of Wildlife Management 34: 783-788.

[1070] Raikow, R. J. 1970. The function and evolution of the supraorbital process in ducks. Auk 87: 568-572.

[1076] Francis, W. J. 1970. The influence of weather on population fluctuations in California Quail. Journal of Wildlife Management 34: 249-266.

[1091] Anonymous. 1969. Sespe Creek project: a detailed report on fish and wildlife resources. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 39 pp.

[1100] West, J. M. 1969. Mercury. Reprint from Bureau of Mines Minerals Yearbook 1969. 11 pp.

[1121] Nero, R. W. 1970. Sharp-tailed Grouse gives aggressive display to automobiles. Wilson Bulletin 82: 221-222.

[1131] Bohl, W. H., and G. Bump. 1970. Summary of foreign game bird liberations 1960 to 1968 and propagation 1966 to 1968. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife Species Scientific Report—Wildlife 130, 61 pp.

[1148] Naney, J. E. 1969. Studies of white-tailed deer. University of Michigan Research News 20(2), 7 pp.

[1149] Evans, K. E. 1968. Characteristics and habitat requirements of the Greater Prairie Chicken and Sharp-tailed Grouse—a review of the literature. USDA Conservation Research Report 12, 32 pp.

[1156] McSwain, G. A., R. R. Alexander, and D. C. Markstrom. 1970. Engelmann spruce. USDA Forest Service American Woods—FS-264, 7 PP.

[1165] Bump, G. 1970. The Manchurian Ring-necked Pheasant. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife Foreign Game Leaflet FGL-9, 4 pp.

[1191] Kimball, W. H., and Z. A. Munir. 1971. The corrosion of lead shot in a simulated waterfowl gizzard. Journal of Wildlife Management 35: 360-365.

[[1193] Surrendi, D. C. 1970. The mortality, behavior, and homing of transplanted juvenile Canada Geese. Journal of Wildlife Management 34: 719-733.

[1203] Jorgensen, S. E., C. E. Faulkner, and L. D. Mech (eds.). 1970. Proceedings of a symposium on wolf management in selected areas of North America. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife. 50 pp.

[1206] Johnson, A. S. 1970. Biology of the raccoon (Procyon lotor varius Nelson and Goldman) in Alabama. Auburn University Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 402, 148 pp.

[1233] Williams, L. E., Jr., D. H. Austin, T. E. Peoples, and R. W. Phillips. 1971. Laying data and nesting behavior of Wild Turkeys. Annual Conference of the Southeast Section of the Wildlife Society 25, 21 pp.

[1251] Anonymous. 1965. How to distinguish sex and age in gamebirds. Eley Game Advisory Service Booklet 9, 11 pp.

[1266] Myrberget, S., O. A. Aune, and A. Mokenes. 1969. [Exterior sex characters and weights of Lagopus sp. from the northern part of Norway, winter 1966/67]. Paper of the Norwegian State Game Research Institute 2, 31 pp. (English summary.)

Guide to Climate Skeptics

Writing in Foreign Policy magazine, Christina Larson and Joshua Keating have produced a guide to 11 prominent climate skeptics and the roles they have played in the ongoing debate over global warming. A very informative and useful review.

Monitoring to Conserve Midwestern Birds

The newly-formed Midwest Coordinated Bird Monitoring Partnership is "a regional network committed to bird conservation through enhanced coordination and exchange of bird monitoring information."

Members may actively participate in any of the seven groups created within MCBMP:

Great Lakes Coastal Bird Monitoring Advisory Group

Important Bird Monitoring Publications

Midwest Grassland Bird Conservation Working Group

Midwest Nightbird Monitoring Program

Midwest Secretive Marshbird Monitoring Program

Monitoring Demographics of Birds in the Midwest

Registry of Midwest Bird Monitoring Programs

If you live in one of the Midwestern States of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, or Wisconsin, and have an interest in participating in bird monitoring programs, then I encourage you to become a member of MCBMP—now!!

Denying Climate Change Science

The South Dakota House of Representatives passed HCR 1009 last week, a resolution calling for the "balanced teaching of global warming in the public schools of South Dakota." Writing in the Huffington Post, Steve Martin offered this assessment:

Science cannot be legislated. Science is not determined by opinion polls and petitions. South Dakota can outlaw global warming if it wishes, but such decisions mean as much to science as arguments by ornithologists mean to birds [emphasis added].

That old analogy about the Ostrich with its head stuck in the sand has never seemed more appropriate.

Great Lakes Ornithological Club

Perhaps one of the more obscure chapters in the ornithological history of the Great Lakes revolves around the formation and activities of the Great Lakes Ornithological Club. Formed in about 1900, the Club had an exclusive membership of just six individuals, all of whom shared an interest in bird migration Members were:

James H. Fleming (Toronto, Ontario)

A. Brooker Klugh (Guelph, Ontario)

Willam E. Saunders (London, Ontario)

Bradshaw H. Swales (Detroit and Grosse Isle, Michigan)

Percy A. Taverner (Detroit, Michigan)

J. S. Wallace (Toronto, Ontario)

As described by Fleming (1939), the group devised a unique way of corresponding:

We soon found the need of a journal of some sort in which problems of bird life could be discussed. The result was a manuscript bulletin, Saunders acting as secretary. The procedure was simple—any member with an idea relating to birds wrote it ut on a sheet of eight by ten inch paper, and posted it to the secretary in an especially printed envelope marked "Printer’s Mss." The secretary, if so inclined, added comments on a separate sheet of paper and forwarded the bulletin to the next member and so on in rotation, till it reached the original sender who removed his contribution and forwarded the remaining manuscript to the secretary who also removed his from the file and added any new matter that had come to hand with his comments but always on a fresh sheet of paper, thus the bulletin passed in rotation to the six members but never grew too bulky. The private character of the bulletin allowed for freedom of expression and a certain amount of sarcasm, if thought necessary. Some of the subject with were migration routes, injurious species, the mild winter of 1905—06, and even subspecies. The bulletin ran along fairly well from 1905 to 1909 with occasional revivals and proved a useful means of communication.

According to Fleming, "The Club soon felt the need of a suitable place to meet, preferably a place where migration could be studied and Saunders suggested Point Pelee." The other members of the Club readily agreed to this suggestion, and the Club’s first visit to Point Pelee was in September 1905. "A permanent camp was established in October 1908 and was occupied at intervals to the end of 1927."

The frequent visits to Point Pelee by Club members resulted in the publication of "The birds of Point Pelee," a five-part series by Taverner and Swales (1907a-c, 1908a-b) that documents the occurrence of 209 species there. This work warranted a brief review in the Auk by J. A. Allen (1909).

Citations:

A[llen], J. A. 1909. Taverner and Swales on the birds of Point Pelee, Ontario. Auk 26: 98-99. [.PDF]

Fleming, J. H. 1939. The Great Lakes Ornithological Club. Wilson Bulletin 51: 42-43. [.PDF]

Taverner, P. A., and B. H. Swales. 1907a. The birds of Point Pelee [Part 1 of 5]. Wilson Bulletin 19[59]: 37-54. [.PDF]

_____. 1907b The birds of Point Pelee [Part 2 of 5]. Wilson Bulletin 19[60]: 82-99. [.PDF]

_____. 1907c. The birds of Point Pelee [Part 3 of 5]. Wilson Bulletin 19[61]: 133-153. [.PDF]

_____. 1908a. The birds of Point Pelee [Part 4 of 5]. Wilson Bulletin 20[63]: 78-96. [.PDF]

_____. 1908b. The birds of Point Pelee [Part 5 of 5]. Wilson Bulletin 20[64]: 107-129. [.PDF]

Ornithological Legacy of the Jack-Pine Warbler

For 67 years (1923—1990), the Jack-Pine Warbler was the renowned ornithological and scientific journal of the Michigan Audubon Society. Beginning with Volume 68, No. 1 (January/February 1991), this quarterly journal was transformed into a bimonthly newsletter publishing popular and semi-technical articles on Michigan and regional natural history, seasonal bird survey reports, and book reviews.

As a tribute to its 67-year ornithological legacy, I here list the 78 major article and short notes (exclusive of seasonal bird reports and annual summaries) that appeared in the last eight volumes of the Jack-Pine Warbler (the scientific journal), 1982—1989. This bibliography was compiled using Ornithological Worldwide Literature (OWL), an online, searchable database.

Seventy-five named authors from at least 13 States are associated with these 78 articles, with some being responsible for multiple articles. Of the 58 senior authors (of whom 40 were located in the State of Michigan), 25 were affiliated with universities (19 in 10 States) at the time of publication, 22 were unaffiliated, five were affiliated with State agencies (2), three were affiliated with non-profit organizations (2), two were affiliated with Federal agencies (2), and one was affiliated with a private consulting firm.

In the citations that follow, Jack-Pine Warbler is abbreviated JPW. Initials following the abstracts indicate the person responsible for preparing the abstract for OWL; D.N.E denotes David N. Ewert, while K.L.B. has not been identified.

Adams, R. J., G. A. McPeek, and D. C. Evers. 1988. Bird population changes in Michigan, 1966—1985. JPW 66: 71-86.—Species with population changes listed; reasons for changes discussed. D.N.E.

Baker, D. E. 1984. Kentucky Warbler nesting in Michigan. JPW 62: 26.—Nest in tamarack bog, Jackson Co., 28 June 1982; first definite State record. D.N.E.

Beaver, D. L. 1982. Avian populations and hydrocarbon development at Baker Sanctuary. JPW 60: 71-79.—Avian populations appear to be unaffected by an oil well adjacent to a 363-ha sanctuary. K.L.B.

Beaver, D. L. 1988. The response of bird populations to three years of wastewater irrigation on old fields in Michgian. JPW 66: 87-102.—Highest densities of fall migrants and breeding Agelaius phoeniceus on irrigated plots; highest densities of breeding Spizella pusilla and Passerculus sandwichensis on nonirrigated plots. D.N.E.

Brewer, R. 1988. An early Michigan bird list. JPW 66: 47-53.—Lists species found 1835—1870. D.N.E.

Bull, J. N. 1984. Two unusual instances of mobbing. JPW 62: 49-50.—By Tyrannus tyrannus and Agelaius phoeniceus. D.N.E.

Carpenter, T. W. 1989. Early June movements of Northern Saw-whet Owls at Whitefish Point, Michigan. JPW 67: 97-99.—Total of 21 Aegolius acadicus banded in 1980, 1982, and 1985. D.N.E.

Case, D. J., and W C. Scharf. 1985. Additions to the birds and land vertebrates of North Manitou Island. JPW 63: 17-23.—Records for 1980—1983. D.N.E.

DellaSala, D. A. 1985. The Yellow Warbler in southeastern Michigan: factors affecting its productivity. JPW 63: 52-60.—Discussed primarily in relationship to cowbird parasitism. D.N.E.

Devereaux, J., and L. Mason. 1985. Spring migration of White-winged Scoters, Common Mergansers, and Red-breasted Mergansers past Whitefish Point, Michigan: a preliminary study. JPW 63: 42-51.—Timing and magnitude of migration, flock size, and flight altitude in 1983. D.N.E.

Drewiske, D. F. 1986. Mobbing response of Black-capped Chickadees to tape-recorded Eastern Screech-Owl vocalizations. JPW 64: 11-17.—Mobbing response not reinforced by presentation of owl model. D.N.E.

Dunnell, A., and K. Dunnell. 1985. Kirtland’s Warbler at Great Stirrup Cay. JPW 63: 61.—Bahamas, 31 March 1984. D.N.E.

Elody, B. I., and N. F. Sloan. 1985. Movements and habitat use of Barred Owl in the Huron Mountains of Marquette County, Michigan, as determined by radiotelemetry. JPW 63: 3-8.—Prefer old-growth hemlock and hemlock-sugar maple forest. D.N.E.

Evers, D. C. 1987. First State [Michigan] record: Sage Thrasher. JPW 65: 37-38.--Oreoscoptes montanus, Whitefish Point, 16 May 1986. D.N.E.

Evers, D. C. 1989. White-winged Dove: a first Michgan. JPW 67: 29.—Observation of Zenaida asiatica on 10 May 1986 at Whitefish Pt. D.N.E.

Ewert, D. N. 1982. Spring migration of loons at Whitefish Point, Michigan. JPW 60: 134-143.

Francke, C., and B. Grefe. 1984. White Ibis sighted in Saginaw County. JPW 62: 51.—Third sight record for Michigan. D.N.E.

Francke, C., R. Grefe, and E. Kenaga. 1988. New Michigan nesting record: Cattle Egret. JPW 66: 20-21.—First Michigan nest of Egretta ibis, 1985, Bay Co. D.N.E.

Goodman, S. M. 1982. A test of nest cup volume and reproductive success in the Barn Swallow. JPW 60: 107-112.—No relationship was found. K.L.B.

Goodman, S. M. 1982. Age and sexual morphological variation in the Kirtland’s Warbler (Dendroica kirtlandii). JPW 60: 144-147. D.N.E.

Gosling, D. C. L. 1984. A troglodytic nightmare. JPW 62: 78.—Winter Wren entangled in spider web. D.N.E.

Hamas, M. J., and J. C. Gillingham. 1984. Northern Cardinals breeding on Beaver Island. JPW 62: 75.

Hoffman, R. D. 1982. Spring bird use of muskrat lodges. JPW 60: 113-117.—Seventeen species used lodges for loafing, feeding, display, or nesting. K.L.B.

Hoffman, R. H. 1989. Status of the Sandhill Crane population in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula 1986—87. JPW 67: 18-26.—Total 2,500—3,000 Grus Canadensis in Lower Peninsula during 1987 breeding season; annual rate of increase (1973—1987) 10.6%. D.N.E.

Hoffman, R. H. 1993. Changes in the wetlands selected by an increasing Sandhill Crane population. JPW 61: 51-60.—A summer population of Grus Canadensis in SE Michigan increased from 58 in 1970 to 98 in 1982; the typical wetland used each year became smaller, shallower, and closer to human disturbance. D.N.E.

Hoffman, R. H. and J. I. Hoffman. 1986. Birds observed at the Phyllis Haehnle Memorial Sanctuary, 1935—85. JPW 64: 3-10.—Observations summarized by decade. D.N.E.

Hull, C. N. 1983. Eastern Phoebe nests at relocated nest site. JPW 61: 100.

Hull, C. N. 1989. Additional Pine Siskin nesting records for southern Michigan. JPW 67: 131-133.—Summarizes 8 nesting records, 1986—1987. D.N.E.

Hull, C. N., et al. 1989. First and second documented records of Rufous Hummingbird in Michigan. JPW 67: 94-96.—Selasphorus rufus photographed in 1988 in Houghton and Ogemaw counties. D.N.E.

Ilnicky, N. J. 1984. Mountain Bluebird in Upper Michigan. JPW 62: 50.—Third sight record for Michigan. D.N.E.

Ilnicky, N. J. 1984. First Mockingbird nesting record for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. JPW 62: 53.—Mimus polyglottos.

Inkley, D. B. 1984. American Robin nestling trapped in nest. JPW 62: 52.—By monofilament line. D.N.E.

Irwin, R. E. 1989. “Spotted” towhee in Michigan. JPW 67: 72.—First Michigan record of Pipilo erythrophthalmus maculatus, 19 January 1988, Washtenaw County. D.N.E.

Jensen, W. F., W. L. Robinson, and N. L. Heitman. 1982. Breeding of the Great Owl on Neebish Island, Michigan. JPW 60: 27-28.—A 20 July sighting of an adult and three fledged young in Chippewa Co. K.L.B.

Kellt, A. H. 1983. Birds of S.E. Michigan and S.W. Ontario, notes on the years 1975—1981. JPW 61: 3-12.

Lederle, P. E., B. C. Pijanowski, and D. L. Beaver. 1985. Predation of Tree Swallows by the least chipmunk. JPW 63: 135.—One adult, 1 egg, and 6 nestlings predated in nest boxes; others probably taken. D.N.E.

Lerg, J. M. 1984. Status of the Common Barn Owl in Michigan. JPW 62: 39-48.

Long, C. A. 1982. Nest-site distractions displays by birds with egg-like spots in the wings. JPW 60: 22-26.—The author argues that white wing spots displayed by White-winged Nuthatches and Common Nighthawks during defense of the nest may mimic eggs and that predators will be attracted to them. K.L.B.

Losito, M. P. 1984. Possible nest-helping by a Black-throated Green Warbler. JPW 62: 52.—At Sphyrapicus varius nest. D.N.E.

Ludwig, F. E., and C. N. Hull. 1989. Observations of colonial waterbirds at the Saginaw Bay diked disposal facility, Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron, 1986—1989. JPW 67: 128-131.—Occurrence of herons, gulls, and terns. D.N.E.

Ludwig, J. P. 1984. Decline, resurgence, and population dynamics of Michigan and Great Lakes Double-crested Cormorants. JPW 62: 91-102.—Breeding population increasing 40%/yr. D.N.E.

Ludwig, J. P. 1988. Observations on the 1965 and 1966 mortalities of alewives and Ring-billed Gulls in the Saginaw Bay-Lake Huron ecosystem. JPW 66: 2-19.—High Mortality of Larus delawarensis attributed to botulism type E from eating putrefied alewives. D.N.E.

Ludwig, J. P. et al. 1989. Food habits and breeding ecology of nesting Double-crested Cormorants in the upper Great Lakes, 1986—1989. JPW 67: 114-126.—Phalacrocorax auritus is generalist, opportunistic feeder, D.N.E.

Macdonald, M. E. 1984. Observations on the return of Bald Eagles to Copper Harbor. JPW 62: 51-52.

Martin, C. J. 1989. Additions to the bird fauna of Isle Royale National Park, Keweenaw County, Michigan. JPW 67: 66-69.—Between 1983 and 1988. D.N.E.

McGrath, J. E. 1987. Some notes on the removal of House Sparrow nests in the vicinity of Eastern Bluebird nests. JPW 65: 40.—Evicted House Sparrow apparently killed adult and nestling bluebirds in nest box. D.N.E.

McGrath, J. E., and J. C. Moss. 1988. Ruby-throated Hummingbird completes nesting at relocated site. JPW 66: 159-160.--Archilochus colubris.

McWhirter, D. W. 1987. Commensalistic feeding exhibited by wood warblers in association with a garter snake. JPW 65: 15-16.

Minick, M. C. 1984. Existence of a gray-eyed Great Horned Owl. JPW 62: 75-77.

Mott, S. H. 1982. First Michigan record of a Black Skimmer. JPW 60: 29-30.—A single bird sighted 22 August 1981 on Saginaw Bay. K.L.B.

Parmalee, D. F. 1988. Some observations on nest dates and site fidelity of Gray Jays and ravens in Dickinson County, Michigan. JPW 66: 158-159.--Perisoreus canadensis nests in Picea or Abies at edge of bogs, eariest young 28 March; earliest Corvus corax young 23 March. D.N.E.

Paterson, R. L., Jr. 1982. Passerine community structure at the beech-maple coniferous forest interface. JPW 60: 15-21.—Fewer species bred in beech-maple segments than in mixed coniferous segments. The author speculates that greater structural diversity in the latter may be responsible for the difference. K.L.B.

Pierce, P. A. 1982. Behavior of fledgling Great Blue Herons in a Michigan heronry. JPW 60: 4-14.—During 40 h of observations fledglings engaged in flight practice 20% of the time. K.L.B.

Pike, E. A. 1985. The Piping Plover at Waugoshance Point. JPW 63: 36-41.—Status and breeding biology, 1974—1982. D.N.E.

Probst, J. R. 1985. Summer records and management implications of Kirtland’s Warbler in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. JPW 63: 9-16.—Low probability of establishment away from current range suggests no management be done outside northern Lower Michigan. D.N.E.

Ryel, L. A. 1982. The Kirtland’s Warbler in 1982. JPW 60: 147-150.—Median population size of 23 colonies was 3 males (mean = 9). The six largest colonies contained 70% of the singing males. K.L.B.

Ryel, L. A. 1983. Status of the Kirtland’s Warbler, 1983. JPW 61: 95-98.—Documents 215 singing males. D.N.E.

Ryel, L. A. 1984. Situation report, Kirtland’s Warbler, 1984. JPW 62: 103-105.—Synopsis of censuses, 1951-1984. D.N.E.

Scharf, W. C. 1989. Coastal Great Blue Heron and Great Egret colonies of the Michigan Great Lakes. JPW 67: 52-65.—Compares numbers of Ardea herodias and Casmerodius albus nests between 1976—1977 and 1987, with comments on each colony. D.N.E.

Scharf, W. C., and G. W. Shugart. 1983. New Caspian Tern colonies in Lake Huron. JPW 61: 13-14.

Schumacher, C. M. 1983. Recent northern records of the Louisiana Waterthrush in Michigan. JPW 61: 61-62.

Smith, D. C., and J. Van Buskirk. 1986. Herring Gull predation on migrating bats. JPW 64: 23.—Two diurnal observations in May over Lake Superior. D.N.E.

Smith, J. P. 1986. Mobbing behavior of Herring Gulls on Sharp-shinned Haks over Lake Superior. JPW 64: 24.—Three hawks forced down and presumably drowned on 18 May 1985. D.N.E.

Smith, R. 1984. Common Barn Owl in northern Lower Peninsula. JPW 62: 53.

Taylor, C. M. 1984. The Common Loon in the central Upper Peninsula of Michigan, 1975. JPW 62: 77-78.—Loons seen on 22 of 111 lakes surveyed. D.N.E.

Van’t Hoff, T. J., G. P. Waldbauer, and H. M. Van’t Hof. 1983. Summer records of Northern Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus) and Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus) in northern Michigan. JPW 61: 82.—Both seen 24 July 1982 at same site, Chippewa Co. D.N.E.

Walkinshaw, L. H. 1983. The Lincoln’s Sparrow in Michigan. JPW 61: 75-81.—Synopsis of author’s field work over 50 years: migration, distribution, nesting, and mensural data. D.N.E.

Walkinshaw, L. H. 1984. Changes in winter bird life in Michigan: sixty years of Christmas Bird Counts in the Battle Creek, Michigan, area. JPW 62: 63-69.

Walkinshaw, L. H. 1985. Birds found in Michigan jack-pine burns: fifty-three years of observation. JPW 63: 24-35.—Summer records. D.N.E.

Walkinshaw, L. H. 1989. The Greater Sandhill Crane in Michigan: an update on nest data, with observations on nest fidelity. JPW 67: 3-17.—Each of 3 nesting areas of Grus canadensis studied intensively for minimum of 13 yr. D.N.E.

Wang, Y. T. 1985. Mallard parasitizes Canada Goose nest and completes incubation. JPW 63: 61.

Wear, G. D., and P. A. Crawford. 1983. Additional spring observation of Black-headed Grosbeak in Michigan. JPW 61: 62.

Weinrich, J. A. 1988. Status of the Kirtland’s Warbler, 1987. JPW 66: 154-158.—Tallied 167 singing male Dendroica kirtlandii in 1987, lowest since 1974. D.N.E.

Weinrich, J. A. 1989. Status of the Kirtland’s Warbler, 1988. JPW 67: 69-72.—Reports 207 singing male Dendroica kirtlandii in Michigan and 8 in Wisconsin. D.N.E.

Weise, T. F. 1987. Status of the Kirtland’s Warbler, 1985. JPW 65: 17-19.—Counts of singing males summarized by county, 1961, 1971—1985. D.N.E.

Wiens, T. P. 1989. Spring migrant Boreal Owls at Whitefish Point, Michigan. JPW 67: 88-93.—Reports banding of 316 Aegolius funereus, 1978—1988. D.N.E.

Wolinski, R. A. 1985. Short-term commensal feeding of Barn and Tree swallows with European Starlings. JPW 63: 62.

Wolinski, R. A. 1988. Some bird population changes in Michigan: 1900—1965. JPW 66: 55-69.—Data on ca. 15 species. D.N.E.

Drought and Birds: Avocets and Stilts

The complex of wetlands in the Lahontan Valley of Nevada, designated as a Hemispheric Reserve within the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network in 1988, declined in area from 34,800 hectares in 1905 to 6,150 hectares in 1987, a net loss of 82 percent.

Julia A R. Alberico (1993) studied the breeding biology of American Avocets (Recurvirostra americana) and Black-necked Stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) in the Lahontan Valley in the drought year of 1991 and reported the results in Western Birds.

Her Summary:

I monitored breeding American Avocets and Black-necked Stilts in the Lahontan Valley, Nevada, during the fifth year of drought. There were few sites suitable for breeding, and at sites where birds did breed, nest depredation was extremely high. In a non-drought year there would be thousands of breeding recurvirostrids in the area I monitored; in 1991 there were fewer than 100. Only six pairs of stilts hatched chicks, and avocets failed entirely.

Nest predation pressure is probably higher in drought years because nests are more accessible to coyotes, and duck eggs and other prey items for ravens are limited. Antipredator behaviors seemed ineffective under such pressure.

In areas where 1,000, and often as many as 4,000, young avocets and equal numbers of stilts were routinely produced in each of the 18 years monitored between 1949 and 1975, Alberico documented no avocet chicks and just 21 stilt chicks.

Alberico cites others to the effect that recurvirostrid populations declined in the Lahontin Valley during the dry years of 1976 and 1977, while simultaneously increasing at Great Basin wetlands in Oregon and Utah, "suggesting they had moved from drought-stricken areas such as the Lahontan Valley."

Of 59 avocet and 10 stilt nests at one site (Mahala Slough) in 1991, 13 avocet nests (22 percent) were depredated by coyotes (Canis latrans) and 42 avocet nests (71 percent) and 2 stilt nests (20 percent) were depredated by birds. Common Ravens (Corvus corax) were the primary avian nest predators, although California Gulls (Larus californicus) may also have been involved occasionally.

Alberico comments about the effects of the drought on predation:

Several conditions associated with drought might have increased nest vulnerability and predation rates on recurvirostrid nests in the Lahontan Valley. As Mahala Slough dried up, I observed (from tracks and direct sightings) increasing coyote traffic around nesting areas, coupled with an increase in nest predation by coyotes. As the ponds dried up, nests initiated on hummocks surrounded by water soon became accessible via land or by shallow wading.

More specifically, she found that "Stilt nesting success was related to water depth, as five of six successful nests were surrounded by water deeper than 0.75 m."

Also, "A drought-induced shortage of typical prey items [especially nesting waterfowl] may have prompted ravens to increase their predation on avocet and stilt eggs."

Alberico’s article can be read in full by clicking on the highlighted title below.

Citation:

Alberico, Julie A. R. 1993. Drought and predation cause avocet and stilt breeding failure in Nevada. Western Birds 24: 43-51. [.PDF]

Harvey Nelson Mourned

Harvey Nelson (1925-2010), one of the notable wildlife conservationists of the 20th century, passed away Friday at age 85 from heart failure. Born and raised in Minnesota, he obtained a B.S. degree from the University of Minnesota and a M.S. degree from Michigan State University in wildlife management.

He "nurtured a boyhood fascination with waterfowl to become one of the nation’s most powerful wetlands and wildlife managers over a 42-year career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service." Nelson’s expertise and influence will be sorely missed.

Blog Maintenance

It's been a long time since I've done any maintenance on this blog. As a result, it has fallen into a state of disrepair, much like a house that has been neglected. One of the first things I need to tackle is to figure out why by Archives stopped functioning in December 2008. If anyone can offer some helpful hints on restoring this feature, I'd appreciate it.

Agnew on the Ivory-billed Woodpecker

John N. Agnew, an accomplished Ohio wildlife artist, has written rather extensively about the Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) on his blog, The View from Here, over the course of the last 18 months. Agnew even claims to have sighted an Ivory-bill—in the swamps of the Choctawhatchee River basin—in January 2008. His collection of writings on the Ivory-bill, illustrated with his own artwork of the bird he claims to have seen, can be viewed here.

Michigan Falconry

In Michigan falconry, Red-tailed Hawks are the Ford F-150, while Goshawks are the Corvette. One is steady and dependable, the other fast and flashy.

The quote above is from a wonderful article by Dave Spratt on the ancient art of falconry in Michigan.

More information about falconry is available on the Website of the Michigan Hawking Club.

Michigan Birds and Natural History

Michigan Birds and Natural History (MBNH), the formal journal of the Michigan Audubon Society, is a worthy successor to the venerable Jack-Pine Warbler, which was reduced to a mere newsletter about 15 years ago and has now been transformed into one of those slick magazines (so popular today) designed for popular consumption.

Published five times a year, each issue of MBNH is packed with information gathered by amateurs and professionals about the birds and other widlife of the Great Lakes State. Everyone interested in the natural history of Michigan should consider subscribing to this fine journal. A sample of a recent issue is available here (.PDF). To further whet your appetites, I here list the contents of a few selected past issues:

Volume 16 (Number 1), January—March 2009

Cover Photograph: King Rail walking across the county line from Bay into Arenac on 27 June 2008, by Doug Jackson.

The 2008 Kirtland’s Warbler Census, by Michael E. Petrucha and Elaine Carlson. Pp. 1-6.

Seasonal Use of Snags and Downed Logs by Vertebrates in a Small Wetland in Livingston County, Michigan, by Richard A. Wolinski. Pp. 7-17. Photo: aerial view of the Dexter Trail Wetland study area.

Michigan Bird Survey: Summer 2008 (1 June—31 July), compiled by Louie J. Dombroski. Pp. 18-43. Photos: (a) Willets at Tiscornia Beach, Berrien Co., in June 2008, by Tim Baerwald, p. 26; (b) juvenile Heermann’s Gull (Michigan’s second) in Houghton Co. on 18 July 2008, by Joe Youngman, p. 28; (c) Green Violetear (Michigan’s third) at Shelter Bay, Alger Co., on 6 July 2008, by Kirk Zufelt, p. 29; (d) Northern Wheatear (Michigan’s first in spring) in Grand Marai, Alger Co., on 6 June 2008, by Skye Haas, p. 33; (e) Yellow-throated Warbler in Marquette on 20 July 2008, by Beth Olsen, p. 36; (f) Cerulean Warbler in Marquette, by Betth Olson, p. 37; (g) Henslow’s Sparrow (Michigan’s first Upper Peninsula record) in Menominee Co. on 14 June 2008, by Kirk Zufelt, p. 40.

Suggestions to Authors, by the editor. P. 44.

Volume 15 (Number 5), November—December 2008

Cover Photograph: Carolina Wren, 3 January 2009 at Elizabeth Park, Trenton, Wayne Co., by Jerry Jourdan.

The Role of Severe Winter Weather in the Colonization, Extinction, and Reestablishment of a Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) Population, by Jacob Job and Peter Bednekoff. Pp. 193-200.

Actions of the Michigan Bird Records Committee for 2007, by Caleb G. Putnam. Pp. 201-248.

Michigan Banding Summary for 2007, by Mike Bishop. Pp. 249-264. Photo: hatch-year male Dickcissel captured 20 October 2007 at Pitsfield banding station (where new), Kalamazoo Co., by Rich Keith, p. 250.

Volume 15 (Number 3), June—August 2008

Cover Photograph: Bohemian Waxwing, 30 January 2008 in Berrien Co., by Kip Miller.

Nesting Proximity of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in Michigan, by Allen T. Chartier. Pp. 93-96. Photo: location of two Ruby-throated Hummingbird nests in Raisinville Twp., Monroe Co., showing surrounding habitat.

First Sage Thrasher (Oreoscoptes monantus) for Southern Lower Peninsula and Review of Previous Michgian Records, by Jonathan T. Wuepper. Pp. 97-99.

Michigan Bird Survey: Winter 2007—2008 (December—February), compiled by Jonathan T. Wuepper. Pp. 100-123. Photos: (a) Pacific Loon (Washtenaw Co.’s first) at Portage Lake on 29 December 2007, by Joshua Haas, p. 107; (b) Rough-legged Hawk in Oakland Co. on 14 January 2008, by Tom Pavlik, p. 113; (c) Short-eared Owl in Washtenaw Co. on 21 December 2007, by Bruce Bowman, p. 113; (d) Brown Thrasher in Superior Twp., Washtenaw Co., on 26 January 2008, by John Copley, p. 116; (e) Bohemian Waxwing at Mt. Pleasant, Isabella Co., on 3 February 2008, by Darlene Friedman, p. 117; (f) male Pine Grosbeak in Lapeer Co. on 17 March 2008, by Allen T. Chartier, p. 120.

Michigan Christmas Bird Counts: 2007—2008, compiled by Glenn R. Palmgren. Pp. 124-140.

Volume 14 (Number 5), November—December 2007

Cover Photograph: Prothonotary Warbler, 1 May 2005, by Robert Epstein.

Birding Newaygo County, Michigan, by Bill Sweetman. Pp. 177-182.

Long-term Philopatry of a Hibernating Eastern Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus subflavus), by Rachel B. Bricklin, Allen Kurta, Steven M. Smith, and Bill Scullon. Pp. 183-185. Photo: Eastern Pipistrelle with forearm band, p. 184.

First Documented Breeding of the Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) in Eaton County, Michigan, by Matthew Bohan and Michael A. Sanders. Pp. 186-188. Photos: (a) Prothonotary Warbler at Grand Wood Park in Eaton County, 20 May 2007, by Matthew Bohan, p. 187; (b) male Prothonotary Warbler near nest cavity on Grand River at Grand Woods Park in Eaton County, 20 May 2007, by Matthew Bohan, p. 187.

Actions of the Michigan Bird Records Committee for 2006, compiled by Caleb G. Putnam. Pp. 189-220.

Michigan Banding Summary for 2006, compiled by Mike Bishop. Pp. 221-240.

Grackle Prankster

Texas Governor Rick Perry is somewhat of a prankster, apparently. According to this source, while attending college at Texas A&M, Perry "left a few grackles and a bunch of bird seed in a classmate’s dorm room over Christmas break. The birds left a nasty smelling mess." Being as how grackles and other blackbirds didn’t receive Federal protection until 1972, the same year that Mr. Perry graduated, I’ll give him a break on this one, though animal welfare activists might not be so kind.


I can’t be as forgiving of former Texas Governor and U.S. President George W. Bush who mistook a Killdeer, a protected shorebird, for a Mourning Dove on a very public hunt while campaigning for governor and killed it dead. Mr. Bush was issued a citation and fined $130 for the offense, the maximum penalty for this violation being $500.

Memoirs and Ivory-billed Woodpeckers: Altered Realities

An article by Daniel Mendelsohn in the January 25, 2010, issue of The New Yorker (pp. 68-74) on the seemingly unrelated topic of memoirs, especially fraudulent ones, may offer some insight into the propensity for some people to make fantastic claims about sightings of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers (Campephilus principalis) that, upon close examination, lack convincing details, and for others to accept them without question.

In the following paragraphs, I highlight a few things about fraudulent memoirs—which reveal something about our human psyches—that seem to have a connection to purported sightings of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers. All of the quotations that follow are taken directly from Mendelsohn's article.

"One of the most interesting defenses of memoirs that turn out to be 'enhanced' or downright invented is that they accurately reflect a reality present not in the world itself, . . ., but in the author's mind." In other words, the mere process of believing something, no matter how outlandish, makes it true.

In defending what was later revealed to be a fraudulent memoir, one author is reported to have said, "It is not the actual reality—it was my reality."

"The seemingly pervasive inability on the part of both authors and readers to distinguish their truth from the objective truth [emphases added] is nothing new in the history of . . . literature." Perhaps the same can be said of some "scientists" and the literature they publish.

"When readers defended . . . [the author of a fraudulent memoir] on the ground that his book, however falsified its 'memories' were, had nonetheless (as he had hoped) provided them with the genuine uplift they were looking for, they were really defending fiction; an uplifting entertainment that can tell truths but cannot tell the truth."

Reacting to the discovery that some of the events in a memoir describing government atrocities against indigenous Guatemalans had not happened in the way related by the author, one sympathetic college professor proclaimed, in a scholarly journal, "Whether her book is true or not, I don't care." So much for objectivity!

Mendelsohn concludes that the public's "susceptibility [to improbable claims] suggests how an immoderate yearning for stories that end satisfyingly [as in, for example, enhancing a belief in the continued existence of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker] . . . makes us vulnerable to frauds and con men peddling pat uplift."

Claims of sightings (or even photographs) by folks like Steve Sheridan and Daniel Rainsong, and others before them, help perpetuate the fiction of the continued existence of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker among people who, for whatever reason, want to believe that this species remains alive. In the minds of these people, the Ivory-billed Woodpecker will forever live among us, however flimsy the evidence.

Disclaimer: The preceding article was originally posted as a Comment on Bill Pulliam's Notes from soggy bottom blog in response to his review of the recent history of fraudulent Ivory-billed Woodpecker claims. It has been slightly modified from the original.

Drought and Birds: Snail Kite

In one of the first Federally-funded field studies of an Endangered species in the United States, Paul W. Sykes Jr. (1979) examined population status, nesting success, and movements of the Snail Kite (Rhostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus)—formerly known as the Everglade Kite—in the human-altered marshes of south Florida over a span of 11 years, 1968-1978. The bill of the Snail Kite is uniquely adapted for feeding almost exclusively on apple snails (Pomacea sp.), which makes them wetland obligates, and thus particularly susceptible to drought.

Drought-related impacts on Snail Kites are emphasized in this excerpt from Sykes’s Summary:

The severe drought of 1971 resulted in a significant decrease in the population for that year and 1972, with no nesting attempts being observed in the dry year. From 1974 through 1978 the population increased significantly (r = 0.92, P < 0.025), apparently the result of favorable water conditions and increased food supply. The loss of suitable habitat is the major problem facing the species in Florida. A high water level is essential, as it affects food supply and its availability, as well as nesting success.

More specifically, in the two drought-influenced years (1971-1972), nesting attempts and number of young fledged were reduced to 3 and 1.5/year, respectively. By contrast, these same variables averaged 15 and 16/year in three pre-drought years (1968-1970) and 33 and 26/year in four post-drought years (1973-1976). In other words, drought conditions reduced nesting attempts to 20 and 9 percent of pre- and post-drought levels, and number of young fledged to 9 and 6 percent of pre- and post-drought levels.

Regarding population movements, Sykes notes: "My field work, beginning in 1967, has shown that kites are nomadic in Florida. Since widespread water manipulation has affected their food supply, kites must be nomadic to survive." Sykes concludes that "The nomadic behavior exhibited by this kite in recent years, probably represents a normal response to changes in water levels and food availability."

In discussing mortality, Sykes adds that "some individuals probably starved in drier years."

Additional details are revealed in the Discussion:

Each year, following breeding, some birds disperse, but during the drought of 1971 they were scattered more widely than usual over the entire Florida peninsula. The reduced food supply resulting from dry conditions apparently raised the mortality rate. In 1971 there was no recruitment to the population and when the census was taken only 72 individuals could be found. Although dispersal might have affected the actual number of birds seen, it was obvious that the population had decreased. In 1972 nesting attempts were at least 60% below the 1968—1970 period, and only 65 individuals were recorded on the census. Dry conditions prevailed in 1974 and there was a corresponding decrease in the kite population (Figure 4).

Sykes’s article can be read in full by clicking on the highlighted title below.

Citation:

Sykes, Paul W., Jr. 1979. Status of the Everglade Kite in Florida—1968-1978. Wilson Bulletin 91: 495-652. [.PDF]

Drought and Birds: Dew Bathing

Early on the morning of August 26, 1961, Nicolaas A. M. Verbeek (1962) observed 29 individuals of 7 species bathing and washing themselves in the dew that had gathered on the leaves of a shrubby vine maple (Acer circinatum) near Vancouver, British Columbia. Engaged in this behavior were 2 Red-eyed Vireos Vireo olivaceus, 15 Black-capped Chickadees Poicele atricapillus, 2 Golden-crowned Kinglets Regulus satrapa, 7 Orange-crowned Warblers Vermivora celata, 1 Black-throated Gray Warbler Dendroica nigrescens, 1 Wilson’s Warbler Wilsonia pusilla, and 1 Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia.

Verbeek attributed this rarely observed or reported behavior to the local drought conditions prevailing at the time, “with only a little over a centimeter [0.39 inches] of rain recorded in the 50 days preceding the day of observation.” While July and August are typically the driest months of the year in Vancouver, an average of 7.87 centimeters (3.1 inches) of rain normally falls during that period, nearly 8 times the amount recorded in 1961.

While others have reported instances of dew bathing in the wild (see Nichols 1921, Abbot 1954, Douglas 1968, and Baptista 1973), Verbeek is the only one who has suggested a connection between this behavior and drought. It seems likely that dew bathing would be more common amongst species that inhabit arid regions. In fact, Jim Conrad reported his observation of Yellow-rumped Warblers Dendroica coronata and Clay-colored Sparrows Spizella pallida bathing in the dew that had collected on mesquite leaves in northern Chihuahua.

Verbeek’s article, as well as the other references, can be read in full by clicking on the highlighted titles below (all are in .PDF format).

Citations:

Abbot, Waldo G. 1954. Leaf bathing of the Mockingbird. Condor 56: 163-164.

Baptista, Luis F. 1973. Leaf bathing in three species of emberizines. Wilson Bulletin 85: 346-347.

Dow, Douglas D. 1968. Dew bathing and related behavior of the Cardinal. Bird-Banding 39: 227-228.

Nichols, J. T. 1921. Coereba bahamensis at Miami, Fla. Auk 38: 461-462.
http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v038n03/p0461-p0462.pdf

Verbeek, Nicolaas A. M. 1962. On dew bathing and drought in passerines. Auk 79: 719.

Drought and Birds: Introduction

Birds must deal daily with a host of weather variables, be it rain, snow, sleet, hail, lightning, tornadoes, hurricanes, or temperature extremes. One of the longer-term climatic factors with which birds must periodically contend is drought, the lack of precipitation.

The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS)—in cooperation with the National Drought Mitigation Center and the National Integrated Drought Information System—has asked its national network of observers to begin submitting reports of how their communities have been impacted by drought.

The CoCoRaHS "Drought Impact Reporting Guide" can be viewed at this slideshow.

Spurred by this interest in drought, I will endeavor to periodically summarize information about the impact of drought on birds, particularly in North America. My primary source of information will be the invaluable treasure-trove of ornithological literature available through SORA, the Searchable Ornithological Research Archive.

Stay tuned!

Comforting Crows

In her review of singer-songwriter Allison Moorer’s latest CD, Crows, in PasteMagazine.com, Jenna Woginrich manages to string together two head-turning statements in consecutive sentences. Quite a notable feat! Judge for yourself:

There’s something comfortable about crows—their trademark call, that unmistakable silhouette, and the fact that no matter where I reside, they’re always there.

I’m no ornithologist, but I think crows are a lot like the men in my life: clever little assholes that win you over with dark humor and reliable comfort.

Those of you not familiar with Moorer's music might want to check out a lovely little tune called Mockingbird.